The Character of God : Mercy
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God is full of mercy
God is full of mercy
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.
If we ever feel differently than this, our feelings & interpretations are wrong!
If we perceive that God is not gracious, quick to anger and short on mercy:
•We have an incorrect idea of what God should do or tolerate
•We have probably become unrepentant and we are in now in the position where we must reap the consequences of sin so that we can return to God
10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
2Cor
It is God’s Essential Character to be Merciful
It is God’s Essential Character to be Merciful
9 “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
We could not definitively say that God would be merciful 1000 generations from now unless mercy was part of His unchanging character.
1 generation = ~28 years
God will still be merciful 28,000 years from now because it is His essential character and He doesn’t change.
Nothing that you or I do can change God’s essential character!
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
Forgiveness and Mercy are Connected
Forgiveness and Mercy are Connected
9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
ex
6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
Forgiveness is only necessary for someone who is actually guilty.
Mercy is only applicable to someone who deserves punishment, but they don’t get it. - it is a pardon
In some ways, forgiveness is about getting over anger or resentment from a trespass whereas Mercy is about withholding the deserved penalty for the trespass -
Forgiveness can be more personal & emotional
Mercy is an action
whereas mercy is an action
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Forgiveness come TO you so it can flow THROUGH you
Forgiveness come TO you so it can flow THROUGH you
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
When we choose to forgive, we place the right & ability to avenge wrong into the hands of God
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
So What Do We Do With Mercy?
So What Do We Do With Mercy?
7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
21 At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?” 22 Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven. 23 “The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. 24 As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market. 26 “The poor wretch threw himself at the king’s feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ 27 Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt. 28 “The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!’ 29 “The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ 30 But he wouldn’t do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. 31 When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king. 32 “The king summoned the man and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. 33 Shouldn’t you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?’ 34 The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. 35 And that’s exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn’t forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.”
Mercy comes TO you so it can flow THROUGH you!
Mercy comes TO you so it can flow THROUGH you!
21 At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?” 22 Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven. 23 “The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. 24 As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market. 26 “The poor wretch threw himself at the king’s feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ 27 Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt. 28 “The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!’ 29 “The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ 30 But he wouldn’t do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. 31 When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king. 32 “The king summoned the man and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. 33 Shouldn’t you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?’ 34 The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. 35 And that’s exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn’t forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.”
matt18:21-35
Every one of us is guilty of sin.
Every one of us is guilty, in some way, of sin.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
23 Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us,
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The same is true with Forgiveness
1
36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
When it comes to the sins, guilt, and shame of the past, Jesus has made us free through His mercy.
Can you forgive yourself & give yourself mercy is the real question!
Have you ever thought that maybe you aren’t that nice to others because you aren’t that nice to yourself?
James
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Just One Thing:
Just One Thing:
Receive the love, goodness, forgiveness & mercy of God toward you THEN pass it along to those around you!
Discussion Questions:
Discussion Questions:
What movie can you watch over and over without ever getting tired of?
Do you feel that God has been merciful towards you? Share your favorite memory of God’s mercy (please highlight the goodness/mercy of God and not the details of your sin - Keep it G-rated)
Please read the interesting story of Jonah (a prophet of God) in Jonah Chapters 1 & 2 and share how you feel this story demonstrates the mercy of God.
In what specific situation(s) is God calling you to a higher level of forgiveness and mercy?