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Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment!!

My Dearest Sister,

“Nobody’s perfect.” We are all very familiar with that phrase. Some people use it as an excuse to explain their behavior, but for others it represents a sad truth about the sinful condition of man. Sometimes it feels like no matter how hard we try to do the right thing and please Him, our humanity wins the battle. Our spirits are willing to be righteous but our flesh is so very weak (Matthew 26:41). If you’re at all like me, you probably wonder why God puts up with you.  Well, the short answer is, we serve a very, very merciful God.

His mercy truly is amazing. Even though I deserve judgment and eternal condemnation for my sins, the Almighty God decided to pardon me. Even before sin is committed, His mercy is waiting to envelop the repentant heart. He is greater than my sins, your sins, and the sins of all those who confess and believe in His name. I like the way 1 Peter 1:3 puts it: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” I especially like this verse because it points out that God’s mercy is not a one-time thing. God’s pardon, which was made possible by Christ’s death and resurrection, did not only cover us once but gives a reassurance that is living; His mercy never expires, and through its restorative power, we are renewed in Him daily. So, even though sin and temptation sometimes win the battle, God, in His infinite power and abundant mercy, has already won the war for us.

Considering God’s abundant mercy toward us, why does it seem so hard sometimes for us to have mercy on others? As soon as we are offended, we have a tendency to judge those who have wronged us, sometimes without even knowing the whole story. We assume and “fill in the blanks” ourselves to determine if the guilty party deserves our pardon. But – fortunately for us – that’s now how mercy works; Mercy is given to the guilty in place of judgment even when it is not deserved, just as our Father shows us mercy every single day. So who are we to withhold mercy from others when it has been so freely given to us on such a grander scale? How can we, as a sinner, judge another sinner? We are guilty of wrongs just as those who have wronged us are guilty. James 2:10-12 tells us that if we sin but only once, we are still guilty of breaking the law and deserve judgment. In other words, we are not better than anyone else in God’s eyes, no matter how righteous we think we are. We all deserve the consequences of our sin, which is death.

I remember watching a story on the news several years ago about a man who was on trial for killing a teen girl in a drunk driving incident. The footage in the courtroom showed this guilty man expressing his deep remorse to the girl’s family, saying he didn’t expect or deserve their forgiveness. He was moved to tears, broken-hearted over what he had done. As the mother of the teen girl stood up to address the man, the courtroom was absolutely silent. I remember expecting to hear words of anger, deep sadness, and hatred. But, as she began to speak I was absolutely shocked. She spoke calmly, not as a distraught mother who had recently lost her beloved daughter, but as one human being to another. She said that she was not sure why God took her daughter away from her family on that night, but she knew that her girl was in a far better place now. She even expressed sorrow for the defendant, because she knew the guilt of what he had done would follow him for the rest of his life. And then she did something no one expected: She forgave him. The mother who was still mourning the loss of her daughter found it in her heart to show mercy to her daughter’s killer. What an example of Christ-like love this woman was! Even in the midst of her sorrow and deep emotional pain, she did not judge the person who had wronged her, but pardoned him of his sins against her family and gave him what he needed most in that moment: Mercy.

Whenever I remember this story, it always makes the reasons that I withhold mercy in favor of judgment seem pathetic. This woman so beautifully expressed what is written in James 2:13, “Mercy triumphs over judgment”. The whole reason Christ died on the cross was so that God’s mercy would be able to cover our sins. He took our place in the judgment and was undeservedly condemned to death so that God could pardon us: Just as Christ triumphed over the grave, mercy triumphs over judgment. When we withhold mercy from others, we stand in the way of a truth that is at the very foundation of our faith.

So, my dear sister, are you one who is quick to judge others and point the finger in blame? Or do you show mercy to your neighbor, pardoning them even when they have wronged you?  A better example of the Father’s love would be to reflect upon those in our lives the abundant mercy He shows toward us daily. For some people, such as the drunk driver whom the mother forgave, it may be their first glimpse of God’s love for them. And while it may not always seem an easy task to show mercy to those who have sinned against us, it becomes far easier when we remember the abundant mercy God has shown toward us and the living hope that is with us daily because of it. Truly, mercy does triumph over judgment!

 

Your humble sister in Christ,

~ Lauren

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To Love Mercy

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

Dear Sister,

The mercy of God is no small matter, we must love it!  Throughout Scripture, we are reminded constantly that we are at God’s mercy for everything–EVERYTHING. The word, mercy, is often interchanged with the words lovingkindness, and compassion.  The three are synonymous, and our hearts and minds are blessed by verses that contain these words.

God’s mercy is great in forgiveness.  In Psalm 51: 1, David cries out to God, Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my iniquity.  David knew that in his grievous sins of adultery, manipulation and murder, God’s mercy provides forgiveness.  Whenever I sin, the Holy Spirit does not let me rest until I confess it to God, ask for His mercy, and trust in His forgiveness.

God’s mercy is boundless in His provision.  In Hosea 14:3, for in You the orphan finds mercy, the prophet acknowledges that all our physical, material and emotional needs are met in the mercy of God.  In my daily prayers to our Heavenly Father, I often take to Him my needs and wants.  Well, He may not give me what my flesh desires, but He always gives me exactly what I need.  Every little morsel of food, my ability to walk and talk and breathe, and the blessing of a loving and dedicated husband are all within His provision, by His mercy upon me.

Also, Sweet Sister, God’s mercy is rich in grace.  In Luke 1: 46-55, Mary exalts God in a burst of song, and remembers that His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him.  Mary knew that her only hope for salvation was God’s mercy in providing a Redeemer.  Alongside Mary, we never deserve to spend our eternity in the bliss of Heaven, yet, God sent us His Son, Jesus, Who is 100% God and 100% man, to pay in full for all of our sins.  By God’s mercy, we are given the faith to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior.  In John 10: 27-28, Jesus gives us His word that we can leave this earth at any time and immediately be in His blessed arms.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Oh, to love mercy!

Your Sister,

Mimi

 

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Majesty’s Mercy

My Dear Sister,

Recently my Bible study took me to the book of Hebrews where I read from chapter one, in particular from verses 2-4.  How wonderful it was to take some time and to move the focus off of myself (my needs) and to instead gaze into the wonder of who my Jesus Christ is.  Let me share it with you:

(God) “…has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds: who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power; when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Sometimes I am forgetful of how great and majestic our Holy God is.  Just now admitting that caused my heart to lurch with sadness.  Because, I have also found that when I prayerfully consider how great and awesome God the Father is I am humbled by the Truth that the One True Living God, who created all things and upholds them (keeps them in place) and that includes every soul which has ever been created; I am unashamedly in awe of His mercy towards me!!!  These truths of how great and Majestic God is and how small and in need I am gives me a greater perspective which in turn causes my heart to tremble.  I want to fall before my King with a grateful heart that He who is so great would bestow upon me who is so lowly His Majesty’s Mercy.  Sister, it gets even better.  He does not just dribble a little bit of mercy my way as  I pass quickly by with the masses.  No, He has and continues to pour out His mercy towards me everyday and He knows my name and He calls be me by my name until my heart overflows with joy.

David understood this perspective which is why he so often wrote about the greatness of God, His loving kindnesses and our need for Him.  I am in awe of how the above passage speaks of how great and beautiful Jesus is and yet He is at the right hand of “Majesty”.  Majesty being God and Jesus is the express image of God, the brightness of His glory! Wow! Again, I can feel my knees trembling.  God has chosen me to be His own, He has called me and justified me and He is sanctifying me.(Romans 8:29)  Why? If I continue on in the book of Romans it says that it is because He wants to conform me into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.  But Jesus Christ is the express image of God!!? Whoa!  I become speechless, except to say; Mercy me!

So, I am writing to you today to encourage you to take the time to prayerfully consider the Beauty and the Holiness of our God.  So that in turn your heart would recognize His Majesty’s Mercy toward you and that praises would fill your heart today for your Wonderful Savior by which ALL of this is possible. Do not miss this opportunity dear sister!  Here are some passages that will help you consider your Father in heaven (Majesty) and His mercy:

Psalms 19; 21;23;24;29

My prayer for you is that upon this consideration that you will rejoice with Thanksgiving and that His mercy will overflow from your heart into the lives of those around you.  Be blessed by the knowledge of His mercy, and go bless another along the way today (after all when it is received it is required to be given as Kayla and Colleen wrote to us about)! May His goodness and Mercy follow you all the days of your life (Psalm 23).

Blessings upon blessings from our King,

Susan

 

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Mercy Received, Mercy Given

 
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”​
​~ 1 Peter 1:3-5
My dear sister,
 
I love this verse because it wonderfully demonstrates the extent of God’s mercy through explaining what He has done for us. However, even though we have this verse I find that I don’t meditate on God’s mercy quite enough. So let’s meditate on it together. Let’s first consider what mercy is. Easton’s Bible Dictionary describes mercy as “compassion for the miserable.” You read correctly. Mercy is having compassion for those who are miserable, or of a pitiable state. This reveals a hard truth about what we are like before salvation and is confirmed everywhere you look in society. It means that without God, without His saving love in our lives, we would be utterly miserable. So God saw us in our miserable and sinful state and though our sin justly deserved death, He made a way for us to have life. God showed us His great mercy by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. And when Christ had accomplished that work God raised Him from the dead, conquering sin and death forever. Those who are in Christ abandon their miserable selves and receive new life in Christ, in whom there is joy that abides forever. And if that wasn’t enough to blow your mind, read the next part of the verse. Not only did God give us life by causing us to be born again but He has also prepared for us “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.” But wait! There’s even more! God, even now, is guarding you “through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” How great is this mercy that God has shown us? He owed us nothing, and we deserved nothing but death and yet He gave us everything!
 
So now that we have received this mercy, how should we respond to it? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy” (Matt. 5:7). In Matthew 9:13 Christ says, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Because we have received mercy it is now required of us that we practice mercy. This is certainly a hard thing for me. Walking around campus at FSU it is all too easy to judge others based on their wardrobe, hairstyle, or colorful vocabulary. In my anger and offense, I selfishly forget that I’m supposed to show mercy to those who don’t know Christ and are therefore in that miserable state that we talked about earlier. This week I hope to find ways to decrease my judgmental thoughts and replace them with acts of mercy. For it is mercy that triumphs over judgment (Jas. 2:13). I hope you too, dear sister, will find ways to show the same kind of mercy to others that Christ has showed to us.
 
In Christ,
 
Kayla
 
 

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Great is His Mercy

“The Lord is merciful and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love (mercy) toward those who fear him” (Psalm 103:8-11).
My Dear Sister,
Wow. Those verses are packed full of theology. I want to take a moment with you to savor just a morsel of these words as they pertain to mercy. I want us to see just how remarkable this eternal attribute of the Lord has been displayed to us and to all of creation.
The Psalmist reminds us from the start that the Lord is merciful. He was, is, and always will be characterized as merciful. Why is that important? Our plumb line for mercy should not come from the example of our moms or sisters in Christ, but from the Lord. He is the perfect example of mercy. He is the one that has not only been showing mercy to all of creation since the fall of Adam, but for eternity past and future. When his creation deserved death, he promised a Redeemer to come to pay that debt. As the verses above remind us, he delayed his anger and judgment for our iniquities so those who fear him may receive life and His steadfast love.
Digging deeper my sister, we can deem that His mercy is shown best when there is sin. If there is no sin, then there is no need for mercy. This does not mean that the Lord’s character of mercy changes when sin is present, as his character is eternally unchanging. But sin does allow us to see this attribute of God more clearly.
Arthur Pink writes that “(i)t is pure sovereign grace which alone determines the exercise of Divine mercy.” So the Lord’s grace determines where mercy is given to sinners who deserve judgment. As we have seen, mercy has been best shown to all of God’s creation since the curse. Flowers grow despite weeds, we have a delicious variety of food despite the cursed land, and we can have cats and not just lions. More than just the land and animals, God’s mercy has been given to the entire human race, good and evil. Whether elect or not, some people are healed of sickness, contacts are found, and babies are born. Yet more than even that, there is also a sovereign mercy that is given to his elect. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy. He saved us” (Titus 3:5). Those chosen by grace to receive this mercy have a hope of eternal life through Christ’s accomplished work on the cross.
So what? Why bother looking at this mercy? If the Lord is our plumb line, then I exhort you to know your responsibility with his mercy. You and I live in a world that is cursed and where cursed people live. Yet, our Father has given us an example of how to show mercy to both. Even though our co-workers, husbands, children, sisters, family, friends, or pets may deserve judgment or a retort, perhaps mercy is needed. Maybe our mercy given to a saint can remind them of the sweetness of Christ’s work on the cross for them, which can then compel them to give mercy to others. Maybe our mercy given to a lost soul can be the conduit the Lord uses to open their eyes to his sovereign mercy. “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Sweet sister, we have been shown so much mercy, let us go and do likewise.
Blessings from you sister in Christ,
Colleen