Mercy Is Love In Action

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (Jude 20, 21)

The Holy Scriptures have much to say about how important Mercy is to our Heavenly Father. In Matthew 5:7 we are taught “Blessed are the Merciful for they shall receive Mercy” In Luke 6:35-37 we are told to “Love you your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great, and you shall be children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil”.

Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is Merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged: Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive and you shall be forgiven. Our Heavenly Father expects us to take our responsibility to our neighbor seriously. Colossians 3:12-13 commands us “therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, bowels of mercies), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; just as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” What a tremendous verse! If all believers would keep this verse in its spirit and attitude, the body of Christ would take a major step toward the unity our Savior prayed for in John 17: 21-23.

The fruit of Love and Mercy is the remedy to many of the problems in relationships that people struggle with. Mercy is the cure for the poison of bitterness that always defiles, Hebrews 12:15. Bitterness is a serious infection of the spirit that hides behind the lie of “I’m fine – I don’t have a problem!” Yet many Friendships, Marriages and family relationships between parents and children, or brother and sister have been broken through some feelings of bitterness that lead to an unreconciled conflict. Mercy liberates the soul trapped in the grip of bitterness and un-forgiveness. Mercy sets the captive free!

When a Christian shows mercy, he experiences true Liberation and Victory in Christ. He is set free from the Petty Conflicts and grudges that drain the strength, steal the joy and unsettle the mind. The most miserable prison in the world is the prison we make for ourselves when we refuse to show mercy and sincere forgiveness! Mercy is Love in Action! It is defined as; Compassion or Forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within ones power to punish or harm: Kind or forgiving treatment: Kindness or help given to people in need. Mercy is Compassion or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one’s power.

Brethren: When you look into the mirror of God’s Word, do you see a person who is merciful? Our Savior said, “If you give a cup of water in my name, you do it unto me.” How many cups of water are we giving out daily in His name? How much mercy have we had on the poor as Christ had? How much mercy and compassion and forgiveness do we extend to our brother and sister in Christ? Are we merciful, as our Father is also merciful? Luke 6:36 tells us we must be!

God the Father expects his people to be filled with bowels of mercy to over flowing and always abounding in Love and Kindness so people can see our good works and give glory to our Father in Heaven! A person who lacks mercy will have their thoughts and emotions in shackles chained to an enemy that seeks to defile their own soul and the souls of those around them Hebrews 12:14-15. Sometimes when we are kind, generous and merciful even in small barely detectable ways, it can change someone’s life in a dramatic way!