THE GIFT OF MERCY

 

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy (NIV)(see Romans 9:16).

As we begin, It's important for you to receive understanding from the Lord, and grace to receive grace that helps you understand this already sent word of God. The reason why, it is important for you to receive grace that goes on to receive the grace to understand is because without grace, we can't utilize grace by faith. And the term grace by faith means, grace according to the measure of the word of God in your spirit. Hence, grace is needed for the manifestation of grace by faith. For you to use a certain manifestation of grace by faith, you must first receive grace for that. This is why many of us can't use the grace we posses by faith in this earthen vessel already, because we haven't yet receive grace to use grace by faith. So as an individual, you may have the Healing grace, the Prophetic grace, the grace to make wealth and many other Spiritual blessings, and yet still not able to use it by faith, not because it haven't been given, or, you don't have it, or you haven't received it, but because you haven't received the grace to use the grace by faith you have. You may think is faith you need, and the improvement of your belief system before you can get access, but it is not. Faith, and believing is only effective and ceases to be mental, when that grace to use grace by faith is already received by you. Without that grace, all your faith and believing is mental, and therefore, no results. By believing, you only receive that grace that goes on to use by faith the grace you have been blessed with already. By believing, we receive grace, and by faith, we use the grace we have (received by believing) to make to work that certain grace we already have in the heavenly places. Remember, Our Lord Jesus Christ have blessed us with all manner of Spiritual blessings (see Eph 1:3). You have it, but no access to it. And the grace which you need to receive to use the Spiritual blessings by faith, is available. What is left for you is just for you to receive the keys [graces] of the Kingdom from the hands of our Lord Jesus for you to gain access by faith, to the grace in you. In conclusion to this, you need grace to get access into every certain manifestation of grace, and faith to make use, or benefit from every manifestation of grace you posses. So before you make use of that manifestation of grace you carry by faith, the question is, have you received the keys [graces] of the kingdom yet, to use grace, by faith? If you haven't, pray to receive one (see Matt 16:19). Now, the gift of Mercy is a very important gift that must be understood, sought after, and yearn for also, before the receiving of the gifts of the Spirit. It is not like any of those common gifts you must have heard about, and not everybody desire it because they think it's an inferior gift, and no spectacular work attached to it. Before I go further, I will like to bring to your awareness, that there's the gift of salvation which is Jesus Christ, and also, the gift from salvation, which is also Jesus Christ. I know you might be confused right now about what I just said, but let me go deeper. Now, there's a difference between the gift of salvation, and the gift from salvation. These are two different gift but yet with the same goal and mandate, which is the glorification and the exaltation of Jesus Christ. For effective understanding, let us study both words. We start with the word  'of'. Of is a preposition that indicates relationships between other words, such as belonging, things made of other things, things that contain other things, or a point of reckoning. The word 'from', is also a preposition that indicates many things. But among all those things, it is used as a functional word to indicate the source, cause, agent, or basis of a thing. Hence, when we say the gift of salvation, we are saying that the gift that are made up of salvation, the gift that contain salvation. And when we also say the gift from salvation, what we mean are the gifts that result from salvation, gifts that cause, and are agent of salvation for the souls of men. The gift of salvation is Jesus, which deals with the work of the Cross, which is mainly the redemption of your own soul. Now, you cannot be save without Jesus the Mercy of God, Jesus the Love of God, and Jesus the righteousness of God. The gift from salvation is Jesus , which deals mainly from the result from the work of the Cross, which is The Holy Spirit. Don't be confuse. You may say, what is the difference between the work of the Cross, and the effects or the result of the work of the Cross? The work of the Cross is Jesus the sacrifice, as the propitiation of our sin and the world. So the gift of salvation is for everyone including the world (see 1 John 2:2,  Romans 3:25 and John 1:29). While the effect or the result of the work of the Cross, that is, the effect or the outcome of Jesus as the sacrifice for sin offering is the reconnection of man back to God, which is the Holy Spirit. Thus, this unveil to us that the gift from salvation is for everyone who believe and accept the work of the Cross, which also means, those who are born again. We can simply say that the gift of salvation zero in me, I'm the main target first and beneficiary, it focus on the redemption of my soul first primarily, and helps me to minister and serve The Lord. And the gift from salvation, which is the Holy Spirit, helps me maintain my redemption through his instructions, and also His Manifestations which are purely for ministering and service to the people of the Lord (see 1 Corinth 12:7), and to save the souls of men through a saved vessel (see Acts 2: 1-41 ). Now, you cannot receive the gifts from salvation which also is the Holy Spirit and His Manifestations without first receiving the gifts of salvation, which is you being born again (see Acts 2:38). The gifts of salvation are the three levels of redemption given by Jesus Christ which I already mentioned above. And it is advisable for you to receive them, before you going on to receive the gifts of the Spirit. These gifts, can be term as the vital gift of salvation. Among them are; the gift of Mercy, the gift of Righteousness, the gift of Love. We were saved by the mercy of God, through the love of God, by his righteousness (see Titus 3:5, John 3:16, and 1 Timothy 1:13 and 1 Timothy 15:16). We will talk about salvation some other time. Now let's discuss about the gift of Mercy which is also one of the gifts of salvation. For us to understand the gift of Mercy, it is important for us to know what is mercy. Mercy is not weakness, or something so cheap because you think is common. Mercy is a personality, and that personality is Jesus. Now, the word 'Mercy' are the word 'checed', and 'racham' in the Hebrew, which means steadfast love, goodness, loving kindness and beauty (checed) and to love, having compassion (racham). In the Greek, they are the words 'eleos', and 'eleeó', which means of an unknown amount of Love, and also a kind of love that is unknown to man (eleos) and compassionate by words or deeds, specially by divine grace. We clearly see that mercy is an unknown type of the love of God, and the highest form of the Love of God. It also reveals a love that is firm and dependable, an unconditional love that is marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable, it cannot be taken away because it is a love that endures forever (see Psalm 136). In other words, Mercy is an atmosphere of Love. Without mercy, there's no love, yet, Mercy is given through love. Let me explain what I just said, before we talk about the Power of Mercy, what Mercy can do. As I begin to explain, I want you to note, that the highest form of Love is Mercy, and not Agape. This is because, mercy contains every kinds of love, and He is always associated with love (see Eph 2:4). But the four kinds of love doesn't always associated with Mercy. Note, I didn't say they don't exhibit mercy, what I say is that, it is not every time they exhibit it. You might say how? The answer is, those four kinds of Love are subjected to change when there are pressures, but Mercy doesn't change. In Titus 3:5, we understand that we were save according to the mercy of God, which is the highest form of the love of God, which was given in John 3:16, which we know to be Jesus, who went on to reveal the good will, longingly, pleasure, benevolent, and kindness (Love), and made all those characteristic of God's love accessible to those who receive him, by giving mercy which was himself to the world. That's why I said, Jesus, who is Mercy, is the highest form of the love of God, and without the atmosphere of Jesus, their can be no benevolent. Yet, Jesus was given through the benevolent of God. So true love is when mercy (Jesus, or steadfast love) is given. Because when God longed for the world, He gave Jesus who is Mercy to all, that whoever receives mercy should not perish but have eternal life (see John 3:16 and 1 Peter 1:3). So likewise, if a man loves you, the prove he really does is steadfast love. Please note: The Word "Agape' doesn't mean unconditional love, rather, it means, to wish well, to take pleasure in, to long for, it means benevolent, which means kindness and moved by sympathy, it means good will, and esteem. It also denotes the love of reason. What is unconditional love is mercy (see Psalm 136). That was why God the Father was moved by mercy to show his good will to the world by sending Jesus who is mercy. God the Father took pleasure on the world, and long for the world, and gave steadfast love (mercy) to it so that he could show his good will to anyone who receives that steadfast love. Now let's get to the power of mercy. I want you to understand that without mercy, you cannot find Grace. In Heb 4:16, we were told to come to the throne of Grace, to receive mercy to find grace. Note: it is Mercy you have to receive to find Grace, and not Grace you receive to find mercy. Hence, without mercy, you cannot find or receive grace in the throne of Grace. In other words, you need Mercy to find Grace. You need mercy to have access to the knowledge that increases grace. Another is that, without mercy there will never be redemption. Jesus had to present his blood on the mercy seat, before salvation was granted (see Heb 9:12) see Leviticus 16:14 and 15 to understand that the blood must be sprinkled on the mercy seat before the sins are forgiven. This also tells us that without mercy, there's no forgiveness of sin (see Hebrew 9:22). The absence of mercy is the presence of judgement. If God wants to judge a man, the first thing HE does is to take his mercy away from him (see James 2:13). No wonder in 2nd Samuel 24:14, King David understood the dangers of the absence of mercy. And Jude also, in Jude 1:21, advised us to receive the mercy of God, because he knows the effect of not receiving it. When we receive mercy, we become the chosen royalties of the kingdom of God (1Peter 2:9-10). The wisdom of God is f of mercy, this means, any wisdom that is not full of Jesus, the steadfast love of God, is not the wisdom from above. The wisdom from above is pure and full of steadfast love (see James 3:17). The ministry of the Word of God, that brings about transformation from Glory to Glory is the mercy of God to us that prevents us from fainting (see 2nd Corinth 3:18—2nd Corinth 4:1). Without mercy there's no favor and no love, and healing (see Philippians 2:27, and Luke 18:38). The gift of Mercy is very important and should be placed among the most important gift to receive from God. No wonder each time the Apostles greets the saints in their letter, they always include also may mercy be multiple (see 2nd John 1:3, 2nd Timothy 1:2,  2nd Timothy 1:18 and 2Peter 1:2). Father I pray that as I have delivered this word, I believe and know it will bless them, and bring them more to the realization that they need you more in their lives. For those who want to surrender their lives to you and receive your life through mercy by faith, Lord accept them I pray. And Lord, thank you for blessing your word in their hearts and Glorifying your name. Amen. For those of you who want to surrender your life to the Lord Jesus, and receive His life, just simply open your mouth and your heart, and tell HIM that you receive him today, and acknowledge that He is the Son of GOD who came in the flesh and resurrected in Glory. Amen. 

INSPIRED ON: THE 12TH OF FEBRUARY 2022.

DEDICATED: TO MERCY MODUPE AREMU.

COMMITTED: TO FAITH-THOMAS SOKOMBA, 22ND SEPT 2022.