GOD’S MERCY IS SO WONDERFUL, WE SING ABOUT IT !
Psalms 101:1 « A Psalm of David. » I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
1. MERCY IS GREATLY MISUNDERSTOOD.
***SOME HAVE SUGGESTED THAT MERCY IS NO LONGER IMPORTANT TO THE CHRISTIAN BECAUSE WE RECEIVED ALL THE MERCY WE WILL EVER NEED WHEN WE GET SAVED. THEOLOGICALLY, THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS WITH THAT IDEA.
A. WITHOUT GOD’S MERCY, THERE IS NO HOPE.
DOES GOD KNOW THAT WE ARE HIDDEN IN CHRIST ? COULD HE JUDGE US AND CONDEMN US BY TAKING US OUT OF THE BODY OF CHRIST ? YES. BUT, THE MERCY OF JESUS, KEEPS US SAFE AND SECURE AND FORGIVEN.
Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
B. MERCY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF EVERY BELIEVER’S LIFE, NO MATTER HOW CLOSE THEY HAVE BEEN TO GOD.
1 Kings 3:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
C. WHATEVER MERCY MAN IS CAPABLE OF GIVING, GOD IS ABLE TO DO EVEN MORE. DAVID CHOSE GOD’S MERCY OVER MAN’S.
2 Samuel 24:14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
2. AN UNDERSTANDING OF MERCY IS VITAL TO A CHRISTIAN BEHAVING AS THEY SHOULD.
A. ELIZABETH.
Luke 1:58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
B. MERCY IS NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT, BUT A DAILY ACTION OFFERED BY GOD.
Lamentations 3:21-23 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
C. GODLY WISDOM BRINGS ABOUT MERCY.
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
3. WHAT DOES MERCY HAVE TO DO WITH THE BLOOD-WASHED, FORGIVEN, SAVED PERSON ?
A. WE CAN CHOOSE TO ACCEPT MERCY, OR NOT. MERCY IS RECEIVED WHEN OFFERED, AND WHEN WE SUBMIT TO GOD AND HIS MERCY. THINGS MUST BE DONE GOD’S WAY. WE DO NOT DETERMINE HOW GOD WILL GIVE HIS MERCY.
Nehemiah 9:28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;
B. IF ACCEPTED, IT CHANGES OUR COMMITMENT TO THE LORD.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. We have the option of offering ourselves as a sacrifice for God. We may be called upon to do this.