I feel it would be good to have a better understanding of what the Lord SAYS ABOUT HIMSELF. Remember Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory…And the LORD passed before Moses and PROCLAIMED (announced), “The LORD, the LORD GOD (Yahweh Elohim), merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” (Exodus 33:18, 34:6-7)
THE LORD SAYS HE IS:
- MERCIFUL: God’s tenderhearted, loving compassion for us. Mercy is not something God owes to us—by definition mercy cannot be owed—but is something God extends in kindness and grace to those who DO NOT DESERVE IT.
- GRACIOUS: An acronym for grace is God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense Graciousness is showing kindness as well as being completely merciful and compassionate. The word grace finds a whole new meaning through Christ; not just courteousness or refinement but a free gift given to impart salvation to us. “For by GRACE you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the GIFT of God…” (Eph. 2:8)
- LONGSUFFERING: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, but is longsuffering (makrothumeo: to be patient, slow to anger, slow to punish) toward us, not willing that ANY SHOULD PERISH but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9)
- ABOUNDING IN GOODNESS: chêsêd: Biblical scholars have often complained that the word chêsêd in the Hebrew Bible is difficult to translate into English, because it really has no precise equivalent in our language. The nearest New Testament equivalent to the Hebrew chêsêd is charis (grace). Such words as ‘mercy,’ ‘goodness,’ ‘favor‘ for God’s attitude to man, and ‘kindness’ for man’s attitude to man. He is abounding or OVERFLOWING IN goodness!
- ABOUNDING IN TRUTH: “It is impossible for God to lie…” (Heb. 6:18) Jesus is, “…the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6)
- FORGIVING: “…be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as GOD for Christ’s sake HAS FORGIVEN YOU.” (Eph. 4:32) “No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will ALL KNOW ME, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will FORGIVE their wickedness and will REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.” (Jer. 31:34)
THAT IS HOW OUR LOVING GOD IS TO US…
-Bill Stockham