Let's take our Bibles and turn
back with me to Nehemiah in chapter 9. Nehemiah 9. As we had just considered, Israel had been powerfully delivered
by the grace of God. out of the bondage of Egypt. Again, let us ever remember how
many times in scripture that deliverance out of Egypt was
mentioned. Time and time and time again. It is a glorious picture of delivery
of God's elect from the bondage of sin. delivered from the slavery,
from the oppression, and the cruelty of sin, and because of
our rebellion. But listen after the Scriptures
that we considered there in those first 15 verses. Listen to the
Scriptures revelation of their attitude. Verse 16, Nehemiah
9, but they and our fathers dealt proudly, presumptuously, stiff-necked. They and our fathers dealt proudly
and hardened their necks and hearkened not to thy commandments,
did not listen to what God had to say. and refused to obey. Neither were mindful of thy wonders
that thou didst among them. But hardened their necks, and
in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their
bondage. They refused to hear with attention. were not mindful of God's word. Says not mindful. They were negligent
to mark, to remember with a heart of appreciation, love, God's
wonders that he did among them. Man is by nature, as being born
in Adam, man is ungrateful. He's ungrateful. Pride is at the core of man's
rebellion, abstinence against God, disobedient before God.
And here's the thing that we all know. That old man is still
here. I said in the earlier message,
sin does not have the dominion over God's people. But sin is
still present with us. If it was not for the grace of
God, we would know nothing of our rebellion. It is by God's
grace and mercy that we even know it. Two characteristics
are set forth in verse 16 and half of verse 17. Two characteristics
of rebellion is mentioned against natural Israel. And that old
man that is with us is set forth and described by these characteristics
right here. Two characteristics. Now here's
what it is. As I said before, remember, there's a new man in
a believer. There's a new heart, a new mind. There's a creation in righteousness,
born again. But that old nature is still
there and it has not changed. It does not change. That which
is flesh is flesh. That which is spirit is spirit.
Now if you want to know the old man that's in every believer,
now you listen to this. This old man, thanks be unto
God, he doesn't reign, but I'm telling you, he wars against
the new man. And any believer is going to
admit, I see these characteristics in me. Here's the first thing. They
heard the word of the Lord. and didn't hearken to it. But they and our fathers dealt
proudly, hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments. There is a new man that loves
God. That new man loves God. That
new man doesn't sin. that which is born of God sinneth
not. And I got an old man in me that does not hearken to God's
commandments. That old man that I was born
with does not care what God has to say. Can I say that? Grieving. Grieving. And you that know him know it
too. You know it too. If we say we have no sin, we
make Him a liar. We call God a liar. In the garden, God commanded
Adam that he could eat of every tree of the garden but one. Now did the Lord not tell Adam
that? Satan beguiled Eve. She was beguiled,
she was fooled. And Eve listened to what Satan
had to say and she took of the fruit and gave it to Adam. And
with his eyes wide open, Adam ate of the fruit also. And the Lord, just a little while
in Genesis chapter 3, Adam and Eve were hiding. The Lord came walking in the
cool of the day, the scripture says. And Adam and Eve, in their
supposed hiding place, the Lord called to them. Adam, where are
you? God knew where he was. He'd get ready to show Adam where
Adam is. Where are you, Adam? He said, well, we were naked. He said, who told you that? Did
you eat of the fruit? You think God didn't know it?
You think it slipped by God's eyes? The woman. The woman said, serpent. Adam listened to the voice of
his wife. And this is what God had to say.
Genesis 3.17, Because thou has hearkened unto the voice of thy
wife." I looked up that word hearken
so I'd understand exactly what it meant. To listen with sympathy,
attention, and acceptance. To listen with sympathy, to hearken. To listen with sympathy, attention,
and acceptance. He said, because You hearkened
unto the voice of your wife. And you didn't hearken to the
voice of the Lord. That's what he didn't do. Cursed
is the ground for thy sake. Adam listened. He hearkened to
the voice of Eve and disregarded what God had to say. That sin
right there cast all mankind in sin by one man's disobedience. Or it can be written or stated
like this, by man's one disobedience, many were made sinners. That old nature right here, They
and our fathers dealt proudly and hardened their necks and
hearkened not to thy commandments." That sin, the sin of Adam's transgression,
is that same sin that's found in this sinner right here. And
thanks be unto God that it doesn't rain. But I'm telling you, that
old man still is evidenced by that. You that know Him, are
you going to admit, and I know you will, there's an old man
in me that does not hearken to the
Lord's Word. Thanks be unto Him that there
one that does. And I'm thankful, I'm thankful
that God would give me a heart that wants to hear what God has
to say. But I struggle just like every
believer does. In Nehemiah 9.16, the people
hearken not to the Lord's commandments. I was telling you about Paul
saying that. I'll read that to you, Romans
chapter 7. It's what Paul, under the inspiration of God's Spirit,
describing that old man that still is present In the believer,
Romans 7 verse 23, I could read quite a bit up to this, but right
here in verse 23, he said, I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind, bringing me into captivity of the law
of sin, which is in my members. Paul said, wretched man that
I am. I see that old man that's warring,
striving against, That new man, that was the first thing. Back
in Nehemiah 9, he says, they hearken not to thy commandments. Here's the second characteristic. The works of God they saw and
were not mindful. Verse 17, they refused to obey,
neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst. among them, mindful to be inclined and aware
of His miracles of grace toward them. They were unthankful. When the Lord parted the Red
Sea, When Moses smote that rock, God had Moses raise up that brazen
serpent. When the manna fell in the desert,
they ate every day. Scripture says their clothes
waxed not old, feet swelled not. Just to be honest, There is an
old man in me that hears what God has to say about the imputed
righteousness. Their clothes waxed not old. Now that was physical, you know
that. Their feet swelled not. The Lord kept them and maintained
them 40 years. And their clothes waxed not old. Right now, there is a revelation
set forth in this scripture that declares that Almighty God's
regenerated people, those that believe Him, are robed in the
righteousness of Christ. And that new man thanks God and
blesses God. Lord, thank You that I would
not stand before God robed in my own righteousness, which is
filthy rags. The new man thanks God for that. And I'm telling you, there's
an old man in me that hears that, that hears those words and doesn't
care. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the
bondage of this death, this death, this stench of this old man? Yet I tell you that Jeremiah
said, I loathe myself. I hate what I see. This old man. Almighty God keeps his people. Blessed be his holy name. And
then the scripture says, the latter part of verse 17, they
say they hardened their necks and then their rebellion appointed
a captain to return to their bondage. appointed them a captain, returned
to their bondage. Because of sin, our sin has separated us from
God. God Almighty brought his people
out of the bondage of Egypt physically, as I told you this picture. And
this people, in their rebellion against God, hardened their necks,
and in their rebellion, appointed a captain to return to their
bondage. This old man, Pat, still, though
what I've heard and what has been revealed to the new man,
and the new man loves it, Thank God Almighty has taken me and
brought me out of the bondage of my unbelief and sin and taught
me and kept me and kept me and kept me. And there's an old man
that ever wants to go back to a life void. of any life. There's a new man that thanks
God and he's kept by the power of God. And an old man that says,
I don't even want you here. I want to go back to where it
was just me. Is this too honest? That old
man, if he had his way, He separated himself one time in Adam's fall,
and by practice I do it. There's none righteous, there's
none. Every man in his best state is
altogether vanity. And you leave that old man to
himself, and I'm telling you, he said, I want to be just me
again. I'm telling you, you let somebody
start talking to me about having a free will and what they do
and I'm thinking to myself, God Almighty must deliver all of
us from that or we are going to perish. You leave a man to
his own will? This is a man's own will. I don't
want to have anything to do with God. I'll not have this man rule over
me. I'd rather die without God. Leave me alone, I'm running down
to hell. Thanks be unto Him, He found a ransom. But, thou art a God ready to pardon. Mike, I don't deserve this. I
don't deserve this. Thou art a God, my margin says,
a God of pardons, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, great
kindness, and forsookest them not." When that's all I ever
did toward Him. Lord, keep me from myself. Lord,
don't leave me to myself. Don't leave me to my will. Don't
leave me to my righteousness. Now let me ask you this. Does
this mean that he's ready to pardon if a man is going to exercise
his free will? No, I just read you what my will
wants to do. dealt proudly, hardened their
necks, hearkened not to his commandments, refused to obey, neither were
mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them. Hardened their
necks, and in their rebellion appointed a man, a captain, to
return to their bondage." No. No, don't lead me to that. No. Lord, help me. Lord, save me.
I'm going to perish. I got three points. They're going
to be quick. Three points. God is a God toward
His people. He's a God ready to pardon. I'm going to show you that. Here's
the first reason. He's a God ready to pardon because
He purposed to pardon His people. He purposed to pardon His people. Isaiah 14, 24, The Lord of hosts
has sworn, saying, Surely I have thought, so shall it come to
pass, as I have purposed, it shall stand. Salvation is by
the purpose of Almighty God. Romans 9, 15. concerning what
has he purposed. Here's what he's purposed. I
will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Mercy. I know what I am according to
God's Word as being born in Adam. I know what I am. I know what
my attitude is. And I don't have the ability
to change it. Can a leopard change his spots? Ethiopian, his skin? No. And a sinner can't either. He's dead. He can't change his
heart. He's dead. He's dead. Thou art a God ready
to pardon. God Almighty pardoning a sinner
is going to be according to God's purpose. Ephesians 1.9, Having
made known unto us the mystery of His will according to His
good pleasure, which He hath purposed in Himself. He chose us in Christ before
the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love and predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the pleasure
of His good will. He chose to show mercy. He is
a God ready to pardon because He purposed to do so. Secondly,
he's a God ready to pardon because he has found a ransom. Job 33,
24, and he's gracious unto him and saith, deliver him from going
down to the pit. I have found a ransom. That word found right there means
to appear, to have existed. It wasn't that God was just looking
desperately trying to find somebody. He found her. I'm looking for
something because I don't know where it is. I mean, I found
it because I was looking for it. I didn't know where it was.
I found it. Not God. That word right there. To appear
to have existed. Appeared to have existed. God is a just God. Almighty God
Purposed to pardon his people. Chose who he was going to show
mercy to. Chose who he was going to have
compassion upon. He purposed. He said, I'm a just
God. And a Savior. And Almighty God
according to divine wisdom. Eternally beheld. This is God's words. I have found
a ransom. He eternally found the ransom. And He was manifest in time. When He came into this world
and laid down His life for His people, He found a way, according
to His justice, to punish sin to the satisfaction of His divine
justice and at the same time be gracious to everyone that
He chose to be gracious to. I'm going to have mercy and compassion.
The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says, I'm determined not
to preach anything. But Jesus Christ, Him crucified.
The accomplishment of it. What He's done. Paul said, this
is my message. This is the gospel. What God's
done. The cross of Christ displays
the glorious wisdom of God. How God can be just and justify
a sinner. That's God's wisdom in the cross. The ransom himself obediently
laid down his life for the sheep and submitted himself to all
that was owed to his sheep. In reality, he bore that in his
own body. He was made sin. And under the judgment and wrath
of God, forsaken of God, he suffered and died on the cross and victoriously
cried from that cross before he gave up the ghost. It's finished! It's finished! It's finished!
Thou art a God ready to pardon. Why? Because he purposed to do
so. Secondly, he satisfied himself. He satisfied his justice. He
honored his law. The Lord Jesus Christ honored
God's law. He's a God ready to pardon. The
penalty for sin of His people has been paid, the law has been
honored, and therefore there's no condemnation to them which
be in Christ Jesus. He's a God ready to pardon because
justice is satisfied. Third point, listen to this.
He's a God ready to pardon because His people, by grace, in the
day of God's power, who has given them faith to believe. God Almighty
did something for them that they couldn't do for themselves. He
gave them faith to believe. Faith, as I said, is a gift of
God. All men have not faith. That's what scripture says. By
faith, He gives them, I mean by grace, He gives them faith. And by the grace of God, they
believe Him. They believe Him. And in the
day of His power, they're willing. They're willing to come in the
day of His power. And He's a God ready to pardon. Here it is. Because of all that
He's done for them. Not of themselves. Salvation
is by grace. It's by grace. It's by grace.
Through faith. It's by grace through faith.
It's the avenue. It's the avenue through which
God's grace has been known and manifested. Abraham believed
God. How did he believe God? God gave
him faith to believe. And he's a God ready to pardon. Because
his people in the day of his power asked for it. They asked
for it. Not of themselves, you know that,
but I'm telling you. And he gives them faith, that's their faith.
When it pleased God, He gives them that new heart to believe.
They believe Him by that new heart. They willingly and powerfully
come to Him. Listen to this, John 6, 37. I
love this scripture. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. And Him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast out. He drew them. He drew them. He gave them faith. A publican
in the temple, Luke 18, 13, would not lift up so much as his eyes
into heaven, smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me,
the sinner. When it pleased God, the Lord
Jesus Christ walked through Jericho, entering into Jericho. And here
was an object of his mercy. on the side of the road, old
blind Bartimaeus. And he heard all the talk and
everything. Who is that? It's Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus of Nazareth is passing
by. But that's not what blind Bartimaeus
cried to. That's not who he cried to. Jesus,
thou Son of David, Lord, the One that has been promised, the
Messiah, the Son of David, The one prophesied in the Old Testament,
Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. He tried to quiet
him, and he cried the louder, Jesus, thou son of David, have
mercy on me. And the Lord stood still. He that gave blind Barnabas faith
to believe, he honored that faith. Blind Bartimaeus cried out for
mercy, and he's a God ready to pardon. God Almighty purposes
to pardon. He justly has dealt with our
debt, put away the debt of our sin, and when it pleased Him,
When it pleases Him, He's going to call every one of His elect
out of darkness. All that the Fathers give, He
said, they're coming. And when they come to me, I will
in no wise cast them out. Lord, bless these words to our
heart, for Christ's sake.