31/08/2022
ALTAR OF GRACE
THE MERCY OF GOD ( Continuation)
OUR MERCY TOWARD OTHERS
"Yes, you must show mercy to others. If you do not show mercy, then God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the one who shows mercy can stand without fear before the Judge." James 2:13 ERV
I always listen to myself each that I recite the LORD'S PRAYER "forgive us our sis as we forgive those who sin against us." Do we actually in real sense forgive those who sinned against in us? What is the nature of our forgiveness? Can human forgive his/her offender as God do forgive us? These and many other questions keeps dropping in.my mind, each time I reflect on the teaching of Jesus Christ on Mercy (forgiveness).
The other day, Jesus said "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." It takes mercy to obtain mercy, that is according to the scripture above.
God is full of MERCY and COMPASSION, so if a Christman says that he or she is a child of God lack the above nature of God, it calls for a rethink of our fellowship with God. " Let this mind be in you as it was in Christ Jesus." Phil. 2:5
As an Onident child of God, we must always in our daily dealing with others act in the manners and ways that make people (unbelievers) to know that of the true, we are of God. " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good work and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16. We have to give out MERCY for us to receive MERCY. Most at time, our prayers and supplication are inhider because of the dirtiness of our hearts in the place of prayer. You can be asking Gid forgiveness and you have built the wall of unforgettable around yourself. If we show mercy to others, we indirectly showing mercy to ourselves.
There is also another response to God's mercy. Receiving God's mercy will naturally lead our hearts to praise Him. But receiving God's mercy will also naturally lead us to extend mercy to others. The degree in which we do both of these is the measuring stick as to whether we have truly experienced and understood the mercy of God.
As John MacArthur said, "The most compelling motivation for faithful, obedient living should not be the threat of discipline or loss of reward but overflowing and unceasing gratitude for the marvelous mercies of God" (Romans 9-16, p. 141).
Understanding the mercy God has given us in Christ should lead to obedient living. Specifically, understanding the mercy God has given us should lead to an overwhelming display of the mercy we give to others.
God takes this very seriously! In the way we are forgiven, we are to forgive. As God is patient with us, we are to be patient with others. As we receive mercy, we are expected to extend mercy. That's why we read in James 2:13, "For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment." It was the Puritan, Thomas Adams, who once said, "He that demands mercy, and shows none, ruins the bridge over which he himself is to pass."
Unbelievers have proven that it takes no grace to condemn another's motives, or to run away from a situation when things don't go their way, or to ignore how their actions might affect others.
I am afraid that our passion for truth in the universal church has spilled over to harsh judgmentalism. There are too many arrogant, self-confident and obstinate individuals in the church who have absolutely no understanding of mercy - Too many twenty-first Pharisees and not enough Good Samaritans (Lk. 10:30-31). We are dying on hills that require tolerance. We are hurting fellow believers in the name of Christ. We are justifying sin under the guise of righteousness. We must stand for truth, but let's not forget that the God of truth has called us to the priority of love. He has primarily called us to humility, self-sacrifice and the concern for others.
Many have become the Pharisees condemned by Jesus. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cu**in, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others" (Mt. 23:23). For we received mercy from God when we deserved condemnation, how can we fail to reciprocate with others (cf. Mt. 18:21-35)? Why are we so critical of our brothers and sisters in Christ? The answer is that we have obviously not tasted the mercy of God ourselves. Remember, Christ shed His tears for those who shed His blood!
Beloved, if you really wish to follow the heart of God, be merciful! Luke 6:36, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." If you really wish to get mercy, be merciful! Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." If you really wish to do what is best for yourself, be merciful! Proverbs 11:17, "The merciful man does himself good, but the cruel man does himself harm." If you really wish to show wisdom, be merciful! James 3:17, But the wisdom from above is…full of mercy." Are we really following the Golden Rule and extending mercy to others in a way we would like to receive it ourselves?
*How would you feel if you made your sickness known to the church and no one from your church family called?*
How feel seeing yourself passing judgements on others over the same thing that you have been doing?
Unfortunately, in churches today, there are class of those that can sin and they are forgiven because if their class and societal status. This is the perfect time for us to use the 2006 Conference theme *"THE CHURCH IN A TROUBLE WORLD."*
Friends,
It is my prayer that, the LORD should have mercy on us and help us to deal mercifully with people around us in Jesus name.!
Blissful Wednesday with plenty of His blessings.
God's Errand Boy.
Ambassador of Grace.
