In this progression through James 3:17, we now come to mercy and good fruit, flowing so logically out of submission.
Notice that mercy and good fruit are listed together, as one entity.
That is because mercy, in its Godly form, bears good fruit! The two cannot be separated.
And unlike human mercy, the mercy of God is never-ending; it is “new every morning” ( Lamentations 3:22-23).
Also unlike human mercy, God’s mercy is not enabling, meddling, or controlling (Luke 5:31-32). (And so, in mercy as in all things, we are to be imitators of God--Ephesians 5:1).
As humans, we may think we are being “merciful” when, in reality, we are only allowing dysfunction to continue, and even to progress to increasingly detrimental levels.
Mercy is not giving people money who could earn it themselves.
Mercy is not being used by adult children to prop them up in their laziness or their holding out for a job they are doing nothing to equip themselves for.
Mercy is not looking the other way when we see a person we are close to cheating on their spouse, ingesting drugs, hurting others, or gossiping.
Mercy is not agreeing with or operating as though we cannot be discerning about societal value systems that are in direct opposition to God’s value system—(a value system established and proven in the life-giving Christ).
There is a difference between acceptance of what another person chooses for him or herself, and condoning.
Mercy, when we are in a relationship with a person, gently talks things out, addresses concerns and offers help towards a solution.
Mercy prioritizes our responsibilities:
So if (taking an example from my own life), we are attempting to live in sobriety after 21 years of alcohol addiction, our priority is not to our drinking friends and families.
Our merciful duty is not to them, but to our sobriety.
Our priority is not to surround our children with drinking loved ones all the years of their growing up.
Our priority is to have mercy on the miracle God is working in us to empower us through His Spirit to break an addiction that has strong-armed us into slavery and misery for 21 years—to show mercy to ourselves and our children in our present attempt at sobriety, as well as being merciful to breaking the chain of addiction in our children’s future.
Mercy doesn’t give in to sin—either our sin or the sin of others. It resists sin so that mercy, true mercy, can prevail.
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
“We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for another and for all people” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15).
The way God set things up, there are consequences to sin in order that we do not miss out on all He has in store for us and the community of His people.
So although He forgives repentant hearts and minds, He often follows sin up with consequences in the logic that the consequences will teach us not to sin in that way again.
It is the refinement of God that we already acknowledge and expect in the real world, especially in the raising of children.
We know full well that frequently the most merciful thing we can do for a loved one is to correct—to protect from harm by saying “No,” holding accountable, and taking away privileges.
That is the side of mercy that leaves no choice but to do the difficult thing:
“My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD
Or loathe His reproof,
For whom the LORD loves He reproves,
Even as a Father corrects the son in whom He delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12).
“It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” Hebrews 12:7-11
One of the most beautiful, and, I believe, overlooked passages in Scripture is the following:
“My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).
However, the above passage is beautiful only if done along with this:
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1).
The above two verses, combined, strike a rather rare pose of mercy—one not commonly adopted. We, and I have been guilty of this many times in the raising of my children, often excel at “restoring,” while failing miserably at “gently” and “watching ourselves.”
So then, mercy does admonish: it is one of the most loving things anyone can do for another. Fruit that comes of correction is lasting, maturing, sanctifying. But, just as we desire gentleness from others with whom we are in conflict, they also require it from us.
Tomorrow I will take a look at the other side of mercy, the one we typically think of when we contemplate what it means to be merciful.
Copyright Barb Harwood
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