Proverbs - Purging Sin!

Proverbs 16:6

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged;

and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

There is a very important truth here.  The Lord is telling us how might affect sin.  Here we are told that there are two things we should do when confronting sin – in ourselves and others.  These two responses must be put together to bring out the purging that we want.  These two ingredients are mercy and truth. 

Mercy is listed first.  Mercy involves not dealing out judgment with penalties.  Mercy is being able to see how harshly something should be dealt with but choosing to give less than what is deserved.  It is an attitude of forgiveness.

Truth is looking at something for what is according to God’s judgment.  If we want to deal with sin we have to see it for what God says it is.  No excuses.  No compromise.  Call it what it is. 

If we can look at things in the harsh reality of what God says it is and yet extend forgiveness we can see sin purged.  If we are committing the sin of gluttony, eating when we are not hungry, we must confess this as sin and thus use truth.  We can then receive the forgiveness God gives us in Christ and know that He wants us to start afresh – that’s mercy.  If someone sins against us, we can look at it for what it is and then we can extend forgiveness to them.  We might have to talk it over with them but with a heart of mercy.  This gives those around us a lot of room to grow with mercy and truth.