The Side of Mercy We Rarely Talk About
Today we’re talking about mercy.
Mercy is one of those words we hear all the time in church, yet I think it’s also one of the most misunderstood words in the Bible. There are many dimensions to God’s mercy, but for today’s blog I want to focus on three that have deeply impacted my own walk with God.
But before we dive in…
Can someone give your girl a round of applause?
For what?
Honestly…nothing. 😂
Okay, let’s get back to mercy.
So, What Is Mercy?
In the simplest terms, mercy is God’s compassionate response to human weakness, sin, and need.
Sometimes mercy means not receiving the judgment or punishment we deserve.
Other times, mercy is God’s compassionate response to the cry of a person’s heart.
Whether someone is a righteous believer in distress or a sinner crying out in repentance, God’s mercy meets people in their place of need.
“So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” — Romans 9:16
If we’re being honest, everything we receive from God is ultimately because of His mercy.
Our salvation.
Our next breath.
Our second chances.
Even the fact that we’re still here today.
None of us are self-made in the Kingdom.
We are all products of God’s mercy.
1. Everyone Needs Mercy
One of the biggest misconceptions is that mercy is only for people living in sin.
That’s simply not true.
Both the righteous and the unrighteous continually depend on God’s mercy.
The righteous need mercy.
Job was described by God as blameless and upright, yet listen to what he said:
“For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him;
I would beg mercy of my Judge”.— Job 9:15
Even Job understood that no matter how faithfully he lived, he still had to appeal to God’s mercy.
David did the same thing.
While Saul was hunting him down, David hadn’t done anything wrong to deserve that suffering, yet he prayed:
“Have mercy upon me…” — Psalm 4:1
Notice something.
David wasn’t asking for mercy because he had committed some terrible sin.
He was asking for mercy because he was in desperate need.
Sometimes life itself will make you cry, “Lord, have mercy.”
Sinners need mercy too.
Isaiah gives an incredible invitation:
“Let the wicked forsake his way… and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him.” — Isaiah 55:7
No matter which side you’re on—walking faithfully with God or returning after wandering away—we all live completely dependent upon His mercy.
None of us graduate from needing mercy .
2. Mercy Through Intercession
This is probably my favorite dimension of mercy because I’ve personally experienced it.
Sometimes God extends mercy because someone else stood in the gap.
Remember in the book of Ezekiel, where God said He looked for someone to stand in the gap so judgment would not come upon Israel? But he found none :(
Think about that for a moment.
A person may be living completely contrary to God, yet because a mother, wife, grandmother, father, friend, pastor, or faithful intercessor keeps praying, God continues extending mercy.
Moses is a perfect example
Israel sinned repeatedly.
Again and again, Moses interceded for them.
Instead of destroying the nation, God showed mercy.
Not because Israel deserved it.
Because someone stood before God on their behalf.
My Story
I know this personally.
I’m a product of many prayers.
My mother prayed.
Other intercessors prayed.
They stood in the gap for me.
There were seasons when I was ignorant, lukewarm, and nowhere near where God wanted me to be.
There were things that should have destroyed me.
Things I didn’t even realize God was protecting me from.
But God showed me mercy because faithful people kept praying when I wasn’t even praying for myself.
Never underestimate what your prayers are accomplishing behind the scenes.
Someone may still be alive today because you’re praying.
Someone may still have another opportunity to repent because you’re standing in the gap.
Intercession often becomes the pathway through which God releases mercy.
3. Mercy Is Connected to Justice
This is where many people get mercy wrong.
Mercy is not the opposite of justice.
In God’s character, mercy and justice work together perfectly.
God never compromises justice in order to show mercy.
Nor does He abandon mercy while executing justice.
David is a perfect example.
He committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for Uriah to be killed.
According to the Law, both adultery and murder deserved death.
David repented.
God forgave him.
God showed him mercy. He didn’t die!
But David still experienced consequences.
The child died.
The sword never departed from his household.
(That’s a whole different blog for another day.)
Later, God blessed David with Solomon, yet forgiveness didn’t erase the consequence.
That’s an important lesson.
Mercy doesn’t always remove consequences.
It means not receiving the full judgment we deserve.
Sometimes I hear people say,
“God is merciful.”
Absolutely He is.
But they use that as permission to continue living in deliberate sin.
That’s not biblical mercy.
Sin has consequences.
Period.
Imagine someone commits murder and is sentenced to prison.
Years later, while in prison, they genuinely surrender their life to Jesus.
Are they forgiven by God?
Absolutely.
Does that automatically remove their prison sentence?
No.
However, a judge may later reduce the sentence or grant parole because of demonstrated change.
The consequence wasn’t completely removed.
It was reduced.
That’s a picture of mercy.
As believers, we must understand this.
God is incredibly merciful.
But His mercy never asks His justice or holiness to step aside.
The Gospel Through Mercy
The entire gospel can almost be summarized in three words:
Love was the motivation.
Mercy was God’s compassionate response.
Grace was the gift He freely gave.
Paul writes:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ… for by grace you have been saved.” — Ephesians 2:4–5, 8
Love moved God’s heart.
Mercy withheld the judgment we deserved.
Grace gave us the gift of eternal life that we could never earn.
That’s the beauty of the gospel.
Final Thoughts
Mercy is not receiving the full judgment we deserve, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences.
Mercy is God’s compassionate response to the cry of the human heart.
Both the righteous and the sinner continually need God’s mercy.
God often releases mercy through the prayers and intercession of others.
Never forget this:
God is merciful.
God is just.
God is holy.
Those three truths never compete with one another.
And if you’re reading this today, remember this one thing:
The fact that you’re still breathing is evidence that His mercy is still speaking.
Music Time
Today’s song is “Let Go tand Let God” by Diamond District Music.
One of my favorite lines is:
“What’s meant for my life won’t miss me at all.”
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