22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." -A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy
The mercy of God is “the divine goodness exercised towards the wretched and the guilty, in harmony with truth and justice. The plan by which God is enabled to show saving mercy to men, for Christ's sake, is the most consummate work of infinite wisdom and love. (ATS Bible Dictionary, 1859)
Justice is getting what we deserve.
Mercy is not getting what we deserve.
Grace is getting what we do not deserve.
-Jen Wilkins, In His Image
2. Mercy of God demonstrated.
The Consistent Mercy of God
Lamentations 3:22-23
Deuteronomy 4:31
Jonah 3:10-4:2Through the Life of Jesus
John 8:4-11In the Forgiveness of Sins
Psalm 51:1
Proverbs 28:13 NLT22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.
10 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 not do it.
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 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, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.
3. Responding to the Mercy of God.
Embrace the Reality of His Mercy
Experiencing God's mercy begins with recognizing your genuine need for it.
Hebrews 2:16-17
Hebrews 4:16Reflect God’s Mercy to Others
The soul that has truly experienced the mercy of God will be merciful like him, compassionate to the wretched, and forgiving towards all. (ATS Bible Dictionary, 1859)
Luke 6:35-36
Matthew 5:716 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.
15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Reflect God’s image by showing mercy to others just as God has shown mercy to us.
