May 2, 2011
-
knowing mercy ~ reflections on Osama Bin Laden's death
If you wag your finger, hold your head up high
Trusting in self, proudly judging through earthly eyes"That one deserves hell," you may decree
Then you've not really known God's mercySinners one and sinners all
We all need ransom from the fallAll have wandered, no one seeks
No one knows the way of peaceNo one clean, no not one
All are guilty, every oneNo one righteous, no not one
All need cleansing through Christ's bloodSalvation a gift of God's sovereign grace
Dust and ashes, fall prostrate on your faceIf you are chosen, then grace abounded
Bow down and worship, be astoundedGod of wrath set forth propitiation
To redeem sinners from every nationGod's love sent Jesus to be crucified
To rescue a people to be His brideRighteousness counted to guilty ones
By grace through faith in God's only SonGod's mercy a gift He freely bestows
To worms unworthy on earth belowWith empty hands, down on their knees
Beggars and paupers obtain releaseAll were condemned, none were deserving
Yet God's gift was given, never could we earn it"But I obtained mercy," our own plea
Grace abounded to sinners like you and meIf you beat your breast, bow your head down low
Seeing God's holiness, despising self, you cry, "Woe!"
"I deserve hell, but I obtained mercy,"
Then you've begun to know God's mercyIsaiah 64:6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
Luke 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Related:who are we to say . . . (Christ's atonement and assurance)
"Salvation unto Us Has Come by God's free grace & favor"
Are you a Jonah?
God's people ought to be welcoming "Hookers & Robbers"
Bible Reading: Ezekiel 7–"But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more"
First Week of Advent: The Most Scandalous Bailout Ever
Sovereign Glory (An Advent Hymn)
O, How Shall the Ark of the LORD Come to Me? ~ A Hymn of Gospel Salvation ~ II Samuel 6
Surely none is righteous, no, not one ~ The Pharisee's Warning (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:9-10)
Lenten Reflections: What HE Gave Up ~ Does His grace get you amazed?
Lenten Reflections: what we did, what He did ~ Isaiah 50:5-6
I am a leopard - Christ is a lion ~ The Resurrection Celebration
Advent #2 WHY HAS JESUS COME? to give his life as a ransom for many
Advent #3 WHY HAS JESUS COME? not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance
Why preach the Gospel? # 1: Bad men need Good News!
Why preach the Gospel? bad men need Good News (abridged)
Why preach the Gospel? # 2: Dead men need Life!Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
RSS feed
Comments (5)
Very prophetic. Thank you for sharing this
We who have known God's mercy weep for those who will not care to know Him.
@TravelingStranger - You're welcome, brother.
@quest4god@revelife - Amen, Norm.
I promise I didn't read this before I posted.
@llamalima - Hmm... you mean on FB (I didn't see any post here)? Yes, I saw that last night. Our common response is the right response of the heart that's begun to know God's mercy in light of our exceeding sinfulness... I say begun to... "the unsearchable riches of Christ."
Comments are closed.