Personal Note: I take a risk in sharing this topic. Some have suggested that I stay away from this topic because it could easily be misunderstood or misread. But, for me to be faithful to God and His word, I believe it very important that I do share this topic with hope that we all come to know the depths of God's mercy in our personal lives. There is a saying that says...'you have to know where you come from, to know where you are going'. That is especially true concerning God's mercy.
Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines mercy as:
Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines mercy as:
1. That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant. In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy. That which comes nearest to it is grace. It implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being.
2. The act of sparing, or the forbearance of a violent act expected
To consider mercy in it’s context, I believe one must look at the reason for mercy, and the outcome of mercy in the life of the believer. There are positive and negative aspects to consider, this is why many have stopped speaking on the topic of mercy for fear of driving away new people from the Church, but mercy is an important word, and it has an important message to be told.
Mercy is most commonly described within the context of deserved or expected judgment, mercy is when we are spared from said judgment or harm. When people refuse to speak on topics like hell or judgment, then there is less and less need to talk about mercy, it will become a word that will gradually get phased out of most future discussions. This is when God becomes “politically tolerant”, (as some have asserted), like someone that would not even think of harming or judging anyone, then the subject of mercy never arises.
The first mention of mercy in scripture is when Lot is being spared from the judgment of God which is falling upon wicked Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, His Wife and Daughters are escorted out of the city and led to a place of safety next to the local mountains outside of Sodom.
Genesis 19:16-19 (GNV)
16 And as he prolonged the time, the men caught both him and his wife, and his two daughters by the hands (the Lord being merciful unto him) and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17 And when they had brought them out, the Angel said, Escape for thy life: look not behind thee, neither tarry thou in all the plain: escape into the mountain, lest thou be destroyed.
18 And Lot said unto them, Not so, I pray thee, my Lord.
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life: and I cannot escape in the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die.
God showed mercy to Lot by not sweeping him and his family away with the eminent judgment. God showed favor to Lot, and that favor was in the form of mercy. Lot didn’t earn it or deserve it, but he received it when it was offered.
First, let’s take a look at the negative side of the subject of mercy to gain a better understanding of why it is so necessary.
Isaiah 64:6 (CEB)
6 We have all become like the unclean;
all our righteous deeds are like a menstrual rag.
All of us wither like a leaf;
our sins, like the wind, carry us away.
Let me begin my stating that God is sovereign, there is none above Him or equal to Him. His ways are above our ways, and His ways are right ways. None of us can stand before God in our own righteousness. The bible describes our acts of righteousness as filthy rags, (actually, filthy menstrual rags) man, that is pretty filthy! So, none of us has anything that betters our position before God, not schooling, not social standing, or riches, not experience, not anything. We have neglected following His requirements for our lives to any great measure, and we have failed God by us not being as holy as He is. No one deserves to live in God’s kingdom, and God has every right to disown us, judge us, and to declare us guilty for our failures.
Years ago, many old time preachers would jump on their band wagons and start preaching about damnation, Hell fire and God’s Judgment to those who needed salvation. As modern believers, we have become intolerant of this type of preaching and have desired softer words which are far less condemning. We have become a bit more sophisticated and discriminatory in the chosen style of preaching we prefer. However, there is truth which needs to be spoken and is not easy to hear, in a very real way God still condemns sin. Sin is anything that sets itself up as equal with God or His ways. I believe the preacher Paris Reidhead said it best regarding God's part in revealing His mercy:
…”No one can savingly receive Christ until they have repented. And no one can repent until they have been convicted, and conviction is the work of the Holy Ghost that helps the sinner to see that he is a criminal before God and deserves all of God’s wrath. And if God would to send him to the lowest corner of the devil’s hell forever and ten eternities that he deserved it all, and a hundredfold more.”
Now, here is where the positive side of mercy steps in. Mercy is the kindness and forbearance of God. God sees us in our fallen state, however, we must also see ourselves in our fallen state and recognize that we need someone to save us from it. Jesus is our Savior, he is our scapegoat, our sin bearer. All of our sins - past and present, are placed upon Him. Jesus didn't deserve that burden, but He was willing to take it on Himself, and by doing so He made a way for us so that we could be acceptable to God once again. Jesus satisfied God’s exacting requirements. God now extends Himself to us by not seeing our insufficiencies and our sins, but by giving us mercy because of Jesus’ sacrifice. He sees Jesus and not our sin. The question we are left with concerning mercy is – will we receive it?
From a personal perspective, mercy is God’s sweet rain, indicating His favor which flows down upon me as I appropriate Jesus’ sacrifice as my own. I am justified before God because of this wonderful gift of mercy. It is freedom! Mercy has such positive connotations, but can only be fully understood as I comprehend the negative aspects of righteous Judgment and just penalty for my sins. Jesus took all of my penalty upon Himself to save me, and He took your penalty to save you too! Praise God for His mercy!
James 2:13 (NASB)
13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
Do you know God’s mercy? God extends His mercy to you today, if you take Jesus’ sacrifice as our own and confess Him as the Lord of your life, you too will know the sweet rain of God’s mercy extended toward you.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV)
22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
If you need to receive God’s mercy for the first time, may I suggest a simple prayer as this one below:
Father God, I realize that there is nothing I could do to make things any better between you and I, other than allow Jesus to become Lord and Master over my life. Jesus paid the penalty for me by dying on the cross, I receive the gift of the sacrificial love of Jesus as my own. Give me words to begin dialogue with you, and open my spiritual ears to begin hearing what you desire to say to me. Thank you Father, I receive your mercy and your acceptance. Amen
There is nothing too big or to terrible that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross did not pay for in full. God’s mercy is extended to you to bring forgiveness and restoration to anyone who will receive it. Mercy is God's freedom.
Psalm 145:9 (KJV)
9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his work
↓Click Here to listen to the song
Mercy Is Falling
Words and Music by: David Ruis
Mercy is falling, is falling, is falling
Mercy it falls
Like the sweet spring rain
Mercy is falling
Is falling all over me
Hey - oh
I receive Your mercy
Hey - oh
I receive Your grace
Hey - oh
I will dance forevermore
Copyright © 1995 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
The music above is copyrighted by the respective artists, and is demonstrated here for educational purposes only.
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