" Do We Show Mercy or Mercifulness? - The Difference" (with video) - Inspirational Weekend

 

[Honu -  Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle]

This post concerns itself with God's mercy as well as what it means to be merciful.  In particular, what mercy is and how mercifulness may differ from mercy (or acts of mercy.)

While browsing my photographs to use in this article, it occurred to me that a few years ago a very unmerciful and cruel and senseless act against one of the protected and endangered Honu on Oahu, Hawaii, created an outcry among locals.   These gentle sea turtles often come to shore to rest awhile and to feed on some of the algae found there (as shown in my photograph above).  Someone (or perhaps more than one person)  slaughtered one of these protected turtles.  These gentle creatures have become use to the presence of man at the beaches where they come to rest.  They grew to trust and to not fear people.  

It makes me want to cry at such cruelty and senseless evil.  But what is also evil is how man treats other people at times.  

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."   -  Jesus at Luke 6:36

[Turtle Beach (Laniakea Beach) - North Shore, Oahu]

"The world of natural man is by no means predominantly a merciful world. ' The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.'  Not everything which passes for kindness, not everything which is kindness, is mercy. "   So the Biblical Illustrator Bible Commentary explains.  Following will be a partial or, rather, an abbreviated, quote from that commentary on what true mercifulness entails.

"Mercy, as men count it, may be all "outside", no heart in it, or may take its rise from wrong or unworthy motives; while mercifulness must go down to the inner springs of actions, not stop short of guiding principles; have its roots in sound and holy motives. It deals with the quality  of the deed rather than the quantity.  ..... Mercifulness is what we are and what we do.

"True mercifulness is a characteristic of those who hunger and thirst after righteousness and they alone will be merciful in God's way....seeking not to please themselves but to do His will.  ..... True mercifulness is always guided by meekness.     It is exercised towards those who have ill requitted  our kindness, and are undeserving of our mercy.   True mercifulness can only be felt by those who have learned to mourn their sin, and in repentance turned unto God, and so have a fellow feeling with those who sin, and long to rescue them."

What about the mercifulness of God as seen in Christ?  The Biblical Illustrator commentary reminds us that Christ was merciful to all!  Jesus' mercifulness "was provident, thoughtful, wise - seeking the real good of men..... His mercifulness is unchanging.  Time does not wear it out, nor years weaken it.  He was merciful even as He loved, unto the end."

Speaking of Jesus, Hebrews 7:24-25, has this to say: "But this man, because He continueth ever,  hath an unchangeable priesthood, Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God,  purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this cause He is the mediator of the new testament,  that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."  -   Hebrews 9:14-15

Here is a wonderful hymn about the mercy of God!  It is based on Psalm 51.

Back to the Biblical Illustrator Bible Commentary, it compares Jesus' mercifulness to ours: 

"Jesus' mercifulness always kept God's glory in view, and ours so often centering about self.  HIS is a mercifulness shown towards those who were ever seeking His heart, and ours so easily quenched by the first appearance of ingratitude.  His a mercifulness that recognized sin as the source of every man's misery,  and ours so indifferent to the deepest needs of the men and women around us.  His a mercifulness that stooped  to help, that touched as well as pitied, and ours always bestowed with a gloved hand, and at a safe distance...... Believe me, it is time for us to learn that true mercifulness is discriminating, thoughtful, wise.  His a  mercifulness that is always the same; ours so fitful, uncertain, unreliable.  His mercifulness that cost Him self-sacrifice;   ours a doing or giving that will not even cost us a thought. His a mercifulness that permeated the whole man in every thought, and word, and deed;  ours so superficial, so unreal, our thoughts often breathing harsh judgment upon others, our actions marked by so little consideration of those about us or below us to whom we might be merciful."

There is much more wonderful information to be found concerning mercy and mercifulness at the Biblical Illustrator Bible Commentary.   Search for it on the Web !

The bottom line is:  We should endeavor to be as much like Christ as we possibly can.  We will never attain perfection this side of heaven, but the good Lord expects us to have that as an ultimate goal. (1 Peter 1:16).   If we don't aim to be Christ-like now, maybe we are not truly saved; maybe we won't make it to heaven.  You must be born again (a spiritual rebirth) in order to enter heaven.

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  -   John 3:3

Following are Salvation Scriptures for those of you who may not have surrendered your life to the Lord.  Some of you may not know the way of salvation.  You must realize that Jesus died to pay your sin debt in full; His shed blood on the cross can wash you clean !  He was the sacrificial Lamb of God Who Redeemed those who will turn to Him in faith, believing that He is the Savior and the only way to heaven.  You must repent of your sins with a sorrow that is real and sincere and pray with all of your being that you wish to be forgiven and thereby give your life in faith to the Savior.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -    John 3:36

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."      -       John 14:6

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."   -   John 3:16

May the good Lord bless you now and always!

Have a Christ-centered weekend -  and life !

Yes, Carnal Christians Are A Reality

More than once I have said that there is no such thing as a carnal Christian.  (Scroll down to the February 17, 2018, post directly below or go to this link).  I suppose I was thinking primarily of the false conversion of a person, as opposed to true conversion, which leads to holiness and a life totally surrendered to the good Lord....true conversion, that is; because when a person is truly converted he is sealed with the Holy Spirit, which then indwells him (Ephesians 4:30).  "What?  know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"  (1 Corinthians 6:19).   In other words, I had assumed that a carnal Christian was one who had not been truly converted; had not been born again.

There are newly converted believers that are sometimes called "babes in Christ".  They are not spiritually mature yet, and can still be carnally minded to a large degree.   Carnal comes from the Greek word sarkikos, which means "fleshly."   Anytime a Christian sins, he is being carnal.  

But please note, while a Christian (especially new Christians) can be carnal for a time, a true Christian will not remain that way forever.   As he prays and studies the Bible, he will grow to truly know the Lord.  He will love Him and will not want to grieve the Holy Spirit.  He will develop a close, intimate, and personal love relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  As time goes on, his life and manner and spirituality will be manifest to others, and he will do good works.   Genuine faith will always result in good works, according to James chapter 2.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."    -   Ephesians 2:8-10

Carnal Christians are spoken of in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 :

"(1)  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  (2)  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  (3) For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"

In the quote above, the fact that Paul called them "brethren" signifies that they were Christians, as Paul often used that term to refer to other Christians as well.

So a believer can sin and appear to be carnal, but he will not remain carnal if he is a true Christian.

It is good to read 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, where it speaks of a man's works being tried by fire.   Verse 15 tells us:  "If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

So, evidently, a carnal Christian is still saved.  Back to my thoughts on true or false conversion:  it is not whether a carnal Christian has lost his salvation, but was he, in actuality, truly saved in the first place.   

God will lovingly discipline carnal Christians so they can become more Christlike and also to have a close relationship with Him.  It is all about obedience, love, and true commitment to the Lord.  A  life totally surrendered to Him.  

Read Hebrews 12:5-11.  Following are verses 6 and 7:

(6) "For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.  (7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not.?"

Examine your heart and test yourself, and see if you are a worldly and carnal person.   If so, repent and make an effort to be more Christlike and to obey God in all things.  Get down on your knees and pray that God will give you an outpouring of His Holy Spirit so that you may better do His will and live as a true Christian should. You will then become more holy and live a life pleasing to the good Lord.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."    -  Romans 12:1-2

1 John 2:15-17 cautions us:  (15) "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (16)  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (17)  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:  but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."