Discipleship
The Beatitudes of a Christ Follower: Merciful
Jan
Merciful:
To be Merciful is to be like the Father Himself. Mercy and Grace are often interlinked. Both are given to us as a gift and there is nothing that we can do or say to earn them. Both are revelations of God’s Love to His creation. But in many ways they are different. Mercy is God’s Goodness to those who are miserable or needy, while Grace is God’s Goodness to those who are guilty. Both are given by the Goodness of God and both are undeserved. An easy way to remember is “Grace to the Guilty” and “Mercy to the Miserable or needy”. When looking at this beatitude we see throughout the scriptures that mercy is almost always mentioned with God’s Loving-kindness or His compassion. It is an attribute that is near and dear to the heart of God and as believers we seek to live lives that are rooted in mercy.
Scriptures:
Matthew 5:7KJV
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Luke 6:36KJV
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Psalm 145:8KJV
The Lord is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
James 2:13KJV
13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
Be Encouraged:
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, when we show mercy to people that are miserable or people that are needy, we are in fact showing the unmatched love of God to them. When we have been born again, God plants within us a new heart with new desires and with this new heart comes a unique tenderness. The tenderness reveals itself by acts of mercy to a lost and dying world. Evangelism is one of these acts of mercy to the miserable. There are people outside and inside the kingdom of God who are miserable. Some are struggling with sin’s bondage and need to experience the Grace and Mercy of God, while others are miserable and have a longing for Heaven and to be where Christ is. Let us take a minute to reflect on how God has shown His Mercy to us each morning and how His Mercy has brought us out of the cage of despair. Let us be willing to be used of God to show His Mercy to those around us, and those who are in our sphere of influence. We can all do better with this, especially during these uncertain days. The principal of sowing and reaping holds true with this beatitude. If you sow mercy, you will also reap mercy in your own life. If you sow compassion, you will also reap compassion. If you sow comfort, you will also reap comfort. This beatitude is a fruit of the redeemed follower of Christ. Let us show God’s Mercy to all of those around us.
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