TOPIC: Newness of life [Gospel; Grace, God’s; Mercies]
TITLE: THE GLORIOUS LIFE WE LIVE – How to appreciate the life we’ve been given! [Outline and some text adapted from: Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening, “Evening,” July 7]
TEXT: Isaiah 55:3
TITLE: THE GLORIOUS LIFE WE LIVE – How to appreciate the life we’ve been given! [Outline and some text adapted from: Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening, “Evening,” July 7]
TEXT: Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that you may live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the faithful mercies shown to David.
Ezekiel 16:6
When I passed by thee, I said unto thee, "Live."
as for the fact that [God] raised Him up from the dead, no more to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: "I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’’
[FIRE] Asked, “If your house were on fire and you could take only one thing with you, what would you take?” Jean Cocteau, an early 20th century French writer, responded, “I would take the fire.” [Paraphrase of “New Birth” by Mark Sutton, in Proclaim, nd; from Clifton Fadiman, The Little Brown Book of Anecdotes (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1985).]It’s understandable Isaiah turns to the covenant of Grace in chapter 55 since so much of the 53rd and 54th chapters focused on the Messiah and the church.
The writer, at the time, did not appreciate that God had responded in just that way in a much more serious situation.
After the fall, Satan came to God and demanded, “Now that their lives are mine, what will you do?” Without hesitation, God said, “I will take death!”
He gave them His Son; His Son gave them His life; they have in turn received newness of life. [Romans 6:4]
These faithful mercies or sure blessings of David and of Christ are now ours through His resurrection. [Romans 6]
FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What may we say about the life we live?
- Here is the call of God to those current and those future to hear and respond to the Gospel of Grace
- Here we hear God’s arguments supporting His invitation to salvation
- Here a visible finger points to the Gentiles as participants as well
- Here we hear the condition for pardon: repentance
- Here we learn of God’s promise that His word shall not be given in vain … ever!
EXPANDED OUTLINE
I. IT IS GRACIOUSLY ORCHESTRATED!APPLICATION/CHALLENGE: God said, “Live” and that word thunders through the ages, till death comes … but even in the midst of the valley of death, God’s voice still resounds, “Live!”
In our focal text, we sense an antagonist of hopelessness (dead in sins), nothing but judgment and wrath to anticipate.
But the faithful (or sure) mercies shown to David reflect the regal nature of this life we live.
The infinite Lord approaches in His glory; He looks, and commands our gravestone be removed; He calls our name, “George,” “Debbie,” etc.; and like Lazarus he commands us, to “Come forth!” from our graves.
He calls to us! “Live!” His voice reverberates. So the grave gives up its dead. He says, “Unbind them and let them go!” (Just as Daniel’s three companions were set free from the fiery furnace).
II. IT IS GLORIOUSLY MANIFESTED!
This is God speaking. Who but God ventures to deal with life in such a way, to dispense it with a single exclamation, “Live!”?
Who but Jehovah could tell His prophet to proclaim to all mankind, He’s glorified Himself in us!
When God says “Live,” what does it include?A. This is judicial or new life.III. IT IS IRRESISTIBLY MANDATED!
Here is the sinner before the Judge who says, "Guilty! As charged!"
"All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" [Romans 3:23] and deserve condemnation.
"As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd …"Psalms 49:14a
Still Almighty God says, “Live,” and those dead in Christ rise … pardoned and absolved.
"… God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; For He will receive me. Selah."Psalms 49:15
B. This is spiritual or sanctified life.
We can not and do not acknowledge Jesus on our own - our eyes are blinded to His image, our ears deaf to His voice, our tongue dumb to His name - still the Lord says, “Live,” and we’re animated … those who are dead in trespass and sin are energized, they once more move.
C. Moreover, this is imperial or regal life.
The sinner is natural, a creature, but God the Creator lifts him up into heavenly places and establishes his rule over nations, to rule with the King of kings. This life is the perfection of spiritual life.
"Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christand will reign with Him for a thousand years."Revelation 20:6
D. What’s more, this is ever lasting or eternal life.
The reign we reign with the King is based on an everlasting covenant. We shall not know for certain till the end; yet by faith we now live and by faith we shall live forever more, without end.
This is a mandate of free grace. When sinners are saved, it’s only and solely because God does it through his free, unbought, unsought grace.
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.Ephesians 2:8-9
We cannot earn it but those that are His cannot resist it either; because …
“the sheep follow him because they know his voice” [John 10:4].
And on the morning of resurrection, on the wings of a dove, that same voice reverberates, “Live.”
As the saints ascend to heaven, blest forever in the glory of their God, the power of the same throat shouts, “Live.”
Believer, see now your position, a debtor to grace? Show your gratitude through a Christ-like life.
As God has called you to live, see to it you live [aka: persevere] earnestly [aka: ardently, eagerly, enthusiastically, fervently, passionately].
God took the fires of death and hell from our home and preserved for Himself a family.
It’s sadly strange so many of His children warm themselves at Satan’s hearth after the fires have been extinguished. What can they be thinking?
Thank you Charles!
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