His Mercy Endureth Forever

Concerning mercy: "It is said that when a mother pleaded with Napoleon for mercy for her condemned son Napoleon replied, " He does not deserve mercy," whereupon the woman replied, "But sir, would it be mercy if he deserved it?"

The aforementioned is a question for the ages. Would it be mercy if we deserved it? Although this poor mother was pleading for mercy for her condemned son, the same applies to you and me. After the fall of man, justice demanded what was rightfully his, but God (who is rich in mercy), took over our case and became the lead attorney for the defense. After weighing all the evidence during deliberation, it was apparent that they had no recourse but to recommend death. As the sentence of death was being handed down, mercy stood up and granted a " stay of execution." Justice would have been vindicated in granting death because after all, man did sin bringing death to all, but mercy took over the case and we were spared. John said it best; "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Plainly stated, we didn’t deserve to live, but God through mercy saved us.

While beginning an exhaustive search concerning the mercy of God, I began to examine my own life. In doing so, I recall a time when I was neither merciful nor forgiving. A great deal of my time was spent in anger and unforgiveness but through constant prayer and supplication, I now know and accept that mercy is a vital part of the Christian experience.

I used to think to forgive an individual meant instant vindication and total relinquishment of any wrongdoings. As I continued to study God’s word and comprehend more concerning His nature, I came to realize that showing mercy does not mean we justify sin, tolerate foolishness, nor ignore injustices. Mercy is not an excuse to sin nor is it an escape from its consequences. If you do wrong, you will be punished. Far too often people get hung up on the premise behind John 3:16. Sure, God loves us, but one of the most overlooked and denied attributes of God is his hatred of evil and punishment to those that commit sin.

What??? God hates!! Yes, he emphatically does. Sure he is a God of mercy, but the scripture also cites six things the Lord hates and the seventh being an abomination.

A familiar sermon heard in Christian circles is the unconditional love of God. Pastors teach unrepentant, unrighteous people that God loves them unconditionally; rapists and serial killers are told that God loves them; murderers, homosexuals, and adulterers are all told that God loves them. We hear all the time that God hates the sin but loves the sinner.

Yes God loves the sinner but let me lay something heavy on you. While God’s love may be unconditional, he despises and will rightfully punish anyone who violates his Word. So when you are listening to messages about God’s love don’t be fooled, God punishes evildoers. Sure his mercy endureth forever, but not to those who continue in sin. (See Romans 6:1-2).

As I continued to examine some truths about mercy, I quickly discovered that one of the hardest things for humans to do is forgive. I, too, struggled with forgiveness earlier in my life. We immediately want revenge on anyone who wrongs us. How can we forgive someone who pierces our heart to the very core? How do we go on like nothing has happened? How do we say yes to someone who asks for mercy when we know they don’t deserve it?

The answer is if we are truly followers of God, we must emulate him. God has mercy, and we must also. As we incorporate the attributes in our daily living, we must not forget that mercy and forgiveness tops the list. God is a God of mercy and God help us, we must be people of mercy.

To make certain that we grasp the full significance of God’s mercy, David uses it 26 times in Psalms 136. Here, he demonstrates the length God is willing to go to extend his goodness to us. Having disobeyed the commandments of God, David knew the heart of God and he understood firsthand what it was like to experience the burden of sin and that is what prompted him to plead for mercy. We, on the other hand, use it as a punchline.

Throughout the Bible we are exhorted to ask and extend mercy. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," is one example of asking God for mercy as we extend it to those who have wronged us. As I say often in many of my articles: Showing mercy to others is not a request, it is a command. We must be willing to take the upper hand and forgive whether we desire to, or feel we have a reason to. It is imperative that we understand and realize, at our best, we are still recipients of God’s grace. We must never forget Calvary and the reality that we were doomed to hell but thanks be to God, he saved us! When we truly grasp this reality, forgiving others will not be so difficult.

I make it my daily prayer to ask God to let me NEVER forget how much He loves me and extended His love toward me. In doing so, I am capable of forgiving and extending kindness to others.

Mercy is an attribute of Divine love and when demonstrated, it is one of man’s noblest sentiments. Therefore, to show mercy is to be like God for he according to David’s testimony, is "compassionate and merciful…long-suffering and plenteous in mercy."

One of the greatest displays of mercy ever demonstrated was done so in Eden Here, we have a man who many would agree "had it made." Through deception, he lost it all. After the reality of man's disobedience was felt by the Creator, in anguish he searched, knowing the commandment he had given man.

Picture God agonizing over the fate of man for Adam was not just any man; he had a perfect paradise but allowed the deceiver to take it all away. Sure he could have lived on forever, but bad choices have consequences. It was those bad choices that made mercy a necessity. Can’t you hear God saying, "Adam had it all. I gave him the whole world, let him name all of my creation, bestowed upon him dominion, and gave him a mate so he wouldn’t be alone. Look how he repaid me: he disobeyed my words and destroyed in a few seconds what it took seven days to build. Now, he leaves me with no choice. I must keep the words I spoke to him saying, "In the day you eat you will surely die." Although Adam was removed from his paradise, God still continued on his mission of mercy. He found a lamb that had been slain from the foundation and made him a ransom for man. Through this lamb, we enjoy a life free of guilt and the stain of sin.

God’s mercy endureth forever; that is, he does not deliver to the Christian the natural consequence of his sin, which is damnation. Rather, he became sin on our behalf (2Cor.5: 21) and bore the punishment due us. (Is.53: 4-5). God does not ask us to explain, vindicate, nor understand him, all that he asks of us is to trust Him. Why? Because if God declares or decrees a thing, that he will do.

To ask for and extend mercy is to know the heart of God (as David did) for he is plenteous (full of) in mercy. As we study and reflect on the mercy of God, let us not forget that willful sin brings punishment. To love God means to keep his commandments.

Mercy is the compassion of God; grace is his undeserved favor. Justice gives us what we deserve; mercy gives us what we don’t. Undeserved! That’s the relative term.

Having full knowledge of our many shortcomings, God extends his mercy and compassion to us anyway, therefore, we must extend that same mercy to others. Maybe they don’t deserve it, but we don’t get to make that decision. Remember the statement of the grieving mother, "Would it be mercy if we deserved it?"

In conclusion, I pray as you continue to seek the heart of God that he will enlighten you concerning his mercy and nature as I am being enlightened.

By Travestine J. Wright