Why No Mercy

Misunderstandings – Miscommunications happen all the time

When I assume everyone thinks the way I do, accidents happen.

Story

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Philosopher, done a lot of things. Really saw all of life through the lens of miscommunication

Sets out to write a rule book.
Decides the project is beyond him, changes his tune. Still brilliant guy but since they’re still disagreements over miscommunications, his project failed. 

The problem is right now, there’s a whole lot of Christians who seem to be obsessed with telling whole groups of other people what to do and believe.

That’s find, insofar as two conditions are met.

That you yourself are living out the Gospel
That you yourself are actively sharing the Gospel

What then, is the Gospel?

Bozos on the Same Bus

Story – People irritate me. I irritate others.  While it’s our natural tendency to give ourselves grace and understanding, it is also our tendency apart from the Gospel to believe we’re better than other people.

The Bible will have NONE OF THIS.

God’s Word teaches plainly that all have sinned and stand condemned before God

Romans 3:10 – “As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one.”
Romans 3:23 – “or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Story – John 8 – Woman caught in adultery

John 8:7b – “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 

Do you see, “DON’T JUDGE OTHERS”?

God takes Action through Jesus Christ

            This saving action is foretold in the OLD TESTAMENT.

One of the reasons we read and study the OT is because, in its own way, it’s about Jesus. All about Him.

All that to say, Christ’s salvation is told of in the Old Testament.

God in Christ relieves us of the punishment of sin – death

Isaiah 53:4-5 – “He who knew no sin became sin for us but he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has redeemed from the curse of the Law all who trust in Him by faith – No Laws