• Download Video
• Download Audio
• Print
• Email
• Save As PDF

"According to His abundant mercy"

Text: 1 Peter 1:3

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

There are many attributes of God. One of the most significant self-revelations of God may be found in the Book of Exodus.

“Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed,
‘The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.'”

Exodus 34:5-7

1. Some attributes highlighted:

a) Merciful

b) Gracious

c) Longsuffering

d) Abounding in goodness and truth

2. The attributes of God were evidenced time and again in the history of Israel

a) God kept showing mercy for thousands.

b) In His mercy, He forgave:

i) Iniquity

ii) Transgression

iii) Sin

c) But where there is no repentance:

Then He reserves the prerogative to discipline and punish, even to the fourth generation.

3. The consciousness of God

a) Being a Jew, Peter would have been brought up to fear God.

b) That he would have knowledge of the basic concepts of God would be a foregone conclusion.

THE GOD THAT PETER CAME TO BELIEVE IN

Simon Peter came to have a rich and personal faith in God.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again
to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

1 Peter 1:3

1. The LORD of Israel was his God.

2. He was also Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. And He was a God of mercy, abundant mercy at that and it was discovered personally.

4. The expressions of God’s abundant mercy:

a) It is wonderfully seen in the forgiveness of iniquity, transgression and sin.

b) It is further evidenced in giving salvation to all who believe in the Lord Jesus.

c) A special feature highlighted: “begotten again”.

i) This harks back to the teaching of Jesus about being “born again” (John 3).

ii) This became true for Nicodemus, it was true for Peter also.

iii) All true believers will appreciate being “begotten again”.

iv) This is God’s mercy at work.