A Prayer for Mercy - Part 2 of 2

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, Thou for His love, my God and King, Thou triumphs of His grace.

This is LeSaire Bradley Jr. welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour. A wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord, a wonderful Savior to me. He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, where rivers of pleasure I see. He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows the dry, thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand, and covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord, He taketh my burden away. He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved. He giveth me strength as my day. He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows the dry, thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand, and covers me there with His hand. With the world's blessings each moment He crowds, and filled with His goodness divine. I sing in my rapture, O glory to God, for such a Redeemer as mine. He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows the dry, thirsty land.

He hideth my life in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand, and covers me there with His hand. We continue with the message today entitled, A Prayer for Mercy. Surely we all recognize our desperate need for the mercy of God. We've used up a lot of it, but there's still plenty, and we thank Him for it. If you'd like to help keep this broadcast on the air, you can make a donation at our website BaptistBibleHour.org. We stand in amazement at the display of the handiwork of God in creation.

I'm thankful for the attention that's being given in these days to the truth of the biblical account, the Genesis account of creation. But even back beyond that is this great scheme of grace, this purpose of God to exalt His Son by giving Him a people, the Son coming to redeem them, preparing for Him a bride that He would eventually present in the final day, saying, Behold, I am the children which Thou hast given me. That's mercy. Mercy. If it was a matter of God looking down through time and selecting those that seemed to be superior to others, basing His choice upon what He saw in the individual, it wouldn't be mercy after all.

It'd be payment for what an individual deserved. But this was mercy, the choice of God. And then it was mercy by which Jesus Christ went to the cross. What mercy that God became a man.

Jesus Christ, the God-man, lived here upon this earth, proving Himself to be the Lamb without spot and without blemish. He was despised and rejected. They spit in His face. They put the crown of thorns upon His brow.

They nailed Him to the cross. He suffered in agony. But the most terrible punishment of it all was that He who was sinless had the sins of His people put upon Him. It was the just dying for the unjust.

We are unjust. We are sinners by nature, but He, the just one, the perfect one, was dying for the unjust. What mercy it was that He went to the cross. What mercy, even as He was ridiculed, to remain there because that was the purpose for which He had come. He made it clear, I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me of this is the Father's will that all which hath given me I should lose nothing but raise it up again at the last day.

That's why He's there. He came to save a people. He came to redeem them, to purchase them, to pay the price. And Isaiah chapter 53 says, He shall see of the travail of His soul and be what? Satisfied.

Not disappointed, satisfied. Isn't it good to know that when Jesus Christ paid the price, He got what He paid for? What mercy is displayed at Calvary's cross?

The just dying for the unjust. And then there's calling. This text in 2 Timothy said that He not only has saved us, but He's called us with the holy calling.

This holy calling is not according to our works. Somebody may say, well I tell you preacher, there was a time in my life I began to seek the Lord. That may well be, but I can tell you on the authority of God's Word that the reason you started seeking God was because God had already sought you. He knew where you were. He had found you.

He had moved upon you by His mercy. As Romans 3 tells us that there's none that understandeth, there's none that seeketh after God, you never would have sought Him. Oh, multitudes of people will seek religion.

There's something about man's human nature that's inclined toward religious rites and ceremonies. He's satisfied with religion but to seek God. A person who is a guilty sinner, a person who is corrupt in his nature, a person who loves sin is not going to feel comfortable in the presence of God. He's not going to be seeking God. So if one is seeking God, it's by mercy. He says, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.

God moves upon them by the operation of His Holy Spirit, creating a desire in them that they didn't have by nature. And then there's justifying mercy. Here's one standing before the judge, guilty, asks for mercy, but look what God does. The judge might be able to say, I will pardon you, and indeed God pardons us, but God does more than that. He justifies us. He declares us to be just. If you've been declared just, you're justified as though you had never committed a sin to start with. That's how God's people appear before Him in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Look at the book of Romans chapter 3, verse 23 says, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

How is it we're justified? Freely by His grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be the propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say at this time, His righteousness that He might be just and the justifier of Him which believeth in Jesus. So God is just and He's going to maintain His righteousness. He's not compromising His holy character, but He is the justifier of the one that believes in Jesus.

How is that? Because Jesus Christ took the place of that guilty soul. It was a substitutionary death. He laid down His life for the sheep that were given to Him by the Father in the covenant. And therefore the one who by divine grace is brought to believe in Jesus Christ is justified. Justified. Declared to be just.

Yes, His mercies are remarkable. Romans chapter 4, verse 7 saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

That's difficult to grasp, isn't it? When you see your own sin and you see your own failure, and certainly you know from the standpoint of your fellowship with God, it is necessary to continue to confess sin. It tells us in the first epistle of John, If we confess our sins, it is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But positionally, as far as we stand in Christ, He says the Lord will not impute sin to that individual who is in Christ. Because our sins have been laid on Him. And His righteousness has been imputed to us. Mercy.

The mercy of God in justifying us. Oh, but there's a long road out there ahead of us. No doubt, some of us that have been traveling the way for many years, think back when we were younger and first started, and somehow had in our minds that as we went along, the road would get smoother. And the way would get a little easier. And the battles wouldn't be quite so fierce.

But we haven't found it that way. The struggles continue. The day-to-day battles must be fought. The conflict with the old flesh is still there. We still cry out with the beloved apostle, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? What do we need? Mercy. Sanctifying mercy.

And that's provided for us. Philippians chapter 1 verse 6 says that he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. You may have reached the place several times where you said, I give up. I've probably been deceived anyway. I probably never have had an experience of grace. If I was born again, I wouldn't have some of the struggles I have. I'd be a better person than I am. I'm ready to give up.

But you know what? About the time you decided to give up, God continued His work. He never gave up on you. He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.

There may have been some periods in your life where you got downright cantankerous. You say, I'm going to do things my way. I don't know, I don't think the world can be as bad as these preachers make it out to be. I'm going to get some of my pleasures in the world. And you took that route. But the Lord hunted you down. And He put the rod of chastisement upon you. And it wasn't joyous, it was grievous. It was a burden. It hurt.

It was stressful. But what mercy that He brought you back. He chastened you by convicting you of your error and your sin, humbling you and bringing you to true repentance. And here you are today with a desire to hear His gospel preached and a desire to honor Him and serve Him in your life. What mercy is this?

What mercy. You say, but I don't know what is out ahead. No, you don't.

None of us do. But you can know this, that the one who started the work in you will not give it up. Oh, you're encouraged to press on the way. You're encouraged to be faithful. You're encouraged to continue praying.

Yes, all of these things are a part of it. But you know why it's ongoing? God's still working in you. That's mercy.

That's mercy. If you'd had to deal with a case as hard as you are, you probably would have given up on them. If you were trying to guide somebody, teach somebody, train somebody, get them on the right track, you'd finally say, whew, that's enough of that. I give up.

They're never going to make it. But look at the mercy of God. All your stumbling and stammering and falling and failing and He's still at work. God working in you to conform you to His image and someday take you home to heaven to be with Him. Yes, He desired this salvation. And not only this salvation, which is the salvation of the soul, but the daily benefits of it.

The things that are so necessary as we travel along the way. He's already enumerated several of those in this 119th Psalm. In verse 25, He said, My soul cleaveth to the dust, quicken thou me. Lord, I'm inclined to that which is of the world, of this earth.

I'm cleaving to the dust. Lord, enliven me, quicken me. Verse 27, He says, Make me to understand the ways of thy precepts.

Lord, I need to be taught. In verse 36, He says, Incline my heart to thy testimonies and not unto covetousness. I'm by human nature inclined to that which is covetous and I'm greedy in my spirit, but Lord, incline my heart unto thy testimonies. In verse 39, He says, Turn my eyes away from beholding vanity. Oh, He's praying, Lord, I need the benefits of this salvation now. It's not just a matter someday of expecting when I die that I'm looking for the joys of that heavenly city.

Yes, I anticipate that. I'd like to think about it, but I need help now. In Psalm 69, He said, Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my soul. Oh, what depth of struggle He describes here. It's one thing to pass through the chilly waters. It's another thing to feel they're coming into my soul. I'm about to go down. I sink in deep mire where there is no standing.

I'm coming into the deep waters where the floods overflow me. But what's He praying? Save me.

Lord, I'm going under and you're the only one that can rescue me. Save me, I pray. He prayed in Psalm 7 and verse 1, Save me from my enemies. David talks a lot about his enemies. He had many of them.

And he knew that he could not successfully wage warfare against them. He needed divine help. Lord, save me. I desire the daily benefits of this salvation. Is that not your desire? When you think of the week ahead, whatever days or if indeed there are years that you have out in front of you, suppose you were on your own. You had to make it just by sheer determination, just by human ingenuity, just by your own plans and schemes.

Would that not be a frightening thing? But when you know you're not by yourself, you can pray, O Lord, let Thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even Thy salvation, according to Thy word. He desired assurance. He says, let Thy mercies come unto me.

I don't want to just talk about mercy as a principle. I don't want to just talk about this salvation as a subject to analyze, but let it be real in my experience, Lord, let it come unto me. That's why it says in Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd. It says in Psalm 142, the Lord is my portion. It says the Lord is my shield and my buckler. He's mine.

Can you say that today? The Lord is mine. He's my Savior. He's my hope. I'm trusting Him. Somebody might say, well, I'd like to have that kind of assurance.

What should I base it on? 1 John 5, verse 1, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. I ask you the question, Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ is born of God? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior, the Savior of sinners?

Do you trust Him? He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. There's no way we can provide comfort to an unbeliever. The comfort of scriptures is given to those who believe. Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?

And then he also adds this comment. As he prays for mercy, as he equates this to the salvation which is of God, he says, I'm praying according to Thy word. According to Thy word. According to the truth of it. The truth concerning this salvation is found in the word.

So if we're talking about the salvation of our soul, what is the truth that the scriptures proclaim? Somebody says, well here's what I think about it. It's amazing how philosophical some people can come and kind of rear back like, this is going to be a profound observation because I've thought about this and this is the way I view it. You know, the conclusion you've drawn, the observation that you make is worthless. If it's not based on scripture. David says, according to Thy word. Somebody said, well I just feel like if you do the best you can, that's going to all work out men.

Boy, doesn't that sound nice? Problem with it is, it's all wrong. The best you can is not good enough. The best you can puts you in deep trouble. Somebody said, well I think we're all working toward the same place, you know there's different roads and one takes one route and one another. I think just so you're on the road and sincere. But Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life.

There are not many ways, there's just one. Somebody says, that's the problem, you Christians are so narrow minded. You're so prejudice. That's the attitude they had toward Jesus. They hated Him. Jesus did not deliver a message to gain popularity, to please the crowd. As a matter of fact, He said to some of those who displayed their rejection of Him and hatred of Him, you are of your father, the devil. It's according to the truth of scripture. And I said, well I just think if you make the right choice, if you put forth the right effort, but Romans chapter 9 verse 16 says, It's not of Him that willeth, nor of Him that runeth, but of God that showeth mercy. And Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 says, For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. So if this salvation is according to His word, this is what the word says. Now that's good news to somebody who says, I'm glad none of it's left up to me because I couldn't make it anyway. I'm glad it's by grace.

I'm glad it's a gift. I rejoice in it. It's according to His word, the truth of it, the promise of it. The promise of this salvation is according to His word. Listen to the words of Jesus. John chapter 5 verse 24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me half everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is past from death unto life.

Here's the evidence that you have it. He that hears my word and believes has everlasting life. And then Jesus says in the next chapter, John chapter 6 verse 37, What the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

There's the sovereignty of God. All that the Father has given me will come. They're going to come because they're going to be drawn. They're going to be drawn by irresistible grace so that they come willingly. And him that cometh I will in no wise cast out. That's a precious expression. Somebody may say, I just feel to be such a great sinner he probably wouldn't receive me. I feel there's so little I understand.

On and on the list can go by which a person pulls themselves down to a state of hopelessness. But Jesus says, him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. There's never been a broken, repentant sinner perish at the feet of Jesus. Because those who are brought to the end of themselves, convicted of their sin, and blessed to see that he's the Savior and embrace him by faith, obviously have been made recipients of divine grace.

Yes, it's according to his word. The truth of it. The promise of it.

And the provision of it. As David prays this prayer, his request is not demanding, it's not on his terms. Have you ever been guilty of that when you prayed for mercy, but you stipulated exactly how you felt God ought to operate his business. And when he didn't carry it out just to your liking, you concluded that God had not been merciful to you and God had not heard your prayer. What David says is, let thy mercies also come unto me, O Lord, even by salvation, according to thy word. I'm not specifying the terms.

I'm not trying to set the timetable. I'm coming asking for mercy according to your word, according to what you have revealed, what you have promised, according to your purpose. I'm coming for the blessings that already are part of this great covenant of grace. The blessings that are promised. God has promised he will provide help.

Now that you can rest assured of. God's promised that. God has promised, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, that we might boldly say, the Lord is my helper. God's promised that.

So you can come with absolute assurance. God's not going to leave me. Oh yes, there are those seasons where the Lord hides his face and at that moment you may say, I've been forsaken, but even then, underneath are the everlasting arms. He's holding you up.

He's sustaining you. Oh, the mercy of God. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even by salvation, according to thy word. Are you one who has been made to realize how desperately you need the mercy of God?

You know that apart from it you would be lost, ruined forever. You dread to think of standing in the presence of the Almighty, the holy, just God. The angelic host of our singing, holy, holy, holy. Oh, how you would tremble to be in such a sacred spot if you were there having to account for your own sin. But even as Isaiah saw that vision of the Lord following the revelation of his own unworthiness saying, I'm a man of unclean lips, the angel with tongs took a coal off the altar and put it on his lips and cleansed him.

And there is cleansing for unworthy sinners today through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. If the messages are proving to be a blessing to you, we'd certainly like to hear from you. Our mailing address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. We depend on our listeners for support. So if you would like to help keep the program on the air, we'd appreciate hearing from you. So we greet you next time. This is LaSara Bradley, Jr., bidding you goodbye and may God bless you. This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior, praising my Savior. Praising my Savior all the day long.