THE MERCY OF GOD

Oh! How it was -  the age of dreadfulness, an age that no one will like to think of because of its bitterness; a period full of wrath – in other words, the merciless period. A period when some children of Israel were attacked by fierce bears – a sign that God was in support; this is a clearly seen as the wrath of God. The soldiers consumed by fire although not the last person (2King 1:10), the slaughtering of the prophet of Baal; the case of the flood (Noah and the ark). Who perpetrate all these? The answer is not farfetched: the answer is God. Oh this Supreme Being is wicked. But the irony of all these events is that there has and always be a prior admonition.

A story of an intelligent professor, well known in philosophical grounds has tagged God to be dead and not just dead, but also God is wicked; of course, trust philosophers, those who are around him will surely have the same idealistic idea that God is wicked, dead and of course this will not just end on himself but also carried by those around. This has been carried for a very long period not until a child, his student debunk such idea in an argument. To cut the long story short, the death bed of this professor turned things around – Death a fearful phenomenon.

To Christians, the view of death is just a means of attaining a perfect life - a place of rest. Can one see this as Mercy? But death is just one of the so many means of the goodness of God. Re – examining what has just been mentioned above. Where is the mercy or goodness of the fearful God? Is it not to give the final conclusion to all the above propositions that God is actually wicked? That God is dead? But let us go back to where the prior warnings. Is not an act or attributes of a good God or a Merciful God?

One may even ask, what is this mercy? The Baker’s evangelical dictionary of the biblical theology defines mercy as a concept integral to an understanding of God’s dealing with human kind. In English translation of the bible, it come in phrases such as “to be merciful” describes a quality of God and one that God requires of his people. The noun denotes compassion and love, not just feelings or emotions as expressed in tangible ways.

Mercy is giving something to someone that they don’t deserve. When people come to faith, just and salvation in Jesus Christ, the punishment for their sins is forgiven, all paid for by Him on the Cross. This is God’s greatest Mercy. A believer does not have to suffer the penalty of eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Whenever someone falls short and sins, if we confess our sins to the Lord, we are forgiven His compassion and forgiveness for us are extended by His mercy and love. Mercy is also something that everyone should show to those around them. If you do something wrong, you want the person you wronged to show you mercy. So do unto others as you would have them do to you. Mk 12:31; Lk 6:31

But God who is rich in mercy because of its great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, made us alive together with Christ (by grace, you are been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved in through faith. It is the gift of God, not works, lest any should boast.

Finally, I encouraged all to show this mercy firstly to ourselves, and then to others. It is in doing this that I am blessed, you are blessed, my family is blessed, my community is blessed and Nigeria is seen to be called a happy Nation.

God bless Nigeria;

God bless your family;

God bless you.

By: Awoyemi Emmanuel ‘Segun