2002-03-18 - Ain't No Mercy Left For Me

2 Samuel 24:14 "Then David said to God, 'I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the Lord for His mercies are  great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.'"

In case you did not know it today is Supreme Sacrifice Day. Again, I don't make these things up, I just report and I'm not even sure what is meant by that statement of Supreme Sacrifice Day. Of course, as Christians we know who made the supreme sacrifice. But there seems to be a need for some sort of day and I am not sure it has anything to do with Christ. So it is today and that's enough of that.

You might wonder where the title for today comes from. If you do you don't listen to Metallica, that's probably good. But that is a line in a popular radio play song from them. I combine all these elements for one reason, (and I am about to add another) Christ has made the supreme sacrifice. Mercy is there for all who will come to Christ in repentance and faith. Metallica got it wrong. There is mercy left for them and for all who will come to Christ. So there is mercy left and I urge you to remember that.

What I would like to add today is something related, but in some respects unrelated. This Sunday, so when you get this it is past tense (already happened), I am going to attend a church where grace and mercy is preached. The church recently changed their meeting time and I am able to attend for the first time. The church I am currently a member at preaches the mercy of Christ, but not like this one. The preacher at this church speaks and prays as if your very soul hangs on his every word. It is rare to find this kind of preaching.

He preaches with what is called earnestness. We might call it passion. I need this kind of preaching. The gospel is not something we doll out as if we were at a toll booth on the turnpike. Sure we share Christ, but the gospel is for those who don't believe, will believe, and (let us never forget) for those of us who have believed. For those of us who have rested in Christ, the gospel is for us! It is our reminder of the mercy we have received in Christ. It is our motivation to go forth and speak of this mercy to others. It is our motivation to live as those called to a higher calling. There is mercy left for us and when preaching adorns the gospel of Jesus

Christ it can only strengthen our resolve and encourage us to press on. This is why I am attending the church I will be attending this Sunday. It has all that and, as they say in pop culture, a bag of chips. It has more because it has it's foundation firmly set in Christ and the mercy of the gospel found in Him.

There is abundant mercy in Jesus Christ. Deeper than the ocean is the mercy of Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3.

Soli Deo Gloria,

T-

 tim@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org
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