Exploring His Excellencies: He Is Merciful

Exploring His Excellencies

He is Merciful John Isaacs June 28, 2009 Kingsway Community Church

What is God like? Who is

God is who the Bible (in its totality) reveals Him to

The Bible Reveals God To Be … 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Good Powerful Wise Eternal Holy Just

Justice When a person receives what is due.

Justice Whatever God wills is Just.

Just • He is originally just. It begins with Him.

• He is essentially just. It is His nature.

• He is infinitely just. You can’t measure His holiness.

• He is immutably just. He has never been more or less.

1 Peter 4:5 But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead.

Judgment God distributes rewards and punishments.

Job 37:23 We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though He is just and righteous, He does not destroy us.

Lamentations 3:21-23 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

God is Merciful

Mercy Not receiving the punishment we deserve.

Mercy The compassionate outward manifestation

Mercy Doesn’t consider what a man deserves but looks at what he needs.

Exodus 34:1-10 The LORD said to Moses, "Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you 2 broke. Be ready by the morning, and come up in 1

Exodus 34:1-10 cont. the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on 3 the top of the mountain. No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze

Exodus 34:1-10 cont. opposite that mountain." So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of 4

Exodus 34:1-10 cont. stone. The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name 6 of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and 5

Exodus 34:1-10 cont. gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love 7 and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the

Exodus 34:1-10 cont. guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and 9 worshiped. And he said,

Exodus 34:1-10 cont. "If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance."

God Reveals Himself 1. Merciful and Gracious 2. Slow to Anger 3. Abounding in Steadfast Love and Faithfulness 4. Unwavering Love 5. Forgiving Iniquity, Transgression and Sin

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Exodus 34:7 But who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.

Joel 2:12-13 "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.“ Return to the LORD your God, for He is 12

Joel 2:12-13 (cont.) gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

Jonah 3:10 – 4:2 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did 4:1 not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was 10

Jonah 3:10 – 4:2 cont angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, 2

Jonah 3:10 – 4:2 cont slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.

Forgiveness 1. God’s mercy is for the repentant. 2. God’s judgment is for the unrepentant.

Grace Receiving a reward that we didn’t earn.

Eph. 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He 5 loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with 4

Eph. 2:4-7 (cont) Christ (by grace you have 6 been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ 7 Jesus, that in the ages to

Eph. 2:4-7 (cont) come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

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We are to be gracious and merciful to others.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Showing Mercy 1. Gracious and kind to the downtrodden. 2. Giving to those in need. 3. Praying for the lost. 4. Sharing the “Good News” about the love of Christ.