February 9 - The Possible Attribute

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Luke 6:36 (KJV).

Mercy is an attribute that humanity can share with God, thereby cooperating with Him. The mercy and love of God purify the mind and beautify the heart, cleansing life from selfishness.

God’s love for the angels is an inherent part of Himself, direct and absolute in His divinity. His love for humanity, however, takes on a special form—a love born out of mercy, for human beings are entirely undeserving.

Mercy implies the imperfection of the one receiving it. Because of human imperfection, mercy has been brought into active existence. Sin itself is not the object of God’s love, but rather His abhorrence. Yet, He has compassion on the sinner because each person bears the image of the Creator and has been given the faculties necessary to become a child of God—not through personal merit, but through the imputed merits of Jesus Christ, made possible by the great sacrifice of the Savior.

In the church militant, humanity will always be in need of restoration from the consequences of sin. We are all dependent on one another. While one person may excel in certain areas, they may be lacking in others. Every human being is subject to temptation and in need of the influence and support of fellow believers. Those who cooperate with God by showing mercy place themselves where God can extend His mercy to them, aligning their lives with His divine attributes.

God’s love and mercy are always extended toward sinners. Should men, who have sinned against God, refuse to forgive and accept a repentant sinner? God loved us while we were still sinners. How clear and undeniable is our duty in the words: "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise" (Luke 6:31, KJV). Only those who walk with Christ can truly be merciful.