by Greg Laurie

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
- Ephesians 2:8-9

Don't ever pray, "God, give me justice." You don't want God to give you what you deserve, which is judgment. Rather, a better thing to pray would be, "God, be merciful to me. God, extend your grace to me." When God extends mercy, He doesn't give you what you deserve. And when God extends grace, He gives you His unmerited favor and blessing.

The Bible tells us that it is "by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8–9)

We find a classic example of grace in the story of the prodigal son. The son had sinned. He dragged the family name through the mud. If the father had dealt with his prodigal son justly, he would have allowed the boy to be stoned. That would have been justice.

If the father would have dealt with the son in mercy, he would have let him come on as a hired hand as the boy had requested.

But the father dealt with him in grace when he provided his son with luxurious attire and placed a signet ring on his finger. That was grace, not justice, and it was even more than mercy. It was grace extended.

It was God's grace that sustained the apostle Paul in his days of difficulty with his thorn in the flesh. Paul had some kind of physical infirmity. It may have been a disability or an injury resulting from one of his stonings or shipwrecks. Whatever it was, he asked God three times to take it away. But God told him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Grace is getting what we don't deserve.

by Pope Francis

Pope Francis made the power of God's mercy his central message this morning as he celebrated Mass at Sant'Anna church in Vatican City and delivered his first Angelus address to pilgrims in St Peter's Square.

During his homily at the local church, Pope Francis said: "Mercy is the Lord's most powerful message.

"If we are like the Pharisee before the altar, who said: 'Thank you, Lord, for not making me like all the other men, and especially not like that fellow at the door, like that publican'… well, then we do not know the heart of the Lord, and we shall not ever have the joy of feeling this mercy.

"It is not easy to trust oneself to the mercy of God, because His mercy is an unfathomable abyss – but we must do it!"

He said that God "has the ability to forget… He kisses you, He embraces you, and He says to you: 'Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now, on, sin no more.' Only that counsel does He give you.

"We ask for the grace of never tiring of asking pardon, for He never tires of pardoning."

The Pope greeted excited crowds after the Mass outside the church, with some chanting "Francesco! Francesco!".

Later, he delivered his first Angelus address to an estimated 300,000 pilgrims in St Peter's Square.

He returned to the theme of God's mercy, saying: "Dear brothers and sisters the face of God is that of a merciful father who is always patient with us."

He said he had been reading German Cardinal Walter Kasper's book on the subject of God's mercy. After praising the volume he joked: "But I'm not trying to flog the book to you."

His parting words after leading the Angelus before the exuberant crowds were: "Don't forget the Lord will never tire of forgiving us, but it is us who tire of asking forgiveness. Have a great Sunday and a great lunch."

by Ralph Bouma

Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.
(Psalm 119:76)

As we have just read from Ephesians 2, we have been quickened by grace out of spiritual death. Verses 2 and 3 speak of our condition by nature: "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

Verses 4 and 5 tell us: "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved.)"

God chose us. We did not choose Him. We find comfort in the abundant richness of the mercy of God. We find no consolation in anything we can do. Our comfort is only found in what God does for us.

In context with the previous verse in Psalm 119, we see that David pleads God's righteousness and faithfulness in his present afflictions, and in our text his prayer is for comfort in God's merciful kindness.

Notice verse 75: "I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me." Now we see mercy in His afflictions because it is by these that He quickens us and makes it so our minds are no longer set on the things of this world. This is how He weans us from the things of this life.

In our text, David prays for comfort. As God takes us through affliction, we seek comfort in His merciful kindness. Through this affliction He separates us from those who walk after the flesh.

When the Lord sanctifies our affliction upon our hearts by giving true gospel repentance - then we realize that we must look to the same tender Fatherly hand that has been faithful enough to administered the discipline, to also send our comfort. As a parent, when you discipline a child, and rebellion is broken, then that child comes to that loving, disciplining hand for comfort. They will put their arms around you and say, "Daddy, I want love." These are the peaceable fruits of righteousness. That same hand that disciplined, now is what we look to for comfort. God uses discipline and then returns to His mercy seat.

God says in Hosea 5:15: "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early." The Lord comes with His afflicting hand against everything we in our flesh are so set upon. When the Lord finishes His disciplining action, He returns to the mercy seat and waits till we acknowledge our offenses.

It is difficult for us to acknowledge our offenses. Have you ever had situations where you have realized you were wrong, but it takes eating some humble pie to be able to say: "I was wrong. Will you forgive me?" Grace enables us to do this.

When we have received grace to see the faithfulness of our loving Father in sending these afflictions for our profit - then we will learn to see Him waiting at the mercy seat for us to return and confess our sins and to seek His face.

We see in the next verse, Hosea 6:1: "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." They know this because they have learned to see that He is a merciful God. If the Lord had left us to ourselves and not afflicted us, we would still be walking in the way of sin.

It is important to see how David first confessed, "I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me," before he prayed for merciful kindness and comfort. David had acknowledged his iniquity and that it was right for the Lord to afflict him.

In God's good judgment He first uses afflictions to bring humble penitence - before He shows His merciful kindness and comforts the soul from the Word. You will not receive the blessed promises of God's Word in your heart until the Lord has brought you to confess your iniquity and returned to seek His favor.

God's humbled, penitent servants find that "mercy rejoiceth against judgment" (James 2:13). When you rightly understand your sin you know that God could have justly condemned you for eternity.

After we have come to realize and confess that our sins deserve afflictions - then we can find comforts in the merciful nature of God as it is revealed in the gospel. God is not only just but He is merciful. For those who repent and turn from their iniquities, He will grant mercy.

Those who have never learned to show mercy under the law of love have no basis to plead for mercy. One of the most grievous sins we can commit in the eyes of the Lord is when we do not walk under the law of love. We are to love one another as Christ has loved us. Christ covered all of our sins with His blood. How do we love one another? We do so by covering their sins and blessing those who slander us. We speak well of even our most bitter enemies.

One of the greatest causes for God sending His afflictions on any person is that they have violated this law of love. Look at what we see in James 2:13: "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment." Mercy is undeserved favor. When someone has stepped on your toes, you turn and serve them with the law of love. You and I have sinned against God, and we want Him to show mercy. He is going to judge by how much mercy we showed to our fellow man. One of the greatest sources of God's displeasure is when we violate the law of love.

David's plea for mercy is supported by, "Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant." David is serving the Lord under the law of love. He has repented of his sins. If we want God's blessings we must serve Him.

God's Word speaks of no comfort for those who continue in sin. Only those who reverence the law of the gospel receive the comfort of the gospel.

The word gospel/ is about as misunderstood as the word love./ Satan loves to set up counterfeits for anything that is genuine. Love means to sacrifice yourself for others, to put the other person ahead of you. Satan's counterfeit for love is lust. He does the same thing with the word gospel. /Gospel means "good news," the good news of the kingdom, the good news that we can again enter into God's service. Satan's counterfeit is that we can be justified in the blood of Christ and go to heaven without serving God. Satan wants you to think you are going to heaven, but he has you on the broad road to hell.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-10). We are saved not by works but "unto good works." It is all of God.

I talked to a woman one time whose husband had just died, and she was so sure he was going to heaven because he had lived a good life. About a week before he died, I asked him why every time he opened his mouth, he either spoke of hell or blasphemed Christ. That is as much knowledge he had of salvation. He was a good man though, and he had done good things. He wanted to have salvation by works.

Christ's very name Jesus/ means Saviour, that is, "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Pharisee sins and heart sins are two different natures. The Pharisees wanted to be saved by their good works, and they kept the letter of the law, but their hearts were graves filled with dead men's bones. What we need is a heart renewal. As we become renewed, and as salvation becomes ours, it is unto good works. Now we can serve the Lord with gospel obedience, because we can have remorse over our sins, and we repent of it.

He is also called our Redeemer - to redeem us from what? "That he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). When we are redeemed from iniquity, we are saved unto good works. This is the fruit of being saved.

A partial truth is a lie. Satan's gospel teaches the idea that salvation is to be justified - and saved from hell, but it teaches nothing about being saved from the power of sin. This means being saved from heart sins. We not only do not steal from our neighbor, but we do not covet what our neighbor has.

We do not lust after a woman any more than we touch her and try to commit adultery with her. The letter of the law is, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," but the spirit of the law is if you look at a woman to lust after her you have committed adultery already. We need to be saved from the power of heart sins and unto good works.

We must become restored to the image of God before we can be restored into His fellowship. No human being will ever dwell in God's presence unless they have a heart that is cleansed and sanctified. There is no comfort for those outside of Christ.

Romans 8:29 says: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." If we have not been conformed to that spirit of Christ we cannot claim salvation.

We can find no true comfort outside of God's ordained way. Our text says, "Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant."

David says, "Let, I pray thee." Prayer is an act of faith venting our spiritual desire. Our hope and comfort can only be fulfilled from the promise of God's Word, and our capacity to receive such comfort is derived from being His servants. If our hope is in anything but "this says the Lord," we are building on sand. If our comfort is in a human document not founded on the Word of God, we are building our hope upon ashes.

You cannot you say you have received great comforts out of the Word of God and live in sin. Until we have been saved unto good works, we are not saved. There is no merit in what we do. We do not earn salvation by good works.

The primary principle of all comfort is "thy merciful kindness" "according to thy word unto thy servant."

We read in 2 Corinthians 1:3 that He is "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort." Any true comfort is only derived as a gift of the Father, from His tender, Fatherly love.

This word mercy means/ "a compassionate, tender disposition to pity offenders and forgive their offenses." Now do you understand why the Lord says he who shows no mercy shall have judgment without mercy? If you do not forgive you will not receive forgiveness from the Lord.

Oh what comfort and consolation there is in a faith's view of the Father of all mercies giving His own Son to redeem us from all iniquity - to open the door of His kingdom that such vile offenders as you and I can again enter His service - that we can again say with David, "Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant" (Psalm 119:76).

Mercy got its name from the word misery./ Mercy is taking the misery of another to heart with the intent to afford relief.

Think of the comfort we receive from Father's merciful kindness in sending His only begotten Son to afford you and me relief from the power and the penalty of sin. Look at Psalm 85:10: "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." These met under the merciful lovingkindness of our heavenly Father in giving His Son.

Our blessed Saviour extends His golden scepter unto all who repent of their service to sin and Satan, and enter His service under the law of love.

Look at John 13:34-35: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

The grace of God is the divine influence of the Spirit upon the heart, which is seen by all men.

Our service is by no means a basis to plead any merit before God. We are saved "not by works," but from the power of sin "unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).

Our God uses our afflictions to show us our just desserts for our sins, making us humble and penitent, and thereby a proper candidate for both His merciful kindness and to enter His service.

In Isaiah 57:15 we read: "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

Think of the comfort we derive from the tender, compassionate, merciful character of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Look at Isaiah 63:9: "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old."

Our Heavenly High Priest was touched with a feeling of our infirmities. He understands our every weakness so intimately, therefore He can and will hear our prayer when we pray, "Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant" (Psalm 119:76).

He will be merciful according to His Word in Hebrews 4:16: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." He so intimately understands our every trial, our every temptation. He understands everything we go through.

Mercy demonstrates the actual performance of help and comfort to those who are in misery. When they cry to Him, He comes to their aid. Look at Psalm 78:38: "But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath."

Such a display of compassion - forgiving their iniquity - not for any good in them, but all out of His merciful kindness, is the comfort of God's people, "according to thy word unto thy servant."

The cause is not in us, but in Himself. The Lord is kind, and that many times to the "unthankful and to the evil," and we are called to follow His example. Look at Luke 6:35: "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."

When we are walking in prosperity and vanity, we can presume upon God's mercy, but when the conscience is awakened, and we see God's displeasure upon our actions by way of the afflictions He sends upon us, then sometimes it is hard to imagine He will show mercy, because we know His judgments are right. We must confess that we deserve what He has sent upon us.

The same unbelief that made us treat sin lightly, will also weaken faith's claim upon any comfort. That same unbelief which slighted God's precepts will question His promises under afflictions.

Therefore, David prays, "Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant." He knows that if God would deal with him according to his sins, He would cast him away forever.

Those who receive a deep sense of their unworthiness also see the greater need for, and have the greatest regard for God's mercy. The more we learn to understand how unworthy we are, the more we value His love, the comfort we get from His promises that are applied by the Holy Spirit.

Look at Genesis 32:10, where we read about Jacob coming to meet his brother Esau. He knew that Esau had a right to kill him: "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands." Jacob remembered that he had nothing but his staff when he was fleeing from his brother. He had to flee because he had deceived his brother and stolen the birthright. However, the Lord had blessed him in the land of his exile. He still had to face Esau and confess his iniquities though.

As we learn the merciful kindness of our God, His faithfulness and kindness revealed in His Word become our greatest source of comfort.

Every good and perfect gift comes from our Heavenly Father as we read in James 1:17: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

If the Lord has loved us from eternity, He will love us for eternity. He will not let us go unpunished, He will send us afflictions to show us His displeasure upon our sins, but He will save us.

The more we learn to see that our health, liberty, strength and all the comforts of this life "cometh down from the Father of lights" the more we will see it is all of His mercy. Salvation is not just in heaven. It is every comfort we receive from God.

Our Heavenly Father's tender mercies are compared with parental love, that is, of our natural fathers and mothers. One time a daughter of ours was in convulsions, and I did not expect her to live. At such a time a father's love is drawn out to a child like no other time. We read in Psalm 103:13: "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him."

Our Heavenly Father saw us perishing in our sins, and His love was so strong that He sent His own Son to redeem us.

The Word of God uses the loving care of a woman to her nursing child to demonstrate the compassion our God has for those who serve Him as we see in Isaiah 49:15: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." What comfort can we derive from such tender love that we receive from our Heavenly Father.

Look at Lamentations 3:22: "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not."

What a comfort that our God shows greater pity than a father, and greater compassion than a mother. What a blessed pleading ground we have in His Word. David said in all his affliction, "Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant" (Psalm 119:76). Where can you find more comfort than in the blessed compassionate love of the Father?

It is of God's mercy that He sent His Son to redeem us from all iniquity. Look at Titus 3:4-5: "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

In Ephesians 2:4-5 we read: "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved.)."

It is after afflictions that we learn to value the comforts we receive from His Word. Look at Psalm 71:21: "Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side."

We read in Psalm 86:17: "Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me."

Isaiah 12:1 tells us: "And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me." When the Lord is displeased with our sins, and He causes our consciences to smite us, then we can turn to Him and receive comfort in His blessed redeeming love.

In all these, comfort is received by temporal deliverances, which is an effect of God's mercies in answer to the saint's prayers.

Another form of comfort is also found in the pardoning, reconciling love of Christ's love shed abroad in the soul as we see in Romans 5:5: "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Now we are talking about spiritual and eternal comforts.

Our eternal comfort will be an end of all misery. Look at Revelation 7:17: "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

Revelation 21:4 tells us: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

In this veil of tears there is a mixture of joy and sorrow, but then it shall be all comfort and joy. Look at Matthew 5:4: "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."

The highest and chief object of our comfort is the Lord Himself. We read in 1 Samuel 30:6: "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God." Where do you find comfort except in the Lord Himself?

There are consolations received from good things we experience, but there is greater consolation in the good things promised. I have experienced many temporal deliverances in my life, and I believe the Lord uses them to strengthen my faith to believe in His eternal promises. Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:16: "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace."

by Jill Carattini

The room was full of guilt, and I knew this because I was sitting in it. I arrived early and sat in one of benches toward the back of the room, perhaps a small attempt at being inconspicuous. But in a courtroom no one goes unnoticed, and this is particularly true of those who are on trial. Traffic court, I discovered, is an interesting place. At the very least it made for an afternoon of good people-watching. At most it offered a window into realms of justice, faith, and human behavior.

A few months prior to my court appearance, I had been caught speeding less than a mile from my house. True, there were several factors at work, but there was no question of my guilt. I was in a hurry to get home, deep in thought about a sad situation, and driving my husband's car (which was a bit easier to accelerate). My mind was simply elsewhere, and I was speeding. My initial thought was to simply pay the ticket and be done with it. But the officer said if I showed up in court, he would lower the fine.

I had never been to traffic court before. I had no idea they were going to announce my crime in public and ask me to state my plea before the masses. It was all somewhat humiliating, even if warranted. (I felt sorriest for the teenage offenders in the room; the magistrate was especially hard on them.) After every crime had been publically exposed, our guilt seemed to loom like giant name tags. My entire row was filled with speeders. Others were caught driving with expired tags or licenses, cited for following too closely, or driving recklessly. One by one we were called to stand before the judge—and one by one we were pardoned.

To the surprise of all, our charges were all dismissed. They took the yellow tickets we'd been clutching in our sweaty hands and handed us tickets rewritten with warnings where steep fines had once been. The entire room stood together in guilt and then the guilt was removed. I suspect what we experienced was far from typical. I'm not sure one can even remotely say justice was served. But regardless, for this microcosm of a guilty world, it was something of a modern day of jubilee.

Jesus once told a parable about a widow and a judge.(1) Unlike those in my court story, the widow was not guilty of anything. Day in and day out, she came to this judge who “neither feared God nor cared about men” with a single plea: “Grant me justice against my adversary.” For some time the judge refused. But finally, he relented, saying to himself, “[B]ecause this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!” As often is the case, Jesus told this parable with a question in mind for its hearers. “Listen to what the unjust judge says,” he concluded. “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

It is interesting that justice is one of the first things we learn to cry out for as children. The desire that life be fair seems innate to our hearts and minds. In the parable of the persistent widow Jesus seems to suggest this instinct isn't wasted. He graphically claims that we do not cry in vain and that our longing to see the world set right is worth following after with the resolve of one who won't take no for an answer. Whether we cry out in desperation for the world around us or in need of mercy ourselves, Jesus's seems to urge us not to let it go.

Yet often overlooked in this courtroom parable is the final question Jesus poses. He has assured the crowd that they will see justice. He then leaves them with a question. “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Like the widow discovered in the parable, God will faithfully see to our deliverance. God mercifully exchanges our slips of guilt with declarations of pardon. Yet none of this assures that Christ will find faith throughout the land when he returns. The mercy extended to me at the courthouse hardly assures my faithfulness to traffic laws hereon out. Nor does it assure that my awe and respect will remain for the judge who pardoned me.

But it should. For God's delving out of miraculous justice in a corrupt world and miraculous healing in a sick world is not merely a sign for me. God's giving of mercy is a tangible sign that God is setting the world back to right—and mercifully, I am invited to be a part of it. My courtroom encounter somehow seemed all the more a gift because it wasn't unique to me. Even small glimpses of God's mercy are signs to stay alert to the miraculous gift of a God who hears a world in need and is at work even now in every corner. As it turns out, the child's longing to see her world set right is answered in one who is a gift for the entire world. The vicariously human Son of God hears our pleas. He hopes for faith. He stands among us.

References:

(1) Story told in Luke 18:3-8.

About The Author:

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

by Ralph Bouma

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God,"
MAT 5:9.

PSA 85:10 says, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." How was this possible? This happened when the blood of Christ removed the fury and wrath of God. All the appeasing was done in Christ's blood. He paid the penalty so perfectly that all the righteousness of God has been met.

Mercy and truth met together. Mercy! Mercy! What is mercy? Mercy is undeserved favor! Mercy is one-sided love. We have forfeited everything through sin. We have neither right nor title to God's favor. We have no right to lay any claim upon God. We must have mercy, yet truth can be maintained. There is no mercy in Mount Sinai; not one sin can go unpunished. When our debt was paid in Christ, mercy was born.

A righteous God can now show mercy to an unworthy sinner in the blood and righteousness of Christ that is imparted to us. His righteousness satisfied the penalty; it was in the way of obedience that Jesus stepped into the wrath of the Father to appease His wrath against our sins. The just demands of righteousness--and peace--have kissed each other. "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other," PSA 85:10. Now there is peace.

It is so precious when we can see how the Lord Jesus Christ made this peace. He is the heavenly Peacemaker. He engraved our names upon the palms of His hands. In ISA 49:16 we read, "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands...." We will never be forsaken. The Lord says that a woman may forsake her suckling child. Oh beloved, this may sound so impossible, but it may happen. ISA 49:15 says, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." Yet, the Lord will never forsake us. This is absolute because He has engraven our names upon the palms of His hands.

Sometimes people tie a string around their finger to remember something. Every time the person sees the string, he remembers. Our names are engraved in the palms of Jesus' hands. The Lord cannot and will never forget. He is the blessed Peacemaker who has engraven our names in the palms of His hands.

Our Saviour pleads for peace. The Lord intercedes as our Mediator. He goes to the Father seeking conditions of peace. The Lord Jesus paid the price and the penalty for the sinner. He furnishes perfect obedience on behalf of His church before the Father. The Father is now reconciled to the world through the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus also comes to us now as the Mediator and pleads with us poor sinners. God says in ISA 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isn't the condescension of the God of heaven amazing? He comes down so low.

The Lord condescends to one who has no place for Him in the heart. He comes to a rebel, an enemy by nature. This is blessed. The precious blood of Christ will wash away all sin. The very next verse starts out with if "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land," ISA 1:19. The Lord wants our hearts to become reconciled to Him. He wants the rebellion broken. He is pleading with rebellious sinners for peace. The King of Heaven comes down so low.

This mediation is also done through Christ's ambassadors! 2CO 5:20 says, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." As our mediator, Christ also bows before the Father to plead the case of His people. Christ is our mediator. As mediator, He beseeches us through His ambassadors to be reconciled with God. Can you picture that this Mediator comes so low to plead with rebellious sinners who are yet at enmity with Him saying, "...we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God"?

What will the Day of Judgment be like for those who have rejected this Peacemaker? He will come before the Father to testify how He has come unto them saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" MAT 23:37. Think of what this will mean in the Day of Judgment for those who have rejected the Lord. The Lord says, "Come now, and let us reason together...." He is such a blessed Peacemaker.

The Lord Jesus stands saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...and ye would not!" For man to claim to be as God was attempting to rob God of His throne, but Jesus was equal with God, and He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. He stooped so low from such glory to submit Himself unto death, "even the death of the cross," PHI 2:8. How can a rebellious sinner continue on in sin? "...The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance," ROM 2:4b. Think about what a Peacemaker Christ is.

We are admonished to walk in the steps of our Saviour, e.g., to be merciful, to be forgiving, and to be a peacemaker; that is walking in the steps of our Saviour.

Amen.

Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear--
Me, the chief of sinners spare?

I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would no harken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my sins lament;
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

There for me my Savior stands,
Holding forth His wounded hands,
God is love! I know,
I feel,
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

by Jessica Archuleta

In this Year of Mercy I believe it is important for parents to think about how we can reveal God's mercy to our children and teach them to be merciful to others. Compassionate and merciful children will not happen by accident. For us parents, showing God's tender mercy to our children is especially important, being that the fruit of our work as parents will be more a result of our actions and not our words. Showing our children what mercy is will be more important than a lesson on mercy without the actions to reveal to them the love of a merciful parent.

Recently, one of my daughters was put on restriction for the night and was going to spend the evening in bed while the rest of the family watched a movie. Her punishment was just and needed in order to convey the seriousness of her bad behavior. She accepted it without arguing (unusual for her) and went out of her way to help me with some extra things I hadn't asked her to do--I could tell she felt remorse for her behavior. I could also sense that my other children were feeling bad for their sister. They didn't say anything, but I observed their interactions with their sister as we were all getting things ready to watch a movie and she was heading up to bed.

One thing that always makes my husband and I pleased is seeing compassion being displayed between our children. The younger ones will often come and plea their siblings case and ask for a pardon. When this happens, if we can, we will usually grant the pardon because it reinforces their compassion and also teaches them the power of intercession. In this instance no one pleaded for mercy (I think they all knew how upset I was), but I definitely picked up on the vibe of sadness in the air.

Seeing my daughter feeling sorry for her actions and knowing the kids hoped she would be able to enjoy the family time together, I looked at her and said, "Since you are being so helpful and you are sorry for your behavior, I'll let you off of your restriction." Her sweet face lit up and she said thank you while her siblings perked up and cheered for her. I then said, "After all, it is a Year of Mercy so I'll be merciful." Let me tell you, a bunch of little ears perked up at this, sly grins ran across their faces, and you could see a glint in my dear children's eyes. I could see the wheels turning.

One of the older kids said, "Really, a year of mercy?" To which I quickly explained did not mean what they hoped it meant! We had a good laugh and I told them about Pope Francis declaring this a Year of Mercy and made it clear that mercy sometimes means following through with justice because spoiling children isn't mercy or love. The whole situation was a good opportunity to discuss mercy and show mercy at an appropriate time.

Being a parent is hard. Trying to raise Christian children is even harder. Knowing when to be lenient and merciful or when to instill obedience and discipline in any given situation is not always an easy call. On the one hand we must show; love, mercy, patience, and forgiveness to our children and on the other; obedience, discipline, self control, consequences for one's actions, justice. Without a balance of all of those things a child could end up in a bad way.

Regarding this year, Pope Francis has written:

As we can see in Sacred Scripture, mercy is a key word that indicates God's action towards us. He does not limit himself merely to affirming his love, but makes it visible and tangible. Love, after all, can never be just an abstraction. By its very nature, it indicates something concrete: intentions, attitudes, and behaviors that are shown in daily living. The mercy of God is his loving concern for each one of us. He feels responsible; that is, he desires our wellbeing and he wants to see us happy, full of joy, and peaceful. This is the path which the merciful love of Christians must also travel. As the Father loves, so do his children. Just as he is merciful, so we are called to be merciful to each other.

We can live this Year of Mercy as a family by taking some concrete actions and sharing them with our children. A good place to start is by explaining what exactly the word mercy mean and why it is so important. The definition for mercy, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is:

kind or forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly
kindness or help given to people who are in a very bad or desperate situation

We are all in need of not only God's mercy but the mercy of others; everyone we know will at one time or another be in need of our mercy as well. Let's take this year as an opportunity to grow in mercy and gratitude for the gift of mercy.

Here are a few ideas to begin with at home:

• Show them mercy when possible. You know your own children-when the lesson of mercy would be greater than the discipline, show mercy. Reminding them you are being merciful in the hope that they will learn and try to behave better in the future.
• Point out the times they can show mercy to others, especially their siblings-forgiveness is an act of mercy.
• Teach them to look out for others needs and if possible do something about it, reminding them that sometimes prayer may be the only thing they can do but it is an important thing to do.
• As a family go to confession regularly. God's mercy given through the sacrament of reconciliation is indispensable.
• Explain how they can be merciful to their parents and other adults. We need forgiveness and kindness shown to us too, like allowing us to have a few minutes quiet to finish our coffee!
• Spend the year teaching them the corporal and spiritual works of mercy while looking for opportunities to practice them together as a family. Encourage them to look for opportunities on their own as well.

Corporal works of mercy:

Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit the imprisoned
Bury the dead
Spiritual works of mercy:

Admonish the sinner
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubtful
Comfort the sorrowful
Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive all injuries
Pray for the living and the dead

Do not feel overwhelmed or panicked to do everything at once. Start with talking about mercy and as a family, trying to be merciful to one another. Imagine what a difference a little effort here and there throughout the year could make for your family.

by Jedediah (Bible, the Joshua Chronicles)

Many of my children are still clinging to the law of Moses (Mercy) usurping My Law - "The Law of GRACE".

Did I not enter the Sheep's Gate and was there not one healed by The Law of Grace hanging from My Veil of Virtue?!

Then why the struggle of My children? Come! Cling to Me (Jesus) and be found at the feet of True Humility for I have already suffered all for you and Grace "IS" yours for The Victory "IS" MINE ! ! !

John 5

5 Later on there was a Jewish festival (feast) for which "Jesus went up to Jerusalem".

2 Now there is in Jerusalem a pool near the "Sheep Gate". This pool in the Hebrew is called Bethesda (MERCY), having five porches (alcoves, colonnades, doorways).

Luke 8:43-48

43 a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind him and touched the tzitzit (WORD OF GOD) on his robe; instantly her hemorrhaging stopped. 45 Yeshua asked, "Who touched ME (GRACE)?" When they all denied doing it, Kefa said, "Rabbi! The crowds are hemming you in and jostling you!" 46 But Yeshua said, "Someone did touch me, because I felt power (Virtue) go out of me." 47 Seeing she could not escape notice, the woman, quaking with fear, threw herself down before him and confessed in front of everyone why she had touched him (GRACE) and how she had been instantly healed. 48 He said to her, "My daughter, your trust has saved you; go in peace."

Jeremiah 17:13

13 O Lord, the Hope of Israel, all who forsake You shall be put to shame. They who depart from You and me [Your prophet] shall [disappear like] "writing upon the ground", because they have forsaken the Lord, the Fountain of living waters.

Galatians 2:16,21

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Matthew 22:36-40 Complete Jewish Bible

36 "Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?" 37 He told him, "'You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.' 38 This is the greatest and most important mitzvah. 39 And a second is similar to it, 'You are to love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot."

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God's gift. 9 You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast.

Matthew 5:17-20

Christ Came to "Fulfill the Law"

17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Galatians 5:1

5 In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].

Comment:

Good point. The Mosaic covenant was never expected to save.

It served

(1) as an illustration and instruction in holiness and
(2) as a test that no sinner could pass.

At Sinai, Moses warned the Hebrew people that they could not keep the law. (They disagreed, but it's curious to speculate what would have happened had they agreed. Perhaps God would have told them that they deserved to die for their sin, but the Savior would have then been presented at that point to save them from that fate. At any rate, events did not go down a road like that. Instead, a proud people who never could keep the Law was shown for millennia that, yes, they were sinners.)

Our dirty secret (not really a secret, but we keep it from ourselves too often) is that we are sinners too.

by Eric McKiddie

Is God Mad at Me? (I Can't Tell Sometimes from the Bible)

Do you find it difficult to figure out how God's mercy and wrath go together? Maybe you stumble over God's wrath, wondering how a loving God could be wrathful. Perhaps you doubt God's mercy, thinking God could never forgive you for the sins you've committed.

It's interesting to see how which you prefer affects how you behave toward others. Those who readily embrace the concept of God's judgment often lack mercy, and become judgmental towards those who they regard as in the wrong. On the other hand, many who overlook sin in the name of tolerance lean toward relativism and hold less tightly to the objective truth of God's Word.

The problem is we think that God's mercy and wrath are opposed to one another, when they actually serve the same purpose: to bring God glory. How do they fit together? And how might seeing the way they fit together help us become more merciful people?

Jesus' little brother has some answers for us.

Mercy and wrath in the Letter of Jude

Although we don't know much about Jude, scholars conclude that he is a half brother of Jesus because he introduces himself as the "brother of James" (1). The only James during the New Testament era who was so well known that he could be recognized by just his first name is the early church leader who Paul describes as, "James, the Lord's brother" (Gal. 1:19). If Jude is the brother of that James, then he is also the brother of Jesus.

When you read through Jude's letter, it is easy to see his merciful heart shine through the ink. In this letter that exposes false teachers who have crept into the church, Jude has much to say about God's mercy and love.

Jude addresses his readers as, "beloved in God the Father" (1), and he wishes that, "mercy, peace, and love be multiplied" to them (2). He exhorts them, saying, "keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ" (21). Jude even calls his readers to show mercy toward others, whether they are doubting aspects of the faith (22) or are caught up in egregious sin (23).

Yet, despite how highly Jude lifts up God's love and mercy in Christ, he by no means shies away from the fact that God will judge those who reject him.

Jude tells his readers that the false teachers who were trying to influence them were, "designated for this condemnation" (4). He surveys examples of judgment from the Old Testament: the Exodus generation, the fallen angels, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain, Balaam, and Korah (5-7, 11). After revisiting the past, Jude points their eyes toward the future, when Jesus will return, "to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (15).

Is this really the same letter? How could someone write so expressively about God's love and mercy, yet so harshly about his wrath and judgment?

The gospel: The logic that holds God's mercy and wrath together

Both these concepts are present in the gospel. If we lose either one, we lose the full message of what Jesus came to do for us, and why.

In one, single act, God showed his amazing mercy by pouring his wrath out on his Son. Jesus received judgment in our place so that we might receive God's grace instead.

If God's wrath for sin is minimized, his holiness is compromised and Jesus' sacrifice becomes pointless. But if God is not showing mercy for sin at the cross, the crucifixion becomes an act of divine child abuse. But since both are at work, God's mercy is glorified (we are saved from judgment!) And God's wrath is justified (we all truly are sinners who deserve condemnation).

How the gospel makes us more merciful

Often people emphasize either wrath or mercy out of fear of the other. What if we become so merciful that we are accommodate and enable sin? What if we are so hard on sin that we become judgmental? If you've felt either of these dilemmas, Jude provides a solution.

Jude applies the gospel to the lives of his readers by moving from what God does for us in Jesus to how we ought to relate to others. Jude urges his readers to "[wait] for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt…" (21-22). The gospel makes us merciful.

But rather than minimizing sin, Jude advises us to show mercy with a clear understanding of how wretched sin is. That is why he also says, "show mercy with fear" (23). It is precisely because you understand how grave a situation it is to be under God's wrath that you extend mercy to those have not yet received it.

When you realize how gracious God has been to us in showing us his mercy through Jesus, it makes us much more merciful toward others. We have been saved from wrath, though we could never earn it or deserve it. Therefore, we show mercy to those who continue to reject Christ, that they too may be rescued from the wrath that is to come.