But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us,even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)
Ephesians 2:4-5
Without love, there is no mercy. Think about that for a minute. Have you ever wondered if God really loves you? Of course you have, we all have. But, scripture tells us over and over how much God loves us. His love was the reason for our very creation, and even through our sin He never stops loving us. How do we know this? Because of His mercy.
You cannot separate mercy from grace, and neither can be separated from love. St. Paul tells us God’s richness in mercy flows from His love, and that out of that mercy flows His saving grace. The same is true with us humans. If we have true love for another, we will have mercy on them and that mercy issues forth in grace. It’s the only response of loving people. It’s how we imitate God.
Do you know how much God loves you? I hope so. His great love has caused His saving grace to flow out in waves of mercy, washing clean the souls of all who plunge themselves in the cleansing tide. The river of God’s mercy is deep and wide and it wants to carry you away in His love. Go ahead and dive in. I promise you’ll be glad you did. Here’s a song to listen to as you dive in!
Grace and Peace,
+Pastor Brad
Prayer
Merciful Loving Father, thank you for loving me, saving me, and keeping me. Help me to live in the flow of your mercy as I drink from the river of life, and teach me to show your mercy to others. Amen.
Image credit: http://www.minimalstudent.com/simple-philosophies-live-to-dive-in/