Billy Graham once said, “The cross shows the seriousness of our sin—but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God.”
Beautiful description of God’s love. But, permit me to rephrase it and say, the cross shows the seriousness of our sin—but it also shows us the magnanimity of God’s mercy. If the cross is the symbol of the judgment of God upon sin, then it is also a clear display of the greatness of God’s mercy towards us. The consequence that we should have faced, He bore them all in our place. That is the mercy of God.
But beyond knowing what the mercy of God is, today, we learn about how vast it is, how much more it is.
Remember the thief on the cross…I mean the crucified beside Jesus. As he hung there—the weight and repercussion of his sins holding him down—he probably thought he was past redemption. He was a few hours away from death, and perhaps he was thinking to himself, this is the end. However, God shows us His mercy can rewrite a person’s script. His mercy is sufficient to change a story thought to be over. God’s greater mercy overturned his great sin, and he received a promise of paradise. (Lk. 23:39-43)
Think of how many “little” sins we commit every day. Think of how impossible it is to claim we are without fault (1 Jhn. 1:8). We fall short again and again (Rom. 3:23). Yet, none of that has stopped God from loving us, from calling us to draw nearer, from calling us His children. If it is not mercy, what else could it be?
A songwriter once sang, “Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.” I have seen people disqualify themselves before God because of how numerous or terrible their sins seem. They become so overwhelmed by guilt that they withdraw from Him entirely. This mirrors the posture of Judas; not merely sorrowful, but despairing. Scripture tells us that godly sorrow leads to repentance, but worldly sorrow leads to death (2 Cor. 7:10). When sorrow or shame—as they call it—is not surrendered to God, it drives us further from the only One who can restore us.
Praise the Lord, His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness, new every morn
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more
Songwriters: Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
Peter also committed a grave sin by denying Jesus three times (Lk. 22:61–62). Yet his story did not end in despair. He wept bitterly, but he returned. And Jesus restored him (Jn. 21:15–17). If his sin was deep, then God’s mercy ran deeper still.
Scripture says in Romans 5:20 that “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” If grace truly abounds beyond our sin, then we are not disqualified from approaching God. Our failures and shortcomings should not prevent us from going to God. They should rather be the very reason we run to Him. We are invited to come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:16).
I think the problem, sometimes, is that some of us think God’s mercy is dependent on our worthiness. But it really isn’t. He shows us mercy for His own sake (Isa. 43:25; Ezk. 36:22). So don’t let condemnation overwhelm you to a point where you think God’s mercy can’t reach you. If it could reach the thief on the cross, then it surely can get to you, too.
Oh, if only you knew how unfaithful I have been.” His mercy is more.
“If only you knew how many times I have fallen.” His mercy is more.
“Oh, if only you knew the wrongs I have done.” His mercy is more.
“If only you knew how careless I have been.” His mercy is more.
The purpose of this message is to stir your heart towards thankfulness for God’s mercy. It is also to remind you that you are not too far gone. God, like the prodigal son’s father, is always ready to meet us on the way when we make a decision to return (Lk. 15:20). Nineveh was marked for destruction. In His mercy toward them, He sent a prophet to them. And when they repented, God relented (Jon 3:10). His mercy is more than enough to redeem you and set you on the right track.
No matter how far you think you’ve wandered, mercy has already gone further. The cross stands as proof that your sin is not the final word; God’s mercy is. When guilt says “too late,” mercy says “come.”
His mercy endures forever. It does not shrink at your failure. It meets you there, and more especially, it is more.
So if you’ve been hiding or running from God, today presents you with an opportunity to come to His throne of grace to receive mercy. Say this prayer: Dear God, I thank you for your mercy that is available for me in Christ Jesus. Today, I come to you, and I receive that mercy. From now on, I live above sin, empowered by your grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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