Isaiah 57 is our text. Isaiah 57. The Lord, after very
strongly condemning the way of the flesh, the way of idolatry,
He gives us the good news, once again, of the gospel. of His
saving mercy in Christ Jesus. I'm entitling the message from
the words found in verse 18. The Lord said, I've seen His
ways. The Lord knows our thoughts are
far off. He knows us through and through.
Yet He says, I'm gonna heal him. I'm gonna heal him. I'm gonna
lead him. I'm gonna restore him. I'm gonna comfort him. And then
I'm gonna speak peace to his heart. Peace to his heart. So the title of the message is
Healed, Led, Restored in Christ Jesus. Now notice carefully the
words found in verse 17 of Isaiah 57. For the iniquity of his covetousness
I was wroth and smote him. God said, I hid my face, I hid
me, and was angry. And yet he went on, he went on
in his way, turning away from me. These words are the Lord's
description of the wayward believer, taken up with sin and covetousness,
which God says is idolatry. God says he was angry, and he
has a right to be angry. And the Lord says, I've corrected
him, whom the Lord loveth, he corrects. He smote him. He said he even hid his lovely
face for a time from him, from the wayward believer. This man
is a believer. But he went on in his way, turning
away from the Lord. Now look at verse 18 again. God
said, I've seen his way, I've seen his heart, yet I'm gonna
heal him. I'm gonna heal him. Now that's
an amazing statement, isn't it? It's an amazing statement. Lord's
way of sovereign mercy, I've seen his ways. And we might think
he should say, well, I'm going to just kill him. I'm just gonna
do an end, put an end to that rebel. God said in long suffering
mercy, kindness and love to us, I'm gonna heal him. I'm gonna
comfort him. I'm gonna restore him. I'm gonna
speak peace to him. My dear friend, the Lord we serve
is long-suffering and merciful, even in the teeth of our unbelief. The Lord is ready to forgive,
ready to pardon, because He is plenteous in mercy. This is another
clear statement of fact that the salvation we enjoy in the
Lord Jesus Christ is of grace and grace alone.
No human merit enters into the picture. From election unto glorification
and all in between, salvation is of the Lord, of His doing. It's all of grace. As we study
the Revelation 7 verse 10 this morning, they say unto the Lamb
upon the throne, salvation to our God. Salvation is of the
Lord. Now this chapter, we'll get back
to those verses in a moment. This chapter, the Lord condemns
man's religion. You know, I don't think I have
ever run into anybody and talked to anybody through the years
I've been trying to stand for the gospel of God's grace. I
don't think I've talked to one person I can think of that didn't
have some kind of religious hope, that didn't have some kind of
religious experience. whether it's ceremony, tradition,
or whatever it may be. Man's religion, man-centered
religion, is always the way of idol worship. And most of the
time it's the idol of self-love and self-glory. The way men think
they should approach God is totally contrary to the Word of God. The wise man Solomon said, there's
a way that seems right on the man, but the end of that way
that seems right and appeals to this flesh is a way of death,
death and destruction. In this chapter, Isaiah 57, in
verses 3 down to verse 13, the Lord declares the wickedness
of the false way. It's a way of idolatry. It's
a way of Contrary to grace, contrary to the gospel of pride. Isaiah
57, look at verse 3, down through verse 6. But draw near hither,
you sons of witchcraft, sorcerers, witchcraft, seed of adulterer
and the whore, those who have committed spiritual adultery,
way of adultery, against whom ye rebel. and mock against whom
you open your mouth wide and justify yourself, go out to tongue. God says, are you not children
of transgression? Are you not a seed of falsehood,
idolatry? Look at verse five, inflaming
yourselves with idols, passion, burning with idols, even so much
as to offer your children up as a sacrifice unto that idol. taking smooth stones, fashioning
an idol, even pouring out a drink offering. Thou has offered a
mean offering. And then the Lord asks this question,
should I receive satisfaction in these things? Now, right away
we can dismiss any way of the flesh that the flesh could produce
as far as approaching God. We can dismiss it. God said,
these things will not satisfy God. The way of the flesh is
a way of wickedness, contrary to the Word of God. The way of
works and religious ceremony, tradition is totally contrary
to the way of grace. No matter how high and lofty,
look at verse 7 down through verse 13. No matter how high
and lofty man's religion may look, they dress it up pretty
nice, don't they? Big buildings, large temples,
cathedrals, painted windows, painted ceilings. I mean, it
looks pretty dignified, doesn't it? No matter how high it may
look and how pleasing it may be to the flesh, no matter how
many messengers they sent out, it's still, as it says in verse
9, you've debased yourself unto the way of hell, the way of death. Man's religion, idolatry, leads
unto death, not life. It's still the way of death.
The Lord does not use... Now listen to me. The Lord does
not use the lies of false prophets to teach men the truth. Idolatry
will never set the sinner free from the bondage of sin. When
God saves us, He turns us unto the true and living God. And
when He turns us unto Himself, you know what He does? We turn
our back on our former idolatry, our former religious experiences. We turn our backs on them and
we turn unto God. As we turn unto Him, we turn
from that. and count all else done and lost
that we might win Christ. Our Lord said it's the truth.
It is the truth that will set you free. Not lies. Not lies. Do the best you can and it'll
be okay. That's a lie. God done his part, now you do
your part. That's a lie. A lie won't set
you free. It's the truth. Truth of who
God is. Truth of who we are. The truth
of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done, and the truth of salvation,
how He saves sinners. It's the truth that sets us free.
Now look at verse 12. Isaiah 57, verse 12. I will declare
thy righteousness and thy works, for they shall not profit thee.
God says you're idolatry. In verse 6, it won't satisfy
me, nor will it profit you. It will not work. It will not
profit you. God said, I'll declare that righteousness
for what they really are. Turn over here to Isaiah 64.
Isaiah 64, look at verse six. But we are all as an unclean
thing. All of our righteousnesses, plural,
are as filthy rags. Man at his best state is altogether
vanity. There is none righteous, no not
one. Over and over and over again
the Word of God declares that our righteousness is filthy rags.
We all do fate as a leaf. Our iniquities like the wind
have taken us away, and there is none that calls upon thy name,
there is none that stirs up himself to take hold of thee, for thou
hast hid thy face from us and consumed us because of our iniquity."
Our righteousness, our self-righteousness, our works, our religious deeds,
all of our efforts, God says it's nothing but sin. Would you trust sin for salvation?
Would you trust your own sin for salvation? Well, that doesn't
even make sense, does it? Trust in the Lord. That's what
he says. Trust in the Lord. He said, I'll declare thy works
for what they truly are. Remember what the Lord said to
those Pharisees who thought they were really somebody? They had
all the temple. They had all the ceremony. They
had all the tradition. Abraham was our father. Remember
what the Lord said to them? You are they which justify yourselves
before men, but that which is highly esteemed before men is
nothing but an abomination in the sight of God. God condemns
self-righteousness. God condemns the works and deeds
of the flesh. He says clearly, they shall not
profit thee. They shall not remove God's wrath,
will they? Or will they gain God's favor?
Not at all. Deeds and works of the flesh,
idolatry, will never produce salvation nor forgiveness of
sin. That's why he says, look at verse
20 and 21 in our text, the wicked are like a troubled sea. The
wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest. Turmoil, turmoil, turmoil. Whose waters cast up mire and
dirt. Idolatry doesn't produce life,
it produces dirt. Dirt. There is, God said, there
is no peace. There is no salvation to those
who trust their own selves. There is no peace, saith my God,
to the wicked. Not at all. Now, in verse 13
down through verse 19, God declares the way of salvation. Now, oftentimes
through the Word of God, there's always this contrast drawn. He
talks about the way of the flesh. We read that in Ephesians chapter
2. It talks about we were children of disobedience even as others.
Children of wrath even as others. And then it says, but God. But
God who is rich in mercy. There's always a contrast between
the way of grace and the way of works. The way of ceremony
and the way of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at verse
13, Isaiah 57 verse 13. When thou criest, let thy companies
deliver thee, let thy idols deliver thee. He says, but the wind shall
carry them all away, the wind of God's judgment. Vanity shall
take them. Now don't go there. Don't go there. Don't go to the
companies of your idols and say, now they're going to deliver
us. Don't go there. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
deliverer. Look to Him. Now, here's a word
of encouragement. Look at verse 13. But he that
putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit
my holy mountain. Trust the Lord. Put your... As the old-timer used to say,
put all your eggs in one basket. Put all of your hope of salvation
in one basket. Preacher, what are you talking
about? Trust the Lord Jesus Christ alone for all of salvation. He's
the way. Put your trust in Him. That's
what God said. Trust Him. Those who are blessed
to trust the Lord for all of salvation shall possess, look
what it says, shall possess the land. Christ Jesus we shall possess
all spiritual blessings for he's blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus they shall enjoy
the eternal inheritance you see that they shall possess the land
those typical people what did they inherit when they entered
into the Canaan Parmis land a land that flowed with milk and honey
What do we possess in the Lord Jesus Christ? A land that flows
with milk and honey. This is honey out of the rock
that we studied about in the book of Psalms. He's blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in the Lord Jesus Christ and
they shall inherit. Believers enjoy in eternal inheritance,
and it's the inheritance of grace, incorruptible, undefiled, that
fades not away, that's reserved in heaven for you. We shall possess
all spiritual blessing. We shall have an inheritance
in Christ. We read a moment ago, we're heirs of God and joint
heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. And we say this, those who trust
the Lord, you who are here this morning, and I trust all of you
do that are here this morning. I don't think you'd be here.
You trust Him for all salvation, don't you? All salvation. Here's what we say, look at verse
14. Cast up the way. Lift up the way. Raise up the
way. Prepare the way. Take up the
stumbling blocks. Clear out the road. Make a clear
path out of the way of my people. Now, what's he saying here? Here's
what we're saying. Preach Christ the way. Lifting
up Christ and lifting up the message of the Lord Jesus Christ
as the only way of salvation. Who wrought out complete redemption
for us. Who wrought out a perfect righteousness
for us. Preaching the Lord Jesus Christ
will take away the stumbling blocks. It will make your way
path straight unto Him. Take up the stumbling block.
Remove the stumbling block of ceremony and tradition, self-righteousness,
preaching the gospel will. Those who trust him for all of
salvation say to others, look to Christ. Christ is the way.
Christ is the way of salvation. Neither is there salvation in
any other but him alone. Look at verse 15 now. For thus
saith the high lofty one, He inhabits eternity. Our God inhabits
eternity. How long has He been God? Just
lately? From everlasting to everlasting,
thou art God. Beside Him there is no other. Thus saith the High and Lofty
One that inhabits eternity. Eternity is in Him. whose name
is holy. That's who he is, holy. Look
what he says here, I dwell in the high and holy place with
him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit
of the humble. To revive the heart of the contrite
one. This high and holy place. Our
great God dwells with his people He dwells with his people. Look
what he says. He said, I dwell in a high and
holy place with him. What is this high and holy place?
Rather, who is this high and holy place? God dwells in the
Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ dwells among his
people. He dwells with his people in
this high and holy place in the Lord Jesus Christ. And his people
are considered here as contrite, bruised by sin. They know they're
sinners. We say with the Apostle, we've
all sinned and come short of the glory of God. They are humbled
to know that they are sinners. They are of a contrite and humble
spirit. And he dwells with his people
to revive them. to bless them, the heart of the
contrite ones. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ does revive the spirit of those stripped by sin, for
He clothes us with the garments of His salvation. The gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ does revive the heart of the contrite
one. Look over here at Psalm 34. The
gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ. Doesn't it revive our drooping
spirit? Doesn't it refresh our broken
heart? The Lord dwells with His people
such as that. Psalm 34. Psalm 34. This is a very familiar passage. Psalm 34, look at verse 18. Psalm
34, 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken
heart. Saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions
of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. The Lord is nigh them of a broken
heart. Saveth such as be of a contrite
spirit. That's the blessing of the gospel.
Now look at verse 16 for a moment. Isaiah 57 verse 16. For I will not contend forever,
neither will I always be wroth, angry, for the Spirit or our
spirit should fall or fail before me, the souls that I have made. When the Lord does convict us
of our sin, He soon revives us. When He does bruise us because
of our sin, He soon does quicken us by His grace. When the Lord
does convict us of our sin, what we are before Him, when He does
bruise us and break us, He will soon revive us and heal us. If
He didn't, He said here that our spirit would soon just wilt
away and melt. You see, He knows our frame.
He knows that we are but dust. He knows exactly how to convict
us. And He knows exactly how to comfort
us. He knows exactly how to chasten
us. You know a wise father when he
chastens his children, sometimes he might give one little boy
two or three lashes. Maybe another time he may give
his other son four, five, or six lashes. The wise father knows
how much each child needs in the way of discipline. The Lord
does correct His children, and He does so out of love unto them. He knows how much correction
we need. And He knows how to, in loving
kindness, correct us. Now here's the reason He states
here that we need correction. Look at verse 17. For, because
the iniquity of His idolatry, covetousness, In Colossians chapter
3, it actually says that covetousness is idolatry. Not being satisfied
with everything we have in Christ Jesus. You see, He's all my righteousness. He's all my redemption. Believers
are totally satisfied with Christ. For the iniquity of my covetousness,
idolatry, God said, I was angry. I smote him. I even hid my face
from him for a while. You ever feel like that? You
remember from our study in Psalm 73, where David or Asaph cried
out, Lord, are your mercies clean gone? Has God forgotten to be
gracious when he hides his smiling face behind his crown of providence? I was wroth, he said. And then
the Lord says of us, and this is a sad statement and a testimony
of God about our sinful nature. And he went on turning away in
his heart. In his heart. Amazing statement. How prone we are to unbelief
and sin. Can't we say with the Apostle
Paul, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this
body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. The Lord said, I've seen. Look
at verse 18. He went on his way turning forwardly
in his heart. God said, I know all about that.
Verse 18. I've seen his ways. I've seen
his ways. And yet, here's the gospel of
God's grace. God said, I'm gonna heal him.
I'm going to heal him again. I'm going to break him, and I'm
going to heal him. I'm going to revive him, and
I'm going to humble him. I've seen his ways. The Lord
knows us through and through. How he gently leads us along,
how he gently corrects us in love. I've seen his ways, and I'm going
to heal him. I'm going to heal him. He's seen
our way of stubbornness, unbelief. But notice it doesn't say, I'm
just gonna kill him. You know, like a loving father,
I go back to that illustration. The loving father who corrects
that wayward child, he does so out of love. He doesn't
say, well, you know, next time you mess up, I'm just gonna kill
you. A loving father doesn't do that. He said, I'm going to
heal you. I'm going to heal you. That's
what the Lord does for us. He heals us. Now, I want to look
at these four things here. I said all that to get to this
point. I hope you're still with me.
The Lord said, I've seen your ways. I know you. I know you. Yet, he said, number one, I'm
going to heal you. I'm going to really heal you.
Again, down in the end of verse 19, the Lord says, I'm gonna
speak peace to him, one that's far off, one that is near, and
then again he says, I will heal him. Now, you remember all through
the Psalms, we read this over and over again, I am poor and
needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me. I'm gonna heal him. Our Lord is still the great,
wise physician. Now, who needs healing? Remember what the Lord said as
a wise physician? Those who are well don't need
a physician. Those who are sick. He said, I didn't come to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Our Lord is still
the great and wise physician. He knows our desperate need.
He knows our fatal disease. And He knows how to cure us,
how to heal us. You know, He heals all those
that have Need of healing? I want you to find Luke chapter
nine. Turn to Luke chapter nine. All
those that have need of healing, He heals those. You know your
need? Do you know you need pardon,
forgiveness, mercy, salvation, life? You need all these things. Where are they found in Christ? Look at Luke. 9, begin reading at verse 10, when
the Lord has sent the apostles out preaching the gospel. It
says in verse 10, the apostles, when they were returned, told
him, Luke 9, verse 10, all that they had done. And when he took
them, he went aside privately into a desert place belonging
to the city of Bethsaida. And the people, when they knew
it, followed him, and he received them, spake unto them of the
kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. He healed them that had need
of healing. The Lord knows our desperate
condition. Turn back. How does He heal us?
Turn back here to Isaiah 53. And while you're turning there,
let me read this to you. Jeremiah 17. Heal me, O Lord,
and I shall be healed. Save me, O Lord, and I shall
be saved. For Thou art my praise. Now who does the healing? Who does the saving? Look over
here at Isaiah 53. You know what this says right
here, don't you? Isaiah 53 verse four. We're in
desperate need of healing because of our sin. Surely he hath borne
our griefs, carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgression,
bruised for our iniquity. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and with his stripes we are," what's the word? Healed. With his stripes, with his atonement,
we're healed. All we like sheep have gone astray.
We've turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord laid on
him the iniquity of us all. With His stripes, we are healed.
Now turn back to the text again. With His blood sacrifice, we
are healed. With the work of grace, His grace
in our heart, we are healed. Now look what he says secondly.
Verse 18, Isaiah 57, I've seen His ways. God said, yet I'm going
to heal him. We'll make Him a new creature
in Christ Jesus. But then He says also, He doesn't
just heal us and then leave us alone. He said, I'm going to
lead Him also. Now He is the Good Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd does lead His sheep. The Lord doesn't save
us and then let us go. No, we're kept by His power. He is a Good Shepherd that leads
us. Where does He lead us to? He leads us to Himself. He said,
Come unto Me, all you that are heavy laden and laboring, and
I will give you rest. He leads us unto Himself. When
the Lord describes Himself to those Pharisees, they said to
Him, Lord, if you be the Christ, tell us, and we'll believe you.
Tell us plainly. He said, I told you, and you
don't believe me. He said, My sheep, they hear
My voice. I know them and they follow me."
The sheep follow the shepherd. He leads us by His Word. His
Word is a lamp unto our feet, a light unto our pathway. He
leads us by His Spirit. Our Lord said, when He, the Spirit
of truth has come, He will take the things of Christ and show
them unto you. And He leaves us gently along
by gospel ministers. He leaves us with His Word by
His Spirit through the preaching of the gospel. I want you to
find 1 Thessalonians again and look at this verse here. 1 Thessalonians. God has ordered This has ordained
the preaching of the gospel, has established preachers and
pastors and teachers for the good of the church. Ephesians
chapter 4, 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 6. He said, knowing brethren,
verse 4, your election of God for our gospel came not to you
in word only but also in power and the Holy Ghost and much assurance
as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake
and you became a follower of us. A follower of us and of the
Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of
the Holy Spirit. Now turn to Hebrews chapter 13. His ministers placed over the
congregation, over the assembly, are to feed the church of God,
and there to be looking out for the sheep. Notice, if you will,
Hebrews 13. Verse 7, remember them which
have the rule over you. How do you remember them? By
praying for them, listening to their preaching,
following and believing the word of truth, have the rule over
you, who have spoken to you the word of God, whose faith follow. That is Paul saying, you follow
me as I follow Christ. Considering the end of their
conversation, the end of their conduct, what is it? Christ,
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever. Gospel ministers
lead you in the way of worship, pointing you to the Lord Jesus
Christ. So the Lord, look back at the
text again, the Lord will, He will lead us He will lead us
into the fountains of living water. We read that in the Revelation. He will feed us, and then it
says, He will restore comfort unto us. Where sin abounded,
grace does much more abound. He will restore, you see what
it says there? And restore comfort unto him and to his mourners.
The Lord at first convicts us, doesn't He? That's a painful,
painful experience. And He removes, when He convicts
us, He removes us, He removes all false hopes from us, all
false comforts from us, and gives us real hope. Gives us real comfort. He gives us a good hope through
grace, and grace alone. What does the Holy Spirit...
The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter. What does the Holy
Spirit comfort us with? You know what it is, don't you?
He comforts us with Christ. Comfort you, comfort you, my
people. Look back here at Isaiah 40. Isaiah 40. Comfort you, comfort
you, my people. There's nothing more comforting
to God's saints, believers, resting in Christ, than knowing the Lord
Jesus Christ made complete and total satisfaction for all our
sin. Completely putting away all our
sin. That's comfort. Look at Isaiah
40 verse 1. Comfort you, comfort you, my
people. Sayeth your God, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
crying to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for
all her sin. Double payment. Plenteous in
redemption. That's comfort. That's comfort
to me. Yes, I'm a sinner, born in sin,
shaped in iniquity, but the Lord Jesus Christ appeared once in
the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
That's our comfort. Yes, He knows our unbelief. Yes,
He knows all about us. But the Lord said, I'm going
to heal him. I'm going to lead him. I'm going to feed him. I'm
going to comfort him. And then, fourthly, He says this,
I'm going to speak peace to him. I'm going to speak peace to him.
Now, notice whose creation this peace is. Look what it says in
verse 19, the first words out of the gate, I create. I create. Now, You can't make peace with
God. That's not your doing. That's
not your creation. He says, I create peace. I create salvation. You know,
He's the only one that can create. He is called the Creator. I create
the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace to him that is far
off and to him that is near. Sayeth the Lord, I will heal.
Peace is of the Lord. The Lord will speak peace unto
His people. It's His creation. The Lord Jesus
Christ is called the Prince of Peace. The Lord Jesus Christ
is called the King of Peace. Do you know how this peace comes? Turn back here to Isaiah 32.17.
I've pointed this out several times through our study in Isaiah
32.17. The work of righteousness, now
underscore this, have you got it underscored? The work of righteousness
shall be peace. Now whose righteousness here
is he talking about? The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness
sake, Isaiah 42, 21. The work of righteousness shall
be peace and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, in sure dwelling
places, in quiet resting places. we have peace with God. The Lord
will speak peace to us. This is a peace, this is peace
with God only through the Lord Jesus Christ. It says in Colossians
1, He made peace for us with His own blood. He's reconciled
us unto God in Christ Jesus. This peace, turn to Romans 5,
this peace is received and enjoyed. You know how it's received and
enjoyed? Not by doing, by believing. Romans 5, turn over there, Romans
5. It says in Romans 4, 25, the Lord
was delivered for our offenses and raised again because he justified
us, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God. By believing Him, we have peace. Peace of heart, peace of conscience,
peace of mind. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith
into this grace wherein we stand and we rejoice in the hope of
the glory of God. Peace with God. Peace with God. Peace is received and enjoyed
only by faith in Christ Jesus. Those that put their trust in
Him shall possess the land and shall inherit My holy mountain. Now, here's the flip side in
closing. Verse 20 and 21 again. The wicked are like the troubled
sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace. There's no
peace with God apart from Christ. apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no salvation apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. There
is no peace. No peace. No forgiveness. No pardon. No life. And you can go on and on and
on. No righteousness. No reconciliation. No regeneration. No resurrection unto life. Sayeth the Lord. My friend, oh
for grace to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. He will heal us. He will
lead us. He will comfort us. You need
peace, I do. And he will speak peace. He will
speak peace to us upon the ground, upon the ground of him making
peace for us with his own blood.