Made New Part 4 - Mercy and Truth
May 5, 2024
My kingdom is
of this world. —John 18:36 Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. —Romans 12:2
- God’s kingdom is not of this world. It is counter-cultural. That means that all spiritual formation is
1. Mercy and truth are
in God’s Kingdom.
Psalm 85:10 – Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Mercy: chesed; compassion, loving-kindness, loyal love, unending love.
Psalm 25:10 – the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.
Psalm 40:11 – let your mercy and your truth continually preserve me.
Psalm 86:15 - plenteous in mercy and truth.
Psalm 89:14 – mercy and truth shall go before your face.
The human tendency regarding mercy and truth is
In society today, there’s also a tendency toward mercy
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. —1 Corinthians 3:11
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. —Hebrews 13:8
God’s word doesn’t change, and He doesn’t change. So who needs to change? Who needs to be made new? Us!
The moment we start to think that God’s word needs to change to accommodate me, we have entered into
2. Mercy and truth
lead to life change, renewal, and healthy spiritual formation.
1 My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. —Proverbs 3:1-4
- Mercy without truth – leads to license.
- Truth without mercy – leads to
13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” —Mark 2:13-17
Matthew 4:17 “
Repentance means to think differently, to turn, and to change. Repentance is life-change.
3. Mercy and truth need to
our inner life and external actions.
Bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. There is an outward application and an inward application.
The world you cultivate in you is the world you reproduce
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. —Jeremiah 31:33
Actions Steps
a)
b)
- God’s love will move you to see people with the eyes of heaven, and move with mercy. It transcends labels, and human effort
4. Mercy and truth together results in
with God and people.
God calls us to be a people of mercy and truth! What will result from being people of mercy and truth?
Favor: look upon kindly, support, respect, influence. A man or a woman of mercy and truth. Luke 2:52, Acts 2:47.