Judgment, Forgiveness, and Mercy
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 15:12
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:2) The Scripture says, “Do not judge,” and some people take this to mean we should make no judgment of others. But the Scripture says, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged.” This implies that the way we judge others is the way we will be judged. We are continually making judgments in this life—for example, in voting, choosing friends, choosing our spouse, and recognizing false prophets. We make judgments of others, but we do not condemn others. We may judge our Christian brother’s sinful behavior, but we don’t condemn our brother. We go to him in love and encourage him to overcome the sin. Our righteous judgments about others can provide needed guidance for them. We approach any such judgment with care and compassion and judge the situation rather than the person, and we should refrain from making judgments until we have adequate knowledge of the facts.
Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! (James 2:13) Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. It’s not giving the punishment they deserve, just as Christ did for us, he was sinless and he took our sins to the cross. We are guilty of sin but through the mercy of God we are forgiven.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14–15) Forgiving those who have committed horrific crimes against us can be very difficult, but possible with God’s love and forgiveness flowing in us from the Holy Spirit. The center of God loves is forgiveness through sacrificing his only Son on the cross for our sins. The more forgiveness we have for others, the more forgiveness we receive from God. When we forgive we are freeing ourselves and releasing that person into the hands of God.
From these scriptures on judging, mercy, and forgiveness; we can easily conclude that the way we treat people is the way God will treat us. If we have a loving forgiving heart with our judgments centered on mercy, this glorifies God’s and we are blessed with forgiveness and mercy. Forgiveness and mercy come from a heart filled with God’s love and his love is centered on forgiveness and mercy.
Today treat people with kindness, reflecting God’s love. Do not harbor any toxic thoughts of unforgiveness, but show mercy and compassion. When you make a judgment about someone, be encouraging and edifying Note the contentment you can feel when we have a heart of forgiveness and mercy that enables us add value to people.
Prayer: Lord, help me to judge others with a heart of love, looking for the good in people and not the bad. Free me with a truly forgiving heart, a heart that desires to encourage people by finding the good in people. Help me to accept others the way you have accepted and saved me. Thank you for your perfect love. In Jesus name, Amen