The Merciful-3

By Clifton Angel

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). It has been over a month since we last studied the subject, but in parts one and two, we considered the unmerciful example of Jonah and the great mercy shown to Saul of Tarsus.     Perhaps, the greatest blessing on earth is forgiveness. Isaiah prophesied, “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save” (Isaiah 59:1). Paul wrote of “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height ... of the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18).     Will you take a moment and read Philippians 2:1-8? Who is writing this? It is the same man that was dragging Christian mothers and fathers to undeserved punishments and deaths. But now he is “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). “For I determined not to know anything among you save Christ Jesus, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).     This is all made possible by Jesus. He was in the highest position. He was in the presence of glory beyond the beauty of the imagination of man. Yet, He gave up that position, lived the life of a man, suffered beguile, rejection, physical abuse, verbal abuse, torture, and persecution from the very ones He created. He gave Himself to die the death of a criminal when He had committed no crime. When He could have called the host of Heaven to destroy mankind, He hang there in pain, agony, and thirst and cried, “Father, forgive them.”     There is no greater being than God. There is no greater Man than Jesus the Christ. There is no greater place than Heaven. There is no greater reward than to be able live there. Therefore, there is no greater blessing on earth than forgiveness!     How forgiving are we? Are we like unmerciful Jonah who was sickened to see the unrighteous repent and be forgiven? Are we like the unmerciful servant of Matthew 18:21–35, whose debt was remitted which he could never repay, yet he would not show mercy to a coworker that owed him very little? Or, are we like Paul, who recognized the greatness of his sin, the greatness of God’s mercy, and continually labored to make sure that others could receive forgiveness, also. He said, “I am debtor ... I am ready to preach the gospel to you ... I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one” (Romans 1:14–16).   - Clifton Angel preaches for the Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater, MS. He may be contacted through that congregation's website: http://www.coldwatercofc.com/