Mercy is the chief characteristic of God in the Old Testament. That’s right! It’s not His wrath but His mercy that prevails in describing God through those 39 books. Unfortunately, mercy is a misunderstood concept in our society, making it difficult to comprehend this vital biblical truth. Many states (not North Carolina) have what is called a No Fault car insurance which avoids assessing blame on either of the drivers involved in an accident. Society has adopted a “mercy light” version of mercy that is characterised by tolerance, attempting to  gloss over guilt. But is it possible to experience true mercy without first acknowledging guilt?  The mercy that describes God in the Old Testament does not gloss over sin or the guilt that comes with it. As a matter of fact, guilt must first be acknowledged before a person could enjoy the blessings of God’s mercy. Furthermore, God’s righteous holiness must be respected by the just punishment of that guilt. That is where mercy comes in. The gospel reveals the mercy of God in that when we acknowledge the guilt of our sin before a holy God, Christ becomes the object of God’s wrath on the cross so we can experience the radical love of God in the forgiveness of our sins. If we only ask God to tolerate our sins, His divine wrath is never satisfied and we would remain hopelessly separated from him. And how do we know if we have genuinely received the mercy of God? You will joyfully offer mercy to those that are burdened with guilt from a sin against you – something that can only be done in our lives through a supernatural work of God. Join us this Sunday as we take a deep dive into the refreshing waters of God’s Mercy.