By John H. Killian
John H. Killian is director of missions for Fayette Baptist Association and has taught at New Orleans Seminary’s Birmingham extension center. He is a past president of the state convention.
The Beautitudes series — Matthew 5:3–12
From the beatitude of our Lord on mercy, let us consider three characteristics of how mercy is a vital part of our relationship to God and to other people.
1. Mercy provided — “They shall obtain mercy.”
The Old Testament believer was directed by Moses’ law to annually offer a sacrifice in the temple in Jerusalem as payment for the sins of the year. The ideal offering was a lamb without spot or blemish. The lamb would be offered by the High Priest as a sacrifice to appease God for the sins of the confessing people.
Once the blood was drained from the spotless lamb, the High Priest would carry the basin of the animal’s blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood on a piece of furniture called the mercy seat.
When the High Priest returned, the people knew their sins were forgiven because the blood on the mercy seat had been accepted by a Holy God. The place where forgiveness was found, where sinners were made clean — that place was known as the mercy seat.
Mercy seat in view
That mercy seat was in view in Luke 18 when Jesus told of two men who came to the temple to pray. One man stood in front and prayed, “I thank you, Lord, that I am not as other men. For I fast and I tithe.” In essence, this man was extolling his own goodness.
But the other man sat in the back and beat his chest and just simply cried, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” This man, a good Jew, knew the only hope for a sinner was in a sacrifice being made in his behalf. So he cried for mercy.
Titus 3:5 states the truth about our salvation so plainly as Paul writes, “Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but by His mercy, He saved us.”
We are under God’s judgment as sinners, as members of a cursed human race. There is no means to undo that judgment. All of the works we may produce cannot take away the guilt of our sin. Any reprieve from condemnation must somehow deal with our guilt. Any mercy must deal with what we have done.
This is further explained in Hebrews 9 where our Lord’s work is described as superior to the Old Testament system of a slain animal dying as our substitute. John the Baptist presented Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The blood of a spotless lamb is a picture of the Son of God who was spotless in His birth and sinless in His life, yet shed His blood to save us. Hebrews 9:26 says, “He (Jesus) has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” He goes on in verse 27: “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.”
Death was appointed for all of humanity but Christ suffered to bear our death, to alleviate our judgment and to bring us mercy.
That is how we have mercy in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Mercy produced — “Blessed are the merciful.”
Luke 7 records the story of a sinful woman who came and anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive fragrance. Simon the Pharisee was critical of this action and rebuked Jesus for allowing a woman to touch him in this manner.
Knowing forgiveness
In response, Jesus told this religious critic a story of two debtors, one owing a small amount of money and another a large amount of money. Jesus then asked “who would love more, the one forgiven of a great debt or the one forgiven of a small debt?” This self-righteous religious man acknowledged that the one with the greatest debt taken away would have the deepest appreciation and love.
Jesus used this to explain the great passion and devotion expressed by a sinful woman who knew forgiveness of sins. Hence, the statement here that the merciful will obtain mercy.
Who are the ones who have the expectation of mercy? They are the redeemed children of God. Those who are saved by God’s wonderful mercy are then given the grace to express mercy on others.
Scripture teaches over and over that pride is the predecessor of a spiritual fall. Think you are spiritual and watch God allow your flesh to show you what you really are. We are unable to live a clean life apart from the enabling grace of God.
Always on guard
You must always be on guard, ready for any challenge that could come your way, ready for any temptation you may face. You are not invincible nor are you beyond falling. Every one of us is capable of any sin imaginable.
See what you are and grasp your personal weakness and you will find yourself with a heart of mercy toward others in their weakness.
3. Mercy promised — “shall obtain mercy.”
Positionally we have God’s mercy now that has given us the promise of “no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” Once you are saved, you always possess the Holy Spirit and, if any tragedy comes and you leave this world, you will go to be with God.
But there will be a day when judgment falls on the world, a day when God brings the unsaved dead forth for judgment.
What will then happen to us?
The Psalmist gave a glorious testimony: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps. 23:6). When judgment comes on the lost world, God’s people are eternally protected by mercy. When time is over God’s mercy still endures.
The mercy of the Lord Jesus was promised in His life, purchased by His death and guaranteed by His resurrection. His mercy has saved us and we know our sins are forgiven. His mercy is molding us into merciful people and when judgment comes, we know “God has not appointed us to wrath but to obtain mercy through our Lord” (1 Thess. 5:9).
Do you know His forgiveness? Are you under His mercy or under His wrath? We have no in-between, you are either under His wrath or protected by His mercy.
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