THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -
Reflections on the millennium
Chapter 4
DISCIPLINE IN THE KINGDOM (2)
WEEK 3 - FRIDAY
Bible Reading: Mt 18:21; Lk 6:38; Jas 2:13
Read and pray: "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." (Jas 2:13)
MERCY AND JUDGMENT
We know that our God is a righteous God. In the future, at the judgment throne, He will judge us according to righteousness. However, although there is righteousness at the judgment throne, there will also be mercy.
If you show mercy to others, the Lord will be merciful to you. If you are relentless toward others, and if you are so strict and uncompromising with the faults and weaknesses of others, the Lord will deal with you only with righteousness on that day.
If you are merciful to others, the Lord will show mercy to you. Luke 6:37 says that if you do not judge, you will not be judged; if you do not condemn, you will not be condemned; and if you forgive, you will be forgiven.
Some Christians are too mean today. When criticizing others, they point out every mistake made. When they do their best to criticize and judge others, they must be careful. In the future, God will deal with them in the same way they deal with others.
With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. If you give a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, the Lord will give to you in the same way. He who forgives will be forgiven, and he who shows mercy will be shown mercy.
Therefore, the Bible says that mercy triumphs over judgment (Jas 2:13). There is one thing over which judgment cannot triumph—over the fact that a person shows mercy to others throughout his life. We are not free from mistakes. However, if we show mercy to others today, God will be unable to deal with us.
Many Christians are unable to lose when dealing with others. They argue all the time with others, give little reason to others, and grant themselves all the reason. But today, on the contrary, we should show mercy to others.
When the time of judgment comes, there will be some against whom not even the Lord of judgment will be able to raise anything. This does not mean that man can intentionally alter the commandment of God.
It only means that if you are merciful to others while living on earth, God will be merciful to you. Your mercy today will triumph over your judgment tomorrow. The way you judge others will be the way you are judged. This grace is righteous.
The way you treat others will be the same way the Lord will treat you. The way you deal with others will shape a vessel with which God will measure judgment to you. James 2:13 says: "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment."
Those who do not show mercy to others will be judged without mercy. But for those who show mercy to others, mercy will triumph over judgment. Their mercy will exceed judgment. This is a wonderful fact.
Matthew 18 clearly shows us that God’s children can still fall into the hands of the tormentors. If this happens, they will have to remain there until they pay all the debt. Of course, there is no way to pay all the debt. But at least the day will come when they will learn to be merciful and to forgive others just as the Lord has shown mercy to them and forgiven them.
At that time they will have to show mercy to others. That is why in verse 35 the Lord says: "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother." This portion of the Word is not spoken to unbelievers, but to Christians, and it shows the relationship that exists between the heavenly Father and His children, and between the brothers.
Before this portion of the Word, Peter asked the Lord: "How many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" (Mt 18:21). The Lord told him he must forgive up to seventy times seven.
Then the Lord spoke about the two servants. If Peter did not forgive his brother, he would face punishment. The Lord’s word showed Peter that there is the possibility of being delivered to the tormentors; there is the possibility of being thrown into prison.
If for Peter there is the possibility of being delivered to the tormentors and cast into prison, for us too there is the possibility of being treated in the same way. That is why the Lord uses the plural "you" in verse 35.
His word is not only for Peter, it is for each one of us. If we do not forgive from the heart each of our brothers, the heavenly Father will do the same with us.
Please remember that our eternal salvation in the new heaven and new earth is unshakable. We are grateful to the Lord because this is by grace. But if today our problems are not specifically dealt with, we will still suffer specific punishment in the coming kingdom.
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Hymn - Supplements - "The Way of the Cross"
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