What does mercy mean?
Romans 12:1 (NASB) reads, “Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice…”
“Mercies” in Greek is the word OIKTERMOS, which appears five times in the KJV and the NASB. It’s translated “mercy” or “compassion.” It means compassion, pity, mercy; the bowels in which compassion resides, a heart of compassion; emotions, longings, manifestations of pity.
MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE
ROMANS 12:1, COLOSSIANS 3:12
I had to go look up the definition of “compassion” again: “a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering…of others and a wish to help them.”
“Sacrifice” is, in Greek, THYSIA, which means “sacrifice” or “victim.” It’s the same word in the NASB as in Matthew 9:13 and 12:7, when Jesus says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
Colossians 3:12 uses the same word for mercy as in Romans 12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with OIKTERMOS, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
For further application:
Write out my own version of Romans 12:1, using the deeper understanding I get from knowing more about what the words mean.
Looking at Colossians 3:12, what do I understand from the idea that God expects me to “clothe myself” with an attitude (OIKTERMOS) that is supposed to describe a feeling of compassion, longing, pity, mercy, that comes from the deepest part of my heart, my very bowels? Under what conditions am I expected to be able to do this (reading the rest of the paragraph)?
PROPHECY FOR OUR TIME
EZEKIEL 34
Describe the attitude God wants us to have toward the weak among us. (Even toward myself when I’m weak!)
Looking at vv. 25-31, write out a prayer of thanksgiving for the ways I see this prophecy proving true in my life with God today. Is there any part of this I feel is not true for me? 6
Prayer:
God, you are urging me, because I should understand, accept, grasp that you have shown me your OIKTERMOS for me: in the deepest part of your heart, God, you long for me to walk in a right relationship with you and you feel the deepest pity for me, that I am so weak and need to completely rely on you for this. You are deeply sad and connected with me emotionally when I am suffering. You understand. You are not indifferent. You’re not focused on everything I should’ve done differently to be stronger spiritually today. You strongly sympathize with me and are eager to help me. Since this is the truth, and it moves me to praise you and worship you, (!!!) the way you want me to express this is by offering my body as a living sacrifice. Rather than worrying about whether I’m pouring myself out in the right activities and with the right people today, I will focus on giving my heart 100% and doing it out of gratitude for your loving me and taking care of me so perfectly!
Thank you God that I am one of your chosen people, holy, dearly loved! Thank you for this reassurance! With that confidence, I can clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. I love that you expect my heart to get there; and that in order to be able to clothe myself with the right attitudes and deep emotions I just have to understand your grace and love toward me (the very thing I want to do and need so desperately)! You expect me to be close enough to you and confident enough in your love and power that I can put aside my worries and fears and clothe myself with deep OIKTERMOS-type outward focus, vulnerable toward other people and willing to connect deeply with them and care about their lives and their relationship with you.
Thank you, God, for the covenant of peace that you made with me, that I can trust it completely. I can know that I am at peace with you, reconciled to you! Thank you!
ENDURING LOVE
MATTHEW 10:22, 2 TIMOTHY 2:10, 2 CORINTHIANS 13:5-12
He who “stands firm” to the end – in the NASB, this verse reads, “it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” The Greek word for “stands firm” or “has endured” is HYPOMENŌ, which means to remain, to tarry behind; to abide, not recede or flee; to be faithful to Christ in misfortune and trials; to endure: to bear ill treatments bravely and calmly.
What is God promising to me if I remain faithful, no matter what?
Think about what it really means to me to be faithful, to Jesus. Describe the kind of life, the kind of heart and attitude that I believe I am meant to have as a faithful disciple, under ideal circumstances (since 2 Corinth 13:11 says, “Aim for perfection”)?
Under what circumstances am I most easily losing this ideal attitude? Pray to God for wisdom about how to better deal with them. Who can I talk to about this today to get some direction about how to remain more faithful under these circumstances?
