Be Merciful

There is a wonderful scripture that implores us not to judge and condemn people and instead tells us to forgive (Luke 6:37). One scripture earlier reminds us to be merciful (Luke 6:36). Don't judge, instead be merciful. Don't condemn, instead forgive; This seems so minor and simple, but this may be one of the most difficult teachings to put into practice.

I could list examples of having a judgmental and condemning spirit that I've seen in my own church or in the larger body, but there's really no reason to. We all know what I'm talking about. Instead, to bring added emphasis, I will quote the revised judgmental version of John 3:16. "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, unless (fill in the blank)."

I am going to ask you to be honest with yourselves. Have you been sticking disclaimers on salvation? Have you been qualifying Christianity? Salvation isn't about being perfect, it's about being forgiven. So why is it so prevalent to question a person's salvation or Christianity when they do something wrong? Paul himself stated that the good he meant to do he didn't, and the evil that he didn't want to do he did (Rom 7:19). Should we not also condemn Paul along with our brothers and sisters that also do evil?

John has something to say about condemnation. The Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman before Jesus who was caught in the act of adultery (John 8:3-4). They tried to force Jesus to judge her but instead He told them that if any of them were "without sin", they could condemn her to death (John 8:5,7). They were convicted by this and left, and Jesus asked the woman, won't anyone condemn you (John 8:9-10)? When she told Him that there was no one left to condemn her, He forgave her and told her that He did not condemn her either and admonished her to go and sin no more (John 8:11).

This is such a wonderful picture of what mercy and forgiveness are. Did this woman commit adultery? Yes. Did Jesus know it? Of course He did. The Bible says that if a person commits adultery, they should be put to death (Lev 20:10). Didn't Jesus know this? Most certainly. So here's the question I have for you: Why did Jesus just let this woman off the hook when the law said she should have died for what she did?

Christ gave himself to be the propitiation for our sins and not just mine or for yours, but for the whole world's (1 John 2:2). Jesus bought the right to be merciful to this woman with every drop of blood that He shed on the cross and with every moment of agony he endured, and to not be merciful ourselves brings dishonor and disgrace on the sacrifice that He made. And remember, He died for your sins just like he died for mine, so why does it seem right to deny the mercy that Christ bought to someone else? Why is it that it is so difficult to let mercy and forgiveness reign in our hearts when it comes to others?

It's easy to judge and condemn, but it takes something more to forgive and show mercy. So the next time you start judging the faults that you see in others, ask yourself this question. Wasn't Christ's death enough to forgive that person of their sins? Because if it wasn't my friend, how could it be enough to cover us in forgiveness?

To close, I want to put up a song that has been circling by mind as I write this.

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.

My brothers and sisters, are we all not redeemed, bought with a price? Are we all not covered by that same blood? Are we all not forgiven, our sins banished forever to the sea of forgetfulness? Are we all not His children, born again into a new family? Have we not all been shown His same infinite mercy? How then can we fathom to repay the good that we've been shown with anything but the same? Be merciful, even as God is merciful.