Mercy AND Grace

 I've heard mercy described as not getting the punishment you deserve. Grace on the other hand is getting the reward you don't deserve. Mercy relates to deserved punishment , grace relates to undeserved blessings. The cross connects us to the fountain of mercy and the resurrection connects us with the fountain of grace.  Both fountains are beautiful, cleansing, healing fountains, yet so many try to bypass the fountain of mercy and go straight for the fountain of grace. Either that or they recieve the mercy of God but never move beyond that to the fountain of Gods grace.  The fountain of Gods grace glorifies Him as much as the fountain of His mercy! If He spared us punishment but gave us no power over our sinful nature to change our behavior what kind of king would he be?  All of a kings children are dressed in a way that speaks of the glory of the king.  So it is with Gods children.  We should be walking in the Spirit -wearing the white robes of Christs righteousness , and thus immediately be recognized as the children of the king.  Gods grace has provided all that we need to live Godly, so we are without excuse.  

  In the old testament God delivered the Israelites out of bondage to Egypt and this glorified God in the eyes of the world, but I wonder what the Egyptians would say if they knew that the Israelites wandered for so long in the wilderness because they didn't believe God enough to be confident that as He had delivered them from Egypt, He would also deliver them into Canaan. When the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they were running from their enemies, but when they crossed the Jordan they would be confronting their enemy head on.  When they crossed the Red Sea the waters parted for them before they stepped in but when they crossed the Jordan the priests had to put their feet in the waters (at flood stage), before the waters would part.
Crossing the Jordan required more faith. Crossing the Red Sea was done by the mercy of God . God provided all they needed. Whereas crossing the Jordan was done by the grace of God. In this case God also provided -but He required more cooperation considering he was asking them to run towards the thing they feared.  They would have to have a deeper level of faith to do this. " There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18


Because the Red Sea was an escape from those they feared and the Jordan was escape from fear itself through confrontation of it HEAD ON! When we confront fear in the risen power of our Savior who confronted death head-on we bring glory to Him in a way that says I AM A CHILD OF THE KING, and I am wearing His righteous robes to prove it!

Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Romans 13:14

But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof

We glorify God the most when we are strong IN HIM AND THE STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT> 

I believe the Israelites failed to glorify God fully because they recieved His mercy and grace for salvation, but they never tapped the fountain of grace for holy living. 

Leviticus 11:46  For I am the LORD that brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.