One of the basic things the Lord requires of us is to be merciful (Micah 6:8). We are to be as merciful as God, and God is very merciful (Luke 6:36). Jesus said that mercy is more important than sacrifice (Matthew 12:7). Living religion is more important than dead religion, and caring for people is more important than going through religious motions.
James warns us that judgment will be merciless against those who are merciless (James 2:13). Some of the most merciless people in Jesus’ day were false religious people like Pharisees. The Pharisees warned Jesus not to help people or heal people, and they wanted to kill Jesus when he did help others. False religious people are often merciless because they put themselves in the place of God and equate their judgments with the judgments of God. But their judgments are false, neither based on God’s word nor on his Spirit. Wielding human judgments as if they are from God leads to problems.
Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). Mercy is stronger than judgment, and in a battle between mercy and judgment, mercy wins.
Jesus said merciful people are blessed and will receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). A merciful person shows mercy to others, and by showing mercy he demonstrates that he has understood the great mercy he has received from God. Merciful people understand the gospel, and therefore they are saved and free from judgment. However, a merciless person does not understand the great mercy that God has shown toward him. Such a person doesn’t really understand or believe the gospel, and therefore he will face God’s judgment.
Jesus said that we should not judge others, and if we judge them, we will be judged (Matthew 7:1). If a person understands that God forgave all his sins, he will be thankful and forgive others of their sins against him. But if he judges others instead of forgiving them, he shows that he does not really understand how much he has been forgiven by God. Without faith in the gospel, a person is under judgment.
God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). We need new mercies from God every morning because every day we do things that displease God. If it weren’t for God’s mercy, we would be judged. We are swimming in the mercy of God like a vast ocean. God’s mercy is the reason that we are not destroyed. God’s mercy has protected us from innumerable disasters already, and it continues to do so. Furthermore, most people are in situations daily that fall far short of God’s perfection. But God doesn’t judge and destroy us; instead he is merciful. He continues to give us life, love us, and be patient with us.
Jesus showed mercy to the adulteress woman who was caught in the very act of sin (John 8:1-11). The Pharisees wanted to stone her, but Jesus said if any of them was sinless they should throw a stone at her. All the Pharisees had sin, therefore no one threw a stone. However, Jesus had no sin. According to this, Jesus would have been justified in throwing a stone at her. But he did not. Instead he told her to go and sin no more. This is because God is merciful, and mercy triumphs over judgment.
Sometimes people can be very harsh in their judgments – harsher than God. Even though people are imperfect, they are judgmental. One time Jesus’ disciples were upset and wanted to scorch people with supernatural fire (Luke 9:54-55). But Jesus told them that they didn’t know what kind of spirit was inspiring them. Their judgmentalism was actually caused by an evil spirit.
Satan is very judgmental. He is the accuser of Christians (Revelation 12:10). He will point out what they are doing wrong and condemn them. A person will struggle with condemnation when he believes Satan’s lies. Jesus’ blood is stronger than these lies, and if we confess our sins to God he will forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9). We need to believe in God’s forgiveness to be free from condemnation. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Satan sows slander and gossip among people by whispering judgmental thoughts to them about others. A gossiping person is a judgmental person. He makes judgments with his own mind, condemns others, and then talks about them negatively to others. The work of slander is the work of an evil spirit.
Sometimes people condemn others for the bad things they do themselves (Romans 2:1). A person may feel guilty for his sin, so he wants to condemn this sin. But he is proud. Rather than confess his sin to God or condemn this sin in himself, he condemns that sin in another person. In a perverse way, this helps him not feel so bad about his own sin.
There is a delicate balance between mercy and truth. In Jesus, mercy and truth met together. Righteousness and peace kissed each other (Psalm 85:10). Only God is able to strike this perfect balance. Apart from him, we will make a mess of things.
A merciful man does good to his own soul (Proverbs 11:17). A merciful person is happy (Proverbs 14:21). Rather than carrying around judgments against others – and bitterness, grudges, and anger associated with judging others – a merciful person can be relaxed and trust himself to God.
Let us pursue mercy. God will help us to balance mercy with truth. And he will help us judge righteous judgment when needed. But more than that, he will help us be merciful, and mercy is stronger than judgment.
Lincoln House Churches 