Be Merciful As God is Merciful

Now we're ready for the main message. And I'm sure you've heard this verse many times in the past. Jesus Christ mentioned it during the Sermon on the Mount. And He said, back in Matthew 5, 48, Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. So we've all heard that, probably memorized it. But I want to talk about the parallel scripture to that. This verse actually is worth a whole sermon, but that's not my purpose today, because there's a less well-known verse that is complementing it. That is the parallel passage of Matthew 5, 48. And that's the one I want to focus on today, because it's not that well known. It's not repeated. It's not mentioned very often. And that's the one in Luke 6, verse 36. This is Luke's account of the Sermon on the Mount. But when it comes to this verse, God inspired Him to give it a little differently. I'm sure Jesus Christ spoke the Sermon on the Mount more than once. And in another reading of it, it's mentioned in Luke 6, verse 36. So He goes down, explaining the same things as in Matthew. But in verse 36, He says, therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. So that's an additional goal for us to have. Why have we not focused on this one enough? Why? Because usually people read more the account in Matthew of the Sermon on the Mount. And assume it's the same in the rest of the Gospels where the Sermon on the Mount is mentioned. But that's not so, as we have seen. So I'd like to focus on this verse, what it is saying. Why is it so important in our lives? And what is the meaning of this word? And how can we better apply it in our lives? After all, God is saying you need to be merciful as God the Father is merciful. That's a command. That is also a goal to strive to achieve. So God didn't put this out here in the periphery of what He wants us to do. No, this isn't the center. This is one of the great characteristics that He has and that He wants us to have. And unfortunately, that there is very little of. So what we should do when we look at a verse like this, many times people have not stumbled across this, that we are to be merciful as God the Father is merciful, is number one, always get the context right. That means before we jump to conclusions and have our opinion on what that means, let's read before what it was saying so we understand what Jesus Christ was trying to say and not read into the scripture another idea. So let's go to Luke 6, verse 31. As a matter of fact, Dave Markham in the sermonette touched on this. Thankfully, he didn't go far enough down. I was just thinking, I hope he doesn't get to Luke 6, 36. So he got to Luke 36, 30. And also when he used the scripture to start off with there, it's Micah 6, 8, and then he talked about God wanting us to be humble and to love mercy and to apply justice. And then he said, and I want to talk about mercy. I'm thinking, oh, no, we're going to cover the same area. And then he said, oh, no, no, it's justice. Oh, that's how I did. I said, great. God knows how to inspire. So you see, you're going to get two of those main three attributes. And of course, we don't ask each other, what are you going to speak about? We allow God to inspire and to guide, not to treat people like children. They're experienced. They can go to God on their knees and ask for inspiration, as we all should. And so let's start in Luke chapter 6, verse 31, where Dave Markham finished. This is part of the golden rule, as it is called. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

That is the golden rule of treating others. I would call that what true culture is about. Wherever you are, you try to put yourself in the other person's shoes, how to make them feel comfortable. How would you like to be treated, treat them that way? And so that's a huge principle to apply. And then he goes on to say, but if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. In other words, if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. We're all benefiting. So that's why everybody's helping. But if they don't do anything for you, then you don't do something for someone else.

And Christ says, that's not the way, because basically people that have no religious application in their lives, they don't fear God, they don't follow the Scriptures, even they, no matter what culture, if they're treated and helped out, they'll help the person in the same way. And then he goes on to say, verse 33, And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? That's why banks loan money. Why? Because they earn interest. So they're not doing it out of the bottom of their hearts and the goodness of their hearts. They're doing it because, hey, they're going to make some money out of you by lending you money and charging you for that.

And so Christ is saying, if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, and he's talking about getting back some earnings, something, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies. Do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return.

Don't charge them to make money on them. And your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For he is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. So here we begin to see the key point is that God is merciful, patient. He doesn't punish people as they deserve. He is long suffering. He doesn't go around when people sin and break his laws. He doesn't throw some thunderbolts at them in anger.

And there's another key definition. Let's go to Matthew 5, 44, because here is a parallel account that I was talking about. And it also brings out some of God's attributes. Matthew 5, 44, which is the parallel account to Luke 6. So he goes on to say in Matthew 5, 44, he says, But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

The same thing quoted in Luke, but then he says this, For he makes his son rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And so then he goes on to the scripture about being perfect. But the point here is that God knows what people are doing, and yet he is patient.

He does not punish according to what they deserve, but he is full of mercy. And that's the term that we want to really get a good grasp on today. Let's go to Exodus chapter 34 to see God's characteristics. This is God describing himself. Exodus 34 verse 6, how God the Father, and for that matter, Jesus Christ, when he was the pre-existent word, they both have the same characteristics. Exodus 34 verse 6, that's why both can be described as being love. Exodus 34 verse 6, it says, and the Lord passed before him, talking about Moses, and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation.

So this is what God describes himself, loving, long-suffering, merciful, and extending that mercy to those who follow him.

And then, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, there is a time when God will apply justice, but in his nature he extends the mercy, the time before he intervenes.

That's what long-suffering means, suffering long before intervening.

And so God extends his mercy and he avenges the sins and iniquities when the time is right.

Here we talk about God's word in its full measure. Yes, we talk about mercy, but we also talk about sin. Because, just like I was reading when I was studying this topic, we're one of the famous radio evangelists that you hear on Sunday. He's very active and he's very flamboyant, very eloquent. But in an interview, I'm not going to say who he is, but in an interview he was proud that he didn't talk about sin because he didn't want people to feel bad about sin. Why make him feel guilty? No, he'd rather just talk about God loves you. Well, the Bible talks about sin. And so God does talk about mercy and love, but he also talks about what happens. If you defy him and break his laws, that sooner or later he will visit, he will take care of that. Even though, in a general sense, he lets everything rain fall on everybody, be able to prosper. He's not out there with a chip on his shoulder attacking with grudges. No, he's very loving. But there comes a time when he does intervene. That's part of mercy. Mercy has parameters around them. It's not just as open-ended that no matter what you do, God's going to forgive you. He's never going to call you into justice and into judgment because he does.

And so God extends his mercy. He wants to be known because that's part of his inner nature, being merciful. There are two Psalms. Of course, many of the other ones touch on it. But I'd like to focus on two of the main Psalms that deal with God's mercy. The first one is Psalms 103. Psalm 103. That's the famous one. The other one's not as well known. I hope that's going to be an eye-opening experience for you to see the second Psalm that is dedicated to God's mercy. Maybe when you hear the hymn again after that, you won't hear it just the same way. You'll remember that it has to do with mercy. Psalm 103. Verse 1, it says, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Sometimes we forget. Sometimes God is blessing us, but there's something that is being held up and we forget about everything else that he's doing for us. We don't count our blessings because we've got something there affecting us negatively. And it says here, Do not forget all his benefits. Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. God is constantly intervening in our lives, bringing blessings. Now we know, eventually being physical, we're going to die of something sooner or later. There will be something that we will not be healed of. Just like what happened to Elisha, who made so many miracles, healed so many people, and yet the Scriptures say that he fell sick of a sickness of which he was to die. So we know that will happen eventually, but many times God extends our life and he intervenes. So it's talking about God doing it in his time. Verse 6 says, He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. So he's very patient and lenient with us. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward those who fear him. Those are the ones who obey him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father, pitys his children. So the Lord pities those who fear him. See, there's a qualification. He loves all of mankind, but he has a special relationship with those that follow him, fear him, which means deeply respect him, don't want to offend him. For he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. Verse 17, But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those as keep his covenant, and to those who remember his commandments to do them. So you see, that's what we have to do, our part. Because people sometimes say, well, why doesn't God do this for us? Why doesn't he do that for us? Do we ever ask ourselves, well, are we doing our part? Or are we separating God from giving us blessings? Because he wants to do it, but many times we're not doing our part. And God's not going to do our part. He will do his part. And so that's why it talks about, as we learn to submit better to him, to be humble and obedient, yielding our will to him, not being stubborn, giving up that old self and that pride and that vanity that keeps us separate from God.

Because God is ready to bless us so much more if we just allow him. Now, this is the second psalm that deals with mercy. Does anybody know the second psalm that deals with mercy? Anybody has read it and would know it? I'm going to open it up here. Anybody have any idea what that other psalm can be?

No? Okay. Let me give you the answer. Psalm 136. Psalm 136. And we sing this hymn all the time.

And yet, we don't recognize it as another one, the psalm of mercy.

Notice verse 1. It gives away the hymn. O give thanks to the Lord. That's the hymn that we sing. For he is good, for his mercy endures forever.

He goes on here and mentions mercy over 20 times in this psalm. And he divides it up. The first three are extolling and praising his character, what God is. So it starts out there. For he is good. O give thanks to the God of gods. In other words, he is the God, and all the world's gods are nothing for his mercy endures forever. And so it's this character of God. It's talking about his basic nature. It is foundational of his character. Then in verse 4, he begins to praise God for his great power and all that he has created. Notice in verse 4, it says, To him who alone does great wonders, for his mercy endures forever. To him by wisdom made the heavens, which has to do with this whole universe. For his mercy endures forever. In other words, it's a work of mercy. Just think how much time it took God to design this entire universe. For what? For our benefit. One day. He didn't do it in vain. He spent all the time. I can tell how much a parent loves a child by the amount of time he spends with a child, he or she, and gives them quality time. Not just being with them, but being concerned about them and making sure their needs are met, that they have their emotional tank full. Because when kids do not feel the affection and love of their parents, it's just like running on empty in an automobile. And what happens? Well, the child starts misbehaving, starts having all kinds of conduct problems, behavioral problems. Why? Because his needs are not met and they're too small to express it.

But if that affection is there, if that love is there, it fills their emotional tank and they get normal. They don't want to be out there being rebellious or being mischievous or whatever. And so God created all of this to show how much he cares for us.

I was just reading about DNA, that we have approximately 100 trillion cells in our body. And each one of those cells has this program that runs things, which is the DNA, the human genome.

And each one of those cells has that little genome, which is 3 billion letters long. And that is the equivalent of having a thousand volumes of books with a thousand pages each.

In other words, you're talking here about like a million pages of information just in one. And God created approximately a hundred trillion in our system because that DNA has to reproduce every time a cell reproduces. Now, you think God would have done all of that and taken all that trouble if he doesn't care and love for us?

God says, by my actions, I can show you my love. And that's what David was talking here about.

It says, verse 5, Yeah, we take for granted that the sun comes out every morning and warms us, gives us light, gives us life because we would all perish. We would all freeze to death if the sun didn't rise. And that would be it for us.

But the sun rises, and at night he put another great ball of light, which is the moon, so that we can see our way. And it's softer. You can imagine if we had a double sun, we could never go to sleep. But no, it's very light. It's very nice, the silvery light that comes.

And so David here is praising God for that.

And then in verse 10, he starts praising God for all the blessings that flow to his people.

He says, It's kind of like a choir that is singing that in the background.

In page 26, I mean verse 26, he goes on to talk about the force behind his rulership in heaven. Where does it come from? Verse 26, That's where his motivation, his power comes from.

And so when we start singing that, it's praising God that he created all things with mercy, with love.

Now it's time to focus on the word itself.

Here we've seen the term in the English, but this is one of the most important words in the Old and in the New Testament.

The Old Testament word for mercy is kesed. K-H-E-S-E-D.

We find it 240 times in the Old Testament.

This is what one of the dictionaries brings out.

It's called a Hebrew word for the day.

It says, while kesed is used for kindness, one person might show to another, such as David's kindness to Mephibosheth, the son of David's dear friend Jonathan, 2 Samuel 9.7.

It is God's mercy to man that stands out. If there is a single word, in fact, that could summarize God's dealing with His people, it would be the word mercy.

Kesed. The greatest manifestation of God's mercy, of course, is that of redemption, of rescuing us, His saving men from sin.

Psalm 51, verse 1. Let's go there. We're already in the book of Psalms. Psalm 51, verse 1.

Notice how well David knew God's character.

He could plead with God after having committed a great sin.

It says in verse 1, Psalm 51, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

So he's appealing to God's mercy because he knows God is that way. He is there to forgive, to lift up again, to heal.

Then this book goes on to say, We are always struck by Jonah's opposition to going to the unimaginably wicked Assyrians at Nineveh, because he knew that God was a God of, quote, kindness. He was kesed, and would save those pagans when they didn't, in Jonah's thinking, deserve it.

He was there complaining, God, you're just so merciful.

You should just annihilate them and destroy them and send thunderbolts and finish these wicked people.

But knowing you, you're long suffering. You care even for those people.

This book goes on to say, the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew, Old Testament, translates kesed with the common Greek word elios, which speaks of, quote, kindness or goodwill towards demiserable and afflicted, joined with the desire to relieve them.

The whole point of mercy, therefore, is to relieve the affliction that people suffer because they cannot relieve themselves.

Mercy is always extended to the helpless. With God's mercy, as our model, we are to show mercy to others.

But here in Luke 6.36, where I was discussing this, we don't use the typical word for mercy in the New Testament, elios.

There is a stronger word than that, and it's oiktirmos, which means yielding when it is not necessary.

That's what mercy is. You have all the right to throw the book at the person, to get back.

The person has done this, and you can really, you're justified. But it says you hold back.

Oiktirmos means having compassion. For the ills of others, it is used of God, who is, quote, the father of mercies.

Let's go to 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3. This is where it's used, the same word that Luke used in chapter 6.36.

Paul describes God as having this attribute. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3.

It says, Paul certainly went through so many trials when he was being beaten.

He could have said, well, God, I'm your apostle. What am I doing here getting beaten by rods?

He was one day shipwrecked in the Mediterranean Ocean, one whole day before he was rescued.

But he knew God's working out. He's there with me, and I'm going to get over this. So, it goes on to say about mercy. This is from the word study dictionary.

It says, So, he says that just as God is merciful, we're supposed to be a living sacrifice for Him.

Notice in Romans 12, verse 1.

He tells the Roman church, That's the word again, oik tirmos, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable.

You can also translate that as expected service. That's what God expects.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

So, he's saying, if you have that spirit of God, that mercy is going to be seen. It's going to be shown.

And believers, this dictionary goes on to say, are to show compassion, one for the other. So, it's not just God. It's not just saying, I want to have that. No, it's something that has to be applied. It has to be shown by action.

So, that brings us to the motivational part of this, the motivation. Why should we be this way?

Notice in Matthew 6, verse 12. Matthew 6, verse 12.

Why mercy is at the center, along with the other great virtues of our Christian life.

Matthew 6, verse 12. In this prayer that Christ gave, the model prayer or outline prayer.

Verse 12, it says, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Then he goes on to say, for if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

So, God expects us to show mercy for it to be part of our nature, our character.

Notice in Matthew 18, Christ goes on to give us an illustration of the forgiveness that he wants us to apply.

In Matthew 18, verse 21. Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him up to seven times?

Well, that's what the rabbis taught. They said, well, give him seven times, and then afterwards throw the book at him.

He doesn't deserve anything else. So Peter was thinking, well, maybe Christ will say ten times.

And Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

He goes on to mention in the parallel count in Luke that if the person comes back and asks forgiveness, if they repent, he says, you are to forgive them. You're giving him another chance.

Then he gives this illustration in verse 23. It says, therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

A talent was a huge amount of money at that time. Basically ten talents would have been worth millions of dollars today. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold with his wife and children, and all that he had and that payment be made. That's the way things were solved.

You became a slave, your wife became a slave, your children became slaves, and all you had was given as a partial payment for that debt. Verse 26, the servant therefore fell down before him, saying, Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.

Well, the owner knew that was not going to be possible. He had gotten himself so deep in debt, there was no way he was going to pay it back. And then the master of that servant was moved with compassion. He thought, Boy, this fellow, I just am about ready to destroy his entire life. Here, this man was free. He had his own house, had family, children, and now he's going to end up in jail. His wife, his children become slaves, the embarrassment of all of this. And so he thought, moved with compassion. He had mercy, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, which is a pittance, a very small amount in comparison. And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what you owe. So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. Same thing he had done. Now someone did it with him, and it was much more possible to pay this small amount back. And he didn't forgive him. He didn't have mercy. And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servant saw what had been done, they were very grieved and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you? And his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. And then this is the conclusion. So my heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses. And so, yes, it's a very high standard that Christ has established for us. But he lived it. He gave his life. And he, because of the mercy that he knew we could be forgiven, was willing to go through that entire sacrifice.

And another motive that's important to take into account, James 2, why it's important to apply it in our lives, James 2, verse 12. James says here, So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty, because God's law is not oppressive.

It's not a law of oppression or of slavery. It's a law that liberates us from all the things that enslave us. Sin enslaves us. Bad habits that we can break if we follow God's ways. We can clean up our lives. We can change. And as it says that we were dead in our works before God, we were considered dead.

He says he brings us a new life to live his way, according to his standards. Then he goes on to say, We're not going to have to worry about being judged severely if we learn to apply mercy to others, to be patient, to not let our own ego get in the way. And finally, how to apply it in our lives. In Philippians 2, we have to go back to the example of Jesus Christ. Follow him. Philippians 2, verse 1, it uses the same Greek word for mercy that we've been talking about. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. That's going to be shown in our lives. It's not just about us and our concerns, our interests, but that we are thinking about the interests of others, those who are suffering, those who need our prayers.

So we have to go beyond what is comfortable. We need empathy, which means the ability to put yourself in the other person's shoes and see their problems as they see them and be able to help them at their level, not ours. Not thinking ill of others, willing to forgive as we are forgiven. Now, at the same time, God's mercy doesn't mean we just let people run us over and that we don't have rights. We know that the Apostle Paul, when he was about ready to get beaten one time, and they started actually hitting him.

He said, Hold it. Do you not know that I am a Roman citizen? And when they heard that, they immediately stopped because a Roman citizen had the right not to be beaten that way. And so Paul could have said, Well, I'm just going to allow them to beat me up and just suffer along. No, you have rights that you can claim in the proper way. But he didn't start taking the lash and started hitting them.

But he has rights. And so being meek does not mean being weak. Notice in 2 Timothy what it tells us here in 2 Timothy. He says in chapter 2, verse 16, He says, But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness, and their message will spread like cancer. Hymnanias and Phileas are of this sort.

So you see, he's telling brethren, Be careful with these people, because they are spreading false teachings. So a person shouldn't say, Oh, well, I just have to put up with everybody, because I'm going to be merciful to this person that is injecting false teaching. That's not what he did here. And he goes on to say, Who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection has already passed, and they overthrow the faith of some.

And so he's constantly bringing up people that are going through having attitudes and rebelliousness, and you have to be willing to stand up, be courageous. But that does not mean you mistreat them. You still regard them with their dignity, and you don't just trash them and humiliate them.

And believe me, after 42 years in the ministry, there have been people that have attacked and they've done all kinds of things, and you have to learn. They can do that, but I don't have the right to do that back to them. And eventually, they either leave or we have to tell them, look, find another place, because we are people of peace. We want to follow God this way.

It talks about the contentious person that are causing all kinds of problems. It says, chapter 3, verse 13, it says, But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. And so, again, being merciful does not mean you are weak. That takes us to the final scripture in Colossians. Colossians chapter 3, verse 12.

And you can see how the whole subject of mercy from the very start in the Bible throughout the Old and the New Testament, it's the same teaching. God is merciful. He is patient. But also, He expects His law to be kept. And He brings down blessings on those who follow Him, who have yielded to Him.

And this is the attitude that we need in Colossians chapter 3, verse 12. It says, Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies. The word here, tender mercies, actually has to do with having that empathy, the feelings of being compassionate for the needs of others. Kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. So that is the Christian walk. It's not easy, but believe me, if we don't develop mercy in this life, when are we going to do it?

God wants us to learn to be more like Him, to be more patient, be more merciful, also with our words, instead of hurting somebody. When you're going to say something, is that going to really help? Is that going to contribute or is that going to stir up anger and all kinds of discomfort? Well, don't say it then. Learn to control the tongue, because it can do so much damage.

And so, as we prepare each day, when we pray, at the beginning of the prayer, we should think of God as a merciful God, that we can come before His throne of grace and mercy, that He is that way. He considers us as loving children that have access to Him.

And towards the end of our prayer, when we come to the part where we have to say, Father, help me to forgive others as You forgive me, help me to extend that patience and mercy and long suffering and compassion. I need that, Father. Give that to me through Your Spirit, considering others better than Yourself, walking humbly before God and man, considering others superior to oneself.

And we also realize, if we don't forgive, God is not going to forgive us. That doesn't mean that you forget the hurts and pains. You'll have those, but you're not going to be seething. You're not going to be indignant. You're not going to be obsessed with that person that did that to you at one time. You're going to put that in the back burner. God's going to deal with it. You know, justice is going to be applied, but we have to move on in our lives.

The positive side is, if we do forgive, God will also extend His mercy to us.

So we go back to where we started in the beginning of this message. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.