Anyone who has ever regretted doing something that can’t be undone or saying something that can’t be unsaid, understands the power of mercy. God can extend mercy to us, but what is He to do with the wrongs we commit? As a God of justice, He can’t overlook them, pretend they never happened. He could let us shoulder eternal judgment, a debt we would pay and pay and pay and pay for all eternity without end, but He has extended mercy by taking it upon Himself to pay what we can’t. From the cross, Jesus declared the debt paid—finished, tetelestai, delivering to us inestimable mercy. Without the cross, there is no mercy, only judgment, but with the cross, mercy triumphs over judgment.
MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT–THE STORY OF THE CROSS
Accepting mercy requires admitting wrong; otherwise, there would be no occasion for mercy. This can be a stumbling block. As believers, we like to think that we never miss the mark, but we do. We need the triumph of mercy over judgment as much as the unrepentant person. The story of the prodigal son is always relevant for us. In that story, Jesus speaks mercy loud and clear. We want to author our lives with perfection, but that script will never be written. God wants to script our lives with mercy. Our part is found in humility. Without a humble heart, mercy is a gift that can’t be opened. God does not seek groveling, but only an admission that His ways are higher than ours. When we respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repent, and ask for forgiveness, that’s enough. God wants to exercise mercy over judgment, move on, and help us to live a changed life. And when we fall again, even into the same pit, mercy will still prevail over judgment.
Mercy triumphing over judgment should be the ruling principle, guiding star of our lives. Practiced daily, superintending our thoughts and actions, mercy could transform our relationships, conversations and actions. Love your neighbor as yourself is practiced through God’s principle of mercy triumphing over judgment.
THE PAINTING
The painting rains mercy. This is what we need—showers of mercy pouring through us, soaking our hearts and spirits with God’s mercy. As the outpouring in each of the painting panels varies, some a deluge, others a steady downfall and others a brief shower, so God’s exercise of mercy adapts to our changing circumstances. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), but they are always there.
Mercy softens our heart, garnering an attitude of empathy toward others rather than judgment. Such awareness also impacts our posture toward God. Feeling accepted makes it much easier to be transparent, draw closer to Him and receive His forgiveness in the face of remorse.
Just as He is love, justice, truth, perfection, and holy, mercy is part of God’s nature, a facet of His divine love. Paul tells us that we are predestined to be conformed to the image of God’s Son which means our nature is to change into one like His—merciful.
THE MERCY SEAT
In the old testament, we learn of the mercy seat of God, a lid made of pure gold, covering the Ark of the Covenant. Among the items inside the Ark were two stone tablets with the ten commandments, the first five books of the old testament written by Moses. The fact that the mercy seat covers over the Law says much about God’s relationship to us His people. The physical arrangement symbolizes mercy triumphing over judgment. God obviously places a high premium on mercy to the point of sacrificing His own Son to be the mercy seat for us.
How discerning are we that God extends His mercy to us every day of our lives? Every unkind, critical, jealous, selfish thought calls upon God’s mercy. Let’s see, how many times would that require in one day? Every sharp, angry, thoughtless, gossipy word spoken call upon God’s mercy. Let’s see, what’s the total now? Every willful ignoring of the Holy Spirit’s prompting calls upon God’s mercy. Still counting? This is not to lay a cloak of guilt upon us but to make us aware of the extent to which God must continually cover us with mercy.
PRIZE GOD’S MERCY AND REMEMBER THAT HE WAS NEVER OBLIGATED TO EXTEND IT.
Let mercy reign over you, bathing you in the infinite love that compelled Him to place the mercy seat over His laws, even knowing it would ultimately lead to offering His Son’s life for ours.
Prize God’s mercy. Do not let it be something you take for granted. Remember, He was never obligated to extend it. It honors Him when we cease striving to merit His approval and accept His gift. Ask the Holy Spirit to disclose the many mercies extended to you every day and humbly thank Him for that which you do not deserve or could ever earn.
Lord Jesus, more than occasionally, we take Your mercy for granted. When the sin is big, we stop and realize how dependent we are on Your forgiveness, but we need to ask You to wash our feet every day. As Jeremiah confesses in Lamentations, it is through Your never-failing compassion and Your mercies that we are not consumed. It can’t get more critical than that.
Your mercies, Jeremiah says, are new every morning. Why? We can’t live on tomorrow’s mercy today. We must live the mercy You give tailored made for each day.[1] How privileged we are to have a God who loves us enough and know us so well that He designs His compassion and mercy in special ways for each day. Jesus, let us dwell on that truth and let it penetrate our very being. We are extraordinarily loved, every one of us.
Sydney Walker, January 15, 2023
[1] The idea of God tailoring His mercies for each day came from an article by John Piper, Today’s mercies for today’s troubles, March 13, 1994, accessed 1.11.2023, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/todays-mercies-for-todays-troubles