Dealing in Mercy

"Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?" (Psalm 130: 3 - New Living Translation)

Thank God that he is merciful and gracious! Were he not so there would be no good at all enjoyed by anyone. Every good thing a man enjoys in life, from the hand of God, is wholly undeserved. Did God deal with all men on the basis of strict justice alone, then none could survive another second. He "gives to all men life, breath, and all things," including "fruitful seasons," the sunshine and rain, and every earthly blessing. (See Acts 14: 17 & 17: 25)

God HAS made a record of every man's sins, but he is longsuffering and not "hot-tempered," and will in his own good time bring men into judgment. But, for the time being, he deals with men in mercy, and not in strict justice. It is only the ones whom the Lord has loved and forgiven that may expect this "record" of sins to be erased and expunged from his "criminal record" or "justified." Still, it is a mercy of God that he allows men to have time on "parole" and to find forgiveness with him.

Paul says that God "winked" in times past at the crimes of men, and still does to some extent. (See Acts 17: 30) He is "longsuffering," which word basically means that the Lord "puts up with" sinners, and even with his own rebellious children, for the time being, mercifully giving them opportunity to return to the Lord and repent.

"He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him." (Psalm 103: 10, 11 KJV)

That is a precious word! Again, the words inform us that God has not dealt with men in strict justice but has shown mercy and compassion to sinful men. His delaying of the Day of Judgment is an act of grace and kindness, a sign of good intent on the part of God.

The NIV translates the words above as - "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities." (NIV)

Mercy, in the above verse, is set in direct opposition to the strict execution of justice. Every day that an unrepentant sinner lives is a proof that God is indeed merciful and gracious. Every breath he takes, every meal he eats, and every good thing he enjoys is an act of mercy. Oh that he would realize it!


"I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me." (Psalm 13: 6 KJV)


"Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee." (Psalm 116: 12 KJV)


"Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word." (Psalm 119: 65 KJV)

Surely every man, if he is honest, cannot help but acknowledge this to be the truth of the matter. God has been good to him. God has not dealt with him on the basis of merit. The breath man breathes is not something he deserves! He is a condemned criminal and his time on parole is gracious.

The "goodness" and "mercy" of God, in his not dealing with men now in strict justice, has had a positive effect with some, but sadly, with the vast majority of sinful men, it has had a negative effect. Listen to these words of Solomon.

"Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." (Ecclesiastes 4: 11 KJV)

It is because of the above truth that men have promoted the idea of a "speedy" trial, or at least one of the reasons. The longer time goes on, from the time a criminal is sentenced till the time he begins serving his time or paying for his crimes, the more other wicked men are encouraged and hardened in heart to pursue their crimes.

But, thankfully, with some, the "goodness" of God, or the recognition of it, has become the means of them having their "eyes opened" to see and adore and be thankful for the "goodness of God."

"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" (Romans 2: 4 KJV)

This is what the majority of men do! Because of their innate blindness and hardness of heart, that men despise God's "goodness" and "longsuffering" and "forbearance." Rather than being thankful for such mercies, they rather "despise" it. Rather than the testimonies of God's goodness, and the witness of the multitude of benefits he gives to undeserving rebels, sentenced criminals, being a means of humbling and softening their hearts, it becomes a means of further hardening them.

God's longsuffering and his waiting to execute his sentence against lawfully judged sinners, and his "goodness" towards them, often hardens men. They misinterpret the fact that they are not instantly "struck down" for their sins, erroneously thinking that sin must be a "light thing" with God, or that he will "overlook" it, or that his showing them temporal mercies guarantees that he will have eternal mercy upon them.

"He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 147: 19, 20 KJV)

Though God has favored all men, yet he has favored his chosen people in a special way. We may say that he is "good to all men, specially of those who believe," or who are the chosen of God. (I Timothy 4: 10 KJV)

"But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us." (Zechariah 1: 6 KJV)

This verse, and others like it, in the Old Testament, do not contradict the verses already cited, although they might seem to do so. Yes, every blessing a man receives is wholly undeserved. The scriptures are very plain on this point. And, for every blessing he has received, he may say - "the Lord has dealt with me, not in strict justice, nor according to the desert of my sins."

But, likewise, a sinner can also say that every evil he has experienced or received in his life, is the result of God giving him what he deserves.

The matter is resolved when one considers that man is not now getting ALL that he deserves. The day is coming, however, when "parole" will be over, and all opportunities for mercy gone.