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Sermon #31[i] Micah Series
Title: “He delighteth in mercy!”
Text: Micah 7:18-20 Subject: God’s Mercy — His Delight Introduction:
The prophecy of Micah deals with two subjects. It is a lamentation of the woeful condition of Israel and a celebration of God’s abundant mercy.
The people of God were, in Micah’s time, passing through a very painful trial. The nation of Israel was plagued with the incurable wound of empty, meaningless religious ritualism. The leaders of the people were men who devised iniquity and worked evil. The priests were men of hire, and the prophets prophesied for money. Yet, all that they did was done in the name of the Lord.
Religious hucksters were in the majority and the people followed them eagerly. With confidence, they said, “Is not the Lord among us? None evil can come upon us” (3:11). The Word of the Lord was precious in those days. There were only a few men who truly spoke as prophets of God; and very few heard them. This caused Micah great pain and much sorrow.
But Micah was a man who knew the Lord God. He had a vision of God’s majesty and mercy. He had received a word from the Lord. And with confident joy he spoke of the latter day glory of this gospel age, when the majesty of God and the mercy of God would be revealed in Christ the Messiah. ——— He spoke of the Incarnation of Christ (5:2).
Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Micah prophesied of Christ’s humiliation and sufferings as our Substitute (5:1).
Micah 5:1 “Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.”
God’s prophet, Micah, spoke of the gathering of God’s elect from among the Gentiles and his mercy in Christ (4:1-2).
Micah 4:1-2 “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
Micah spoke of true spiritual worship, showing us what God requires of man, that we might “know the righteousness of the Lord” (6:5-8).
Micah 6:5 “O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal.”
That seems to be out of place. Don’t you think? What do the words of a false prophet have to do with Micah and his message to Israel? Do you remember what Balaam said to Balak? Let’s look at that for just a minute (Numbers 23:16-24).
Numbers 23:16-24 “And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. 17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken? 18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: 19 God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? 20 Behold, I have received [commandment] to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. 21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God [is] with him, and the shout of a king [is] among them. 22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. 23 Surely [there is] no enchantment against Jacob, neither [is there] any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! 24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat [of] the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.”
Balaam’s word to Balak was God’s word concerning his elect and their sure salvation. — Alright, let’s go back to Micah. We will pick up in Micah 6:6-8.
Micah 6:6-8 “That ye may know the righteousness of the LORD. Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
Be sure to notice that the Lord God is not showing us our righteousness, for we have none. He is not telling us how to be righteous by doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with men. Those are not his requirements. Rather, he requires that we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God!
And God’s servant Micah spoke of the majesty of Christ in his glorious exaltation (5:4).
Micah 5:4 “And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.”
Though the people were turned aside unto vanity, Micah’s heart was fixed upon God’s promised Deliverer. He said, — “Therefore I will look unto the Lord: I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me” (7:7).
With the eye of faith fixed upon Christ, believing the promises of God, Micah’s heart began to swell with joy, gratitude, praise, and expectation. Unable to contain himself, the prophet of God raises his voice in jubilant exultation (7:18-20).
Micah 7:18-20 “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”
Here is my subject, and what a blessed subject it is — “He Delighteth In mercy!” Oh, poor, fallen sons of Adam, did you catch that phrase? — “He delighteth in mercy!” Clap your hands and rejoice before him, with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
This good news is pure gospel truth. It should raise a universal shout of “Hallelujah!” The God of heaven, the God we have offended, the God in whose hands we are, is a God who delights in mercy! — “Who is a God like unto thee,” O Lord? Our text not only says that God is merciful, but that he delights in mercy.
I am certain that our views of God and his grace are weakest right here: — None of us have any idea how exceedingly willing the Lord God is to forgive iniquity, transgression, and sin. At this point, we all think that God is such a one as ourselves. What shameful unbelief! We forget that “he delighteth in mercy!” When we think, talk, and preach about our Lord Jesus Christ, the triune Jehovah (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), when we think and speak of God’s mercy, love, grace, and forgiveness, let us ever throw open to guilty sinners, to the widest extent possible, the doors of mercy. Ever remember, — “He delighteth in mercy!” Let us never be guilty of restricting, in thought or in word, the great mercy of our great God, who “delighteth in mercy!”
God’s Benjamin
I am sure that every attribute of God gives him pleasure in its exercise. But, here, mercy is singled out by inspiration as his favorite. And though all the Divine attributes are eternal, mercy was the last to be revealed. · His wisdom and power are seen in the creation of the world. · His wrath is seen in the damnation of Satan and the angels who fell. · His justice is seen in the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden when his law was broken. · But in mercy he spared their lives, in mercy he promised a Redeemer, in mercy he provided a sacrifice.
You might say that, mercy is God’s Benjamin, and he delights most of all in it. It is the son of his right hand. But it might also be called the son of his sorrow, for the mercy of God came to be revealed in the sorrow and death of God’s well-beloved Son.
Who is a God like unto Thee, O Lord? · He is gloriously sovereign. · He is infinitely just. · He is perfectly holy. · He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, incomprehensible, and eternal. · And “He delighteth in mercy.”
Proposition: It is the glory of God and the pleasure of God to show mercy to sinners for Christ’s sake.
The Lord our God is not a cruel tyrant, or a relentless sadist. Though he is holy, just, and true, he is a God who delights in mercy.
Divisions: I want to try to answer four questions – 1. What does the Word of God teach about God’s mercy? 2. What is the result of God’s mercy? 3. How can I obtain God’s mercy? 4. What are the lessons for us today?
Mercy in Scripture
1. What does the Word of God teach about God’s mercy?
I know that God’s tender mercy is over all his creatures. In merciful benevolence he sends the sunshine and the rain both upon the righteous and the wicked. I will leave it to others to argue about what to call that and what the purpose of God in such mercy is.
But Micah 7:18 is not talking about general benevolence. This text speaks of God’s special, distinguishing, sovereign, saving mercy toward his elect, that mercy of God which causes dead sinners to have eternal life in Christ. What does the Bible teach about this mercy?
Our text tells us that God delights in mercy. — Micah’s hope for himself and for Israel was simply the fact that God delights to show mercy to sinful men. No man deserves mercy. But God delights to show mercy to the undeserving.
Mercy Evident
We do not need to search very far to find abundant proof that God delights in mercy. His mercy is seen everywhere. I know that God delights in mercy because… · The very fact that fallen man lives upon God’s earth declares that God delights in mercy. · The Lord God often has turned himself to sinners who deserved his wrath and courted his judgment, sparing them in his great mercy. — Nineveh — Paul said, “I obtained mercy!” — Israel in the wilderness (Psalm 78:38-39).
Psalms 78:38-39 “But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. 39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.”
The fact that sinners like you and me are alive today, accepted in the Beloved, sons of God, chosen, redeemed, and saved is abundant proof that God delights in mercy. In abundant, long-suffering mercy, the Lord God preserved us in life and saved us by his grace (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Ephesians 2:4-5 “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.)”
God has chosen to redeem, save, and use the vile refuse of this world as the objects of his grace, because “he delighteth in mercy” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
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.”
· He lays hold on the polluted publican instead of the proud Pharisee. · He saves the wandering prodigal, and passes by the self-righteous religionist. · He lifts the poor out of the dunghill and sets him among princes. · He embraces the vile harlot, and rejects the good moralist. · He takes the dying thief home with him to glory, and leaves the pompous ritualist to his vanities.
Though we are now saved by his grace, our daily conduct proves that God delights in mercy. We have been ungrateful, unbelieving, and unfaithful. But his mercy fails not (Lamentations 3:23).
Lamentations 3:22-26 “[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. 24 The LORD [is] my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD [is] good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him. 26 [It is] good that [a man] should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”
The greatest possible proof that our God delights in mercy is the sacrifice of his own dear Son in our stead. If you have any doubt that the God of heaven delights in mercy, go to Calvary and read of God’s abundant mercy. In order to show mercy to us, the God of mercy sacrificed his own darling Son in our place. Calvary’s crimson tide spells out one thing most clearly: — “He delighteth in mercy!”
Mercy there was great, and grace was free! Pardon there was multiplied for me: There my burdened soul finds liberty! At Calvary!
Romans 5:6-8 “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.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 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; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Mercy is one of God’s glorious attributes. It is as essential to the character of God as righteousness, truth, holiness, power, and justice. Not until he ceases to be God will he cease to be just. And not until he ceases to be God will he cease to be merciful. When Moses asked to see God’s glory, he said, “Stand here in the cleft of the Rock and I will show you my mercy” (Exodus 34:5-8).
“And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation]. And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.” (Exodus 34:5-8)
John Gill said, “The mercy of God arises from the goodness of his nature, from his special love to his people, and from his sovereign will and pleasure. As he loves whom he pleases, and ‘is gracious to whom he will be gracious,’ so ‘he has mercy on whom he will have mercy.’”
God’s very glory is his mercy, free, sovereign mercy bestowed upon poor, guilty sinners through the sin-atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ! — “He delighteth in mercy!”
In Christ
The mercy of God is in Christ. It is foolish to talk of Divine mercy or to call for Divine mercy apart from Christ. When Micah says, “He delighteth in mercy,” he is talking about God as he is revealed in Christ. It is a vain delusion of proud and sinful men to trust in God’s mercy when they refuse to trust in God’s Son.
Result of Mercy
2. What is the result of God’s mercy?
In Christ, for his sake, God delights in mercy. It is his glory and pleasure to be merciful. And God’s mercy is active, operative, and effectual. God’s mercy in Christ is gloriously effectual. Listen to what Micah says God will do for sinners, because “he delighteth in mercy.”
Seven Great Deeds of Mercy
(1) He will pardon iniquity, because “he delighteth in mercy” (Zechariah 3:1-5). This word “pardoneth” means that he lifts up sin and takes it away. He lifts sin up off of us and lays it upon Christ, the true scapegoat who takes it away.
(Zechariah 3:1-5) “And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: [is] not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.”
(2) The Lord God passes by the transgression of his remnant, because “he delighteth in mercy.” Having put away sin by the sacrifice of his Son, God passes by it, taking no notice of it, as if he did not see it. He will not impute sin to his people nor call them to account for it. Through the blood of Christ it is covered, atoned, and washed away. — “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel” (Numbers 23:21).
“Our sins are so effectually removed that we shall not ultimately suffer any loss or damage through having sinned” (C. H. Spurgeon).
John Gill wrote, “Sin is passing over the law. Pardon is passing over sin, God taking no notice of it.”
Because “he delighteth in mercy” I know that God forgives sin, and that he forgives sin… · Positively! · Comprehensively! · Justly! · Irreversibly!
(3) God will not retain his just anger against his people, because “he delighteth in mercy” (Psalm 85:2-3; Isaiah 12:1-2).
Psalms 85:2-3 “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. 3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned [thyself] from the fierceness of thine anger.”
Isaiah 12:1-2 “And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”
God’s anger, wrath, and justice, being fully satisfied in the sufferings and death of Christ, are turned away from his people.
(4) God almighty will turn toward us in compassion, because “he delighteth in mercy” (19-20).
Micah 7:19-20 “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”
(5) He will subdue our iniquities by blood and by power, because “he delighteth in mercy!”
(6) He will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea, because “he delighteth in mercy!”
(7) He will perform his covenant of mercy and truth toward us, because “he delighteth in mercy” (Jeremiah 31:31-34; 32:37-41). — God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” And that grace by which we are saved because of God’s mercy is free, sovereign, eternal, covenant grace. — Salvation is God’s performance of his covenant.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Jeremiah 32:37-41 “Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: 39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. 41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.”
Mercy Obtained
3. How can I obtain God’s mercy?
I hope that the Lord has now given to you a heart to desire this mercy. You know yourself to be a sinner, worthy of eternal damnation. But you hope for God to show you mercy. — How can a helpless, bankrupt sinner obtain the mercy of God?
Understand what this Book declares. — God, who delights in mercy, is willing to be merciful, even to all who call upon him (Ezekiel 18:31-32; 33:11).
Ezekiel 18:31-32 “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”
Ezekiel 33:11 “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
Why will you die when God is willing to show mercy (Micah 6:2-3)?
Micah 6:2-3 “Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. 3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.”
Why will you die when Christ is able and willing to save? Why will you die when the gospel proclaims salvation free and unconditional in Christ? God has pleasure in mercy. He can never get pleasure by slaying the wicked; but you must surely die if you refuse to trust the Lord Jesus!
Would you obtain mercy? You must sue for mercy at the feet of king Jesus. The only place to obtain mercy is at his feet. Go to him, go to him now, and cry, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
Illustration: The Artist and the Beggar
Charlotte Elliott
Charlotte Elliott (Brighton, England) was a bitter, unwed woman. Her health was completely broken at 30. And her disabilities had hardened her. Her parents were believers; but she was full of bitterness.
On one occasion the famous Swiss preacher and hymn writer, Cesar Malan, was a guest in her parents’ home. As her father and Malan spoke to one another about the goodness, mercy, grace, and love of God in Christ, Charlotte erupted in a violent outburst, terribly embarrassing her family before their honored guest. — “If God loved me, He would not have treated me this way!” — Her parents just left the room in embarrassment. The preacher stayed behind.
“Charlotte,” he said, “you are tired of yourself; and you are holding to your hate and anger because you have nothing else to hold to.” —— She replied, “What, then, is your cure?” —— He answered, “The very Christ you despise.” —— Charlotte softened a bit. “What shall I do?” she asked. —— “Come to Christ. Come to the Savior, with all your fear, and shame, and pride. Ask Him to have mercy on you and give grace.” —— She replied, “Just come to Jesus Christ as I am?” —— “Yes,” he said.
Charlotte did just that. She came to Christ, just as she was. Fourteen years later, she wrote her spiritual biography in a one of the most well known hymns of the English language.
“Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot, To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt, Fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; Sight, riches, healing of the mind, Yea, all I need in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thy love unknown Hath broken every barrier down; Now, to be Thine, yea Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”
Come confessing your sin. — Come believing his Word. — Come trusting Christ alone. — Come pleading for mercy.
Three Lessons
4. What are the lessons for us today?
Micah, under the Spirit of inspiration, declared long ago, “Who is a God like unto thee...He delighteth in mercy.” But there are lessons in the prophecy for you and me today.
(1.) Here is a lesson for gospel preachers: — If God delights in mercy, let his servants proclaim his mercy. Let every word of human merit be accounted as blasphemy; and let the pulpit ring with mercy!
(2.) Here is a lesson for all who profess faith in Christ: — If God delights in mercy, see to it that you delight in mercy too (Matthew 6:12, 14-15; Ephesians 4:32 - 5:1). · Be merciful to the ignorant. · Be merciful to the poor. · Be merciful to the guilty. · Be merciful to one another.
Ephesians 4:32-5:2 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. 5:1 ¶ Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”
(3.) Here is a lesson for you who need mercy: — If God delights in mercy, you have no reason to fear seeking his mercy. There is not one hard, forbidding word in all the Bible to a sinner coming to Christ for mercy. The door is open. The invitation is free. Come to Christ for mercy. Are you willing to have his mercy? If you are, you may! Come, then; sinner, come and welcome to Jesus.
Lord, Thou hast won, at length I yield, My heart by mighty grace compelled. Surrenders all to Thee. Against Thy terrors long I strove, But who can stand against Thy love? Love conquers even me.
If Thou hadst bid Thy thunders roll, And lightening flash to blast my soul, I still had stubborn been. But mercy has my heart subdued, A bleeding Savior I have viewed, And now I hate my sin.
Titus 3:5-8 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 [This is] a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”
Micah 7:18-20 “Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth [in] mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”
Amen.
Don Fortner
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[i] Danville — Sunday Morning — July 15, 2012
Rescue Baptist Church, Rescue, CA — (SUN – 07/08/12)
Tape: Micah #31
Readings: Psalm 136:1-26 or Ephesians 1:1-23