One is a merciful, loving, and gracious God who cares deeply for his creation. When one offers a stipulative definition, that definition cannot be wrong. In the physical body the soul assumes the physical body is its true way of being-but that would be the wrong view. God is working within us to grow the body and help it to function at its best. To do what is best for us. This policy led to massive conversion of Koreans to Christian churches, which were already well ingrained in the country, representing a concern for the Japanese program, and supported Koreans’ independence. On 15 March 2012, the National Assembly of Hungary gave a Tuvan Tengrist shaman, Ojun Adigzi See-Oglu, the permission to perform a veneration ritual and cleansing ceremony on the Holy Crown of the Hungarian kings, an object which holds both Pagan and Christian meanings, at the Hungarian Parliament Building; Ojun was assisted by Éva Kanalas, a táltos, and folk singer, who sang Csángó folk religious songs during the ritual. Because of religious norms, Muslim men attend services at a mosque much more often than Muslim women do. But just because it surrounds me does not mean that I either experience or enjoy it as much as I should.

While God’s grace is about much more than our salvation, it is perhaps the most visible manifestation of his grace. In 2 Timothy 2:1, Paul instructs Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” This reminds me somewhat of Star Wars, where some are “strong in the force.” But grace is really unlike the force of Star Wars, which is a pervading universal power. In contrast, grace, for the believer, is in Christ. But is available to all who are in Christ. These three attributes are closely related. There is another set of attributes for God that might seem at odds with grace. Believers are impacted by God’s grace in these three ways. In Ezekiel 18:23, God says that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, preferring they turn from their ways and live. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:5 and 8, it is by grace that we are saved. But God’s grace does not end there.

But God’s description of himself does not end there. How amazing is it to be able to know and experience God’s favor toward us every day of our lives! God’s grace is reflected in our lives through his equipping of believers to serve within the body of Christ, our spiritual gifts. But as both Peter and Paul affirm, God equips us for the good of the body. These reflect God as a judge who rewards good behavior and punishes bad. The other face is of a God who is demanding perfection and will punish anyone who steps out of line. God would crack out a wry grin, sip from his beer, and quip out an anecdote that would go into some unofficial in-game bible, with some half-thought drivel like “never underestimate those you deem to be lesser than you” or something. It almost seems like there are two faces of God. When I have time, I’ll play a game or two. Our salvation is not because of anything we have done or are even capable of doing.

Rudra’s evolution into the Vedic God Shiva must have occurred as a result of cultural co option of the indigenous people who worshipped Rudra by the early Aryan settlers who came to inhabit the northern parts of India. The people of Carthage worshiped a pantheon of deities, with each deity associated with different aspects of life. Friends of God to The Flowing Light of the Deity by Mechthild of Magdeburg. God is gracious. Graciousness is not something that he puts on and takes off, depending on the situation. But his punishment of the guilty is different from his graciousness and love. It is impossible to adequately discuss God’s grace without mentioning love and mercy. He doesn’t love with one hand and punish with the other. Champions are far stronger than foot-soldiers and enter the struggle when a player’s reinforcements are depleted or when one player successfully battles their way to their opponents end of the bridge. Or does mercy end and grace begin? All of this is due to God’s grace.