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Tag: Atonement in Christianity

Give Thanks – For enduring mercy

When a prisoner on death row was brought before the judge for trial, he was extremely afraid, regarding the verdict he was to receive. The judge perceiving his anxiety tried to alleviate his fear by saying, “Don’t worry young man, you will be tried fairly and will have justice today!”. To this the prisoner responded, “It is not justice that I need, it is mercy.”

Many of us like this prisoner, who have been in the bondage of sin, and on death row (Romans 6:23), don’t need justice, but Mercy. Thanks be to God, who remembered us in our low estate and redeemed us (Psalm 136:23-24) for His Mercy is everlasting; it endures forever. The vilest offender and the greatest sinner in the world, is not out of the scope of God’s mercy as long as they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, on whom God’s wrath and justice was poured so that we all could receive God’s mercy. It is because of God’s mercy that we don’t get what we rightfully deserve and consumed (Lamentation 3:22).

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer, the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

It is not justice, but mercy we need and we need to Give Thanks to God for His mercy is not only new every morning (Lamentation 3:22-23), but that it endures forever (Psalm 136). O Give thanks to the LORD, for his mercy endures for ever, Give thanks to the God of gods, for his mercy endures forever, Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endures for ever … (Psalm 136:1-3)

Psalm 136:1-26 (KJV)
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever.
20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.
23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Blessed “Be” attitudes :: Be Merciful

Matthew 5:3-12 lists eight Beatitudes that were spoken of by Jesus. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)

To be blessed, one must have an attitude of being merciful.

According to the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, mercy is compassion or forbearance shown to an offender or to someone who is under one’s power. In other words, mercy is the attitude and act of forgiving because of one’s love/compassion. The Bible says that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). In other words, all are sinners and while we were still offenders (sinners), Christ died (showed mercy) for us (Romans 5:8). In fact, God does not desire even in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23-32), but he wills that all be called to repentance and that none perish (2 Peter 3:9). Jesus is most merciful of all, and all who believe in Him receive his mercy for he stands in the gap for them and stays the wrath of God from them. But the cycle of mercy does not end in mere receipt. All who have received mercy are expected to give the same. We learn this from the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21-35). In fact, interestingly, this beatitude establishes the same fact, that the merciful obtain mercy.

Richard Chenevix Trench, in his work, Notes on the Parables of  our Lord eloquently puts “The Christian stands in a middle point, between a mercy received and a mercy which he yet needs to receive.” Those who have received the mercy of God, must be merciful, so they shall be blessed in obtaining mercy (yet to be received). To be forgiven, we must forgive according to Jesus who taught us this fact in the prayer saying, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” In other words, this can be rendered as “Show mercy on us and hold not our debts against us, as we show mercy on those who have offended us.”

We must forgive because we have been forgiven, but we must forgive to be forgiven as well.
We must show mercy, because we have been shown mercy, but we must show mercy to be shown mercy as well. We stand in the middle point. The cycle of mercy is as follows:  Mercy received, Mercy give, Mercy receive.

Matthew 5:7 (KJV)
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Matthew 18:33 (KJV)
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

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