Mercy Abounds

As I start this new year, I am struck once again by the mercy of God to us. It brings to mind Lamentations 3:22-24, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”” God’s mercies are not only new year to year but day to day. I can know this because of what He has already done for me.

We just wrapped up our time in a few of the minor prophets and truly what was revealed to me is just how merciful God is and has been with us. See we were like all the wicked people in those prophecies. We were the people of Nineveh, Babylon, Assyria, and the unbelieving Israelites. Yet, as Romans 5 reminds us, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” God showed us mercy and paid the penalty for us. Here is a different way of putting it.

Imagine a town with one important building—a courthouse. Inside is a big book. Every wrong choice, every broken promise, every debt goes in that book.

No one has a clean page. Not one.

There’s a guy, let’s call him Austin, who knows his page is bad. So he stays away from the courthouse, hoping that if he ignores it long enough, it won’t matter.

But one day everyone hears the news:

“The Judge is coming.”

This Judge is fair. He doesn’t miss anything. No lying. No pretending.

When Austin stands before Him, the book is open. Austin has nothing to say. He knows he’s guilty.

Then the Judge does something shocking. He shuts the book, takes off His robe, and puts it on Austin. He says, “Your debt is paid. You’re free to go.”

Austin didn’t earn this. He didn’t fix himself first. He just received it.

Loved ones, that's the Gospel. That is God’s mercy on display. We all have sinned. We all can do nothing to make up for the rebellion we have participated in and yet we are forgiven in Christ.

God doesn’t ignore our sin. He doesn’t pretend it isn’t real. No, He shows us grace and mercy in the reality of stepping down from His place on high wrapping us in His love and paying the penalty Himself through His blood.

By placing our faith and trust in Christ, we too get that same goodness. We get a “clean page". Because we have been redeemed by Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.

So now we get to live a life full of abundance rooted in the mercy that God has shown
us. So this year as you go on day to day, remember the mercies of God found in Christ. Remember that even if you stumble and sin that Christ has cleared your page. Remember that you get to live from that mercy and grace and not for it. I pray that God blesses your days this year as live fully in His grace and mercy.

In Christ,
Austin Strange