Solomon declared that “by mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil” (Prov. 16:6).
Mercy and truth are the underlining themes — eternal principles that are the very fabric of God’s being. From this we learn how we may deal with our fellow man to help him cleanse his ways and depart from evil.
It speaks vividly of the character of the eternal Father, the God of creation, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. For it was proclaimed to Moses, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex. 34:6-7). If this epitomizes the Father, then surely His character is reflected in His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the “brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person.”
How marvelous, then, are the workings of the spirit of God. How lofty and noble are His works! How exalted and excellent are His ways! It is God who “is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” It is God who “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” It is God who “satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” It is God who would “have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” It is God who was longsuffering and “waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing.”
And yet, He by no means clears the guilty, for “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Indeed, only eight souls were saved in the days of Noah. An entire generation was condemned which speaks forcefully of the corruption of man. But in the midst of adversity, what consolation it is to know that “if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right…he shall surely live.” Such was the testimony of Noah and the faithful of old.
Why, then, does man “despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads to repentance?” Why is man so hasty to judge? So quick to condemn? So inclined to destroy? So ready to alienate? Why is man so disposed to send fire down from heaven and consume that which has taken time and labor to build?
The saints are not so. They are the servants of the Most High God — His sons and daughters who have come out from the world and are separate. They are men and women who are earnestly striving to put on the divine character which Paul elaborates as “bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another.” He adds, “If any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”
Truly, the saints are men and women of the most noble qualities built upon the foundation of mercy and truth.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One