When it comes to your relationship to God as an individual, to our relationship with God as a church, what would you say is our greatest need? What is it, above anything else that we need as we approach God? What is at the top of the list for prime importance? I will tell you, because I know the answer! It is mercy. Mercy. It is to be looked upon by God, not as we deserve to be looked upon, but looked upon favourably. That is what mercy is. It is a greater need than any other. Because without it, we can never ever come close to God – we can never ever seek his face, we can never ever depend upon him and call him our Father. We need mercy.
Mercy is at the heart of the Christian faith. Listen to what Paul says about our salvation in Ephesians 2.4. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” God is not just merciful – he is rich in mercy.
Mercy is a word we bandy around. We use it often in our prayers. We sing it in our hymns and songs. I started to look through Praise! and count the number of items there that include the word – but I soon lost count. Then I looked through the Psalms – 27 of the psalms focus on God’s mercy and our need of it. But I guess that if we use it so often it is either a word we understand very well – an aspect of God’s character that we fully grasp, or one which is simply another piece of jargon.
Jargon is a great hindrance to us. This week I installed a new drive on my computer. It was a DVD+-RW drive which needed to be connected to the master IDE socket number 2 and the old drive reset to the slave IDE number 2. That all sounds very clever and knowledgeable – but I haven’t the faintest idea what it means! Beware using jargon – let’s make sure we understand, we grasp, even if we have understood, we appreciate, what we are singing and talking and praying about.
So, then, if it is of such great importance, then as we consider the character of God, which, remember is what we have been doing, we certainly need to think about God’s mercy. That makes sense. So far we have considered God as the Creator – the one who is far above the heavens and put everything in its place. What power, what might and majesty the creation displays.
Then we considered the Kingship of God – how he rules and reigns with supreme authority and wisdom throughout the Universe. But how can we come to such a one. How can we have a relationship with him? Only by his mercy.
Now, this psalm is packed full of God’s character. At first that might seem surprising. After all, David is in trouble. Look at verse 14. We do not know exactly what sort of difficulty he is in, but it certainly seems to be some sort of physical danger. However, his appeal to God is not based so much on the trouble he is in, but on God’s character.
When the chips are down, David does not, in his prayers, spend time explaining to God the intricacies of all that is going on – he appeals to his character. He does that because he realises that apart from God’s character, and in particular his mercy, he is unable to approach the throne. He needs mercy, in fact, more than anything. That is one of his very first pleas in verse 3. Well, we’re going to concentrate on verses 5, 6 and 7 to understand more about God’s mercy. What do these verses tell us about God’s mercy?
1. It brings us forgiveness (v5a)
Ephesians 2.4 that we read a moment ago tells us that fundamentally God’s mercy is about forgiveness. It is a fundamental and prime requirement. People all around the world, all around this country, even around this town, even here this morning, perhaps – are thinking the same thing. They are thinking that they will be able to approach God on their own merit. It’s human nature to think that way. It’s human nature to be proud but what the Bible does is shatter our illusions. And they are illusions.
Even your very best, your absolute best, is not enough to please God – that is what Paul writes to the Romans, “those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God” (Romans 8.8). And so, if we are to ever have a relationship with God our prime need, our first need is this – to be forgiven.
Whatever else our needs may be, and they may be many, don’t get me wrong, our most important need is to be forgiven. David knew this. He is in deep trouble – yet is appealing to God’s forgiving nature in verse 5. Yes, God will certainly help us in other areas of our lives – but first and foremost we need to see our need of forgiveness which comes from a merciful God.
Sin is a relationship breaker. Goodness, how we know that in our own lives, don’t we. How many times, if you can even count them, has sin caused you problems and difficulties in relationships. We know that is true. How much more so in our relationship with the Lord of all. Sin is a relationship breaker.
However, God’s mercy means that he does not treat us as our sins deserve. That is the message of Psalm 103.10 –those exact words “he does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities”. Think about that for a moment. Where would you be if it wasn’t for God’s mercy. You would not be here. You would not have woken up this morning. You and I are deserving of judgment. We are deserving of destruction and punishment and condemnation. But God’s mercy means that we are not treated as our sins deserve. God’s mercy means we can be forgiven.
Imagine for a moment a court room. It’s a well known scene isn’t it. We often think about God’s final judgment as being like a court room scene, and that is often the way it is described in the Bible. Now, imagine you are trying to argue your case for acceptance by God and entry into his new kingdom. What would you say. The invitation comes from the judge sitting there at the front, it’s an invitation given to Israel in Isaiah, “review the past for me”, says the judge, “let us argue the matter together, state the case for your innocence”.
How ridiculous to imagine that we could stand in such a court and argue the case with God. Yet that is how many of us lived, how perhaps many of us continue to live – on our own merits. In that same passage in Isaiah 43, God gives the damning verdict, “your first father sinned; your spokesmen rebelled against me”. The verdict is “guilty as charged”. And yet, that same passage in Isaiah also speaks of God’s mercy, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and remembers your sin no more.”
God’s mercy means forgiveness for wicked, sinful people like you and me. How we need to know the God of mercy! However, it is not enough to know that God’s mercy brings forgiveness. We need to have some idea of the extent of his mercy. You see, if God’s mercy only forgives a little, we are in deep trouble. That is what we are like sometimes isn’t it? We can forgive a little, but we find it hard to forgive much. If that is true of God’s mercy, then I am in serious trouble.
2. It comes to us without limit (v5b)
David though talks about mercy without limit. He talks about abundant love in verse 5. As we sometimes sing, “there’s a wideness in God’s mercy, that is wider than the greatest sea and so I know it covers even me”. It is hard for us to imagine something without bounds. We have finite minds and we live in a finite world and the concept of infinity is pretty abstract.
But God’s mercy knows no bounds. Just think for a moment about the word “abundant”. The book of Common Prayer used to say “pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy”. We use words of magnitude so frequently today that they have begun to lose their meaning. So we need to just pause and reflect on what it means when David says that God – the God of mercy – abounds in love.
This language of abundance is found all through the Bible. Think about Ephesians again – there Paul speaks about God’s grace being “lavished upon us”. Have you ever had anything lavished upon you? Or in Colossians he talks about the “glorious riches of the mystery which is Christ”. “How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” he writes to the Ephesians.
In fact, so great is God’s mercy that it is almost inexpressible. God’s mercy knows no limit. There is none who is beyond his saving power. Why is this so important for us to grasp? Why, as we think about God’s character, do we need to remind ourselves of the extent of God’s mercy? The answer is, because of our need of it.
The Bible paints a very bleak picture of our lives without Christ. Let’s not be under any illusion this morning. We are dead, says Jesus. We are enslaved to sin, says Jesus. We are children of the Devil, says Jesus. Surely not! Yes, children of the Devil. We should be able to identify with David who speaks about, in verse 13, being in the depths of the grave. Literally. Continuing without Christ would find us, literally in the depths of the grave.
To be plucked from all of this requires something pretty special. Something big. Something without bounds. God’s mercy.
But there is still more we need to know about God as a merciful God. It’s not enough to know that he is a God of mercy and that his mercy is unbounded. We need to know who it is available too. You see, if it is not available to me, I may as well go home now – so could you. We would be wasting our time. Who then is this great mercy available to?
3. It is available to all (v5b)
The answer is, verse 5 still, it is available to all. More precisely, it is available to all who call to God. You know, our doctrine and theology is very important. We must not neglect it. But in the arguments and discussions about all sorts of doctrines such as election and predestination, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that the offer of God’s mercy is free and available to all. Now, I am not saying that those things are not important – I believe them to be true and essential to our understanding of God and his sovereignty. But let’s not understand them outside of the Bible which shows very clearly that the offer of grace is there for all who call on the name of the Lord.
Brothers and sisters. Let us not limit God’s mercy. We can do this. In our minds. In our lives and in our church life. We feel deep down that there are certain people who are somehow beyond God’s mercy. It is simply not true. It is available to all. If we are honest there are certain groups of people that if they walked in the back would make us feel uncomfortable. People with certain backgrounds. People with certain lifestyles. Sinners of all shapes, types, ages, sizes, orientations even! But God’s mercy is available to all.
In 1 Timothy 2 we read how God wants all men to be saved. So his mercy is not limited. And he has given the church the job of proclaiming that mercy, so our reaching out must not be limited. What is more, sometimes we limit the mercy of God in our own lives. I was very interested to listen to Derek French talk about the radio work and one particular letter he had received from a man or woman, I forget, who just thought that somehow, they were beyond God’s mercy. No one, not one, is beyond God’s mercy.
It is not, however, a distribution without qualification. It does not come to everybody automatically. It is not a case of don’t worry about anything, God’s mercy will come to you. You need to do something – you need to call on the name of the Lord.
Those of you who have children will know that the government very generously pays you child benefit. I can’t remember the exact amount – but I know it is available to all parents whatever their means and income. Tony Blair can claim it for his children and so, at the other end of the scale, can I for mine. It is available to all. But it doesn’t come automatically. You need to get the forms and fill them out and give the Benefit Office your bank account details and so on.
Do what you have to do and you can have access to the money. We need to call on God’s name. We need to tell others to do the same. We need to proclaim that is not enough to know God is a God of mercy. It is not enough to know the extent of that mercy – no, you must call on his name.
4. It is guaranteed to us (v7b)
I have one last point to make about our merciful God and the free and abundant mercy he showers upon us. It is guaranteed. I bought something last week and had to phone up the manufacturer to register my 2 year guarantee. I gave out my details and address and so on, and then the operator on the other end said, “I have just got to read you out a few terms and conditions”. Off she went. There were loads. Except they were not really terms and conditions, rather exceptions and things that were not covered. At the end I said to her, “it would have been quicker if you had told me what was covered, rather than what was not.”
The truth is, it is not much of a guarantee. It is definitely not a certainty that, if my camera breaks down, I will be able to get it replaced. Far from it. So many things that are guaranteed have small print – a little asterisk by them that makes you realise they are not all they are cracked up to be.
How refreshing therefore to hear that God’s mercy is guaranteed. Look at verse 7. David is absolutely certain of God’s response. There is no question of doubt in his mind. Paul says to the Romans in 10.11 that As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” He is echoing Jesus’ words “whoever comes to me I will never drive away”.
Assurance, or rather lack of it, is one of the great problems for Christians today. Can you identify with that, the feeling of “I’m not sure…”, or “Can God really love me….?”, “Will it really work out in the end….?” How do you think David felt? He had all sorts of troubles. He was chased. He was threatened. His life had been in danger. Goodness, even his own son had been out to get him. Imagine how he must have felt. Now read verse 7 again.
God’s mercy is guaranteed. We need to believe in the Bible. That is the problem we have when we lack assurance. It must be – the Bible tells us that God’s mercy is assured. We feel sometimes it is not. What does that mean? We are doubting the Bible – we are unable to take God at his word. So let us see that God’s mercy is guaranteed.
That then is God’s mercy. What a God we have! Let me just finish by giving you three very brief points of application. We have seen some application as we have gone through – I hope and trust you have picked up those things and noted them and will take them away and pray about them – perhaps Tuesday, but let me just show you three more:
Application – three “musts”
§ we must see our need of God’s mercy. When you list the greats of the Bible, don’t you include David? I do. A great man. A man who God said “was after his own heart”. What a great accolade! But just think – if David needed God’s mercy, don’t you? Not just saving mercy either, but God’s mercy every day, unless of course you have found a way to live a perfect life!
§ we must appeal to God’s mercy. It was Spurgeon I think who said that we needed to learn to pray with arguments. We need to learn to express the reasons why God should answer our prayers affirmatively, he said. It’s no good just knowing about God’s mercy – let’s make it the central point of our prayer! We need to be like David.
§ we must proclaim God’s mercy. If we are in need of God’s mercy so is the world. So is our land. So is our town. So are our road, our neighbours, friends and relatives. How will they hear unless we tell them?
Conclusion
Bothers and sisters in Christ. Our sin is great. But God’s mercy is greater. Our sin is enormous, yet God’s mercy is boundless. Our sin drives a wedge between ourselves and God, yet God’s mercy is freely available to all who call on him and comes with a solid, lifetime guarantee. So call on him. Whether you have never done so before or not. However long you have followed him, appeal and call on his mercy today.
“A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing, nor fear, with your righteousness on, my person and offering to bring, the terrors of law and of God, with me can have nothing to do, my Saviours obedience and blood, hide all my transgressions from view”
