Order Of Service

Matthew 5:7

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Hebrews 2:17

Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Introduction

The Old and New Testaments are filled with references to the mercy that God bestows on us. The mercy of God is so infinite that it will last forever. His mercy is demonstrated in the events of Biblical history. It is seen in the deliverance from Egypt and in the kindness of the Persian king, when he allowed the exiles to return to Jerusalem.  It is demonstrated in the many miracles of healing that Jesus performed.

Moreover, there are references that admonish and even command us to be merciful to others. Hosea 6:6 makes this very clear. “For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

When we are merciful, we are like the moon. The moon has no light of its own, but it reflects the light of the sun. The structure of this verse should not confuse our thinking. There is a promise that those who show mercy will be shown mercy. However, believers do not show mercy in order to obtain mercy; they show mercy because they have already obtained mercy from God.  Let’s delve a little deeper. Let’s look at the principle and the promise of this verse.

Exposition

1. Mercy Makes Tolerance And Long Suffering Possible.

(God’s Mercy Helps Us Endure Hardships.)

(Since God’s Mercy Endures Forever, We Are Assured That Trouble Won’t Last Always.)

2. Mercy Makes Forgiveness Possible.

(Forgiveness Is Not Easy, But It Is Possible.)

(Mercy And Forgiveness Do Not Demand Revenge.)

(We Should Forgive Others As God Has Forgiven Us.)

3. Mercy From God Makes Salvation Possible.

(What If God Were Not Merciful?)

(God’s Mercy Provided A Path To Eternal Salvation.)

(Some Call This Path The Roman Road.)

(Romans 10:9-13.)

(The Roman Road Goes Directly Through Calvary, It Bypassed Hell, and Ends In Heaven.)

(Jesus Is Both The High Priest And The Sacrificial Victim.)

(Ephesians 2:4; Titus 3:5.)

Closing Thoughts

As I contrast the ancient pagan world with the principle taught by Jesus in Matthew 5:5, I am amazed. (I know, the word “pagan” is not politically correct these days.) Some of the greatest minds of the Western World did not show any mercy at all, and they wrote it down. They gave us logic, science, mathematics, and philosophy, but not Christian mercy or ethics. Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics wrote that a slave was a “living tool” and demanded no consideration and was no better than a hammer. This led to Vedius Pollio fatally flinging his slave to the savage lampreys in the fish pool of his courtyard, because he stumbled and broke an expensive goblet. Plato in his Republic and Aristotle in his Politics wrote that babies with defects should be ‘done away with.”  They would be a burden to the parents and society. Infanticide was common in ancient Greece and Rome. The sheer callousness and brutality of the ancient world is almost inconceivable to people who espouse Christian mercy.

I will close with a story I have told several times before. A man who had committed a crime was sitting in court before the judge. The man was visibly upset and afraid. He was literally shaking with fear. The judge assured him that he would get a fair trial and that justice would be served. The judge said later since the man could not be consoled, “I do not tolerate any legal hanky-panky or shenanigans in my court room, so calm down. You will get a fair trial, and justice will be served.” The man said, “That’s the problem. The victim wants justice, but I need mercy. If justice is served, I will go to prison for a long time. I need mercy and plenty of it. I need mercy to pardon me or give me probation. Justice is the last thing I need. I need justice like I need a hole in my head.” When it comes to our salvation. We need mercy not justice. Thank God for the mercy that was provided on Calvary.

Give God Glory! Give God All The Glory!

Related Scripture

Micah 6:6-8

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