Helped by Mercy and Grace

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In my recent study of Paul’s voyage to Rome, recorded in Acts 27-28, I learned of a fascinating nautical detail used by Luke at one point in the journey, not too long before the shipwreck. I also learned of another instance in Scripture – the only other instance in Scripture – where this same nautical idea was used.

As you likely know, Paul’s voyage to Rome by way of sailing was anything but smooth.

Luke details that the Alexandrian grain ship they were aboard was under threat of being pulled apart by the violent sea because of the intensity of a storm.

At one point in the journey, the ship maneuvered under a small island that offered a very brief reprieve from the fierce winds of the typhoon, at which time the sailors took extraordinary ship-saving measures to keep the vessel together.

Luke describes one such measure as the crew using “… helps, undergirding the ship …” (Acts 27:17).

The phrase “undergirding the ship” refers to a practice known as frapping – a process by which a sailing vessel was shored up or strengthened.

This undergirding was accomplished by the use of “helps,” or ropes or cables passed around or under the hull and tightened to strengthen the vessel against the violent forces of the storm.

They knew their ship did not possess the strength within itself to survive what it was facing. They knew it needed an external source of help.

That image is powerful on its own, but it becomes even more meaningful when we discover that the Greek word translated “helps” in Acts 27:17 appears only one other time in Scripture.

That occurrence is found in Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

The word translated “help” in Hebrews, just as it is in Acts, is a word associated with aid, support, and even the ropes used to strengthen a ship during a storm.

With that understanding, the imagery in Hebrews becomes especially rich. The writer is reminding us that when we come boldly to the throne of grace, we are approaching the One who is able to undergird us, strengthen us, and hold us together when the storms of life threaten to tear us apart.

But what exactly are these “helps” that God provides?

While much could be said about Hebrews 4:16, the verse points us to two particular helps that strengthen us in our time of need: mercy and grace.

Mercy: Deserved Penalty Withheld

The writer of Hebrews first encourages us to “… come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy …”

Mercy is often understood as compassion shown to someone in need. Spiritually speaking, mercy is God's withholding of the punishment our sins deserve. It is His pardon toward guilty sinners.

As it relates to our trials, storms, or “time of need,” mercy removes the barrier that would otherwise keep us separated from Christ.

Whether our difficulties have come through no fault of our own, whether they are the result of faithful obedience to God, or whether they are entirely self-inflicted, mercy ensures that we are not shut out from God's presence.

Mercy may not always remove the consequences of our actions, but it most assuredly removes the condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).

What a tremendous help that is.

When we approach the throne of grace, despite our flaws and failures, we do not find a Savior waiting to cast us overboard. We find a Savior with open arms, ready to receive, forgive, and restore.

God’s mercy allows us to be near Christ, despite the fact that our sins deserve to keep us from Him.

Peter provides a very clear illustration of this truth.

Peter let his pride get the best of him, and he ended up doing the very thing he said he would never do – deny Christ.

In fact, he was so confident in himself that he said he’d die before he denied Christ, yet Matthew 26 records that not only did Peter deny Christ, but he denied Him three times.

What a situation Peter found himself in, weeping bitterly (Matthew 26:75), after such a public failure, having committed a sin so horrible that he deserved to be cast aside forever.

Yet after Christ’s resurrection, in that beautiful scene where Jesus visited the disciples at the Sea of Galilee, once Peter recognized Who was on the shore, Peter jumped into the water and ran to his Lord (John 21:7).

And what did Jesus do?

While He had every right to reject Peter to his face, He welcomed him with open arms, and even sat down and broke bread with him and enjoyed great fellowship with him.

That is mercy.

Mercy allows us to draw near to Christ even when our failures should have driven us away. It is one of God's great helps in our time of need.

Grace: Divine Provision Bestowed

The writer of Hebrews continues by encouraging us to approach the throne that we may “… find grace …”

Mercy withholds the penalty we do deserve and allows us, like Peter, to run to Jesus.

Grace is the means by which we receive blessings we do not deserve.

I’ve heard grace defined this way: GRACE: God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

Grace is God's provision, blessing, and favor poured out upon us because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Think back to Peter’s story again. Mercy welcomed him back, and if that is all Christ had done, it would have been more than Peter deserved.

But Jesus did more.

In mercy, Christ welcomed Peter back, but in grace, the Lord commissioned Peter to feed His sheep. He equipped him for ministry. He used him as a leader among the apostles and made him one of the most influential servants in the early church.

That is grace.

That is unmerited favor.

Grace not only welcomes us back; it gives us what we need to move forward in faithful service to God.

Help for times of need

The sailors in Acts 27 knew their ship lacked the strength to survive the storm, so they undergirded it. They wrapped it with supports and ropes to hold it together.

As mere vessels, neither you nor I possesses the strength within ourselves to endure every storm we face. Trials, disappointments, losses, temptations, and burdens often reveal just how fragile we really are.

The promise of Hebrews 4:16 is not that God always removes the storm. Often, He does not.

The promise is that He provides help in the midst of it.

And here’s the good news about the help that comes from the Lord:

The sailor’s helps were limited in their strength and capability, and though they worked for a while, they ultimately failed and allowed the ship to break apart.

But the helps of mercy and grace, because of their Source, are unlimited in their strength and supply.

They will never run out, and they will never fail.

So if you need help today, Hebrews reminds us that mercy and grace are available.

And they are found at the throne of grace, where the High Priest is waiting.

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