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Mercies of God

 

Last Sunday we looked at the mercies of God. Here is the message

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.


I hope that I will be able to take us on this journey across the Romans one day. We have often done parts and we will when God leads us go verse by verse through Romans. 


Today we will skim a very pressing matter. The mercies of God.


In order to get the point across we will divide it into two sections. In the original notes I have four, today we look at two, maybe enjoy one.


Therefore:


The word therefore is very common to us. In maths we have used it. When have we used it?

In the place where we say LHS = RHS, hence proved. This statement is important for us to notice. 


Many of us have been walking Christian life with only the thought of living a good Christian life. We want to be good people, go to church and be a nice boy. This is our aim for ourselves and our aim for our Children. My dad used to say, eda do this, I would ask why appa? He would say, Are you asking me back? The reason was never known. As I became a parent, I realised that my child too has questions. Why apppa? … This needs to be addressed. Why appa should we present our bodies as living sacrifice? Why should we do spiritual worship? Why should we not be like the world? It is easy to say, “i told you so do it” but praise God Paul is not like that. Hallelujah


Paul is making a serious, urgent, heartfelt request. That is what the word appeal means. 

The greek work is “parakleo” from which we get “paraklethos” which we know as Spirit. “Parakaleó” means to come near and dear to you. Like coming to you and hugging you and saying “bro, listen” … there is a lot of love Paul is showing here. 


Most times the passage is spoken as a serious passage. We too have done it. We have heard preachers say, don't sin or its hell. Are they wrong? No, are they right? “Ya-en” --- Paul is saying this with love. The love is often missing and our theology then lacks love and mercy to ourselves. We will fight our heart as hard as possible to make sure that we will not be like the world. Brothers that is not the fight we have to fight. Our fight has a better cause. Our fight rests in “therefore”. Paul wants our life to rest on the LHS. 


So what is therefore.

What is the LHS of this equation? That is chapters 1-11. What is Paul doing there in those chapters that he can say therefore here? 

Here is what we build our lives on. From chapter


  1. all have sinned

  2. God has judged correctly 

  3. We deserve to be punished 

  4. But God made a way - Abraham 

  5. Jews got peace through faith in Christ

  6. Jesus death : death to sin and alive to Christ. - heart transplant - holiness transplantation 

  7. Sin andlaw

  8. Grace through Christ 

  9. God's choice 

  10. Gentiles

  11. Remnant of Israel 


“Because of God’s mercy revealed in Christ, therefore, I do this and not that. Because of God’s mercy revealed in Christ, therefore I speak this way and not that way. Because of God’s mercy revealed in Christ, therefore I cultivate this kind of emotion and put that kind to death. Because I exist to glorify the mercy of God in Christ, I live this way and not that way.” Christian living is built on something.



 Look at Romans 15:8–9. “For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.” There it is. The aim of all 11 chapters — all sixteen chapters — is that we might make the mercy of God look great among the nations.



WE ARE DEBTORS TO MERCY ALONE. 1 Peter 2:10




category the mercies of God

eternal love, eternal grace, the Holy Spirit, everlasting peace, eternal joy, saving faith, comfort, strength, wisdom, hope, patience, kindness, honor, glory, righteousness, security, eternal life, forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, freedom, resurrection, sonship, and on going intercession, and more.


What is your response to the mercies of God? I think the psalmist said it well, Psalm 116:12, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward us?” “When I count up the benefits, the mercies of God that are given to me, what shall I render to the Lord?”



Mercy is not weak. It has an unbreakable backbone, but is very soft to the touch. May God encourage you and enable you by his Spirit to build your life on the mercies of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Receive these mercies. Entrust your life to them. Embrace them for the forgiveness of your sins and all the help you need to live a life of mercy - John Piper


Hear and read it





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