The Magnificence of Mercy

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 5:7Matthew 5:7 says, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."Mercy is not just softness or mere sentiment; it is compassion in action. And the magnificence of mercy is that those who have received it will show it. Mercy is a godly characteristic, one that resides in the hearts and minds of those who have accepted salvation from Jesus Christ. And it actively reveals itself as compassion for others.First, consider the beauty of mercy: it is godlike.Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Your faithfulness.”Every morning, we get to wake up and greet the mercy of God, which is faithful and fails not. In Luke 10, Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan and reveals the symbolism of salvation. When others passed by us in our despair and need, Jesus rescued us, healed and cleansed us, and covered our debts. After He told this story, Jesus called us to do the same for our neighbors. He explained that when we are merciful, we are godlike. (Luke 10:37)Second, consider the basis of mercy: truth.Psalm 85:10 says, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other."To show mercy is not to minimize sin. There can be no mercy without truth, which is that the justice of God says our sins must be punished.When we show mercy, we withhold judgment; when we withhold judgment, it implies judgment was deserved. But thank God that He doesn’t give us what we deserve! Adrian Rogers says, “God doesn't deal with us on the basis of fairness; God deals with us on the basis of mercy.”We are not forgiven because we show mercy; rather, we show mercy because we are forgiven.This is the magnificence of mercy: The more mercy we show, the more mercy we get.Apply it to your lifeDo you have a heart full of compassion in action? If God has forgiven us, how much more should we forgive one another? Remember this beatitude, today: Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.