ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Falaite Tisema 1, 2017

Faufaua ‘ene kelesí

( All of grace )

Fehu‘i #19

‘Oku ‘i ai nai ha founga ‘oku malava ke tau hao ai mei he tauteá pea toe fakafoki kitautolu ki he hoifua ‘a e ‘Otuá ?

( Is there any way to escape punishment and be brought back into God's favor?)

‘Io, na‘e ‘osi fakakakato pe ‘e he ‘Otuá , ‘iate Ia pe, ‘a e ngaue ke fakafiemālie‘i ‘ene fakamaau totonú , ‘i he‘ene meesí  ‘ata‘atā pe, pea ne fai hotau fakaleleí  pea ne fakahaofi kitautolu mei he angahalá mo hono tauteá , ‘o fou ‘i he Fakamo‘uí .

( Yes, to satisfy his justice, God himself, out of mere mercy, reconciles us to himself and delivers us from sin and from the punishment for sin, by a Redeemer )

‘Aisea 53:10-11

Ka na‘e finangalo ‘a Sihova ke laiki ia; kuo ne tuku ke ne mahaki‘ia: Ka ke ka ‘atu hono laumālie ko e feilaulau-halaia, te ne sio ki hano hako, te ne fakalahi hono ngaahi ‘aho, pea ko e finangalo ‘o Sihova ‘e tu‘umālie ‘i hono nima. Te ne mamata ki he fua ‘o e mamahi ‘o hono laumālie, ‘o ne fiemālie: ko e me‘a ‘i he‘ene poto ‘e ngaohi ke angatonu ha tokolahi ‘e he‘eku Sevāniti faitotonu; pea te ne fafa ‘enau ngaahi hia.

ISAIAH 53:10-11

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Commentary - MIKA EDMONDSON (cont…)

Finally, God freely and mercifully made this exchange. The catechism is careful to point out that the cause of God punishing Jesus in order to rescue us was "mere mercy." The language "mere mercy" means grace alone, grace apart from any other considerations. As the great preacher C. H. Spurgeon famously wrote, salvation is "all of grace." Although this grace trains us to avoid ungodliness, it does not depend upon our obedience in any way. As we consider the besetting sins and ongoing weaknesses of our lives, we have to cling to the "mere grace" aspect of the gospel. God did not give his beloved Son in view of what he would get out of our lives, but merely because he loves us. Now that's good news.