BY PASTOR T. O. BANSO
Many people don’t reflect on their lives. Because of this, they don’t appreciate God’s mercy. One day, Jesus told his listeners that the Galileans, that Pilate murdered, were not worse sinners than other Galileans. He added that the eighteen men, who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them, were neither the worst sinners in Jerusalem. This means that, by human judgment, there were those whose lives were spared, and were worse sinners than these two categories of people. Therefore, it would be wrong for those who escaped death to attribute it to their righteousness, smartness, etc. Don’t be judgmental.
See how Luke 13:1-5 records what Jesus said: “There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (NKJV).
You also are not better than those who have died, those who have experienced terrible things, those who are in the hospital, those who are bereaved, etc. You’ve obtained God’s mercy. It’s not that you’re holier, more prayerful, more hard-working, or a better Christian than these people – it’s God’s mercy upon you. Attributing your peace, progress, success, protection, etc. to any good in you, is self-righteousness. Repent of this.
Lamentations 3:22 says through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed. God’s mercy saved us from sin (Titus 3:5). His mercy keeps us, not our righteousness. You need to appreciate God’s mercy towards you, which has made a difference in your life. Without God’s mercy, all your efforts, labour, sacrifices, etc. would have been in vain.
God’s mercy on Epaphroditus
Ephesians 2:4 says God is rich in mercy. In the Bible, we see how God had mercy on Epaphroditus and the Apostle Paul so that Epaphroditus didn’t die when he was sick – Paul rightly acknowledged this (Philippians 2:27). Epaphroditus was a messenger sent by the church at Philippi with a gift for Paul while he was under house arrest in Rome. Paul didn’t attribute Epaphroditus’ recovery from sickness to his labour in prayer, though he must have prayed.
The fact that we spend hours in prayer is not as important as the fact that there’s God who answers prayer. Suppose God doesn’t answer prayer! Our labour in prayer will amount to mere physical exercise. When some people are sharing testimonies, and indirectly blowing their trumpets rather than appreciating God’s mercy, I pity them. Paul was right when he acknowledged God’s mercy in the healing of Epaphroditus.
God’s mercy towards Paul
Paul also acknowledged God’s mercy in saving him when he was blaspheming His name ignorantly in unbelief (1 Timothy 1:13). Paul couldn’t have saved himself – God’s mercy did. After all, there were sinners who, naturally speaking, were not probably as terrible as he was, who died in their sins without obtaining salvation. They never had the type of supernatural encounter he had, which led to his salvation. Paul received God’s mercy.
In 1 Timothy 1:15-16, Paul, speaking further on the mercy he obtained, said, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (NKJV).
God will choose you for His mercy
There is the general mercy of God towards all. However, God determines the beneficiaries of His mercy per time. He dispenses His mercy at His discretion, though each person can also do things that can provoke or attract His mercy towards him. God says in Exodus 33:19b, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose” (NLT). Romans 9:15 also repeats this declaration by God. Beloved, many people today are working hard and doing all they know to do, but what they need now is God’s mercy, not more work! This season, God will choose you for His mercy in Jesus’ name.
God withdrew His mercy from Saul but His mercy did not depart from David and Solomon. See God’s mercy towards David: “But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, and in My name his horn shall be exalted” (Psalm 89:24 NKJV). God extended this same mercy to his son, Solomon. Talking about Solomon, God said, “I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you” (2 Samuel 7:14-15 NKJV). This is repeated in 1 Chronicles 17:13 thus: “I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you” (NKJV). God’s mercy shall not depart from you in Jesus’ name.
God said He would have mercy on Jacob (Israel) (Isaiah 14:1). However, in Isaiah 27:11, Isaiah said He (God) who made the Israelites would not have mercy on them because of their sin. The Assyrians captured Israel and took the people into captivity. Also, the Babylonians captured Judah and destroyed Jerusalem, and the people were exiled.
Nevertheless, Psalm 102:13 says God shall arise and have mercy on Zion for the time to favour her, yes, the set time, has come. The LORD had mercy upon the exiles and brought them back to Jerusalem. Psalm 126:1-3 says, “When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, ‘What amazing things the Lord has done for them.’ Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!” (NLT).
It is bad if God doesn’t show mercy towards someone, but it’s worse if He shows His mercy towards one and then withdraws it as He did to Saul (2 Samuel 7:15). 1 Peter 2:10 says Christians were formerly sinners who once “had not obtained mercy but now have obtained” (NKJV). This is better than the reverse – to have obtained mercy in the past but not to enjoy mercy now. God says, “Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’” (Hosea 2:23 NKJV).
There is nothing comparable to God’s mercy, and nothing can be worse than its withdrawal. My prayer is that God will not withdraw His mercy from you.
Over and over again, we read in the book of Psalms the cry for God’s mercy (Psalms 4:1, 9:13; 25:16; 27:7; 30:10; 31:9; 51:1; 86:16; 123:2-3). God’s mercy doesn’t act in vain. No wonder, that man whose son was demon-possessed, but Jesus’ disciples couldn’t cast the demon out, cried to Jesus, “LORD have mercy on my son” (Matthew 17:15a NKJV). Jesus rebuked the demon and it left him; the boy was well immediately. The LORD shall have mercy on you this season.
The cry of the Canaanite woman was the same: “Have mercy on me, O LORD, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed” (Matthew 15:22 NKJV). Because the woman exhibited such great faith, Jesus granted her desire, and her daughter was healed that very hour. The LORD shall have mercy on you. You’ll enjoy his mercy.
God’s mercy is mighty. No wonder, in Matthew 9:27, two blind men cried to Jesus to have mercy on them. While Jesus was going out of Jericho, two blind men again cried to Jesus for mercy (Matthew 20:29-31). According to the book of Mark, as Jesus went out of Jericho, blind Bartimaeus cried to him, “Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:46-48). The book of Luke also tells us that while Jesus was coming near Jericho, a blind man, whose name is not mentioned, cried to him for mercy (Luke 18:35-39). In all these cases, Jesus granted their requests; God’s mercy prevailed. Whatever the negative condition you’re in now, God shall have mercy on you.
You should appreciate God’s mercy. Thank God for His mercy and ask for it. God’s mercy will make all the difference in your life. Hebrews 4:16 says we should come boldly to the throne of grace, so we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Ezra says God extended His mercy to him before the king – Artaxerxes, king of Persia – and his counsellors and the king’s mighty princes (Ezra 7:28). That’s what happens when God shows His mercy towards one. One enjoys people’s favour and kindness. I pray that God will extend His mercy to you, and you’ll enjoy favour in the high places. People shall be favourably disposed towards you.
The Book of Ezra again talks about God’s mercy. It says God extended His mercy to Israel in the sight of the king of Persia “to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem” (Ezra 9:9 NKJV). The Lord shall show you mercy. He shall extend His mercy to you and your family, ministry, business, etc. in Jesus’ name.
Benefits of God’s mercy
1. Salvation. Nobody can be born again without God’s mercy. We’re born again according to the abundant mercy of God. 1 Peter 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (NKJV). The Bible says we are not saved by works of righteousness which we have done, but He saved us according to His mercy through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).
God’s mercy forgives the sinner of his sins and accepts Him. Isaiah 55:7 says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (NKJV).
.2. Forgiveness of sin. Even after our sins have been forgiven and we are born again, we sometimes sin. There’s no Christian who has attained sinless perfection; no saint of God is faultless. God forgives us our sins. His mercy doesn’t make Him destroy us immediately when we sin but forgives us when we repent and ask for forgiveness. “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” (1 John 1:8-10 NKJV).
Nevertheless, the fact that God forgives our sins is no license to practise sin. “We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them” (1 John 5:18 NLT). Earlier in 1 John 3:6, the Bible says, “Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is” (NLT).
That chapter goes further to say, “But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God” (verses 8-9 NLT).
Forgiveness of sin doesn’t give anyone the licence to continue to sin. Hear what Paul said: “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2 NLT). God is the God of mercy but also the God of justice, so no one should abuse God’s mercy.
3. Restoration. God’s mercy grants us restoration. His mercy restores us to lost positions; it restores to us what we’ve lost.
The mercy of the prodigal son’s father towards him restored him to sonship. He had admitted that he was not worthy to be called his father’s son again. He only wanted to be made one of his servants but the father had compassion on him, forgave him, and welcomed him back home, not as a servant, but as a son. “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry” (Luke 15:20-24 NKJV). I pray that, by His mercy, the Lord shall restore all you’ve lost.
4. Healing. We receive healing by God’s mercy. Everyone in the Bible who needed healing and cried for mercy received healing. As many will cry to God today will still receive God’s mercy. The ten lepers cried, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”(Luke 17:13b NKJV). He had mercy on them and they were healed but only one of them, a Samaritan, came back to testify to his healing, which had manifested as he was going.
In Mark 10:47, blind Bartimaeus cried to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (NKJV). The Bible says when many warned him to be quiet, Bartimaeus cried out even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Verse 48b NKJV). The outcome of that encounter with Jesus was the opening of his blind eyes. This happened because he persisted in crying aloud to Jesus for mercy.
Luke 18:35-43 states a similar story without mentioning the name of the blind man whose eyes were opened because he persisted in crying to Jesus for mercy. In Matthew’s account, they were two blind men; they received their sight back as they cried to Jesus for mercy (Matthew 20:29-34).
Also in Mark 9, the father of the boy, whom Jesus healed of deaf and dumb spirit, said to Jesus, “If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us” (Mark 9:22b NKJV). Compassion is a synonym for mercy. Jesus had compassion on the man and his boy and healed the boy.
Cry to Jesus for mercy; His mercy is still healing today. By His stripes, we were healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). Believe God’s report concerning your healing and cry to God for His mercy; claim what Jesus did for you on the cross.
5. Protection and Deliverance. God’s mercy protects us from evil and delivers us from every danger, captivity, and bondage. He does not allow us to be consumed. Lamentations 3:22 says, “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not” (NKJV). The Contemporary English Version says, “The LORD’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed.”
The Lord says through the Prophet Hosea, “Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword or battle, by horses or horsemen” (Hosea 1:7 NKJV). God promised to have mercy on the house of Judah and save, deliver, or rescue them. God’s deliverance is not limited to the Old Testament house of Judah. Judah means praise. God is still delivering His children today by His mercy. He will deliver you by His mercy.
6. Favour. God’s mercy makes God favour us and causes people to show us favour and treat us kindly. God’s mercy ensures that we don’t receive the bad things we deserve. Nehemiah 9:30-31, talking about the ancestors of the Israelites, said, “Yet for many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; For You are God, gracious and merciful” (NKJV). God didn’t give them what they deserved but was patient because of His mercy. He didn’t completely consume them. God’s mercy makes Him treat the candidates of His mercy favourably.
When God favours someone, by His mercy, human beings will also favour the person. Ezra 9:9 says, “For we were slaves, but in your love and mercy you did not abandon us to slavery; instead, you caused the kings of Persia to be favorable to us. They have even given us their assistance in rebuilding the Temple of our God and in giving us Jerusalem as a walled city in Judah” (TLB). Note the first part of this scripture. Because of God’s love and mercy, the kings of Persia treated the Jews favourably. God’s mercy will cause people to favour you.
Moreover, because of God’s mercy, you’ll begin to record outstanding results far beyond human efforts; you’ll reap where you’ve not sown; God will give you what you didn’t labour for! Moses told the Israelites: “The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant” (Deuteronomy 6:10-11a NLT). That shall be your experience in Jesus’ name. But as Moses warned the Israelites, don’t forget God. “When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. You must fear the Lord your God and serve him” (Deuteronomy 6:11b-13a NLT).
How to activate God’s mercy
1. Admit your sin and return to the Lord. A sinner needs God’s mercy to be born again. He must admit and confess his sins to obtain God’s mercy.
In the parable that Jesus told about the Pharisee and the tax collector who came to the Temple to pray, the first thing the tax collector did, unlike the self-righteous Pharisee, was to admit that he was a sinner and to ask for God’s mercy. “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’” (Luke 18:13 NKJV). Verse 14 says, “This man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (NKJV). Anyone’s self-righteousness will hinder him from obtaining God’s mercy.
If you want to activate God’s mercy, humble yourself by admitting your sins and repent. That was the difference between Saul and David. Both sinned. However, while Saul did not acknowledge his sin immediately but shifted the blame, David did (1 Samuel 15; 2 Samuel 12:13; 24:10; 1 Chronicles 21:7-8). 1 John 1:8-10 says, “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, e make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (NKJV).
Your self-righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). It can’t stand before God. You’ll obtain God’s mercy if you humble yourself and confess your sins. God says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12 NKJV).
In Numbers 14:19, Moses prayed to God, “Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now” (NKJV). If you repent of your sins and confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, God will forgive you and you will become His child; you will be born again.
Maybe you ran away from God before, after repenting of your sins and confessing, come back to Him. God forgives the sinner who repents, and He forgets his sins. God treats compassionately those who return to Him; He will be gracious and merciful to them. “For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him” (2 Chronicles 30:9b NKJV).
2. Love God and obey Him wholeheartedly. If you want to activate God’s mercy, love Him and let it show in complete obedience to His Word. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (NKJV). Nehemiah 1:5 says a similar thing. God keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him and obey His Word. In 1 Kings 3:6, Solomon said God showed great mercy to His servant, David (his father) because he walked before Him in truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart with Him. Your faithful walk with God will activate His mercy.
In his prayer at the dedication of the Temple he built for God, Solomon said, “Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts” (1 Kings 8:23 NKJV). 2 Chronicles 6:14 records the same thing. The phrase “walk before You with all their hearts” in this scripture means faithfully obeying His teachings (NLT). In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commands” (NCV).
3. Worship God. Don’t worship false gods. Those who worship false gods, whether a graven image or modern gods like money, power, fame, self, etc. will forfeit the enjoyment of God’s mercy. They will have to look for mercy from the gods they’re worshipping! They can’t look for mercy from the Living God whom they have refused to worship unless they repent. Those who deny God their worship also deny themselves His mercy. Jonah 2:8 says, “Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own Mercy” (NKJV). The New Living Translation puts it thus: “Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.”
Worship God; don’t turn your back on God’s mercies, because you’ll need His mercies. You can’t survive without God’s mercies. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not” (Lamentations 3:22 NKJV).
4. Trust in God. If you want to activate God’s mercy, trust in Him. Psalm 32:10 says, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him” (NKJV). Trusting in God is one of the things that activate His mercy. God’s mercy shall surround those who trust in Him. The New Living Translation says “The LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.” Don’t trust in man. Trust in God, and He will surround you with His mercy.
5. Show mercy to others. Whoever doesn’t show mercy to others shall not receive mercy from God. This agrees with the principle of sowing and reaping, which the Bible teaches in different passages. The psalmist said, “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful” (Psalm 18:25a NKJV). Jesus Christ clearly stated this truth in the New Testament. He said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7 NKJV). That’s why He taught us to be merciful, just as our Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). Writing along the same line, James said, “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13 NKJV).
If you want God to show you mercy, show others mercy. Don’t be like that wicked servant whose master, out of compassion, forgave the huge debt he owed him, but refused to forgive his fellow servant who owed him a far less debt. “Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him” (Matthew 18:32-34 NKJV).
6. Cry to the Lord for mercy. In the Bible, Jesus responded to the cry for mercy. He did not deny anyone who cried to Him for mercy; each obtained mercy – everyone received his miracle (Matthew 17:15-18; 15:22-28; 9:27-31; 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43). David said, “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You” (Psalm 86:5 NKJV). So call upon God for mercy.
Conclusion: God’s mercy endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34, 41; 2 Chronicles 5:13, 7:3, 6, 20:21; Psalms 106:1, 107:1, 118:1-4, 29, 136:1-26; Jeremiah 33:11). Make sure you appreciate God’s mercy upon your life. Thank God for His mercy every day. Recognize your need for His mercy. Ask for His mercy every day. The Bible says His mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23). God’s mercy will make a difference in your life. Do intentionally what will activate His mercy towards you. It shall be well with you in Jesus’ name.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
