Titus three, we just looked at verses three through six for our Bible study. And I told you that I wanted to spend a little more time on verse four for our message this morning. Let's begin by reading verses three through six again. Titus three, verse three. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers' lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. 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, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior. As I was reading that and studying that for the Bible study, Couldn't help but dwell on the fact that every good word of hope in those verses, they were all the result of the kindness and love of God, our Savior. Everything good for us written right there was the result of the kindness and love of God our Savior. Verse 3 says this is the horrible condition we were in. Verses 5 and 6 say this is the glorious condition we've been delivered to. And verse 4 says that only happened because of the kindness and love of God our Savior. I just want to look for a moment at the kindness and love of God, our Savior. And let's start with God, our Savior. Who are we talking about when we say God, our Savior? Who are we talking about? Verse six clarifies the answer to that question. which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. But which one is it? Is it God our Savior or is it Jesus Christ our Savior? Here's the answer. Yes. God our Savior is Jesus Christ our Savior. Look back at 1st Timothy chapter 1, just a few pages back. 1st Timothy 1, look at verse 17. Now unto the king eternal. Who is the king? Jesus Christ is the King. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus Christ wears the crown, doesn't he? Jesus Christ sits on the throne. Jesus Christ is the one who rules and reigns over all things. He is the head. He has the preeminence. That means he's number one. That's what it means, he's number one. Verse 17 says, now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God. The only wise God. Who is the only wise God? The King is. Jesus Christ is. You say, well, what about the Father and the Spirit? Well, turn over to Colossians 1. Turn back a few more pages to Colossians 1. The end of verse 13 says, his dear son, this is speaking of Christ. Verse 14 says, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, redemption through his blood. This is speaking of Christ. This is speaking of Jesus Christ. Verse 15 says, who is the image of the invisible God, The firstborn of every creature, for by him were all things created that are in heaven. Think about this. I love, you have any idea how many times I've quoted Colossians 1 verse 16, 17, 18, 19. I don't, I don't get tired of this. By him were all things created. Who made everything? Jesus Christ did. By Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by Him. Why? And for Him. Verse 17, And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church. He who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. Verse 19 says, for it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. What does that mean? In him all fullness should dwell. The fullness of what? Well, look at chapter two, verse nine. Colossians 2 verse 9, it says, for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. It's time we start connecting Jesus Christ with the fullness of God. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. To see Jesus Christ is to see the fullness of the Godhead, the fullness of God. We will never see the Father or the Spirit outside of Christ. We never will. Christ is the only begotten image of God that there is. When we say God, if in our minds and in our hearts we want to attach a person to God, If we want to do that, if we want to think about God and attach a person to God, there's only one person that can be visually attached to God. Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. Philip said, show us the Father. He said, have I been so long time with you, Philip, and yet hast thou not known me? You want to see the Father? Look at me. In John 10, he said, I and my Father are one. You know what he was saying in that? We're not two. There's one God. There's only one God. There will only ever be one God. There are not three gods. There are three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. Dwelling in one body, Jesus Christ our Savior. These three are one. One. Second Corinthians 5 says, God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. The fullness of the Godhead was in the body, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Always has been, always will be. The kindness and love of God our Savior appeared the moment Jesus Christ appeared. He is God our Savior. All right, go back to Titus 3. Verse four says, but after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. Kindness and love. Really the word kindness is what grabbed my attention. Kindness. It amazes me that such a great God and king would desire in his heart to show kindness and love toward man. That is amazing. Sinful man. That's amazing. Rebellious man. In spite of us, in spite of how we still are, you know, you may show kindness to somebody once, maybe twice, You may stand above the rest and do it three times. In spite of us, in spite of us, in spite of us, in spite of how I came into this world, in spite of how I grew up, in spite of what I became, in spite of what I am, in spite of what I'm going to be until I leave this world. The kindness and love of God desired mercy. Mercy for his people, mercy for his elect people, mercy for the ones the Father gave to Christ to bestow kindness and love upon. He desired mercy for us. He desired grace for us. He desired forgiveness for us. He desired redemption for us. It was not by works of righteousness, which we did. It was by the kindness and love of God. That's amazing. Where did that kindness and love come from? I'll just throw you a bone here. This is a critical moment. Where did that kindness and love come from? If God is just and holy and angry with the wicked, and if he must punish sin, and if all we like sheep have gone astray, wandered into sin, run into sin, where did that kindness and love come from? It came from a covenant concerning Christ. It came from a promise of redemption for Christ's sake. Turn over to Galatians 3. Boy, this is a good chapter right here. Read Galatians 3 sometime, okay? Just read the whole chapter sometime. But look at verse 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not unto seeds as of many, but as of one. and to thy seed, which is Christ." The promise was made to Christ. The covenant was confirmed in Christ. Verse 17 says, in this I say that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ. A covenant was promised in Christ because of Christ, for Christ's sake. Look up at verse 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." The promise. Christ said to his father, I will die that they might live. And Hebrews 6 says, because God could swear by no greater, he swore by himself. He swore to himself, saying, surely, because my people have a high priest who has entered into the veil and made an atonement for their sin with his own blood, surely, for their high priest's sake, blessing I will bless them and multiplying I will multiply them. That's my covenant, that's my promise. For Christ's sake, I will show kindness and love for Christ's sake, for Christ's sake. The kindness and love of God toward us appeared for Christ's sake. That kindness and love was in Christ. It came to us through Christ. We were the recipients only because of Christ, only because of Christ. Turn over to Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2 verse 3 says, Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 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 you are saved. and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Verse 7 says, that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. I like that. That grace and kindness was channeled to us through Christ. The grace and love was to Christ. It only came to us through Christ, because of Christ, for Christ's sake. For Christ's sake. It was kindness and love for Christ's sake. I've got a reference we're gonna turn to and I put a check mark by this one. You're gonna like this. Go to Isaiah 54. Isaiah 54, look at verse eight. In a little wrath, I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness. That's good kindness right there. Everlasting kindness. Will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer? For this is as the waters of Noah unto me. For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee. Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. That's worthy of a check mark. That's a good one. Now that's Isaiah 54. Okay, that is Isaiah 54. Do you know why he is saying that in Isaiah 54? It's because of everything he said in Isaiah 53. And we're not going to read it. You know what Isaiah 53 says? If you don't, read Isaiah 53 sometime. If you do, read Isaiah 53 sometime. Because of everything he said in Isaiah 53, that's what he said in Isaiah 54. He said it for Christ's sake. He said it for Christ, the cross of Jesus Christ's sake. Now, there's an account here in the Old Testament that perfectly illustrates this. And I would venture to say that this is one of all of our favorite stories in the scripture. It's the story of a wretched dead dog sinner. who receives kindness and love for one reason only. One reason only. We're gonna end our message by looking at this, okay? We're gonna close with this story, and when I tell you that, I'm pretty true to closing. Normally, I say I'm gonna close, and then within two minutes, we're done. This is gonna be a longer closing, so give me just a minute here. But we're gonna close with this, okay? Turn over to 1 Samuel 17. 1st Samuel. What I want to show you starts right here with The story of David and Goliath. And you know the story of David and Goliath. The whole army of Israel on one side, and the whole army of the Philistines on the other side, and it all hinges on David and Goliath. Verse 49, 1 Samuel 17, verse 49 says, And David put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone and sling it and smote the Philistine in his forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and smoked the Philistine and slew him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled." Verse 57. And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. Here comes David with Goliath's sword in one hand and head in the other hand. Verse 58, and Saul said to him, whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant, Jesse, the Bethlehemite. Chapter 18, and it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. And Jonathan loved him as his own soul. That's Saul's son, Jonathan. And Saul took him that day and would not let David go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him. What robe was upon Jonathan? The royal robe. He was the king's son. He himself was heir to the throne. Verse four, Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him and gave it to David. And from that point on, Jonathan said, David, you're going to be the king. You're going to be the king. I'm going to see to it that you obtain the throne. He said, just promise me this. You make a covenant with me and promise me that when you sit on your throne, you will show kindness to my house, to my children, my grandchildren. His father Saul was the king, but he said, you're going to be king. And when you sit on that throne, you promise that you'll show kindness to my house. And David said, I promise. And their love for one another and their union with one another, it grew and it grew until David got word that Jonathan had been killed in battle. Jonathan and Saul. And it says that David took hold on his clothes and rent them and mourned and wept. He said, the beauty of Israel has been slain. Jonathan's a picture of Christ. The beauty of Israel has been slain. And in that moment, the Lord said to the heart of David, it's time to go up. It's time to go up. It's time to earn your rightful place as king. Now look at 2 Samuel 3. 2 Samuel 3. Verse 1, it says, now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. Saul's family, you know that Saul was king and he has descendants. And God told David, arise, anoint him, he's going to be the king. God said concerning David. And it says there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, but David waxed stronger and stronger and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker. David went to war against Saul's family, Jonathan's father, to gain the throne. And he got it. Look at 2 Samuel 5 verse 3. So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord and they anointed David king over Israel. David was 30 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 40 years. I couldn't help but think we got a lot of young men in this congregation and some of them have turned 30 recently. They still seem pretty young to me. David was 30. He reigned for 40 years. Verse 10 right here, and David went on and grew great and the Lord God of hosts was with him. He was mighty in battle. Look at second Samuel eight. Verse one, and after this, it came to pass that David smoked the Philistines. Verse two, and he smoked Moab. Verse three, David's smoke also had a deezer. He smoked and he smoked and he smoked. Look at chapter nine, verse one. And David said, and in this moment I can see him having a, A moment of rest from battle, I can see him now, he's the king, he wears the crown, he's sitting on his throne, I can see him reflecting, thinking about everything that's transpired concerning him. Chapter nine, and David said, is there yet any hope? that is left of the house of Saul. He'd been at war with the house of Saul. He'd been slaying the house of Saul. And he said, is there anybody left? David said, is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness? for Jonathan's sake. Verse 2, And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul that I may show the kindness of God? unto him." David, aren't you the enemy of the house of Saul? Yes. Is anybody left of the house of Saul that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, there's one more, Jonathan. hath yet a son which is lame on his feet. Can you imagine the moment David heard that? He said there's one left and he's at the house of Jonathan. I can see David immediately having love for this boy. Can you see? I see immediate love in David's heart for this boy. Can you see love? Love. Why? Because of what this boy can do for David? No, he's lame on his feet. Jonathan hath yet a son which is lame on his feet. He can't even come to David on his own, much less do anything for David. Verse 3. The king said, is there not yet any of the house of Saul that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, behold, he's in the house of Maker, the son of Amiel in Lodivar. Then King David sent and fetched him out of the house of Maker, the son of Amiel from Lodivar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come to David, he fell on his face and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth, and he answered, behold thy servant. And David said unto him, fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness. for Jonathan thy father's sake. If it were not for Jonathan your father, there would be no kindness for you. Just like every other soul that was from the lump you were cut from. He said, I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father. And thou shalt eat bread continually at my table continually. And Mephibosheth bowed himself and said, what is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertain to Saul and to all his house. Thou therefore and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits that thy master's son may have food to eat. But, Mephibosheth, thy master's son shall eat bread always at my table. Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants. Then said Ziba unto the king, according to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table as one of the king's sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micah. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he did eat continually at the king's table, and was lame on both his feet, even though his condition in the flesh stayed the same until the day he died. That boy was sitting at the king's table as the king's son. Why? Jonathan's sake. Jonathan's sake, only for Jonathan's sake. And why would the kindness and love of God be shown to foolish, disobedient, deceived, lustful, hateful sinners like me and you? One reason only. One person only. It's not by works of righteousness, which we did. He saved us and washed us and renewed us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. It was all for Christ's sake. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.