Grace Alone: A Gracious God & A Graceless Heart
Grace Alone • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 49:11
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· 13 viewsSovereign grace that saves at rock bottom, saves those seated at the high seat of human pride.
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17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish,
2 saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’
5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head
6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.
7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
The last two Sundays, we have looked at Augustine.
A theologian from the fifth century.
What makes a theologian memorable?
It’s not because they were merry churchmen.
It’s not because they just went along with the flow.
We remember them because they contended for the faith.
They were lions for the truth.
Pelagius was an enemy of Augustine because of how staunchly he opposed what Augustine was preaching.
Augustine was already in his 60’s when the controversy broke out.
They both lived during the time of the conversion of Constantine and the Roman Empire became “Christianized.”
This meant that Christianity was no longer under threat of persecution.
Christianity became popular in the empire.
What happens if Christianity becomes popular to everyone?
Moral laxity.
Easy believism.
How do you fix this?
Some try to do it through strict teachings.
Pelagius was one of those people.
Pelagius describes hearing Augustines quote of…
“Give what you command, and command what you will.” —Augustine
Pelagius thought it was morally weak.
He thought it was spiritually lazy.
He was sick of the type of half-hearted Christianity.
“A man is able, if he will, to be without sin.” — Pelagius
Pelagius believed human nature as fundamentally innocent.
He believed man was born with the complete ability to choose good or evil.
He rejected things like original sin.
He believed that the Christian life was all a matter of human choice.
He went on to advocate for the possibility of perfection through human free will.
But for our interest, he contended that grace was merely an external aid to Christians.
Kind of like a vitamin or an energy drink of sorts.
“Pride is the beginning of all sin, and what is pride but the craving for perverse exaltation? This the Pelagians have in abundance, who seek to make the grace of God void.” —Augustine
“God does not give His grace according to our merits; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” —Augustine
How would Pelagius read a story like Jonah?
Maybe he would see a guy like Jonah who used his free will to be a better person.
Jonah cleaned his life up.
Sovereign grace that saves at rock bottom, saves those seated at the high seat of human pride.
Sovereign grace that saves at rock bottom, saves those seated at the high seat of human pride.
Sovereign Grace at Rock Bottom.
Sovereign Grace at Rock Bottom.
Appointment from the depths to awaken the disobedient.
Appointment from the depths to awaken the disobedient.
17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
We see again the unquestionable Sovereignty of God even in the created order.
The word “appointed” is typically the action of a king.
“Appoint” is used 4 times in the book of Jonah.
We have already seen Yahweh “hurl” a great wind and create a storm.
But here Yahweh “commands” or “appoints” a great fish to swallow Jonah.
The “great fish” of the deep obey’s Yahweh’s commands, yet Jonah does not.
What a stench that winds, fish, plants, and worms obey the voice of Yahweh; but Jonah does not.
In a judgment upon Jonah, the great fish swallowed Jonah whole and he was three days and nights in the heart of the fish.
Remember that the Rednecks of the Sea asked Jonah to “call out to your god!” but Jonah says nothing to God.
He refuses to speak to Yahweh.
It’s only after he was swallowed by this great fish that Jonah actually directs his speech to Yahweh.
Grace that awakens the disobedient.
Application – God will go to whatever means He needs to bring you to Himself.
Allowance to descend into despair in the depths.
Allowance to descend into despair in the depths.
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish,
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." –C.S. Lewis
Now what happens when a person ignores God in their pleasures and hardens themselves to Him in their conscience.
He often in His kindness again brings pain to them.
Pain is actually used as a purifying instrument to wake a person up to the realities of this life.
It’s also His megaphone to awake a deaf prophet that refuses to speak.
What finally woke Jonah up from his disobedient slumber was a near death experience…
Grace that humbles the proud prophet.
2 saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
It’s more than merely an near death experience that changed Jonah’s mind.
It was the prospect of being abandoned in Sheol.
Sheol is often referred to as the land of the dead.
It’s not “hell” in the sense that we typically think of it, but it’s the place where the dead dwell.
And Jonah’s fear is being without the presence of Yahweh.
3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.
Jonah now recognizes that he has been under the righteous judgment of Yahweh.
God’s judgment that says,
“Your will be done!”
His judgment that allows Jonah to go the way he was fleeing.
4 I thought I had been banished from your sight, that I would never again see your holy temple!
Remember that the temple in Israel was where God’s presence dwelt in a unique way.
His covenantal presence dwelt on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies.
Jonah is asking,
“Will I ever be in Your presence again?”
“Will I ever see your faithful love toward me again?”
5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head 6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever…
Jonah’s at his last step of the journey.
And he stands at the doorway of Sheol.
He’s at the doorway to the realm of the dead (Ezekiel 26:20).
Application – Discouraged and Disheartened Believers
I know many of you have maybe found yourself in this type of despair.
Whether through a situation, an emotional state you just can’t shake.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?
The Psalmist speaks of this reality and reminds us that it’s normal for Christians to find themselves in this place.
…yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.
It’s at the bottom of the pit that Yahweh delivers Jonah.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation 6 and my God.
It’s standing just outside the bars of hell that God delights to take His people from.
“The grace of God does not find men fit to be assisted, but makes them so.” —Augustine
Remembrance and the prayer of faith.
Remembrance and the prayer of faith.
7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord…
It took Jonah’s life to begin fading away from him for him to “remember.”
When the Bible says that Jonah remembered, it’s not as though he was merely forgetful, like when you forget milk at the store.
The forgetfulness of God’s people is actually a terrible thing.
It’s a memory lapse because of the deceitfulness of sin.
It’s a memory lapse caused by a person’s sinful choices.
It’s only after God brought Jonah to nothing that he remembered what Yahweh was like.
It’s like God was purging impurities from Jonah’s life through the flames of affliction to remind him of God’s grace.
Grace that stirs faith in the floundering prophet.
7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.
Jonah’s prayers came before the temple, where God’s special presence dwelt.
Deliverance of the unworthy because of covenant love.
Deliverance of the unworthy because of covenant love.
Grace that flows from God’s covenant love.
I will very rarely talk about the importance of Hebrew words.
But there is a word which embodies a Hebrew concept which is critical to grasp.
The Hebrew word חֶ֫סֶד (Hebrew: hesed) often translated, “steadfast love” or “covenant loyalty” refers often to God’s covenant loyalty to His people regardless of how they are doing.
Now suppose someone from your tribe does something shameful — maybe they steal from another family or bring disgrace on the community.
Everyone knows they’re in the wrong.
They deserve the consequences.
But when outsiders threaten them or try to harm them, the family still stands by them.
Not because they approve of what was done, but because family is family.
That deep, unwavering loyalty — that “we don’t abandon our own” mentality — is a window into the Hebrew idea of ḥesed.
It’s the love that stays.
It’s loyalty that endures when affection would fade.
It’s covenant kindness that keeps showing up even when the other person doesn’t deserve it.
That’s what God shows toward His people.
Even when Israel wandered, even when they broke faith, God’s ḥesed — His steadfast love — kept pulling them back.
His loyalty was not dependent on their goodness but on His covenant promise.
6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
It’s very strange to talk about “covenant loyalty” of people.
But here Jonah makes an orthodox statement with a twisted view of the situation.
8 Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs.
Unlike the previous references to the “forsaking their covenant commitment” the object here isn’t Yahweh but the idol worshippers.
Even in the belly of the fish, Jonah is more concerned with the covenant loyalty of the pagan sailors than his own covenant loyalty.
Jonah’s hypocrisy is rampant here and will be revealed in Jonah 4:1-3.
Even though Jonah is self-righteous and sees himself in the best light.
Even though Jonah self-righteously sees himself in a better position than others, Yahweh saves him.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.
Jonah finally submits to Yahweh’s purposes for him.
The kind of thanksgiving here is a double meaning with his voice and also with his sacrifice.
It was often common after a vow like this a person would go to the temple, make the sacrifice, and then go and make due on the promise made.
So it’s likely Jonah after being vomited up, went up to Jerusalem and offered a sacrifice and then immediately was called again to Nineveh.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
Salvation belongs to the LORD in the sense that he doesn’t get to determine who salvation is extended to.
He doesn’t get to determine who will receive it.
He doesn’t get to determine the offer of salvation.
He doesn’t even determine how salvation will be accomplished.
This is what Salvation BY Grace alone does.
It makes a person as Jesus describes in a parable.
13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
The tax collector realized the depth of his sin and was unwilling to even look upward to heaven.
He was unwilling to think highly of himself because he knew himself rightly.
All he could ask is,
“Be merciful to me, THE sinner” (Luke 18:13).
What we will see though is surprising: Jonah rejoices when he’s the receipient of mercy, but resents it when other receive mercy.
Don’t miss what God does to Jonah though…
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Jonah started this section off by speaking, and now Yahweh will respond.
Again we see the Lord’s utter sovereignty by having the fish vomit Jonah ashore.
“To vomit” in English is repulsive, the same is true in Hebrew.
It’s a repulsing thing to think of Jonah being vomited up.
But it’s even more repulsive because it’s God’s opinion of Jonah as well…
It was repulsive because Jonah was still self-righteous.
It was repulsive because God was still displeased with Jonah.
Merely because Jonah prayed and God heard his prayer, a person could be tempted to think of Jonah as the hero of this story.
One could think that,
“Jonah was naughty, and God punished him. Jonah repented and then God was happy with him. So if we repent and do good enough, God will be happy with us as well!”
Do you see how subtle and destructive this thinking can be.
It’s essentially a message of,
“If you’re life is falling apart, then just repent so that God will bless you.”
Application for Unbelievers
A smooth sailing life doesn’t equate with a divine approval.
Just because it appears that your life is “blessed” doesn’t mean you’re right with Him.
Jonah needed rescuing from the depths.
But on the shore, Jonah will need rescued from himself.
The same grace that pulled Jonah from the depths, will now need to humble Jonah from his perceived lofty position.
Sovereign Grace at the High Seat.
Sovereign Grace at the High Seat.
The same grace that can pull a man from the depths, must also knock a man off his high horse.
You can always hear the prayers of a self-righteous person on their “high horse” because they’re always filled with anger and attempting to indict God.
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
The Pharisee is thankful that he is not like other men.
It’s not that he is mourning his own sin.
He is just grateful that he is not like other people.
This is not a man who is poor in spirit or mourns his sin (Matthew 5:3-4).
It’s important to remember what God did to the Ninevites.
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way (raah); and God repented of the evil (raah), that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
I want you to notice two phrases from Jonah 3:10 and we need to look at the KJV to catch it more clearly.
The Ninevites had “turned from their evil (Hebrew: raah)”, they got rid of their evil.
It even says in verse 10 that “God repented of the evil (Hebrew: raah)” that He had planned for them because of their repentance.
God relented and showed mercy to this unfaithful people.
So now we see that God’s enemies have gotten rid of their “evil” and God has been dispelled of the “evil” He planned for the people.
1 But it displeased (raah) Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
“It was evil to Jonah, a great evil. It burned him!”
And instead of rejoicing because he received mercy like they did, he becomes angry that they received mercy.
Grace is resented by the “exalted” Jonah.
Grace is resented by the “exalted” Jonah.
Nineveh was emptied of evil.
God was emptied of evil toward Nineveh.
But now we see Jonah filled with hatred of the perceived evil done.
It makes more sense now why God vomited Jonah out of the fish.
Though he repented and turned from his disobedience, his heart posture has not changed in the least.
He hates these Ninevites.
Jonah wanted merit for others, but grace for himself.
Young Kids in the Faith
You who grow up in Christian homes.
You’ll be tempted to think,
“I’ve been a Christian my whole life!
And when you see siblings/classmates live foolish lives.
Don’t think to yourself,
“They deserved what they had coming for them!”
That’s to have a mindset like Jonah.
Merit sends you to hell.
Merit destroys you.
But grace is a gift.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
Everyone has sinned and broken God’s righteous demands.
But they are freely declared righteous as a gift in Jesus Christ!
Grace offends the self-righteous.
Grace offends the self-righteous.
Notice what Jonah’s second prayer sounds like…
2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish;
This is the prayer of one like Adam in the garden that says,
“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12).
It’s almost like you can hear Jonah blaming God for sending him to Nineveh at all.
The people have repented and Jonah says,
“See God! I told you that you were kind and compassionate toward sinners!”
Instead of being filled with humble contrition that he is alive at all, Jonah is filled with hateful venom that wants to blame God for his anger.
Even worse he goes on to try and justify his efforts to flee to Tarshish.
Why did Jonah flee?
for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
Grace that once saved now scandalizes.
Grace that once saved now scandalizes.
Instead of being filled with overflowing gratitude for God’s kindness to him.
Jonah is filled with seething anger at the character and nature of the God who was just two chapters earlier being kind to him.
3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
Jonah’s would rather die than endure the putrid smell of the repentance of his enemies.
God’s mercy toward those who Jonah think are undeserving.
Bitterness and the Sin of Jonah
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
When people are embittered toward someone else, they’re essentially taking Jonah’s posture here toward the other person.
They minimize their own sin.
They’re filled with evil toward the other person.
They would rather die than forgive them.
4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
Grace welcomes the embittered soul to come out of oneself.
Grace welcomes the embittered soul to come out of oneself.
Jonah is angry because God did not give the Ninevites what they deserved.
But Jonah is forgetting that he deserved death as well.
Sovereign grace that saves at rock bottom, saves those seated at the high seat of human pride.
Sovereign grace that saves at rock bottom, saves those seated at the high seat of human pride.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Benediction
Benediction
