God is Merciful

I. Mercy Explained

• When we talk about God’s mercy we are dealing with two different words: Hesed in the Hebrew and Eleos in the Greek
• Hesed is used hundreds of times in the Old Testament to describe God and His actions toward humanity
• Eleos is most often used to describe the work of Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross to save us

II. Mercy is God’s Comfort for the Desolate

_{^{Luke 10:30-37, Psalm 136:10-23. Ephesians 2:4-5, Titus 3:5, Psalm 103:1-7}}

III. Mercy is God’s Restraint toward the Guilty

_{^{Psalm 103:8-12}}

• God’s mercy restrains Him from giving us what our sins deserve
• Mercy is reserved for believers
• The personal appropriation and the enjoyment of God’s mercy come when we believe

IV. Mercy is God’s Demand for the Believer

_{^{Matthew 18:23-33, Micah 6:8, James 3:17}}

• When we begin to understand how much mercy God extended to us, we will be merciful to others
• Mercy is reserved for believers
• The personal appropriation and the enjoyment of God’s mercy come when we believe