Have Mercy

The idea for this was generated--as many of my ideas are--listening to my iPod. More specifically, I was listening to a Caedmon's Call song titled "Be Merciful to Me."

It got me wondering about "mercy." Obviously, the title of the song sounds like it's something we are asking God for. What is mercy? How do we get it?

More...The first thing that I had to understand was that while mercy and grace are seemingly the same thing, they aren't. I heard a little story that explained the difference pretty well. It goes like this: Mercy is a judge finding you guilty and withholding any punishment. Grace is that same judge awarding you a million dollars after he finds you guilty. In other words, mercy is kind of like a pardon. Grace is an undeserved gift.

With that in mind, it would seem that mercy and grace to hand in hand but are hardly substitutes for each other. Mercy does not substitute for God's grace, but God's mercy is essential. As Titus 3:5 reads, we are saved according to His mercy.

I started thinking of times in the Bible that God exhibited mercy. I ended up finding a few times when God withheld mercy, as well. God showed no mercy during the global flood (except for sparing Noah and his family) nor did He to Sodom and Gomorrah before its destruction (save for Lot). Also, there is the promise of Jesus' return and the final judgment, from which only Christ's followers will receive mercy.

This shows me that unlike grace--which is for anyone at anytime--mercy is limited. Romans 9 tells us this, saying that God shows mercy to whom He wills. Hebrews 12 says that God deals with us as sons, disciplining, testing and rebuking. He can give His mercy and can pull it away just the same.

So why does God withhold mercy? There was one time in particular that stood out to me. It's when Jesus was preparing to die for us on the cross. The Bible tells us that it pleased God to bruise Him. Matthew 26:42 says that Jesus, praying in the garden, asked for "this cup to pass," not once, but three times. We also know that Jesus refused to save himself when given the opportunity. God did not save His own son from dying on the cross. Why? Because it was necessary. Let me explain a little more.

Think of the flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the final judgment. What do all these have in common? All of those situations were lost causes. The world or city in these cases were so full of sin and evil that God had no choice but to destroy it. Yes, lost causes. There was no hope for salvation. But what about Jesus on the cross? Why was mercy withheld then? That's because Jesus--as it says in Hebrews 7--was the one perfect sacrifice forever by the Son who has been perfected forever. Jesus interceded on our behalf. Jesus wasn't the lost cause. WE WERE THE LOST CAUSES.

Without Jesus' sacrifice, we would be the ones feeling the full effect of God's withheld mercy. Jesus made it possible for us to be saved and receive this mercy. But remember, I mentioned that mercy, unlike grace, is not for everyone. How then do we receive it?

(I'm paraphrasing here)
Psalm 86 - Trust in Him and call on Him.
Exodus 20:6 - Those who love Him and keep His commandments will receive mercy.
Luke 18 - Showing humbleness before the Lord.
Luke 1:50 - Mercy is for those who fear Him.
2 Corin. 4 - Receive mercy and no longer walk in sin.
Hebrews 4:16 - Come boldly before the throne.
1 Timothy 1:13 - Obtain mercy by not ignoring sin.

That's just a few examples of how the Bible tells us to receive God's mercy. In all of those verses, it shows that mercy is given to those who call on Him.

I can't think of a better way to stay humble than to consider yourself a lost cause. And that is exactly what we would be without Jesus. As Anberlin sings..."Just all of us, the lost causes." I think this Third Day song, off the greatest album ever recorded, Conspiracy No. 5, sums up this little blog quite nicely.

"My will won't break, it barely bends
Same old sinner, the same old sin
On my knees to plead again
Confessions trial, where to begin?
Have mercy, on me a sinning man
Lord have mercy, on me a sinning man
If it's true that the wages of sin is death
Then I've earned quite enough to quit
The reward I deserve I'd surely get
Were it not for you to pay my debt"

Praise the Lord for that!