Mercy!

Mercy!  As we continue on in Luke we get to the second song of the Nativity.  The second song was sung by Zechariah after his tongue was loosed from nine months of silence.  And what came out of the mouth of a man who was suffering in nine months of silence?  Praise and blessing to God.  Zechariah reminds us of the great mercy of God through his song.  We cannot dwell too much on the mercy of God.  To fully understand the tenderness of God’s mercy we must first look at the hopelessness of our situation that we were in as sinners.  We cannot come to an end of God’s mercy.  God is good and his goodness is perfect towards sinners in our misery, weakness and rebellion.  That goodness from God given to us as sinners comes forth in the powerful force of mercy.  Mercy forgives.  Mercy is gentle.  Mercy is kind.  Mercy covers all!  Mercy covers even that unspeakable shame that you really do not want to mention to your closest friend.  God has shown mercy and His name is JESUS!

The mercy that God shows us is profound and permanent.  It gives us hope everyday.  God shows His mercy with intentionality and strength.  When God shows us His mercy He is communicating to us who He is at His core and who we are at our core.  The fact that we have been shown mercy means that we did not deserve His favor and that we deserved condemnation and wrath.  But God in His tender mercy gave us the free gift of unmerited favor.  He saved us and gave us Christ’s righteousness and Christ took our sinfulness.  That is undeserving mercy.  If we ever think that God owes us mercy and grace then they stop being mercy and grace.  It becomes God’s justice.  We do not want the justice of God, we want His mercy.  

Thank you God for your tender mercy!

Go to the Lord with confidence in God’s mercy just like you would go to a fire on a cold night to get warmed.  You go to the fire for warmth and not to be burned.  That is who our God is.  Full of tender mercy.  His desire is not to burn but mercifully warm us through salvation to new life.  God is perfect in His tender mercy!  Enjoy it and please do not abuse it.  Abusing the mercy of God in pursuing your own sinfulness is to make God’s mercy your enemy.  Mercy abused turns into wrath.  Our sin is great but God’s mercy is greater!

Titus 3:4-5 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…

I look forward to worshipping our infinitely merciful God with you Sunday. - Steve