Understanding God's Graciousness and Mercy Through Christ

 

Summary

In our gathering today, we explored the profound nature of God as both gracious and merciful. This is not merely a theological concept but a reality that shapes our understanding of who God is and how He interacts with us. We began by acknowledging the simplicity of the gospel message, which is accessible to all, yet we must be cautious not to trivialize it. The simplicity of God's grace does not equate to ease or triviality. The cost of grace is immense, rooted in the very character of God, who does not forgive as a grandparent might overlook a child's misbehavior. Instead, God's forgiveness is profound, rooted in His holiness and justice.

We delved into the narrative of Exodus, where God reveals His character to Moses. Despite the Israelites' rebellion with the golden calf, God chooses to reveal His goodness and mercy. This revelation is not a license to sin but a call to understand the depth of God's love and the seriousness of sin. God's mercy is not automatic; it is a profound act of grace that requires a response from us. We are reminded that God's mercy is not for the "cute" sinner but for the repentant one who turns to Him.

The Old Testament consistently points to God's steadfast love, a love that is covenantal and enduring. This love is not based on our merit but on God's character. The priests and Levites in the temple sang of God's enduring love, a testament to His faithfulness. This love is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice reconciles God's holiness with His mercy. The cross is the ultimate demonstration of God's wrath and love meeting, providing a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled to Him.

In conclusion, we are called to seek God, assured that He will not forsake those who earnestly seek Him. This assurance is grounded in the sacrifice of Jesus, who bore the wrath of God so that we might experience His mercy. Our response should be one of gratitude and trust, knowing that God's steadfast love endures forever.

Key Takeaways:

- The simplicity of the gospel message is profound, yet it should not be trivialized. God's grace is accessible to all, but it comes at a great cost, rooted in His holy and just character. We must approach this grace with reverence and understanding. [02:18]

- God's revelation of His character as gracious and merciful in Exodus is a response to human rebellion. Despite our failures, God chooses to reveal His goodness, calling us to repentance and a deeper understanding of His love. [06:59]

- The concept of God's steadfast love, or "chesed," is central to understanding His covenantal relationship with His people. This love is not based on our merit but on God's unwavering commitment to us, demonstrated throughout Scripture. [13:26]

- The cross of Christ is where God's wrath and love meet. Jesus' sacrifice is the ultimate expression of God's mercy, providing a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled to Him. This understanding should fill us with gratitude and awe. [42:51]

- Seeking God assures us of His presence and mercy. Despite our unworthiness, God promises not to forsake those who earnestly seek Him, a promise made possible through the sacrifice of His Son. [41:05]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:04] - Introduction to Knowing God
[00:35] - The Simplicity of the Gospel
[01:12] - God's Gracious and Merciful Nature
[02:18] - The Cost of Grace
[03:32] - Misconceptions About God's Forgiveness
[05:35] - God's Revelation to Moses
[06:59] - God's Goodness and Glory
[09:31] - God's Actions in Genesis
[11:13] - God's Mercy in Exodus
[13:26] - Understanding "Chesed"
[15:04] - The Golden Calf Incident
[19:34] - God's Holiness and Mercy
[22:09] - The Seriousness of Sin
[27:12] - Jesus as the Fulfillment of God's Mercy
[30:16] - The Song of God's Steadfast Love
[33:41] - The Assurance of God's Mercy
[41:05] - Seeking God and Finding Mercy
[45:16] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Exodus 33:18-19; 34:5-7 - These passages describe God's revelation of His character to Moses, emphasizing His gracious and merciful nature.
2. Psalm 86:5 - "For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you."
3. Romans 1:16-18 - These verses highlight the revelation of God's righteousness and His wrath against sin.

#### Observation Questions
1. What does God reveal about His character to Moses in Exodus 33:18-19 and 34:5-7? How does this revelation contrast with the Israelites' actions with the golden calf? [06:59]
2. According to the sermon, how does the simplicity of the gospel message relate to the profound nature of God's grace and mercy? [02:18]
3. In what ways does the sermon describe God's steadfast love, or "chesed," and how is it demonstrated throughout the Old Testament? [13:26]
4. How does the sermon explain the relationship between God's holiness and His mercy, particularly in the context of the cross of Christ? [42:51]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the narrative of the golden calf incident in Exodus illustrate the seriousness of sin and the need for God's mercy? [19:34]
2. What does the sermon suggest about the cost of grace and how it should impact our understanding of God's forgiveness? [04:35]
3. How does the sermon explain the significance of the cross as the meeting point of God's wrath and love? What does this mean for our understanding of salvation? [42:51]
4. In what ways does the sermon challenge common misconceptions about God's forgiveness, and how should this influence our response to His grace? [03:32]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you may have trivialized God's grace. How can you approach His grace with more reverence and understanding in your daily life? [02:18]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of repentance in response to God's mercy. Is there an area in your life where you need to seek God's forgiveness and turn back to Him? [06:59]
3. How can you cultivate a deeper appreciation for God's steadfast love, or "chesed," in your personal relationship with Him? Consider specific actions or practices that can help you grow in this understanding. [13:26]
4. The cross is described as the ultimate demonstration of God's mercy. How does this understanding of the cross impact your view of Jesus' sacrifice and your response to it? [42:51]
5. In what ways can you actively seek God, assured of His presence and mercy, even when you feel unworthy? Identify practical steps you can take to deepen your relationship with Him. [41:05]
6. Consider the balance between recognizing the seriousness of sin and embracing God's mercy. How can you maintain this balance in your spiritual journey and interactions with others? [24:16]
7. The sermon mentions the importance of gratitude in response to God's great salvation. How can you express gratitude for God's grace in your daily life, and how might this influence your interactions with others? [25:23]

Devotional

Day 1: The Profound Simplicity of the Gospel
The gospel message is simple yet profound, accessible to all but not to be trivialized. God's grace, while freely given, comes at a great cost, rooted in His holy and just character. This grace is not something to be taken lightly or approached casually. It demands reverence and a deep understanding of its significance. The simplicity of the gospel does not mean it is easy; it is a profound truth that requires us to approach it with humility and gratitude. [02:18]

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age." (Titus 2:11-12, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you trivialized the gospel message in your life? How can you approach God's grace with renewed reverence today?


Day 2: God's Revelation in Response to Rebellion
In the narrative of Exodus, God reveals His character as gracious and merciful in response to human rebellion. Despite the Israelites' failure with the golden calf, God chooses to reveal His goodness and mercy. This revelation is not a license to sin but a call to repentance and a deeper understanding of His love. God's mercy is not automatic; it requires a response from us, a turning away from sin and towards Him. [06:59]

"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.'" (Exodus 34:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: How have you experienced God's mercy in your life despite your failures? What steps can you take today to respond to His call for repentance?


Day 3: The Covenant of Steadfast Love
The concept of God's steadfast love, or "chesed," is central to understanding His covenantal relationship with His people. This love is not based on our merit but on God's unwavering commitment to us, demonstrated throughout Scripture. The priests and Levites in the temple sang of God's enduring love, a testament to His faithfulness. This love is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice reconciles God's holiness with His mercy. [13:26]

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations." (Deuteronomy 7:9, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt undeserving of God's love. How can you embrace His steadfast love today, knowing it is not based on your merit?


Day 4: The Cross as the Meeting Place of Wrath and Love
The cross of Christ is where God's wrath and love meet. Jesus' sacrifice is the ultimate expression of God's mercy, providing a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled to Him. This understanding should fill us with gratitude and awe, as we recognize the immense cost of our salvation. The cross is not just a symbol of suffering but a profound demonstration of God's love and justice. [42:51]

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, ESV)

Reflection: How does the reality of the cross impact your understanding of God's love and justice? In what ways can you express gratitude for this sacrifice today?


Day 5: Assurance in Seeking God
Seeking God assures us of His presence and mercy. Despite our unworthiness, God promises not to forsake those who earnestly seek Him, a promise made possible through the sacrifice of His Son. This assurance is grounded in the sacrifice of Jesus, who bore the wrath of God so that we might experience His mercy. Our response should be one of gratitude and trust, knowing that God's steadfast love endures forever. [41:05]

"But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29, ESV)

Reflection: What does it mean for you to earnestly seek God today? How can you cultivate a heart that seeks Him with all your heart and soul?

Quotes

"The simplicity of the gospel message was to someone who was not raised in a Christian family or in a Christian nation, who really knew very little about God or about the Bible or about Jesus. And yet, a very simple message that Jesus is the Savior of sinners was able to connect." [00:01:59]

"But the fact that it's simple shouldn't tempt us to think that therefore it's easy, or it's somehow trivialized. I remember from my undergraduate days, not many things, but one of the things I remember from my undergraduate days is a professor saying, 'The dominant American religion can be summed up in one sentence, and it's this, 'I like sinning, and God likes forgiving, so the world is very well set up.'" [00:02:50]

"While the gospel message is in a profound way simple, that's not a contradiction in terms, while the gospel message is wonderfully simple, we must be very careful not to trivialize it, not to presume upon it, not to miss the cost of grace and of mercy that flows out of the character of God." [00:04:09]

"God doesn't like forgiving in the sense that a grandparent is forgiving of a grandchild. The great danger of being a grandparent is you see your grandchildren misbehaving and you say, 'Isn't that cute?' And your children look at you and say, 'What happened to the parent who raised me?'" [00:04:39]

"God is constantly turning to sinners and showing His mercy. After Adam has sinned, God turns to him and shows him mercy. Not because He's obligated to do that. Not because Adam deserves it in any way at all. But because God is merciful. When God turns to Noah, He's showing mercy in a generation of sinners." [00:09:41]

"God, by His actions, was revealing again and again that He was a gracious God, that He was a merciful God. He wasn't gracious just to the good, because there really weren't any good. He was gracious even to scoundrels like Jacob, because He does seek out His own to save." [00:10:35]

"Sin is not a trivial matter. Sinners are not cute. Sin, in fundamental ways, offends the character, the being, of God. And therefore, the forgiveness of sins is not a light manner. It's not an easy matter. It's not an automatic matter that the holy God, profoundly angry at sin and sinners, is nevertheless willing to forgive sin is astounding." [00:22:42]

"The truth is the God who is holy and angry with sin is also the God who says, 'I am gracious and merciful, forgiving, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.' And He wants us to know both of those things, that our religion will be balanced and that we'll know the true and living God, and we'll be filled with the gratitude that ought to fill our hearts for such a great salvation." [00:25:08]

"If we trivialize forgiveness, then we have trivialized Jesus. We have failed to grasp His suffering and horror on the cross. In Exodus 32 at verse 32, Moses prays, 'Oh Lord, forgive this people and blot me out of the book of life. Let my life pay for the life of this people.' And God says, 'No.'" [00:25:51]

"God is good to His people, God's steadfast love endures forever to His people because Jesus Christ has poured out His blood on the cross that we might be forgiven, that we might experience the forgiveness of God. It was David who first sang, David the sweet singer of Israel, who first sang, 'Give thanks to God for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.'" [00:30:02]

"The gospel is that God is holy and righteous and coming to judge the wicked. But in spite of that, He's made a way of escape because He's so good, because He's so gracious, because He's so merciful. He has made a way of escape by the death of His own dear Son for sinners, and He appeals through the Son, 'Come and be reconciled to God.'" [00:33:34]

"Seek the Lord and You will find. That's the promise of the Scriptures. Don't complain that somehow God is inaccessible. The Scripture says, 'Seek Him, and you will find Him.' Now, what will you find? There are all sorts of voices out there telling you what you'll find if you seek the Lord. And some of those voices are lying to you." [00:41:05]

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Transcript
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