Love and Mercy
Two weeks ago on this blog we were reminded to be thankful for God’s Love for us.
Easter weekend was a great time to reflect and give thanks for God’s Love expressed to us through the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we think of God’s Love we should quickly be lead to give thanks for the mercy that comes with this love.
In his letter to the church in Ephesus Paul draws a direct link between these two aspects of God’s character.
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ…” (Eph 2:4-5)
A 'right' to mercy??
Most dictionaries define mercy as ‘compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm’.
This is what Paul describes in the verses just before the ones quoted above. He explains how we were ‘dead in our transgressions and sins’ and how we were ‘deserving of wrath’ because of our refusal to listen to God.
As the creator of the world God has the right and the power to punish us for our choices in the lives he has given us, but he chooses to show us ‘compassion and forgiveness’ instead. He chooses to show us mercy.
The Apostle Peter and Mercy
The apostle Peter knew something of mercy in Jesus’ dealings with him (look back to the Easter Reflections for a refresher on this).
Peter was a man who had betrayed Jesus at the time he should have stood by him. But Jesus had compassion on him. He forgave him.
More than that Peter was restored and used mightily in the building of the church.
In his 1st letter Peter points his readers to this God of mercy.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” (1 Peter 1:3-4)
These verses are remarkable.
God’s mercy doesn’t stop with forgiveness and compassion.
God’s mercy extends to a new life and a new hope beyond this world.
It comes with a promise of an inheritance that will not pass away from this life, unlike our stock markets have done recently.
Trusting in the Lord Jesus means that we can look forward with the assurance that there is so much better to come.
Therefore lets be thankful today for God’s rich mercy to us.
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