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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