There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in His justice,
Which is more than liberty.

There is welcome for the sinner,
And more graces for the good;
There is mercy with the Savior;
There is healing in His blood.

For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of our mind;
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.

If our love were but more simple,
We should take Him at His word;
And our lives would be all sunshine
In the sweetness of our Lord.

Was there ever kinder shepherd
Half so gentle, half so sweet,
As the Savior who would have us
Come and gather at His feet?

This old hymn actually has about 12 verses.  I have decided to highlight and comment on just a few of those 12. 

The first theme that is constant throughout this song is the mercy and kindness of God.  The first verse has an interesting phrase in it – “There’s a kindness in His justice.”  When I think of the word “justice,” I rarely think about it being kind.  My view of justice is typically a “got what he deserved” mindset.  However, as a parent now, I do see opportunities where I can discipline my children, but do it in a loving and kind way.  When my kids do something wrong and get caught, there are times where they are defiant and their attitude is combative.  I do not think those are always the time to be kind, but rather be strict because there is still a heart issue.  However, there are times where they are truly sorry for what they have done, and I can tell that by their attitude.  I don’t necessarily ignore their wrongdoing, but there is a way administer discipline and justice in a loving way.  I think the same is true for God.  When we are truly repentant for what we have done, there is a “kindness in His justice.”  If God’s justice seems harsh, we should ask ourselves “How is my attitude toward the sin and am I truly repentant or just sorry I got caught?”

The second phrase that hit me in this hymn is in verse 2 – “There is welcome for the sinner.”  I have to be honest and say when I think about this phrase, I get a little critical of the modern church today.  Is the church really that open to sinners and does it welcome them in?  Do our buildings, programs, and people communicate a message of “come just as you are?”  However, in this criticism, I am also convicted of my actions toward sinners and I ask – “Do I welcome sinners in to my circle of friends or into my home?”  or “What things am I doing specifically to make my home and the church a place where sinners are welcome?”  Let me be clear and say that I am not advocating dropping moral standards to the point where church is just a fun place to hang out.  That is not a biblical model of a Church. 

However, I do think all of us have opportunities to be more welcoming of sinners.  My Granny had a gift of hospitality at her home.  It wasn’t the fanciest home (although the food was better than a 5 star restaurant), but people in our family always felt welcome to come there.  Like all families, there are members of our family that weren’t always living right.   However, “living right” was not a requirement to be welcome at Granny’s house.  Now, if you were brave enough to ask her opinion about how you were living, she was not afraid to tell you what she thought.  However, she did communicate a love and concern for everyone.  I hope that we as Christians can model that same attitude.  We are sinners – saved by grace.   

Take the time to befriend someone who is not a Christian.  Take the time to introduce yourself to a visitor at church.  The doors of the church are “wide open” and the “welcome mat” is out – just like Granny’s.