11TH DECEMBER, 2022
PASTOR OLUBI JOHNSON
UNDERSTANDING JUDGEMENT AND MERCY
OLUBI JOHNSON
Luke 6:36-37 NKJV
Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
The Lord Jesus instructed us as believers to be merciful and not judgemental.
Now, what does the Bible mean when the Lord Jesus says we should not judge? After all, Paul judged people (1Cor. 5:3) and he told the Corinthians to judge one another (1Cor. 6:4, 5).
What the Lord Jesus meant here is that our judgement should be one of constructive judgement, rather than destructive judgement.
What is the difference?
Constructive judgement points out what is wrong, with an attitude of meekness, even if sharply (Rev. 3:15-19; Tit. 1:13), and proffers a solution and a way of escape, giving the person we are judging hope.
Destructive judgement, however, only talks about what is wrong and leaves the person being judged without hope or a solution to their problem.
Condemnation is the abandonment of a person to a self-inflicted bad fate.
God wants us not to give up on people easily. He wants us to try using the wisdom, compassion and power He has given us to try to save, or at least reduce, the negative effects of the self-inflicted fate people have brought upon themselves, through disobedience to His Word.
God’s mercy reduces the judgement we rightfully deserve.
For instance, God reached out to the Samaritan woman who had been married five times through the Lord Jesus, even though obviously the woman was a troublesome or quarrelsome person (Pro. 21:9, 19 ).
God wants us to be merciful so we can become more like Him, for He is merciful to the undeserving (2Pt. 3:9).
God wants us to be merciful so that we can receive mercy in our time of need or weakness (Mt. 5:7).
God wants us to be merciful to the undeserving so that they can be preserved from destruction and, hopefully, over time, respond to God’s mercy by repentance and so be saved from going to hell.
A classic example of this is Manasseh the son of Hezekiah (2Chr. 33:1, 9;10, 11, 12-16 ).
Notice that God’s mercy preserved Manasseh from physical death during his time of gross disobedience and captivity, and by responding to the mercy of God in repentance, Manasseh was saved and restored back to his kingdom. His repentance was genuine, as shown by his actions after restoration.
Manasseh repented and he was saved. Amon did not and so he was assassinated (2Chr. 33:21-24 ).
When you respond to God’s chastening tempered with His mercy, God will save you. If you do not, you will be destroyed (Pro. 29:1 ).
How then do we show mercy to men?
Ask God to give them mercy and pray for them in tongues: in the Spirit (Jude 20-23 ).
Show them practical deeds of kindness: give them food, clothing or whatever physical thing they are in need of as God enables you, like the good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37; Pro. 3:27).
Our acts of mercy should be preceded and followed with prayer (not necessarily preaching, as preaching will only be effective after the heart has been softened and made receptive to God, by the mercy of God released through prayer and acts of kindness), for those we show mercy to, so the purpose of mercy which is to save men from hell fire, will be achieved!
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