All right. Again, if you hold your Bibles open to Ezekiel chapter 16, go back with me to verse one. It says again, the word of the Lord came unto me saying, son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations. Now here in this text, the first thing we see is what we are by nature, a revelation of what we are by nature. This is where each and every one of us are found.

Verse three, he said, thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem, thy birth and thy nativity is the land of Canaan. thy father in Amorite, thy mother in Hittite, and as for thy nativity, in the day that thou was born, thy navel was not cut, you weren't washed with water to supple thee, you weren't salted at all or swaddled at all, and none I pitied thee to do any of these, to have compassion upon thee. But thou was cast into the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou was born. This is our estate. This is man's estate ruined, cast out into the open field.

And he speaks of our birth. Listen, not just this infant's birth, but God's word speaks of our birth. We're born dead, dead in trespasses and sin. You know, at birth, scripture says this, that we come forth from the womb, speaking lies. David said, behold, I was shapen in iniquity. And in sin did my mother conceive me. And this also declares something of our inability.

We're like an infant cast out into an open field. That infant is helpless, it's hopeless unless someone is pleased to pass by and show mercy. Helpless and hopeless. Second, there's nothing in us, there is nothing in man that would merit mercy. There is nothing in us that is deserving of mercy. Nothing in us that would make us worthy to be saved. No reason that man should be spared.

You know, if you look just a few pages over again in Ezekiel 16 verse 15, and maybe the thought is that someday that this little girl might turn into, this infant might turn into something wonderful. Men say that, this world says that, that God looked down, he looked down from eternity and he saw those that would be bad and those that would do good. Look what's said here. It said, verse 15, you trusted in your own beauty and you played the harlot because of thy renown and you poured out thy fornication on everyone that passed by, and yet this child is gonna have mercy shown on them. You see that?

Isn't that a glorious thought that in spite of who and what we are, sinners, and yet God would be pleased to show mercy? Look at verse six, he said, when I passed by thee, that's the title of this message, when I passed by thee, when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I ask you, is there anything, anything in us that would merit God's mercy? There's nothing in us, but there is everything in Him. Everything in Christ.

He said, when I passed by thee. He said, when I saw thee. Hold your place there just for a minute in Ezekiel and turn over to Luke chapter 10. Luke. Chapter 10. Look with me beginning with verse 30 of Luke 10. This is what's commonly referred to as the account of the good Samaritan. Luke 10, verse 30, Jesus answering said, a certain man, This speaks of a certain man.

He went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead. Again, a picture of fallen man. He went down from Jerusalem. Jerusalem set on high ground. He went from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jericho, that accursed city.

He went from happiness to misery. Think about this. God created man upright. He created man in his own image. But man fell. Man went down. He went from Jerusalem, which signifies a peace. It signifies a place of beauty. A place, well, situated. He went from the worship of God to Jericho. Again, an accursed city. Joshua called it a place of wickedness. And that's our nature. That's us. It's what we are. It's who we are. From a place of peace and serenity, a place of worship. But just like Adam, weren't satisfied there, were we? This is our story.

He went to an earthly, worldly, accursed state. and he fell among thieves. That's a picture of us as well, a picture of fallen man. And this man, he lost everything. He was stripped of his raiment, everything he had was taken from him, and he was left for dead.

Strips, no covering, just like that infant we read there in Ezekiel 16, cast out into the open field. was wounded. And sin is what has brought us into this condition. Scripture says, from the crown of our head to the sole of our feet. There's nothing in us, nothing but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They haven't been bound up. They haven't been mollified with ointment.

And that's where we lay. And that's where we'll continue to lay unless the great physician is pleased in mercy to pass by. Unless the great physician is pleased to set his eyes upon us and be merciful to us and to show us mercy. If he doesn't, that's That's where we will die, and that's what we deserve. Well, let's read on.

Verse 3, and by chance there came a certain priest, and when he saw him, when that priest saw him, what did he do? Well, he passed by. He walked over to the other side of the road, and he passed by. He saw that man that was left for dead and he passed by him. He saw him naked. He saw him wounded and he passed by. Maybe he was fearful that he would come in contact with him, that he would touch him and he would be made unclean, that he would defile himself and be guilty of breaking the law.

Religion. Religion cannot save a man. Let's read on verse two. Likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, he came and he looked on him and what did he do? He also passed by. I looked at several commentaries and every one of them say this points to the law. Religion can't save. The law cannot save. The law, it can't cover my nakedness. All the law can do is expose it.

The law reveals me for what I am. The law requires perfection. It must be perfect to be accepted. That's what the law says. We read this in Romans 3 verse 20, therefore, by the deeds of the law, by the doing of the law, by the keeping of the law, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law can do nothing but reveal my faults. Reveal my sin, reveal who and what I am."

That Levite looked upon him and he passed by. Let's read on, verse 33. A certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, he came where he was and when he saw him, He had compassion on him. Is there any doubt, any doubt in our mind that this points to the Lord Jesus Christ? He came to him. He came right there where he was and he saw him. And he had compassion on this man. Is that not what the Lord Jesus Christ does for his people in mercy?

He finds them. They're lost. They're weak. They're without strength. They're wicked. We're described as ungodly, enemies, children of wrath. And yet this is who He died for. This is whom He's pleased to show mercy. He shed His blood for us. He washed us from our sin. And the scripture says this, that He presents us to Himself. Not in that wicked, ungodly state. He presents us to himself as a glorious church without spot and without wrinkle. He came to him. He didn't say, well, if you can just hop up and come over here to the other side of the road, I think I can help you. No, he came to him where he was. He had compassion. on that man when he saw Him.

And you know that wasn't the first time. Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, that wasn't the first time he saw Him, was it? He saw Him from eternity. He's known His church from all eternity, given unto Him by the Father from before the foundation of the world.

Verse 34, it says, he went to him. He went to him and he bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. Listen, he cleansed us. He healed us. Speaking of God's people, and it says here he set him on his own beast. He didn't say if you can take the first step. What did he do? He picked him up and he set him on his beast and he brought him to the inn and he took care of him.

Who does the work here? It's not that wounded man, is it? He's completely dependent on another to show mercy to him. The Lord did this. That man that was left for dead, that's you and I. We provide nothing. But Christ did. He did it all. Salvation is of the Lord. Completely. The work is all of Him. Verse 35, and on the morrow when He departed, He took out two pence and He gave them to the host and He said to him, take care of him and whatsoever thou spendest more When I come again, I will repay thee.

This wounded man, he didn't make a down payment, did he? What did he offer? He offered nothing. Nothing. It wasn't like a few things were done and the rest was left for this wounded man to do. What do we read there? That debt, he paid it in full. He paid it all. He didn't get him up on his feet and say, you've got it from here. No, he did it all.

He came to him where he was. He saw him, he had compassion on him, he went to him, he bound up his wounds, he poured in oil and wine, he set him on a beast, he brought him to the inn, and he took care of him. And again on the morrow when he departed, he took out those two pence and he gave them to the host and said, take care of him. And whatsoever thou, when I come again, I will repay thee. the Lord Jesus Christ paid the sin debt in full. He left nothing undone. He, not one thing. Not by works of righteousness, which we've done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. Listen to our Lord here, still in Luke 10.

He asked this question. Now which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbor unto this man which fell among thieves. And they answered and said, he that showed mercy, he that showed mercy. And Jesus said unto him, you go and do likewise. Scripture says this, it's not of him that willeth, it's not of him that runneth?" Who is it of? It's of God that showeth mercy. He told Moses, he said, I'll show mercy on whom I'll show mercy. Well, third, turn back to Ezekiel 16. Ezekiel 16, look at verse 6.

Here we have a command spoken in power, in absolute sovereignty and power. He said this, he said, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, Live. Just one word. Just one word. Live. Yea, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live. He speaks here life to a dead sinner. From death to life. How's that possible? This infant lies in that field, polluted in her own blood. How is it that she can have life? How can a sinner have life?

The Lord Jesus Christ passes by, just as that Samaritan we read of there. Seeing us in our nature, seeing us polluted in our own blood, You see the condition of that infant? As awful as that is, what is our condition before Almighty God, who is holy? Martin Luther said this, he said, if we could get a full view of sin and our lost condition as it really is, if we could see it, if we could truly see ourselves as we are, a man would lose his sanity.

This infant's condition gives us just a glimpse of what we are by nature without help, without hope, without Christ, without God in this world. A dead sinner that, listen, cannot feel, we cannot will, we can't will to do anything. A dead sinner can't be scared. Dead sinner can't love, can't repent, can't believe because he's void of life. He's dead. The Word of God, that's what, we're dead in trespasses and sin.

Listen, just one word, one word spoken by the Master, and we see it here in Ezekiel 16, 6, when I pass by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy blood, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live. Yea, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live. Can you hear that command? Has that been revealed unto you? Has the Lord spoke to you and said, live? And he repeats it. Can't we just hear those words over and over again? Live. Live. I said unto thee when thou wouldst end thy blood. You know this infant hadn't done one good thing. This infant hadn't merited anything. This infant lies there in its own blood. And the Lord in mercy speaks and says, live. That's a command, isn't it? That's not a request. It's a command, live. And with the command, and we see this throughout scripture, with the command comes the power to obey. How many times has that been spoken in scripture?

Stretch forth thy hand. Remember that man with the withered hand? Stretch forth thy hand. And what did he do? He stretched forth his hand. Arise. Arise, take up thy bed and walk. But I'm crippled and I'm lame and I can't. What's the command? Arise, take up thy bed and walk. What did the man do? He rose up and he took up his bed and he walked.

Lazarus, he lays dead in the grave. Lazarus, come forth. And he that was what? Dead. Came forth. All these things are impossible. They're impossible with man. The scripture declares with God, All things, all things are possible. Well, again, back to our text, Ezekiel 16. Let me just read a few more verses. Verse seven, and listen, here's the fourth point. This is the result. Here's the result.

He said, I caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments, thy breast are fashioned, thy hair is grown, whereas thou was naked and bare. Now when I passed by thee and I looked upon thee, behold, it was a time of love. And I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness. Yea, I sweared unto thee and entered into a covenant with thee. saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. And I washed thee.

I washed thee with water, yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, I anointed thee with oil, I clothed thee with broidered work, I shod thee with badger skin, I girded thee about with fine linen, I covered thee with silk, I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, a chain on thy neck, a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown on thy head. Thou wast decked with gold and silver, and thy raiment was of fine linen and silk, embroidered work, and thou didst eat fine flour and honey and oil, and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and did prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen, for thy beauty, for it was perfect." How? It was perfect through my comeliness, which I put upon thee, saith the Lord God.

It doesn't require a lot of commentary, does it? Listen, she wasn't just made better. She wasn't given just a little encouragement to get her along the way. How can a sinner be made perfect? She was made perfect. Didn't we just read there? Perfect. How was she made perfect?

How can a sinner, how can that one dead in trespasses and sin be made perfect? Not just cleaned up, not just looking decent in the sight of fellow man. How can a sinner be made perfect to stand in the presence of Almighty God? How can I have hope? How can I have a sure hope?

What did we just read here? He said, I pass by thee. And I looked upon thee. He said, it was a time of love. He said, I covered your nakedness. I entered into a covenant with thee. He said, you became mine. How can I be made perfect? How can a believer be made perfect? You were made perfect through my comeliness, which I put upon thee. Clothed, clothed in beauty, not my own. At the cross, at the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ, he was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made perfect, that we might be made the very righteousness of God in Him.

That's the same old story, isn't it? Don't we love to hear that? I can remember when Isaac was little, we had a book we'd read to him. And at the end of that book, this is what he'd say. He'd say, again. That's the only word, again. Just read it to me again. Tell me the old, old story. When he passed by, when the Lord in mercy was pleased to pass by. All right. Isaac, come lead us in a closing.