God shows His heart and will to us by way of His Word. This knowledge teaches us how to live the way God wants us to. Whenever we apply ourselves in any aspect of God’s Word, we see great benefit to our lives and to those around us. This is the case when it comes to walking in the abundance of God’s mercy. God has extended His abundant mercy to us, enabling us to walk in His prevailing power and to exhibit this mercy to others. Our walking in the abundance of God’s mercy can bring God’s deliverance and freedom to others, enabling them to walk greater for Him.
In this article, we will look at the greatness of God’s mercy on our lives and how we can exhibit mercy to others. We will then look at the two powerful examples of the Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ.
First of all, what is mercy? Mercy is the withholding of merited, or deserved, judgment. It is something that is imparted by someone and received by another. God is the Initiator of mercy, and Ephesians 2:4 tells us that God is “rich in mercy.” When God says He is rich in something, He is truly rich in it! Some may say God’s mercy is “Over the top!”; “Way out there!”; or “Radical!” This rich mercy of God that we have received equips us to walk powerfully for Him. Here are some examples of the vastness and benefits of God’s mercy:
I Peter 1:3:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
First, let us note that this verse says God’s mercy is abundant! God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and caused him to ascend to His own right hand. Now, by God’s abundant mercy, we are born again and begotten unto a “lively hope”—the hope of eternal life when Jesus Christ returns for the Church at the gathering together. With the Hope, we can experience a higher way of living, viewing things eternally rather than temporally. God’s mercy makes this life-style available to us.
Proverbs 21:21:
He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
Look at the powerful impact mercy has on our lives! This is genuine abundance. Life, righteousness, and honor are things you cannot buy; they are a result of following after righteousness and mercy. Finding these qualities equips us to walk in a superior way for God.
Since God has extended His mercy to us, we ought to also withhold merited judgment with one another. Jesus Christ said to his disciples, “…freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). “Freely” is abundantly by God’s grace. We can now freely give of the abundance God has given us. God shows us in His Word how we are to exhibit His abundant mercy. Let’s look at the following verses to learn how.
Proverbs 3:3:
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.
We are to bind mercy about our necks. We adorn ourselves with mercy so that not only are we reminded of it but others can see it as well. In Orientalisms of the Bible, Volume II, Bishop K. C. Pillai writes regarding this verse: “This is a figure of speech meaning ‘don’t forsake mercy and truth.’ Keep them with all sincerity; make them a vital part of your life with all depth of straightforwardness.” Mercy is to be evident in the way that we live. When we walk with mercy, others can experience its blessings. Romans tells us the attitude we are to have when we exhibit mercy.
Romans 12:8:
…he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
We are exhorted to show mercy with cheerfulness. When someone has a need to have mercy extended to them, we are ready and willing to show mercy with cheerfulness. In Volume V of Studies in Abundant Living, Order My Steps in Thy Word, we learn the following about verse 8:
God says, in other words, that if you’re showing mercy to someone, really enjoy it.
Do you know why it is so beautiful and easy to show mercy with cheerfulness? Because all you have to remember is God’s mercy to you. When you remember God’s mercy to you, then you will never have any difficulty showing mercy with cheerfulness to a brother or sister.
The Book of Psalms gives added insight.
Psalms 37:21:
…the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
When we exhibit God’s abundant mercy, we are in “give mode.” We are thankful to God for His mercy toward us and extend it to others. In these last three verses, we have seen that we are to adorn ourselves with mercy; we show mercy with cheerfulness; and, in doing so, we have a giving mind-set….
This is an excerpt from the January/February 2008 issue of The Way Magazine.
Copyright© 2008 by The Way International. All rights reserved.
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