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The Virtue of Mercy
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Beloved, this morning I want to ask you a question: Where is your virtue of mercy? Do you have mercy within you? And if you do have that virtue, do you demonstrate it? Do you show it with the abundance of opportunity that God has given you?
Let me take you to the book of Micah, chapter 6, verses 6 to 8. The prophet Micah was receiving a revelation from the Lord, and he was asking himself: "With what shall I come before the Lord? How can I show gratitude to God who has blessed me so much—who has saved me, preserved my soul, kept me safe, and blessed me with every spiritual blessing?"
Micah kept asking: Should I bow myself before the high God? Should I come before Him with burnt offerings? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sins of my soul?
But in verse 8, the Holy Spirit answered him. Listen to this: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
This is the message I want to share with you today: the virtue of mercy. First, let me help us understand the difference between grace and mercy, because they are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing.
Grace is unmerited favor. Mercy is God choosing not to punish us for our wrongdoings. When God decides not to punish us for our sins, that is mercy. It is His very nature.
The question for all of us this morning is: How much mercy do I have within me? How much love, kindness, and forgiveness do I carry in my heart? When I see others in pain, do I show mercy? Do I offer my love to the needy? When someone is suffering, do I share their pain?
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Let me tell you something: if not for the mercy of God, you and I would not exist. Our very existence is predicated on the mercy of God. If God were to judge us according to our deeds, none of us could stand.
Listen to what the Scripture says: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." In Psalm 130, David asked: "If You, Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?" Nobody could stand.
From the moment Adam sinned in Genesis, everything that has existed since then has existed under the dispensation of mercy. A faithful and just God would have every right to discontinue everything. But that is not His nature. His nature is mercy. God is rich in mercy, boundless in mercy, tender in compassion. He loves mercy. He is a loving Father who cares about us and is concerned when His children go through difficulties.
In Psalm 103, David said: "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities." And in Lamentations 3:22, he wrote: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail."
Mercy is not something God does occasionally—it is His attribute. It is His very nature. After holiness, God loves to show mercy to His people because He Himself is merciful.
But here is what amazed me: even though God is continuously showing mercy, sin and wickedness still abound. The earth is still covered with hatred, jealousy, and all kinds of iniquities. The world is not what God created it to be.
Yet in His mercy, God decided to send Jesus. He made promises through the prophets that He would have mercy on us. He said through Isaiah: "In a small moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercy I will gather you." God promised that He would bring us back home and cover us with His mercy and wrap His everlasting arms around us.
God sent Jesus Christ to epitomize, demonstrate, and showcase mercy. From the moment Jesus began His ministry, everything He did was about mercy. He came to demonstrate the mercy of God because He delights in mercy.
Consider the parables Jesus taught. He told the parable of the Good Samaritan, teaching us that mercy is the priority. Your religious life means nothing if you do not have deeds of mercy. Being a Levite from the household of faith means nothing if you cannot demonstrate mercy.
Or think about the parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus was teaching us about a God of mercy—a Father who waits for us to repent and receive us with open arms. When the prodigal son came to himself and decided to return home, he said: "In my father's house, the servants have more than enough to eat, but here I am starving." The spirit of repentance fell upon him.
And notice something important: humility works hand-in-hand with repentance and mercy. If he had not humbled himself, he would not have been able to say, "I will go back to my father." Many of us today are full of pride and reject God's love because we feel sufficient in ourselves.
Jesus also told the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16. He told the parable of the Unforgiving Servant. His life and His teachings demonstrated mercy continually.
Now, all these teachings about mercy—why are they so important? Let me tell you: our world is upside down because of lack of mercy. Wickedness has permeated our hearts and the entire cosmos because we do not have the mercy of God in our hearts.
When you put mercy on like a garment, when you wear it, when you live mercifully and show mercy to others—this is what transforms the world.
I remember watching a program about an air disaster in an African country where seven people lost their lives. At the funeral, when the military officers arrived, I was expecting something different. I was hoping to see not emotional outbursts, but rather officers who were sharing the pain and grief with those who were suffering. This is what God is asking us to do: feel the pain of others.
Remember the Good Samaritan—he did not even know this man, but when he saw him in pain, he carried him to the nearest inn, paid for his care, and said, "Whatever additional charges there are when I return, I will pay them." That is the kind of mercy God is asking for.
When Jesus speaks about the final judgment in Matthew 25, He says: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, He will say to those on His right, 'Well done. When I was hungry, you fed me. When I was sick, you clothed me. When I had no clothes, you gave me clothes. You helped me and supported me.' And they will ask, 'Lord, when did we do this?' And He will say, 'As long as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.'"
Brethren, this is what we are talking about: mercy.
As we round up, understand this: the mercy of God is what is sustaining your life. It is your scaffolding. It is what is feeding you, protecting you, preserving your soul. It is keeping you from the arrows and dangers of the night. Your strength and prowess alone cannot protect you—it takes the mercy of God.
This is what Micah was being told by the Holy Spirit. When Micah asked, "What shall I do that I may receive forgiveness from the Lord?"—the answer was not about a thousand rams or ten thousand rivers of oil. Even if you gave your firstborn for your transgression, it would not be enough. What God is asking of you is this: do justly, and love mercy.
Let me give you some reasons why we must live mercifully toward others:
First, showing mercy glorifies God. It is a great way to say thank you to God. No matter what other things you do, if you do not show mercy, it means very little to God. God is self-sufficient. He does not need our money or our offerings in heaven. But He wants us to pursue the needy, support them, overwhelm them with gifts, and meet their needs.
Proverbs 14:31 says: "He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who honors the poor has mercy on the needy." If you have mercy on the needy, you are honoring God.
Second, mercy opens doors to favor and direction. According to Psalm 112:4, light arises for the upright in darkness. Proverbs 3:3-4 says: "Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man."
Third, mercy brings happiness. Proverbs 14:21 says: "He who despises his neighbor sins, but he who has mercy on the poor is happy."
Fourth, mercy brings mercy back to you. Matthew 5:7 says: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
During this pandemic, there have been great opportunities for people to express mercy. I was overflowing with joy when I went to the store and saw people buying not just for themselves, but wrapping additional boxes for the needy—for humanitarian purposes—for people they did not even know. That is the heart God is asking for.
If you are eating today, think about those who do not have food. If you are living well, think about those who are less fortunate. God purposely allows them in our midst so that we can be a blessing. And it is that blessing that brings us glory.
Do not wait for grand opportunities. Opportunities abound everywhere. God has given us many opportunities so that we can capitalize on them. Take your responsibilities during these times.
Listen to what the Scripture commands us:
Zechariah 7:8-10: "Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor."
Ephesians 4:31-32: "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
Colossians 3:12-14: "As the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies."
1 Thessalonians 5:14-15: Care for those who are struggling.
1 Peter 3:8-9: "Be compassionate and humble."
These are not suggestions—they are commands. Go after mercy. Put it on as a garment. Wear it all the time. Show compassion. This is how we rebuild our world.
Now let us pray. Let us thank God, the God of mercy, for bringing us to this understanding. According to Psalm 112:4, "Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness." He also said we shall receive favor and high esteem according to Proverbs 3:3-4: "Let not mercy and truth forsake you, bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, so find favor."
Father, in the name of Jesus, send Your mercy from heaven to save us from the reproach of the enemy. Teach us to show mercy. Teach us to love mercy. Teach us to wear mercy as a garment in our daily lives.
Our Father and King, we thank You for Your peace. We bless You and thank You for how much You have blessed us with every spiritual blessing, particularly for teaching us to show mercy and for incorporating in us the spirit of mercy. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ, who came to epitomize how to be merciful to others.
Father, let Your mercy never depart from us. Let Your compassion continue to fall fresh upon us. As You said, "My mercy I will keep for him forever, and my covenant shall stand fast with him." Let this be our portion in the mighty name of Jesus.
