When it comes to your relationship to God as an individual, to our relationship with God as a church, what would you say is our greatest need? What is it, above anything else that we need as we approach God? What is at the top of the list for prime importance? I will tell you, because I know the answer! It is mercy. Mercy. It is to be looked upon by God, not as we deserve to be looked upon, but looked upon favourably. That is what mercy is. It is a greater need than any other. Because without it, we can never ever come close to God – we can never ever seek his face, we can never ever depend upon him and call him our Father. We need mercy.
Mercy is at the heart of the Christian faith. Listen to what Paul says about our salvation inEphesians 2.4. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” God is not just merciful – he is rich in mercy.
God’s mercy brings about forgiveness And so, if we are to ever have a relationship with God our prime need, our first need is this – to be forgiven. God’s mercy means that he does not treat us as our sins deserve. That is the message of Psalm 103.10 –those exact words “he does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities”. Think about that for a moment. Where would you be if it wasn’t for God’s mercy. You would not be here. You would not have woken up this morning. You and I are deserving of judgment. We are deserving of destruction and punishment and condemnation. But God’s mercy means that we are not treated as our sins deserve. God’s mercy means we can be forgiven.
Gods mercy is available to all who call to God. Let us learn to seek for God's mercy daily.
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