The Middle of the Sandwich

There it sits on a white plate. A sandwich with bacon, lettuce and tomato with mayo leaking out from the edges of the toasted bread. Cut diagonally, it is a treat ready to be consumed. On another plate is a sandwich with egg salad oozing out from between two slices of wheat bread. A leaf of lettuce peeks out from the deliciousness. And then we have the quintessential bacon cheeseburger! The aroma mixes in with the sight of a burger with a slice of cheese on top, graced with a slice of tomato and a leaf of lettuce. Of course there is mayo, mustard and onion too! What a sandwich!

I had a friend recently tell me of a verse in the Bible that speaks of God's kindness. So I looked it up and found it sandwiched between two verses about God's judgment. Whoa! What to do with this? We know that we have a choice whether to serve God or man; whether to become a Christian or not; whether to take advantage of God's kindness or experience God's wrath. So enough said about the “crust” of the sandwich. I want to look at the Middle of the Sandwich!

Romans 2:4 says, “Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” God's kindness is meant to lead you and me to repentance, not necessarily his judgment or fear of His judgment.

Ephesians 2:4-9, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Titus 3:4-6, “When the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Psalm 36:7, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.”

Psalm 69:16, “Answer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me.”

Isaiah 54:8, “ . . . with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you, “Says the Lord your Redeemer.”

Psalm 117:2, “For His lovingkindness is great toward us. And the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 63:3, “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.”

I do praise my Savior that it was His lovingkindness that reached down to my heart as a teenager. I am so thankful that He lovingly showed me His grace and forgiveness and that I said Yes! Because of this, I have enjoyed the middle of the sandwich and I don't have to be concerned with God's judgment because Jesus paid the price for my sin on Calvary and I am set free from judgement.

John 5:24, “Truly, Truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.”

Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

If you haven't already, my prayer is that you will choose the middle of the sandwich and receive LIFE!