Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleThe Lovingkindnesses of the LORD
Bible TextIsaiah 63:7-14
Synopsis The lovingkindnesses of the Lord are God’s acts of mercy toward his people. Listen.
Date15-Nov-2015
Series Isaiah 2008
Article Type Sermon Notes
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: The Lovingkindnesses of the LORD (32 kbps)
Audio CD Quality Listen: The Lovingkindnesses of the LORD (128 kbps)
Length 44 min.
 

Series: Isaiah

Title: Lovingkindnesses of the LORD

Text: Isaiah 63: 7-14

Date: November 15, 2015

Place: SGBC, New Jersey

 

In the midst of all the world’s troubles, in the midst of all his own trials, after hearing what the Lord Jesus has done in redeeming his people and conquering all our enemies, Isaiah is moved by the Holy Spirit to declare the “Lovingkindnesses of the LORD.”

 

Isaiah 63: 7: I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD,…

 

God said “I have set watchmen on thy walls, O Jerusalem” And they are set by God to “make mention.” Isaiah said, “I will mention.” Of who? God said, “Ye that make mention of the LORD.”  They are the LORD’s remembrancers given to put you in remembrance of the LORD. So Isaiah says, “I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD,…

 

Isaiah 63: 7:…according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them…

 

“All” that God does in this earth—that which seems good and that which seems evil—is for his elect “the house of Israel.”—whether he gives to us or takes away from us.  “All” that God bestows upon us is his “lovingkindnesses” toward us. Nothing God does is small. It is all “his great goodness.”

 

Isaiah 63: 7..according to his mercies,…

 

Every blessing bestowed upon chosen sinners is a matter of God’s free “mercies”, his sovereign grace.  Nothing is earned, merited, or deserved by us, except the wrath of God. All God’s bestowing is “according to his mercies”

 

Isaiah 63: 7…and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

 

We could sooner count the stars or the sand of the sea as take the sum of the “multitude of his lovingkindnesses.”

 

Brethren, no matter what evils we see occurring in this world—whether it be the Paris’ attacks this week or any other thing closer to our lives—we should always turn from this world and look to our great God. By doing so we will we behold our subject today: “The Lovingkindnesses of the Lord.”

 

Proposition: The lovingkindnesses of the Lord are God’s acts of mercy toward his people.

 

The Holy Spirit moved Isaiah to make mention of seven of the Lord’s great acts of lovingkindess in our text.

 

GOD’S ELECTING GRACE

 

First, is the lovingkindess of God’s sovereign, distinguishing, electing grace—Isaiah 63: 8: For he said, Surely they are my people,…

 

God’s election of grace separated his true chosen spiritual Israel from all other people on the face of this earth, like as he separated political Israel—“He said, Surely, they are my people.”  This word of our Lord speaks of the true, spiritual Israel of God amidst political Israel, the same as it speaks of God’s true, spiritual children in the midst of this world today.

 

Romans 9: 6:…they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:…8:…the children of the promise [of God’s electing grace] are counted for the seed.

 

According to God’s everlasting lovingkindess, before the world was made, the Lord God chose us and bound himself to save his elect. Therefore, “we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Th 2:13-14)

 

Jeremiah 31: 3: The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

 

Believer, before the world began, he loved us. He chose us unto salvation. He predestinated us to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. He foreordained the gift of faith so we could believe the truth. He called us by the gospel. He made us obtain the glory of Christ. This is all due to the first of the “lovingkindnesses of the LORD”, God’s electing grace. He said, “Surely,they are my people.”

 

NEW CREATION

 

Secondly, God’s lovingkindness is manifest by making his people truthful and honest inwardly by making us a new creation in the new birth—Isaiah 63: 8:…he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie, so he was their Savior…

 

This is due to the grace and truth of our Savior working in his people. To show us this, the Lord God said this of Israel and committed to them his Oracles.  “They said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.” (Ex 24: 7) “Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.” (Ps 78: 36) Those who lied were natural born sinners in whom is nothing but guile—deceit—craftiness—that is the very nature of all depraved fallen sinners.

 

But God sent forth his only begotten Son—our Savior—“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:…Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Pet 2: 22, 24)

 

When the Holy Spirit enters within us—he puts the Spirit of Christ within us. He creates a new man.  Indeed, our old fleshly man is sinful. But in the new man, born of God, there is no guile. God fills us with Christ the Truth. He gives us faith unfeigned!

 

Psalm 32:2: Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

 

Revelation 14: 4…These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5: And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

 

John 1:47: Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

 

After a father has taught his child the father proves his love to his son by trusting his child with certain responsibilities, not holding him in suspicion, but showing his confidence that his child will honor him.

 

So it is that after our Savior makes us truthful, God manifest his lovingkindness to his child by entrusting his gospel to us. We are constrained by our Savior’s love for us. We say as Paul said,

 

2 Corinthians 4: 1: Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2: But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

 

In addition to the gospel, God has trusted each of his children with his name and honor in this world!

 

1 Peter 2: 9…that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

 

God knows we are but dust!  But by the multitude of his lovingkindness, God declares his children shall be faithful to him—“children that will not lie.” And if I am truly his child, the more God manifest his lovingkindness to me, the more it makes me desire to be found faithful.

 

UNION

 

God’s lovingkindness is manifest by God’s union with us—Isaiah 63: 9  In all their affliction he was afflicted,…

 

This is not simply sympathy like one person feels for another. This is like when a member of our body is hurt so that our whole body feels it.

 

Christ is so united with his people that when a member of Christ’s body is afflicted, Christ is afflicted. In all their affliction he was afflicted

 

Judges 10: 16:…his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

 

Zechariah 2:8: For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

 

Notice, it says “in all” their afflictions he was afflicted. Whatever it is by which a child of God is afflicted, our Savior is touched by it.

 

Matthew 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 

Hebrews 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

 

Hebrews 2: 18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

 

SALVATION

 

Chiefly, God’s lovingkindness is manifest in our salvation—Isaiah 63: 9: In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

 

Like as the LORD heard the cries of the children of Israel while in Egyptian bondage and came down and redeemed them, in his love and in his pity for his elect, the Lord came down and redeemed his elect from all iniquity. Above all of God’s lovingkindesses is the sin-atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Romans 5: 6: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

 

1 John 4:9: In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10: Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

 

Believer, think of the multitude of his lovingkindesses. All the sin of all his people, all the guilt of all his people, our Savior bore like a heavy garment. He suffered separation from God. Then the Holy Spirit delivered us out of the bondage of our dead flesh. Now, we are justified by his blood.

 

Christ’s name in verse 9 tells what he is and shall be to all his redeemed—“the Angel of His Presence saved them.” The children of Israel were led through the wilderness by Christ himself. He was the pillar of cloud and the fire that led them. He was the rock that followed them. He was the Schekinah—the glory that sanctified the temple.  The Angel of his Presence was always with them.

 

So it is now—“the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.”  He is in his local church the same as he is in each individual believer in Spirit. The apostle Paul said,

 

Philippians 2: 12: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13: For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

 

Even in all our trials, his Presence is with us.

 

Isaiah 43: 1: Now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:…I [will] give men for thee, and people for thy life. 5  Fear not: for I am with thee:

 

The care of our Lord Jesus for us is constant—“He bare them and carried them all the days of old" (v.9).

 

Isaiah 40:11: 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.

 

CHASTENING

 

God’s lovingkindness is manifest by his faithful, loving chastening correction—Isaiah 63: 10: But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. 11: Then he remembered the days of old…

 

God does not remember the sin of his people so that it shall never again condemn us or separate us from the love of God in Christ.  But God does acknowledge our sinful, rebellious actions in this life. When we sin God will chasten his child.

 

Therefore, God’s chastening rod may make us think God is our enemy at times. But that is not the case with those for whom he died. His chastening is a blessing for which we should always be thankful.

 

Hebrews 12: 6: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7: If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons;…

 

The littlest child’s disobedience will eventually become the grown man’s rebellious crimes if not corrected.  But if corrected, later it yields peaceable fruit.

 

Psalm 119: 67: Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. 68: Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes…71: It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

 

COVENANT MERCIES

 

God’s lovingkindness is manifest in God’s everlasting covenant mercies—even when chastening us God always tempers his chastening with mercy—Isaiah 63: 11: Then he remembered the days of old…(Read vv11-13)

 

God remembered what he had done for his people in the past and he resolved to do the same to his people again. God always remembers his covenant because it is written in Christ’s blood so he always remembers to be merciful to his people.

 

Luke 1: 52: He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53: He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54: He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

 

Lamentations 3: 22: It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23: They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

 

REST

 

God’s lovingkindess is manifest in the rest God gives—Isaiah 63: 14 As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.

 

Picture cattle going down in the valley in the cool of the evening. No more plowing. Just grazing on the green grass of his pasture and drinking the cool water of their master’s river.

 

That is what faith in Christ brings (Matt. 11:28-30).  Christ is the Rest of forgiveness, the Rest of complete acceptance with God, the Rest of contentment. He creates the rest of obedience in us. And one day soon Christ will give us eternal rest in glory with him.

 

Amen!