Most people have a concept of being merciful; unfortunately, most are ignorant and unconscious to it's actual existence in them. This is a mute point as we consider the obvious fruits of compassion all around us in the world today. For example, from the many charities, for various types of life struggles to which we give, to the simple act of giving someone a nickel for being five cents short on a soda. However big or small the act of mercy may be, we know it is there because of the weight of it on our conscience, whether we act according to it or not. This particular view of mercy, as far as I know, would be excepted universally, but obviously there is a flaw that makes this general recognition of compassion null and void in it's essence. Each day, when we consider our own lives, and the world around us, this malignant error becomes painfully clear and thoroughly sobering. An example would be the holocaust of the early 1940's, or the various horrible displays of evil we see and hear about everyday. From various kinds of abuse, rape, neglect, domineering, hate, malice, murder, envy, greed, etc., we can only assume, that as we function from day to day, this evil is the predominant force that drives the world in which we live. A simple Google search on any of theses topics should enlighten us to the reality of this evil at hand. This is a reality of which, we should not take lightly, nor overlook.
Though inevitable to those who fear God, this writing is not intended to bring sole moral conviction to you or myself in light of such horrible realities. More importantly, I want us to see God- the creator and sustainer of the universe, as the perfect, holy, righteous, infinite, God that He is. In fact, this very God is fully satisfied in his own glory. So, In light (or darkness) of such evil, in and all around us, how could He possibly have mercy on any wretched creature such as ourselves? While foolishly thinking that we are more worthy of worship than He is, we continually belittle His name and blaspheme His glory.
In order to see fully into Gods mercy toward us, we must consider the reality, depth, and consequences of our sin toward God by acknowledging His ultimate and eternal worth. Not that God is worthy because of us, or by any acknowledgment from us, but in Himself, He is fully God and wholly perfect. He is the only good; He is infinitely worthy of our praise; He is unchanging in all His ways, and it's in Him that "we live, move, and have our being." Then our sin can never actually truly belittle his name, for in Him is the righteous standard, which we cling to solely by His mercy and grace.
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God...
In all reality, we should be struck down to our knees at this verse.
For the sake of brevity, and to avoid carpal tunnels, I'm going to get to the point. We must consider what falling short of God's glory means. I mean, isn't it assumed that one would be "short", or lacking in comparison to the God that holds the high standard of glory? A resounding yes would suffice here. The point that I want to make, is that falling short of Gods glory isn't the axiom to which we look to understand this verse. Why have we fallen short? That is the question. What does "for all have sinned" have to do with anything? This phrase will be the nail and hammer to make the mercy of God more firm in our hearts.
Psa 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me."
Note Spurgeon on this verse : "David is thunderstruck at the discovery of his inbred sin and expresses it. This was not intended to justify, but to complete the confession. It is as if he said, "Not only have I sinned once, but I am in my nature a sinner. The fountain of my life is polluted, as well as it's streams. My birth tendencies are out of square. I naturally lean to forbidden things. Mine is a constitutional disease, making my very person obnoxious to Your (God) wrath." I am amazed at this quote. To make the point clear about sin and the stench it puts in Gods nose (analogically speaking), I want to focus on the last sentence of the Spurgeon quote. "Mine is a constitutional disease, making my very person obnoxious to Your wrath." My very person obnoxious to God's wrath? Wow! seems a little harsh don't you think? Spurgeon isn't' scared to lay the truth out like a filet o' fish... We cannot spurn Spurgeon for being honest, because the very Scripture we hold to be the Word of God, puts us under Gods wrath from birth, as sinful people, "For there is none good, no not one." Therefore, if we are slaves to sin from birth, this very sin "makes our very person obnoxious to Gods wrath." We should note here, that this God that we have offended is indeed a God to be feared, for
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." Pro 9:10.
If God is known, he will be feared. I speak of the fear of God, because most people think of the mercy of God as passive against sin. Like God just says, "well I know your not perfect, but your trying", and then just passes over our sin out of mere sympathy; though "God does know our frame and remembers that we are but dust." Still though, our sin, in the belittlement of His name and glory, remains a putrid stench in His nostrils. This is a reality that we should not take lightly, nor overlook. If we sinfully attribute the passiveness of us, as in the acceptance and love for our own sin, to God, we can most assurdly note that He is rightly offended.
Ok, so I think I have pounded the fact that we are rebellious sinners, that DO NOT deserve anything from God, much less His love and mercy. It is very ironic, that the very thing that God hates in us, is the very thing that shows His mercy the clearest, when forgiven of the sin that He hates. Therefore, we can never contemplate our sin too much. Just as our sin is a crimson stain that will travel the road to an eternal hell, the blood of Christ is the eternal forgiveness that will cleans us of all sin and give us eternal life. AW Pink said: “ Gods mercy denotes the ready inclination of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures. Thus, “mercy” presupposes sin.." "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8
Rom 5:9: Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
Rom 5:10: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11: More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
1Co 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
There is no bigger or more expressive display of God's mercy, than when Jesus was nailed to the cross to be the wrath absorbing sacrifice from and to God. God gave His own spotless lamb, His son. "For God so loved the world that He gave his only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16. "O give thanks unto the Lord: for He is good, for His mercy endures forever" Psalm 136:1. To quote Pink once more: "When we contemplate the characteristics of this Divine Excellency, we cannot do otherwise than to bless God for it. His mercy is
"great" (1Kings 3:6),
"plenteous" (Ps. 86:5),
"tender" (Luke 1:78),
"abundant" (1 pet. 1:3);
it is "from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him"
(Ps. 103:17).
Well may we say with the Psalmist, "I will sing aloud of Thy mercy!" (Ps. 59:16).
The amazing and most difficult point to grasp about this mercy, is our tendency to feel as if we deserve something. The fault is when, in light of the reality of God being our Creator and Sustainer, whom we owe everything to, we turn from that eternal Goodness, and say: "NO GOD!" It's amazing how a simple statement could explain our present condition so well. How unfortunate are these people in Isa. 27:11: "it is a people of no understanding: therefore He that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will show them no mercy..."
We must remember "the goodness and severity of God." God is holy, we are not. God is good, we are wretched. God is righteous, we are sinful. God is just to punish the offence, or to forgive the offence. Rom 9:15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19 You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory-- Rom 9:15-23
2Co 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
I want to sum up with a Puritan prayer. Note the humble nature, and heart posture of this person before God. We would be wise to note his humility and love for God's glory.
My God,
I feel it is heaven to please Thee, and to be what Thou wouldst have me be. O that I were holy as Thou art holy, pure as Christ is pure, perfect as Thy Spirit is perfect! These, I feel, are the best commands in Thy Book, and shall I break them? must I break them? am I under such a necessity as long as I live here? Woe, woe is me that I am a sinner, that I grieve this blessed God, who is infinite in goodness and grace! O if He would punish me for my sins, it would not would my heart so deep to offend Him; But though I sin continually, He continually repeats His kindness to me. At times I feel I could bear any suffering, but how can I dishonor this glorious God? What shall I do to glorify and worship this best of beings? O that I could consecrate my soul and body to His service, without restraint, for ever! O that I could give myself up to Him, so as never more to attempt to be my own! or have any will or affections that are not perfectly conformed to His will and His love! But, alas, I cannot live and not sin. Oh may angels glorify Him incessantly, and, if possible, prostrate themselves lower before the blessed King of heaven! I long to bear a part with them in ceaseless praise; but when I have done all I can to eternity I shall not be able to offer more than a small fraction of the homage that the glorious God deserves. Give me a heart full of divine, heavenly love.
As I said before, pages could be written on the subject of God's mercy. So to keep it short and sweet, I figured no other topic on the mercy of God more profound; than Gods wrath against sin, and God's forgiveness of sin through the gospel of Jesus. "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed," and is the grand display of His glorius and sovereign mercy. So may we proclaim:
Jud 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
Jud 1:21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Jud 1:22 And have mercy on those who doubt;
Jud 1:23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Jud 1:24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
Jud 1:25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Yours in Christ, Chris Fincher
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