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You are here: Home / All Posts / Mercy and the Law of Liberty

Mercy and the Law of Liberty

July 1, 2017 by Sheri

Last month I shared thoughts on judgement and its effects on us. But what is the other side of judgement? Mercy. We still must decide if our actions are good or bad. Does mercy ignore bad actions and pretend they’re good?

Of course not. Mercy recognizes the wrong things we do, but allows us to get up and carry on. We don’t have to punish ourselves every time we fail. We don’t have to punish anyone else when they fail either, with words or actions. We, under the law of liberty, can extend forgiveness as Christ did to us. We are called to this, as followers of Christ.

Two verses in James concerning the law of liberty and merciful judgement connected in a way I hadn’t seen before:

“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:25

“For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” James 2:13

This is a description of imperfect progress. What is the law of liberty but a merciful judgement of our actions? When we fail, we don’t give up. We forgive ourselves and carry on. James also writes in chapter two that whoever sins in one portion of the law is guilty of sinning against all of it. The former law of harsh judgement crushes us before we can progress. The new law of liberty gives us freedom to stay the course.

One example of this is the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and asked what more he could do to inherit eternal life. When the young man said he had kept all the commandments, Jesus asked him to sell all he had and give it to the poor. The young man went away sad because he owned many things. This man was doing well, if he really had kept all the commandments from his youth up. But he put his possessions first, and was therefore guilty of failing the whole law.

Under the law of liberty, the rich young man could have begun to give away his things until he really had broken down the idols of his heart. But he was used to the law of judgement, and he saw only his failure. Why keep trying if there was no mercy for him?

We, on the other hand, have every reason to keep trying. Falling down shows us the merciful hand reached out to help. It reminds us to offer a merciful hand to others when they’re the ones who have fallen.

In what areas do you need mercy?

How can you extend mercy to others?

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About Sheri

Here Goes Something New!

Hi, I'm Sheri Yutzy. I love forests under the night sky, trying new foods, and drinking Irish tea.
I'm married to a musician who looks good in black, mama to two toddlers who love to eat, and happy resident of a Cape Cod cottage in Ohio.
I write YA fantasy and am acquisitions editor at sparkflashfiction.com.
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One thing I love about Ohio yards: no matter where One thing I love about Ohio yards: no matter where I go, I can always find a little patch of whimsical greenery somewhere that whispers spring is here. My yard right now is strewn with little branches and dried plants from the flowerbeds and old, brown leaves. But soon the grass will grow tall and we’ll gather the branches and everything will be lush and green again.
Fairy tales always seem like a spring thing. The curses end in spring, the eggs hatch in spring, the weddings happen in spring. But I love to see the magic woven into each season, each so different, preparing the earth for the next phase.

What whimsically green corners have you found this week?

#whimsicalwednesday #sheriyutzy #whimsicalgreen #whimsicalcottage #whimsicalspring #whimsicalgarden #yafantasyauthor #hanschristianandersen #bestlovedfairytales #fairytales #springfairytale #magicalspring #magicalcottage #booksoutside #slowliving #changingseasons #marchgreens
🌿✨🌿 Enough words in the world Enough bulbs 🌿✨🌿
Enough words in the world
Enough bulbs budding 
And stretching their hearty arms
Like solid poems, fragrant poems
The world outside is living poetry.
🌿✨🌿

#twentywordtuesday #poetsofinstagram #springpoetry #ednastvincentmillay #springinthegarden #poetryoutside #moodycottage #sheriyutzy #shortpoems
Mondays do odd things for me as an introvert. (By Mondays do odd things for me as an introvert. (By introvert I mean I need solitude to recharge.) 
🌿🌿🌿
Here’s what I mean. By the end of every week I’m ready to see my people, engage in my church community. And by the end of Sunday? I’m ready to be alone again. My kids usually are too, so they spend Monday playing pretend together and I lurk around catching up on housework, reading a book, and gazing out the window, enjoying my own inner silence. (It’s not super silent outside of me, but that’s okay.)
Monday is just lovely, because I’m filled up and rich with community, and I have a whole day to be home and ponder that fullness.
Yes, sometimes I want to be with adults after hearing children chatter all day, but most of the time their conversation is refreshing.

How do you find Mondays? Do you like to get started on the week, or would you like to stay in the weekend?
The wisteria is budding, and will soon be spreadin The wisteria is budding, and will soon be spreading its sunshine across the yard. Our bush was here when we moved and I’ve been so grateful for it. It blooms so early, the brightest thing around.
This weekend was a bit crazy. I did some new things, like make meatballs for a crowd, and juggle three Airbnb guests’ requests at once, and change a car key battery while away from home (thank God for the extra battery in the glove box) but here I am at Sunday afternoon, my time to take a look at the week before, and everything worked out.
I know it doesn’t always, but for today, I am grateful.

What made you grateful this weekend?

#wisteria #buddingwisteria #sheriyutzy #gratefulsunday #kingdomofashandbriars #hannahwest #yafantasyauthor #booksoutside #slowliving #gratefulliving #moodycottage #cottagegarden #intentionalliving #gratefulthoughts #springtimeblooms #timeforspring
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