“Legalists offer mercy.”

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-04) from his book, Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith (Kindle Location 1273). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Legalists offer mercy. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Now that seems to be a stretch for me to believe. How ever Larry says, “But the mercy they offer has limits. They have plenty of mercy for those overseas, mercy for those who face tough odds, mercy for those who don’t yet know Jesus.”

And that can be so true of me. I mean, I hear the stories of people who are going through tough times and I feel for them but that neighbor and his barking dog, or that homeless person with his hand out or that driver on the freeway.

He then says, “But there’s very little mercy for struggling brothers and sisters in Christ. There’s not much sympathy for people who are weak and faltering. For those folks, there’s nothing but a harsh rebuke and stinging exhortations to catch up with the rest of us, often with a disclaimer that they’re probably not even real Christians anyway.”

He goes on, “Unfortunately, the more zealous and passionate we become, the easier it is to fall into the trap of harsh legalism. We can become so focused on the so-called hard sayings of Jesus that we miss the incredible compassion and mercy he showed to the weakest and most vulnerable of his flock.”

Oh God, may I be honest in my own shortcomings. Oh how much do I really need you God and your mercy in my own life and in my dealings with others. You are truly a God of incredible compassion.

We really do need him don’t we?

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