Again, like our last study, I
have put everything in the handout. I don't have a large section
in this evening's study to go through for you to turn to in
your Bible, but I do have quite a bit of scripture to talk about
in the handout. If you'd like to look at it with
me, and first we want to begin this evening with the title for
tonight's characteristics of God's grace is predestinated
grace. And I start off with these words
from Ephesians 1 verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all, all spiritual blessings
and heavenly places in Christ. Folks, God can only look upon
you and I because of His Son, the Lord Jesus. He only hears
our cries because of His Son, the Lord Jesus. Because of what
He's done, because of who He is, and because of where He is
right now, all spiritual blessings in heavenly places we find in
our Savior, Christ Jesus. Paragraph two, this is the basis
of God's grace. God the Father loved a people
from before the creating of the worlds. Therefore, because of
his love, he has grace, unmerited favor on this undeserving people,
blessing them with all things spiritual because of and through
his son, Jesus Christ the Lord and what he accomplished for
this people. In Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9, it says, for
by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves,
it is a gift of God, not of works, lest man should boast. Our Lord
clearly states in his word there, as we just read, that we are
saved by grace, that unmerited favor, favor from God. We are favored in the eyes of
God. In the Old Testament, it says
he looks upon us with joy. Loving. He describes his people
as Solomon describes his bride in the Song of Solomon. We're
the jewel of his eye. Christ in him crucified. It's
who he is. It's what he's done and where
he is now. And this should always be the
object of our studies. our discussions, our worship. If it is not about him, it is
not true worship. I have been once again called
boring. And to this person who called
me boring, I can understand why I'm boring to them because all
I do is preach about Christ and his crucifixion for his people. That's the love of God. He sent
his only begotten son out of love for us. A love that has
always been there. I'm boring. Okay, that's all
right with me. It's not boring to me to talk
to you about Him. It's not grievous to me, as Paul
said, to continue to preach to you. Romans 11, verse 36, it
says, for of Him, speaking of Christ, and through Him and to
Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Everything is
for Him. Everything was created by Him
and through Him and for Him. It's called, we're discussing
predestinating grace. And that is simply God determining
his grace to be executed through his son, the Lord Jesus, upon
whom he chooses, when he chooses, and how he chooses before it
actually has happened. Our brother Kevin was absolutely
right in his Wednesday night message a week ago. The word
of the Lord states in Roman 8, 28, 29, for whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
son. Kevin brought out how we were
determined to be conformed to the image of his son, and that's
exactly what we've been done, that has been done. We have been
conformed to him, not by something you and I do in this world that
we walk through, but by what he has done, and only by what
he has done. Page 2. The sovereign God has
determined, has purposed the outcome of all that is. including
the destiny of his people. He has determined his chosen
people to be conformed to the image of his son, and they are
conformed by the works of his son, Christ Jesus. Listen to
these words. I went through and pulled out,
and folks, this is just in two books of the Old Testament. This
word purposed is used in a lot more places, but let me share
some verses with you. Isaiah 14, 24. hath sworn, saying, surely, as
I have thought, so as he has thought, just a thought goes
through his mind, so shall it come to, that's all he has to
do is think about it and it's gonna come to pass. And as I
have purposed, so shall it stand. That's the true and living God. everything he has purposed shall
come to pass. In Isaiah 14, verse 26 through
27, we read this, this is the purpose that is purposed upon
the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out
upon all the nations, for the Lord of hosts hath purposed,
and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out,
and who shall turn it back? Isaiah 19, verse 12, where are
they? Where are thy wise men? And let them tell thee now, and
let them know what the Lord of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. What did the Lord of hosts purpose
upon Egypt? We read in the book of Hebrews
that he purposed Pharaoh to be raised up and destroyed. Why? So that God's power might be
known throughout all the earth. In chapter 23, verse nine, we
say, we read these words, the Lord of hosts, the Lord of Hosts
hath purposed it to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring
into contempt all the honourable of the earth. In Isaiah 46, 11,
calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes
my counsel from a far country, yea, I have spoken it, I will
also bring it to pass, I have purposed it, I will also do it. Jeremiah 4, 28, for this shall
the earth mourn and the heavens above be black because I have
spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither
will I turn back from it. If that's not so, if what we
just read about God fulfilling his purposes, if that's not so,
then how could we read and believe the words of Roman 828? Isn't
that the basis for what that verse means? And we know that
all things work together for the good to them that love God,
to them who are called according to his purpose. Isn't that the
basis for that verse? That everything God has purposed. shall come to pass. We need to pay special attention
to the words of shall and I will when it comes to the Lord speaking.
I shall, I will. Those are very important things
for God's people to take at hand and understand those very words
that we read in Romans 8, 28. Page three, and we know because
God has, by his grace, revealed to us the truth of who he is. and what that means as to the
power that he wields. Who is he? He's God. He's sovereign over everything.
Isn't that the word God means? Sovereign over every bit of creation,
every bit of man's will, every purpose, every destination of
everything? It's all ruled by our God. And he rules all power, as we
read in Matthew 28, 18, and Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Having all
power, how can anything be wrong? Are not all things right with
God? Can anything change him? Can
anything obstruct his will and his purpose? Let me ask you this. 9-11 is right around the corner
from right now. We're almost to the date of 9-11. If God brought men into this
world who would grow up to sacrifice their own lives in order to kill
as many innocent people by flying airplanes into a building, I
ask you, would that be right? Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. If God brought a person into
this world, a vessel fitted for destruction, would that be right? You can read that in Romans 9.22.
Would that be right? Absolutely it would be. Was Pharaoh
brought into this world and raised up to be seen as a God between
natural men, by natural men, was that right? You're darn right
it was right. If God, our problem, folks, is
that we want to measure God according to what we think is right. We
think that because it's not right that that man is doing those
things to those people over there, that it's not right in the eyes
of God. God has a purpose for everything, folks. I'm not saying
he's the author. of sin and wickedness. He's not the author of that.
Man is the author of our own wickedness, but God allowed it. He allowed Jonah to run from
him. Isn't that what scripture says?
He ran from the Lord. Well, if God didn't want Jonah
to run, he wouldn't have, but he did, and we know the reason
why. Because Jonah had to learn a
lesson that salvation is of the Lord, not of man, and go and
preach that to the largest crowd of people who were turned by
God in the history of the Bible, the men of Nineveh. If you read
about how big the city of Nineveh was, you understand that there
were millions of people that lived in that one city, and the
whole city. was turned to God by the preaching
of Jonah. Was it right? Absolutely. I was thinking about
this today in the discussion of me being boring. I don't mean to keep throwing
that out there, but it's become funny. But I was thinking about
this. We seek the will of God, don't
we? We try to seek the will of God the best we can. And as I
think about that and go to the depths with that, go to all the
depths, as deep as I can go, the only way we know the true
will of God is after something has happened. My mom died on
the exact day of God's will for her to die. My son was born on
the exact day that it was God's will for him to be born. And
he rules over everything. Is that not correct? So if we
take it right down to the very basic thing, the only time we
ever know for sure that we're doing God's will is after it's
already done. Well, you shouldn't have done
that. You know, I did it. That's all there is to it. Am
I wrong? Our problem, folks. is that we
want to measure God according to what we think is right. And
I tell you, that's wrong. Proverbs 3, 5 says this, trust
in the Lord with all thine heart. People talk about blind trust.
What else do we have but to trust the Almighty, the one who has
given us a faith to believe his word. Trust with all thine heart
and lean not unto thine own understanding. I like what I recently read.
I can't remember who it was, but somebody wrote, God does
not do what is right. Let me read that again. God does not do what is right. What God does is right. Period. The Apostle Paul writes
this in 1 Corinthians 1 verses 17 and 18 at the bottom of page
3 there, For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the
gospel, not with the wisdom of worldly words, lest the cross
of Christ should be made of none effect. But for the preaching
of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But unto
us which are saved, it is the power of God. Page four. Then he writes in verse 22 and
25 of that same chapter, for the Jews require a sign and the
Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified unto
the Jews a stumbling block. And unto the Greeks foolishness,
but unto them which are called. Remember what we read in Romans
eight, to them who are called according to his purpose. That's
what that is right there. but unto them which are called,
both Jew and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of
God, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and
the weakness of God is stronger than men." And I'll tell you,
the first time I read that verse, the first time Pastor Gene read
that verse out loud from the pulpit, I literally thought in
my mind and I remember it perfectly, that's the smartest thing I've
ever heard. That makes more sense to me about who God is than anything
else I've ever heard. God, the foolishness of God is
wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
And Paul concludes all of that in 1 Corinthians chapter one
with verses 29 through 31, says that no flesh should glory in
his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God has made unto us wisdom, and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. I'm sure glad made Christ my
wisdom, because I know I don't have a lot of my own, very, very
little. I'm sure God made Christ all
of my righteousness, because I know I got none of that. And
I'm sure glad that God made his son my sanctification, my holiness,
because I know I got none of that. And that my Lord is my
redeemer. And because of that, according
as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. God
predetermined, ordained is what that word means, he purposed,
that's another meaning of it, that his only begotten son would
be the salvation of his people, of his chosen people, loved with
an everlasting love. A people in bondage to their
own nature. A people dead in trespasses and
sin, unwilling and unable to save themselves. If you're a
child of God, your eyes are open to the fact that you know that
you were unwilling and unable at one time before to do anything
but God, huh? Wonderful words, but God. By
his walk in human form, being made flesh, the God-man humbled
himself and became a servant. accomplishing what he had purposed,
as he does in everything, with perfect righteousness. Tempted
as we, yet without sin, Hebrews 4.15. He was obedient even unto
death, the death of the cross. That's what we read in Philippians
2, verses five through eight. Let this mind be in you. Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. You wanna
know what Jesus would do? do the will of God the Father.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found
in the fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Page five. Natural men
hate this word predestined. Why? Why is it such a word to
be hated? God's people don't hate it. We
see clearly now, being given sight to see God's truth, we
see clearly that if it wasn't for God predestinating us, we
would still be on that path to destruction we were on at one
time. Why do they hate it? It's because
it's a word that cannot, because it's a word that cannot be misunderstood,
predestined. Your destiny is set before you. It cannot be misunderstood. It's
a word that takes all the imaginary power away from man and puts
all the glory of salvation in the Lord's hand. God predestinated,
he determined from the foundation of the worlds, a people who were
sinners by nature to be cleansed and made righteous, to be conformed
to the image of his son, Christ Jesus. Isn't that what we read
back there in Romans 8, 29? Here's some verses declaring
the same thing. John 6, verses 37 through 40,
all that the father giveth me shall come to me. And him that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from
heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent
me. And this is the Father's will, which hath sent me, that
of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing." Isn't
that what sovereignty is all about? Isn't that the basis of
all sovereignty right there? That he should lose nothing?
That his purpose can't be turned? His hand cannot be turned? He
shall lose nothing, but should raise it up again in the last
day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the sun and believeth on
him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the
last day." Again, in John chapter 10, verses 14 through 16, and
declaring the same thing, I am the good shepherd, and know my
sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep, and
other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I
must bring, saith the Lord. Why? Why must he bring them?
Because God has predetermined them to be conformed to the image
of his Son, conformed in perfection, conformed in righteousness, conformed
in holiness, and conformed in justification. And they shall
hear my voice, he says, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Why? Because God has predetermined
it. He has purposed it. And he, by his own selfless work,
has accomplished all that was purposed, all that was needed
to conform this people to himself. In Hebrews chapter one, verse
three, we read about this one who we are being conformed to,
who being the brightness of his glory. You know who the glory
of God is? You know what the glory of God
is? It's his son, the Lord Jesus. When he said to the people, this
is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. That's the glory
of God, his son, his perfect righteous son who did everything
that pleases the father. and the express image of his
person. He's the express image of his
father. They are of one mind, one purpose. Everything is agreed upon because
there's nothing to disagree on. They're of one mind. And upholding
all things by the word of his power. Folks, Jesus Christ has
all power in heaven and earth and under the earth. All power,
that's every ounce of whatever you and I could call power, every
microbe of everything belongs to him and is under his control. He upholds all things by the
word of his power, verse six, or page six. When he had by himself,
did you notice that? That is completely contrary to
the world of religious people today that say, if you'll just
let Jesus into your heart, if you'll just make him the Lord
of your heart. I'm here to tell you, Jesus Christ
is the Lord of everything. He's the Lord of all. You can't make him anything.
You're the worm, he's the creator. And he sat down on the right
hand of the Majesty on high after purging us from our sins. In Ephesians chapter 2 verses
4 through 7, we read these words, But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love were with he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, this is what we were before. before he called
us with the words of life. We were dead, dead, dead, dog
dead, as Pastor Gene loved to say. He loved us even then. wherewith he loved us even when
we were dead in sin, and hath quickened us, that means made
us alive, together with Christ, by grace ye are saved, and hath
raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. There we come right back to those
words that we read in Ephesians chapter one, verse three. All
blessings, all spiritual blessings, You know, we were spiritually
dead at one time. Spiritual life is a blessing
that must come first, isn't it? We must be given life so that
we can hear the words of God. That in the ages to come, he
might show the exceeding riches of his grace. in his kindness towards us through
Jesus Christ, through Christ Jesus. In our Lord's priestly
prayer as our mediator, our go-between, our Savior calls upon the Father.
In John 17, verses 15 through 19, I pray not that thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but thou shouldest keep them from
evil. They are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast
sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into
the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify
myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth. I never tire of hearing about
His grace. Do you? His grace is what sustains
me. Lord willing, that will be our
subject next week, persevering grace. I spelt that wrong. No, I didn't. Preserving grace,
yeah. There is never too much grace for me. I see my very need
of it every moment of every day. When sin rears up its ugly head
in my flesh, grace overcomes it. When the foolishness of this
world crashes upon my ship, grace calms the storm. Grace says to
my heart, what shall we then say to these things? If God be
for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Grace says to my soul, who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again. who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us. Grace says these words in Romans 8, verse 35 through 37,
who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation
or distress, persecution or famine? You know, I read through these
words, this list of words that our Lord has given Paul to write
here. Like where he says, as it is written, for thy sake we
are killed all the day long. That list that we see, the tribulation,
the distress, the persecution, the famine, the nakedness, those
are all words that fit this flesh, that accost this body, this mind,
every day in this world as we walk through this valley of the
shadow of death. Yet grace tells me who shall
separate me from the love of Christ, this very one who laid
down his life for me. We are counted as sheep for the
slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us." Does that
not, Grace, speak to your heart? Because it is God that has predetermined,
predestinated the way the means and the outcome of my salvation,
I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate me
from the love of God, which is in my Savior, Christ
Jesus, my Lord. Folks, I'm here to tell you that
if God had left me to myself, I would receive my just reward,
eternal damnation. And I'm beginning to love this
statement more and more every time I read it. But God, but
God, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. who
had blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places,
in Christ my Savior.