The Bible Edge
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James 2:13
For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
In this world there is judgment and there is mercy. Many are all about judgment. Too few are all about mercy. Of these two, one rejoices against the other. Mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Meaning that mercy prevails over judgment.
It’s like this. Every person is, has, and will sin in their flesh. This is a Bible truth that needs no evidence, for the evidence of this fact abides in the heart and soul of every person. We know that we have sinned. Some think their sin is “not too bad” after all they never did this or that big sin, just little sins. James dealt with this kind of thinking just a few verses earlier by stating: For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. James 2:10 The very next verse makes this more clear. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. According to the way we humans look at sin these are “big” ones.
Jesus spoke of this issue in Matthew 7:1-5. He said Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Before God Almighty we have all sinned, meaning we have all come short of His perfectness for there is no degree of sin to God, there is to us, but not God. For all disobedience to His word is sin.
Back to the point. Because of sin every person deserves judgment. Judgment from God. However, there is also God’s mercy. Ephesians 2:4 highlights this mercy. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,. The Lord God in Heaven has the divine ability to grant mercy or justice (judgment). He does both. He is just, and He is merciful. However, His mercy rejoices against His judgment. For those individuals on earth that show no mercy, He will show no mercy only judgment. For those who show mercy He will have mercy. Let it be said again, most today rejoice in judgment over mercy. God, and by extension His people, rejoiceth in mercy against judgment. Someone may say “I want justice.” What they mean is that they want someone to face the consequences for wrongdoing. No doubt this needs to take place for it is the only way to keep our social fabric from being shredded. But, many times the same thing we want others to be judged for, we do or have done. We want others to be judged yet we want mercy for ourselves. God desires mercy for all. He rejoices in mercy. So too should His children.
The Bible Edge for today is this, in your life and heart let mercy rejoice against judgment. This is an unconditional promise concerning the nature of the Great and Loving Father in Heaven.
William T. Howe, Ph.D.