By God’s Mercy

 December 2, 2022

“Mercy” is a tricky word. It is devoid of meaning apart from betrayal, guilt, rebellion…sin, if you will. Apart from an offense, there is no need for mercy. So when St. Paul says in Romans 12:1, “I beg you therefore brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service,” I must ask two questions. First, what is the “therefore” there for? And second, what are the mercies to which he refers?

I’ve quoted this verse from memory for decades, but never asked these questions of it, and have subsequently missed an important facet of Paul’s argument. In the first eight chapters of his letter, he lays out the foundations of his theology, of universal sinfulness, the futility of trying to earn our salvation, and the necessity of faith. In chapters 9-11, he digresses, addressing the resistance of official contemporary Judaism to his gospel, and his heart’s desire that “Israel be saved.” He speaks in these chapters of how the sovereignty of God figures into the salvation of his Jewish brothers and sisters. In these three chapters, the word ‘mercy’ appears eight times, four at the beginning of the section, and four at the end. 

He says essentially, that though Israel historically were recalcitrant and rebellious, God in his mercy continued to love and choose them even as he judged their sin, and continues to do so to the present day.

The first verse of chapter twelve taken by itself is almost meaningless apart from the context of God’s mercy to his people. Paul enjoins our giving ourselves, our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, knowing that this God who has been merciful, continues to be merciful, that the sin and rebellion that we would expect to forever distance us from a holy God is negated and forgiven because God has demonstrated his mercy. Therefore, it is reasonable…it makes sense for us to give ourselves to him, and failure to do so is a most grievous offense. 

The beginning of Advent is as good a time as any to remember God’s merciful faithfulness. The coming of his Son into this sinful world is the ultimate declaration and demonstration of his mercy, so it is entirely appropriate for us to sing and rejoice for this most marvelous of gifts.