Mercy & Truth

It is impressed in my spirit, that we need to take a closer look at the mercy of God. To do so, we will go back to his state of mind in eternity. This will allow us to understand why in choosing us before he ever made the world, he was diligent enough to install mercy in salvation. This installation I speak of here is the mercy that we, the sons of God continue to receive, even after salvation and sonship. I want us to consider that the Father knew the end before He started the beginning. That means he knew beforehand that man would sin against him. Yet he made him anyway.

He wanted something that he refused to deny himself of. He wanted to be loved. He went through great lengths to achieve the type of love that would satisfy him. It had to prefer him above all else this world could offer. If God was going to have a people out of the chaos he foresaw Satan to bring upon the earth, then he needed a guarantee. His mercy was that guarantee that he would have a people. Jesus died for the whole world, not just those who are in the household of faith.

2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Summary Scripture:

Psalms 25:10

10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

This is the true heart of God. He wanted all mankind to repent of their sin and receive his great mercy. But he knew that all would not do so. Nevertheless, there would be some who would choose to love and obey the commandments of the Lord. Therefore, he provided an atonement wherein all could choose to partake. This was the first manifestation of his mercy towards the human race. However, before the foundations of the world were laid, those whom he foreknew would love him, and keep his commandments, mercy and truth would preserve them so that they would rise up to manifest his glory in the earth.

Romans 9:23-24

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

This word "afore" really means before. God prepared us as vessels of mercy and truth before the world was ever formed. Therefore, it is not only necessary for us to pray for mercy to continue in the life of Christ, but it is also necessary for us to walk as vessels of mercy and truth. The commandment was to love God and man. That love for God is manifested in obedience, the love for man is manifested in our walk of mercy and truth. The Lord has done a great work in begetting the Body of Christ. But the Body, in its carnal mindedness, has rejected the truth about God’s creation. How do we get back to walking in the Spirit? How do we rid ourselves of the iniquity of unbelief and lust? I thank God for his faithfulness.

Proverbs 16:6

16 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

I love it when the Lord goes straight to the point. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged. Mercy is compassion for the miserable and unworthy. It is forgiveness shown toward offenders and even haters of God, especially when it is in your power to punish or do them harm.

1. Mercy is a desire to relieve the suffering of others, even if they seem not to deserve it.

2. Mercy is the love of God manifested, regardless of the person or situation.

3. Mercy is unselfish. It is not proud or vindictive.

4. Mercy is the love of God personified.

Truth is the Word of God and all things pertaining to God. God is the Spirit of Truth. For the sons of God, truth is the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, manifested in and through us. Truth is righteousness. Truth is obedience to God. It is the walk in the Spirit. Therefore, it is by love and obedience to God that iniquity is purged. We can seek to make this purging a hard thing, but the truth is all it takes is obedience to the word of God. It is not hard to obey, when it is in the heart to obey. This is the manifestation of Christ in the earth.

The bottom line is, iniquity is purged by truth in the inward parts and obedience to God in the fear of the Lord. However, if you do not fear the Lord, then you will never depart from indulging in the evil of this world. The Lord has spoken to us in no uncertain terms. We are not to engage in anything offensive to the Spirit of God; whether it is in word or deed. We must acknowledge that God is a terror to the unrighteous, that he is no respecter of persons. If we do not depart from the evil of this world, we too, will have our part in the lake of fire.

Psalms 25:10

10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

All the paths that lead to the Lord are full of mercy and truth. He made us not only to receive his mercy, through the atonement of Jesus Christ, but that we would become vessels of mercy and truth in this world. We would have to manifest his mercy and truth in our walk among men. We would need to be truth manifested in flesh. We can only work the ministry of reconciliation by not imputing sin upon those who offend. This is great mercy. God preserved this great mercy and truth for the vessels that would keep his word. But, beloved, even as Paul said to the Hebrews, I am persuaded better things of us, and things that accompany salvation, though I thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love, which we have shown toward His name, in that we have ministered to the saints, and still do minister. And my desire is that every one of us do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That we be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.