84 Sermon Illustrations on Mercy

When asked, “Are you a Christian?” most Americans will say, “Yes.” According to statistics, most Americans believe in God and think they will go to heaven when they die.

However, the Bible says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13–14). Why is it that so many people think they are Christians if they are not?

A false Christian is deceived by what seems logical to him. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). In order to determine whether you will spend the afterlife in the “smoking or non- smoking” realm of eternity, consider the differences in a false Christian and a true Christian.

A FALSE CHRISTIAN:

• BELIEVES IN GOD –- Simply believing in God does not make you a Christian. Satan himself, along with all the demons of hell, believes in God. James says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder” (James 2:19). The difference between a false Christian and a true Christian is that a true Christian doesn't just believe in God, he knows God personally. In order to truly know someone, we must spend time with that person. If you have no desire to spend time with God through prayer and learn more about Him through reading His Word, you should consider whether you really know Him.

• BELIEVES IN SELF -– Some people think they are Christians because they strive to live a moral life. They assess themselves as “good” in comparison to others. Based on their good deeds, they believe they have earned the right to enter heaven. The Bible teaches that our good deeds will not purchase our entrance to heaven: “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). If we could receive salvation by being a good person, then God sent His Son to die for no reason. To say that you are good enough to enter heaven on your own is to reject the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

• BELIEVES IN RELIGION -- Being a Christian is not about a religion, it's about a relationship. Salvation is not found in attending church three out of four Sunday services a month. Salvation is not found in your denominational preference. Salvation is found in the person of Jesus Christ. Going to church, wiping noses in the church nursery and teaching a Sunday School class does not win you brownie points in the Lamb's Book of Life. The Lord condemned the “religious” leaders and all their religious rituals when He said, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus described such people as those who washed the outside of the cup while the inside was still unclean (Matthew 23:25). God is concerned with your heart, not with your outward religion.

• BELIEVES IN UNCONDITIONED MERCY -– I wish I had a quarter for every time I have heard, “God is too good to send me to hell. His mercy will prevail.” It is true that God is merciful, but He is also perfectly just. He is too holy to just “write off” our sin; the penalty must be paid. For those who accept His Son, God's justice falls on Jesus, and they receive mercy. But for those who reject his Son, God's justice falls on them. Jesus explains it this way: “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in Heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in Heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

God's justice and mercy find their ultimate expression on the cross, where Jesus died as an atonement for our sins. By pouring out His wrath on Jesus, He pours out His mercy on those who believe. But those who reject His mercy by rejecting His Son will most definitely suffer His wrath. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only son” (John 3:18).

A BETTER WAY

Becoming a Christian is as simple as receiving a gift. In fact, salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it. We cannot buy it. Jesus bought it for us with His own blood. He paid our debt in full so that we do not have to pay it ourselves. Paul says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23). In other words, the “wages,” or consequence, of our sins is death. The Bible defines eternal death as being separated from God (see Matthew 7:23).

A TRUE CHRISTIAN:

• BELIEVES HE IS A SINNER –- “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin is what separates us from God. Sin is simply breaking God's law, His commandments, such as lying. We have all broken God's law. Therefore, we are all sinners.

• BELIEVES JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR HIM -– “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). There is no greater love than the love that Jesus has for you. It wasn't the nails that held Him to the cross that day, but His love for you. He suffered and died in order that you might have life abundantly.

• BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY, HE CANNOT TOLERATE SIN. In fact, He said that all sin must be punished by death. In all fairness, we should each pay for our own sins. But God, out of His love for us, paid the price when He sent Jesus to die on the cross. God called this Christ's “atonement,” or payment, for our sins.

• BELIEVES SALVATION IS ONLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST -– Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus Christ is the one and only provision for our sinfulness. In order for us to be forgiven, there has to be atonement for our sins. Jesus is our atonement. He died so that we might live. He paid the price so that we do not have to: “For Christ died for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

• BELIEVES IN GOD'S PROMISE –- “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). God's Word is holy and true. If you acknowledge yourself as a sinner, if you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, if you repent of your sins and invite Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you will be saved. Jesus promised, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20). Will you let Jesus in?

BECOMING A CHRISTIAN

If you would like to accept Jesus as your Savior, receive God's forgiveness and have the assurance of eternal life with Him in Heaven, I invite you to speak to God with this prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of your mercy, forgiveness and grace. I believe that Jesus died for me, paying the price for my sins. I believe Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death in order for me to live eternally. I am sorry for my sins against You. Please forgive me. Please wash away my sins with the precious blood You shed for me. I invite You to come into my life and reign as my Lord and Savior. Help me to know You. Help me to obey You. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and for giving me new life in you. Amen.

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).

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This article was adapted from Ginger Plowman's book, “Don't Make Me Count to Three,” published by Shepherd Press. Her website is www.gingerplowman.com.

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It was centuries ago, when all of North America belonged to its Native people. One nomadic Indian tribe in the Great Plains was blessed with a chief that was beloved and respected by everyone who knew him. He was known as a man who deeply loved his people, and he showed it - and a man of absolute justice and fairness and he showed that. One day some braves brought a very troubling report to him; there had been several mysterious thefts from people in the tribe. The chief wanted to nip this kind of stealing in the bud so he announced a severe penalty for the thief. He would be tied to a post when the sun was high, his back laid bare, and he would be beaten with a whip twenty times. Then the chief set a trap. He asked two of his trusted braves to leave some animal pelts in front of a teepee one night and to watch all night from another teepee. It was the middle of the night when one of those braves awakened the chief with the news, “We've caught the thief.” “Then bring him in,” the chief ordered sternly.

You could see the reluctance and even the pain on the braves' faces as they brought the thief into the chief's tent that night. The chief was stunned to see who they had caught. It was his own mother. The next day, when the sun was high, everyone in the tribe gathered around the pole in the center of the village. There was heated discussion about what the chief would do. Would he sacrifice his love for his mother for the sake of justice and fairness? Or would he sacrifice his justice for his love?

Now it was time. Very sadly, two braves marched the chief's mother to the whipping post and they tied her there as two women bared her back for the whip. “The chief is putting his justice above his love,” the people whispered as the warrior with the whip raised his right arm to administer the first lash. Suddenly, the chief emerged from his teepee and he shouted, “Stop! Let her go!” As the people turned to look at their chief walking toward the whipping post, they began to say, “His love is greater than his justice. He's letting her go unpunished for what she did.” The chief untied the thief he loved, and then to the shock of everyone, as he removed his buckskin shirt, he said, “Tie me.” Hesitantly, the braves tied their chief to the post. Then he barked out his final command, “Begin the whipping.” There, before all his people, their honored chief took the full and painful punishment for the crimes of the one he loved.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “The Chief and the Thief.”

That story is my story, and that story is your story. The chief is no one less than the Prince of Heaven, the Son of Almighty God. The one who has broken the law and deserves the punishment is me - and you. God's justice could not be compromised; all our sinning against Him, all our defiant choices that have ignored what He wanted had to be paid for. And the penalty established long ago is death. Because of His justice, your sin had to be punished.

Because of His love, He didn't want you to have to pay it. So He stepped into your place and, on a blood-stained cross, took all the hell for all your sin.

Isaiah 53:5-6, our word for today from the Word of God, “He was pierced for our transgressions ... the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him ... we all, like sheep, have gone astray ... and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Today, Jesus is coming to you where you are, offering to give you the pardon He secured for you with His blood. But you have to take it or you will face the punishment He died to save you from. Please, don't wait another day to make things right with God. Tell Him, “Lord, because you died and rose again for me, I'm putting all my trust in you.” That's how you trade death for life.

Don't walk away from the One who took your place and took your punishment. He's your only hope and He loves you. He really loves you.

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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"The essential act of mercy was to pardon; and pardon in its very essence involves the recognition of guilt and ill-desert in the recipient. If crime is only a disease which needs cure, not sin which deserves punishment, it cannot be pardoned. How can you pardon a man for having a gumboil or a club foot? But the Humanitarian theory wants simply to abolish Justice and substitute Mercy for it. This means that you start being “kind” to people before you have considered their rights, and then force upon them supposed kindnesses which no one but you will recognize as kindnesses and which the recipient will feel as abominable cruelties. You have overshot the mark.

"Mercy, detached from Justice, grows unmerciful. That is the important paradox. As there are plants which will flourish only in mountain soil, so it appears that Mercy will flower only when it grows in the crannies of the rock of Justice: transplanted to the marshlands of mere Humanitarianism, it becomes a man-eating weed, all the more dangerous because it is still called by the same name as the mountain variety."

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C. S. Lewis in GOD IN THE DOCK; quoted in THE QUOTABLE LEWIS edited by Wayne Martindale and Jerry Root (Tyndale House) p. 426.

And he said, I will make all my GOODNESS pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to’ whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. — Exodus 33:19.

“Goodness and mercy.” Not goodness alone, for we are sinners needing forgiveness. Not mercy alone, for we need many things besides forgiveness. But each with the other linked. Goodness to supply every want, mercy to forgive every sin; goodness to provide, mercy to pardon. David often linked these together, as when he says, “The Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting.”

Goodness and mercy all my days Shall surely follow me,

And in God’s house forever more My dwelling place shall be.

Very great are his mercies. — 1 Chronicles 21:13.

Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. — Luke 8:39.

The Greatest Wisdom is to know

the love of God revealed below;

To know His Son who came in grace,

and died to save a guilty race

From sin and endless woe.

The Greatest Blessing is to have

a living hope beyond the grave;

To have when this short life is done,

a place with Christ beyond the sun,

Who came in love to save.

The Greatest Joy that fills the breast

is peace with God, through Christ possessed;

It makes the heart with rapture swell,

for oh! ‘tis joy unspeakable

To be thus fully blessed.

The Father’s boundless love we sing,

The fountain whence our blessings spring;

How great the depth, how high it flows,

No saint can tell, no angel knows, Tate.

The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. — Psalm 147:11.

How rich and plenteous the mercy of the Lord is! It is high even as the heaven is above the earth (Psalm 103:11). It is sovereign, “therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy” (Romans 9:18). It is eternal, for, “the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him” (Psalm 103:17). It is fixed “according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9). It is secure, for “your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). It is safe, because God “abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). It is both present and effectual, for it is written, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

See mercy, mercy from on high, descend to rebels doomed to die;

‘Tis mercy free, which knows no bound: how sweet, how pleasant is the sound!

Till we around Him there shall throng, this mercy shall be still our song;

For God shall every scheme confound of all that seek its course to bound.

Isaiah 63 — The Coming of the Deliverer

63:1-6 The Coming in Judgement

• historical — Psalm 137:7, Obadiah 1, 12-13 (contra Edom)

• future — Revelation 19:11-16 — note similarities

• historical — victory achieved singlehandedly by one man on the cross — Colossians 2:13-15

63:7-14 The Coming in Mercy

• ‘hesedh’ — lovingkindness, mercy, tender mercies, love, grace, goodness

• in what practical ways are these dividne attributes shown herein?

• what is implied by the ‘Angel of His Presence’?

• how have people responded to that mercy?

• how does God? — Leviticus 26:42-44

63:15-19 Prayer for God’s People

• what are the petitions?

• what is the basis for asking these requests?

Sermon in series "We Are Gifted," #5. Romans 12:8; Acts 4:34-37

THE GIFTS OF CARING

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I. The gift of a big heart.

A. She stooped so low.

B. Christians have long been known for their caring.

C. The Bible reveals a gift of caring.

II. The gift of encouragement.

A. The meaning of "parakaleo."

B. Helping someone where they cannot help themselves.

C. Those who have the gift of encouragement "come alongside."

III. A guy named Joe. [Barnabas] Acts 4:32, 9:27, 15:36

IV. Encouraging people in God's Word.

A. Parakaleo also has the meaning of exhortation.

B. The most encouraging thing you can do is direct people to God.

V. Like encouragement, the gift of mercy involves caring.

A. Mercy here probably isn't forgiveness.

B. Some believe the gift of mercy was more of a ministry.

C. Do it with a positive attitude.

The Supreme Court decision in the United States which legalized gay marriage has brought lots of scathing comments from all sides, and an overwhelming amount of questions about how Christians should respond to the culture around us.

The best thing we can do is follow Jesus’ example towards sinners.

1. Jesus told us not to judge others

Jesus clearly tells us not to judge others. (Matthew 7:1-2) We can’t expect non-Christians to behave like Christians. Instead, we should focus on being a light to them, and loving them.

Over and over again, the Bible tells us the importance of loving others. (1 Corinthians 16:14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-6, 13)

It is hard to love others, and show the gospel to them, when we are angry at them, or hating on them.

Anger and hate are not the way of Jesus.

2. Jesus showed mercy to the one caught in sin

One day Jesus was teaching crowds of people in the temple, and religious leaders brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to him, and set her in front of the crowd accusing her - asking Jesus what should be done with her.

Jesus does the weirdest thing, something that still leaves Bible experts confounded. He doesn’t respond at first... he literally stoops down and starts writing in the dust on the floor.

They kept demanding an answer, and Jesus finally stood up and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.”

Then he stooped down and kept writing in the dust!

One by one, the crowd began to leave. The Scripture says, “beginning with the oldest.” The oldest likely left first because they had realized over the years how weak and vulnerable they were to sin themselves, and how many times they had failed throughout their life to adhere to God’s law.

What was Jesus writing in that dust? It’s almost like Jesus didn’t draw a line in the sand for the sinner. Instead, maybe he was writing the sins of the various religious leaders or crowd members in the dust? Maybe he was pointing out that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) or “if anyone claims to be without sin, they are a liar and the truth is not in them” (1 John 1:8-10)

Either way, weird, right?!

Jesus shows overwhelming, astonishing mercy to this woman caught in sin. His response to her after every single person had left like dogs with their tails caught between their legs, was...

“Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

In a very real sense, Jesus shows overwhelming, astonishing mercy and undeserved grace to sinners, and yet Jesus send the self-righteous scurrying off like dogs with tails caught between their legs.

Jesus doesn’t give her a free-pass to remain in her sin. He tells her to “sin no more.” With another man Jesus encountered, Jesus says, “Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14)

So Jesus doesn’t condone the sin, but He also doesn’t condemn the sinner. He is the only One who can rightly condemn, and yet he offers overwhelming, astonishing grace to all of us.

While many Christians are out condemning sinners, Jesus did the opposite - He gave His very life to bear sinners’ sin and condemnation on the cross - for all who would trust in Him.

3. But Jesus Didn’t Hide the Truth

Some conclude Jesus was only gentle with sinners, and he often was...but we must also remember there were times when his hard teachings caused great crowds to leave in droves. (John 6:60-68)

Jesus was clear about the truth, even when it was not popular, and even when it caused crowds to scatter. He wasn’t just trying to build a large following - He was on a mission to share both truth and love in profound ways, ways that still shake the world today.

Keep in mind that the crowd didn’t scatter because Jesus was rude and judgmental. If our attitude or anger turns people away from Jesus, we are dead wrong.

However, there are times to share truth gently and respectfully (1 Peter 3:15), but stand for it nonetheless. Even though sometimes the world will hate us for it. (John 15:18; Matthew 10:22; John 3:19-21)

There is a time to warn people, even non-Christians, against the deadly effects of the ways of this world. (see Ezekiel 3:18; Acts 20:26-27) Although mainly we should focus on preaching the hope and truth of the gospel - because only the gospel can change hard hearts - it is the only thing that worked for us.

We need both gentleness and holy truth. We can’t be afraid to be clear about Christ’s truth. It makes me sad when Christian leaders, or Christians in general won’t admit to the truth of God’s Word simply because it is unpopular in culture, and might turn people off. There may be times when the crowds leave us too, as they did for Jesus, and only those true remain.

We shouldn’t be surprised by times of declining Christianity - if the crowds left our Lord Jesus because of hard teachings, there are bound to be times like this for us too. Even in America.

So, no more angry judging. Offer overwhelming, astonishing mercy to sinners. But don’t hide the truth, or be afraid of the crowds scattering. Possible?

Our world has seen a series of refugee crises due to wars, famines and economic distress. When refugees or immigrants descend on your area it can cause much discussion and turmoil. Many of the questions churches face are rooted in compassion with a sincere desire to help, like “How can we help people arriving overcome culture shock?” or “How can we meet basic needs like housing, clothing and food?” Other questions reveal cynicism, angst, and fear, such as “How do we know people coming here can be trusted?” or “How do we know they are who they claim to be?” These questions — which are also asked about asylum-seekers at our southern border — aren’t new, but are actually the same questions that the early church was asking.

In fourth-century Antioch, Archbishop John Chrysostom objected to the congregations who were complaining about poor foreigners (including refugees and economic migrants) arriving in their city: “But to what extent do [the poor] seek to deceive you? They are fugitives, they say, strangers, worthless creatures, who have left their native land and are gathering in our city. Do you resent this, tell me, and do you pluck the crown of honor from your city, because all men consider it a common refuge, and prefer it to their own land? Nay, rather, for this reason you ought to exult and rejoice, that to you, as if to some common market, they all run, and consider this city their common mother.”

So if we accept Chrysostom’s challenge to reject suspicion, which is easily maintained from a distance, how should good neighbors receive those “who have left their native land and are gathering in our city”? The epistle of James, perhaps the oldest book in the New Testament, says that mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). Mercy (compassion, gentleness or steadfast love toward others) is all over the Bible. More than 60 times throughout the Old Testament, mercy is used to describe God’s actions. When Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan, the concluding description of what it looks like to “love my neighbor” is to show mercy. Mercy is an important attribute of God and therefore must be a defining characteristic of people who know Him, love Him, and are being conformed to His image.

So what does showing mercy look like? As people who have received great mercy from God, we become like Him and extend mercy to those around us. James goes out of his way to make sure readers know they need to include the poor, because God’s kingdom does not operate like the world’s systems (James 2:1-7). My friend, Pastor Rich Bowman, recently noted that James’ exhortation to be “unstained by the world” (1:27) is countercultural because prioritizing caring for the vulnerable and marginalized is at odds with the world’s tendency to favor the rich and well-off. In Matthew 25, Jesus makes it clear that the difference between those who followed Him and those who didn’t was their care for the poor and vulnerable. As people in vulnerable circumstances, refugees and other immigrants are prime candidates for a mercy that welcomes them and meets their material needs.

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Adapted from the article "Mercy over judgment," by K.J. Hill and Reema Nasrallah, Baptist Press, November 23, 2021

1. Wonderful grace of Jesus,

Greater than all my sin;

How shall my tongue describe it,

Where shall its praise begin?

Taking away my burden,

Setting my spirit free,

For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Chorus

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,

Deeper than the mighty rolling sea,

Higher than the mountain,

Sparkling like a fountain,

All sufficient grace for even me;

Broader than the scope of my transgressions,

Greater far than all my sin and shame;

O magnify the precious name of Jesus,

Praise His name!

2. Wonderful grace of Jesus,

Reaching to all the lost,

By it I have been pardoned,

Saved to the uttermost;

Chains have been torn asunder,

Giving me liberty,

For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

3. Wonderful grace of Jesus,

Reaching the most defiled,

By its transforming power

Making him God's dear child,

Purchasing peace and heaven

For all eternity –

And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

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In the 1970s, Zhou Enlai, communist China's elder statesman and foreign minister, was asked to assess the historical impact of the French Revolution of 1789.

Zhou paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Too soon to tell,” he replied.

When you're part of a 4,000-year-old culture, you take the long view. That's an alien concept to Americans; we have a hard time remembering who won the last Super Bowl -- or waiting for the next one. Regardless of the issue or task at hand, we like to deal with it and “move on.”

Problem is, the world won't “move on” with us.

Only recently did China and South Korea tentatively settle a dispute over the borders of the kingdom of Koguryo, which ruled parts of both lands –- from 37 B.C. to A.D. 668. In the heart of modern Europe, the Balkan wars of the 1990s resulted in part from religious and ethnic hatreds spawned a millennium ago.

After surviving ideologies born in the 19th and 20th centuries (communism, fascism), the West now finds itself under sustained attack by medieval warriors with modern weapons. One of their aims: to re-establish a grand Islamic empire that went into decline centuries before Karl Marx was born.

These warriors also want revenge -– not just for current U.S support of Israel or foreign military presence in the land of Mecca, but for the expulsion of Muslims from Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. They aren't likely to win, but they could heavily damage the delicate machinery of international order before they're defeated.

Revenge has a long shelf life.

The desire for revenge grips people –- from the driver who gets cut off in traffic to the victims of great injustice. It becomes part of the historical memory of whole nations. Unchecked, it becomes obsession. Over time, its exact origins become distorted, expanded into mythologies of grievance, perhaps even forgotten –- but seldom abandoned. The branches of the tree of bitterness keep blooming.

Revenge is in no hurry. If you can't get it in this generation, there's always the next. “We ain't forgettin,'“ some Confederate diehards still say, nearly 140 years after the Civil War. Avenging agents abound in literature and pop culture: Iago, Shylock, Dirty Harry, Rambo, “Kill Bill.”

“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” the saying goes.

One of Bill Cosby's best childhood stories recounts his detailed plan for getting even with a kid who hit him in the head with a big snowball. Before winter ended, Cosby painstakingly sculpted a monster snowball and hid it in the back of the family freezer. His fiendish intention: to deliver it at high speed to his rival's head on the hottest day of the following summer. Cosby's mom ruined the plot by thawing his snowball in the sink before he got a chance to use it.

But he enjoyed thinking about sweet revenge for months.

According to new findings by scientists at the University of Zurich, the impulse for revenge actually stimulates the dorsal striatum -- a part of the brain that plays a key role in the emotions of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Forgiveness really is divine; it sure isn't human.

No wonder loving enemies is so hard. But it's the way of the Lord, who has a very long memory. He, being righteous, chooses to forgive those who seek His mercy. And He commands His people to proclaim the offer of mercy to all –- even enemies. He sent Jonah to preach to the wicked Ninevites, who repented in sackcloth in ashes. Jonah wanted God to destroy them; God wanted to redeem them. He sent Jesus Christ to save those who had already betrayed Him many times.

In a time of war and terror, American Christians must remember mercy. We're citizens of a great democracy -- second. First, we're subjects of an absolute monarchy: the Kingdom of God.

“Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him a drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:19-21).

His justice will come in His time. Until then, mercy triumphs over our justice.

“Living well is the best revenge,” wrote George Herbert, the 17th-century Anglican poet and priest. For the follower of Christ, living well is living in forgiveness –- and showing mercy as it has been shown to us.

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Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” —Matthew 9:13

The mother of four growing children went to a counselor because she felt that she was a failure. She had trained for ministry and had hoped to serve the Lord as a missionary overseas. But instead, she fell in love and married a widower with four children. Barely able to keep her household functioning, she was not able to engage in any formal ministry. She wrongly concluded that God was subjecting her to well-deserved chastisement.

A Christian counselor pointed her to Micah 6:8, which asks, “What does the Lord require of you?” Immediately that question is answered, “To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Those requirements she could meet without going to a foreign mission field. And meet them she did!

Her experience calls to mind Martin Luther’s advice to people who believed they could please God by journeying to a sacred shrine: “Let anyone go on a pilgrimage who feels compelled to do so; but let him remember that God can be served a thousand times better at home by giving the money the journey would cost to his own wife and children and bearing his cross with patience.”

Remember, God requires justice, mercy, and humility—no matter where we live. —VCG

O Master, let me walk with Thee

In lowly paths of service free;

Tell me Thy secret, help me bear

The strain of toil, the fret of care. —Gladden

What God requires, God provides.

… I love the story, often told, about a man who was hiking in the mountains. He was taken by surprise in a sudden snowstorm and quickly lost his way. He knew he needed to find shelter fast, or he would freeze to death. Despite all of his efforts, his hands and feet quickly went numb. In his wandering he literally tripped over another man who was almost frozen. The hiker had to make a decision: Should he help the man, or should he continue in hopes of saving himself?

In an instant he made a decision and threw off his wet gloves. He knelt beside the man and began massaging his arms and legs. After the hiker had worked for a few minutes, the man began to respond and was soon able to get on his feet. Together the two men, supporting each other, found help. The hiker was later informed that by helping another, he had helped himself. His numbness vanished while he was massaging the stranger’s arms and legs. His heightened activity had enhanced his circulation and brought warmth to his hands and feet.

… It’s my conviction that the only way to reach the mountain peaks of life is to forget about self and help other people reach greater heights.

1. Come, Thou Fount of ev'ry blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above;

Praise the mount—I'm fixed upon it—

Mount of Thy redeeming love.

2. Here I raise my Ebenezer,

Hither by Thy help I've come;

And I hope by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wand'ring from the fold of God;

He to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood.

3. Oh to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness like a fetter

Bind my wand'ring heart to Thee.

Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it—

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here's my heart—O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

[Tune “Nettleton”]

*

There once was a man named Soul who was walking in a garden. He was whistling a real sweet tune for he was saved and had the Joy of the Lord, but he was a baby Christian. As Soul was walking, a beautiful and seductive woman came out from behind a tree. Soul was very startled. He said, “Hello, I’m Soul, what is your name?”

She replied, “I am Temptation, I have what you want.”

“What do I want?” replied Soul.

“You want to do all things which are of the flesh,” said Temptation.

Soul replied, “O.K., lead me.”

So he and Temptation went off and fulfilled the desires of the flesh. When Soul returned to the garden, he met a man named Condemnation. Condemnation said, “Hey, I see you have met my friend, Temptation.”

Soul said, “Yes, who are you?”

“I am Condemnation, I come after Temptation. We work hand-in-hand.” Then Condemnation jumped on Soul’s back and began to beat him. He hit him in the face and kicked him when he was down. This went on for several days.

On about the third day, a man named Mercy came running and said, “I command you, Condemnation, to stop beating Soul.”

Condemnation snickered, “Make me.”

So Mercy unsheathed his sword and cut Condemnation in two.

As Soul watched in astonished pain, he was overtaken by the power of Mercy. Mercy walked up to Soul and said, “I have dealt with Condemnation before. He should not show up around you anymore.”

Soul replied, “How can I ever thank you?”

“Well,” replied Mercy, “I was sent here by God and He told me to introduce you to a dear friend of mine. His name is Redemption.”

Redemption walked up and said, “Hello Soul, I see that you are not doing well.”

Soul replied, “Not until Mercy came along. It is a pleasure to meet you Redemption.”

“Well”, said Redemption,” I am glad to meet you. Are you ready to accept me?”

“What do you mean?” asked Soul.

Redemption said, “Well, when you accepted Jesus and decided to walk with Him, then you chose to accept the things of Him and His love. I am a part of Jesus’ love. I help you feel forgiven. You will never have to deal with Condemnation again. Temptation may come around, but I have someone I would like for you to meet who can help you with that. His name is Grace.”

Grace walked up to Soul and said, “Hello Soul, I have been waiting for you. As a matter of fact all three of us have been waiting to meet you. I will help you take the way out of Temptation that God gives you as it comes up. The last person we want you to meet is Faith.”

“Hi Soul, I am Faith, and I will help you stay strong and keep your beliefs strong,” said Faith.

Soul began to cry. When he began to cry, Redemption said, “This is what we were here for. Jesus redeemed you, saved you by Grace through Faith and gives you his Mercy. Jesus loves you Soul.”

Soul said, “I love you, Jesus.”

Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” —Matthew 9:13

The mother of four growing children went to a counselor because she felt that she was a failure. She had trained for ministry and had hoped to serve the Lord as a missionary overseas. But instead, she fell in love and married a widower with four children. Barely able to keep her household functioning, she was not able to engage in any formal ministry. She wrongly concluded that God was subjecting her to well-deserved chastisement.

A Christian counselor pointed her to Micah 6:8, which asks, “What does the Lord require of you?” Immediately that question is answered, “To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Those requirements she could meet without going to a foreign mission field. And meet them she did!

Her experience calls to mind Martin Luther’s advice to people who believed they could please God by journeying to a sacred shrine: “Let anyone go on a pilgrimage who feels compelled to do so; but let him remember that God can be served a thousand times better at home by giving the money the journey would cost to his own wife and children and bearing his cross with patience.”

Remember, God requires justice, mercy, and humility—no matter where we live. —VCG

O Master, let me walk with Thee

In lowly paths of service free;

Tell me Thy secret, help me bear

The strain of toil, the fret of care. —Gladden

What God requires, God provides.