Caught In The Act: Mercy

Justice is coming, relentlessly coming; but what we all need now is mercy, and that is what Jesus offers us. Remember the woman caught in adultery: All she had to do was call Jesus “Lord,” and submit to Him, and He had mercy on her. He gave her a second chance.

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” (Psalm 32:1)

God alone sees each person’s heart and knows each person’s history! He has seen how you have suffered and everything that went into that terrible decision that you made. He knows how you felt that you had no choice, and He is here to release you from the prison of sin.

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

He doesn’t just excuse your sin; He paid dearly for it. He died to make you clean and free, so that your heart could be softened and regenerated by the power of His blood. He wants to renew your mind through the washing of His word, and to give you fresh, white garments to wear publicly, proclaiming the righteousness He bought for you with His blood. And it’s not just a whitewashing, it’s true righteousness that you display by His power working in conjunction with your will.

No sin is too stubborn for the cleansing power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ! But the blood of Jesus will not be available forever; it’s a limited-time offer. And the goal, while the Lord gives us time, is to use His power to be clean ourselves, and then to help to pave the way for the rescue and forgiveness of every other person possible. The transforming power of the gospel becomes obvious when we love our enemies, for who could, or would, do that in their own power?

We are not called to convict others of sin: That is the job of the Holy Spirit. We cannot change other people’s hearts: Only Jesus can make that change from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. We are not called to judge others–that is, to decide who needs to be punished and who deserves mercy: Only God has the authority to do that, and only He sees each person’s heart.

We are not always called to reason with others, either; sometimes education or valid reasoning isn’t the problem. Sometimes people just don’t want to believe, and that’s a heart problem. They may still lure us into a debate about our decision to trust God, but their intention is to trap us in doubt and sin once again; or if nothing else, waste our precious time and prevent someone else from hearing the truth. Oh how I pray you don’t fall for this, for I have spent many hours on social media trying to counsel a mocker, and I regret it every time.

“He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.” (Proverbs 9:7-8)

Instead, love others with the love God gives, following the example of Jesus Christ, giving ourselves for each other, protecting each other, and helping to shield each other from sin. Point out that mustard on your friend’s cheek, and speak the truth in love.

And I urge you, dear friends, to pray for those who have been so deeply hurt. The stories are everywhere now. When you hear of their pain, don’t internalize it and become enraged. It’s a waste of your energy, for there is almost nothing we can do as individuals. God will deal with every single offense.

Instead, “weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15b) Pray for the everlasting arms of God to lift up those who have been defiled. Oh, how it breaks my heart to think of the innocents who have been killed! But we know that they are now safe in the arms of the Lord, living in comfort and power. They will not remember the “former things” (Isaiah 65:17), and we will know them one day!

The offenders have aligned themselves with the enemy of God, and the goal of that enemy is the same it has always been: To attempt to hurt God by hurting those God has created in His image. And if humans can be induced to hurt each other, that is all the better for that wicked one.

Fight fire with Living Water! Remember that Jesus told us to pray for our enemies. Our intercession is powerful when we pray according to God’s will: God can open our enemies’ spiritual eyes, and soften hearts so that those we once considered enemies (and who considered us the same) feel that way no longer, and despise evil and love good.

Look away from the evil, my good friends, because what we don’t see can’t haunt us. Limit your exposure.

Pray before each step you take. (I think of that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when Indiana has to carefully step only on the stones that spell the name of God. This scene also illustrates how believers are connected in the Holy Spirit, not only helping each other through prayer, but receiving the same insights and knowing the thoughts sent by the Spirit.)

While we live on this earth, evil has a constant pull on each one of us and so we all must guard our hearts. And remember that it is never too late for anyone to repent and take refuge in Jesus Christ!

“For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Praise God for His infinite power and love, and for his grace and mercy to all generations (including this one!) I know things are so hard and confusing, but hold steady unto the end, and all things will be made new! As J.R.R. Tolkien said, “Every sad thing will come untrue!”

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ ” (Revelations 21:3-4)

Be strong as you reach out to those around you. You were made for this time, and your good works have been planned for you because God wants to include you in what He is doing! Oh my dear friends, I will be pray for you as you read, that God will bless you and encourage you!

(Read this series from the beginning.)