A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death.
"But I don't ask for justice," the mother explained. "I plead for mercy."
"But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied.
"Sir," the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for."
"Well, then," the emperor said, "I will have mercy." And he spared the woman's son.
Luis Palau, Experiencing God's Forgiveness, Multnomah Press, 1984.
1Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
“His
great mercy”
l God’s mercy means that He didn’t
give us what we did deserve for our sins, but that He overlooked it and gave us
gifts we do NOT deserve. What is the mercy referring to?
l Mercy is a quality of the heart
-- it is an inner attitude but it shows externally.
l Mercy is when you have a parking
spot in Connaught place, but you give it away to someone who cuts in front of
you.
l Mercy is allowing someone to cut
ahead of you in the long queue on a weekend with long lines at a big shop when
you are at the checkout counter.
l Mercy is helping someone at your
office to write an email properly.
l Mercy must be great -- and mercy
doesn’t keep records.
l If we don’t believe that we are
sinners, we won’t show mercy. Peter had received mercy from Jesus - three times
he said “do you love me,” to Peter -- and this is the same mercy of OURS that
we can show to others.
Note :- From the Sermon notes - Series on 1 Peter 1 by Dr. Anil Jacob for Crossway.
Stanley Thomas Isac
Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at stanleytisac@gmail.com
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