Blessed Are The Merciful

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” — Matthew 5:7 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” — Ephesians 2:8–9 Mercy is compassion in action. Mercy is compassion in action…but it’s directed toward the guilty. In the process of trying to hurt others, you are only hurting you. 1. We remember God’s mercy toward us. 2. We remember mercy is not the goal, Jesus is. “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you…” — Matthew 6:9-15 “And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” — Matthew 18:33 “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” — James 2:13 Where are we to direct mercy? 1. We are to give mercy to those who make mistakes. 2. We are to give mercy to those who have hurt us. 3. We are to give mercy to people far from God. “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” — Matthew 9:13 4. We are to give mercy to OURSELVES. “For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.” — Psalm 38:4-8 “…though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” — 1 Timothy 1:13-15