Knowledge and Mercy

7/24/2020

Matthew 5:20 “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

How do I walk this world as a believer, and what do others see in me? If I asked myself this question on a daily basis, I would probably be a better disciple of Jesus. If I have knowledge of the Bible, but I do not apply it in every area of my life (no matter how difficult that may be), then my faith walk could be perceived as hollow in people’s eyes. It is not just about following the words within God’s holy text, but also having a relationship with Jesus and listening to the Holy Spirit about how to apply them. It is through a relationship with God that the words of the Bible become real and active. Chambers writes: “The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good things, but that he has good motive because he has been made good by the supernatural grace of God.” If God has extended His grace to me, than shouldn’t I extend grace to others?

Contrary to popular belief, life is not about being right. This is the way the Pharisees lived; they were knowledgeable, but they were not humble. Even as they held council with the Savior of the world, their pride would not allow them to truly hear His words. They held a position of worldly status and Jesus did not, and that status was all-important to them. They were blinded by the law they held onto, and refused to speak of grace.

Today, we often use God’s word for heaping judgement on others rather than guiding them to the truth of Salvation. We become legalistic and forget about mercy. We cannot make ourselves or anyone else pure in spirit – only the supernatural grace of God can do that – so why do we feel that we wield so much power? When we know the truth, it is our obligation to share that truth with others, not beat them down with it. Chambers writes: “No man can make himself pure by obeying laws. Jesus Christ does not give us rules and regulations; His teachings are truths that can only be interpreted by the disposition He puts in.”

I am always striving to be a loving, humble, disciple of Jesus, but I know this will only happen through abandonment to Him, for He is the wellspring of life.