Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. The gospel is indeed a great
source of encouragement to those whom the Lord is pleased to awaken
from the dead. Dead men see no need for any
remedies, nor can they delight in any cure for their disease.
The gospel is a message for the living, and it is indeed a sweet
savor of life to those who are quickened and made to hear it
by the grace of God. The Lord delivered a message
of hope to the children of Israel, reiterating the fact that He
would not cast them off, but would surely deliver them from
their oppressors. Yet He plainly told them that
they had such an incurable wound from which they could not possibly
deliver themselves from. This revelation, though terrible
in its substance, was nonetheless a premise for their encouragement,
because He also declared that He would restore their health
and destroy their enemies. When Adam sinned, his sin was
then imputed to all of his posterity, passing on the seed of death
to every one of his seed born of woman. David understood this
as he lamented the condition in the 51st Psalm. Behold, I
was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
He knew that he had an incurable wound from which he was powerless
to deliver himself. Apart from the Lord's mercy,
he knew he would perish. David did not think so at the
time, but oh, what a great blessing the faithful message of Nathan
the prophet was when he boldly pointed his finger in David's
face and said, Thou art the man. David was smitten in his heart,
and his grievous wound began to fester and pour forth its
putrid odor and foul discharge. This calls David to cry out,
wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from
my sin, for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin as
ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have
I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest
be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest.
The work of the Holy Ghost always causes a man to own that his
sin makes him worthy of condemnation, and is a total affront to the
kindness and mercy of God, who would be just in his destruction.
Though the wound is said to be incurable, we know that it is
only incurable by the means and activities of men, for there
is one who can heal all diseases and who alone is able to make
even the vilest of sinners clean. The Lord, who is rich in mercy
to all that call upon his name, delivered the message of comfort
to David by the same prophet he sent to declare unto him his
incurable wound. And Nathan said unto David, The
Lord also hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die. Before there
was ever a sin committed, the Lord Jesus was already the Savior
of sinners. He was the Great Physician before
the blow was struck that caused man's incurable bruise and grievous
wound. He is indeed that One who alone
has healed all of the diseases of those who are His people and
for whom He came. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. Their incurable
bruise and grievous wound has been completely healed by Him
who is the Great Physician. Because of the hardness of their
hearts by nature, it pleases Him to cause them to first see
the putrefying nature of their sores and hopeless condition,
that they might in turn forsake all quacks and flee to Him for
aid. The glorious gospel sets forth
the sure remedy for all who know themselves to be struck with
the incurable leprosy of sin. It is for them alone that Christ
is bled and died. It is for them alone that he
has secured a lasting cure. Great is the mercy of God to
all who fear his name, for he is their healer and comforter.
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
The glory of Christ and the extent of his work in the behalf of
his elect is demeaned by those who seek to mollify the souls
of sinners with remedies which depend on their free will. Christ
came to deliver the helpless, not to offer a good solution
to those who decide to cooperate with him. He is the one who raises
the dead, not one who lends a helping hand. He has obtained eternal
redemption for everyone whom he has purposed to save, rather
than offering salvation to men who may or may not be interested.
He is the Savior of sinners. One of the most comforting of
scriptures for those who know themselves to be stricken with
an incurable wound says, There is no uncertainty in this declaration. All of those who are given to
Christ before the foundation of the world shall indeed come
to Him for mercy. Everyone who is made aware of
their incurable wound by the operation of the Spirit of God,
who cry out to Him for mercy, will never be cast from His presence.
Rather, they shall receive that which He has prepared for them
that love Him. What a glorious Redeemer is this
Christ! Is He your Redeemer? If you would
like a free transcript of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor
at windstream.net.