Welcome to the Servants of Grace podcast hosted by Dave Jenkins. Our podcast exists to provide trustworthy, expository messages through the Bible and faithful answers to your theology questions. Now, for today's episode, let's join our host, Dave Jenkins. Well friends, welcome back to the Servants of Grace podcast. My name is Dave, and I'm the host for this podcast, and today we continue our study through 2 Samuel, looking at 2 Samuel 9, 1-13. And the title of our study today is The Table of Mercy. Would you please join me now in prayer? Heavenly Father, we thank you first for this time that you've given to us to open your word, to consider what it has to say. And Lord, as we look at this great text today, Father, I pray that you would open our eyes and open our hearts, that you would illuminate your word And Lord, you would help us to really grab hold of this message of honoring our word, of being people of integrity, and walking uprightly before your face and all for your glory, that we might shine as bright lights and radiate your goodness and your greatness before watching the world. So, Lord, we thank you for this time, we thank you for this text, and pray, Lord, now that you would use it to help people to know you, to grow in your grace. and to be equipped to serve you, in Jesus' name, amen. Well, friends, if you have your Bibles, as always, you know the drill with me. Open your Bibles, please, to 2 Samuel 9, 1-13. 2 Samuel 9, 1-13, and hear what the word of the Lord has to say to us today. And David said, is there still anyone left of the house of Saul that I might show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? And now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Zibiah. And they called him to David. And the king said to him, are you Ziba? He said, I am your servant. And the king said, is there not still someone of the house of Saul that I may show the kindness of God to him? Ziba said to the king, there is still a son of Jonathan. He is crippled in his feet. And the king said to him, where is he? And Ziba said to the king, he is in the house of Makor, the son of Amol at Lodibar. And then King David sent and brought him to the house of Makor, the son of Amel at Lodibar. And Mesilabeth, the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage to David. But Hilsobeth, he answered, behold, I am your servant. And David said to him, Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always." And he paid homage and said, "'What is your servant that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?' And then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "'All that belong to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson, and you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him, and bring him in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mesilabeth, your master's grandson, shall eat always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. And then Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do. And so Mesilabeth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. And Mesilabeth had a son, whose name was Micaiah. And all who lived in Ziba's house became Methuselah's best servants. And so Meshulzabeth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king's table. Now he was lame in both feet." It's a reading of God's holy word. And yes, some of those names are difficult to pronounce. I apologize if I got them wrong. The Bible uniformly teaches that salvation results in a powerful transformation of life. Psalm 1-3 declares that the man who delights in God's Word will grow like a tree planted by streams of water. Now, Jesus said that, like a branch attached to the vine in John 15-5, whoever abides in me, and I in him, it is he that bears much fruit. And this vital principle of transforming grace was lived out in every aspect of the life of David, especially in his golden years of his enthronement as Israel's king. In 2 Samuel 6-7 we saw David zeal for the worship of God, and chapter 8 showed the Lord's blessing in the series of great military victories that granted rest for Israel. 2 Samuel 9 shows God's grace transforming David's personal relationships. In a similar way, when anyone commits himself to Christ in sincere faith, God's grace will enrich his worship and transform his public and private affairs. And so, in all of David's achievements, he is more than an example for our faith. He is more significantly a forerunner and a type of Jesus. And this means that David, as the anointed of the Lord, anticipates and even prefigures the saving ministry of Jesus. And with this in mind, just as 2 Samuel 8 depicts Christ's victory to secure our salvation, so David's blessing of Mesilzabeth in 2 Samuel 9 shows God's covenant mercy to sinners for Jesus' sake. Well, see, Jonathan's son, Mesilzabeth, was first introduced in 2 Samuel 4. At this time, he was five years old on that fateful day when his father and his grandfather, King Saul, died in the great defeat of Mount Geboa. And when the news of the disaster reached his home, Mesilzabeth's nurse put the boy on a horse to flee, but the boy fell and was crippled in his feet, 2 Samuel 4.4 tells us. Now this deformity marked his entire life. His was defined by his disability. He is never mentioned in the Bible without reference to his lameness that kept him from living a full and active life. In fact, in addition to losing his mobility, Moshe Elzebeth lost his inheritance. After the murder of his uncle, Ish-bosheth, who had contested David's throne, Meshelzabeth seemed to have gone into a sort of exile within Israel. And when David sought him, he was living in the house of Mekorah, the son of Emiel, at Lo-debar, far from David's capital city of Jerusalem. In fact, Lo-debar means no pasture, which means that not only was Meshelzabeth dispossessed of his family land, he also lived in a barren, unfruitful region. In fact, moreover, as a surviving heir of David's house, Meschilzabeth was a threat to David's kingship, and it was customary for ancient rivals to put any potential rivals to death, a fact that explains why Meschilzabeth was lying low in Le Debar. And it also explains why he responded in fear when he was summoned into David's presence. In fact, falling on his face, he stammered in 2 Samuel 9, 6, and 8. What is your servant that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I? And in addition to the serious problem of lameness, the loss of his inheritance, and his threatening heredity, Meshelzabeth could do nothing to change his plight. The fall of his father's house, like the fall from his nurse's horse, had determined his life beyond any repair of his own. And there is a good reason why Bible readers sympathize with poor Meshelzabeth and his heart-tugging story. His story depicts our own plight as members of a human race that fall into sin. And now, just as Jonathan's son was born into a royal line, we were all born into a royal lineage of Adam, our first father and the covenant head of the human race. And like Mishelzebeth's circumstances, the decisive events that shaped our lives took place without even our own participation. And long before Mishelzebeth was even born, his family became rebels against God through disobedience of King Saul. Long before we were born, our human family fell into condemnation through Adam's failed obedience to the command of God. With disgrace has come a crippling moral corruption. And no less that when Meshelzabeth fell from his horse, we were crippled by the fall of our race so that we are no longer possessed the spiritual ability to please God or even claim a place in His kingdom. Now, the comparison between Ms. Shilzabeth's situation and our own is remarkably extensive. When Adam was cast out of the garden for our sin, our inheritance, and God's glory was lost. Just as Ms. Shilzabeth lived in a region far from David's throne, we have fled from God's face and are alienated from the blessings of His love. As Jonathan's son lived in a town named No Pasture, we have dwelt in a land infested with thorns and futility, unable to bear lasting fruit or gain true satisfaction for our lives. Like Michelle de Beth, as offspring of a disgraced and outcast human race, We were born into rebellion against God and at war with the Kingdom of His Son. This is why the Bible refers to unbelieving men and women as enemies of God in Romans 5.10, as children of wrath in Ephesians 2.3, and even children of the devil in John 8.44. And therefore, just as Mishelleba feared to encounter David, so also the sinner is terrified to meet with God. A.W. Pink says this, he is afraid of God and seeks to banish Him from his thoughts. The knowledge of God's holiness, power, and omniscience fills him with dismay, and he seeks to have nothing, nothing at all to do with Him. Like Meshelzabeth with David, fallen men and women can do nothing to reverse our plight, to restore ourselves to God's favor. And so given his dire situation, we can understand why Meshelzabeth was so terrified when he summoned to appear before King David. What he did not know was that David sought him on a mission of mercy. In fact, the chapter begins with David inquiring, is there still anyone left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake, 2 Samuel 9 says. And as David completed his victorious wars, his mind would have frequently turned to the prowess in battle of his best friend, Jonathan. And so, remembering his covenant companion, he resolved to show kindness to any of his living family members. And so, even discovering a former servant of Saul named Zibia, he inquired, in verses 2-3, There is still a son of Jonathan he has crippled in his feet. And as a result of this conversation, verse 5 says, King David sent and brought him from the house of Micor, the son of Amel, at Lo-debar. And so, in considering David's actions, we need to see two things at work here, the first of which provides a compelling example for us. It's because of love for Jonathan that David went to perform a kindness to Saul's house. And when David first came to prominence after his victory over Goliath, it was Jonathan who gave him credibility by bestowing his armor on David, 1 Samuel 18 tells us. And when Saul set out to take David's life in a mad rage, it was Jonathan who warned David, 1 Samuel 19 and 20 tells us. that David would never forget Jonathan's faithful friendship and the difference it had made in his life, and that memory now spurred him to do something generous for Jonathan's family. And we should likewise express our gratitude for the ministry and love that others have shown us. If we're reminded of a way that someone greatly helped us at a key moment in our lives, we should think of how we can pass that blessing on. In some other ways, it might be financial help. It might also be emotional support and even spiritual encouragement. And not only should we be grateful to friends who have helped us, but we should notice how God has worked graciously in our lives for salvation and blessing. If someone has witnessed the gospel to us, we should be keen to witness to others. If we benefit from the prayers of families or even friends, we should take up the same intercessory ministry. Every Christian has abundant reasons to be thankful to God, and that gratitude should cause us to follow David's example in seeking out ways to bless others as we ourselves have been blessed. David's initiative in showing grace best shows the work of God's Spirit in his life. Now, the second reason why David extended mercy to Meshulahbeth provides a picture of God's mercy to us in Jesus. Not only was David moved by his gratitude, but he had made a covenant with Jonathan with respect to his son. 1 Samuel 20, 12-17 records how Jonathan warned David of his father's hatred and at the same meeting asked David to promise to spare his life when David came to the throne. And Jonathan said, do not cut off your steadfast love for my house forever when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth, 1 Samuel 20 15. And David agreed and swore to this oath. Now, with all of his enemies vanquished, the time had come when the Lord had cut off all of David's enemies and made his throne secure. Many kings would even finish the job by executing all potential rivals. But David remembered his covenant oath and responded faithfully to it. In fact, David's action in blessing Meshulah Beth shows the value of covenant bonds. It goes beyond mere private promises by making them a matter of public record. See, Christians make a covenant when they join a local church publicly pledging to honor Christ and support its work and worship. Christians who are called to church often swear covenant oaths that obligate them to uphold biblical doctrines and faithfully serve the flock of God, just as parents covenant to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord when they present them for baptism. The most common covenant today is the marriage bond, in which a man and a woman publicly pledge to be faithful in love to each other, and these covenants bind us together The most common covenant today is the marriage bond, in which a man and a woman publicly pledge to be faithful and love to each other. And now these covenants, they bind us to a public duty designed to spur fidelity in our actions. But Silabeth was only five years old when Jonathan died, and now he was old enough to have a son of his own. And so it had been at least 20 years since David had given his covenant pledge to Jonathan. Nonetheless, that solemn word given in that solemn assembly under a solemn curse constrained him to act with devoted love. You see, we live in a generation that regards covenant obligations as a needless and inconvenient burden. The Academy Award-winning Out of Africa spoke for many people in its immoral approach to romance and love. In fact, in one scene, the character, played by Meryl Streep, sits on the beach talking with her lover, played by Robert Redford. She wants him to marry her, and he responds, Do you think I'll love you more because of a piece of paper? This is today's mentality in which covenant oaths are nothing more than mere empty formalities. Dale Ralph Davis says this, what the world does not see is that love that truly loves is willing to bind itself, is willing to promise, willing and gladly obligates itself so that others may stand securely in that love. In fact, in his faithfulness to covenant love, David most importantly portrays the love of God for his people in Jesus. And David seems to have even realized that His covenant mercy was an image of God's mercy for us, speaking of showing the kindness of God to Jonathan's son. In fact, in the same way that David showed mercy to Meshulamah, God has mercy for sinners because of His covenant promise in Jesus. And we see this in verses 1 and 7 where David speaks of showing kindness for Jonathan's sake. The Hebrew word translates as kindness as has said, that great covenant word for faithful devotion and steadfast love. David blessed Meshel-Elizabeth for Jonathan's sake so he could be faithful to the covenant that he had made. And now God's saving mercy to believers rises from a similar motivation. Out of fidelity to His covenant with Jesus, His Son, God delights to save those who repent and believe the gospel. And so the writer of Hebrews even gave God's benediction because of the blood of the eternal covenant whereby Christ promised to die for the sins of the elect and God the Father pledged to grant them eternal life through faith in Jesus. And it's because God saves sinners in covenant grace that David's merciful summons of Meshulzabeth is such a wonderful picture of how Christ saves sinners. Jesus speaks to us today with words of grace and mercy, do not fear, and then bestows on us His own righteousness and enters us into an everlasting inheritance. With what joy do we take the place of Meshildabeth before Jesus Christ, humbly rejoicing to receive bountiful grace, Now, not only does David's merciful treatment of Meshildabeth show the covenant grace with which God saved us, but the blessings that David bestowed also correspond to the Christian's adoption through faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, speaking in theological terms, David's grace from Meshildabeth was not exhausted in his justification, that is, in his being declared right, but David did more than pardon Jonathan's son and accept him into his fellowship David also granted Mishel about the status otherwise reserved for David's own son. And this is the same blessing that God offers us through faith in Jesus. John 1.12 proclaims that to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. The Westminster Confession of Faith 12.1 succinctly states that the doctrine of adoption, when it teaches that all who are justified through faith in Christ are taken into the number and enjoy the liberties and the privileges of the children of God. 2 Samuel 9 does not use the language of adoption since it was not a formal practice in Old Testament Israel, but the reality it describes is precisely in line with that of adoption. First, when Meshildabeth fell on his face before David and named himself a mere servant, David raised himself up and granted him a place at the table of David's family. Verse 7 says, You shall eat at my table always. Verse 11 says, So Mesheldebeth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. Though he had feared that David's wrath would make him a prisoner, Mesheldebeth instead received the grace of adoption that restored him to that of a prince. And likewise, when God accepts us through Jesus Christ, He blesses us with acceptance into His dear fatherly love. a child that is not truly adopted unless he is fully embraced in the parent's heart, and God extends His loving embrace to all His children in Christ. This is why Paul writes in Ephesians 1, 4-5, in love God predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus. The Dutch theologian Wilhelm A. Brackel explained how our entire salvation is bathed in love. Love was the origin of eternal election. Love sent Jesus into the world to be their surety. Love drew them out of the world, translating them into the kingdom of His love. Love radiates continually upon them. Love preserves them. Love brings them into glory. Love endangers a perfect union with and love for Himself. You see, God's fatherly love is a cheap blessing that Christians receive through our adoption in Christ. After His resurrection, Jesus told Mary Magdalene that He was ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God in John 20, verse 17. Jesus meant that through our union with Himself, believers now enjoy the same familial relationship with God the Father that Jesus has eternally enjoyed as the true and natural Son. Now, in adopting Meshilda Beth into his family, David restored the royal inheritance that he had lost. David said in verse 7, I will restore to you all the land of Saul, your father, and to Ziba, the king, said in verse 9, all that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. Now, the New Testament abounds in seminal language for those who have believed in Jesus. In Galatians 4.7, Paul assures each of God's children that you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir through God. An heir enters into his riches upon the death of his parents. And in the case of God's heirs, we gain our inheritance whom we enter into glory through either our death or the return of Christ. What's our inheritance? Romans 8.17 says that we're heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, so that all of Christ's riches are shared with us. Peter looks forward in 1 Peter 1.4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Thomas Hudson exclaims, who can conceive that the amount of enjoyment and such an inheritance, all that God is, all that He has, all that He has done and will do, the believer may claim, and it is amply secured to him. What joy and blessedness the Son has in common with the Father, and the glory with which He is glorified, they shall share with Him forever." In order to enjoy this glorious, eternal inheritance, believers will themselves be translated into glory. 1 John 3 says, Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And now the third privilege that David extended to Meshelzabeth was that of a father's faithful care and provision. And we see this care in the arrangement that God made for Meshelzabeth's future income. 2 Samuel 9, 9-10 says, all that belong to Saul and all to this house I have given to your master's grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants. And this large number of workers suggest that Meshildabeth was given extensive land and receive a more than ample income. You see, being children of God does not relieve us from having to work, but it does promise God's fatherly provision through our faith and through our obedience. Matthew 6, 31-32 says, Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. And so, instead of eliminating the purpose of prayer, knowing God's provision should motivate us to prayer. As Jesus taught us in Matthew 7, 9-11, Which of you, if a son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father, who is in heaven, give good things to those who ask Him? In keeping with the spiritual priority of His kingdom, God may sometimes withhold worldly blessings such as material possessions, good health, and even earthly friends for our spiritual good. But you see, a child of God can be certain of receiving spiritual blessings such as righteousness and peace and joy, Romans 14, 17 says, when we ask for them in prayer. It would not be surprising if Mesheldebeth found it hard to believe that David would admit him to such a table of mercy, especially given all the reasons why David might instead despise him. And the king assured him, however, of all the certainty of his gifts and the words, for the sake of your father, Jonathan, verse 7 says, Those words changed everything for Michelle the Beth, since he knew of the great love between David and his father, and moreover, as he learned, David's blessing for him was bound by his covenant oath to Jonathan. In the same manner, Christians may be certain to receive all the blessings of adoption as God's children because of the word, for Christ's sake, These words provide the key to all the blessings of God's covenant. For as Paul had told us, God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Ephesians 1.3 says, John says that our sins are forgiven for His namesake in 1 John 2.12. For Christ's sake we are justified, adopted, sanctified through the Spirit, glorified in the end as the people of God. All these eternal riches are offered to sinners through faith in Jesus. And so Jesus says this in Matthew 11, 28, Revelation 22, 17 says, In fact, in observing David's mercy to Mesheldebeth, we should note that David actually performed more than his covenant promise required. David promised to not cut off Jonathan's descendants. In a graciousness that honored the Lord, David offered much more for the son of his friend. And yet, there were limits to what David could offer Mesheldebeth. The chapter concludes by observing, Now he was lame in both his feet, verse 13 says. Michele LeBeth remained a pitiable figure despite the blessing of David's adopting grace. And when it comes to Christian salvation, God grants immeasurably more than we could ask or even imagine, Ephesians 3.20 says, there are no limits to Christ's power to bless and no injuries or griefs from which he does not have divine power to save. And when John the Baptist sent messengers to confirm that Jesus was the true Messiah, Jesus answered in terms of his powerful ministry to those afflicted and even oppressed. Matthew 11, 5 says, And what David could not do for Michele, that Jesus would do for many who were lame and infirm. And when Jesus returns, He will overflow the entire complex of sin and its crippling consequences. Revelation 21 verse 4 says, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away. and now seeing all that was given by David secured by his fidelity to a covenant oath, it's no wonder that Jonathan's son accepted all that was offered. How foolish it would have been for Mishelibeth to refuse to believe in David's kindness and to reject his gracious offer of sonship. How much more foolish it is for anyone to receive the gospel offer How much more foolish is it for anyone to receive the gospel of our salvation in Jesus Christ, including all the privileges of the children of God, and turn away in uninterest or even unbelief in Jesus proclaimed in John 5.24, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My words and believes in Him, believes in Him who sent me has eternal life. And then, with our having believed the very words that gained us saving blessings for Christ's sake, are now the watchword of our response to His grace. See, if God has given everything for us for Christ's sake, then for the same reason we should offer all that we are and all that we have to Him. Nothing that we might lose for His sake can ever impoverish those who have become heirs of Christ's glory. Paul writes this in Philippians 3, 8-10, For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. And for the sake of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, verse 8 says in Philippians 3, and in gratitude for our infinite blessings as God's children, we can only live for His pleasure, rejoicing in the table of mercy that Christ has set before us as the children of God. You know, today, friends, we are confronted with a teaching that is really, really instructive for us. You know, we live in a day when people are unkind to one another, and we bash each other on the internet like it's going out of style. We slam each other. you know, on the news outlets. And we think that's hip, that's cool. It's cool to do that. But what we see here is the opposite of everything that the world tells us is okay. What we see is David extending mercy to somebody who really didn't deserve it. In fact, not only extending mercy to them, but going above and even beyond the call of duty to show grace to somebody who didn't deserve it. And you know, it's been said, and I agree, you can know the character of somebody when they can't even help you. That person can't even help you. You can see the character of someone who has nothing to offer, nothing to give, and here what we see is that principle, that idea play out. Basil LeBeth had nothing, nothing at all to offer David. But David had something to offer him, and it was because David was a man of integrity. He honored his word. He was a man of integrity, a man of conviction. And so he reached out to Mr. Elizabeth, and this is so important. Because you know what? There are people in your life who you may think don't deserve your grace, being gracious with, or even merciful to. And you may not even have any covenant promise or oath to them, but guess what? Think about it this way. You were once an enemy of God. And what has God done through Christ? He's shown you mercy. We don't deserve this mercy. What we deserve is hell, a place of unrelenting, unending conscious punishment. But because of Christ, God being rich in mercy has shown his love to us in the person and the finished work of Jesus Christ. And this is so important because if we don't grab hold of what Christ has done, We will never be kind. We will never be gentle. We'll never be gracious. I can tell you that there are times when I am not very kind and I'm not very gracious. And then later, guess what happens? The Holy Spirit comes along, boom, conviction comes and I got to repent. And then I got to go eat humble pie, which sometimes doesn't taste very well. Especially when you have to say, you know what? I really messed up. I sinned against you in this way. Would you please forgive me? But you know what? That's what the gospel calls us to. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul tells us that we are agents, ambassadors of the righteousness of God that we have received by faith in Jesus Christ. It's not about us. Guess what? I laugh because it's sort of funny, but it's also so true that, you know, we are not our own. We were bought with a price, and that is at the price of Christ alone. It's at the price of the one who is fully God and fully man, Jesus Christ the righteous. that sinless substitute who paid the penalty in our place and for our sin was buried and rose again and is soon returning, that we owe allegiance to. And you know what? This, if anything, should be a reminder to us who are Christians, because we are saved by Christ alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, not of ourselves so that we will not boast. If it's all about Christ, then it should be all about being merciful and gracious and kind. These things, as Christians, should mark us. Part of these are the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and self-control. We should be marked by these things because the Spirit indwells us through that end. And He's empowering us to bear the fruits of the Spirit so that we will be men and women of integrity and kindness and graciousness. You may not have anything to offer anybody in terms of money, but let me tell you something. We have something that is worth even more than all the world's gold. It's the gospel of grace. Think about that. In fact, the more that you think about the glories of the grace of God, the more you're going to want to tell people of those glories, and the more you tell people of those glories, the more still you'll tell people of those glories, and on and on and on. And this is what we see in this text. David did not have to be gracious, but he honored the covenant that he made with Jonathan. And he went above and beyond that covenant. And how does this happen? It happens because we are in union with Christ and we're in communion with Christ. Christ who gave his life for the cost. It costs something. But even before we even talk about the cost, we need to understand that Jesus came under a death sentence to pay the penalty for you. And He exacted and He executed that plan. In fact, John tells us, if you read John's gospel, he uses the language of hour over and over again. Until that garden of Gethsemane, when finally that hour had come, that hour had come for Him to be arrested. And God's sovereign plan, which was being unfolded in the history of the redemption of His people, that He would pay for with His own blood, This is good news. Even all the world's criminals, the worst ones. And by the way, Jesus suffered a death, excruciating death. And even before he got there, he was beaten. He was scourged. He was lashed on his back. He had open sores, open wounds. And then he hung on that cross, crucified, which was excruciating. and the people mocked Him and they jeered Him. We should never, and I mean never, ever treat what Jesus did as common. We should never belittle it. We should never look down on it as something just a routine, you know what, this is the sin bearing, wrath bearing Son of God and Son of Man who paid the penalty in our place and for our sin. It is amazing what Jesus did at just the right time to use the language of Romans 5. Christ died for the ungodly. That's you and me. We don't deserve mercy. What we deserve is hell and damnation. And hell is a place of unending, unrelenting conscious punishment for those who reject Christ. And maybe that's you today. Maybe you reject Christ. Maybe you say, I don't need Christ. But what greater need do you have? Without Christ, there is no hope. All of the world's hope, all the world's dreams are all fading. They're all fleeting. And they're all like the sand. They all wither. They all go away. Only the hope provided by Christ, only the hope that He gives will last because He is the only one who has saved. He's the only one who's saved. He's the only one who satisfies. He's the only one who can bring hope and healing and change. He's the only one who can help you to be a man or a woman of integrity. by transferring you from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the light of His kingdom. Only then will you be a person of integrity. Only then will you have a desire to honor your word, to be somebody who goes above and beyond for others. Is that you today even, dear child of God? Is that you? Is that what somebody would say about you? Would you go above and beyond for them if they call you up and say, hey, I need your help. I need your help to move. I need your help with this. I've got a hurting family member, or hey, I just need a listening ear. If you're too busy for that, and you know what? I'm not saying that you shouldn't be busy. I'm not saying that you don't have things going on in your life. But if you're so busy that you can never pause, never take time, it's time to evaluate whether you are too busy. Because we should have time. If somebody called me up and said, hey, I need to just talk, I got time. I got time. That thing that I need to do, it can wait. I need to spend that time. talking, praying with that person, listening. Maybe they need help. Offer help, the hope of Christ. What I want for you guys to see in this text is that if you're a Christian, matters of integrity, they're critical because we live before the face of God. And therefore, integrity is vital as a Christian, because integrity is not just something in our life, it is everything in our life. We have been saved for a purpose, and we are to shine as lights in this world, as new creations in Christ. We have a message that reconciles sinners to Jesus. And we need to do that faithfully, we need to do that boldly, we need to do it with compassion, we need to speak the truth in love, with grace and truth. Because, you know what? Our witness really matters, but it matters because our character really matters. And our character has been changed. It's being changed by Christ. And so we should reflect the love of Christ. We should reflect the fruits of the spirit, all for the glory of God. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this word. We thank you for this text and all that it teaches us about Jesus. Lord, help us to care about our character, not just for those who can help us, those who can do something for us, But Lord, help us to keep in mind those who can't even help us. Help us to serve them in love. Help us to even go above and beyond, shining the light of Christ to them. Wherever we are, wherever you have placed us, Lord, help us to be faithful. Help us to flourish and grow in you and out of the abundance of your grace. Lord, help us to be shining lights for you and your glory. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to the Servants of Grace podcast today. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, leave a rating on the app, and share our episode with your friends and family. If you'd like to, you can follow us on Instagram at Servants of Grace, on Twitter at Servants of Grace, or by searching Servants of Grace on Facebook. You can also find this podcast on the front page of our website at servantsofgrace.org.