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Devotion

Weekly Lift

#86. Thankful for mercy - 1 Peter

Bruce Stanley

December 20, 2021


1 Peter: Thankful for mercy

Welcome to the weekly lift number 86, Tuesday 21st December 2021, as we continue in thankfulness through the New Testament. Today we look at the letter of 1 Peter: "Thankful for mercy".

When I get the chance to watch the TV reality show RBT (the show where police pull over drivers for alcohol and drug testing), there is often a common theme with most drivers who are guilty. They are hoping for mercy. When they know they've done the wrong thing, they're hoping the police will let them off with a warning. Leniency. Forgiveness. Mercy.

We probably don't think much of the idea of mercy at Christmas. It is however a powerful word to consider. One definition of the word is:

"compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm" (Oxford Languages definition).

Mercy is when someone is in a position of power to harm or punish another. But they don't. Instead, they forgive. They show compassion. They don't issue the speeding fine. They give you a "get out of jail free" card. The apostle Peter begins his first letter with thanks for God's mercy:

1 Peter 1:3-4

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.

Who better to teach us about mercy than Peter, the lead disciple who failed Jesus by denying him three times at his arrest and trial. Who better than Peter to teach about mercy as he received so much of it from God!

And we are no different to Peter. If we think we are, we have a lot to learn about our own sinful hearts. Peter praises God for the mercy he has shown by giving us new birth. A fresh start. A "get out of jail free" card. Through Jesus' resurrection, God has offered us freedom from our old life, and given us new life, new birth, a new start, with a promise of a new and eternal inheritance. Can you imagine the police not only letting you off for speeding, but then giving you a new car before they send you on your way? God's mercy is enthusiastic. He not only offers forgiveness and a new beginning with him, but also an inheritance, a future, and a hope that no one can ever take away.

But then Peter continues with even more good news:

1 Peter 1:4-6

This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

God not only sets us free, and gives us an eternal inheritance. He then SHIELDS us until the day of salvation comes. He protects us and watches over us. He ensures we are safe. All this God does for people like you and me who were once his enemies. This surely is a great Christmas passage to reflect on.

God knows life is not easy and verse 6 tells us this. He knows the challenges we will face in life. He knows the suffering and trials and temptations we humans encounter each day. This is why he knows we need his protection.

This is amazing mercy. Worthy of so much thankfulness.

And so, in the spirit of Christmas, when God came to earth in that great act of mercy, perhaps now is a good time to ask how we are showing mercy to others?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your mercy to us in Jesus. For forgiveness of sins, for a secure and eternal future, and for your protections each day. Continue to watch over us, we pray, that we may stand firm for your gospel, looking forward to the hope of heaven which we have because of your mercy, shown to us in Jesus' birth, death and resurrection. And help us, as people who have received your mercy, to be people who also show mercy to others. Amen.

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    St Philip's Eastwood Anglican Church

    Cnr. Shaftsbury Rd & Clanalpine St, Eastwood NSW 2122

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