Abundant Pardon

Q: What does the Bible say about abundant pardon?

The Bible teaches that God offers an abundant pardon to all who are spiritually thirsty and bankrupt, as expressed in Isaiah 55:7. Isaiah 55:7 indicates that God extends His mercy freely, inviting all who are spiritually thirsty and recognize their need for Him to come to Him and receive abundant pardon. This abundant pardon is highlighted as a divine gift where God's grace is lavished upon those who acknowledge their spiritual bankruptcy and turn to Him for forgiveness. The scripture emphasizes the availability of mercy for all who seek it without requiring any payment; they simply come in faith, for Christ is the source of this pardon.

Q: How can we be sure that God offers mercy?

We can be sure of God's mercy because He promises in Isaiah 55:7 that He will have mercy on the wicked who turn to Him. The assurance of God's mercy is firmly grounded in His character and the promises found in Scripture. Isaiah 55:7 explicitly states that God will have mercy on those who forsake their wicked ways and return to Him. This promise is not based on human merit but on God's unchanging nature as the Great Forgiver. Throughout the Bible, we see examples of God's willingness to forgive and restore sinners who come to Him with humility and sincerity, reflecting His abundant mercy and grace that overflows towards those in need of redemption.

Q: What does it mean to spiritually thirst for God?

To spiritually thirst for God means to recognize one's deep need for His presence and righteousness, desiring communion with Him over worldly satisfactions. Spiritual thirst describes the profound, inner longing for God that arises from an awareness of one's sinfulness and spiritual bankruptcy. As illustrated in Isaiah 55:1, God invites all who thirst to come to Him to be filled. This thirst is a recognition of an emptiness that cannot be satisfied by worldly pursuits or false doctrines, but only by a genuine relationship with Christ. The thirst signifies a heart that longs for righteousness, comfort, and fulfillment that only God's presence can provide, aligning closely with David's expression of desiring God above all else (Psalm 42:1).

Q: Why is the preaching of the gospel vital for faith?

Preaching the gospel is vital for faith because, according to Romans 10:17, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. The preaching of the gospel is of utmost importance as it serves as the means by which God communicates His truth and grace to His people. Romans 10:17 asserts that faith begins with hearing the message of Christ. The gospel reveals the nature of God's character, His love, and the provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. When the gospel is proclaimed, it not only conveys information but is the channel through which the Holy Spirit works to bring about conviction and regeneration. Therefore, listening to the true gospel leads to an understanding and acceptance of Christ, resulting in saving faith that transforms the believer's life.

I want you to turn back to the
scripture which Brother Fitzer read, Isaiah 55. I'm going to bring a brief message
tonight before we celebrate the Lord's table. The subject of
my message is abundant pardon. Now while he was reading, I hope
that you noticed four or five things. They are of particular
importance from this passage of Scripture. The first one,
found in verse one, tells us this, the gospel of mercy is
free. The gospel of mercy is free. In the second verse, I hope you
noticed this, I did, I want to speak on this just briefly, how foolish it is for us to spend
our time and our effort on that which satisfies not the soul. How foolish it is. Christ compared
with others. Then the third thing in verse
3, the gospel of Jesus Christ preached to the ears is vital
to faith. Hearing and believing are inseparable. And then the fourth thing we're
going to look at is a Savior has been provided, a Redeemer. And then I'll close with abundant
pardon. Now, the first thing in verse
one. In verse one, the little word H-O is youth, hope. And this is not the prophet speaking,
this is God speaking. This is the Lord of Glory speaking.
And he cries out in a general call. No one's name is called. No nationality is designated. He just cries, hope, stop where
you are. Stop and listen. Stop and heed
what I'm about to say. everyone that thirsteth, come
ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, ho,
if ye are broke, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and
milk without money and without price." This is a general call. This is a call to all men, all
nations, all tribes, all tongues, all kindreds, all people, whole. God has a message for you if
you can meet two requirements. First of all, if you're thirsty. Everyone that is thirsty, come. This is a spiritual thirst. This
is addressed to those who have sin and know it. who are in need
and know it, who long for communion with God, who can say with David,
as the heart or the deer panteth for the water brooks, my soul
pants and thirsts for the living God." I've got a thirst, a thirst
for God in a dry and weary lane, a thirst for the living God.
My soul panteth for the living God. Hold everyone, anyone who
has a thirst A thirst for righteousness, a thirst for fellowship with
God, a thirst for communion with God. That's the first requirement.
And the second requirement is this. You've got to be broke,
spiritually bankrupt. You've got to be able to say
with top lady, in my hands, no price I bring. This is spiritual
bankruptcy. Those who have no righteousness,
no goodness, no merit. Hold everyone. Here is good news
to the thirsty. Here is good news to the bankrupt. The scripture says, when they
had nothing to pay, absolutely nothing to pay, He freely forgave
them. Come to the water. Christ is
the water. Come and buy wine and milk without
money. He's the milk, He's the bread,
He's the wine. Come find in Him all you need
without any payment on your price. The gospel of Jesus Christ, the
mercy of the Son of God, the redemption of our perfect sacrifice
is absolutely free. Hold everyone that's thirsty. whole everyone that's broke,
whole everyone that's weary and heavy laden, whole everyone that's
bowed down by sin, come to the water. It flows for you. Now, verse 2, and here's a question
asked. Wherefore or why do you spend
money And the word here is more than money. Why do you spend
time? Why do you spend your strength?
Why do you spend your opportunity in reading and hearing and listening
to false doctrine? Huh? Why do you do that? Why
do you listen to that which is not bread? Why do you labor,
spend your money for that which is not bread, that which can
never satisfy, that which can never meet your needs? The law,
reformation, ceremonialism, decisionism, all these are presented as bread,
but they're not bread, they're but chaff. These will not help
you, they will hinder you in your quest for food. Why do you
do it? Why do you spend your time and
your opportunity and your strength in pursuing that which can never
meet your need? And look at the next line. And
your labor, why do you labor for that which will never satisfy? And eat that which is good. Hearken
unto me and eat that which is good. No peace can come to the
sinner's heart unless it's sought in the right person. No rest
can be ours in false refuges. No joy is lasting but that which
comes from Christ and His righteousness. Come to me and eat that which
is good. Turn with me to John chapter
4. In the fourth chapter of John,
verse 14, our Lord is talking to the woman at the well. And
he said to her, speaking of Jacob's well in verse 13 of John 4, Whosoever
drinketh of this water shall continue to thirst, keep on thirsting,
but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
never thirst. Christ satisfies the thirst of
the sinner's heart and keeps on satisfying. Christ's blood
cleanses and keeps on cleansing. Christ can satisfy and keep on
satisfying. Christ can intercede and keep
on interceding, for the Scripture says He ever lived to make intercession. We can find some intellectual
enjoyment, or even religious enjoyment, in these things that
are presented, but we can find no satisfying bread in them. That's what he's talking about
here. Why do you spend your time and your effort and your opportunity
pursuing that which you know can never effectually satisfy? Why do you spend your labor for
that which can never bring you peace and never bring you joy
and never bring any rest into your heart? I'm the only one
who can do that. He said, my peace I give unto
you. Come unto me and find rest. Rest in Christ, in a person,
in the Savior. Now the third verse, the importance
of hearing Christ. He says in verse three, incline
your ear or bend your ear in my direction. Bend your ear in
my direction and come unto me. Incline your ear, come to me. Tune out the other voices. Tune
out these other sounds. And tune your ear to him who
is that prophet. Now I want you to look at a scripture
in Deuteronomy chapter 18. In Deuteronomy the 18th chapter. I have referred to this scripture
hundreds of times in my preaching. I have referred to that prophet
of whom Moses wrote." Now, I want you to look at that scripture.
Deuteronomy 18, verse 15. Moses is speaking here to Israel,
and he says, "...the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a
prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me,
unto him you shall hearken." Now, hold that right there just
a minute. Our Lord says here, in verse 2 of Isaiah 55, harken
unto me. Now incline your ear, tune your
ear, bend your ear in my direction, cut out all these other voices
and these other sounds, and hearken to me. Now look back at Deuteronomy
18, verse 50, verse 16, According
to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God, and o'er it
in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice
of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more
that I die not. And the Lord said unto me, They
have well spoken that which they have spoken. These people stood
at the foot of Sinai, and they said, We don't want to see that
glory and that cloud and that power and that fire again. Don't
let God speak lest we be consumed. God said, All right, I will raise
up unto you a prophet. He'll reveal God to you. He'll reveal the Father to you.
Now, you listen to him. I'll raise up, I'll raise them
up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, Moses,
and I'll put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto
them all that I shall command him. Now, our Lord Jesus Christ said, He
that hath seen me hath seen the Father. I speak the words that
the Father gave me. I've come to bring his message.
The works that I do are not my works. The words that I speak
are not my words. They're the Father's words. So
here's the one we're to listen to. We are to incline our ears. We are to bend our ears in his
direction. We're to tune out all other voices. We're to hear him speak. The Father said, This is my beloved
son. You hear him. Now turn to Matthew
13. This is an important scripture
right here, Matthew 13. In the 13th chapter of Matthew,
reading verse 15 and 16, our Lord says in Matthew 13.50, This
people's heart is wax gloss. Their ears are dull of hearing,
their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand
with their hearts, and should be converted. And I should heal
them. Blessed are your eyes, they see,
and your ears, for they hear. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God. Our Lord kept saying, If any
man hath ears to hear, let him hear. With what measure you meet,
it shall be measured to you." In other words, you will be blessed
in proportion as your heart and your ears are open to receive
God's Word. Now, some people find the Word
of God uninteresting because they're not interested in it.
Some people read the Word of God to find fault, and they'll
find plenty with which to find fault. Some people come to the
Word of God with a hunger, and that hunger is satisfied. Some
people will come to the Word of God with a thirst, and that
thirst is met. Blessed are your ears, they hear,
and your eyes, for they see. Our Lord says, incline your ear,
come unto me, hear, and your soul will live. Your soul is not going to live
unless you hear Him speak. Hearing and faith are inseparable. listening to the voice of Christ
and believing Christ are inseparable. How shall they call on Him in
whom they have not believed, and how shall they believe in
Him of whom they have not heard?" Verse, look at the next line
in this verse, "'And I'll make an everlasting covenant with
you. If you are among those blessed
ones who can see his beauty, his glory, his grace. If you
are among those blessed ones who can hear his voice, hear
him speak, then you are among those blessed ones with whom
he's made an everlasting covenant. You mean, Preacher, that, you
know, most of us are so simple-minded The reason we have such a hard
time with God's Word is we try to reach up and bring God down
and make him like ourselves. And we have the idea, and folks
have this idea, that when a preacher comes and preaches the gospel
and a man hears it, then God writes his name in the Lamb's
Book of Life. When a man comes, preaches the gospel, a man believes
it and receives it, then God makes a covenant with him. And
then others of our sovereign grace brethren believe that when
you imply that a man must hear the gospel to be saved, that
you're doing away with everlasting covenant. And that's almost what
it sounds like here. God says, if you turn your ear
in my direction, and you listen to me, and you come to me, I
will make with you an everlasting covenant. That seems to be what
he's saying. But what he's saying is this.
If you are among those who hear, if you are among those who see,
if you are among those who believe, I've already made with you an
everlasting covenant. I've already found it on the
sure promises of God. They're everlasting. And carrying
with it the sure mercies of David. We're not talking about King
David here. We're talking about the Son of David, the Messiah.
I turn to Romans 8. In Romans 8, begin reading with
verse 29, I believe it is. Romans 8, 29, For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his that Christ might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Verse 30, Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he called. And how does he call them? How
does he call these people whom he foreknew, whom he predestinated? How does he call them? He calls
them through the word of God. That's how he calls them. He
doesn't call them in an audible voice. He doesn't call them with
a streak of lightning. He doesn't call them in the wind
somewhere. He calls them through the word. Faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. And those whom he calls, he justifies,
and whom he justifies, he glorifies." Verse 3, the importance of hearing
the true gospel. Our Lord says, hold up there
just a minute. Hold. Everyone, not indiscriminately,
everyone that's thirsty, spiritually thirsty. If you haven't found
that which satisfies, if you haven't found that which meets
your need, if you haven't found that which gives life, I'm talking
to you. And if you don't have anything
to buy it with, if you're stripped naked and your foundations are
gone and your pockets have holes in them and you're spiritually
bankrupt, hold on there just a minute. Hold on. I've got good news for you. I've
got plenty of water and plenty of milk and plenty of wine. You're
welcome to it. Just come on. Don't bring anything
with you. Just come on and sit down at God's table and fill
your soul with the fatness of His glory and His grace. Why
do you spend your time and your effort and your strength and
all that you have feasting on those things that never satisfy,
never bring peace, never bring rest? to your ear in my direction,
Christ said, bend your ear in my way, you hear, you listen
to me, and your soul will live if you listen to me. And here's
the reason, because verse 4, because the Father hath given
him, not his church, him, not his table, him, not his minister,
him, not his law, him, God hath given him for a witness. God is still speaking here. This
is an act of the Godhead whereby he appointed Christ as the mediator. Christ, God hath given him as
a witness. Now, this word witness turned
to John 18, and this is a scripture that I circle in red, and I want
you to listen carefully to it. In John 18. Now brethren, in
John 18 verse 37, It's not so important that people hear and
remember what I say. It's not so important that they
hear and remember what the Baptist Church stands for. It's not so
important, no, so very important for men to read our books and
hear our logic and arguments and reasons. But it's mighty
important that they hear Christ, hear him speak. Now listen to
it. And Pilate said, verse 37, John 18, Are you a king? Art thou a king? And Jesus answered,
Thou sayest that I am a king? To this end was I born, and for
this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto
the truth. And everyone that is of the truth
will hear my voice. We're looking for some sheep. We're looking for some sheep.
We're looking for those that are of the truth. How are you
going to recognize them? They'll hear his voice. Another
shepherd, they will not follow. Another voice, they will not
listen to. His true sheep know the difference. The lady said not long ago that
Brother Mahan and Oral Roberts were her favorite preachers.
Now there's no similarity to what we're preaching, no similarity
whatsoever. There's something wrong with
a person that cannot distinguish between the voice of grace and
the voice of works. When somebody says to me, oh
I like all the preachers, I immediately know they're not one of God's
sheep. Because a person that cannot recognize the gospel,
cannot recognize the voice of Christ, and another voice, something's
wrong. Our Lord said, everyone that
is of the truth hears my voice. Hears my voice. There are two
marks of a believer, of a sheep of Christ. Christ said, my sheep
hear my voice, and they follow me, and they follow me. They're
branded on the ear and on the foot. They hear his voice, and
they're walking his way. And that's what he's saying.
I have given him, I have given Christ for a witness, a witness
of God's love for sinners. a witness of God's righteousness
fulfilled in His obedience, a witness of God's justice satisfied in
His blood, a witness of Himself, His fullness, His deity, His
perfection, a witness of His resurrection, a witness of His
second coming, a witness of His eternal glory. Christ is that
witness. And a leader and a commander. Christ, old Barnard used to say,
is the commander-in-chief. He's the commander-in-chief.
As a shepherd, he leads his flock to pasture. The Lord is my shepherd. As a guide, he leads his flock
to glory, for they know not the way. As a commander, he reigns
over them, and they obey his word. To thee, my Shepherd, my
Lord, a grateful song I raise. O let the feeblest member of
thy flock attempt to sing thy praise. While my Redeemer's near,
my Shepherd and my God, I'll bid farewell to every fear, because
all my needs are well supplied. And dear Shepherd, if I stray,
my wandering feet restore. and rule over me with thy watchful
eye, and let me roam no more. Jesus, my shepherd, my brother,
my friend, my prophet, priest, my king, my way, my life, my
joy, my all, except the praise I bring." Oh, everybody that's thirsty. Oh, everybody that's got no money. spiritually poor, bankrupt, utterly
broke, come on to the water. Christ is the river of water
in a dry and thirsty land. Come buy wine and milk without
money, without price. Why do you run after that which
satisfied not? Why do you chase after that that's
nothing but chaff, that's disguised, imposter, going under the name
of bread? incline your ear to me, and herein
your soul will live, because I am his witness. For this cause
came I into this world, that I should bear witness to the
truth. And I'll tell you this, everybody that's of the truth
will hear my voice," he said, and they'll follow me. And they'll
follow me. And the last point I wish to
present is found in verse 7. Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord.
And God will have mercy on him. God will have mercy. Isn't that
what we want? Mercy. Guilty folks don't want
justice, they want mercy. Folks that have sinned against
God don't want justice, they want mercy. We don't want to
bargain with God. We're beggars at the back door
who dare not in boldness step up on God's porch, but rap on
the porch, stand with our hats in our hands, and beg for mercy. You know, I've often said, I
grew up down in the Deep South. There was a picture going through
my mind then when I was talking about that humility. I don't blame black people for
rebelling. I expect if I was black I'd already
be in prison or executed for killing some white people. But
I grew up down in the deep south and back when I was a boy I remember
the way that the black people were treated. I used to see black
people come to the, they wouldn't dare walk into the front yard
of a white person. No way in this world would they
ever walk up the front walk of any white person's house. If
a black person came to your home, he always came to the back door. Never came to the front door.
No way. And when they came to the back
door, there was no way that they'd walk up on the porch. No way
in this world. They'd never do it. I'm telling
you the truth. They came to the back door and took their hats
off in their hands, and crushed their hats up against their chest,
and reached over and knocked on the porch floor. Never walked
up the steps, never came across the porch, and never knocked
on the door. They knocked on the floor. And whoever was in
the house would open the back door and say, what do you want,
boy? Now that takes a lot of humility. That takes swallowing an awful
lot of pride. You say, I'd never done it. I
probably wouldn't either. Got too much pride. But I'm telling
you, that's the way that the guilty sinner approaches a holy
God. He comes with his hat in his
hand. He comes on stumbling, fumbling feet. He comes with
deep humility. He comes knowing that he has
no right, like the publican in the temple, to even lift his
eyes to glory. But he smites away his breast
and he cried, O God, give me mercy. And that's what he says
here. You come and you'll find mercy. He'll have mercy on you. And to our God, for he will abundantly
pardon. Now what does it mean to abundantly
pardon? Here's what it means. It says,
this is the correct and best translation. If you come to Him,
He will multiply to you His great, abundant, and plentiful pardon. He'll multiply, multiply. He pardons all sorts of sinners
and all sorts of sins. A man was put to death in the
17th century, and as he went to the gallows for his faith,
he cried, Oh, he is the great forgiver! Oh, he is the great
forgiver! Oh, he is the great forgiver! And they couldn't get him to
stop. And he kept on until they executed him, crying, Oh, he
is the great forgiver! The abundant mercy of Christ
is abundant. because of the attribute from
which it springs. His mercy has no limit. Thy mercy, O God," David said,
is great above the heavens. The earth, O Lord, is full of
thy mercy. His mercy endures forever. That's reason it's abundant,
because of the source. And then secondly, his mercy
is abundant because of the means by which it was purchased, the
body and blood of Christ. The great atonement made it Calvary,
the perfect righteousness of his obedience, the intercessory
work of our great High Priest, the unchanging power of God's
Holy Ghost. It is abundant mercy and abundant
grace because of the terms of it. No hard, impossible conditions
are set forth for me to meet. All God says to me is, look and
live. All God says to me is, ask and
you shall receive. All God says to me is, knock
and you'll open. All God says to me is, believe. Everything's yours for believing.
And then last of all, it is abundant because of its fullness. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanseth us from A-L-L, all sin, past, present, and future,
original and actual, all transgressions. You see why he asked that question?
Why in the world are you wasting your time listening to that,
following that, running after that, which never satisfies. Why do you labor for that which
can never meet your need? Tune your ear to me, and you
listen to me, and you hear me, and your soul will live, and
I'll make with you an everlasting covenant, because I'm that witness
And for this cause came I to this earth, to bear witness of
the truth, and everybody that is of the truth heareth my voice,
and everybody that heareth my voice is of the truth. And everyone
with whom I have made an everlasting covenant will hear it, and everyone
that hears it I have made with him an everlasting covenant.
Our Father, bless the word, how grateful, how thankful that thou
hast given us ears to hear and eyes to behold both the voice
and the beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ. Use this message to accomplish
thy purpose for the good of every hearer, for Christ's sake. Amen.

Abundant Pardon

What does the Bible say about abundant pardon?

How can we be sure that God offers mercy?

What does it mean to spiritually thirst for God?

Why is the preaching of the gospel vital for faith?

Sermon Transcript

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Abundant Pardon

What does the Bible say about abundant pardon?

How can we be sure that God offers mercy?

What does it mean to spiritually thirst for God?

Why is the preaching of the gospel vital for faith?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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