According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (I Peter 1:3,4 ESV)
Mercy
It is time to reclaim another word from the world. Today, it seems that MERCY simply means being nice.
But mercy is a rich concept in God’s Word. God is merciful to us when He does not treat us as our actions, words, and thoughts deserve. Mercy does not refer to salvation (that would be grace), but rather to the present effects of our disobedience.
God, being merciful, has brought salvation to remove the present effects of our sinfulness. He is not only offering heaven, but He fixes what is broken here, too.
In a way, God mercifully breaks the laws of cause-and-effect on our behalf. Our sins, even eternally removed through the cross, still could be expected to have adverse effects. But God does not treat us as we deserve. He treats us as if we were Jesus.
So, when bad things happen, we can find hope in the knowledge that God is not troubling us because of justice. He already punished Jesus. He might be teaching, or guiding, or helping someone else through our troubles.
But we are peculiar, God is merciful to us.