Encounter the Truth

Jonathan Griffiths: Come daily to him for grace and for mercy when you fail and when you fall. Come daily to him for grace when you are tried, when you are tested, when you are weak. He is only too willing and only too ready to help you.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Encounter the Truth with Jonathan Griffiths. I'm Steve Hiller. Glad you are with us as we continue to look at the gracious and merciful God. Jonathan, I think we may understand what it means to come to Jesus to receive the forgiveness of sin and begin that relationship with him. But as we struggle with just the effects of sin in this world and in our lives going forward, how do we continue to receive that grace of God? I mean, what would that look like for a person who is maybe fairly new in their relationship with Jesus?

Jonathan Griffiths: Well, I think we learn as we go on in the Christian life that we not only need the grace and mercy of God to enter into the kingdom when we come by faith to Jesus, but we need his grace and mercy each day as we do fail and as we do continue to sin. And sometimes we feel that need with a growing sense of urgency and with a deeper sense of appreciation as we go on in the Christian life, because we know we have been redeemed, we have been made new and yet we still fail and yet we still sin and we let the Lord down in that way.

And we need to learn to keep coming to him for his renewed restoration and acceptance, recognizing that the blood of Jesus covers all our sin and we approach him on the basis of the work of Christ at Calvary. And that's an ongoing approach that we make. Jesus is our great high priest and he gives mercy to those who walk with him and continue to come to him.

Guest (Male): Is there just really quickly, maybe a Bible verse or a biblical truth that when you have ever struggled with this that you keep coming back to to remind you of that?

Jonathan Griffiths: I think there is, Steve. I often in my thinking turn to the end of Hebrews 4 where we are reminded that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. And because we have such a high priest, the invitation is this, let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in times of need. And what an invitation that is. What a comfort that is.

Guest (Male): And what a great thing to think about as we begin this time together here. We continue our message called The Gracious and Merciful God. Here is Jonathan.

Jonathan Griffiths: God is gracious and God is merciful in saving the lost. Next, he is gracious and merciful in shepherding his people. If coming to Christ initially involves grasping our foundational and our fundamental need of his mercy and his grace, well then knowing Christ and growing in Christ involves a daily dependency upon that grace and upon that mercy.

You see, we never outgrow the grace and the mercy of God. And in fact, if we are deepening our understanding of our sin and our holiness, of our own weakness and then of his strength, if we are growing in our knowledge of our need of him, we are going to be sensing more and more each day how much we need his grace.

God's mercy and his grace aren't simply the starting blocks in the Christian race. They are actually everything in the Christian life. And those who know the Lord and who walk with the Lord are daily in the business of discovering his grace.

This is a great theme of the life of David and it echoes through the Psalms that he wrote. Psalm 103, I think particularly stands out on this theme. Let me read from verse 8, Psalm 103 and verse 8. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust. Well, here is one who knows the Lord and has walked with the Lord. But his daily delight as he goes on in walking with the Lord, his daily delight is in the grace of God. His kindness in not dealing with us as our sins deserve.

And you know how often as saved people, do we continue to do what we ought not to do, to say what we ought not to say, to think what we ought not to think? How often do we fail to do the things that we ought to be doing? How rarely do we love the Lord and love his people as we ought to love? And if anything of our salvation depended even in the slightest degree upon our merit, we would be cast off in an instant.

But as a father shows compassion to his children, and that's a wonderful comparison, because no father in his right mind casts off his children because they misbehave or let him down. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to us who know him. He remembers that we are dust. He remembers that we are feeble and we are frail.

You see, many of us, a great many of us, I think, will go through times in the Christian life when we imagine that God must be done with us, when we imagine that his well of mercy must have run dry, that his storeroom of grace must now be empty for us. And we fear that he might cast us off. Or if we do not think that he will cast us off, we imagine that because of our failure, he is no longer going to bless us, or he is no longer going to use us as he once used us.

But that's just not the way with the Father of mercy. It's not the way with the God of all grace. And David, he knew that better than anyone else. He knew it so well, in fact, that in the very darkest moment of his life, when he had committed adultery, and when he had the blood of murder on his hands, he still knew to cry out to God with the words of Psalm 51, "Have mercy on me, oh God, according to your steadfast love, according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin."

Despite his sin, his outrageous sin, his inexcusable sin, his sin committed despite the great privileges he knew within the family of God. David still knew well enough that he could approach the God of grace and call upon his mercy. And he did, and he received that mercy.

In a later day, the prophet Micah saw the same truth about God and he proclaimed it to a needy nation. Micah 7 and verse 18, "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us, he will tread our iniquities under foot, you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." Isn't that a wonderful image?

Richard Sibbes famously said that there is more mercy in Christ than there is sin in us. And what a comfort that is. There is plenty of sin in us, make no mistake, but there is a boundless store of mercy in Christ.

This mercy and this grace that forgives our sins, it is the same mercy and grace that helps us turn from sin daily and to grow in godliness by degree. You know, the old image of the stick and the carrot, if you need the obstinate donkey to get moving, there is the option of the stick to chide from behind or the carrot to coax from the front.

God is so gentle with us. And as he teaches us obstinate people to become more like Christ, he teaches us not so much with the stick of law, but with the carrot of the gospel of grace. I love Titus chapter 2 and verse 11, where Paul writes that the grace of God has appeared, it's appeared in Christ. The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

The grace of God, it appeared in Jesus. It's not a concept, it's a person, the grace of God. And that grace, it teaches us to hate sin. It teaches us to love him more. The sheer kindness of God, the sheer goodness of God, the sheer grace of God. It teaches us that we need to turn from sin and embrace godliness with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is the great carrot that draws us forward in the Christian life.

I often get a little nervous in parenting discussions when parents seem just a little bit obsessed with figuring out how to discipline their children and keep them in line through rules and harsh measures. I feel uncomfortable with that because I look to the Father above and I notice what he does. He trains us by his grace. He woos us by his kindness. And I think there is a profound parenting lesson for us Christian parents in that.

We need God's grace to grow in godliness. We need his grace as well to flourish in his service. The Apostle Paul always wanted to be crystal clear that his ministry didn't flow from his own personal gifts or his own personal energy. It flowed from the grace of God that was at work within him. In 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 10, when Paul talks about his labor for the gospel, and he did labor, he insists that it is by the grace of God that I am what I am.

And he goes on to say, his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any one of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. It's the grace of God that enables Paul to work harder than anyone else. It's not Paul's own energy, Paul's own discipline. It's something that God achieves by his Spirit.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks of a time of terrible trial that he endured, some physical ailment it seems, what he calls his thorn in the flesh. And he recounts this experience, 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 8. And he says this, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this that it should leave me, that God should take it away, but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

The Lord showed Paul through the experience of weakness and trial that his grace was what he needed. Indeed, he showed him that it was all that he needed. And Paul discovered, as we discover, that as we come to God, he delights to give us the grace we need. The psalmist prays in confidence, but also in need in Psalm 119 and verse 132. He says this, "Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name."

I love that, "as is your way." It's God's way. It's his pattern, it's his habit with his people to turn to us and to be gracious to us when we call upon him in need. There are some people, I guess we know well in life, family members, coworkers, friends, neighbors. And you just know by instinct and through experience how they're going to respond to a particular situation. When you come to them with a need or a problem, you come to them in a quandary, you know actually what they're going to say and what they're going to do even before you ask, because you know them so well.

Well, the psalmist, he knows the Lord by experience. And he knows that God is going to act in accordance with his way, his pattern, his habit. He knows that this prayer for grace, it's going to be answered.

Guest (Male): This is Encounter the Truth with Jonathan Griffiths, and a message called The Gracious and Merciful God. One of our listener favorites. We went back and we looked at what had been the most listened to messages of the past 12 months. This has been one of those. Some of the other types of topics you are going to find in this series. What enduring faith looks like, the fact that there are dangers all around us and we have a king who judges the heart.

Now, if you want to make sure that you do not miss any broadcast, of course, you can be listening on the radio. Another way to listen is through the Encounter the Truth app. The app is free, you are going to find that at your App Store and that's a great way to stay connected with Jonathan's teaching. Or you can listen online at encounterthetruth.org. And when you are there, in addition to listening to these broadcasts, you can also get our free study guide. The study guide is put together to help you go through these listener favorites and dig a little bit deeper. So again, listen online and get the study guide at the website encounterthetruth.org. Let's get back to the message. Again, here's Jonathan.

Jonathan Griffiths: God saves us in his grace and his mercy. God shepherds us in his grace and his mercy. But what are we to make of these things? What are we to do with these things? Well, two things by way of application, quite briefly. First, we must receive God's grace and mercy with gratitude.

Now, in a sense, I recognize this point seems almost too obvious to state, given all that we've considered about the grace and the mercy of God today. But I want to take a moment to drive this home because it's so basic and it's so important. I remember once when I was a child, a visiting preacher came to speak at our church and he was talking about God's free gift of salvation, how it's available simply for us to receive as a gift.

And he used as an illustration a banknote, maybe a five or a $10 bill. And he took it out of his pocket and he held it up and he said, this is a free gift for anyone who would like to take it, who would like to take it. And of course there was a hesitation. No one knew exactly what to make of that. Was this really free? Wasn't there some catch? Could we really stand up in the middle of the church service and go forward to the platform and take hold of it? I cannot remember exactly what happened next or in what order. I think someone did eventually go up and claim the gift.

But the point was significant and it stuck with me. God's free grace in Christ, it must be received. And I think you and I are so conditioned to believe that there is no such thing as a free lunch. We're so conditioned to suspect that every offer has a catch, that every gift comes with strings attached. But we need to recognize, don't we, that God's grace and his mercy in Christ, they are free gifts to be received with gratitude. They are true gifts.

For those who may not have responded to that gift, who have not come to Christ to receive forgiveness and new life by faith in his name. If that's you, let me ask you, what's holding you back? Why haven't you come to Christ in faith to receive that totally free gift? Why not come to him by faith even today to take hold of all that he offers you? Why not ask him for his grace and his mercy? Why not ask him for the forgiveness of sin? He will not deny anyone who asks in faith.

For us who know him, the encouragement is really the same. Come daily to him for grace and for mercy when you fail and when you fall. Come daily to him for grace when you are tried, when you are tested, when you are weak. He is only too willing and only too ready to help you. Receive his grace and mercy with gratitude.

And finally, as we close, extend his grace and his mercy with joy. I do not know if you are a dog lover, but if you know dogs, you'll know that a dog's behavior is shaped very much by the treatment that that dog has received from its owner. If the dog was treated harshly as a puppy, if it was not shown very much kindness, that dog is likely to have a pretty bad bite.

But if the dog has known affection and care, that dog is going to be a friend to owner and visitor alike. Same is true with people. If someone has had a rough childhood, if someone has known unkind words or tragic abuse, you know, that person struggles to shake off that experience. And actually that person is at risk of repeating those behaviors. But if someone in childhood has known love and care and kindness and nurture, they are much more able, aren't they, to show that kindness to others?

As children of God, as the people of Jesus Christ, we have been shown grace and mercy of a kind that the world does not know. We have been born again through the kindness of God. We have been spared the wrath we deserve. We have been given a remarkable second chance. We've received an extraordinary inheritance. None of it earned, none of it deserved.

Having received such kindness, having experienced such grace and mercy, we must now be those who know how to extend grace and mercy to others. That would make sense, that's the way that things ought to be. I think we would all agree. If we belong to Christ, we ought to be the employer or the neighbor or the parent or the spouse or the friend who is quick to forgive, who is slow to get angry, who is eager to help in times of need, compassionate in times of distress.

We ought to be like that because we have experienced so much of that ourselves. But friends, I think we all know that this is not always the way. I think we very easily fall short here. We can find ourselves standing hard on our rights, refusing to give others an inch, finding all the fault we can in other believers. We can find ourselves holding grudges, thinking the worst of others, maximizing our grievances, highlighting wrongs wherever they can be found.

It happens in the world out there to be sure, but sadly, it happens among us too. And part and parcel of receiving grace is extending grace. Part and parcel of receiving mercy is extending mercy to others. In fact, our readiness to extend grace and mercy is an essential sign of the fact that we have genuinely received grace and mercy. If we are unwilling to extend grace and mercy to others, it actually begs the question of whether or not we have really understood and really experienced the grace and mercy of God in Christ.

In Matthew chapter 18, and we're going to close with this, but you might like to turn here. In Matthew 18 and verse 21, Peter comes up to Jesus and he asks him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him, as many as seven times?" And Jesus answers him, "I do not say to you seven times, but 77 times." And Jesus goes on there to tell a parable of a famous parable about a king who wants to settle accounts with his servants.

One servant, he comes in with a huge debt and the king orders him and his wife and his children and his possessions to be sold to pay the debt. And the man, he pleads with the king for mercy. And the king shows him mercy and he forgives that very great debt. On the way out from the king's presence, that servant comes upon another servant who owes him some money, a much smaller amount of money.

This forgiven servant, he grabs the other servant, he begins to choke him and he demands his money now. The other servant, he pleads for mercy. But the first one refuses and he has the man put in prison until he will pay. The king hears the report of this. And here is his reply, verse 32, "Then his master summoned him and said to him, you wicked servant. I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you?"

And in his anger, his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt. And so Jesus finishes by saying, "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." I just feel we must conclude this message on the grace and the mercy of God with this note of caution, this sobering note. God is so full of mercy and of grace to us who deserve only his judgment, only his wrath. He has been so kind to us in Christ.

And he has shown us that kindness at such great cost. But he does require us. I think this parable really puts it that strongly. He does require us to show grace and mercy to others. And so I wonder where in my life and in your life is there a danger that we are forgetting the grace and the mercy of God as we interact with one another? Maybe it's just becoming visible in the way in which we talk to the customer service person on the phone where there's a problem with our order or our bill.

Maybe it's our offhand manner with our loved ones when they get things wrong. Maybe it's a longstanding simmering grudge or harshly critical attitude toward another believer. Where in light of God's mercy and grace, do we perhaps even need to repent today and by the help of the Holy Spirit, learn afresh how to show the mercy and grace that we have been shown?

Guest (Male): Jonathan Griffiths with our message, The Gracious and Merciful God. One of our listener favorites. You know, we have gone back and we've looked at what had been the most listened to messages of the past 12 months, and this has been one of those. We have taken the top 10, we've put them together in a series called Listener Favorites, and we have a study guide that goes along with that, which you'll find at our website, encounterthetruth.org.

That's also where to go if you ever miss a broadcast, you can stream the program or listen online. You can also listen through the Encounter the Truth app. And whether you have connected with this ministry online, through the app or the radio, we're glad you're here. And we are able to make all of this available because of your generosity. As you give a gift of any amount this month, we want to send you a book that Jonathan has picked out, it's called The Final Lap. Author John Wyatt is inviting us to think through how to approach the next stages of life well. He helps us look at some of those near end of life things, from retirement to independency, to dependency, and then finally from life to death as we approach the finishing line.

He's honest about the struggles of each one of these transitions and lays out opportunities that God gives us in every stage. We would love to send you a copy of this book, The Final Lap, is our way of saying thank you for your financial support. You can find out more or give online at encounterthetruth.org, or call us at 1-833-99Truth. That's 1-833-998-7884, or encounterthetruth.org. For Jonathan Griffiths, and our producer Mark Brot, I'm Steve Hiller. Thanks for listening, and I hope that you'll join us next time.