DN God's Motive for Your Inheritance 7/23/2006


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Topic: Religions > Bible
User: "Peter G. Chase"
Date: 22 Jul 2006 11:50:42 PM
Object: DN God's Motive for Your Inheritance 7/23/2006
DRAWING NEAR
July 23
God's Motive for Your Inheritance
"According to His great mercy" (1 Pet. 1:3).
Every dimension of life, whether physical or spiritual, is a
testimony of God's mercy.
When God saved you and granted you an eternal inheritance, it wasn't
because you were special or more deserving of His love and grace than
others. It was because He sovereignly chose to love you and extend
His great mercy to you. That's why Paul said, "God, being rich in
mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we
were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ
(by grace you have been saved)" (Eph. 2:4-5). He "saved us, not on
the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according
to His mercy" (Titus 3:5).
Because of His great mercy, God addresses the pitiful condition of
mankind. Unregenerate people are totally depraved, dead in
trespasses, enslaved to sin, cursed to eternal damnation, unable to
help themselves, and in desperate need of someone to show them mercy
and compassion. That's the good news of the gospel: God loves sinners
and extends mercy to anyone willing to trust in Him.
Mercy tempers God's justice. The Puritan writer Thomas Watson said,
"Mercy sweetens all God's other attributes . . . . When the water was
bitter, and Israel could not drink, Moses cast a tree into the
waters, and then they were made sweet. How bitter and dreadful were
the other attributes of God, did not mercy sweeten them! Mercy sets
God's power [at] work to help us; it makes his justice become our
friend; it shall avenge our quarrels" (A Body of Divinity [Edinburgh:
The Banner of Truth Trust, 1978], p. 94).
The very fact that God permits us to live at all speaks of His mercy.
Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "It is because of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new
every morning; great is thy faithfulness" (KJV).
No matter what your situation is, God's mercy is more than sufficient
for you. It "is great above the heavens" (Ps. 108:4, KJV). So be
encouraged and look to Him always.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Praise God for His great mercy, for by it you have received eternal
life and an eternal inheritance.
For Further Study:
Read Mark 10:46-52. How did Jesus' healing ministry demonstrate God's
mercy?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Mark 10:46-52
46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His
disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of
Timaeus, sat by the road begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry
out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more,
"Son of David, have mercy on me!"
49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they
called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is
calling you."
50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
51 So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for
you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my
sight."
52 Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you
well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on
the road.
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Gospel
http://www.gty.org/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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