MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/25/2026
9:58 AM
My
Worship Time Focus: “The
Source of the New Covenant”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Luke
1:78a
Message
of the verse: “because of the tender mercy of our God,”
Now it is God’s tender mercy that
moves Him to show compassion to lost sinners.
MacArthur adds that “Tender translates splagchna, which
literally refers to the inner parts of the body, such as the intestines, heart,
liver, and lungs (cf. Acts 1:18).” “18 (Now this man acquired a field with the
reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and
all his bowels gushed out.” “Figuratively,
it describes the affections and the heart as the seat of those afflictions (2
Cor. 6:12, 7:15; Phil. 1:8; 2:1; Col. 3:12; Philem.7, 12, 20; 1 John 3:17).”
(2 Cor. 6:12, 7:15; Phil. 1:8; 2:1;
Col. 3:12; Philem.7, 12, 20; 1 John 3:17)
“12 You are not restricted by us, but you are
restricted in your own affections.”
“15 And his affection for you is even greater, as
he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and
trembling.”
“8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you
all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
“1
¶ So if there is any encouragement in
Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection
and sympathy,”
“7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from
your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed
through you.”
“12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very
heart.”
“20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in
the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.”
“17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees
his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love
abide in him?”
“In
combination with eleos (mercy) it vividly depicts the intensity
of God’s compassionate concern for sinners.
“Mercy is a glorious attribute of God, celebrated
throughout Scripture. He is ‘merciful and gracious’ (Ps.
86:15; cf. 145:8), and ‘full of compassion and…merciful’ (James 5:11;
cf. Luke 6:36).”
(Ps. 86:15; cf. 145:8)
“15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and
gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
“8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to
anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
(James 5:11; cf. Luke 6:36)
“11 Behold, we consider those blessed who
remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have
seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”
“36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
“The
outworking of that mercy results in God showing kindness to sinners. Speaking of His tender mercy toward Israel,
Isaiah wrote, ‘In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of
His presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them’ (Isa.
63:9). In Jeremiah 33:26, God said
of downtrodden Israel, I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on
them’ (cf. Ezekiel 39:25).”
(cf. Ezekiel 39:25)
“25 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I
will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel,
and I will be jealous for my holy name.”
“Mary
rejoiced that God’s ‘mercy is upon generation after generation toward those
who fear Him’ (Luke 1:50) and that ‘He has given help to Israel His
servant, in remembrance of His mercy (v. 54).
Earlier in his hymn of praise, Zacharias also spoke of God’s past
mercy to Israel (v. 72).”
(Luke 1:72)
“72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and
to remember his holy covenant,”
“Ephesians
2:4 declares that it is because God is ‘rich in mercy’ that He redeems
lost sinners, while in 1 Timothy 1:13 and 16, Paul praised God for His mercy in
saving him. Titus 3:5 declares that God ‘saved
us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but
according to His mercy’ (cf. 1 Peter 1:3, 2:10).
(cf. 1 Peter 1:3, 2:10)
“ 3 ¶
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his
great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
“10 Once you were not a people, but now you are
God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
“In his classic exposition of the
attributes of God, The knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer expressed the
wonder that all the redeemed should feel whin they contemplate God’s mercy
toward them:
‘When
through the blood of the everlasting covenant we children of the shadows reach
at last our home in the light, we shall have a thousands strings to our harps,
but the sweetest may well be the on tuned to sound forth most perfectly the
mercy of God….We who earned banishment shall enjoy communion; we who deserve
the pains of hell shall the bliss of heaven.
And all through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the Dayspring from
on high hath visited us. ([New York; Harper & Ros, 1975], 96)
“There was nothing inherently wrong
with the Mosaic covenant ‘the Law is holy, and commandment is holy and
righteous and good’ (Rom. 7:12). It
was an absolutely perfect reflection of God’s righteous character. Had God merely enforced the terms of the
Mosaic covenant and condemned all sinners to eternal punishment for violating
His law, He would have glorified Himself by displaying His justice. But God chose to have mercy on hopeless,
helpless sinners in the misery of their fallen state and institute the New
covenant, with its promise of forgiveness, righteousness, and full eternal
acceptance with God.”
Spiritual
Meaning for my Life today: As I think about the statement
MacArthur wrote “Had God merely enforced the terms of the Mosaic covenant and
condemned all sinners to eternal punishment for violating His law, He would
have glorified Himself by displaying His justice,” I am so very thankful for
the next statement MacArthur wrote “But God chose to have mercy on hopeless,
helpless sinners in the misery of their fallen state and institute the New
covenant, with its promise of forgiveness, righteousness, and full eternal
acceptance with God.”
My
Steps of Faith for Today: It is my desire to continue to tell
others through this blog site about the great mercy that God has made possible
through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ the
mercy that is available to those who will confess that they are sinners, and to
then accept the forgiveness that Christ offers to those who will accept His
forgiveness.
3/25/2026
10:51 AM
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