Attributes of God on F.I.R.E.Sample

Attribute #4 - Mercy

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7).

God’s mercy is vast, unchanging, and abundant. It is revealed in His actions as seen in Moses’ plea for Israel after their idolatry. God proclaimed His nature as “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,” highlighting His eternal compassion (Exodus 34:5-7).

David marveled at God’s mercy: “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:11). When David gives the extreme distance from the heavens to the earth, he uses the analogy to show the inexpressible mercy of God. Next, he uses a merism, which is a literary device using two contrasting words referring to the entirety of both extremes. “As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). There exists a north and south pole, but not an east and west pole; rather, David chooses that which cannot be gauged to communicate the immensity of God’s compassion.

The riches of the Father’s compassion not only keep us from the peril of the lake of fire but also give you and me a glorious future beyond imagination. God’s mercy provides eternal hope, as expressed by Peter: believers are reborn to a living hope through Christ’s resurrection and promised an incorruptible, undefiled inheritance (1 Peter 1:3–4). This mercy ensures not only salvation but also an eternal reward reserved securely in heaven. We can marvel at the mercy of God because our future inheritance forever remains unblemished. Our inheritance has been given to us in the past and continues to remain. Stated otherwise, your eternal rewards are secure!

Employment Point: Marvel at the mercy of God.