The Mercy of God by Deaconess Ashaolu

INTRODUCTION: Mercy is underserved favour, that which causes you to help someone who has no claim to your help or to show kindness to someone who has no claim for it and without the ability to repay you. The mercies of God are great, II Samuel 24:14, and while the world gave His Son a crown of thorns, He gave them a crown of mercies, Psalms 103:4. Of course, there is no comparison between the mercies of God and that of a sinner: the nearest word to “mercy” in the book of the sinners is “cruelty” Proverbs 12:10.

1. MERCY IS ONE OF THE TREASURES OF GOD: Mercy is one of the precious things in the treasury of God: He has it in abundance. Infact His mercy is so plenteous it fills the whole earth and goes beyond the heavens in height. And as far as those who fear Him are concerned, the mercy of God upon them is forever, Ephesians 2:4, Psalms 119:64, Psalms 103:11, Psalms 106:1, Luke 1:50, Psalms 89:28, Psalms 103:17.

2. WE LIVE PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY ONLY BECAUSE GOD IS MERCIFUL: To keep us alive, God has to renew His mercy day by day, because none of us really deserve to live because of our numerous sins. But He enjoys being merciful and hence forgives easily. None of us deserved to be saved and live eternally but for the mercy of God. Furthermore, because He is plenteous in mercy, it takes a lot of provocation to really make God angry. Lamentation 3:22-23, Mich. 7:18, Titus 3:5, Psalms 103:8.

3. THE LAW OF HARVEST EXTENDS TO MERCY TOO: SOW MERCY, REAP MERCY: It pays to be merciful. Mercy has its rewards just like wickedness does. Mercy obeys the law of harvest: if you sow mercy, you will reap mercy. If you show no mercy you will receive none. Each time you let offences committed against you go unrevenged you will inherit a blessing. Besides, being merciful is a sign that you are a true Son of God. Proverbs 11:17, Matthew 5:7, II Samuel 22:25, James 2:13, I Peter 3:9, Luke 6:36.

4. GOD’S MERCY IS NOT TO ENCOURAGE SINNERS BUT REPENTANCE: One unfortunate thing is that men often misunderstand the mercy of God, mistaking it for license to do more evil. That God’s merciful does not mean that he tolerates sin. He does not punish immediately we sin because He is patiently waiting for us to repent. Those who refuse to repent will pay the necessary penalty and the fact they abused the great mercies of God will add remorse to their agonies in hell, but those who return to Him in penitence shall obtain abundant mercy. Eccl. 8:11, Eccl. 34:6-7, Joel 2:13, II Pet. 3:9, Proverbs 11:21, Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 19:5, Hebrews 2:3, II Chronicles 30:8-9.

5. GOD’S THRONE IS CALLED “MERCY SEAT” NOT “POWER SEAT”: An example of the immensity of the mercy of God is illustrated in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah: God was willing to spare two sin-drenched cities for the sake of only ten people. Another example is in His dealing with Lot and His family: they were literally dragged into safety. No wonder the throne of God is called mercy-seat not the holy-seat or the power seat, Gen.18:26-32, Gen.19:5, Ezra 9:13, Neh.9:16-17, 31, I kings 21:29, Exodus 25:17, Number 7:89.