Well, this evening we'll continue
our meditation in the epistle of Paul to the Ephesians in the
second chapter. And this evening we'll just consider
the two verses, verses four and five. And they read, but God,
who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved
us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together
with Christ by grace ye are saved. And the word quickened means
made alive. And the apostle here is referring
of course to that which he has already stated in the previous
verses and perhaps just verse three where he tells us among
whom also We all had our conversation in times past, every one of us
without exception, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the
children of wrath, even as others. So we all stood on common grounds
together, all guilty before God, all sinners, before God, all
needing a great and glorious salvation. Well, the good news
is this. It wasn't dependent upon our
own ability to save ourselves. And a good job it wasn't, because
we were unable to, for this very simple reason. We had no life. We were dead. A dead person cannot
deliver itself, cannot save itself, and nor could we. And so here
we are in this condition, in this situation, but then you
see we have this wonderful statement, but God. There are some glorious
but gods in the word of God, and here is one, but God. And what does it speak about,
this God? What does it tell us? It tells
us this. who is rich in mercy. Well, isn't that wonderful truth?
To think that mercy, the mercy of God, has come to us. And that mercy of God, we have
been the benefit of, enjoyed the benefit of. So that here
tonight, we trust by God's grace, we can realize that our salvation
isn't in ourselves but it is in firstly the rich mercy of
our God. My friends, mercy is a lovely
word isn't it? Mercy is welcome news indeed
to those who guilty stand. It's a good thing tonight if
therefore mercy is good news to us. When the Apostle wrote
to Titus in the third chapter. He tells us very similar words
really says not by works of Righteousness which we have done that means
whatever good things we may have thought we've done They don't
really account They don't really give us any benefit any greater
blessing any greater rights to the gift of eternal life and
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost. That really means it's his mercy
which has washed us in his blood. washed us from all our sins,
cleansed us from all our sins, redeemed us from that condemnation,
the soul that sinneth it shall die. And so what a wonderful
blessing it is to know the mercy and it's not only the Apostle
Paul you know because We go way back into the Old Testament,
in the days of Daniel. Daniel lived in a difficult time,
a hard time, when there had been that great falling away, that
great opposition to doing God's will. And now, however they were
in Babylon, and we see this part in the ninth chapter, where Daniel
prays to his God. It's a wonderful prayer. It's
good to take time to read this prayer, but just one part of
it, when he comes and says, oh, my God, what a good thing it
is when we can come and say, my God, not someone else's God,
but my God, from our heart, realizing we do have a God who we can claim
to be our God. And that's an amazing thought,
isn't it? thinking how great God is, the eternal God, so powerful,
so mighty, and we such insignificant people on the earth, and yet
great sinners, utterly unworthy of any notice. And yet, says
Daniel, oh my God, incline thine ear, and hear, open thine eyes,
And behold our desolations, they were in desolations. And you
know, all the people of God come into a time of desolation. And what that means is this,
they have no help in themselves. Desolation, without God, desolate. Behold our desolations, and the
city which is called by thy name, we do not present our supplications
before thee for our righteousness but for thy great mercy. Word it's a favour tonight as
we come here in prayer to be able to present our prayers because
of his great mercy toward us. Believing we do have a God who
hears, and a God who answers prayer. To that which is not
of faith is sin. And may we always be concerned
to pray in faith, nothing wavering. Let us not be plagued with an
evil heart of unbelief." And so we read this wonderful statement,
rich in mercy, and then he tells us again the reason for that.
for his great love wherewith he loved us. What a consideration
to think that God should have a great love toward us. And if the Holy Spirit shows
to us something of what we are by nature, there's nothing good
in us. We're black. We're vile sinners. before a holy, righteous God. Why should He love us? Why should He set His love upon
us? The great truth is that He has. For His great love was with He
loved us. And that love was so great, let
us never underestimate, love of God, it should really be a
consideration which is beyond our ability to really fully appreciate
that this great God should have loved us so much with great love
that he was willing to leave his place in glory, that wonderful
sinless environment, and to come into this sinful world. For all
those years to bear all the opposition and all the sinfulness which
was around him and then of course eventually to die that great
and glorious sin atoning death for sinners. Sinners can say
and none but they how precious is the saviour whether it will
be A good thing tonight if we know in our heart the love of
Jesus, that love which constrained him to die upon that cross in
order to save our souls and to bring us safe home to glory. And then not just for a little
time, a few weeks, or a few years, but throughout eternity. all because of his love. And again, the Apostle Paul,
when he wrote to the Romans, and in the 8th chapter and the
39th verse, these beautiful words he tells us, or perhaps the 38th
verse first, where he says, for I am persuaded in his soul, persuaded
that these things were true. And how good it is if we are
persuaded that these things are true. And he says, for I am persuaded
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us
from what? The love of God. What a consideration
that is. And that is to be found, which
is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Well, tonight, my friends, may
we praise and bless God for this great and glorious truth, this
great love, where he loved us even when we were dead in sins,
when we were helpless. He watched over us. He knew where
we were. He knew where we lived. He knew
what we were doing. He knew what we were thinking.
What a blessing if we weren't cut off. What a blessing if our
life wasn't taken. What a blessing our life was
preserved to come to that day when he would reveal himself
to us as our great and glorious Saviour. Oh, there's none like
him. the Lord Jesus Christ. And so
he says, now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, no one else, my friends,
and God, even our Father, which has loved us and has given us
everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. And that brings us really to
this last section, hath quickened us together with Christ. made
spiritually alive. And you see, we are made spiritually
alive when Christ is revealed. We're made spiritually alive
when the glorious light of the gospel shines into our heart. And it is indeed in the face
of Jesus Christ, in that lovely verse which I often refer to,
the second Corinthians in the fourth chapter, and the sixth
verse, who also has made us able Sorry, fourth chapter, the sixth
verse. For God, who commanded the light,
commanded. God commands it. You see, when
God commands it, it happens. For God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, our dark condition. The light shone,
pierced the darkness, has shined in our hearts to do what? to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Well, that's
a great and wonderful blessing to those who receive this spiritual
life. And it is all through and by
the grace of God. And the grace of God is the free
unmerited favor of God. And we'll bless God for his grace. And we'll understand and we'll
believe and we'll be thankful that this word is true. By grace,
ye are saved. the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Well tonight, my friends, let
us go on our way rejoicing that we have such grand and glorious
truths contained in the Word of God to encourage us and to
strengthen us and to be the help and that direction to us as we
travel through our little life on this earth towards our eternal
home in glory with the Saviour. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love with us loved us, even when we were dead in
sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are
saved. Amen.