he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:5 NIV
His Own Mercy
Adrienne Munju, a 41-year-old Canadian woman, was sentenced this past October to 11 years in prison by a Lagos High Court for allegedly bringing 35.20 kilograms of cannabis into Nigeria. In response to a plea for mercy by the defendant’s counsel, the trial judge, Justice Deinde Dipeolu, also offered the convict the option of paying a fine of ₦50 million. Munju was convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty to the two charges brought against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Chief Benson Ndakara, the court proceeded to convict the defendant.
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I remember childhood wrestling matches. Not the organized high school ones, but the elementary school playground ones, where we tussled until one of us called out “mercy.” We may not physically tussle with someone else as adults – I sure hope not – but we still have times in our lives when we cry out for mercy. We may have gotten ourselves into some kind of trouble, or we are faced with some overwhelming physical challenge that goes on far too long. There comes a time when we cry out to God for mercy. The good news is that through Jesus Christ, our God offers His mercy. We read this in Titus 3:5: “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” When we become aware of our sin, we have the promise that when we reach out in faith to Jesus, He will always respond in mercy. He showed us His mercy at the Cross – and in our own hearts.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley