“Moved by Mercy to Be Merciful”
Romans 12:8d “He who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
Today we look at the seventh spiritual gift mentioned in Romans 12, namely, that of being showing mercy to others. The gifts (prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and showing mercy) are given to make the Body of Christ complete to SERVE with actions of the Savior and to SPEAK the words of God’s grace in Christ.
God moves and empowers Followers of Jesus by the Holy Spirit to show mercy toward others. The Holy Spirit endows some in the Body to be central in the sacrifice of their lives. The Greek work for “show mercy” is “Eleeo” (Eleos, n.): It means “to have mercy on someone, to help the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them”.
Followers of Jesus SHOW MERCY toward others
Being merciful is more than an emotion or feeling; It is more than feeling bad or sympathetic about someone else’s poor condition: SHOWING mercy is Spirit-led sympathy and compassion in ACTION: It consists of our attitudes, words, and actions. If we only “FEEL SYMPATHY” and do not move to action, we are actually UNSYMPATHETIC and UN-merciful.
Listen to Matthew 20:29-34: “As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" 31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" 32 Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 33 "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." 34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.” Mercy and ACTION are closely associated.
The two blind men knew that they were totally dependent upon Jesus to have mercy and show compassion. We have that realization too: Psalm 85:7 says: “Show us Your lovingkindness, O LORD, And grant us Your salvation.”
In the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:36-37, Jesus makes “showing mercy” a command, A MANDATE, for His Followers, not just a suggestion or a possibility: "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "GO and DO, likewise." (GO AND DO)
We like to simplify things don’t we? Give it to me straight: Go and Do likewise is pretty clear. Jesus gave another clear example in Matthew 25:35: “For I was hungry and YOU GAVE me something to eat, I was thirsty and YOU GAVE me something to drink, I was a stranger and YOU INVITED me in, 36 I needed clothes and YOU CLOTHED ME, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me…verse 40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.”
This is the way that followers of Christ respond when they know about or see those in need. Jesus spoke about that heart-condition in Matt 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Mercy doesn’t merely refrain from wrath or punishment; MERCY addresses physical, emotional, financial or spiritual crises with generous, self-sacrificial service. Mercy cares for the lowly, poor, exploited, and forgotten, and acts on their behalf.
Mercy is Passionate Compassion. The word for “cheerfulness” (hilarotçs) also means “readiness of mind”, and the rootword (hileôs) means simply, “merciful”. What is very important is that mercy speaks CLEARLY to the INTENT of HEART and MIND: It speaks of readiness and willingness without regret. 2 Corinthians 9:7 uses the word which we looked at in regard to giving: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” It is not only reflecting an outward smile but a condition of the heart. Your mind is set on being merciful to others and you act on your intentions. You are determined to demonstrate compassion to others. It is Passionate (Holy Spirited and Heart-felt) Compassion (mercy) and Compassionate (merciful) Passion (zeal).
(After Jesus had healed the demon-possessed man, he begged Jesus to allow him to come with Him, but Jesus would not. Instead He said Mark 5:19: "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you." We tell people about God’s Mercy but are also passionate about showing it in action too!
The MERCY of God has been PROVIDED for us.
We have the best of examples for Mercy because the MERCY of God has been provided for us in Christ. What kind of Mercy did God have for us? His Promise in Christ in Hebrews 8:12 is "FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE." Often times we call Christ’s sufferings “The Passion of Christ” because Christ’s PASSION is THE MOST compassionate action of entire history.
God’s MERCY in Christ on the Cross absorbs and absolves God’s Wrath. Romans 3 speaks about “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe.” This is why Jesus had to die on the cross to save those who would believe; Look at Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (ALL DESERVE God’s JUST WRATH BECAUSE ALL HAVE SINNED, BUT, those who believe are…)
24 “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly (JESUS DID THAT ON THE CROSS) as a propitiation (a sacrificial substitutionary payment) in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate HIS righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of HIS righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just (the one without sin) and the justifier (so that the guilty ones could be NOT GUILTY...HOW?) of the one who has FAITH in Jesus. 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.”
AT the CROSS, (the word so many cults and false gospels want to avoid), At the CROSS, God withheld His Justice upon you and instead POURS that punishment upon HIMSELF, the LORD JESUS. Colossians 1:13 tells us: “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He (JESUS) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -all things have been created through Him and for Him.” It is Jesus who absorbs the punishment upon Himself. God fulfills His promise IN HIM that He alone would SAVE. He WOULD be merciful to sinners and remember their sins no more.
Timothy Keller in his book, “The Reason for God”, writes: “Why did Jesus have to die? Couldn’t God just forgive us? Remember that the Christian faith has always understood that Jesus Christ is God. God did not, then, inflict pain on someone else, but rather on the cross absorbed the pain, violence and evil of the world into Himself.”
“Therefore, the God of the Bible is not like the primitive deities who demanded our blood for their wrath to be appeased. Rather, this is a God who becomes human and offers his own lifeblood in order to honor moral justice, and merciful love so that some day he can destroy all evil without destroying us.”
And so it is that God’s MERCY OFFERS the provision for salvation by FAITH in Christ Alone, to everyone who would have faith in Him alone. The extent of God’s Mercy is visible in JESUS accepting the punishment of God instead of the clemency of God! God’s wrath and mercy, His perfect justice and perfect mercy meet at the Cross of Christ, and pardon and forgiveness are offered to anyone who would believe. God’s perfect wrath and judgment meet His Mercy, and both converge at the Cross of Christ. God’s Wrath and Mercy, His Justice and Love meet and are mingled. The ugly pain and suffering for sin are placed upon the Lord Jesus, and the Grace and Mercy are provided for those who would COME to Him and receive pardon from God, by Faith.
The Passionate display of God’s Mercy on Christ on that Cross explains the “How” and the “Why” of justification. “How” can a person be saved? LOOK TO JESUS ALONE. “Why” is a person forgiven by a Holy God? LOOK TO JESUS ALONE.
1 Peter 2:10 says: “For you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you HAVE RECEIVED MERCY.” You become a child of God by receiving His Mercy FROM sin instead of His Wrath UPON sin.
God’s Mercy offers transformation by FAITH in Christ Alone. 1 Peter 3: 18 says: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.” If you have died to self and identify with Christ’s Death FOR you, you also identify with Him in His Resurrection Life: New and eternal life. Ephesians 2: 1: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in MERCY, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”
Have you received this Love of God and the richness of His Mercy? Then you clearly understand the encouragement of 2 Corinthians 4:1: Since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, (ALL THE MERCY WE NEEDED! )we do not lose heart.”
The Bottom line of Spiritual Gifts and the Gift of Mercy is this: TELL PEOPLE with your mouth the Good News of the Gospel (from a heart of LOVE,) and SHOW PEOPLE with your life, the Mercy of Christ by being compassionate and loving others. We don’t do that with arrogance or SELF-proclamation, but we do it with a sense of BROKENNESS. If we are rude, nasty, unforgiving, unable to be MERCIFUL to others, WE CONTRADICT THE GOSPEL AND THE God who has SAVED us.
In a similar way, a silent serving alone, which does not proclaim Christ’s love, is also contradictory because it leaves people without the love of Christ and the Gospel message; it may fill their physical needs, but still leave them under God’s Wrath for eternity. As believers, we are MOVED by God’s Passionate Mercy toward us in Christ, so that we are Merciful to others.
Hebrews 12:2-3: WE fix “our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy (chara) set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
OUTLINE: Spiritual Gifts (prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and showing mercy) are given to make the Body of Christ complete to serve with actions of the Savior and to speak the words of God’s grace in Christ.
I. Followers of Jesus show MERCY toward others.
1. It is Spirit-led sympathy in action. (Matt 20:29-34, Ps 85:7)
2. It is Christ’s mandate for His followers. (Luke 10:36-37, Matt. 25:40, 5:7)
3. It is Passionate (Holy Spirited and Heart-felt) Compassion
and Compassionate (merciful) Passion (zeal). (2 Cor 9:7,Mk 5:19)
II. The MERCY of God has been provided for us in Christ. (Heb 8:12)
1. God MERCY in Christ absorbs God’s Wrath against sin.
(Rom 3:23-27, Col. 1:13-16)
2. God MERCY OFFERS salvation by FAITH in Christ Alone. (1 Peter 2:10)
3. God’s MERCY offers transformation by FAITH in Christ Alone. (1 Peter 3: 18, Eph. 2:1-6, 2 Cor. 4:1)
Bottom line of “Spiritual Gifts”: TELL PEOPLE with your mouth the Good News of the Gospel (from a heart of LOVE,) and SHOW PEOPLE with your life, the Mercy of Christ by being compassionate. (Heb 12:1-3)
Believers are Moved by God’s Passionate Mercy toward us, to Be Merciful to others.
