And going out from there, Jesus withdrew to the parts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan coming out of these borders cried to Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, Send her away, for she cries after us. But He answered and said, I am not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, Lord, help me! But He answered and said, It is not good to take the children's bread and to throw it to dogs. And she said, True, O Lord; but even the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' tables. Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! So be it to you even as you wish. And her daughter was healed from that very hour. - Matthew 15:21-28

    Anyone who experiences the grace of God in salvation will be brought down in the dust of humiliation before the throne of his sovereign mercy. Before God exalts a man, he abases him.  Before God clothes any sinner with the garments of Christ’s righteousness, he strips the sinner of the filthy rags of his own righteousness.  Take the case of Zacchaeus again.  ‘When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for today I must abide at thy house’ (Luke 19:5).  When God calls the sinner to Christ, he always says, ‘Come down’.  The way of salvation is a downward path.  You must come down.

    God’s call is a humbling call.  Many a time the preacher calls men to Christ with a call which makes them proud, exalts them in their own esteem and leads them to think, ‘I can come to God when I like.  I do not need the influence of God the Holy Spirit. It is not God’s call that is the thing that determines whether or not I shall be saved, but my own free will.’  Today sinners are being called to go up and not to come down.  But God always humbles the sinner.  One of the first steps you must take is to go down from your own good works.  That is a gigantic step down, far too humbling for most, but it must be taken.

    Some stand upon their own self-sufficiency.  But Christ says, ‘Come down. You must come down from your own good works and come down from your own self-sufficiency.’  That is another great step downward, but it must be taken.  Down, my friend, you must come down. Come down from all your hope in yourself and in what you do.  Come down until you see that you are utterly without strength, until you are utterly lost, until you see that you are nothing and can do nothing.  Come down until the waters of God’s wrath swell around you and you are made to see that you justly deserve to die.  Come down until you are made to see your utter wickedness, vileness, corruption and filthiness. You must come down, down to the feet of Christ.  The place of mercy is in the dust.  Come down!