God's Mercy

By Brian Mitchell
    The story is told of a mother who came to Napoleon to request a pardon for her son who was to soon be executed. Napoleon responded to the mother by saying that this was her son’s second offence and according to the law, justice demanded death and that is what her son would receive. The mother responded by saying that “I am not asking you for justice, I am pleading for mercy.” To which Napoleon responded by saying, “but your son does not deserve mercy.” The mother replied, “Sir, it would not be mercy if he deserved it and mercy is all that I am asking for.” At her continued requests, Napoleon finally responded by saying, “Well then, I will show mercy and pardon your son, sparing his life from certain death.”    What is mercy? As the story illustrates, it is receiving a pardon we do not deserve. In the spiritual sense, what each of us deserves is justice, we deserve to be eternally lost because of our sins. But God has shown mercy, and because of His mercy He has granted us with the opportunity to be saved instead--Ps.86:5, Eph.2:4-7.     In Paul’s 1st letter to the young preacher Timothy—1 Tim.2:12-17, he provides: An illustration of God’s mercy—1:12-14, The reasons for God’s mercy—1:15-16 and The proper response to God’s mercy—1:17. What can mercy do for you? To answer that question, I believe it would be helpful to consider what God’s mercy had done for Paul. What did God’s mercy do for Paul? It enabled Paul to do the work of the Lord.    Ministry—is from the Greek word from which we get the word service. Thus, Paul, because of the Lord’s mercy, had literally been put into the service of the Lord. Something he would have been unable and unworthy to do otherwise. Specifically, Paul was in the ministry or service of the gospel. It was to the defense and spread of the gospel that Paul had devoted his life.    Why, because the Lord had enabled him to do so. Enable—to make strong. Thus, the Lord had literally given Paul the strength he needed to carry out his ministry for the Lord—Phil.4:13. Why did Jesus do this? Because He had counted Paul faithful which means trustworthy. Even though Paul had persecuted the church, the Lord knew him to be a faithful man. Whatever Paul did, he did it to the best of his ability. Thus, the Lord showed Paul mercy and put him into the ministry.    What does this have to do with us? Everything and here is why. Consider Paul’s life before he received the mercy of God—v.13. He was a blasphemer, which means to speak in a way that brings harm to others. He was a persecutor, which literally conveys the image of one who puts another to flight and then pursues him with intentions of harassment or worse (Jackson, p.41). He was insolent and this, according to Wayne Jackson, is a truly dramatic word. The word speaks of both one’s attitudes and his actions.    These things however, Paul, did in ignorant unbelief. The historical record of God’s Word makes it clear that in all of his hateful actions against the Lord, Paul had been pursuing what HE THOUGHT was a proper course of action. “I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1). “I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Christ” (Acts 26:9). Thus, Paul thought he was doing what was right but he was acting in ignorance.    Yet despite it all, Paul had found pardon in the mercy of God and a place in His service. Paul stands out as one of the greatest examples of God’s grace in human history. If one such as Paul could obtain mercy; who can’t?

- Brian Mitchell serves as a minister with the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net