Mercy Toward Others – Godly Life Part 10

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3-11 TPT (Click Link) 5 So devote yourselves to lavishly supplementing your faith with goodness, and to goodness add understanding, 6 and to understanding add the strength of self-control, and to self-control add patient endurance, and to patient endurance add godliness, 7 and to godliness add mercy toward your brothers and sisters, and to mercy toward others add unending love. (2 Peter 1:5-7 TPT) To our godliness let’s add lavish mercy toward our brothers and sisters. Peter knew what it meant to be shown mercy. Like David long before him, Peter knew God as a merciful God. David wrote, But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:15 NLT) I’ve heard it said about grace and mercy that grace is getting what you don’t deserve, and mercy is not getting what you deserve. God has in every way been gracious and merciful toward us, and if we are going to live Godly Lives, we’ll pass that grace and mercy on to others. 9 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Judge fairly and honestly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and poor people. And do not scheme against each other.” (Zechariah 7:9-10 NLT) James puts it this way: 12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. (James 2:12-13 NLT) This is a strong statement, but how could it be any other way? Here’s how the prophet Micah sums up what God’s looking for in us and from us: O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 NLT) God is pleased with our effort to live Godly lives if our lives show honesty, kindness and mercy, care for the disadvantaged, concern for those on the outside, and right relationships. That’s the measure I’m putting up against my own life. Prayer: Father, You have been so kind to us! You lavish grace on us when we don’t deserve it and you lavish mercy on us when we deserve judgment. Give us hearts like your heart that the grace and mercy may flow freely through us to others. For Jesus’ sake!