Good evening. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1. Look beginning with verse 18. Isaiah 1 verse 18. Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Verse 19, if ye be willing, willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, if ye be willing."

Willing. The carnal man and the carnal mind is enmity with God. But this passage says, if you be willing, if you be agreeable, if you be inclined, if you be content, if you be willing. I want us to look at a few topics related to this line right here, if you be willing, specifically concerning the believer. And the first is this, if you be willing to own and confess your sins.

Peter in Luke chapter five verse eight said, we read this, it said, when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, depart from me, for I am a sinful man, oh Lord. Peter was willing to own and confess his sin, to confess his unworthiness,

How about David back in the Old Testament? Listen to his prayer from Psalm 51. This is a familiar passage, but David says, have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgression. Wash me throughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee and thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and clear when thou judgest."

David was a broken, penitent man here, and he grieved over his sin, and he is willing to own and confess those sins. He says, wash me throughly from mine iniquity. Whose iniquity does David speak here? Of none but his own. He says, it's my iniquity. Do you see that? He willingly owns and confesses his sin.

Unlike others, you might remember Adam back there in the garden. Remember when the Lord confronted him with his sin? Remember Adam's response? What did he say? He said, it was the woman that you gave me. What does David say? He says, against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. Lord, have mercy on me. I acknowledge my transgressions. I acknowledge my iniquity. I confess them.

David clearly says, these are mine. Lord, I've committed them and the source of the problem lies here within me. He doesn't blame Bathsheba. He doesn't blame Uriah. He doesn't say, Lord, if you hadn't put me in this position, this would have never happened. No. He says, they're my sins. They're my transgressions. I own them. I acknowledge them. I admit them. And I confess them. And he goes on to say, these sins are against you. He says, I have sinned against thee. Against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight.

Again, David offers no excuse. He doesn't try to explain things away, but a genuine confession of his sin. And he goes on to say this, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest. Talking to God, that thou might be justified when thou speakest, and that thou might be clear when thou judgest. What's David saying here? Lord, whatever you're pleased to do with me, you're just and right in doing so. Lord, if you condemn me, Lord, if you damn me, if you send me to hell, you're just in doing it. Like the thief on the cross. Remember when he was speaking to the other thief and he said to him, does thou not fear God, seeing that thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. We've sinned and we're getting just what we deserve.

Lord, make me willing, willing to own my sin, willing to confess my sin. Second, willing to repent of my dead works and my personal merit. How foolish to think a man can come to God by his own merit, by his own work, by his own deeds.

In Isaiah chapter 64 verse 6, just listen to the words of Isaiah. He said, we are all as an unclean thing. And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. That's right, even our righteousnesses, our best, our so-called good works, are filthy rags in the sight of a holy God. He said, we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Paul wrote to Timothy, he said, he saved us, and he called us with a holy calling, not according to our works. I know that's counter what's said in our day, but this is what the word of God says. Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. By washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

Willing to repent of my dead works and any personal merit, the hymn writer said it best, nothing, nothing in my hands I bring. Like Mephibosheth of old who stood before David and he bowed himself and he said, what is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? willing, willingly, willing to repent of my dead works and personal merit.

And then third, willing to call on God in Christ for mercy. Would you call on him for mercy? Paul in Romans 10, 13 said this, for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Peter, when he was come down out of that ship, remember that when he walked on water to go to our Lord? But when he saw the wind boisterous, when he looked away from Christ, when he saw the wind and the waters, Scripture says he was afraid and he began to sink. And then he cried. He called upon the name of the Lord. He willingly called on the name of the Lord and this was his cry, Lord, save me. Lord, save me. And immediately, immediately, the Lord Jesus stretched forth his hand and he caught him and he said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

The leper, there was a leper in Matthew 8 verse 2. We read, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him saying, Lord, if you will. What did he do? He called on the name of the Lord. Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. And the Lord Jesus put forth his hand and he touched him saying, I will. Be thou clean. And immediately, immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

In Mark 10, turn there with me. Mark chapter 10, hold your place in Isaiah and turn to Mark chapter 10. Look at verse 46 of Mark chapter 10. And they came to Jericho. And as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highwayside begging. And when he had heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, What did blind Bartimaeus do? He called on the name of the Lord. He said, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And many around charged him that he should hold his peace. But he cried out the more a great deal. Thou son of David, again, he calls on the name of the Lord. Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus, at the cry of one of his sheep, stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying to him, Be of good comfort, rise, for he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose and came to Jesus, And Jesus answered and said unto him, what wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And the blind man said unto him, Lord. Do you see that? He willingly called on the name of the Lord, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said to him, go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight and he followed Jesus in the way.

Willingly, willingly called on the name of the Lord. And then fourth, to willingly confess him and bow to him as Lord. True faith has one object, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He stands alone. The believer's hope is in Him and none other, Christ and Christ alone. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus to be what? Lord. Jesus Christ is Lord. This declares his deity, his divinity. He is almighty God in human flesh. He's also prophet, priest, and king. He's God Almighty. If thou shalt believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead. Christ was raised from the dead. You know, to be raised from the dead, you have to die. You have to die. And so He did. The Lord Jesus Christ died in the place of His people. He died for our sins. That's why He died. He died for our sins according to the Scriptures. and he was buried and rose again according to the scriptures. Who raised him from the dead? God did. God raised him from the dead and almighty God has exalted him. He's raised him to preeminence that every knee should bow. He's above all things. that every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Saving faith. It's not an experience. It's not a creed. It's not a prayer. It's not human merit. It's not making a decision. Saving faith rests in one person, and that is Christ and Christ alone. It believes his character, who he is. It believes his work, what he did. It believes his office, where he is now, exalted in heaven. There is one mediator between God and man. That's what it means to believe him. It means to lay hold of him by faith, to lay hold of Christ. He's my only hope. He's my only salvation. It's to confess him as who he is and to bow to him as Lord.

Jacob, he prayed to the Lord back in Genesis 32. He said this, O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which said unto me, Return to thy country and to thy kindred and I'll deal well with thee. He said, I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all thy truth, which you've showed unto your servant to bow to him as Lord. When I bow to him as Lord, I'm saying something of his greatness, but also of my unworthiness.

Mary, you remember that? Mary, which sat at the Lord Jesus Christ's feet, and she heard his word. Wouldn't that be wonderful if he would enable us, if he would make us willing to bow at his feet and hear his word? Martha, Martha was upset at her sister, but the Lord told her one thing, one thing is needful. And Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. So many things in this world that catch our attention, but truly one thing is needful. The Lord teaches us that one thing is needful, to worship him, to bow at his feet. Health, prosperity, power, they may all be good things in a way, but they're not needful. Multitudes, multitudes may never attain those things in this world, but God's people live happily, die peacefully, and ultimately enter in to his eternal rest.

Don Fortner once said this, he said, the many things for which men and women struggle and fight will in the day of judgment prove to not be needful things, but rather a great burden dragging them to hell. One thing is needful and Mary hath chosen the good part. Christ. He is all we need. And if we have Christ, truly we have all. His grace, His salvation.

What's a sinner to do? Come to Him. Bow to Him. Come to Him for mercy, for grace, for salvation.

It was a man named Jairus that fell at the Lord's feet. And the Lord was pleased to heal his daughter. That Gadarene man, if you read through that story, if you read through that account, this is what you'll see. Ultimately, he was found sitting at the feet of our Lord, bowing to him. to bow to him in reverence, to bow to him in adoration and worship, to bow to him with gratitude and thanksgiving and praise. Like that leper in Luke 17, 16, it says he fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks. To bow to him in faith, to bow to him in hope, to bow to him in prayer to bow to him in humility, to bow to him in submission and love.

Our Lord was guest in a Pharisee's house. And we read that there was a woman in that city, which was a sinner. And when she knew that Jesus set at meat in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster box of ointment. and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment."

All of these examples, all of them that I've just read, what did they all do? They bowed at his feet. And listen, they did so willingly. Willingly. There's gonna come a time when scripture says every knee, every knee is gonna bow. Every tongue is gonna confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I pray the Lord would cause us to do so now. and to do so willingly. Granted that we might all be willing and obedient servants. Again, listen to this word, willingly. To willingly own and confess my sin. To willingly repent of my dead works and any merit I might have to willingly call on God in Christ for mercy, and to willingly confess Him as Lord, to confess Him and bow to Him.

By nature, by nature, man has neither the desire nor the ability to do any of these things. We don't have the desire and we don't have the will. But listen, this is what said of his people. That's right, God has a people. A people chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world. A people out of every kindred, tribe, nation, and tongue. A people he foreknew, a people that he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son. A people for whom he gave his son. A people for whom Christ laid down his life. A people eternally his. A people who have this promise that they shall be saved. His people.

And listen, they are made willing. That's what God's word declares. They are made willing. Turn with me in closing to Psalm 110. Psalm 110. Look at verse three. Do you have it? Psalm 110, verse three. Who's gonna be willing? Well, the word of God says that his people. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. His people. they're going to hear His voice. When God sets His love on an object of His grace, He'll have, He'll have it. And His people come lovingly and they come willingly for this reason. He makes His people willing in the day of His power.

I pray God would be pleased to bless his word.