His Mercy Endureth Forever

In previous articles I have dealt briefly with the subjects of grace and forgiveness, but what is grace exactly? I have heard it defined as undeserved favour, or getting something we don’t deserve. However, I think that definition falls short of conveying the true power and import of grace.

I, and many of my contemporaries, have grown up in a culture of entitlement, where we have begun to think that we deserve the plenty that we enjoy—that it is our right. However, we in fact have no right to grace because we DON’T deserve it. Furthermore, grace given is always the prerogative of the giver—nobody can extract grace from someone else by either force or favour.

I discovered an excellent definition of grace on Webster-dictionary.net specifically in regards to God’s grace, which is the only standard we ought to use. “The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His mercy imparts; divine love or pardon; a state of acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor.”

For many years I have believed grace and mercy to be two separate entities, not necessarily dependent upon each other. However, I believe the definition above is one of the best I have seen for grace because it is in fact dependent on God’s mercy. Mercy could be defined as undeserved compassion, or not getting something we do deserve. Webster’s defines mercy as, “Forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of provocation, when one has the power to inflict it.”

The phrase “his mercy endureth forever” appears no less than 41 times in the King James Bible. In other words, mercy is part of God’s infinite and eternal nature, which allows him to extend grace to sinners. However, God’s justice is never set aside to make room for mercy—both aspects of his character must be satisfied.

God’s mercy cannot extend grace to sinners unless justice is served, “for the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23) God says that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment,” (Heb 9:27) for God MUST judge sin. God CANNOT accept us because we are all sinners. We may well ask the same question posed by Bildad thousands of years ago, “How then can man be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?” (Job 25:4)

Unlike Bildad, who asked the question in a rhetorical manner, we have the definitive answer. Almost two thousand years ago, “when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman” (Gal 4:4) to die in our place. “For he [God] hath made him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor 5:21)

But praise be to God, he did not remain in the state of death! When the mourners went to the intended tomb of the son of God it was empty, and an angel was there to declare, “He is not here: for he is risen.” (Mt 28:6) As a result, “whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” (Acts 10:43) Any in that condition can declare with utmost certainty, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Rom 8:34)

-A.N. Scharf

Mercy and truth unite,
Oh, 'tis a wondrous sight,
All sights above!
Jesus the curse sustains,
Guilt's bitter cup He drains,
Nothing for us remains,
Nothing but love.

-T. Kelly