God is the originator of mercy.  He gave birth to the concept of being merciful.

2 Corinthians 1:3 (ESV)
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

To show mercy is to demonstrate pity and compassion.  From the time sin was introduced into the world, to this very moment, this is what every man needs from God—mercy.  This is due, not to the fact that one man sinned, that is, Adam, but because we all sin.  While sin and death were introduced by one man, death was spread to all men “because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

We cannot blame others for our sins.  We certainly should not blame God.  After all, it is not as if He created us as sinners as some have taught.  We were not born sinners; we became sinners, and James tells us when that happens.

James 1:14-15 (KJV)
¹⁴ But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. ¹⁵  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

We sin, not because we have to sin, but because we choose to sin.  That means that we are personally responsible for our own sins.  It may be that we are tempted by the devil and influenced by those around us, but in the end, we choose to sin.  What we cannot choose to do is escape our sins all by ourselves.  We need pity for that to occur.  We need God’s mercy.

The greatest demonstration of mercy ever shown was God sacrificing His one and only Son for sinful man.    We should realize that it was not only on the day that Jesus actually died on the cross that the mercy of God was shown.  The entire scheme of redemption was merciful, beginning with God asking His Son to give up heaven to become our propitiation to Jesus being willing to do it, paying the price for our transgressions.  It was all a matter of mercy.

I am glad that we serve a God who is just.  It is the justice of God that assures us that He will always treat us fairly.  I am also glad that God was willing to rise above justice and have pity on us.  If God operated according to the pure code of justice, we would be in big trouble.  You see, justice demands that the price for sin be paid.  It is God’s justice that will not allow Him to ignore  sin just to save man.  The price for sin must always be paid.  God’s justice demands it.

Fortunately, God’s compassion moved Him to come up with a merciful plan that would allow him to be both just and the justifier (Romans 3:26).  That plan, as we have indicated, had to do with Jesus paying the price for our sins, and it was all about mercy.  It was mercy that moved God to sacrifice His Son.  It was mercy that moved Jesus to give up the riches of heaven, take on the form of a servant, and, finally, die on the cross.  Everything about God’s scheme of redemption was mercy on God’s part and undeserved on our part.

We should thank God every day for His mercy.  His mercy didn’t stop on the cross.  Every time He forgives us when we sin, it is mercy on His part.  Every time He answers our prayers and helps us in times of need, it is a demonstration of His mercy.  Every time He provides for us with His providential care, it is His mercy in action.  Thank God we serve the Father of mercies.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.