I want to talk to you about mercy that triumphs over judgment. Let’s read in the book of James in chapter 2, it says here in verse 12, “Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom.” Those of us who have been touched by mercy have a mandate to do something that isn’t normal, and that is to walk in mercy toward those out there.
Over the years as a Christian and as a pastor of a church for many, many years, I was a little frustrated. I found out that it seems so easy for people to be harsh with one another, to be unforgiving with one another, and to be more judgmental toward each other than to show mercy. And I found that very interesting, that those of us who have been shown mercy, it seems like we could easily lose the mercy that we’re supposed to give, and for some reason, I don’t know why that is, but it does happen. But the Bible tells us that those of us who have been touched by mercy, we need to live in mercy. And it says here, “For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn’t shown mercy.”
Now I don’t know about you but if I am going to get judged, I want it to be tempered with mercy. There’s a story in the Bible about David when he sinned and did some things wrong and God gave him three choices, and I think two of them were to fall into the hands of man, and the third judgment was from God. And He said pick which one and David wisely chose the one that came from God, because God always tempers judgment with mercy. And so I believe that we’re supposed to do the same thing.
I want to encourage you that when we do judge or when we do mete out justice or whatever you want to call it, let’s make sure that we do it with mercy. Let’s always keep an eye on the fact that we ourselves have received mercy and that we’re to mete out mercy in the same manner. It says here because “mercy triumphs over judgment.” And isn’t that true? We may want to give judgment, we want to be harsh, we want to be angry, we might even think God’s angry or he wants to be judgmental toward everybody.
The truth is God is very merciful. God is mercy and He’s called us to be merciful, because mercy or rather when we give mercy or offer mercy to people who are undeserving, it can have a profound effect upon their lives. Instead of being harsh and crying out for judgment, let’s offer mercy to those that don’t deserve it, because after all, that’s what God has done for us. He treated us better than we deserve. He offered us mercy when we didn’t deserve it, and isn’t that what mercy is? It’s offering love, it’s offering forgiveness to those who simply do not deserve it. If they deserved it, it would be by works. It wouldn’t be mercy, would it? So, I want to encourage you today to be a person of mercy, to speak and act as God would speak and act in mercy.
Let’s pray. Father, I thank you today for those who are hearing today. Lord, I pray put into every person the heart of mercy, the heart to love, the heart to forgive, the heart to treat others better than themselves. And Father, I thank you for that. In Jesus’ name. Amen.