Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Today, Michael states that the definition of the word “mercy” is 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. Mercy is not getting what we truly deserve for sin. 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, our heavenly Father, Creator God.
Mercy is one of God’s gifts given not because we deserve mercy, but because kindly forbearance and love is the nature of God himself. God’s mercy is His forbearance ... not to punish us when we violate the terms of His perfect righteous judgement. Many things we deserve, but because of God’s kindly forbearance and compassion, He refrains from giving us what we rightly deserve. One of the most often used descriptors of God in the Old Testament is “loving kindness and tender mercy” in the KJV. This term is the Hebrew word “Hesed” translated as “steadfast love” in the English Standard Version. Both “love” and “mercy” are distinguishing core attributes of God.
God’s loving Mercy is not of this world. Jesus said to His disciples, I need to leave so that the Holy Spirit can come. The Holy Spirit is the comforter who will come along side you. He will teach you all things. The job of the Holy Spirit is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. When the student is ready the teacher will come. God will use His “able ministers of the New Testament” to demonstrate His own love and mercy. We who are “born again” of God’s Spirt are manifestations of the love of God. We are God’s love letters, His living epistles known and read of all men.
Men who are destitute and downtrodden often think, “God, why have you forsaken me?” In that place of sincere questioning and meditating, God’s plan for our life will come gradually into focus. As in Psalm 73, God allowed the psalmist to “preach himself happy.” This psalm starts with the psalmist’s lamentation about the trials of this world and the seeming prosperity of the wicked. The turning point is when the psalmist “remembered the days of the Most High God”. An attitude of gratitude for His loving kindness and tender mercy will turn our hearts from the darkness of this world unto the glorious light of His gospel of truth.
When we forsake our pride and approach God’s throne of grace with humility in the midst of our woundedness, then God can deliver us from the tribulation of this world.
Let's continue Michael's message on God's Mercy in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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