Lesson Four
Truthfulness, Faithfulness, Goodness, Mercy, Love & Grace of God

In studying God we eventually shift our attention from who He is (His attributes) to what He does. Yet there is no clear line between these two categories, because God freely gives of Himself those aspects of His character that we are able to receive. We do not have His omnipotence and immensity, for instance, but we are able to imitate, by His grace, His holiness and His love. In this lesson we will look at more of these communicable attributes of God and learn how to copy them in our walk, in other words, how to put on Christ.

These perfections of God can be divided into two parts: Universal and Particular.



I. Universal Perfections: Truthfulness, Faithfulness and Goodness.

A. The Truthfulness of God: Num. 23:19; Deut. 32:4; 1st Sam. 15:29; 2nd Sam. 7:28, Psa.14:6; Tit.1:2.

1. Only God is truthful: Romans 3:4 “Let God be true and every man a liar.”

2. His Word is truth. We believe the warnings and rely on the promises. Heb. 6:13- 18.

3. His Word will make us truthful.

4. He desires us to be truthful in our hearts, not just superficially (“You desire truth in the inward parts”)



B. The Faithfulness of God - God’s truthfulness is manifested in His faithfulness.

1. He has been faithful in His promises.


2. He has been faithful in His judgments.




C. The Goodness of God - God’s goodness is experienced by all.

1. God is good to all of His works. Psa. 33:5; Psa. 145:7- 12; Matt. 5:45; Acts 14;17.

2. God is especially good to His own. Psa. 25:8; 34:8.

3. His goodness is for our example. Matt. 5:45




II. Particular Perfections: Mercy, Love and Grace. These perfections are mainly granted to God’s elect.

A. The Mercy of God:
1. Universal to some degree - Psa. 145:9
2. Particular toward the saints - Rom. 9:15- 18 (“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy”).



B. The Love of God - The foundation of our entire acceptance with the Father, and of our salvation, is based on the wonderful truth that He loves the Son first and foremost, and we are accepted because we are in Christ. (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Luke 9:35; John 5:20).

Like in God’s mercy, God’s love is especially directed to His own people, the saints. (Deut. 7:6- 8; John 14:21- 23; 17:23, 26; 1st John 3:1- 2).


How is His love shown for us?

1. By Christ’s dying for us. Paul tells the Roman Christians that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners.(Rom. 5:8) See also Eph. 5:2, 25.

2. By His chastisement and guidance (Heb. 12:6 ff.).

3. By His giving all things to us because of Christ (Rom. 8:28- 39 *)


Note: God’s saving love is tied to His election. Both are according to His inscrutable will. See Romans 9:6- 13. (“Jacob have i loved, but Esau have I hated.”)




C. The Grace of God. - “Grace is unmerited favor. It is unexpected favor exercised toward the unworthy” (text). For a Biblical New Testament definition of “grace” check out some of these verses (not exhaustive):

John:1:14, 16- 17; Acts 4:33; Rom. 1:7; 3:24 (justified); 5:2, 20; 11:5 (election); 1st Cor. 15:10; 2nd Cor. 6:1 (don’t receive His grace in vain); 9:8; 12:9; Gal. 1:6; Eph. 2:8- 10; 4:7; Col. 3:16; 4:6; 1st Tim. 1:14; Tit. 2:11; Heb. 4:16; 12:28 (needed for service); 13:9 (hearts established with it); James 4:6; 1st Pet. 1:13; 2nd Pet.3:18 (grow in grace).

A common and somewhat helpful acronym for “grace” is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. But this tends to separate grace from the giver of grace. A better acronym, and one that better reflects the usage of the above verses, might be: God Righteously Applying Christ’s Excellence.

Some Essential Truths of Grace:

1. God needed to be both just and justifier (Rom 3:26). If we was only the first none would make it to Heaven (Psa. 130:3), if only the second He would cease to be a holy God. The Cross of Christ is that only perfect way.

2. The Holy Spirit applies grace toward us. (Phil. 1:19; 4:19; 2nd Cor. 9:8)

3. He applies the excellences of Christ. (Compare 1st Cor. 1:30 with 2:9- 12). Anything we have need for, we are able to ask for and find that supply in Christ Jesus. Grace is God’s Spirit giving us that. (Heb. 12:28)

4. Christ’s death on the Cross is the basis for God being gracious to us. Paul’s teaching on grace always connect these two truths.

5. God’s grace give us acceptance with God, so we can serve Him, not out of slavish fear, but out of thanksgiving, not for salvation, but because of salvation.


Reading the above verses, do you find other essential truths for us?______________________________

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Our past, present and future are all covered by the grace of God. No wonder Paul starts all of his letters with “grace and peace”!











Due Next Week:
Read chapter 5: The Works of God.

Digging Deeper:
* This second Romans passage begins with our love for God, but ends with God’s love for us (vs. 39), which is the foundation and cause for our loving Him (1st John 4:19).