DISCIPLESHIP… EXPRESSING THE LOVE OF CHRIST

Looking at His disciples, Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”  (Luke 6:32–36 NIV)

The stretch of Christian discipleship is to love those for whom it is not automatic, easy, common, or accepted. To love those who do not think like us or live like us, and to express respect, compassion, and mercy to those we do not know and who may never be able to repay us -- this is the love Christ pulls out of us. Jesus stepped across oppressive social boundaries, intermingled with those who suffered crippling infirmities and social stigma, and offered hope to those at their point of gravest despair. He loved the least lovable and the most vulnerable, and He offered the same unmerited grace to the greatest sinner as to the finest saint. The down-and-out see in Christ as much love for them as the up-and-coming. And Christ invites His disciples to follow Him into this kind of love. 

-- Robert Schnase in “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations”

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BE MERCIFUL TO ONE ANOTHER

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”  (Matthew 5:7 NIV)

In this Beatitude, Jesus highlights the importance of mercy in the life of a believer. Mercy is more than just feeling compassion; it is actively showing kindness and forgiveness to others, even when they may not deserve it. This reflects the heart of God, who is described as the “Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1:3).

Mercy involves meeting the needs of those who are suffering, offering forgiveness to those who have wronged us, and showing love and compassion to the lonely and rejected. It is a powerful expression of God’s love working through us.

So what should we do to be merciful? Show Compassion: Look for opportunities to help those in need around you. Whether it’s through a kind word, a helping hand, or a listening ear, your acts of mercy can make a significant difference. Forgive Freely: Holding onto grudges can harden our hearts. Instead, choose to forgive those who have hurt you, just as God has forgiven you. Reflect God’s Love: Let your actions be a reflection of God’s mercy. When others see your kindness and compassion, they are seeing a glimpse of God’s love. 

-- Compiled from a Variety of Sources

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UNDERSTANDING GOD’S CHARACTER

“Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living… For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:15,16,23 NLT)

When we understand the character of God, when we grasp something of His holiness, then we begin to understand the radical character of our sin and hopelessness. Helpless sinners can survive only by grace. Our strength is futile in itself; we are spiritually impotent without the assistance of a merciful God. We may dislike giving our attention to God's wrath and justice, but until we incline ourselves to these aspects of God's nature, we will never appreciate what has been wrought for us by grace. Even Edwards's sermon on sinners in God's hands was not designed to stress the flames of hell. The resounding accent falls not on the fiery pit but on the hands of the God who holds us and rescues us from it. The hands of God are gracious hands. They alone have the power to rescue us from certain destruction. 

-- R. C. Sproul in “The Holiness of God”

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GOD’S GOOD, PLEASING AND PERFECT WILL

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:2 NIV)

God is sufficiently wise and good and powerful and merciful to turn even the most, apparently, disastrous event to the advantage and profit of those who humbly adore and accept His will in all that He permits. 

-- Jean-Pierre de Caussade as quoted in “The Little Book of Grace”


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