Will you receive mercy?

The merciful person is going to receive mercy in the day of judgement. The person who shows no mercy now in this life, will not be shown any mercy in the judgement. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" Matt 5.

Mercy triumphs over judgement

James 2:12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James started Chapter 2, by dealing with the subject of partiality, or showing favoritism, and then gave further in-depth explanation about why it was so wrong to do.

1. God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith.

2. The readers were dishonoring the poor man.

3. It was not the poor man that took the readers to court.

4. The rich were blaspheming the name of Christ.

5. Fulling the royal law of love is a good thing.

6. Showing partiality is sin, and the law convicted them of it.

7. If you keep the whole law, but sin in one area, you are guilty of all.

Then, James appeals to them to speak and do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. To speak and do etc, is to live with the knowledge of the coming judgment upon one's words and actions.

James ends this section by making this sober, glorious and blessed statement. "For Judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement".

What does this mean? I think two things. First of all, in the coming judgement, there will be no mercy shown to the person who has shown no mercy towards others.

Jesus spoke about this in Matt 7:2 "For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use it, it will be measured back to you"

Jesus also said Lu 6:37* “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Secondly, it has to do with how a merciful person will fare in the coming judgement of God. The phrase, literally means that "mercy exults over judgement" That is, Mercy smiles in the face of judgement. So, for the person who is merciless, they will not receive any mercy in the judgement of God.

But, for the person who has been merciful to others here in this life and in this world, in the coming judgement, they will be able to have a happy confidence, they will be able to smile knowing that they will receive mercy, because they have been merciful.

It's the ultimate fulfillment of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount...

Mt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

So, living and walking in mercy now, means we will stand in a happy and peaceful confidence in the future judgement.

Indeed, it makes all the sense in the world, and in the life to come to right here, and right now be the most merciful people we can be. It will come back to us one day. We will reap what we have sown. God has shown us mercy, and He wants us to show it to others.

Oh Lord, make us like You. You are the merciful God, You have spoken words of mercy to us, and You have shown mercy by Your love and actions in and through Jesus Christ. Make us like You Lord.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises

1. Blessed are the merciful

2. The merciful will obtain mercy.

3. God is the Father of mercies.

4. God’s mercies are new every morning.

5. The NT letters open with prayers for mercy.

6. In this life, let’s be merciful towards others.

7. Mercy means getting what you do not deserve.

8. Let’s speak mercy to others, and show it them also.

When Jesus sang...

He was signing from Psalms 113-118. This is what Jews did following their celebration of the Passover meal.

Mark 14:26 says, "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives"

These Hymns, or Psalms are primarily about one thing. They are about the Mercies of God. Can you imagine Jesus singing there with the disciples about Mercy.

What is mercy? It can be explained by comparing it with some other attributes or characteristics of God.

Justice is when we receive what we deserve.

Grace is when we get what we don't deserve.

Mercy is not getting what we deserve.

God is merciful and He has been merciful to us, and He will continue to be merciful to us forever and forever.

Jesus said, blessed are the merciful for they will obtain mercy. Matt 5.

May today be a day where we are reminded of God's mercy towards us, and may we extend that same mercy to others. In fact, may it be a day where we at some point can sing like Jesus did about the mercy of God.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

P.S Some applicational thoughts.

1. Being merciful to others is a sure way to receive mercy ourselves.

2. Showing mercy to others is what we would want shown to us.

3 God is pleased when we are merciful to others.

4. Being merciful is being Christ like.

5 We can pray for and receive God's mercy today in our lives.

3 things we can find today............

Proverbs 21:21 says, "He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness and honor.

The fact is stated here, that He who follows these 2 things, righteousness and mercy....will find 3 things. To follow, is to pursue, to chase, to be behind, to run after, and to attend closely upon. And, can mean to aim eagerly to secure.

In other words, we can aim diligently today, to run after 2 things, ( and the result will be, we will find 3 things in our lives )

To pursue righteousness, is to pursue what is right and just. To follow after what is ethically right. And, of course to pursue mercy, is to follow after kindness, and goodness.

If we are following righteousness and mercy, then we are promised to find, life, righteousness and honor. We will find ourselves with spiritual prosperity, going in the right way, and enjoying honor.

God has built into our lives certain laws, that we may not be able to explain, or even understand, ( like gravity, electricity etc, ) but we experience them everyday. They work.

So do these laws of life.

Lord, Today, would You help us to pursue these things in our lives, and we want to thank You in advance for what You will bring into our lives.

Thank You for giving us the best way to live down here, while we wait for you to come from heaven. We love You. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

P.S........a few applicational thoughts.

Deciding what to do, is up to us.

Believing in God, and His Word is possible through faith.

God never lies, and He blesses those who follow His Word.

Let's forget what's behind, and look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

If we pursue God's ways, we will find God's ways more and more in our lives.

FINALLY...........

Jesus is all of the things listed above.........He is Righteousness, He is mercy.........so, to follow Jesus is to follow those things............