“Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:3b-5)

Where does mercy come from? It comes from the One who is mercy. What does mercy mean? Mercy is defined by The Merriam-Webster Dictionary as, “Mercy” can be defined as “compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power”; and also “a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion.” The attribute which we need most is that God is mercy. We need Him to be merciful, which means full of mercy. From the act of rebellion, defiance, and mistrust in the Garden of Eden, our need is mercy. It has been the need of all mankind for all time. The results of this act was and continues to be death. Offering mercy costs. The results of sin, that is the effects of the action in the garden, were fear, shame, unworthiness, questions, loss, and a sense of brokenness. In order to reach out to the sinner, the One reaching out to them had to cross through the fear, shame, unworthiness, questions, loss and a sense of brokenness, which would cost. Mercy can be expensive.

From that day, God’s attribute of mercy has been shown. God’s covenants with mankind are His promises to offer mercy in the face of our guilt, which deserves judgment. This mercy is shown from the promise to crush the serpent’s head to the nails on the cross. God’s desire is to offer us mercy. His mercy is evident throughout the Old Testament. When man’s evil had become so prevalent, God was saddened that He had created mankind. He still looked for a way to offer mercy. (Genesis 6:6-8) Time after time His redeemed people, from Egypt, continued to rebel, defy, and mistrust Him. God kept looking for ways to show them mercy. “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.” (Daniel 9:9-10) This is the heart of Daniel’s prayer of confession for the people of Israel while they were in Babylon. Through Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, God continued to build His covenants of mercy offered to the people. These were all fulfilled when God would give a new covenant through His own Son, Jesus Christ.

It is through Jesus Christ that we see the cost of mercy. In order for God to offer mercy, He needed to accept the judgment of sin, which is death. To offer mercy, justice must be fulfilled. Death had to be satisfied. One man for mankind would not be enough, but God in the place of mankind, as a man, could satisfy justice. The cost of mercy was the Son of God. Thus, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Now God, who is full of mercy, could offer forgiveness and a new life to all who would accept His offer of mercy. Those who accept this gift of mercy do so by faith. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) How is this faith expressed? “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) This is the new birth into a new life.  (See John 3:3-7, 2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

Through God’s mercy, life begins anew. Jesus calls this life “abundant” and “to the full.” (John 10:10) Paul would describe it as “For we are God’s handiwork (workmanship KJV), created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) We live this new life with the mercy of God in full view. We do nothing in this new life without this understanding of mercy because everything we now have is because of mercy. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2) Now, with God’s mercy, we give ourselves to Him. This is true worship because we owe everything to Him. His mercy comes from His love for us.

Now, he wants the best for us, which is His will, described as good, pleasing and perfect. Remember the cost of our mercy was what Jesus did for us. There will be a cost when we offer mercy, but God will give us his rewards as we pay the cost to offer mercy. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) The more we offer mercy, the more mercy God pours into us. Jesus also says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36) As you reflect the mercy of your Heavenly Father, He tells us what that means. This call for mercy is sandwiched between these two directives, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28) and “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:37-38) To offer mercy is not easy, it is hard. Yet, it is here where God is shown, where His light is brightest, and His hope is offered. It is in mercy we are most like Jesus.

God’s desire for each of us is to again be completely formed into the image of God. This comes to us through His mercy. We now present that image through the same mercy. Today, all around us are people who need mercy. Let us offer them mercy because we know the One Who is full of mercy.

In the Love and Mercy of Jesus Christ,

Michael Block