Set Free

18Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
19that he looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
21that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22when peoples gather together,and kingdoms, to worship the Lord. Psalm 102:18-22
In the middle of this passage is the Lord looked at the earth to set free those who were doomed to die. That is every last one of us. Our time on earth is like a vapor compared to eternity. But we are doomed, we all have sinned. Every last one of us. The penalty for sin is eternal death. we are literally doomed to die. That is the bad news. The good news is the gospel, Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sins. He was the perfect sacrifice that was needed to atone for the sins of the world. When I think of eternity, mine to gain and hell to shun, I am not sure what I am more thankful for. Grace, that I received what I did not deserve. Christ paid the price for my sins, every last one of them, and I have my ticket to heaven. Or am I more thank for Mercy, that I didn't get what I did deserve. For my sins I deserve hell. I could have received evil consequences for some of my sins that I did not get. I received mercy. Actually they go hand in hand. I am thankful that God looked down on me from his holy height and extended Grace and Mercy to me. I accepted both when I answered God's knock on my hearts door. God alone is worthy of our worship. I didn't deserve either one, Grace or Mercy. I am thankful for both. Grace that I received of God that I got what I did not deserve. and Mercy that I did not get what I truly did deserve. It sounds like a win, win to me.
16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:16-21 God bless, LVZ.