Mighty MercySample

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In yesterday’s reading, we were reminded that showing mercy to others is a matter of life and death. Our acts of mercy are essential for others to understand and accept salvation through Christ. But it is just as crucial for us who have been saved already.

In Matthew 18, Jesus gives an excellent illustration of the role of forgiveness and mercy in the lives of believers. In fact, the story of the unforgiving debtor is so logical that it punches you in the gut. Like the audience of that day, most people will return the favor or “pay it forward” when someone suddenly pays off all their debt. Believers as well as unbelievers. But God’s expectations are even higher for his children.

The value that God places on mercy in believers’ lives is so high that it comes with great power. By showing or denying mercy to others, we have the power to override God’s forgiveness in our lives. In the same way that the unforgiving debtor lost his good fortune and had to pay off all his debts from prison in the end, we will be accountable if we do not show mercy. “‘That is what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters’” (Matthew 18:35, NLT).

We started this Plan by thinking about the balance between justice and mercy. When should people be held accountable or shown mercy? Unfortunately, as long as we live on earth we will need social justice systems to maintain some order in the fallen world. But mercy is about the heart. It is about realizing that no human being better than anyone else when it comes to the law. “For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws” (James 2:10, NLT). And the same amount of mercy is needed for everybody's salvation. “There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you” (v. 13).

Do you believe that showing mercy gives you the power to save the lives of yourself and those around you? How does it change the way you look at people when they are being held accountable for wrong things they have done?

Let us thank God for his merciful heart towards us every day. And let his love grow in our hearts as we show mercy to others as well. “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” (Psalms 86:15-16, NLT).