What does Jesus do with those who squander his mercy? He pours out more mercy! God is rich in mercy.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. —Ephesians 2:1–6 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

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We cannot view God's expressions of mercy with our old eyes. Our very view of God must change.

"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." —Isaiah 55:6–9 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

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God's highest priority and deepest delight and first reaction—his heart—is merciful and gracious.

"The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, 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.'" —Exodus 34:6–7 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

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The promise of the gospel—and the message of the whole Bible—is that in Jesus Christ, we are given a friend who will always enjoy rather than refuse our presence.

"The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds." —Matthew 11:19 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

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When we come to Christ, we are startled by the beauty of his welcoming heart.

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." —Matthew 10:37–39 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

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When we choose to sin—though we forsake our true identity—our Savior does not forsake us but rather stands ready to defend us.

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." —1 John 1:8–2:1 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

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Christ's saving always outpaces and overwhelms our sinning because he always lives to intercede for us.

"This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." —Hebrews 7:22–25 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

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The sins of those who belong to God open the floodgates of his heart of compassion for us.

"Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." —Romans 5:20–21 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

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The atoning work of the Son—decreed by the Father and applied by the Spirit—ensures that we are safe eternally.

"Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.'" —John 6:35–37 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

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Subscribe to Crossway's newest podcast 'Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Jen Wilkin' here!

The deeper into weakness, suffering, and testing we go, the deeper Christ's solidarity with us.

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness." —Hebrews 4:16–5:2 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

Hardcover

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Subscribe to Crossway's newest podcast 'Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Jen Wilkin' here!