Psalm 107:1 says, “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Because God is exceedingly good, His mercy endureth forever. For without God’s goodness there would be no mercy. His mercy is a vital part of His goodness. We are to be thankful for His goodness, but we can’t appreciate His goodness if we take for granted His mercy and grace. To take something for granted is to fail to recognize or appreciate its value.
So what exactly is mercy? Mercy means to receive a pardon for a crime that deserves punishment.
When Adam sinned, God’s law was broken.
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
It doesn’t matter who’s responsible; at this point all of mankind is guilty, and “…the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23a) Not just physical death, but spiritual death, as well.
Revelation 20:14 says, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
We are all guilty before God, and without God’s pardon, we would all be cast into the lake of fire. The penalty had to be paid! (This is where God’s mercy comes in.) The last part of Romans 6:23 says, “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus paid the penalty for our sin.
That’s why Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
We are all condemned to death for sin, but God extended His mercy on our behalf and sent His Son to pay the penalty for our crimes so that we might go free.
- God’s mercy saved us from the penalty of sin, which is eternal death and damnation.
- God’s mercy saved us from the power of sin. We’re no longer slaves to sin. We’re free to choose that which is right.
- And one day, God’s mercy will save us from the presence of sin. We will go to live with Him for all eternity where sin cannot enter in.
Are you trusting in God’s mercy to save you from the penalty of sin? If not, it is not too late.
Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Call on Him today. Because although His mercy endures forever, you have a very small window of opportunity to take advantage of it.
James 4:14 says, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
No one is guaranteed another day. Don’t wait. Every day people go out into eternity before they’re spiritually ready. Don’t be one of them.