THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERED MERCY
As children of God, we are called to follow Christ's example, and to be imitators of Him. Jesus was the holy One of Israel, and we are called to be holy, just as He is holy. The challenge for every child of God is, “Be holy, for I the Lord Your God am holy.” We are also challenged to follow Christ’s example, “Love as I have loved you and to be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful.”
We are set apart for the service of Christ and are commanded to walk daily in the way that God desires us to walk. One of the many attributes that we are instructed to imitate is mercy. “Be merciful, as your Father in heaven is merciful.” To be merciful is to be sympathetic, tender, responsive, forgiving and full of compassion, in exactly the same way as your heavenly Father has shown mercy to you.
Mercy is one of the many attributes of God, that we are to mirror in our daily lives. The Holy Spirit was given to enable us to walk in spirit and truth - as God's children we can reflect this beautiful characteristic, as we die to self and live for Him.
We need to trust the word of God and have it dwell in our heart richly so that we can be empowered to live as Christ lived, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, then can we be merciful as our Father is merciful. When 'king Self' is disabled, it is the mercy of God not ours that flows through us. It is through the power of His Spirit that we are enabled to be merciful - so that it is not I who am merciful, but the mercy and grace of the indwelling Christ, living in me that empowers me to be merciful - in the same way that God is merciful.
God knows that mercy begets mercy, just as judgement generates judgement and condemnation leads to greater condemnation. We cannot train ourselves how to be merciful by applying certain rules and regulations. When the godly attribute of mercy, or any other spiritual characteristic is manifest in a life, it is through the enabling power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of a believer - who has died to self, and has submitted their life to the Spirit's leading and guidance - so that the beauty of Christ may be seen within.
God knows that when we start to come to terms with the unfathomable mercy that He has shown to us - in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, so that by faith in Him we might be forgiven of our sins and receive eternal life - that His perfect life will be formed within, and we will be enabled to diffuse mercy to others, because of the mercy that our heavenly Father has so graciously bestowed on each one of us.
My Prayer
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the mercy and grace that You have shown to me, and to all who trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Thank You that You reached down in mercy to lift me up from the miry clay and placed my feet, firmly on Christ, the Rock of my salvation. May the unfathomable mercy that You have so graciously bestowed on me, flow through me to others, so that I may be merciful, just as You are so merciful to me. This I ask in Jesus name, AMEN.