Sermon #1261[1]
Title: “The Lord Hath Been Mindful of Us!”
Text: Hebrews 2:6
Readings: Lindsay
Campbell - Bob Poncer
Subject: God’s Mindfulness of Man
Date: Tuesday Evening - November 5, 1996
Tape # T-6 and T-6
Introduction:
Our text tonight is Hebrews 2:6. I
want to talk to you about and remind you of God’s mindfulness of us. The title
of my message is The Lord has been
Mindful of Us. In Hebrews 2:6 the writer quotes David’s words in the eighth
Psalm. In doing so, he tells us that David’s psalm was a prophecy of the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ and the redemption of our souls by him. Tonight, I
simply want to remind you of the Lord’s mindfulness of us. All that I have to
say will be drawn directly from the words of our text.
Hebrews 2:6 "But one in a certain place testified,
saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou
visitest him?"
Let me tell you where I am going with this before we start.
When I have finished preaching to you tonight, I want you to draw the same
conclusion from God’s mindfulness of us that David did in Psalm 115:12.
Psalms 115:12 "The LORD hath
been mindful of us: (therefore) he
will bless us!”
Proposition:
Because God is ever mindful of his people in this world, he
visits us with his grace and blesses us.
Divisions:
In our text (Hebrews 2:6) four things are set
before us as matters of utter astonishment to all who realize them.
1.
The Greatness
Of Our God
2.
The
Insignificance Of Man.
3.
God’s
Mindfulness Of Man.
4.
The Lord’s
Visitation Of Grace.
I. First, both the psalmist and the writer of Hebrews were astonished
by the consideration of THE GREATNESS OF
GOD.
The root of all sin, the cause of all unbelief, and the
source of all heresy in the world can be found in one thing: all men by nature
have low views of God. Satan could not persuade Eve to sin until he convinced
her that God was not as great as she thought he was. We would never doubt his Word if we did not question his greatness.
And men would never pervert the gospel, if they did not have very low views of
God. Therefore, the first message of every prophet, apostle, and preacher sent
of God is, “Behold your God!” (Isa.
40:10).
If I could but make you see the
greatness of God, you would worship, love him, and trust him forever.
A.
David was overwhelmed by the realization of God’s greatness.
Psalms 8 " O LORD our
Lord, how excellent is thy name in
all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. (2) Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained
strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the
avenger. (3) When I consider thy
heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast
ordained; (4) What is man, that thou
art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? (5) For thou hast made him a little
lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. (6) Thou madest him to have dominion
over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: (7) All
sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; (8) The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths
of the seas. (9) O LORD our Lord, how
excellent is thy name in all the
earth!"
1.
The Excellency
Of His Name (v. 1) - Jehovah - God who Saves!
2.
The Glory Of
His Being (v. 1) - “Above the heavens!” (Christ!).
3.
The Purpose Of
His Grace (v. 2) - 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
- "For ye see your calling,
brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called: (27) But God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath
chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (28) And base things of the world, and
things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea,
and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: (29) That no flesh should glory in his
presence."
4.
The Work Of
His Fingers (v. 3). Finger work is work
that requires no strength, but great skill, and detail.
5.
The Rule Of
His Providence (vv. 5-9).
B.
Ever entertain great thoughts of God.
Anything that lowers God’s character or lessens his
greatness is a lie of satan. Do not tolerate it. Let no doctrine be believed,
no sermon be heard, no song be sung, and no thought be received which in anyway
detracts from the greatness of God. In all things, at all times, “Behold your God,” and know that he is
great (Isa. 40:10-31). God is great!
Isaiah 40:10-31 "Behold, the
Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and
his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. (11) He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the
lambs with his arm, and carry them in
his bosom, and shall gently lead
those that are with young. (12) Who
hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with
the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the
mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? (13) Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? (14) With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in
the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of
understanding? (15) Behold, the
nations are as a drop of a bucket,
and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the
isles as a very little thing. (16) And
Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,
nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. (17) All nations before him are
as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. (18) To whom then will ye liken God? or
what likeness will ye compare unto him?
(19) The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it
over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
(20) He that is so impoverished
that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that
will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven
image, that shall not be moved. (21) Have ye not known? have ye not
heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood
from the foundations of the earth? (22)
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants
thereof are as grasshoppers; that
stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to
dwell in: (23) That bringeth the
princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. (24) Yea, they shall not be planted;
yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth:
and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind
shall take them away as stubble. (25) To
whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. (26) Lift up your eyes on high, and
behold who hath created these things, that
bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness
of his might, for that he is strong
in power; not one faileth. (27) Why
sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and
my judgment is passed over from my God?
(28) Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the
earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there
is no searching of his understanding.
(29) He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (30) Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men
shall utterly fall: (31) But they
that wait upon the LORD shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not
be weary; and they shall walk, and
not faint."
Isaiah’s message is plain and clear - GOD IS GREAT!
1.
Greater than
all the works he performs (vv. 12-14).
2.
Greater than
all the nations he has made (vv. 15-17).
3.
Greater than
all the gods men have invented (vv. 18-21).
4.
Greater than
the world he created (v. 22).
5.
Greater than
the greatest men the world ever produced (vv. 23-24).
6.
Greater than
the heavens above (vv. 25-26).
7.
Greater far
than all our troubles (vv. 27-31).
Great beyond description, great beyond
imagination, great beyond our loftiest praise is the Lord our God!
II. In the second
place, I will guarantee you this, anyone who knows and acknowledges the
greatness of God, will also freely acknowledge THE INSIGNIFICANCE OF MAN.
As soon as David looked up to heaven and spoke to God of his
greatness, his heart was humbled, his pride was withered, and he cried, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”
It is impossible for anyone to have both great views of God
and great views of man. Those who imagine that man is great think God is
insignificant. Those who know that God is great know that man is insignificant.
“What
is man, that thou art mindful of him?” Here is greatness and littleness,
grandeur and nothingness, excellence and corruption, majesty and meanness, God
and man.
“What
is man?” The word of God gives us many answers to that question - “What is man?”
·
Ask Isaiah
- “All flesh is grass, and all the
goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field” (40:6).
·
Ask David
- “Verily, every man at his best estate
is altogether vanity” (Psa. 39:5).
·
Ask the Psalmist
- “Men are a lie” (Psa. 62:9).
“What
is man?” Do not ask
philosophers what they imagine, educators what they read in books, scientists
what they see in microscopes, psychologists what they see in asylums, or
sociologists what they hear from tests; but ask God who made us. He declares in his Word that man is fallen,
depraved, sinning, sinful, cursed, condemned, helpless, dying flesh. Men are
grasshoppers before him. Men are the dust of the earth, no more. Man is a lump
of clay. Man is a puff of smoke, a mist of vapor, the small dust of the
balance, a drop in a bucket. Man is
insignificant! All the nations of all men in all the world are less than
nothing before the great and infinite God.
·
Man is
nothing!
·
Man has
nothing!
·
Man can do
nothing!
You are nothing. And I am nothing. No
matter how many of us nothings you put together, nothing added to nothing is
still just nothing. God, teach us to know our nothingness, that we may look to
Christ for everything!
III. God is great. And man is nothing. Yet, God is mindful of
man. Isn’t that astonishing? Let every heart be humbled and every mind
attentive as we see the third thing
revealed in our text - GOD’S MINDFULNESS
OF MAN.
“What
is man, that thou art mindful of him?” When
Elizabeth, the mother of John the
Baptist stood before Mary, she said, Who am I “that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk. 1:43). When Mephibosheth bowed before David, he
cried, “What is thy servant, that thou
shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?” (2 Sam. 9:8). How much more shall God’s elect, prostrate
before his throne, astonished by his grace, overwhelmed with his love, ask, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”
This is a subject too big for my mind to fathom, or for my
heart to comprehend. Certainly, my tongue cannot begin to describe it. But let
me just show you that God is mindful of us. If you leave here knowing that “the Lord hath been mindful of us,” I
will have accomplished, by the Spirit of God, what I came here to accomplish.
My message will have been blessed of God to your heart.
God’s
mindfulness of his people to do them good is not something that began
yesterday. There never was a time when he did not have our interests at
heart. It is co-eternal with himself (Psa. 103:17).
Psalms 103:17 "But the mercy
of the LORD is from everlasting to
everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's
children;"
It did not begin yesterday. And it will not end tomorrow.
God’s mindfulness of us to do us good is eternal, immutable, unconditional, and
indestructible. God has been mindful of us, he is mindful of us, and he shall
forever be mindful of us, to do us good. He
says, “I will not turn away from them
to do them good” (Jer. 32:40).
A. God’s
mindfulness of us is seen in the decree of election.
We were chosen of God in Christ to be the heirs of grace,
salvation, and everlasting glory before the world began (Eph. 1:3-6; 2 Thess.
2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2).
This act of God’s sovereign love is
the source and fountain head of every other blessing of grace. Redemption,
justification, regeneration, faith, perseverance, and glorification are the
fruits of election.
Toplady wrote, “Election is the tree
of life, whose leaves and fruit are for the healing of the nations.” (See
Romans 8:29-30; Eph. 1:3-6).
Romans 8:28-30 "And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified."
Ephesians 1:3-6 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will, (6) To the praise of the
glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."
B. God’s
mindfulness of us is revealed in the everlasting covenant of redemption and
grace (Heb. 8:8-12;
10:15-17).
Hebrews 8:8-12 "For finding
fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (9) Not according to the covenant that
I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them
out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I
regarded them not, saith the Lord. (10) For
this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws
into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God,
and they shall be to me a people: (11) And
they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother,
saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (12) For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no
more."
Hebrews 10:15-17 "Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after
that he had said before, (16) This is the covenant that I will make with
them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts,
and in their minds will I write them;
(17) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."
Having determined to have a people for
the glory of his own great name, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit entered into a solemn compact of grace, each pledging to the other all
things necessary for the recovery of the chosen from the fall.
1. This
covenant of grace was made in anticipation of the fall.
Now hear me carefully. The sin and
fall of our father Adam did not take God by surprise. For reasons known only to
himself, God decreed to permit the fall. But God’s decree to permit the fall in
no way suggests or implies that he caused it, or that he is the Author of sin
(James 1:13-14).
Many say, “If you believe that God
predestinated everything that comes to pass and works all things after the
counsel of his own will, then you are saying that God is the author of sin.”
You may make such a conclusion if you dare, but I do not. I never heard or read
a statement like that from a gospel preacher. The only people who talk so foolishly are ranting, free-will Arminians
who would rather charge God with sin than bow to his sovereignty! I believe
exactly what is written in the Scriptures, no more and no less.
a.
Are all things predestinated by God? Without question they are (Rom. 11:36;
2 Cor. 5:18; Eph. 1:11; Jude 6).
Romans 11:36 "For of him,
and through him, and to him, are all
things: to whom be glory for ever.
Amen."
2 Corinthians 5:18 "And all things
are of God, who hath reconciled us to
himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of
reconciliation;"
Ephesians 1:11 "In whom also
we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose
of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:"
b. Is God the cause and author of man’s sin, unbelief, and eternal condemnation?
He absolutely is not (Jude 1:13-14; John 5:40; 3:18, 36; Matt. 11:25-30;
23:37-38).
c. Does God use and overrule the sin and unbelief of men and demons for
the good of his people and the glory of his own name? He most certainly and
wisely does (Psa. 76:10; Rom. 8:28).
Illustration: God did not make Pharoah pursue Israel. But he
used it and ordained to use it.
God did not make satan torment Job. But he
used
it and ordained to use it.
God did not make the Jews crucify his Son.
But
he used it and ordained to use it.
God did not make Adam sin and fall. But he
used
it and ordained to use it.
We will not second guess God. We
simply bow before him in reverent adoration of his wisdom, justice,
sovereignty, and goodness, and worship him. And we will not alter his Word to
please men and women who despise his glorious sovereignty.
In anticipation of the fall, grace was
given us in Christ, the Surety of the covenant, before the world began (2 Tim.
1:9).
2. This blessed
covenant of grace was ordered in all things and sure from eternity (2 Sam.
23:5).
The fall was as sure and certain as
the recovery of God’s elect from the fall (Gen. 2:17). The crucifixion of
Christ was as sure and certain as the redemption accomplished by Christ (Acts
2:23). And the eternal ruin of unbelievers was as sure and certain as the
salvation of believers (Rom. 9:21; 1 Pet. 2:8; Jude 4). But the cause of the
fall is in Adam. The cause of our recovery is God. The cause of Christ’s crucifixion
is in the Jews. The cause of redemption is God. The cause of unbelief is in
man. The cause of faith is God. The cause of eternal ruin is the sin of man.
The cause of eternal salvation is the grace of God.
C. God’s
mindfulness of his elect is even seen in his actually permitting the fall of
Adam.
We have a proverb that says, “An ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure.” But in this case the proverb is altogether wrong. Had
it been best for sin never to have entered the world, God would not have
allowed it. Had it been best for Adam not to have fallen, God would not have
permitted it.
Satan did not sneak into the garden
unnoticed. He did not overpower Omnipotence and snatch Adam from the hands of
God. He tricked mother Eve, caught father Adam in a snare, and polluted our
race. But he did not trick God, catch him in a snare, or disrupt his plans.
1. God was mindful of us when we fell - He allowed us to fall because
he had something better in store for us than we could ever known in Eden - Adoption, Redemption, Restoration, and
Glory.
We could never have known the grace
and glory of God in Christ as we now know it, and shall know it in heaven, had
we never fallen in Adam. In the garden,
in the first creation, in Adam, God made man a little lower than the angels.
But in the new creation, in regeneration, in Christ, he has crowned man with
glory and honor that can never be known by the angels.
·
I might envy
the angels of heaven, because they have never known sin.
·
But the angels
of heaven might envy me, because they have never known redemption.
2. So mindful was God of us in the fall that he would not expel our
fallen parents from the garden until first he had preached the gospel to them
and shown them how he would redeem us (Gen. 3:15-21).
1st, The Lord sought and found the fallen pair.
2nd, He promised a Redeemer and Redemption.
3rd, He stripped them of their fig leaf aprons.
4th, He killed an innocent victim for them.
5th, He clothed them in the skins of the slain sacrifice.
D.
God’s mindfulness of us was proved by his patience and providential care of us
throughout the days of our sin, rebellion, and unbelief (Jude 1).
Jude 1:1 "Jude, the
servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by
God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:"
During the whole time of our
unregeneracy, though we were not mindful of him, “The Lord hath been mindful of us.” He preserved us for Christ, by
special providence, unto the appointed time of our calling and conversion by
his almighty grace. Every elect sinner is immortal in this world until he is
born again!
Illustration: The Jailor (Acts 16:27-31).
Gomer (Hos. 2:8).
Onesimus (Philemon 1-16).
The Prodigal (Lk. 16).
E.
And how God has been mindful of us since the time of our calling!
He was mindful of us in old eternity, mindful of us when we
fell in Adam, mindful of us throughout the days of our rebellion, until the
time of our calling from death to life by the almighty, irresistible power and
grace of his Spirit. But since that day, our God has constantly been mindful of
us. He declares, “I will not forget thee”
(Isa. 49:15); and he never has!
God’s mindfulness of us is seen in his
maintaining his work of grace in us and carrying it on, infallibly, unto the
perfection of everlasting glory. Our faithfulness to God is the result of his
mindfulness of us.
1.
He preserves us amidst the corruption of
our hearts, the temptations of satan, and the allurements of the world.
2.
He remembers that we are dust and gives us
grace sufficient for every need.
3.
He is ever mindful of us when we fall (Mk.
16:7). Peter - He restores!
NOTE:
There is only one thing God is not mindful of. He is not mindful of our
sin, because he is ever mindful of the blood of his dear Son! (Rom. 4:8).
Application:
1.
God is mindful
of us, not because of anything in us, but for his own name’s sake. We love
things because they are lovely. God loves us to make us lovely!
2.
If God is so
mindful of us, then let us ever be mindful of him.
·
Mindful of his
truth.
·
Mindful of his
love.
·
Mindful of his
Word.
·
Mindful of his
ordinances.
·
Mindful of his
providence.
·
Mindful of his
people.
·
Mindful of his
honor.
Psalms 115:12 "The LORD hath been mindful of us: (therefore) he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron."
PART II[2]
DIVINE VISITATIONS
IV. FOURTHLY, OUR TEXT CALLS OUR
ATTENTION TO THE LORD’S VISITATION OF GRACE.
“What is man,
that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man that thou visitest him?” David was astonished that a God so great should be mindful
of men so insignificant, worthless, and sinful as we are. But there was
something even more astonishing to him than God’s mindfulness of man, and that
is God’s gracious visitations to his people. God visits man in grace. O wonder
of wonders! Here we are challenged to the deepest admiration and the warmest
praise. “What is man, that thou art
mindful of him? And the son of man that thou visitest him?”
I can easily understand God visiting men in wrath. We all
deserve that. But our text is talking about God visiting men who deserve his
wrath in grace!
This
word, “visit,” means much more than just “dropping by.” It means to show
mercy, to refresh, to deliver, and to bless.” “Naomi heard how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them
bread” (Ruth 1:6). “The Lord visited
Sarah” to fulfill his promise (Gen. 21:1-2). The blessings of God’s providential grace are called “visitations of the Lord.” because:
1.
In them God
comes to us.
2.
They are free.
A visit is the freest thing in the world.
A
visitation is also an act of care, instruction, comfort, and direction
(Acts 15:36; James 1:27; Job 7:17-18).
Job 7:17-18 "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him?
and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? (18) And that thou
shouldest visit him every morning, and try
him every moment?"
Acts 15:36 "And some days
after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every
city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do."
James 1:27 "Pure religion
and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and
widows in their affliction, and to
keep himself unspotted from the world."
So, when God
visits men he comes to be merciful, to bless, to deliver, to comfort, and to
care for his people.
Let me show you, from the Scriptures,
eight of our God’s visitations with his people.
A.
First, and foremost, The Lord our God visited us with redemption by the
incarnation of Christ (Lk. 1:68).
Luke 1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his
people,"
This is the primary meaning of our
text. It is a declaration of Christ’s incarnation. It is a quotation from Psalm
2, which was a prophecy of that great event for which the world was made (Matt.
21:16; Heb. 2:6-9).
Matthew 21:16 "And said unto
him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"
Hebrews 2:6-9 "But one in a
certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or
the son of man, that thou visitest him?
(7) Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with
glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: (8) Thou hast put all things in
subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he
left nothing that is not put under
him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. (9) But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace
of God should taste death for every man."
1.
The Lord of glory assumed our nature
(Heb. 1:1-3).
Hebrews 1:1-3 "God, who at
sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, (2) Hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by
himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on
high;"
God came down here to dwell with men,
so that men mighty forever dwell with God.
2.
Christ Jesus came into this world so that he might save his people by his
obedience to God as our Substitute.
·
Righteousness
(Rom. 5:19).
·
Redemption
(Rom. 3:24-26).
·
Grace (Matt.
1:21).
Though our Lord has now returned to
heaven and sits upon the throne above, yet he has promised to visit us
continually with his grace. His visits are invisible, and they are spiritual,
but they are real visitations from our God.
B.
So, secondly, Christ our God visits his elect at the appointed time of mercy
with his irresistible grace in regeneration and conversion (Eph. 2:1-5).
Ephesians 2:1-5 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins: (2) Wherein in
time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: (3) Among whom also we
all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of
wrath, even as others. (4) But God,
who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (5) Even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)"
Just as he once visited the tomb of
Lazarus to give life to the man he loved, our Lord visits his spiritually dead
people to give them eternal life by the power of his Spirit (Ezek. 16:6-14).
Ezekiel 16:6-14 "And when I
passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea,
I said unto thee when thou wast in
thy blood, Live. (7) I have 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 breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. (8) Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy
time was the time of love; and I
spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee,
and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest
mine. (9) Then washed I thee with
water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee
with oil. (10) I clothed thee also
with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with
fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
(11) I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands,
and a chain on thy neck. (12) And I
put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown
upon thine head. (13) Thus wast thou
decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat
fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou
didst prosper into a kingdom. (14) And
thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which
I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD."
1.
Christ gives
life to whom he will (John 5:20).
2.
He gives life
as a matter of pure, free, sovereign grace (Rom. 9:16).
3.
His life
giving grace is irresistible and effectual (Psa. 65:4).
Illustration: “Lazarus, come
forth!”
C.
Thirdly, God graciously visits us in the acts of his good providence (Psa.
17:3; 89:32).
Psalms 17:3 "Thou hast
proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in
the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt
find nothing; I am purposed that my
mouth shall not transgress."
Psalms 89:32 "Then will I
visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes."
Affliction is the believer’s lot in
this world. It is a visitation from heaven. And it is a needful visitation
(Psa. 119:67, 71).
Psalms 119:67 "Before I was
afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word."
Psalms 119:71 "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might
learn thy statutes."
Our hearts are fashioned to this world
By strong and various ties;
But every sorrow cuts the strings,
And urges us to rise.
Toplady said, “Afflictions are as
nails, driven by the hand of grace, which crucify us to the world.”
The farmer plows his fields and the
gardener prunes his trees to make them fruitful. The jeweller cuts and buffs
his diamonds to make them shine brighter. The refiner throws his gold into the
raging furnace to make it pure. And God afflicts his people to make them better
(Heb. 10:5-11).
Hebrews 10:5-11 "Wherefore when
he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not,
but a body hast thou prepared me: (6) In
burnt offerings and sacrifices for
sin thou hast had no pleasure. (7) Then
said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy
will, O God. (8) Above when he said,
Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; (9) Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy
will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. (10) By the which will we are
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (11) And every priest standeth
daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never
take away sins:"
Trials make the promise sweet,
Trials give new life to prayer,
Trials bring me to his feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there.
D.
Fourthly, our God constantly visits us with his preserving, sustaining grace (Isa.
41:10).
Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not;
for I am with thee: be not dismayed;
for I am thy God: I will strengthen
thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my
righteousness."
·
“I am with thee.”
·
“I am thy God.’
·
“I will strengthen thee.”
·
“I will help thee.”
·
“I will uphold thee with the right hand of my
righteousness.”
E. In the fifth place, God visits us
with daily renewing, transforming grace, causing us to grow in grace in
conformity to Christ (Phil. 2:13;
Heb. 6:1-3).
Philippians
2:13 "For it is God which worketh in you both
to will and to do of his good
pleasure."
Hebrews 6:1-3 "Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;
not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith
toward God, (2) Of the doctrine of
baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of
eternal judgment. (3) And this will
we do, if God permit."
We are
commanded to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. But we cannot grow in
grace unless God supplies us with grace. We are commanded to be transformed by
the renewing of our minds. But we cannot be transformed unless God renews us by
his grace. We are commanded to put off the old man and put on the new. But we
cannot unless God subdues the old and strengthens the new. And he will do it.
In this world God graciously causes his people to grow up and mature in
conformity to the image of Christ. Our sancitfication is not a progressive
work; but it is a continual work. We do not grow more holy before God; but we
do grow in holiness. Grace causes believers to grow…
·
In Faith.
·
On
Faithfulness.
·
In Love.
·
On Commitment.
·
In Patience.
·
In Hope.
NOTE:
1. The old man never gets better.
2. The new man never increases in
righteousness.
3.
But we do grow
in grace, just as our Savior
grew in the
perfection of his manhood (Lk.
1:80).
Luke 1:80 "And the child
grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his
showing unto Israel."
F. Sixthly, the Lord visits his
people in the ordinances of public worship (Matt.
18:20; Song of Sol. 2:9).
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my
name, there am I in the midst of them."
Song of Songs 2:9 "My beloved is
like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh
forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice."
The Son of God visits us in our worship
services by…
·
The Preaching
Of The Gospel.
·
The Songs Of
His People.
·
Baptism.
·
The Lord’s
Table.
Sweet and precious beyond expression
are those visitations of God to our hearts by the influence of his Spirit, by
which he seals to our hearts...
·
His Electing
Love.
·
Redeeming
Blood.
·
Adopting
Mercy.
·
Saving Grace.
·
Free
Justification.
G.
Again, the Lord graciously visits his saints when he calls them away from earth
to heaven.
To the believer death is no more than a friendly visit from
the God of love. It is Christ coming to carry us home (John 14:1-3).
John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God,
believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go
and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be
also."
What bursts of joy, what scenes of
glory, what beams of light, what revelations of grace, what covenant promises,
what blessed assurances flood the souls of God’s elect when Christ, our
Bridegroom, comes calling!
·
God smiles
with everlasting love.
·
Christ beckons
us to come.
·
The Spirit
gently pulls our souls from our bodies.
·
The angels of
God convey us home.
·
And the saints
on the other side welcome us with shouts of joy, when we enter the heavenly
Jerusalem.
H.
Then, there is a day coming when God will pay his people one more gracious
visit (Isa. 43:5).
Isaiah 43:5 "Fear not: for
I am with thee: I will bring thy seed
from the east, and gather thee from the west."
On the day of resurrection our great
God and Savior will gather our dust and raise us up in incorruptible glory
(Rom. 8:11; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-58).
Romans 8:11 "But if the
Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit
that dwelleth in you."
1 Corinthians 15:51-58 "Behold, I show
you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then
shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory. (55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56) The sting of death is sin;
and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ. (58) Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 "But I would
not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that
ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first: (17)
Then
we which are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and
so shall
we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
ILLUSTRATION: The Robin’s Eggs
Application:
May our great God visit many here with his salvation.