Mercy and Forgiveness

"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. ⁹ He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

Psalm 103:8-12

How blessed we are God has not dealt with us according to our iniquities!  Some people have a mistaken concept when they are going through a trial or difficulty they are "paying for their sins," but then why did Jesus have to die to atone for the sins of the world?  The purging of sin requires the shedding of blood of a sacrifice without blemish or spot so our sin disqualifies us:  even if we were to physically die as a consequence for our sin our justice demands eternal satisfaction by the condemnation of our souls to hellfire.

Now it is true we reap what we sow, but by the grace of God we can reap where we have not sown.  God is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.  He chastens and corrects us so we might repent, return to Him, and be restored.  Jesus Christ took the punishment we deserve for our sin and made a way for us to be forgiven and rendered righteous by faith in Him.  We were completely cut off from God without hope being born of Adam's fallen nature, yet God invites all sinners to repent.  Through what Jesus accomplished by His death and resurrection our sins have been removed from us along with guilt and condemnation.  The penalty and power of sin over those who trust in Jesus was slaughtered on Calvary through His shed blood.

Consider the longsuffering, patient, and gracious nature of God who gives us opportunities to turn from sin and choose to trust Him for forgiveness and salvation!  We are fed up with stubborn people in a conversation yet He waits for decades, even a century for a hard heart to soften.  He desires to redeem souls we consider complete write-offs, people who have spent their whole life in total opposition to Him.  He loves the self-righteous Pharisee as well as the prostitute and tax collector.  He is not racist, sexist, or an ageist; there is no hint of "ism" in Him because in every way God transcends this world entirely with His love, grace, goodness, and righteousness.  We who have tasted and seen His goodness (and only in part due to our limited perspective) ought to live in awe and wonder of Him every day, forgiving others as we have been freely forgiven.

We say the punishment should fit the crime, and under law this is a reasonable conclusion.  At the same time Jesus says we ought to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use us.  We forgive others not on the basis of their worthiness or their having earned our trust but according to how we have been forgiven by God.  He has been merciful to us, having removed our transgressions as far as the east is from the west--a distance beyond measure.  Travel east on our globe as long as you want and you will never reach the west.  Should you travel north at some point you would reach the pole and head south.  May we according to Christ's example be so merciful, gracious, patient and abundant in mercy.  Repentance doesn't make us worthy:  Jesus is the One worthy of all honour, thanksgiving, and praise.

The LORD With Us

Joshua served as assistant to Moses for many years.  I wonder if Joshua felt an incredible weight of expectation from the nation, knowing he could never fill the sandals of Moses--yet at the same time knowing God was not asking him to.  We do not read of Joshua recoiling from the task as Moses did at the first when met by God in the burning bush, but God was gracious to speak to Joshua as well.

The book of Joshua begins with God speaking to Joshua shortly after the death of Moses.  This unsolicited revelation of God was filled with promises and encouraging words Joshua needed to hear.  Isn't it comforting at times God speaks to us even when we haven't asked Him a specific question?  The amazing thing about the words of God is the truth of them transcends people and time.  Because God does not change and His word will endure forever, we can take to heart the promises God has made in the past and rely on Him to fulfill them presently.  The statements of God specifically made (for instance the land God was giving Israel as an inheritance) may not directly apply to our personal situations, but the timeless reality of God's promise remains.

God addressed Joshua in Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  God spoke to Joshua and He has spoken to us in these last days through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3) who will never leave or forsake us.  Using modern technology we can converse with people all over the planet without lifting our voice, but it is another thing to be with them in person.  God exhorted Joshua to be strong and of good courage because He was with him wherever he would go.  Knowing the presence of God was with him kept Joshua from being fearful, hopeless, or broken down under the difficulty of circumstances, the ferocity of their enemies, and unrealistic expectations of people.

Because God commanded Joshua he could rest in God's will.  He could be strong and bold knowing God was with Him.  In our weakness God's strength is made perfect.  A good example of this is seen during the interaction of the apostles with the chief priests when they were arrested for healing a lame man and teaching in the name of Jesus.  They marveled at the boldness of these uneducated men, realising they had been with Jesus.  What they did not understand was Jesus was still with them because they were in Christ by faith, filled with the Holy Spirit who regenerated and indwelt them.  God was with them so they spoke courageously whether to a wondering multitude or bloodthirsty religious rulers.  Knowing the LORD is with us wherever we go keeps us from fear and girds us with strength and courage for the glory of God.

Motive Matters

Our family was reading through 2 Kings 7 after dinner tonight and we found the conduct of the four lepers in the passage ironic and amusing.  Whilst the famine in Samaria had become severe due to a Syrian siege, these blokes were literally waiting around outside the gates to die from disease, starvation, or at the hands of cruel enemies.  They discussed their meagre options and decided to throw themselves on the mercy of the Syrians.  The worst thing that could happen was their demise, and given their hopelessness it had some appeal.

After making their way into the camp they were shocked to find it completely deserted.  Unbeknownst to them, God miraculously caused the Syrians to hear the sound of a great army and they fled for their lives.  2 Kings 7:8-9 says, "And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it. ⁹ Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household."  While people in Samaria had literally resorted to cannibalism, these lepers ran from tent to tent like Templeton the rat in Charlotte's Web, feasting and hoarding loot for themselves.

Suddenly one of the lepers addressed his fellows:  "Hold on a second, boys.  Today is a day of good news, and if we remain silent we'll be in big trouble.  We need to tell the king!"  And they did.  Their motive in reporting their discovery to the king was not because they loved their friends and family within the city walls, because they had compassion on starving people, or because they had gathered enough for themselves:  they acted out of fear of punishment.  Truth be told, they reported it for their own sakes.  I wonder how many of our deeds which seem thoughtful, considerate, or generous are bourne out of our own self-interest.  When our flesh calls the shots with ourselves as prime benefactors, let us not be tricked to think we will be rewarded by God for it:  surely we have our reward.

Consider the motive for Jesus going to the cross to save sinners in obedience to the Father mentioned in Hebrews 12:1-2:  "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Jesus always did the will of the Father and rejoiced to do it.  His humanity begged the cup pass from Him, but Jesus humbled Himself to the death of the cross.  He understood that when He submitted Himself to the will of God it would result in pain but joy would be the ultimate result.  Had the motives of Jesus been selfish, He never would have gone to Calvary.

Our motives matter, and the scripture applied by the Holy Spirit exposes the thoughts and intent of our hearts.  By God's grace He places within us power to both will and do His good pleasure.  We ultimately benefit from this arrangement as much as anyone, for we enter into the joy of the LORD.

We Are Inexcusable

God's Word reveals Him to man but also provides insight to people to know themselves.  In the light of God's glory and majesty man's fallen nature is in stark contrast.  As God's character is absolutely good and righteous, the depraved, fickle, hypocritical hearts and minds of men are stunningly consistent, even predictable.  We are masters of exploitation, of manipulation, or angling to hide our flaws and benefit ourselves.  That's the crazy thing about it:  if we will be honest at some level (whether we want to admit it or not) this tendency is in us all.  We can try to ignore or deny it, but it lies latent until it is stirred up.

It is easy to find fault or inconsistency in others, but Paul said in Romans 2:1, "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things."  This principle rings true to life, doesn't it?  Everything we criticise in others we are guilty of exactly the same thing to some degree.  Here's a personal example:  I was always suspicious of people cheating in games because I was a cheater.  It's like my concern of being cheated was heightened because I was naturally drawn to do the same.  The thing that bothers you about others (the things you see as negative) are things you do too--like lying, being hypocritical, gossiping, laziness, and on.

There is a great example in the Bible I read the other night.  Korah and hundreds of displeased dissidents murmured against those God called to lead Israel and Numbers 16:3 says, "They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?"  The response of Moses was amazing as the man God chose to shepherd His people out of Egypt and to the promised land:  he fell on his face before the LORD.  He knew how he resisted and did not aspire to the role of leading when God appeared to him, yet angry and judgmental people gathered who accused him of honouring himself!  Arguing with his accusers would only be seen as defensive, so what could he do but fall on the mercy of God?

Moses then told his accusers (who were all famous men of renown) to appear before the LORD the following day.  He directed them in Numbers 16:6-7:  "Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company; ⁷ put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!"  Korah and his mob accused Moses of taking too much upon himself, yet Moses told them the exact opposite was true:  their envy and ambition led them to take too much upon themselves!  Their own sin was projected upon Moses.  Now Moses had his faults to be sure, yet in this case this accusation was unfounded:  their problem was God who called and ordained Moses!  God confirmed this the next day when the earth swallowed up Korah and those loyal to him, and fire from God consumed those 250 men who burned incense.

When we are critical towards others it is a reminder for us to carefully examine ourselves, falling before God in humility and repentance.  Through insight provided by the Holy Spirit we are able to remove the plank from our own eye so we can see clearly when others have a speck in their eye.  We often make excuses for ourselves for our faults, but we are inexcusable before God.  In His grace by the Gospel we have been more than "excused" because our sins have been atoned for by the blood of Jesus; we have been cleansed and the righteousness of God has been imputed to us.  Knowing our natural tendencies revealed in God's Word provides insight so we can avoid pitfalls we have fallen into and lived in all our lives.