When You Mess Up, God Gives Mercy! God is always ready to forgive and restore you. In this article, I’ll discuss cleansing, redemption, pardon, and undeserved kindness. Each one of these areas of grace is necessary for the Christian’s walk. If you have been hurt or wronged by the actions of another, I hope this article encourages you to pursue a life of mercy!
Pardon
We often hear the words “mercy” and “grace” but do we really know what they mean? Hebrews 4:16 makes the case that we all have a need for mercy from God. He is the perfect high priest, bringing the voice of God to man, ushering him into his presence. But, mercy comes in many forms. It may be more practical to think of it as a mercy seat.
Cleansing
When you mess up and ask God for forgiveness, he responds by cleaning you up. His mercy is rooted in the character of God and not your performance. God will not always strive with you, so don’t feel bad. Instead, praise and honor him by showing him your gratitude and love. Hebrews 4:16: God will forgive your sins and cleanse you when you mess up. He will never take away his mercy!
Redemption
Throughout history, people have abused the language of redemption to avoid responsibility and punishment. People like Hugo Schwyzer used the redemption narrative to gain entry into a community at the expense of his victims. In the same way, people have ignored their victims’ interests while protecting bad actors and enabling them. It is time to change our perception of redemption and make the right moves. Listed below are some ways to make a wrong right.
Undeserved kindness
The watchtower doctrine emphasizes undeserved kindness and the loving aspect of the gift. The gift of grace requires no payment and thus does not require recompense, but it is often underserved. Paul’s words emphasize that Jehovah was under no obligation to redeem mankind. Even though grace is the gift of God, it remains underserved, which is why grace is often referred to as “undeserved kindness.”
Redeeming grace
It is hard to believe that God can give us such great amounts of redemption and grace. Yet when we mess up, he still shows us His mighty power and redeems us for the good of HIS will. David, for example, was an adulterer who killed his mistress’ husband to cover up the adultery. In spite of his crime, God saved him and restored him to a loving relationship with his mistress.
Jesus as the perfect high priest
Hebrews 5:1-10 speaks of Jesus as the perfect high priest. Because Jesus is both God and human, He is a perfect high priest forever. And unlike earthly priests who descended from Aaron, He has no beginning or end. In fact, he is as perfect as the mysterious priest of Genesis 14. The author of Hebrews is careful to tell us that we should study the “meat” of the Word of God.
The Word of God
The Word of God gives mercy when you mess up, which we should remember when it feels like there is no hope for you. Psalm 103 teaches us that God is merciful. God compares man to a flower of the field, and his kingdom rules overall. Similarly, Isaiah 65:10 reminds us that God will forgive us if we turn to him for help.
The need for humility
Being humble means accepting the fact that you are small, vulnerable, and not in control. Humble people know there is a great Creator, and that God created them in His image and likeness. While we have tarnished that divine likeness through our sin, we are still made in God’s image. Humility is a virtue that must be nurtured. In the midst of life’s many challenges, remember that God is always there and that you are not alone.
The necessity of resting in Christ
Throughout our lives, we’ve experienced the need to rest in Christ. Perhaps you have sinned, neglected your responsibilities, or said something you shouldn’t have. Whatever the case may be, resting in Christ is a necessity for Christians. No matter how bad we mess up, God will still be there to forgive us and restore our relationship with Him. By submitting your mind, heart, and will to Him, we can find true rest.
The power of the present tense
The prodigal son parable is an example of how mercy can be used to illustrate the way God shows us grace. This grace, also known as eleos, involves showing kindness to a person in serious need. It implies forbearance and assumes the recipient has the resources to take care of his or her need. Thus, mercy is often accompanied by forgiveness.
