The Absolute Mercy of God

In the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, vile wickedness ruled and God was not pleased. He sent two angels to Sodom to warn Lot, the nephew of Abraham, of the destruction ahead. Lot was a righteous man (see Genesis 18:19) who lived in this city full of rampant evil and God wanted to alert him to the upcoming annihilation of Sodom so that he could escape with his family.

Lot was hesitant to get out of the city, so the angels literally took him and his family by the hand and led them away from the destruction. “The Lord being merciful to him … they brought him out and set him outside the city” (Genesis 19:16). It is important to note that even though Lot was righteous and God saw something great in him, he was delivered because of the Father’s mercy.

In the church today are righteous people who serve God and live moral lives. Yet, it is only because of the blood of Jesus Christ and not because of any goodness or morality the Lord has seen in them that they are rescued. Think about when you were saved. The Spirit of God took you by the hand, pulled you out of your sins and set you outside the reach of wickedness and rebellion. He brought you out of judgment — out of Sodom — and led you far away from destruction.

We talk about the terrible sins of Sodom but looking around our world today, we see the sins of our society mounting to heaven. Sensuality, immorality and evil are growing bolder and bolder, unrestrained almost to the point of being unimaginable. How is it that we are not swallowed up in it? Why have we not been carried away with the moral landslide?

I tell you, it is all because of the absolute mercy of God! “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth” (Psalm 86:15).

Beloved, search God’s Word and believe all he has said about his mercy toward you.