Episode 12--Grace and Mercy, Giving it and Getting it

Episode:  Grace and Mercy 

 

Hello, Civilla Morgan here! Welcome to episode 12 of the Not Just Another Religion and Politics Podcast! Thank you for tuning in! So here’s the deal: 

Remember, I want this podcast to speak to people, not yell at people. Whether you are a Believer or not, a Christian or not, I want this podcast to be so plain in its language, that even if you have never stepped into a church, you will get this. You will get who Jesus is, and you will get what relationship with Him could be like, despite what people--Christians and non-Christians, try to do to get you to turn your back. Come along with me. I promise it will be a really cool experience!

Grace, the definition:

 

1. The Christian definition: ‘the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.’
2.     a short prayer of thanks said before or after a meal.  

Also defined as ‘courteous goodwill. Meaning, it's not asked for nor deserved, but is freely given.’ 

 

It is God’s grace that saves us from our sins. If it were not for His grace, we would continue to live in our sins.  When you extend grace to someone, you overlook their bad or negative deed done to you or done in general. In general, as in going about your day and doing something you knew you had no business doing, and if you got caught you would most likely get in trouble. But you are extended grace, forgiveness.

Of course, as it says in Isaiah 26:10, you can be extended forgiveness but decide to keep doing that negative thing. 

 Mercy, on the other hand, is the compassion and kindness shown to someone whom it is in one's power to punish or harm. It is an act meant to relieve someone of their suffering. Dec 4, 2019.

Case in point, Psalm 4:1, David is asking God to ‘Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.’ 

Mercy is quite literally relief from a very difficult situation--whether it is a situation of our own making or a situation that someone else involved us in. 

I could have done two separate episodes, one on grace, and one on mercy, but I really feel that although they mean two different things, they are still similar. 

Have you ever been betrayed? If you have, it was most likely done by a family member or friend, right? The very nature of betrayal is that it is an act done by someone who knows you very well. The betrayer knows your schedule, your likes, and dislikes. Your integrity. They know you to the core of your being. 

It can be a business partner who knows what you will or will not stand for in business dealings. It could be a sibling, a spouse. Someone who has the ability to hurt you so badly it is possible that betrayal can change your life forever.

What if that person comes back at a later date and asks for forgiveness. Which would you extend? Grace or mercy? 

Extending grace means they could do it again, to you or to someone else, even if they ended up going to jail.

Extending mercy means you there is a possibility of not going to jail because of mercy.

That’s the difference between grace and mercy, but that is also, at least in my opinion, how similar they are. 

Have you ever extended grace? What about mercy? It’s not always easy to do. In fact, the bigger the betrayal or misstep, the deeper you have to dig which is probably a given. I went out to lunch with a group of girls once, riding in one of their vehicles. When I got out I realized I had sat in melted crayon. It was one of my favorite pairs of jeans too.  She apologized, saying one of her kids must have left it there. I had to extend grace. What else could I do? She did not offer to replace my jeans, and I did not ask her to.  

But what about when someone you trust with most if not all of your personal self sells that knowledge to the highest bidder? Grace or mercy? I think we know by now that is grace. Unless that act was illegal and the betrayer is brought up on charges. Mercy, right? Oh by the way, mercy does not always mean you will not have to pay for your misdeeds. You may still have to go to jail. But jail or not, the betrayed has to decide whether he or she will extend mercy. 

And don’t worry, the deeper you have to dig, meaning the bigger the offense or betrayal, the more of a process extending grace and mercy will be. After all, you are not a machine, your heart gets to be broken too. The decision to extend grace or mercy, as a human, with a heart that can be broken,  is the whole point. 

Honestly, it all seems unfair to me, until I remind myself that I need grace and mercy too. I may not betray someone, I may not commit an act that can possibly alter the trajectory of another human being’s life, i.e. cause a traffic accident that results in tearing a family apart. I may not intentionally cause harm to my business partner. But trust me, as a human, I can and probably will do something, even if it is not on purpose, that can cause me to need grace and mercy. Will I get it? Maybe, maybe not. Should I give it? As much as possible. As difficult as it can sometimes be.

Look, I say all the time, there is nothing easy about the Christian walk. I don’t care what any pastor, person who has been a Christian for a million years says. It’s not easy. But it’s good. Oh, you thought I was going to say ‘it’s worth it.’ Well, in the end, it will be, but for now, during your Christian journey here on earth, let’s stick with ‘it’s good.’ It’s good for your soul, for your mind, for your spirit. 

I am not here to tell you that every Christian, including myself, will always want to extend grace and mercy, but it’s not about wanting to, it is about living the life and walking the walk that Jesus taught us to. As we walk we will grow. We will grow into doing the right thing. The world automatically says ‘you don’t like me, so I don’t like you.’ Or, ‘you hit me I’m going to hit you back harder’. 

God is not asking us to be doormats, that is not what this is about. He wants us to be wise in our responses. He wants us to be discerning. He wants us to be harmless yet strong. “Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].--Matthew 10:16.  But He wants our auto-response to be grace and mercy, not tit for tat. Try grace and mercy first.     

 

Scriptures mentioned:

‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.’--Ephesians 2:8-9

‘But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord.’--Isaiah 26:10.

‘But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.’--Nehemiah 9:31.

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David. ‘Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.’--Psalm 4:1.

“Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].--Matthew 10:16.

Episode Takeaways:

‘They don’t have any integrity, but they recognize integrity.’ 

‘Will I get it? Maybe, maybe not. Should I give it? As much as possible.’ 

Closing commentary:

Don’t forget, I would love to hear from you on the question: 

‘Who is God?’ 

Episode quote:

“Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion – it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.”--Billy Graham.

Episode outro:

Well, thank you for tuning in. Let me know via social media or by email, if you have feedback. I would love to hear from you! You may email me at [email protected]. Please give me 24 to 48 hours to respond. And don’t forget to check the show notes for the sources used for this episode. Until next time!