His Mercy Is More

“Are not you amazed sometimes that you should have so much as a hope, that, poor and needy as you are, the Lord thinketh of you? But let not all of you feel discouraged. For if our Physician is almighty, our disease cannot be desperate and if He casts none out that come to Him, why should you fear?

Our sins are many, but His mercies are more: our sins are great, but His righteousness is greater; we are weak, but He is power. Most of our complaints are owing to unbelief and the remainder of a legal spirit. And these evils are not removed in a day.”  John Newton.

The song  “His Mercy Is More” was written by Matt Papa and Matt Boswell in 2016 and has quickly become a favorite of congregations all over the world. The idea for the hymn came from the sermon excerpt by John Newton quoted above. Matt Boswell contacted his writing partner Matt Papa and the two finished the hymn together.

This hymn is rich with scriptural truth. It’s the kind of hymn that lasts far into the future. In Matt Papa’s words, “When we sing a lyric like ‘Our sins they are many, His mercy is more’ that is a truth for all time, all places and for all generations and it is worth the effort for sing that truth.”

What love could remember no wrongs we have doneOmniscient, all knowing, He counts not their sumThrown into a sea without bottom or shoreOur sins they are many, His mercy is more

To fully capture the depth and breadth of God’s mercy towards us may be impossible for limited understanding. Conversely, to grasp the weight of our sin is easy. We remember if we’re honest with ourselves. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned”. Not some, or a few have sinned, all. Paul doesn’t qualify sin either. He doesn’t get into a minor or major sin definition or even hint at the idea that such exists. (James 2:10)

What patience would wait as we constantly roamWhat Father, so tender, is calling us homeHe welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poorOur sins they are many, His mercy is more

“What patience would wait as we constantly roam”? That brings to mind Robert Robinson’s hymn “Come Thou Fount” where he wrote, “prone to wander, Lord, I feel it”. Like the prodigal son, God our Father welcomes us with joy. (Luke 15:20) Where we begin as Christians is the confession of sin. And that continues throughout our lives because of our fallen nature. Where Christ began with us was knowing all of it, including the punishment (death), and then washing it all away.

What riches of kindness He lavished on usHis blood was the payment, His life was the costWe stood ‘neath a debt we could never affordOur sins they are many, His mercy is more

Romans 5:20 says, “…but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”. And Paul went further in reference to the law in verse 21 writing, “so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Praise the Lord, His mercy is moreStronger than darkness, new every mornOur sins they are many, His mercy is more

“Praise the Lord” indeed!!

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