Psalm 130 will be our message
to you, and I'm simply going to repeat to you what God has
already said in Psalm 130. I'm entitling the message, The
Experience of Grace, or we could say, The Experience of Salvation. And we know that a mere religious
experience or mere religious feelings and excitement is not
salvation. However, salvation by the grace
of God in the Lord Jesus Christ is certainly something that we
do experience, don't we? God who has begun a good work
in you, God who has begun a good work in you, that's something
you experience, isn't it? The working of God in your heart,
in your life, in your mind, in your thinking, is something that
we do experience. God who had begun a good work
in you, he will finish it. You see, salvation is not just
making a decision. Salvation is not just walking
an aisle or praying through. Salvation, by the grace of God,
is an invasion, an invasion of God in your heart. your mind,
your will. He gives you a new heart, a new
mind. He changes your will. He gives
you a new understanding. We know the Son of God has come
and He's given us an understanding. He changes our affection. We
now love the things that we once despised. You see, He invades
our whole being, our heart, our mind, our will, our understanding,
our emotions. And there is, in this experience
of salvation within the believer, there is a revealing of who God
is. That God is holy. That God is
just. And that we are sinners. But
thank God He doesn't leave us there. He shows us the remedy. What is the remedy of sin? Christ. I need the Lord Jesus
Christ. And the Holy Spirit, when He
not only convicts us of sin, He doesn't leave us in that state.
He reveals unto us the goodness of God that shines in the face
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in this Psalm, Psalm 130,
we begin with the cry, of the believer in his heart,
Oh Lord have mercy upon me, out of the depths have I cried, and
then this psalm ends with complete confidence and assurance of all
sin forgiven. That's the experience of grace.
There is a conviction of sin and there is a revelation to
our heart of the Lord Jesus Christ who put away all our sin by the
sacrifice of himself. He shall redeem us from all our
sin. Isn't that good news? I'll tell
you who is good news too. Those who are sinners. to those
who are in need of mercy. Now let's look at verse 1 and
2. And here we see the pattern of salvation. Here we see the
conviction of sin which leads to the cry of the heart unto
the Lord for mercy. You'll never cry out for mercy
unless God shows you your need out of the depths. Out of the
depths of what? Out of the depths of my depravity.
You ever been there? Are you there now? Yes, I am
a sinner. I have never graduated above
being a sinner saved by God's grace. Out of the depths of our
ruin, our depravity, our guilt, our need, I have cried. I have cried unto the Lord. Lord of heaven and earth, Lord
with all sovereignty and all power, Lord, here's my cry, here's
my voice. Would you hear me? Let thine
ears be attentive to the voice of my crying, my request, my
supplication. Aren't you glad he's a living
God who's able to hear our cry? He's not some, our God is not
some dead idol. Our God is in the heavens, and
He has done whatsoever He has pleased. And here we see the
pattern of grace. Or we could say the pattern of
salvation. The Lord makes us to know that
we are guilty sinners in His sight, and we call this Holy
Spirit conviction. Now if you miss Holy Spirit conviction,
you'll miss faith. If you miss faith, you miss Christ.
If you miss Christ, you miss salvation. There has to be a
convicting of sin before there's a quickening by the Spirit of
God. We call this Holy Spirit conviction. When God, the Holy Spirit, through
the preaching of the gospel, takes the things of Christ and
reveals them unto us, that we are sinners, what we are, Not
what I've done, what I am and what I need. I need righteousness. And then what I deserve. What
do I deserve? What do you deserve? What have
you earned? The wages of sin is death. That's
what we all deserve. But he revealed unto us what
we are, what we need, and what we deserve. Then, when God is
through working with us, there's a cry for mercy. We will never
cry for mercy until we know that we're in need of Him. Crying out of a need. Crying
out of a need. Lord, have mercy. Hear my cry. We'll never cry for pardon or
sue for mercy from sin until we know that we're guilty. Guilty
you see Grace is for somebody. You know who grace is for grace
is for the guilty Mercy is for somebody you know who for Mercy
is for the miserable Salvation is for somebody you know who?
Sinners. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation. That the Lord Jesus Christ came
to save sinners. We'll never cry for pardon from
our sin until we know we're guilty of sin before the Lord. That
we, we, me, take this personal. I have sinned against the Lord.
Again, thee and thee only have I sinned, David said. All have
sinned. It's easy to talk about the depravity
of others, but let's point the finger right back here. I'm the
guilty one. I'm the sinner. You ever been
there? If you have, the cry of your heart is, Lord, have mercy
upon me. God does bring in the conviction
of sin, He brings us to see the depths of our sin, but not to
the depths of despair, because he causes us to cry unto him
for mercy, and we do come to the Lord Jesus Christ when there
is the true conviction of sin, we do come boldly unto the throne
of grace as mercy beggars. You remember the publican in
the temple? He cried out, Lord, have mercy on me, I'm the sinner. I've sinned against God. That's
the cry of a truly convicted heart. The cry of one who is
truly in need. You remember the story of blind
Bartimaeus, who sat by the wayside in his filth and in his blindness,
begging others for help? And he heard one day, he heard
something about the Lord Jesus Christ coming by. And he heard
him coming through the crowd, there was a whisper, Jesus of
Nazareth passes by. And he began to cry out, thou
son of David, the Messiah, have mercy upon me. And others said,
he don't have time for you, just leave him alone. And he cried
out to More, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. He had a need,
didn't he? He knew that the Lord Jesus Christ
was able to make him whole, and he sued for mercy. And you know
what? The Lord Jesus Christ that says there in Mark 10 stood still
and said, Bartimaeus, what do you need, Lord? I'm blind. Be
whole. Isn't that a blessing? Crying
out in our need. When the Lord is pleased, convict
us of our sin, to show us what we are in His sight, He will
hear our cry. He will hear our cry. I've never
read in the Word of God that the Lord ever turned away a mercy
beggar. Not one time have I ever read
in the Word of God, where a sincere, broken, humble sinner approached
the Lord with a need that that need wasn't met. That'll encourage
us to call upon the Lord. We don't come demanding mercy,
do we? We come begging for mercy. I'll
show you another good example. Let's read this one. Turn to
Matthew chapter 8. Matthew chapter 8, look at verse
1. Matthew 8, verse 1, here's a man that was a leper. I mean,
he was covered from head to toe with leprosy, a lonesome disease,
a terminal disease. Matthew 8, chapter 8, verse 1,
when he was come down from the mountain, that is the Lord Jesus,
great multitudes followed him, and behold, there came a leper
and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, you can make me
clean. Now, he didn't come demanding
mercy, did he? He said, Lord, if you will, you
can do it. You're the Lord. And the Lord
Jesus put forth his hand and touched him and sang, I will
be thou clean. See, it was the Lord's will,
sovereign will, and immediately, His leprosy was gone. He was
clean. He was made whole. Lord, if you
will. See, he didn't come demanding,
Lord, you make me whole. He didn't come demanding mercy,
did he? He came as a mercy beggar. Lord, if you will, you can make
me whole. Now, back to Psalm 130, look
at verse three. Look at verse 3 of Psalm 130.
If thou, Lord, shouldest charge me with my sin, and that's what
he's saying there. Mark my iniquity. Count all my
sin. If thou, Lord, shouldest charge
me with my transgression, my sin, my iniquity, O Lord, I can't
stand. I can't stand in His sight. No,
sir. Not at all. The confession of
a repentant heart we see in verse 3. Taking God's side against
myself. If you count and charge my sin,
I cannot be justified in your sight. If you hold me for all
that I've done against thee, as David said, against thee and
thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, That
when you condemn me, you'd be right. Taking God's side against
myself. Guilty as charged. That's me. Guilty. Guilty. Upon my merit,
I cannot stand. Upon my goodness, I cannot stand.
Upon my works, I cannot stand. Upon my righteousness, I cannot
stand. No sinner can. Well, who shall
stand? None upon their own merit. None
upon their own goodness. If the Lord would count, impute,
and charge all my sin to me, where would that leave me? Condemned forever. Condemned
forever. Guilty, guilty, guilty. Who shall stand or who shall
ascend unto the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand? Let's turn back
to Psalm 24. Who shall stand? Who shall ascend
into the presence of the Lord? Somebody's going to. Those in
Christ are forerunner who has entered in for us and has occupied
glory for us. Look at Psalm 24, verse 3, the
same question is given. Who shall ascend into the hill
of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy
place? How good do you have to be to
stand before God? Huh? As good as God? That's right. He that hath clean
hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul to vanity,
who is never sworn deceitfully. Now that just slammed the door
on all my merit, all my goodness, all my right to just slam the
door in my face. He shall receive the blessing
from the Lord and from and righteousness from the God of his salvation
now watch it read on This is a generation of them that seek
him that seek thy face. Oh Jacob Lift up your heads. Oh you gates be lift up the everlasting
door and the king of glory He shall come in Now, if I can enter
in with him, I can stand. In him, there's no condemnation. Who is the king of glory? The
Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your
head, though ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors.
The king of glory shall come in, he shall come in. He doesn't
come in as a private person. He comes in as a public head.
Read the next verse. Who is this King of Glory? He's
the Lord of Hosts. He's the Lord of a people. He
is the King of Glory. You see what's true of the head
is true of the body. Where the head is, that's where the body
is. We read in Ephesians chapter 2 just a minute ago, remember,
and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly
places in the Lord Jesus Christ. This sinner right now in the
Lord Jesus Christ is already seated in the heavenlies in Him. That's right. Isn't that good
news? Who shall stand? Who shall ascend
into the hill of the Lord? All those in the Lord Jesus Christ.
all those who are united with Him by this living union of faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now back to Psalm 130, look at
verse 4. But there is forgiveness with
the Lord, that the Lord may be honored, glorified, Worship some
of the old writers of the past Said verse 3 and verse 4 is the
sum of the whole Word of God Think about it verse 3 and verse
4 These old-time preachers that preached the gospel hundreds
and hundreds of years ago said this is the whole sum of the
Bible We're sinners Great sinners. And the Lord Jesus Christ, He's
the great Savior, or the greater Savior. Where sin abounded, grace
does much more abound. You see, that's the whole sum
of the message, isn't it? Yes, we're sinners. I have a great
Savior. He's got our Savior, who cannot
fail, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now here's our confession of
faith. But God, But God, remember what we read in Ephesians chapter
4? But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love were with
he loved us, even when we were so unlovely, so vile, so wretched
and dead in our sin. God commended his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But there is forgiveness with
thee, that thou, thou mayest be honored and worshiped. Blessed
is a man unto whom the Lord will not impute sin. Now let's read that again. Turn
over to Roman chapter four. And it comes actually as a quotation
in Roman chapter four from Psalm 32. Psalm 32. Look at Roman chapter
four. Look at verse 4, Romans 4, 4.
Now to him that worketh is reward, not reckoning of grace, but of
debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that
justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Now his faith is not his righteousness, but his faith looks unto the
Lord Jesus Christ, who is his righteousness. Look at verse
six. Even as David also described the blessedness of the man, this
is from Psalm 32, unto whom God imputed righteousness without
works, saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven
and whose sins are covered. Now look at verse eight. Romans
4 verse 8, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not charge,
count, impute, sin. You get a hold of what he's saying
there? That's the blessed man. Turn a couple pages to Romans
8. Look at verse one, there is therefore now no condemnation
to them who were in the Lord Jesus Christ, who walked not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit of God. As many be led
by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And this is
our confession of faith, isn't it? There is forgiveness of sin,
Christ there is forgiveness of sin in the Lord Jesus Christ
with thee there is forgiveness of sin how many how many sin
some of your sin that Christ died for some of your sin and
If he did, we're in trouble. The Lord Jesus Christ, God's
Son, His blood cleanses us from all our sin. There is forgiveness
with thee of all our sin. Original sin, actual sin, past,
present, future, all my sin are gone. There is forgiveness with
thee. The forgiveness of sin then is
based upon what? Based upon payment for sin. Based upon the atonement of sin. We're justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The forgiveness of sin is not based upon my faith. The forgiveness
of my sin is not based upon my repentance. The forgiveness of
my sin is not based upon my praying. The forgiveness of sin has one
ground, one reason, and that's full payment by the blood atonement
of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's only because He shed His
blood that we have pardon. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse
7 it says, In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin according,
according to the riches of his grace. See it all boils down
to grace, doesn't it? The grace of God in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And the fruit of that, look at
the last part of verse 4. The fruit of that is that thou
mayest be honored, worshiped, and feared. And this is reverential
fear. The fruit of forgiveness in the
believer's heart is what? Gratitude. God's forgiven me
all my sin. How can you not love Him? How
can you not rejoice in Him? The fruit of forgiveness is gratitude,
love, reverence, and worship. Gratitude for pardon produces
far more reverence than all the dread inspired by fear of punishment
or promise of reward. He's forgiven me all my sins.
You remember what the Lord said to that woman who washed his
feet and some complained and he said to whom much is forgiven
the same loveth much. Those who know they are sinners.
Sinners. And the Lord Jesus Christ has
put away all my sin. How can we not love Him? And
look unto Him. Oh, there is forgiveness with
thee that thou mayest be feared. Now, look at verse 5 and 6. Here
we see the believer's firm resolve to wait For the Lord my soul
doth wait, and in his word I hope, I hope. My soul waited for the
Lord more than they that would watch for the morning. I say
more, more than they that would watch for the morning. Now here
we see the believer's firm resolve to wait and hope. Wait in hope
with certain expectation. You see, in the Lord Jesus Christ,
the hope of salvation we have is not a flimsy thing. It's not
a wish or a shot in the dark. We have an everlasting consolation
in the Lord Jesus Christ and a good hope through, you know
what the good hope is through? The good hope is through grace. 2 Thessalonians 2.16. A good hope through grace. We
wait with assurance of hope based upon the promise of God's Word.
You know it is impossible. There are some things that God
cannot do. Did you know that? It's impossible for God to lie.
It's totally contrary to his nature. Every promise he made
is absolutely true and certain and sure. All the promises of
God in him are yes and in him, amen, and to the glory of God.
Peter talked about the exceeding great and precious promises that
we have in Christ. That by these exceeding great
and precious promises that we have and are made partakers of
a divine nature in the Lord Jesus Christ. All that he speaks in
his record, we call the Holy Word of God, is absolutely true. And it never changes. You know
the truth of God never changes. The truth of God never needs
an update. Did you ever, or have you ever
noticed the religion of men, the false religion of men, always
changes? What was good last year now has
to be updated. Oh, we've improved it. You can't
improve upon what God has already said. I'm always getting amused
about these churches who put these cute, clever sayings up
on their bulletin board out there alongside the road. You think
you can improve on what God's already said? Why don't you put
out the Word of Truth? Why don't you put the Scripture
out there? That's out of the cute and clever sayings of men.
You see, the cute and clever sayings of men are always wrong. God's Word never fails. Truth never changes. Truth doesn't
need an update. Just declare what God has already
said. Truth never changes. You know
why? God never changes. What He said in the beginning,
will be the same exact truth that He says in the end. He is
the beginning and the end of all truth. He said He will have
mercy upon whom He will have mercy. That's the true promise
of God. It's not of Him that willeth
nor of Him that runneth, but it's God that shows mercy. He
said that the Lord Jesus Christ died for the ungodly. That's His promise. Are you ungodly? Not many people are. I'm an ungodly
sinner. I have hope of salvation because
the Lord Jesus Christ died as my substitute. He said in his
word, in his promise of his word, that the Lord Jesus Christ came
to save sinners. He said in His Word that the
Lord Jesus Christ came to justify the ungodly. God says in His
Word that the Lord Jesus Christ came to save His people from
their sin, and He shall do it. This is a promise of God that
cannot fail. It never changes. Saving faith,
do you know what saving faith does? Saving faith takes God
at His Word. We receive this word, not as
a word of men, but as it is the word of God, the word of truth
that effectively works in you who believe. Now let me show
you a good example of saving faith. Saving faith takes God
at His word, His promise. We believe His word, His promise.
I want you to find Luke chapter 5. Saving faith takes God at
His word, and here's a good example of that. In Luke chapter 5, this
is Luke chapter 5 verse 4. Now when he had left speaking,
that is the Lord Jesus Christ, he said unto Simon, this is Simon
Peter, launch out into the deep. They were in a boat. He said,
launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a great
catch of fish. Look what Simon, he was a fisherman
by trade, remember? Simon answering said unto him,
Master, we have fished all night long. Now these were professional
fishermen. They made their livelihood. They
knew what they were doing. They fished all night long and
we have caught nothing. Now read on. Nevertheless, at
thy word I will let down the net. You see what faith does? Faith takes the Word of God,
the promise of God, and acts upon it. And when they had done,
they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, so that their net
broke. How about that? Lord, we've fished
all night long, and we've taken nothing. But nevertheless, according
to Thy Word, at Thy Word we'll let down the net. And the Lord
later says to them, I'm going to make you fishers of men. Yeah,
I'm going to send you forth." He was giving them an illustration,
wasn't he? And us as well. You see, saving
faith takes God in His Word. You see, I wait for the Lord,
my soul does wait, and in His Word I find hope, I find comfort. The Word of God, the written
Word of God. Saving faith takes God at His
Word. You see, His Word is a foundation
of faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by what? The fables of men? The stories
of men? Faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of the Lord. I've quoted this to you many
times over the years. You remember the old reformer,
the German reformer Martin Luther? He said concerning the Word of
God, he said, feelings come and feelings go. Don't they? Feelings
are deceiving. My warrant is the Word of God.
Nothing else is worth believing. And that is so. Certain and sure
and constant as the sun comes up in the morning, so certain
and sure is the Word of the Lord, and more so. He causes the sun
to rise in the morning. My soul waited for the Lord more
than they that watch for the morning. I say more than they
that watch for the morning. Our Lord command the light of
His truth to shine in our heart by His command. I don't make
the sun come up in the morning. God controls all these things.
He is the light of the world. Verse 7 and 8, in closing, we
see a joyful expectation of faith. Let us hope, let Israel hope
in the Lord, for with the Lord, with the Lord now, there is mercy. There is forgiveness, there is
pardon, and with the Lord, there is mercy. He delights to show
mercy. Here's the joyful expectation
of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. With Him is mercy, and with Him
is plenteous redemption. You see, with the Lord, with
the Lord, with the Lord Jesus Christ, there is mercy. There
is mercy. Without the Lord Jesus Christ,
there is no mercy. You need not expect any mercy
from God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the storehouse
of mercy, but apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, our God is
a consuming fire. He delights to show mercy. You
know what? His greatest glory, now think
about this, His greatest glory is to show mercy. You remember
when Moses asked the Lord, Exodus 33, Lord, show me your glory.
Remember what the Lord said? I'll make all my goodness pass
before you. And that goodness there is goodness
personified in the Lord Jesus Christ. I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. God's greatest glory is this
sinner's greatest need. I need mercy. How about you?
I'm gonna take my place as a mercy beggar. He delights to show mercy
unto sinners. We read this throughout the Word
of God. It's not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to His mercy He saved us. It is of the Lord's
mercies that we are not consumed. because his compassions do not
fail. Lamentation 3, 20. And with Him, look at the second
part of verse 7. With Him, there's not only mercy,
there's not only forgiveness of sin, but with Him, there is
plenteous redemption. He's plenteous in redeeming all
His people from their sin. This redemption in the Lord Jesus
Christ is plenteous. He has redeemed the people out
of every kindred, tribe, nation, and tongue under heaven, so much
so that no man could number 10,000 times 10,000 and 1,000. I'd say that's plenty, wouldn't
you? He's plenteous in redemption. Not only is He plenteous in redemption,
this redemption is also particular. Particular. He shall redeem Israel. His covenant people. So it's
a plenteous redemption. It is a particular redemption.
The Lord said, I lay down my sheep. I give my life for my
sheep. I lay down my life for the sheep.
Call his name Jesus. He shall save his people from
their sin. There's a plenteous redemption.
There's a particular redemption. It is a powerful redemption.
He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. You see that?
It's a powerful, effectual redemption. How effectual and sufficient
is the blood atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is it weak
or anemic, His blood atonement? We read in Scripture, in Hebrews
10 particularly, but in other places, God said, their sin and
their iniquity will I remember no more. He put away all our
sin by the sacrifice of Himself. You see, it's a plenteous redemption. It is a particular redemption. It is a powerful redemption.
And you know what all that makes to me? Precious. It's precious. We are redeemed with the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then it says, He shall redeem
Israel with this plenteous redemption. And this Israel here is the Israel
of God, the elect of God from all, all his sin particular,
not one sheep. for whom the Lord Jesus Christ
will ever suffer eternal condemnation. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It is God who is justified. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ who died, yea, rather,
risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes
intercession for us. You see, with the Lord Jesus
Christ, there is endless hope. Let us hope in the Lord. With
the Lord Jesus Christ, there is endless hope. Without Him,
there is hopeless end. With the Lord Jesus Christ, there
is endless and eternal life, glory in Him. He gives His sheep
eternal life and they shall never perish. Without the Lord there
is lifeless end, nothing but eternal death and condemnation. Now, you take Psalm 130 again
and look at it the rest of the week. Look at it every morning. Cry unto the Lord. as a mercy
beggar, confess you're a sinner, confess there's no hope of forgiveness
but in Christ, and in His Word, and then we wait, and then we
hope in the Lord. I pray the Lord will bless that.