I’ve heard it said that mercy is not getting what we deserve while grace is getting that which we don’t deserve.

Think about this for a moment.

Because of Jesus, we have the opportunity to not only receive that which we don’t deserve, but because of Jesus, we also have the privilege to NOT receive that which we DO deserve.

Jesus paid the price we should have paid. He willingly and obediently embraced the epitome of pain and punishment so that we wouldn’t have to. Because of our sin, our brokenness, and our disobedience, we were sentenced to death and eternal separation from our Holy God. But, because of His great love for us, God didn’t want eternity without us.

Enter Jesus.

Jesus willingly and obediently took our place and paid our penalty.Jesus died in our place, as our substitution.

Because of this, we get the fullness of mercy from our Holy God … we don’t get that which we deserve - death and eternal separation.

Because of this, we get the fullness of grace as a gift … we get that which we don’t deserve.

We get to be completely forgiven.

We get to be eternally free.

We don’t deserve it. We haven’t and couldn’t earn it.

Paul had a deep understanding of this.

This is why his encouragement: present the fullness of your entire being to God as a living and joyfully set apart sacrifice.

Offer yourselves entirely to Him, willingly, humbly, obediently at His service.

True worship is total obedience.

Die to the things of this world and the cravings of this culture. 

Die to the transactional, self-indulgent pleasures of this earthly life and be awakened by the powerful and life-giving transformation that only comes through relationship with Jesus.

May He renew our minds and change our thinking.

May He redeem our hunger and thirst and may we taste and see that truly, only He is worthy.

Jesus have it all!