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God has many attributes which make
up who and what He is. Mercy is one
of those attributes for which all Christians ought to be grateful. It is what brought each of us into the
Kingdom, and that which restores and heals us. Being a Christian means that we are to be
imitators of God, that we are to be Christ-like, not initially in effort, but
as a result of saving grace. Since
mercy is one of Gods attributes it ought to be one of our own.
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Mercy is at the heart of the gospel. Each Christian is by definition someone
who has needed forgiveness, and has received it. How dare we not give mercy to others? Remember the parable of the unforgiving
servant, and in Matthew 25 the separation of the sheep from the goats? The reward to the sheep is based, in that
passage, on a lifestyle of mercy which is directed to Christ.
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Mercy is action, but action with
attitude. You cant just feel
mercy without showing it, or else it does no one any good. But acts of mercy without love profit you
nothing, and leave the recipient cold.
Romans 12:8 teaches us to show mercy with cheerfulness.
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Mercy is a physical proof of love. Love is the mark of the Church, and mercy
ought to be our consistent response to need.
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