“The Lord is merciful and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love (mercy) toward those who fear him” (Psalm 103:8-11).
My Dear Sister,
Wow. Those verses are packed full of theology. I want to take a moment with you to savor just a morsel of these words as they pertain to mercy. I want us to see just how remarkable this eternal attribute of the Lord has been displayed to us and to all of creation.
The Psalmist reminds us from the start that the Lord is merciful. He was, is, and always will be characterized as merciful. Why is that important? Our plumb line for mercy should not come from the example of our moms or sisters in Christ, but from the Lord. He is the perfect example of mercy. He is the one that has not only been showing mercy to all of creation since the fall of Adam, but for eternity past and future. When his creation deserved death, he promised a Redeemer to come to pay that debt. As the verses above remind us, he delayed his anger and judgment for our iniquities so those who fear him may receive life and His steadfast love.
Digging deeper my sister, we can deem that His mercy is shown best when there is sin. If there is no sin, then there is no need for mercy. This does not mean that the Lord’s character of mercy changes when sin is present, as his character is eternally unchanging. But sin does allow us to see this attribute of God more clearly.
Arthur Pink writes that “(i)t is pure sovereign grace which alone determines the exercise of Divine mercy.” So the Lord’s grace determines where mercy is given to sinners who deserve judgment. As we have seen, mercy has been best shown to all of God’s creation since the curse. Flowers grow despite weeds, we have a delicious variety of food despite the cursed land, and we can have cats and not just lions. More than just the land and animals, God’s mercy has been given to the entire human race, good and evil. Whether elect or not, some people are healed of sickness, contacts are found, and babies are born. Yet more than even that, there is also a sovereign mercy that is given to his elect. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy. He saved us” (Titus 3:5). Those chosen by grace to receive this mercy have a hope of eternal life through Christ’s accomplished work on the cross.
So what? Why bother looking at this mercy? If the Lord is our plumb line, then I exhort you to know your responsibility with his mercy. You and I live in a world that is cursed and where cursed people live. Yet, our Father has given us an example of how to show mercy to both. Even though our co-workers, husbands, children, sisters, family, friends, or pets may deserve judgment or a retort, perhaps mercy is needed. Maybe our mercy given to a saint can remind them of the sweetness of Christ’s work on the cross for them, which can then compel them to give mercy to others. Maybe our mercy given to a lost soul can be the conduit the Lord uses to open their eyes to his sovereign mercy. “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Sweet sister, we have been shown so much mercy, let us go and do likewise.
Blessings from you sister in Christ,
Colleen