See the LORD’S Mercy & Grace!
Years ago, I began playing a video from a VHS recorder (yes, it was a thing). My VCR sat on my television stand, one that I checked out from the school library and rolled down the hallway to the classroom (advanced technology, right!). As I inserted the VHS tape into the VCR, I walked to the back of the classroom, pushed play on the TV remote, & stood, watching the students’ reactions to Jackson’s lyrics displayed on the screen.
Like any other poem we read in class, this lyric poem was analyzed thrice:
1st—to just enjoy.
2nd—to analyze for poetic devices and rhythm.
3rd—to analyze for meaning.
As with all other poems, students were given a copy of the lyrics so they could “see” the words, “see” the stanzas, & “see” the punctuation.
Now, I do not know if the performer Michael Jackson was a Christian; only God and Michael know. Nevertheless, this poem led the class to a deep theological teaching, one that landed on my heart & one I share with you today.
That’s God—He uses all things to point us to Him!
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
(Romans 8: 28 NASB)
We hear music on the radio, crank up the dial, roll down the windows, and worship God.
When we look at ourselves in the mirror & consider what needs to change in the world, where do we seek the change we desire?
Does the change first come from the one staring back at us in the mirror?
- Is that possible with a Christian melody?
- Is that possible with a secular pop melody?
The apostle Paul spoke of this when the Holy Spirit led him to write his epistle to the Romans. May we pause to read & discover the teaching of God’s Holy Word.
- Step back to see the Garden of Eden.
- See the sin of eating the forbidden fruit.
- See the temptation of the devil.
“The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!
(Genesis 3: 4-5 NASB)
For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.”
- See mankind’s finger pointing:
1st—“The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruit of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3: 12 NASB)
2nd—“Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3: 13 NASB)
- See God’s judgment.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—”
(Romans 5: 12 NASB)
When we look at ourselves in the mirror & consider what needs to change in the world, do we realize that—the change we desire must first come in the one—staring back at us in the mirror?
- See the Mercy & Grace of Jesus Christ the Savior!
“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
(Romans 5: 14-15 NASB)
But the gracious gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of the one the many died,
much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ,
overflow to the many.”
- Your sin is not greater than my sin.
- Your sin is not uglier than mine.
- In God’s eyes, my sin equals in nature to your sin.
- All sin is EQUAL in the eyes of the Father!
“The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; [mankind]
(Romans 5: 16 NASB)
for on the one hand the judgment arose from one offense, resulting in condemnation,
[eternal separation from God]
but on the other hand the gracious gift arose from many offenses, resulting in justification.”
[eternity forever in the presence of God]
- May God get all the glory!
- May God forgive us of our sins against Him!
- May we not judge our sins as okay and then judge his, hers, and theirs as not okay!
“For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
(Romans 5: 17 NASB)
- May we seek change! &
- May we seek it first with the one person we see staring directly at us in the mirror, for we are “The Man in the Mirror”!
- May we SEE the LORD’S Mercy & Grace!
“See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God;
(1 John 3: 1 NASB)
and in fact we are.
For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him.”
- May we SEEK to be more like Jesus!
- May we REMEMBER we are God’s children!
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
(1 John 2: 16-18 NASB)
The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.
Children, it is the last hour;
and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared;
from this we know that it is the last hour.”
- SEE the LORD’S Mercy & Grace!
- May we SEEK to be more like Jesus, our Savior!
We have the Word of God given to us by God Himself!
- May We SEE the TRUTH!
- May we Share Jesus with the world!