He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
He has not treated people as their sins deserve, repaid them according to their iniquities, or punished them as fully as their sins merit. Though their sins merit condemnation, He does not condemn them but reaches out with help and mercy, restraining His anger and removing the transgressions of those who fear Him to an immeasurably distant place, like a compassionate father pitying frail people made of dust and remembering their frame. He knows their weakness, defects, and lack of faith, courage, and understanding, yet He bears patiently with their weakness, ignorance, ingratitude, waywardness, and disobedience without acting in anger, never forsaking, forgetting, or abandoning them when they sin, but remaining forbearing, tender, long-suffering, and ready to pardon, giving His patient love even to the unworthy because they are in need and not because they are worthy. His forbearance is far greater than the harsh judgment people often show one another, and if He dealt with people as harshly as they deal with one another they would be consumed and left without hope. This mercy calls people to show forbearance, pity, and sympathy toward the erring, imperfect, and deceived rather than judging harshly, requiring parents especially to discipline firmly and kindly, never correcting or striking in anger but only after self-examination and prayer, since they themselves are imperfect and wayward before their Heavenly Father.
God's Merciful Restraint
God does not treat people as their sins deserve, repay them according to their iniquities, or punish them as fully and proportionally as their sins merit. Although human sins merit condemnation, He does not condemn sinners but continues to reach out to them with help and mercy. His mercy and grace restrain His anger, and He removes the transgressions of those who fear Him to an immeasurably distant place, as far as east is from west. Like a compassionate father He pities frail people made of dust and remembers their frame.
He knows human weakness, defects, and lack of faith, courage, and understanding. Yet He bears patiently with weakness, ignorance, ingratitude, and waywardness, and continues to reach out rather than condemn. He bears with waywardness, disobedience, and continual grieving without dealing in anger or giving the punishment that sins deserve. He knows people's weaknesses, defects, and lack of faith and courage, yet bears with them and gives patient love despite their unworthiness.
When people make mistakes and sin, He does not forsake them, forget them, abandon them, or leave them to their own ways. He is forbearing, tender, and long-suffering, ready to pardon and forgive, and moved with pity toward even the one who has sinned. He gives patient love and sympathy even to those unworthy of His favor, since His grace is given not because people are worthy but because they are in need.
His mercy is seen in the restoration of the paralytic, where forgiveness joined to healing brings hope, strength, purity, and peace. That restoration leads the healed man and his family to give thanks and glorify God.
Copying God's Mercy
God bears patiently with people whose ways and characters are imperfect rather than treating them as their sins deserve, and He does not punish them in proportion to their sins. His mercy contrasts sharply with the harsh judgment people often show one another, and His forbearance is far greater than human harshness. If He dealt with people as harshly as they often deal with one another, they would be consumed, and if He dealt with them as some who had received great light were treating their brethren, they would have been left without hope. This mercy calls people to show forbearance, pity, and sympathy toward those who are erring, imperfect, or deceived, rather than judging them harshly.
Parents in particular must copy God when disciplining children, for He bears with waywardness, disobedience, and continual grieving without dealing in anger or giving the punishment that sins deserve. They are to require obedience firmly and kindly and never with a storm of angry words, to punish in the spirit of Christ and never strike in anger, and to defer correction until they have examined themselves and prayed. Such gentleness is required because parents themselves are imperfect and wayward before their Heavenly Father, have passed tendencies to wrong to their children, and often act like grown-up children with childish lack of self-control and are easily provoked despite years of Christian experience and opportunities for self-discipline, while their children have had far less opportunity to gain self-control.
He has not treated people as their sins deserve, repaid them according to their iniquities, or punished them as fully as their sins merit. Though their sins merit condemnation, He does not condemn them but reaches out with help and mercy, restraining His anger and removing the transgressions of those who fear Him to an immeasurably distant place, like a compassionate father pitying frail people made of dust and remembering their frame. He knows their weakness, defects, and lack of faith, courage, and understanding, yet He bears patiently with their weakness, ignorance, ingratitude, waywardness, and disobedience without acting in anger, never forsaking, forgetting, or abandoning them when they sin, but remaining forbearing, tender, long-suffering, and ready to pardon, giving His patient love even to the unworthy because they are in need and not because they are worthy. His forbearance is far greater than the harsh judgment people often show one another, and if He dealt with people as harshly as they deal with one another they would be consumed and left without hope. This mercy calls people to show forbearance, pity, and sympathy toward the erring, imperfect, and deceived rather than judging harshly, requiring parents especially to discipline firmly and kindly, never correcting or striking in anger but only after self-examination and prayer, since they themselves are imperfect and wayward before their Heavenly Father.
God's Merciful Restraint
God does not treat people as their sins deserve, repay them according to their iniquities, or punish them as fully and proportionally as their sins merit. Although human sins merit condemnation, He does not condemn sinners but continues to reach out to them with help and mercy. His mercy and grace restrain His anger, and He removes the transgressions of those who fear Him to an immeasurably distant place, as far as east is from west. Like a compassionate father He pities frail people made of dust and remembers their frame.
He knows human weakness, defects, and lack of faith, courage, and understanding. Yet He bears patiently with weakness, ignorance, ingratitude, and waywardness, and continues to reach out rather than condemn. He bears with waywardness, disobedience, and continual grieving without dealing in anger or giving the punishment that sins deserve. He knows people's weaknesses, defects, and lack of faith and courage, yet bears with them and gives patient love despite their unworthiness.
When people make mistakes and sin, He does not forsake them, forget them, abandon them, or leave them to their own ways. He is forbearing, tender, and long-suffering, ready to pardon and forgive, and moved with pity toward even the one who has sinned. He gives patient love and sympathy even to those unworthy of His favor, since His grace is given not because people are worthy but because they are in need.
His mercy is seen in the restoration of the paralytic, where forgiveness joined to healing brings hope, strength, purity, and peace. That restoration leads the healed man and his family to give thanks and glorify God.
Copying God's Mercy
God bears patiently with people whose ways and characters are imperfect rather than treating them as their sins deserve, and He does not punish them in proportion to their sins. His mercy contrasts sharply with the harsh judgment people often show one another, and His forbearance is far greater than human harshness. If He dealt with people as harshly as they often deal with one another, they would be consumed, and if He dealt with them as some who had received great light were treating their brethren, they would have been left without hope. This mercy calls people to show forbearance, pity, and sympathy toward those who are erring, imperfect, or deceived, rather than judging them harshly.
Parents in particular must copy God when disciplining children, for He bears with waywardness, disobedience, and continual grieving without dealing in anger or giving the punishment that sins deserve. They are to require obedience firmly and kindly and never with a storm of angry words, to punish in the spirit of Christ and never strike in anger, and to defer correction until they have examined themselves and prayed. Such gentleness is required because parents themselves are imperfect and wayward before their Heavenly Father, have passed tendencies to wrong to their children, and often act like grown-up children with childish lack of self-control and are easily provoked despite years of Christian experience and opportunities for self-discipline, while their children have had far less opportunity to gain self-control.