While the Bible is clear that sin must be judged and is the reason that billions of people today have been separated from God, it is also true that His mercy offers us pardon from a lifetime of sin. (James 2:13) puts it simply: “…Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
Before I became a Christian I thought I was a pretty good person. But soon after I came to Jesus, I started to realize that not only was my life full of sin, but even many of the good works I did were not done from a loving heart but from selfish motives. Let me explain. I used to volunteer at a community center in New York City that housed people with mental issues. I helped to feed them and socialized with them.
This clearly was a good work. However, after I came to the Lord, the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to examine the real motive behind this act of compassion. As I reflected on why I did this “good work,” I had to admit that there was a void in my life and I thought by doing this volunteer activity it would help fill the void in my life, as I searched for meaning and purpose. Well, my main motive was not the people who benefitted, but me and my desire to find meaning. In reality it was me first, and others second. This clearly is not a very godly motive. But now as a Christian, I do many similar good works, not to find meaning but as an overflow of the love of Christ within me. Rather than me first, it’s Christ first, others second, and then me. Agape (selfless) love now rules my heart instead of the self-love I use to live by.
But there were many other times that my behavior was outright sinful. I lied to either get my way or protect my feelings. I may not have robbed banks but I stole little things when no one was looking. I envied what others had, I lusted in my heart at women, and committed many other sins of omission. In short my whole life was one of sin and disobedience to the Lord.
My friends, sin is doing anything that violates God’s standards of right and wrong. And as a result my whole life was riddled with sin. But praise God, Jesus did something quite remarkable: He died on a cross to atone for my sins. And now, even when I do sin as a Christian, His mercy is there to cleanse away my sins.
So whether you are a sinner who doesn’t know the Lord, or a Christian who on occasion is disobedient to Jesus and sins, once again, His mercy triumphs over judgement.
In closing, I ask you to take a look at these poetic words from Max Lucado, who once shared a quote that truly touched my heart and gives us a wonderful picture of the grace and mercy of God: “Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, ‘I can clean that if you want.’ And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin.”1