Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. Though it is fairly easy to get
folks to admit that they are not perfect, it is impossible
to get them to admit that there is not one shred of intrinsic
value in them, apart from the revelation of that truth to them
by the Holy Spirit. Men are by nature convinced that
they have something to offer to God, even if it is just trying
to do the best they can. The natural man scoffs at the
idea that God would be just in condemning the world and all
of its inhabitants to an everlasting destruction. This is preposterous
in his eyes because he knows too many good people like himself
that he deems worthy of God's favor. He looks upon those things
he would call good deeds and feels certain in his mind that
these things must count for something beyond this life. An amazing
transformation of thought takes place when God is pleased to
quicken a man who is lost in this state of nature. All of
a sudden, he is smitten with the recognition of the fact that
he is totally without any sort of hope and sees the good deeds
that he has relied upon as so much done. He finds himself stripped
naked and bare before God without any sort of covering and absolutely
no excuse for his sin. He must cry, God, be merciful
to me, a sinner. Now, if a man could somehow earn
God's favor by his good deeds, then the reward would be given
according to debt. Man could in this way control
God. Of course, this is preposterous,
as he who rules in the heavens and the earth cannot become obligated
to men. So it is pleased him to bestow
his mercy upon men according to his sovereign purpose, that
his grace might be exalted and his name glorified. He is pleased
to work in those upon whom he bestows this mercy to produce
true good works which are the evidence of his blessings rather
than the cause of them. Those who are not the recipients
of his mercy will carp and cavil at how unfair this reckoning
of blessing by grace and not debt is. But those who have been
the objects of his mercy are given eyes to see that were it
not so, they would surely perish. So Peter here speaks of a like
precious faith, which is shared by all of those whom God has
marked out to receive it. This like precious faith is the
gift of God. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Let no
man think that faith is the function of his own mind or an activity
of his will. This faith is bestowed upon his
elect according to his own measure and purpose. For I say through
the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to
think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to
think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure
of faith. This, like precious faith, is
the same to all of his elect. Though it is pleased him to give
to various men differing degrees or measures of faith, the essence
of faith which he gives is the same to all of them. There is
one body and one spirit, even as you are called, in one hope
of your calling. one Lord, one faith, one baptism. The sum and substance of the
faith of God's elect is the righteousness of Christ manifested in his redeeming
work at Calvary. We look for no other. He said
he was divine and we are the branches and we abide in him.
This is extremely sweet for the sons of God as they contemplate
their acceptance before the Father to be 100% according to his acceptance
there. This like precious faith is that
which gives them strength in the present hour. Though the
full enjoyment and manifestation of our total blessing in Christ
yet awaits us in the day of the Resurrection, we are presently
given grace through this same like precious faith to stand
in this present evil day, above all taking the shield of faith
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of
the wicked. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live,
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved
me and gave himself for me. That faith in which we shall
stand when the dead, both small and great, stand before the Almighty
is the same faith in which we currently live and move and have
our being. The Lord is my rock and my fortress
and my deliverer, my God, my strength in whom I will trust,
my butler and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall
I be saved from mine enemies. Come, guilty souls, and flee
away to Christ to heal your wounds. This is the welcome gospel day
wherein free grace abounds. God loved the church and gave
His Son to drink the cup of wrath, and Jesus says He'll cast out
none that come to Him by faith. Do you rest in this like precious
faith? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to for the poor at windstream.net.