Be Merciful Because You Have Been Shown Mercy

[Arial]

Have you ever been wronged by someone and it brought you into a place of anger and resentment aimed directly at the person? And found yourself unwilling to forgive? And if the offender is a fellow Christian, certain that God will take your side and go about correcting them, while you conjure all the vengeful words you would like to spit at them? And then remembering, perhaps when you do the proper Christian thing of taking it to God in prayer, of days in your history where you may have done the same thing to someone, or something equally wrong perhaps even before you belonged to Christ And it dawns on you, you would not want God to be holding that against you, and you know that in Christ, he is not.

The verses I quote below begin to run through your mind. Suddenly and with great relief you find yourself humbled like a worm, and grateful too for the mercy you have been shown. And your heart overflows with mercy towards the one who wronged you. You forgive. The peace that passes understanding envelops you.

Matt 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Matt 18:32-33 “Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?
Eph 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Matt 7:2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

This is covenant mercy for the believer I speak of. So, a question.

Where does this mercy we show come from and explain?

 

[makesends]

There is nothing good that does not come from God.

 

[Arial]

There is nothing good that does not come from God.

Yes, mercy is received first. “I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me… should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Matt 18:32-33).
“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you… but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath…” (Deut 7:7-8).

Israel's obedience flows from prior mercy.

We live because of his mercy and are called to bear his image. The mercy we show to others flows from his mercy and grace. That is why we can show mercy---and should.

 

[makesends]

Israel's obedience flows from prior mercy.

We live because of his mercy and are called to bear his image. The mercy we show to others flows from his mercy and grace. That is why we can show mercy---and should.

Sounds like a better use of, "We love him because he first loved us." --Not because we considered his mercy and responded by our goodness and gratefulness, (though we should), but because he works obedience and love in us.