Sermon
# 191 Series: Isaiah
Title: Righteousness, Mercy, and
Judgment
Text: Isaiah 55:1-12
Subject: The Righteousness of Grace,
The University of Mercy, And The Cause of Judgment
Date: Sunday Evening – October 2, 1994
Tape #
: Q-51
Introduction:
Isaiah
56 is a prophecy of the conversion of God’s elect among the Gentiles and their
entrance into the church and kingdom of God in this gospel age, as the result
of Christ’s coming and establishing righteousness in the earth by his obedience
to God as our Substitute. In these
twelve verses of inspiration, the Lord God speaks to us by his prophet about
three things – Righteousness, Mercy, and
Judgment. That is what I want to talk to
you about now – The righteousness of God’s grace – The Universality of His
Mercy – And the Cause of His Judgment.
I. The first thing revealed in verses 1 and 2
is the fact that The Grace of God Revealed In
The Gospel of Christ Promotes Righteousness and Never Hinders It.
When our Lord Jesus preached absolute salvation by free grace alone, the
religious people of the day said, “He is a devil!” When the apostle Paul preached salvation by grace
alone, without the works of the law, the Judaizers of his day denounced him as
a promoter of licentiousness. The
accused him of preaching, “Let us sin that grace may abound,” Though they knew
he never implied or said such a thing.
And today, any man who preaches free,
unconditional, immutable salvation to sinners in Christ, by grace alone, is
accused by those who hate the doctrine of free grace of being an antinomian, a
promoter of licentiousness. In these first two verses of Isaiah 56, God says, “That is
not so.” The Grace of God revealed in
the gospel of Christ promotes righteousness. It does
not hinder it. In these verses God
commanded his people to obey that which was written in the law, both regarding
the worship of God and the honor of man.
The basis of his command was this – “For my salvation is near to
come, and my righteousness to be revealed.”
A. God’s intentions of grace in
the gospel, typified in all the ceremonies of the law and in all the
deliverances of Israel were announced as being near at hand.
The
text is talking about the coming of Christ to redeem and save his people. Though it was several hundred years
away. God said, it was “near to come,”
because he sees things from the perspective of eternity. And he wants his people ever to live in immediate
anticipation of his promise. NOTICE:
B. In Essence, Our God Here
Demands Three Things of All Who Come To Him And Worship Him.
“All
works of righteousness required by the Lord, though not to be depended upon for
justification in his sight, are to be regarded as fruits and evidences of faith
and repentance.” Gill
The surest way to promote
righteousness is to preach of free grace ( Tit. 3:5-8). Grace teaches righteousness (Tit.
2:11-12). And grace produces righteousness (Gal 5:22-23; Eph. 2:8-10). Free grace is not a mask for
sin – Legality is!
II. Secondly, our text demonstrates the fact
that God’s Mercy Was Never Limited To One Race or
Nation. But Is Universal In It’s Scope
– (vv. 3-8).
The
Israel of God is made up of all God’s elect, all who worship God, the whole
church and kingdom of God, made up of men and women out of every nation,
kindred, tribe, and tongue.
It is
promised in these verses that strangers and eunuchs, being called by the grace
of God shall be brought into the house of God.
His house, his temple, in these days of spiritual worship was to be a
spiritual house, not a house of sacrifice, but “a house of prayer for all
people.” We who believe,
who trust Christ, are his house (Heb. 3:6; 9:8).
A. Here the Lord God promises all
who come to him all the blessedness of everlasting salvation – (v. 5).
Come
to God now, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and God himself promises to give
you.
B. Here is a Description of All
True Believers – (vv. 4, 6).
C. In verse 7, The Lord God
Promises Three More Things to All Who Trust Him.
D. In verse 8, The Lord Assures
Us That All His Elect Shall Be Saved.
III. In verses 9-12, Isaiah seems to change
subjects altogether. He has been
talking about grace, and mercy, and salvation.
Now he turns to talk about judgment.
But he is not changing his subject at all. He is simply giving us this very sober third word of
instruction. Mercy and Grace Despised and Abused Will Bring The
Judgment of God Upon Any People.
These
beasts (v. 9) called by God into the professed church are cursed dogs (male
prostitutes – Phil. 3:2; Deut. 23:18) vicious intruders, whom God sends to
destroy those who will not receive his word and his truth. Isaiah here tells us seven things about
these beasts who are supposed to be watchmen in Zion.
Application: II Corinthians 6:1