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The Grace and Mercy of God;
A. Definitions:
1. God's grace (Greek CHARIS) is His
unmerited favour toward sinners,
2. God's mercy (Greek 'ELEOS) is divine
compassion manifested toward the
miserable and distressed.
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3. In the Old Testament, the mercy of God was
made known to Israel by two Hebrew words;
a. 'HESEDH' - usually translated kindness or
loving kindness,
b. 'HANAN' - usually translated to be gracious. to
be inclined to. and mercy.
c. Exodus 34:6; Deuteronomy 4:31; Exodus 33:19;
Psalm 136:1.
4. As we study the mercy of God, don't confuse it
with emotional permissiveness or as something we
deserve; God is merciful because of His grace.
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Because God is a Just God, He MUST punish
sinners; Justice demands it.
1. Therefore, how is it possible for God to remain
Just and still pardon the condemned sinner?
2. Romans 3:24-26.
a. Paul declares that God is a Just Judge because
He paid the price of our freedom by sending His own
Son to shed His blood for our redemption.
b. Therefore, God's wrath has been satisfied by His
grace and mercy which sent His Son into the world
to die on a cross.
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c. It is upon the basis of Christ's sacrifice
upon the cross that all men, of all ages,
may be justified - Hebrews 9:15-22.
d. God's unmerited favour ( grace), as far
as the Bible reveals, has only been
extended, to fallen man - not to fallen
angels, demons or Satan
(2 Peter 2:4; Matthew 25; 41 ).
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e. It is only with man, who is
created in His image, that God
has been forbearing and
longsuffering (Exodus 34:61
Romans 2:4-5; 9:22-23;
I Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:9, 15).
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The mercy seat on the ark of the
covenant WHERE GOD'S JUSTICE
AND MERCY MEET
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3. The Bible makes it very clear that salvation stems
from God's grace and mercy Ephesians 2:8-9;
Romans 11:32; Titus 3:5-6; Hebrews 8:12.
a. Because salvation is made possible by God's
grace, it does not rule out man's acceptance of that
grace by faithful obedience - Hebrews 5:9;
b. Through faith, repentance, confession and
baptism a man puts on Christ (John 8:24; Luke 13:3;
Matthew 10:32-33; Mark 16:16; Galatians 3:27) and
becomes a new creature (John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5-6).
c. In obedience, the fallen man has accepted God's
grace.
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What we have learned so far
1) We looked at the evidence and saw that
it was more REASONABLE, more
RATIONAL and more IN KEEPING WITH
KNOWN FACTS of science, to believe that
in the beginning INTELLIGENCE has
always existed rather than MATTER.
This intelligence Christians call GOD
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2. We also understood that unless this
Intelligence revealed itself in a way that
we could understand we could never
REALLY know what God was like.
So for the Christian - we believe that this
intelligence we call God has revealed
Himself through the Bible which
Christians call God's Word
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3. SO WE THEN CAME TO
THE QUESTION WHAT HAS
GOD REVEALED ABOUT
HIMSELF? WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
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WE SAW THAT
1. ESSENCE is what God IS HIS NATURAL "attributes".
2. ATTRIBUTES describe what
God DOES in relation to
man HIS MORAL "attributes".
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What we have learned so far
WE SAW THAT GOD IS
ETERNAL - He is unlimited in
TIME.
The eternal essence of God
relates to time and space.
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WE SAW THAT GOD IS SPIRIT A spirit is not matter as human beings are.
WE SAW THAT GOD IS UNITY there are three persons in the GodheadFather / Son / Holy Spirit
WE SAW THAT GOD IS OMNISCIENT This means that His KNOWLEDGE is unlimited.
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WE SAW THAT GOD IS OMNIPOTENT He is unlimited in POWER. All POWERFUL
with God all things are possible.
WE SAW THAT GOD IS OMNIPRESENT He is unlimited in SPACE. God is always
present.
WE SAW THAT GOD IS IMMUTABLE This is His UNCHANGEABLE nature.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and
today, and forever,"
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WE SAW THAT GOD IS HOLINESS God alone possesses ALL holiness because of His
perfect moral excellence.
WE SAW THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL God KEEPS His WORD His promises to us are
unalterable.
WE SAW THAT GOD IS TRUTH God has shown His truthfulness time and time again
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WE SAW THAT GOD IS GOOD God is perfect In His goodness
WE SAW THAT GOD IS LOVE This is NOT a characteristic of God; -this is WHAT
God is.
WE SAW THAT GOD IS MERCIFUL The mercy of God is the disposition of His nature
which leads Him to help us when we are in misery
and to pardon us when we have offended Him.
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WE SAW THAT GOD IS JUSTICE His Knowledge and wisdom assure us, He always
KNOWS what is right and DOES what is right
WE SAW THAT GOD IS WRATH
He would be unjust if He did not reward the faithful,
the saints He would be unjust if He did not Punish
the Wicked, the sinners
WE SAW THAT GOD IS GRACE
He gives us FORGIVENESS in Jesus which WE do
not deserve.
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BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE AND CARE FOR US
HE SHOWED THIS LOVE BY GIVING HIS SON
TO DIE FOR US THAT WE MIGHT BECOME
THE CHILDREN OF GOD AND SHARE
ETERNITY WITH HIM
GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT
HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH JESUS?
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ETERNAL
LOVE
SPIRIT
OMNISCIENT
MERCY
OMNIPOTENT
IS THIS THE GOD YOU BELIEVE IN?
ESSENCE
of
GOD
HOLY
FAITHFUL
IMMUTABLE
OMNIPRESENT
TRUTH
UNITY
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GRACE
JUSTICE
WRATH
GOOD
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