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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

(Part 2)


“When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.”
John 8:7-9

Like this woman, there are many people who are afraid to approach Christ because they are fearful of being condemned. They approach Jesus the same way the priests would approach the Ark of the Covenant. They would enter once a year, with fear and trembling, beyond the veil to make atonement for sin; fearful of being struck down as they placed the blood on the altar. However, as the woman caught in adultery stood there in her shame Jesus straightened up and asked her:

“Woman where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 8:10-11

The good news today is that God in His great love made a way for us to come to Him and receive mercy. We can now enter the inner sanctuary, behind the curtain. We enter by a new and living way, opened for us through the curtain, that is Christ’s body. Jesus went before us into the Holy Place on our behalf and made atonement for sin.

“He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.”

Hebrews 9:12

We can now draw near to God with full assurance of faith. He desires for us to come to Him. He is not waiting to condemn us, but rather waiting to extend His precious mercy toward us if we will come in humility.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16

Maybe you need God to do something in your life that you don’t deserve. You, yourself, created the mess you are in, either by ignorance, willful disobedience, rebellion or unrestrained sin. Your marriage is a wreck because you were unfaithful. Your finances are a mess because you were a poor steward. Your kids are running wild because you were disengaged. Your without a job because you were chronically late. Like the adulterous woman, you have no defense for your actions. All you can do is repent and throw yourself on the “mercy” of God. Can I tell you, that is precisely where God wants to meet you. He wants to meet you in the place of mercy. His Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for our sins. Through the blood of His Son, God made a way for us to approach Him to receive mercy. The Judgment Seat of Christ is very real, but it holds no fear over those who have come first to the mercy seat…because mercy triumphs over judgment.




Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

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