just a little punch

James 2:11-13

11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 

13 Forjudgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

When I pick up my kid at school every day I ask how he is was during the day… I do like to know if he had a fun day and if he felt good and all that stuff, but when I ask I am asking about his behavior, because he has had some issues in the past and i want to stay on top of that and make sure that he is behaving. So the other day I asked how he was and he got all excited, a little too excited… “I was so good during nap time today Dad, I was so quiet and the other kids were being loud, but I was quiet… and when I wanted to play with Sophia under the table (yeah, I know that sounds odd for nap time) instead I just closed my eyes and tried to take my nap, and I never talked, even when Mr. Matt had to talk to all the other kids, I was being so good, I
was being super good, etc… blah blah blah” he went on and on about how good he was being during nap time.. so when he finally finished bragging about his nap time skills Mr Matt leaned down and said “you really were good during nap time buddy, but then what happened?” and my son was still up beat and just passed right on past this info - “oh yeah, well then i punched Vinnie, but I was super good during nap time!!”
When I wanted to know how his day was it just wasn't good enough to know that he was good at nap time, if you are good at nap time but get in a fight at playground time you can’t call is a great day! So Liam still had consequences for fighting even though he was being good. So here is the thing, I need to get my kid to understand that he has to follow the rules.
So we set up consequences for actions, both positive and negative.
Anything from not getting a piece of candy on the way home all the way up to some bigger consequences for bigger crimes. He needs to learn from his mistakes… however, it would be really rough if his school had a one strike and you're our policy. See, what happens is he and his friends get playing ninja turtles and one gets hit, thats what happens - its not like a real fight or anything… the teacher knows that, he still needs it to stop
but he knows that Liam is not a threat to the class so he is able to show Mercy and not kick him out of the school.
It’s the same way with God. Sure we all sin, and sin is sin. there will be consequences for our actions of course and we will hopefully grow and learn from those… but God usually doesn't sentence us to death every time we sin… be a really empty Earth if He did! He shows us Mercy when He could show judgement. That doesn’t make sin ok, there are always consequences in life, but his Mercy allows us to keep going so we can learn from our
mistake.

Answer this:
1) Name a time that you received Mercy instead of judgement.
2) Why does God even care, if we are all technically forgiven already why would he work consequences into our lives for the
actions we do?
3) “For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do _____, you
have become a ___________ of the law.”
4) Take a minute to journal about this passage.

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Written by Jeff