On Trial- Justice, Mercy, Walking Humbly
If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? We can get so consumed with the deeper questions of our faith, or simply get too busy to think about this question, and forget the basics of whether we're actually living and looking like a Christian. This week I will look at three simple things God requires of us. These three things are examples of the evidence of what a Christian should look like.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. –Micah 6:8, NIV
What does it mean to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God?
Act justly:
To do what is right is to live righteously, to be honest, to not lie on others, to use honest scales, to be forthcoming, to not try and cover up situations where you’re in the wrong, and to speak out against the injustice you see in the world by shining light on darkness. It’s what God has outlined in His Word. Also, to strive and keep the moral laws- the 10 Commandments.
To love mercy:
I’d argue that before humans can understand what it means to do justly OR to be merciful to others, we must understand that we’re caught in God’s grace and mercy. We can’t buy our way into heaven, we can’t pray enough or do works to win God’s mercy. He chooses to love us and be merciful to us. We’ll tire ourselves out trying to win His mercy by doing works, not realizing we already have it.
When we understand the gift of mercy that God gives to us, then we’ll inevitably want to be merciful to others- to show compassion and empathy. The Fruit of the Spirit will naturally and organically pour out of us. And though there will be times that we will have to fight against flesh to be merciful to those who don’t deserve it, we can do it with the power of the Holy Spirit.
To walk humbly with Him:
To totally submit ourselves to Him and let Him have authority in our lives. To pray daily. To study His Word. To wait on His timing. To walk with Him like Enoch did. To have a relationship with Him like Moses and David did. To get to know the character and heart of God takes time, but He does want to reveal Himself to us individually and in different ways. To do that means pushing into Him and walking with Him with absolute humility and reverence.
If you were on trial, sitting in a courtroom, being asked if you were a Christian, would the evidence show that you act justly, that you love mercy, and that you walk humbly with God?