Blessed Are The Merciful, For They Will Be Shown Mercy
Be The Victor, Not The Victim
MATHEW 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.”
Matthew 5:7 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/mat.5.7.nkjv
These verses from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount (3-12)”, known as the Beatitudes, are a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of conduct for all believers.
Verse seven shows how God is just.
We are all sinners and in need of God’s mercy. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
I John 1:8-10 NKJV
Should we be merciful, then we shall obtain mercy.
But before we can be merciful, we must let go of all offence.
Jesus said, ““For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV
Furthermore Jesus said, ““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV
Forgiveness, doesn’t mean you have to allow your aggressor to continue hurting you, or even that you must like that person. Forgiveness is freeing the person from his or her debt of sin against you.
In doing so, you break the tie that holds you to that person, no longer do you relive the event when thinking about it. No longer can the devil whisper hate into your emotions, for they no longer owe you for their wrongdoing, and you are no longer captive by the need to revenge. You are free and no longer the victim, but the victor.
Just like your aggressor needs God’s mercy and forgiveness, you need His mercy and forgiveness too, we have all wronged someone including God.
My beloved, being merciful and forgiving isn’t an option for believers, it is a commandment, even to those who choose to cause us harm.
Deliberately allowing others to suffer unnecessarily when you have the opportunity to relieve them from the pain is hating that person. In God’s eyes, that is murder.
Jesus has not only forgiven you, He payed your debt of sin by suffering painfully on a cross to the point of death; and because of what He has done, you are justly no longer a slave to sin and death, and have opportunity to be a child of God. He set the captive free and all you need do is believe.
“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.””
Romans 10:8-13 NKJV
Being merciful is more than just being kind and forgiving, it is caring for the needy, being ready to help in there time of need, including those that have wronged you or hate you or choose to cause you harm.
If you claim to be a child of God, then one must put into practice the love of Christ that He showed you.
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.””
I Peter 3:8-12 NKJV
My beloved, Who can you help today?
“Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.”
Matthew 5:7 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
