King of Mercy (Titus 3:5)

Introduction

It’s a full house this morning. Thank you all for coming. The name Olinik is almost outdone by the name Ren today. Almost. So many of you haven’t seen in a long time. Great to see you. For those who are here for the first time, thank you for being with us. Great to see you. I get to talk this morning. It’s my privilege to talk to you about the arrival of the king. And I thought of three great transcendent occasions where we could note the arrival of the king. One of those occasions would, of course, be what is contemplated by some at this time of year. The birth of the king. The most extraordinary person ever to have lived. Made an extraordinary entrance. He who styled himself the bread of life was born in Bethlehem, a town whose name means house of bread.

And I would suggest that was no accident. The incarnate word, Emmanuel, God with us, descending in the likeness of men. Extraordinary arrival. But I picture yet another scene in Scripture. As the death of Jesus loomed. And he came riding in on a donkey. A donkey upon which no one had ever sat. Predicted in prophecy in Zechariah chapter 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold, your king is coming to you. He is just and endowed with salvation, humble and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Several hundred years before its fulfillment, Zachariah spoke to this great arrival of the king. As the people shouted, Hosanna. O say.

From Psalm 118 and verse 25. O Lord, we beseech thee, do save. Rashana, Hosanna. O Lord, we beseech thee, do save. O Lord, do send prosperity. Again, a fulfillment of that text. But then I think of another arrival. When Jesus would complete his work at Calvary, and his subsequent resurrection. And his appearances. That in Acts chapter 1, he would ascend from the disciples’ sight into heaven. When he made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. He possesses a name that is above all names, as we have sung in highly exalted in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 9, one of the great rich texts of the New Testament. He has an unrivaled name. And so when Jesus arrived in heaven, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high in triumph.

In completion of his work, in assurance to all men that he was coming again and that he would judge the world, and wielding absolute authority.

Yes. Glory to the newborn King. But what is the meaning of his coming? How exactly do we reap the rich provision of his coming? Why is it that folks are so enamored with a baby in a manger? And yet don’t realize that it was he who said, Why do you call me Lord, and do not do the things which I say? If you do not hate father or mother or sister or brother, or even one’s own life, you cannot be my disciple. You cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your cross. And Luke 14, verses 26 and 27. I think one of the reasons why our culture gets so enamored with the scene of the baby in the manger is that’s not threatening.

But Jesus, because he ascended, wields absolute authority over our lives, the coming of Jesus, his arrival. Everything about these great and momentous occasions of arrival have to do with our key, the king of mercy. Why did he come? What does it mean? I want to read with you four verses from Titus chapter three this morning. Are you reaping the provisions made possible by his coming? But when the kindness of God, our Savior, and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us. Not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy. By, and I have that word circled in verse 5, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by, I have that word circled, the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us rich through Jesus Christ our Savior.

1. The King's Coming Clarifies Your Condition in Sin

That being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The first thing I want you to note about the arrival of the King, the King of mercy. Is that He did not come to save us in our sins. He came to save us from our sins. And that’s the point of Matthew chapter 1 and verse 21, when his very birth was announced to Joseph. He shall save the people from their sins. That’s why the king came. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide. We say three points that issue from this passage and what we learn about the King of mercy. Number one, the King’s coming.

Clarifies the severity of your condition in sin. When we transgress a single time, when we rebel and do our own thing and go our own way and are marked as sinners before the throne of God, then we at that moment needed what our Savior provided. In due time, Jesus Christ died for the ungodly, Romans chapter 5 and verse 6. And demonstrated his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans chapter 5 and verse 8. I’m just not sure. We truly grasp the level or extent of our brokenness when we reside in transgression and sin before the throne of God. When we reside where there is no remedy, I don’t think we really grasp the significance of our brokenness, the severity of our condition in sin.

And here it is. What could we do to fix it? No amount of goodness. Oh, if we could be good for the rest of our lives, every moment of our lives, nothing but good. Something to strive for.

No amount of effort. Even if we could strive with all of our might, all of our waking moments, the rest of our days, none of our effort could atone. The coming of the King clarifies the severity of our condition in sin. Not on the basis of deeds that we have done in righteousness.

When his love for mankind appeared in the person of Jesus, he saved us not on the basis of deeds that we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy. Let me illustrate it like this. It’s like waking up tomorrow morning. And I walk out my front door. Gotta turn the lights on. Lights around the door. My grandson’s coming. He’s going to want to see that. But as I open the door tomorrow morning, there’s a box. There’s a wrapped box on my doorstep. Okay. Is it a bomb? That’s my first thought. What’s in this box? Annoying some of you, it could be anything. But to my surprise, I take the lid off the box. $100,000 cash. I dare you.

I’d think somebody robbed a bank. I’d have to call the authorities to make sure that wasn’t the case, that this was not stolen money. But let’s just say somebody was that kind, that beneficent, that they left the present of $100,000 on my doorstep tomorrow. Let that thought sink in. How would I react to that? -huh. What’s the big deal? What’s the big deal? I would have no more mortgage payment. That’s the big deal. I might be a little excited. I might think that was the best Christmas present ever. But that is nothing.

2. The Magnificence of His Gift Should Compel a Response

That is trinkets. That is pitifully nothing to this. And what we receive as a result of His mercy when we are in Christ, it says, He poured out richly. So many times that term is used. We’re going to talk more about it tonight. He poured out richly upon us, verse 6 says, and those who are justified by his grace are made heirs according to eternal life. Lord help us to see. But not only does it clarify the severity of your condition and sin, the magnificence of his gift should compel an appropriate response.

I think there’s a gift of chocolate sitting right there.

I’ll write notes of thanksgiving sometimes, and it still feels like I should have done more, that it’s not commensurate with the gift that’s been given to me. Saying thank you is not enough. Even as we say thank you to God for your gift, we can do more. We can show our gratitude to him. This is the response that he wants. This is the appropriate response for what has been poured out to us. I think so many people want to focus on the salvation that he provides, and they want to ignore the washing of regeneration and the renewing by the Holy Spirit that he wants for us. Let us pursue that. I quoted for Romans chapter 5 and verse 6, but the previous verses in that text talks about being justified by faith, and thus we have peace with God, and we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.

3. Gratitude Energizes My Transformation

And what do we have as a result of what God has done? It says we exult in hope of the glory of God. We even exult in tribulations, knowing that they produce perseverance and character. And a hope. A hope that does not disappoint. Because of the love of God that has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. This is where a sense of duty and obligation becomes a light consideration. In view of the magnificence of his gift toward me. And because we recognize the severity of our condition in sin, because we are compelled by his love to love and express gratitude, overwhelming gratitude in response, this energizes then my transformation. This washing of changing, this washing of regeneration, this renewing by the Holy Spirit that he desires for us in Christ.

It’s the fuel.

What he provides in our redemption, the work that he did at Calvary. But there are things that he still does on our behalf.

According to Romans chapter 8. He expresses compassion and sympathy for our plight and for our weakness according to Hebrews chapter 4. He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf. That we might become the righteousness of God in him. That’s the why of his coming. Why embrace the consequences and curse of our sins by dying upon the cross? Why should I kneel at the cross as we are about to sing? Because he bore the curse of sin for us. That we might become the transformation. The righteousness of God in him. We should spend then the rest of our days learning what this means.

Conclusion

It changes the way you think, it changes the values that you have. It changes what you love or what you have affections toward. It has to do with the way we regard ourselves, the way we regard others, the way even we regard our circumstances. It thus affects the things we say or won’t say. It affects all of our behavior. We must glorify God and declare our allegiance to the risen King. And so as I speak to you this morning in conclusion about the King of mercy, the King is not the reason for this season. He is the reason for every season of our lives. In fact, we only have seasons because of him in the first place.

And seasons are best experienced and lived when we give our all to exalt and serve him. Are you justified by his grace through the washing of regeneration and renewing that comes from the instruction of the Holy Spirit? Have you expressed with your lips and with your life. Real and true gratitude for what the King has done for you? Kneel at the cross. Give your idols up. There is room for all. Won’t you come? We’ll stand and sing.