Humanity does not have a great record for justice, mercy, and fidelity, to God. God sent many prophets to warn the people of Israel, and they were ignored. The result was the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile in Babylon. In the centuries since then, Christians have not done much better, and we have a long list of wars, atrocities, and injustices to prove it. Fortunately, God is compassionate and merciful. Ephesians makes it very clear that God saves us not because we deserve it, but precisely because we don't - it is pure grace. We have no right to boast of our spiritual and moral achievements, or to despise and judge others. Our response to God's mercy and compassion towards us should be profound gratitude, as well as a desire to extend this same mercy to others. God's love and mercy reaches a climax in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In the most famous verse in the New Testament, we are told that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to grant us eternal life. Through faith, we lift up our minds and hearts to Jesus and allow the Lord to heal us of the selfishness, fear, negativity, and anger that leads to spiritual death. Faith is far more than belief - it is a relationship and it is trust and surrender.