ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 SAPATE SEPITEMA 7, 2025

YOUR GRACE, YOUR MERCY, AND YOUR PEACE

KO HO’O KELESI, KO HO’O MEESI, PEA MO HO’O NONGA

2 JOHN 3

"Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love." 

2 SIONE 3

‘E nofo mo kitautolu ‘a e kelesi mo e meesi mo e melino, mei he ‘Otua ko e Tamai, pea meia Sīsū Kalaisi ko e ‘Alo ‘o e Tamai, ‘o taka he mo‘oni mo e ‘ofa.

Ko e taha ‘o e ngaahi mo’oni tefito mo fakaofo ‘i he Tui Faka-Kalisitiane, ko e foaki mai ‘e he ‘Otua kiate kitautolu ‘a e me’a ‘oku ‘IKAI ke tau taau mo iaa. ‘I hotau tu’unga angahalaa, ‘o a’u ki he tangata, fefine mo e longa’i fanau, ko hotau tuhaa ko e mate. Ka ko e ha ‘a e me’a ‘oku foaki ‘e he ‘Otua kiate kitautolu? "Ko e me’a’ofa ‘a e ‘Otua, ko e mo’ui ta’engata ‘ia Kalaisi Sisu ko hotau ‘Eiki” (Loma 6:23).

Ko e fetongi tu’unga ko eni - ‘a e foaki ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a e me’a ‘oku ‘ikai totonu ke tau ma’u ka Ne ta’ofi ‘a e me’a ‘oku totonu ke tau ma’uu – koe’uhi ko e ope atu ‘a ‘ene fungani, ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a hono fo’i lea makehe: KELESI. Fou ‘i he ‘Ene kelesi, ‘oku foaki ‘e ‘Otua ‘a e me’a’ofa fungani tahaa ki he fa’ahinga ta’etaau tahaa. ‘Oku anga fe fe ‘a ‘Ene fakahaa’i ha kelesi pehee fau, ke fakatau’ataina kitautolu mei he angahala mo e mo’ua pea ‘omi ‘a e tapuaki kotoa and ngaahi tapuaki kotoa ‘ia Sisu Kalaisi? Koe’uhi, ko ‘Ene MEESI. Ko e meesi (‘alo’ofa) kafakafa ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘oku ne ue’i Hono finangalo ke ne foaki ki he kau ta’etaau pea ko e meesi pe ko iaa, ‘oku Ne foaki ‘aki ‘Ene kelesi. 

‘Oku tafe mei he pupunga kelesi mo e meesi ko enii ha fu’ufu’unga melino. Ko e MELINO, ko e a’usia ia ‘oku ‘inasi ai ‘akinautolu kuo FAKALELEI mo e ‘Otua; ‘akinautolu ‘oku ‘ikai ke nau tu’u fili kiate Ia, ka ‘oku nau feohi mo Ia fakataha mo kinautolu ‘oku nau tofanga ‘i He’ene hoifua mai. Ko e NONGA ko ‘eni, ko ha fa’ahinga a’usia faka-tu’anatula ‘o ‘Ene kelesi mo e meesi,  ‘oku “mama‘o ‘i he tatae ‘o e ‘atamai kotoa pē” (Filipai  4:7).

‘I ha mamani ‘oku fonu ‘i he mamahi mo e faingata’a pea taumu’avalea, ko e ha ha me’a ‘e toe laka hake, ka ko ha kelesi, meesi mo ha nonga fakatu’anatula?  ‘Oku nau tu’u ma’u. ‘Oku nau tolonga. ‘Oku nau pau. Pea ‘oku hoifua ma’u pe ‘a e ‘Otua ko e Tamai ke foaki ke lato kotoa ai ‘akinautolu ‘oku nau omi kiate Ia, fou ‘i Hono ‘Alo Pele, ko Sisu Kalaisi. Kapau ‘oku tu’u ho’o falala ‘ia Kalaisi, ko e kelesi, meesi mo e nonga, te nau ‘iate koe. Ko ia ai, ki’i nofo hifo, ‘oua leva te ka fai ha me’a, ka ke tuku ke palotoloto ‘iate koe ‘a e ngaahi fo’i lea ko eni, ‘e tolu. ‘Oku ‘a’au ‘a e kelesi ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘oku ‘a’au ‘a e meesi ‘a e ‘Otua, pea ‘oku ‘a’au ‘a e nonga ‘a e ‘Otua - ma’u kotoa ‘ia Sisu, ko ho Fakamo’ui.

Lau ‘a e Tohitapu ‘i he Ta’u ‘e taha: Fakamaau 1 - 3; Sione 2

One of the fundamental and most fantastic truths of the Christian faith is that God gives to us what we do not deserve. As sinners, down to the very last man, woman, and child, we deserve death. And what does God grant us instead? "The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

This reversal - God giving us what we do not deserve and withholding what we do deserve – is so precious that we have a special word for it: grace. By His grace, God gives the most beautiful gift of life to the least deserving. And how is it that He can show us such grace, freeing us from sin and guilt and bringing us every benefit in Jesus Christ? Because of His mercy. It is God's great mercy that inclines Him to give us what we don't deserve - and by that mercy, He showers us with grace.

Flowing from such grace and mercy is a bounty of peace. Peace is the experience of those who have been reconciled to God, of those who are no longer alienated from Him but who now live in fellowship with Him and in community with other recipients of His favor. This peace is such an otherworldly experience of God's grace and mercy that it "surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7).

In a world that can feel fraught with disappointment and danger and sometimes void of meaning and purpose, what more could we ask for than such supernatural grace, mercy, and peace? They are stable. They are durable. They are permanent. And God the Father is always pleased to dispense them generously to all who come to Him through His precious Son, Jesus Christ. If you are trusting Christ, grace, mercy, and peace will be with you. So, pause before moving on and let the meaning and magnitude of those three words sink in. God's grace is yours, God's mercy is yours, God's peace is yours - all through Jesus, your Savior.