Stamped by Grace

We are stamped by mercy.

Mercy leaves a mark—it makes an impression.

It removes our hard edges and judgmental attitudes.

Mercy changes and shapes how we think.

And that’s how it should be.

In fact, we’re in serious trouble if mercy touches our lives but doesn’t make an impression.

Jesus told a story about a man who begged the king to release him from a million-dollar debt…

The king was merciful and forgave the debt entirely.

That same man, now debt-free, went after a co-worker who owed him a few thousand dollars.

This co-worker begged for mercy, but the man who had been forgiven the million-dollar debt gave no mercy.

He had his co-worker thrown into prison until the debt could be paid in full.

When the king was told what happened, he was furious.

He confronted the unmerciful man and held him responsible for the original million-dollar debt (Matthew 18.23-33).

Jesus’ parable serves as a reminder and warning to us…

Just as we have received mercy, so we must pass it on.

We have been stamped by mercy.

The goodness we have received from God and other people, we must pass on to others in equal measures of generosity, mercy and grace.

The basic biblical qualification for helping others is not theology, experience, training or expertise.

The most basic qualification for helping others is that you have been helped.

If you have been helped, then you are over-qualified to help others.

Has mercy touched your life?

Let it shape you, mark you, change you…

When we’ve been stamped by mercy, we are merciful—we give mercy.