Mercies Phil. 2:1-5 (Series part 6)

Q: What does the Bible say about God's mercy?

The Bible describes God's mercy as not receiving the punishment we deserve, rooted in His covenant love. In scripture, God's mercy is defined as withholding punishment or consequences from individuals who deserve it. For instance, Psalm 51 demonstrates this as David pleads for mercy based on God's loving kindness. God's mercy is linked to His covenant love, which emphasizes His commitment to His people despite their failings. Our understanding of mercy is rooted in the character of God, who is unchangeable and faithful, ensuring that His mercy is steadfast and immovable.

Q: Why is mercy important for Christians?

Mercy is central to Christianity as it reflects God's character and motivates believers to show love to others. Mercy is foundational to the Christian faith because it reflects the very heart of God. Scripture reveals that God is merciful and desires His people to emulate that mercy in their interactions with others. Philippians 2:1-5 emphasizes that the mind of Christ is one filled with mercy, urging Christians to regard others as God sees them. This perspective fosters a community of love and compassion, preventing divisions and encouraging unity among believers as they strive to reflect Christ's love through their actions.

Q: How do we know God's mercy is true?

We know God's mercy is true through His actions in scripture and His covenant promises to His people. God's mercy is evidenced throughout scripture, particularly in His covenant dealings with His people. The sure mercies of David, outlined in Isaiah 55, illustrate that God's mercy is guaranteed and rooted in His unchanging nature. It is through the sacrificial work of Christ that God's mercy is vividly displayed, as He paid the ultimate price for our sins, allowing us to receive mercy instead of judgment. The consistency of God's promises and His track record of faithfulness throughout redemptive history confirm the reality of His mercy for all who are in Christ.

Q: What does it mean to be merciful like Christ?

Being merciful like Christ means exhibiting compassion and grace towards others, as He does for us. To be merciful like Christ involves a willingness to forgive, serve, and love others, operating not from our own merit but as a reflection of the mercy we have received. Philippians 2 instructs believers to have the same mindset as Christ, who exemplified perfect humility and service. This entails viewing others through the lens of Christ's righteousness rather than their sin, thus fostering an atmosphere of compassion within the Christian community. As recipients of God's mercy, Christians are called to pass that mercy on to others, modeling the love of Christ in their relationships.

Q: Why was Christ's sacrifice necessary for mercy?

Christ's sacrifice was necessary to satisfy God's justice, allowing mercy to be extended to sinners. The sacrifice of Christ is central to understanding God's mercy because it ensures that justice is not only upheld but satisfied. According to Romans 3:25-26, God put forward Christ as a sacrifice to bear our sins, thus allowing Him to remain just while justifying the sinner. This means that mercy cannot be granted without first addressing sin; Christ’s death on the cross fulfills that requirement. It is through His sacrifice that we see the depth of God's mercy, as it cost Him dearly to show us grace, allowing us to be mercifully redeemed and restored.

Well, the good news is, is you all would not fit in at a Freewill Baptist Church because everybody has assigned seating. And every Sunday, you guys move around. This side stays pretty much the same, but this side moves around. But it's good that you wouldn't fit in. That's not a bad thing.

We're gonna be in the book of Philippians, if you'd like to turn there, Philippians chapter two. We've been looking at a series from verses one through five, and it all starts with Paul saying, if there be therefore any. And the last one of the things that if there be therefores is a word, one of the greatest words in all of scripture. It defines God's character. It defines God's glory. Defines his salvation, how it was accomplished, and the word's mercy.

Mercy, not getting what you deserve. Not getting what I deserve, mercy. I'm reminded in Psalm 51, David's praying and he says, Lord have mercy unto me. According to thy loving kindness, blot out my transgression. That word loving kindness, That's covenant love. Covenant love. Have mercy upon me according to your covenant love. Not according to me. Not according to what I've done because I'm here needing forgiveness of sin. I have nothing to offer but sin. Have mercy upon me according to your covenant love.

So this hour, I hope that the Lord will allow us to look at His mercy. Let's read our text together. Philippians 2, one through five says, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels of mercies. That's where the word mercy comes from, that last word, mercies. That's what I've titled the message. Fulfill ye my joy, that ye may be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and one mind.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Every one of these extortions, I'm sorry, exhortations, every one of these exhortations, if looked at through a fleshly viewpoint, are impossible. They're impossible to continually accomplish, to continually achieve in the flesh. The flesh is just not capable. It's just not capable. The flesh is sinful. The flesh is selfish.

But don't miss, and this is so important, how this is accomplished. There's two words that tell us how this is accomplished. If you look back in verse one, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ. That's the two words. In Christ. That's how these things are accomplished. That's how these things are achieved.

Not by the will of the flesh, but by his will, by his purpose, by his spirit dwelling in us. This is the good news that we always say that everything God requires, he provides, he provides. We will fail often at doing these things mentioned, but in Christ, we will never fail. In Christ, we will never fail.

What he's saying here to us today, and this is what I hope to see just briefly before we look at the Lord's mercy, is that we must, if we're gonna have mercy, we must view our brethren in Christ. We must see them as God sees them. If I look at you and I determine to love you or to have mercy upon you or show you grace or show you compassion based upon you, that's not grace, that's not mercy, that's not love. But if I look at you and try to see you in Christ, if I try to see, and the Lord allows me to do this, and allows you to do this, if we see each other as he sees us, in Christ, as perfect, as righteous, we won't be watching each other's sin.

We won't be counting the number of times that we mess up. We won't be looking and saying, okay, so-and-so did this, and so-and-so did that. We won't have time for that because we'll be rejoicing, because we see the perfected work of Christ in the Lord's people. You won't have to look very far to see me a sinner.

As much as I would like to not sin, as much as I would like to hide it, you won't have to look very hard to find something that I do or something that I say that might be offensive, because it's what we are by nature, we're sinners. But if we can look at each other the way the Lord sees us, in Christ, as saved, as perfectly righteous, there won't be any time to pit brother against brother.

That's what's going on here in Philippians. The preachers are pitting brother against brother. They're saying, okay, this, you need to be doing this and you need to be doing this. And they're getting legalistic and they're telling each other how to live their lives. And they're trying to make laws civil. I don't know if it was civil or probably moral laws if I had to guess, but And in doing so, we're not looking to Christ.

That's how this is fulfilled. Every bit of this is fulfilled by looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. If I want to have these things fulfilled in me, I don't need to examine myself and I certainly don't need to examine you. I need to look to Christ. That's how it is. Let this mind be in you, which is in Christ. That's what he's saying.

When we see our brethren in Christ, that's the moment that every one of these are fulfilled in us. When we see our brethren in Christ, that's the moment these are fulfilled in us. Then we have bowels of compassion. Then we have mercies towards each other. Then we are like-minded. Do we see that?

If I am to have mercy and be merciful, it would not come by looking to self. but looking to the Lord and seeing how he has been merciful. What greater motivation is there than to look, if I am to be a servant towards you and you are to be a servant towards me, what greater motivation do I have than looking to Christ? Because it says clearly here, if you look at verse seven, but he made of him, Christ made of himself no reputation, but took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. What greater motivation do we have to serve than looking to Him who served us?

Think about this, one of these days, and it'll be one day then, it won't be, it'll just be one eternal day when we get there, but at the marriage supper of the Lamb, Scripture says He's going to gird Himself and He's going to serve His people. Think about that. All the sacrifice that He's already done All the sin debt that I owed, he paid by his own blood, by the sacrifice of himself for his elect. And yet one more time, he's going to serve me. There's motivation to serve one another. That's motivation. And it's not for righteousness. It's not as part of salvation. And it's not for evidence of salvation. It's unto the Lord. If we are to serve, it has to be unto the Lord.

We see how merciful he has been, and that motivates us to be merciful. We see how faithful he's been, and it makes us desire, Lord, make me faithful. Cause me to think on you more. We were in the back, and Mack read in the men's study, and he prayed, and according to the closing of his prayer, he said, Lord, cause us to think on you more. And I said, I need that. I need that. I'm so forgetful. I'm not faithful. We have no confidence in this flesh, no confidence in our faithfulness, no confidence in our mercy. And that's the point. Paul's saying, focus on what's most important, the mercy of the Lord. Focus on him. In this hour, I want us to consider and carefully examine our Lord's mercy. And if he chooses to be merciful, may he show us his face. Maybe he'll show us his face.

First thing I thought of whenever I was looking at the mercies in the Bible is the sure mercies of David, the sure mercies of David. Turn with me to Isaiah 55. I would remind you while you're turning that David was a murderer, an adulterer, a liar, a thief. I'm not painting too good of a picture of him, am I?

But here's the thing, by nature, that's what we all are. Lord says plainly that if a man look on a woman to lust after her, he's already committed adultery in his heart. The Lord's standard is not our standard, it's much higher. And if you hate your brother without cause, you're a murderer. That's how the Lord views it.

That being said, we're no different than David is the point that I'm making. We can't look at David and say, I would never do such a thing. That's what the Philippians were doing to each other. May we never have that mentality because but for the grace of God, there go I. David was a man after God's own heart. Now, how can that be the next title after all of the other things that I just said David was guilty of? For one reason, the mercy of the Lord. Isaiah 55, verse one.

Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear and come unto me, here, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

The sure, what made the mercies sure? Because of the source, the Lord. Because of the source, the mercies were sure, they were guaranteed, they were steadfast, they were immovable. That's how our God is. That's who he is. Unchangeable. The same yesterday, today, and forever. He said, I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

And I love the wording here where he says, and I will make with you an everlasting covenant. Everlasting means it never had a beginning and never has an end. So how is he gonna make that if it already exists? Well, that's the whole point. I will reveal unto you the everlasting covenant. That's what he's saying. I will show you. the everlasting covenant. I will make known unto you the everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of David. The Lord's mercies are everlasting. That's the good news. This is the mercy of the Lord, the covenant that's everlasting, the covenant of grace, not works.

He chose a people by grace alone. He chose to show them mercy because of his glorious grace. This is how, brethren, he chose to save his people from their sin, and that's how we have to see our brethren. That's how we have to see our brethren. That's the message in Philippians. That's what Paul's trying to get across to them, is to view each other as Christ sees us.

He loves us because we're in him. Don't love me because I'm just me, because I might do something to hurt your feelings. If I am in Christ, then love me for that. Because he's lovable. I'm not even lovable. We forget that. We're creatures that are unlovable. We're sinners by nature and practice. We're unlovable, but yet he made us lovable because we're in Christ.

Isn't that glorious? How could he do that? His mercy, his mercy. Lord said, or scripture says, it's of the Lord's mercies that were not consumed. They are renewed every morning. What does that mean? Do they start expiring at the end of the day? No, he just letting you know that they don't run out. You can't exhaust them. No matter what you do, you cannot change receiving the Lord's mercy if you're his people. There's a fresh mercy always, always.

You're not going to get what you deserve because Christ took what we deserve on the cross for all of his people. The ones that I just mentioned that the father elected, the son redeemed. He saved his people from their sin because of his great mercy. Now, in order for that mercy to be given to his people, then Justice had to be satisfied first. God's not just going to show mercy without justice being satisfied. That's against his character and against his nature. And he would make him out to be a liar. He can't do that. It's impossible for God to lie.

Christ had to suffer and take our place in order for mercy to be given. I wrote an article in the Bulletin, the first article that's in there. And it talks about this, where the cost, the great cost, of the Lord's ability to be able to show mercy. The Lord could not show mercy until justice was satisfied, and the cost had to be the Lord's soul being made an offering for sin. The Lord had to put his son to grief, and he said, when I see the travail of his soul, I'll be satisfied. This is how we receive mercy, by the Lord's sacrifice alone.

No, we no longer look to our choosing or our choice. We look to his choice and salvation and election and redemption and regeneration. We look to his choice. He's the one that shows mercy. He's the one that shows mercy. You can think back over your life.

I know each and every one of us can look at the mercy that the Lord showed us whenever they're just even the physical mercies, the hedge that the Lord, uh, Scott had a wreck this week. I mean, he walked away from it as if nothing happened for the most part. I mean, truck's destroyed, but that's a truck. It didn't hurt him. That's mercy. That's mercy. Totaled the truck, but he's just fine. Well, how can that be? Well, the Lord's merciful. The Lord's merciful.

We all were driving here this morning. It wouldn't have taken anything for somebody to swerve over into our lane and have a head-on collision. But we get to meet again. We get to worship our Lord again. Lord's so merciful. We all could be laid up in a hospital somewheres, but the Lord's merciful.

More than that, we could be damned. We could be destined for hell. And the Lord would be just in doing so if we're not his elect. But yet in mercy, he chose to take our place as our substitute surety on the cross, bearing our guilt, bearing our shame, bearing our sin and his body upon the tree and putting those sin away by the sacrifice of himself. No greater mercy has ever been shown than the mercy of our Lord and Savior. He's merciful. showed great mercy in electing us.

He chose to save wretched, vile creatures. He chose to save dead dog sinners. He chose to make the worst his treasure. Think about that. He could have made a, he could have reserved, he does have elect angels, the scripture says. That means the ones that didn't fall, that's because they're elect. I mean, that's, He didn't redeem them, but he just prevented them from falling away like the other ones did. But he could have made a perfect people that didn't need to be redeemed.

But he created us, saw us through the eons of time before time ever was. And he set his affection upon us, his people. He set his affection upon us. How could he do that? Why would he do that? Mercy and grace, mercy and grace. We were utterly ruined by the fall. He had to fix us. We were broken.

I don't mean like a little bit. Sometimes, I don't know if you all know this, Bobby likes teapots and one of them broke a little bit and I glued it back together. It looks brand new, in my opinion. It'd never be out of her head that it broke. but it was just one piece. It wasn't that hard just to put that back on there. We're not broken like that. We're in a billion pieces.

I mean, that's not even a good description. And the Lord put us back together and made a vessel of honor. Made us better than we were to begin with. The glory that we had as a clay pot now is, we've been made the righteousness of God in Christ. Isn't that glorious?

Because of mercy. because of his mercy. Exodus 33, he told Moses, he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee. I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. He's not going to give us what we deserve because he said, I will show mercy to whom I will. I will show mercy, but it's going to be to whom I will it.

You know what that means? That the sovereign creator of this universe, the judge of all, that is just, that is good, that is righteous and is holy, shows mercy to creatures of dust such as you and I. How can that be? Because of the finished work of Christ. That's how. The finished work of Christ alone.

He could have passed by each one of us. He has all power, both in heaven and in the earth. And the fullness thereof is his. He can do whatever he wants to. None can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? But he chose to show mercy. It's in his character. It's in his nature to show mercy unto his people. He showed mercy in His election, just this, just choosing us. He could have passed by me. He could have passed by you.

I didn't, I didn't decide one day to believe this gospel. I didn't wake up and say, you know, I think I'm going to forget all this works religion and start looking to Christ. That is not how this works. No, the flesh hates it. And in false religion, I hated it. Um, but one day the Lord said, live and I, Whereas I was blind, now I see. I don't know how it happened. I just know that I heard a gospel message, multiple gospel messages, and the Lord made me a sinner.

He made me a sinner, and that is mercy. He doesn't make everybody a sinner. If you've seen yourself as a sinner, that's mercy. That's not judgment, because if he's made you a sinner, that's called repentance, and he's given you faith at the same time. He doesn't just make you a sinner and leave you at that state.

It doesn't happen that way. Now, if he lets you feel the guilt and the weight of your sin, that means they're gone. Think about that. That doesn't make any sense, does it? But it's true. You know it's true. He causes you to feel the weightiness of it. Then he shows you Christ and proves to you, I've already put them away. The guilt that you're feeling is not necessary. I don't see them. They're gone. They're absolutely gone. How could he do that, mercy? Not giving us what we deserve.

Everything our Lord does. He could have passed by us. That's what I was saying before he could have passed by us and everything he does is right. Because he does it. He doesn't do it. Because it's the right thing to do like you and I. He anything that he does is right because he does it. It makes it right him doing it. And he could have passed by us if he so chose. Reminded the Samaritan on the. He was. Walking and.

The Samaritans and Jews hate each other. And I don't know if that's the way that it is now, but you talk about racism, they really had racism bad back in Bible times. They hated each other. Matter of fact, you remember the woman at the well, she even asked the Lord, she said, how is it you being a Jew talk to me being a Samaritan? Like, why are you even talking to me? That's how they just, they despise each other.

Samaritans are half-breed Jews that believe they had hope in the promise of Abraham as the regular Jews did. But they were worshiping God in the mountain that Moses, that the Lord had blessed when Moses was upon it. And they were worshiping him in the form of dog or cat, the sun, the moon, and donkey, and calling it Jehovah.

And the problem was she didn't know that she was in the wrong. She was just religious. Well, the Lord saved her that day. But the point I was making was, is the Samaritans and Jews didn't get along. But I'm reminded of the Samaritan that was walking on the road one time, and he saw a man that was in a ditch, and he was, you heard the parable of the good Samaritan? The man that was beat up, that was robbed, was beaten half to death, was a Jew. And you see these people going through there. You had a priest go by and he passed by and you have another one go by and they pass by and the self-righteous are all passing by. But then the Samaritan picks up the Jew and takes it to the inn and says, whatever the cost will be, here's this and whatever the rest, I'll pay it when I get back. Is that not the Lord?

We were, robbed of any hope of righteousness because of what Adam did. We didn't have any hope of having righteousness in and of ourself. We were given, you talk about being half dead. We were all the way dead and we're laying in a gutter with no hope. Well, religion can't help us and the self-righteous can't help us, but the Lord, our enemy by nature, he helped us.

He picked us up. He took us in. He paid. the full payment to ensure that we have been 100% restored in so much that we're better off now than we were to begin with. He made it the very righteousness of God in Christ by the sacrifice of himself. He said, if I owe any more, I'll pay it. And he did with his own death. He paid with his own death. He made certain everything God required, he provided so that you and I could be set free from the bonds of sin and death once and for all. Why did he do that?

Mercy. Mercy. The Samaritan was really the only one justified to leave the afflicted in the gutter. If you think about it, I mean, they were enemies, but yet the Lord's the one, and that's the picture, isn't it? The Lord's the one that came to where we were, saved us by his grace, gave us his glorious mercy.

Why would he do this? Well, he tells us, For his name's sake, for his name's sake, he chose to save a people before time ever began. 1 Samuel 12, 21 says, for the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people. That's why we say not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name be all glory and praise and honor. He saved us for his name's sake. He showed us mercy for his name's sake. He accomplished salvation for his name's sake.

Psalm 31, 7, 8 says, I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy for thou has considered my trouble. Thou has known my soul and adversities and hath not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. What's the enemy? Well, every time you look in the mirror, that's the enemy. and the world's your enemy, and Satan's your enemy. And what did David just say? Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have not left me utterly to myself. You have not left me to Satan, and you have not left me to the world.

Why? Mercy. Mercy. You know, the Lord delights to show mercy. He delights in it. He delights to show mercy to his people. What a thought. He loves to do it. I love that. Lord said in mercy, I'll save you from yourself, from your sin and from Satan. And he was abundantly merciful when he did that election, when he said, I will. I love when our Lord says, I will, it means you shall. It's the same thing. I will, you shall. It's going to happen. Now let's go back to our text in Philippians. Starting to think I should have made this two parts, but that's okay. We'll see if we can get through this.

Second, first, he was merciful in election. Second, he was merciful in redemption. And I've already touched on this quite a bit, but The redemptive work of Christ is the only reason you and I can have a relationship with God, to know him as he is, to be found in him, not having our own righteousness, which is of the law, but the righteousness, which is by the faith of the son of God. The only way we can have righteousness, the only way we can be redeemed is by his finished work alone. It's not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy that he saved us.

Somebody said, why would the Lord save me, mercy? Why would the Lord save you, mercy? That's good news if you find yourself a sinner. It's not getting what you deserve. I feel heavy, I feel guilty, I feel burdened, I feel gross, dirty. That's a good way to put it. You ever feel dirty? Not only on the outside, You can take a shower to get that off. There ain't nothing getting off the inward dirtiness except for the Lord. But when He reveals it to you, that your sin has been put away, you feel washed all over again, don't you?

You feel clean because you see Him. You say, I can't see why the Lord, when you look at yourself, you say, I can't see one thing or why the Lord would save me. When you look to Christ and His finished work, You can't see how he could not if you're in Christ. That's how perfect his finished work was. That's how glorious his mercy is. He was merciful in redemption. By his determinate counsel, Christ came to this earth, born of a creature of dust.

And I can't get past that. I say that often because it's mind boggling to me. When you see the Lord high and lifted up as sovereign and holy, as glorious as he is, He became in the likeness of sinful flesh. He robed him, God robed himself in flesh. And people don't understand the magnitude of that statement because they see him, well they don't see him as God, they can't. The Lord has to reveal that.

But he was born of a woman because you and I were born of a woman. He was born of a woman to be under the law, to redeem them that were under the law. Why would he do that, mercy? That's why, mercy. Look at verse seven and eight. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. If he was to show mercy, he had to satisfy justice first.

Our law-keeping cannot satisfy justice. Our lifestyle cannot satisfy justice. Our self-righteousness cannot satisfy justice. As a matter of fact, nothing that we do can satisfy justice, but justice had to be satisfied. Now, if you and I could satisfy justice, that means we earned salvation, and it's not mercy. It's not mercy at that point, because we deserve it if we could satisfy it. Do we see that? But the whole point is, is we can't satisfy justice. We can't attain righteousness.

So the Lord himself had to please himself. And if he did not, you and I are in trouble. But thank God he did. He did by the sacrifice of himself. Our Lord's eternal justice must be satisfied. He cannot lie. He said, the soul that sins shall surely die. He can't lie. He will not acquit the guilty. So Christ humbled himself unto the death of the gruesome death of the cross. He humbled himself to death. He died as our substitute, bearing our iniquities on the tree, bearing our sin in his body on the tree.

The Lord put them away because of mercy. The love of mercy of God is amazing and what it costs, it's beyond comprehension. It's beyond comprehension. He said, Isaiah 53, he shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. His very soul had to be offered to God in order for God to be pleased. Now our soul was dead and trespasses and in sin. What's that gonna do? I mean, we can't even offer our soul at that point. Think about it that way.

But yet, Christ was perfect. Christ was sinless. Christ was undefiled, separate from sinners, the scripture says. He was righteous, he was holy, he was good, and he offered up himself freely for us all that we might be made the righteousness of God in him because of his glorious, everlasting mercy. Something else that's mind-boggling, if you will, is that it pleased the Lord to bruise him. The Lord delights in mercy. The Lord desired to show mercy to his people, and he did, because he's God, he's not gonna fail. Wasn't a percent chance kind of thing. No, it was gonna happen. But in order for it to happen, he had to bruise his son. He had to bruise his beloved. And he did on the cross. He poured out his eternal wrath upon his son, and the son obeyed the father unto death.

So you and I died in him, and therefore, all we have waiting on us now is not wrath, it's not judgment, it's not hell, it's mercy, and it's grace, and it's glorious salvation found in Christ alone. He by himself purged our sin and he sat down as the successful savior of his people. In order for him to show mercy, justice had to be satisfied and that's exactly what he did. He satisfied justice. God said, satisfied. This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. He showed mercy in election. He showed mercy in redemption. And lastly, he shows mercy in regeneration and keeping his people.

And I've never thought of this before, but how unmerciful would it actually be for the sovereign creator of this world who had to establish and accomplish salvation to do that, establish and accomplish it, but then leave it up to us, to choose whether to receive it or to reject it? How unmerciful would that be?

You know why? Well, when you go to a restaurant, it's the second time I brought up restaurants today. When you go to a restaurant, do you let the chef make whatever he wants and then bring it out to you and put it in front of you and then say, yep, that's what I want to order? Because that's what men say that the Lord's doing. No, no, you order what you want, right? You say, I want this.

And they make it. And if they get it wrong, then what happens? Well, you get upset. And you have to say, you need to fix this. I want it this way. I want it this way. Yeah, it's the flesh. That's what the flesh is. That's what the flesh does. And that's what it would do with salvation. No, I don't want that. I want it this way. You can't have it that way. This is God's salvation. It's not your salvation.

You didn't order it. He ordered it. It's ordered in all things and sure. He's going to show mercy unto his people, regardless of our opinion, regardless of our will, regardless of our choice. I'm glad he makes us willing in the day of his power, aren't you? He said, I'll make you willing. You're gonna want my mercy. You're gonna want my love. I'll make you willing in the day of my power.

How horrible would it be for him to purchase salvation by his own blood and leave regeneration up to wretched, vile creatures of dust? That'd be unmerciful, wouldn't it? But he don't do that. What does he do? He comes exactly to where you are, just like that Samaritan. came right to where the other person was in need and helped them. And that's what the Lord does. He said, I'm going to, I'm going to, what did he say in Isaiah? He says, fear not thou Jacob. I have bought you. I've redeemed you. You're mine. I love you. I have chosen you for myself, for my own glory, because of my mercy.

That's what he says. He comes to where we are, by the preaching of his gospel, he sends his spirit and power, and he says, live. Just like he did Lazarus, he said, Lazarus, come forth. And Lazarus came forth, bound hand and foot. You and I come forth.

Because of his great power, because of his mercy, he regenerates us. And as soon as he does, there's no doubt we would choose him then, because he gives us, we're new creatures in Christ. We have a new nature that chooses him. This old nature doesn't choose him, doesn't want him, doesn't want to have anything to do with him. But the new man created in righteousness always chooses him by faith, by faith.

Our flesh will always choose lust, always choose power, always choose popularity, always choose pleasure, It craves it more than anything, it's our nature. But what mercy is it for the Lord to say unto us, live, live? Because if he left us to ourself, we'd be out for old number one, still yet. We would make God out to be a creature, like in Romans chapter one talks about, a beast, a four-legged creature or unto creeping things rather than God. How is it that He regenerates us?

Well, we've been ordained into eternal life. He says in Acts 13, 48, and when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. As many as were ordained into eternal life believed.

I don't know how In false religion, I mean, I guess you just avoid verses like that because that's really, really simple. As many as were ordained, who ordained them? Well, they didn't ordain themselves. Didn't say whoever chose, whoever believed were ordained. No, it's they who were ordained to eternal life believed.

See, God doesn't ask my permission. I'm not God. He doesn't need my permission. He has all authority. He has all power. If I am to live, he has to be the one that says live. He has to be the first and he is in salvation. He's the alpha and he has to be the omega. He has to keep me to the end. What great mercy it is that once we're saved, he doesn't say, okay, now you're on your own. Wish you the best. How terrible would that be? No, he doesn't do that.

He says, I'm gonna keep you by my power. We're kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time. We're kept by his power. God does as he pleases and he keeps his people. He does all things well and offer his glory. Once he comes to a sinner that he has elected and redeemed by his mercy and grace, he says unto them, live, gives them his spirit, And by his power, life is given. He breathes the breath of life into them and they become a living soul. That's mercy. That's mercy. All he has to do is pass by. Why would he do that? For his name's sake? For his mercy's sake? For his grace's sake?

And the good news is Christ said, He promised all that the Father gave me. I'll not lose one of them. I'll not lose one of them. All the elect of God is going to keep them to the very end. He keeps his people by the sure mercies of David. The same thing that kept David. And you say, well, David don't look very kept to me. Well, yeah, he was kept. Lord didn't completely leave David to himself.

It cost him a lot, all the sin that he committed. His house was at war up until the time he was dying on his deathbed. He said, although it be not so with my house, yet the Lord hath made with me an everlasting covenant. This is all my salvation. This is all my hope, even though the Lord maketh it not to grow. His house was a wreck because of his choices.

And that's a good thing to mention his consequences, but Lord, keep us from making dumb decisions. I think that's a good way to say it. Show mercy in that. Refrain me from making bad decisions. Refrain me from making the wrong decisions. A lot falls on the lap, but the whole disposing's of the Lord. Restrain me. Cause me to look to you more. Cause me to think on you more.

No wonder the Holy Spirit inspired David to write, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Lord promised to keep us, promised not to leave us to ourself. He elected us, he redeemed us, he regenerates us, and then he shows mercy in keeping his people. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we ask that you would bless this for your glory and that you would give us understanding. He calls us to meditate upon it. In Christ's name, amen. Let's take a break.

Mercies Phil. 2:1-5 (Series part 6)

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's mercy?

Why is mercy important for Christians?

How do we know God's mercy is true?

What does it mean to be merciful like Christ?

Why was Christ's sacrifice necessary for mercy?

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Mercies Phil. 2:1-5 (Series part 6)

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's mercy?

Why is mercy important for Christians?

How do we know God's mercy is true?

What does it mean to be merciful like Christ?

Why was Christ's sacrifice necessary for mercy?

Sermon Transcript

About Caleb Hickman

Comments

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