Ephesians 2, we're looking at
two verses that are very well-known verses, but I pray the Holy Spirit
will use this message to build up His saints and gather in His
lost sheep. Ephesians 2, the name of the
message is saving grace. Saving grace. Ephesians 2, verses
8 and 9. For by grace are you saved through
faith, that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God not of
works, lest any man should boast. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works. lest any man should boast. Saving
grace. Saving grace. What wonderful
verses we have here before us. They proclaim the grace of God
in Christ, plus nothing. No man's works there. All the
pure mercy, the sovereign mercy of God in Christ in Him alone. By grace, here is the motive
Here's the motive, the pure, free, and sovereign grace of
God. By grace are ye saved. Salvation is of the Lord. It
begins with Him and it ends with Him. And it is all of Him. We cannot save ourselves. We need a Savior. We need a Savior. In God's grace, is saving grace. God does not set out to save
His people and then leave it in man's hands. No. No. The Word of God sets forth
only one Savior. Just one. The Lord Jesus Christ. And salvation only comes through
Him. It's not of works. Not of our
works. It's of what He's done. what
He's done for sinners, but not of our works. And Paul here pens
by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God that the salvation of
the Ephesian believers, and he's writing to the Ephesian believers
in Ephesus, he writes here that salvation is entirely the gracious
work of God. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
one. lest any man should boast. God
owes us nothing. Salvation is not a reward. Salvation
is not a payment. It is the unmixed grace of God
in Christ, and it flows to us by the pure mercy of God. And
we are saved by grace through faith. And we are saved by God's
grace in Christ. And this salvation, beloved,
oh, it's glorious, isn't it? Isn't it glorious to you who
believe? Isn't it magnificent? Doesn't it fill you with awe
that God would save a sinner like me? Oh, my. We know what
we are, don't we? Truly, truly, it's amazing grace. It's amazing grace. And salvation
is not accomplished by anything we do. It says, and that not
of yourselves. Salvation is not accomplished
by anything we do. And think of this, Vicki and
I have been talking about this. Now if you talk to most folks who
are in religion, they don't think that making a decision is a work.
But yet they require that. And the definition for work in
the English language is anything that you do with your mind or
your actions, with your mind or your actions. So we are not
saved by anything we do in our mind or our actions. So therefore,
salvation is all of the Lord. Which is what the Scripture proclaims.
For by grace you are saved through faith, and not of yourselves.
It's a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." Oh,
this amazing grace here, spoken of in these verses, flows from
the throne of God. He is both the source and the
fountain. And Christ had to die because we're sinners who cannot
save ourselves. We cannot pay what God demands
for our sins. And again, the salvation which
is in Christ alone is not accomplished by any work that we do or any
effort on man's part. If man adds anything, it's no
longer grace. We've talked about that many
times. If you add just a pinprick of your works, it's no longer.
You poison the well. And this verse clearly, clearly
proclaims that salvation is by the grace of God. And if man
had any part in it, we'd boast. We'd boast. I know, because I
came out of religion, and I used to do a lot of boasting. Not
anymore. We boast in Christ, right? And
what He's done, we look away from ourselves, outside ourselves,
and we look to Christ. in Him alone. Let's look at our
text again. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and not through yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. Man has nowhere to boast because
salvation is of the Lord. No room for the believer to boast. It's in and through the Lord
Jesus Christ. It was He who planned it. It
was He who redeemed us. And it is He who saves sinners
by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit of God. Drawn
sinners to Christ. Ruined sinners. Sinners just
like me. Oh my. God's elect are redeemed
by the precious blood of Christ. They are bought from death to
life by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit of God. And
this is all by God's free and sovereign grace, again in our
text. For by grace are you saved through faith, and not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. This gracious salvation, this
gracious salvation is through faith. Not that our faith is
the cause or source of our salvation. But it is God's appointed means
of receiving and enjoying this salvation. Brother Norm Wells
brought this out this week while I was chatting with him. He said,
faith is the channel to trust Christ. And it is God who gives,
and it is God who opens the channel. There it is. Now many will sit
and tell you that they believe that salvation is by grace, but
in talking with them, and listening to what they have to say, you
quickly find out that they interpret grace a lot different than what
we do. You quickly learn that they believe
in salvation by their works. Here's the way that false religion
usually sets forth salvation by grace. And then we'll look
at some aspects of saving grace. They say this, false religion
says this, man is in need of salvation because he's a sinner.
We would agree with that. That's all. Man's a sinner. We
need a savior, don't we? And then they say this, the Lord
Jesus Christ came to this world to die on the cross for every
person to make salvation possible. They're off the rails. They're
off the rails. Christ came to redeem his people,
and he did it. He did it. And false religion
will say this. Christ having died on the cross
and is shedding His blood, God now by His Holy Spirit goes through
the world graciously offering salvation to every person because
He wants to save everyone. I hear this all the time. God
saves His people, beloved. He redeems His people. He has
redeemed His people. And the Holy Spirit regenerates
His people. And then false religion says
this, man, as they hear the message of salvation, have a choice to
make. It's their decision. Let me tell
you this. Scripture says there's none that
seeketh after God. That's man's decision. None.
Scripture says there's none righteous. That's man left to himself. That
was me. Before the Lord saved me, I had
no desire to come to Christ. I ask you, beloved, you who are
saved, was it the same with you? But God moved mightily, moves
mightily on the believer and turns us to Christ. regenerates
us by the power of the Holy Spirit, we're born again, and we run
to Christ. We run to Christ. And false religion
says it's up to every man to exercise his free will and to
refuse God's gracious offer of salvation and thereby seal their
own soul to hell. Let me tell you this, if God
left every one of us, we'd all go to hell. But God is gracious
to his people. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and not of yourselves. It's a gift of God. It's a gift
of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Here's something
to question about this line of thinking. In those aspects of
false religion that we looked at, here's something to question.
Who has the last and final word in salvation, man or God? Oh, and what we looked at, it's
man, isn't it? But beloved, that's not what our text says. That's
not what our text says. If our text says, for by grace
you say it through faith and not to yourselves, it's a gift
of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. So the answer
to the question based upon false religion, false gospel, is man
is sovereign. But oh beloved, the Bible shows
us that God is absolutely sovereign. Grace believers say with apology,
without apology, that Scripture teaches no such thing as what
false religion proclaims. The Word of God declares God's
salvation to His people to be all of grace, all of grace. All of grace. If you are saved,
you are saved by the pure mercy of God in Christ. It's because
God's had mercy on you. Paul said, I've obtained mercy. I don't get what I deserve, right?
Grace, grace, and nothing but the grace of God in Christ. So
let's look at some aspects of saving grace. For grace to be
saving grace, these things must be so. Number one, turn if you
would to Ephesians 1. For grace to be saving grace,
these things must be so. Saving grace is electing grace.
It's electing grace. God chose a people. If he hadn't
chose anyone, right? If he hadn't chose us, we'd never
choose him. Praise God he chose the people. Look at Ephesians
1, verses 3 to 6. Saving grace is electing grace,
the first point. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath
chosen us." Now, Paul's writing to the Ephesian believers. He's
not writing to everyone. He's writing to the church at
Ephesus. Blood-bought saints. "...according as He hath chosen
us in Him," in Christ. When? Before the foundation of
the world. How can you do any works if God
chose you before the foundation of the world? It's certainly
not based upon what we do, is it? That we should be holy and
without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us into
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to
the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. So
God chose a people in eternity, right? Saving grace is electing
grace, whether people like it or not. The Scripture declares
this, and the believer embraces this, knowing that if God had
not chosen us, we'd never be saved. And look at verse 5, according
to the good pleasure of His will. If you're saved, it's according
to the good pleasure of His will, of the will of the sovereign
God of the universe. Oh, this makes the believer rejoice. And look it, to the praise of
the glory of His grace. We give Him all the glory. All of it, beloved, all of it.
Because He's worthy, isn't He? He's worthy. He's worthy. Number
two, for grace to be saving grace, Saving grace is particular grace.
Particular grace. Turn, if you would, to John chapter
17. Particular grace. John chapter 17. Saving grace
is particular grace. In the Gospel according to John
chapter 17, this particular grace is undeniably set forth before
us. Look at verse 2. as Thou hast
given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life
to as many as Thou hast given Him." Now, remember in Ephesians,
Chosen in him before the foundation of the world when we were given
to him before the foundation of the world And it was based
upon nothing than us nothing than us But the pure free and
sovereign grace of God in Christ Eternal life is said in this
verse to be given to as many as thou hast given him and we
saw We saw who they were in Ephesians chapter 1 now look at verse 6
in the same chapter I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou
gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest
them me, and they have kept thy word. God's name is manifested
unto the men which were given to Christ before the foundation
of the world by the Father. And then look at verse 9. I pray
for them. I pray not for the world. He's
not praying for everyone, but he prays for his people. But
for them which thou hast given me, for they..." And look, these
are the words of the Master. These are the words of the Great
Redeemer. Look at this. "...for they are Thine." Oh,
my. Christ prays for those the Father
gave Him. Turn, if you would, over to John
chapter 6. Again, we hear these words of our blessed Lord as
He establishes who will come and follow Him. Who are the ones
who follow Him? Who are the ones who come to
Him? Well, religion would tell you it's the people who make
a decision, right? Well, this verse destroys that.
Look at John 6, verse 37. All that the Father giveth me.
Now, I remember talking to Norm a few times, a few years back,
and he says, religion changes words in Scripture. They change
words. And they twist things to however
they want. But we're going to read this verse as it says. What
does this verse say? All that the Father giveth me,
we know from Ephesians 1 that those are the, those who the
Father gave to Christ, shall come to me. It doesn't say anything
about us making a decision, or walking the Nile, or praying
a prayer. Although, do we run to Christ
when the Lord saves us? Absolutely we do. But see, this
is God who says, shall. There's no doubt here. This is
why we say we're on the trail of God's sheep. We preach and
proclaim the Gospel, and God does the same. Remember what
Ephraim said? David said, Go and fetch them.
We believe in fetching grace, don't we? Oh, the Holy Spirit
goes forth with power, fetches His people, brings them to Christ. Brings them to Christ. All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to
me... Now, look at this. Look at the security for the
believer in Christ. Remember this morning we looked
at all the things going on in the world and all the things
we see, but yet we can have rest and trust in Christ? And him
that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. I'll never leave. You see, the
fallacy of people who say you can be saved and then lose your
salvation and be saved and lose your salvation and be saved.
We won't have nothing of that, will we? No. Our security is
in Christ, in Him alone. And He will never cast out His
people. I want no wise cast out. Now, we are sinners saved by
grace, and we hate sin more in ourselves than anyone else. And
I know, I know you who believe battle sin just like I do all
the time. And it's a constant war. But let us have hope one
day that battle will be over. That battle will be over. Oh,
we'll be like Sister Marge who's now in glory. Perfect. Sinless. Oh, my. Beholding the face of
our Redeemer. Now, saving grace, the next point
is, saving grace is irresistible grace. It's irresistible. Men do not come to Christ kicking
and screaming against their will. They don't. God's elect willingly
come. We come willingly. We're given
a new will to come, a new nature. made willing in the day of his
power. Turn, if you would, to Psalm 65, verse 4. Do you know that God causes his
people to approach him? That God causes his people? Brother Neil brought that out
in his prayer. That God... Oh, Lord, use the message to
bring your people. Because he has to do this. Psalm
65, verse 4. Blessed. Now, if you're saved,
you're blessed. You're blessed. Because look
at what our text says here. Blessed is the man whom thou,
or woman, blessed is the man whom thou choosest. When did
he choose us? Before the foundation of the
world. Oh my. God chooses people. And look
at this, it's irresistible. This is irresistible grace. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causes to approach unto thee. Beloved, this is irresistible
grace. Irresistible grace. I like to
call it invincible grace. You can't stop it. Irresistible
grace. Well, man is being born in Adam,
have no desire for Christ, no desire to come to Him for salvation.
The children of promise come by faith, which is a gift of
God. We come by faith, which is a
gift of God. And we come willingly. We come
willingly. You remember Zacchaeus? Make
haste! Oh, he made haste, didn't he?
I like what Brother Donnie says, he probably skinned bark coming
down that tree. My goodness. Oh, we come willingly. And we come irresistibly. Irresistibly. Because God has given the believer
one heart. And He's put a new spirit within.
Turn, if you will, to Ezekiel chapter 11. Ezekiel chapter 11. Saving grace is irresistible
grace because He gives us a new heart and a new spirit within. And is this not mercy? We don't deserve this. We don't
deserve this at all. Mercy. I obtain mercy. I can stand before you and say,
I obtain mercy. And I know every believer in
here can do the same. We've obtained mercy. Mercy. My goodness. Grace, grace, marvelous grace.
Ezekiel 11, verse 19 and 20. And I will give them... Now remember,
this is the same God who's speaking. This is our God, the same one
who said, Blessed is the man whom thou choosest. causes to
approach unto thee David wrote that and in this is speaking
of this This is our God speaking now. He says and I will give
them one heart one heart There's no division one heart and I'll
put a new spirit within you and I'll take the stony heart out
of their flesh Brother Newell and I were talking today About
how we were before the Lord saved us and it's like a whole new
person in breath. It's incredible. It's a whole
new life I think about that old man, I know my flesh, I know
I still struggle with my flesh, but I think of how I used to
think, how I used to act. It's like a whole other person.
Truly, the believer is a new creature in Christ. A new creature
in Christ. I'll give them one heart, and
I'll put a new spirit within you, and I'll take the stony
heart of their flesh, and we'll give them a heart of flesh. A
heart that seeks and hungers and thirsts after righteousness.
Why? That they may walk in my statutes
and keep mine ordinances and do them. Oh, look at this, beloved. They shall again is there is
there any question here is it it is man in here in the sense
of well You know what maybe I have to make a decision before we
don't see that not at all This is the Almighty God speaking
and he says this and they shall There's those little words again
those little hinge words. They shall be my people this
is irresistible grace and Blessed is the man whom thou choosest,
and causes to approach unto thee. They shall be my people, and
I will be their God. Oh, this is marvelous. Brother
Newell, our God is King, and He is our God. There was a time
when we didn't think that, but now the believer, oh, he marvels
in who God is. He marvels in the grace of God
in Christ. And I will be their God. Irresistible
grace. Saving grace is irresistible
grace. And saving grace is justifying
grace. Justifying grace. Turn, if you
would, to Romans chapter 8, verse 30. And put your finger in 2
Corinthians 5.21. Saving grace is justifying grace. Romans 8.30. Moreover, whom he
did predestinate. Who are those? Those He chose
before the foundation of the world. Whom He did predestinate,
them He also called. And whom He called, them He also
justified. And whom He justified, them He
also glorified. Oh, beloved, the sins of God's
people are imputed to the great substitute. Look at 2 Corinthians
5.21. Look at this. Substitution. What a magnificent verse on substitution. For He, God, the Father, hath
made Him to be sin for us, Christ. Our sins are imputed to Him,
the perfect, sinless, spotless Lamb of God, who knew no sin,
perfect, that we might be made the righteousness of God. Our
sins are imputed to the Great Substitute, And His righteousness
is imputed to believers. What a magnificent verse, which
just shines the substitutionary work of Christ. Oh, the imputation
of our sins to Christ, and the imputation of His righteousness
to us. And God's elect are righteous,
made righteous, justified. So saving grace is justifying
grace. We're made righteous totally
and completely by the imputed righteousness of Christ. Do you
see? Do you see why it's not of our
works? Oh, for by grace are you saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God,
not of works, lest any man should boast. Saving grace is preserving
grace. Turn, if you would, to Matthew
24, 13, and I'll read Galatians 6, 9, which says, And let us
not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if
we faint not. Saving grace is preserving grace. Preserving grace. They that endure
to the end shall be saved. And God keeps his people. He keeps them. He keeps us. We
are kept by the power of God. Matthew 24, 13. But he that shall
endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Well, who is
he that shall endure unto the end? Put your finger in 1 Peter
1, 5. Scripture declares that man must
remain faithful to Christ to be saved. Without doubt, it's
established in Scripture. But man, being weak in himself
by the presence of sin, cannot keep himself. If there's one
thing that anyone must do from the establishing of salvation
to maintaining salvation, then salvation is not all of grace,
right? Salvation is either all of grace
or it's not grace at all. God's people are faithful, and
they shall not waver from their hope of salvation. Why? Because
they are kept by the power of God. Beloved, salvation is all
of grace. All of grace. They are kept by
the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed
in the last time. Look at 1 Peter 1.5. Look at
this. This is magnificent. Now, I was
in religion, and they keep telling you, you've got to do all this
stuff. And man, you get tired. You get wore out. Wore down. You hear a message, and then
you You failed that night. But not with grace. We are kept
by the power of God. Kept by Him. Saving grace is
preserving grace. Look at this. Who are kept, verse
five. Who are kept by the power of
God. By God's almighty power, the
believers kept. How? Through faith. We believe.
We believe and we continue to believe. I love what Brother
Henry said a long time ago. He said, we're saved and we're
being saved. And we will be saved, because we continuously come
to Christ. Continuously. Who are kept by
the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed
in the last time. So saving grace is preserving
grace. God keeps his people. Now that
doesn't give us a license to go out the door and go crazy,
does it? It doesn't. But the believer can rest in
the fact that those who God saves, He keeps. He keeps. Kept by the power of God. The next point is, saving grace
is glorifying grace. Turn, if you would, to Romans
chapter 8, and then put your finger in Romans chapter 5. Saving
grace is glorifying grace. God's people, heaven, Christ,
eternal glory. Eternal salvation, eternal life. They have been redeemed, purchased
by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at Romans
8, verses 16 and 17. The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children
and heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if so be, that we
suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. And
then turn over to Romans chapter 5. God's people are truly saved
by the grace of God in Christ alone. And this saving power,
this saving grace has none of man's works. None. And remember,
works is anything you do with your mind or actions. With your
mind or actions. Romans chapter 5, verses 14 and
15. Saving grace is honorably set
forth as being God's grace and is the gift given to God's people
by the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at this, Romans 5, 14 and
15. Nevertheless, death reigned from
Adam to Moses. There is man's fall. For through
the offense of one, We fell in Adam. Many be dead. Much more
the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man.
Salvation's only in Christ. It's nowhere else. By one man,
Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many. So true saving grace is
declared to be by God's election, by God's free grace. In this
marvelous grace, beloved, is for a particular people who shall
be irresistibly called out of spiritual darkness into the marvelous
light of the Lord Jesus Christ. And by grace, the elect are justified. And by grace, the elect are kept. And by grace, we will one day
be glorified by and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ
is the way, means, or instrument by which we receive and enjoy
salvation. And this saving faith is not
a product of man. It's not a product of man, but
it's a gift of God. It's a gift of God. And we give
Him all the glory, and all the honor, and all the praise. Turn,
if you would, to Matthew 25. Do you know that any good works
we do are not ours, but by the grace of God, and we have no
clue when we do them? A lot of folks like to tell you
what they do in religion. I know. I used to be that way.
Boasting all the time. Well, I went and knocked on 500
doors this week just to brag about it. Just to brag about
it. Is it good to talk to folks? Absolutely. But we don't have
to brag about it. Oh, my. Now, we share with one
another. We share with one another. When we get an opportunity to
talk to someone, But back then it was like putting notches on
the bell. And that's what religion does.
Look at this in Matthew 25. Look at this. Verse 34. Then
shall the king say unto them on his right hand, come, ye blessed
of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you. Now look at
this. Prepared for you. This kingdom is prepared for
God's people from the foundation of the world. For I was hungered
and you gave me meat. I was thirsty and you gave me
drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. Naked, and you
clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me.
I was in prison, and you came unto me." Now, remember the folks
in Matthew 7 who say, Lord, we've done all these things for you.
And the Lord said, depart from me, you cursed. I never knew
you. They're proclaiming what they've done. They're proclaiming
all the religious works. And that's religious folks in
that chapter. They're proclaiming all the things that they've done.
Look at this. Then shall the righteous answer
him, verse 37, saying, Lord, when saw we thee in hunger, and
fed thee, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger,
and took thee in? Or naked and clothed thee? Or
when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? They
have no idea. No idea at all. It's the opposite
of religion. And the King, the King, the King,
the King of kings and the Lord of lords, I couldn't go by that
without commenting on that. The King, the King, shall answer
and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, in so much as ye have
done it unto one of the least of my brethren, You have done
it unto me. Turn, if you would, to Romans
3. And we can conclude with what we've looked at tonight, that
saving grace is salvation by grace alone without our works. Without our works. It's all by
the grace of God. If you're trusting in your works,
cast them aside and flee to Christ. Oh, that God would make you willing.
Oh, that God would show you that you can't be saved by your works.
Look at Romans chapter 3. Look at this. Verse 20 to 28.
Now, there's a lot of folks that try to live by the law, isn't
there? A lot of folks. A lot of folks
that measure other people and say, well, these folks ain't
doing this. They should be doing all this stuff. A lot of folks
do that. I was guilty of that. It's my shame. Look at this.
Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be
justified in his sight. Not of works of righteousness,
which we have done. But according to his mercy. For
by grace he is saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's not of works, is it? Therefore,
by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in
his sight. For by the law is the knowledge
of sin. The law shows us our sinfulness, beloved. It shows
us our utter inability before God. Romans 3, verse 20. For
by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness
of God, verse 21, without the law is manifest, being witnessed
by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God,
which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that
believe, Well, that destroys the false thinking. People say
that someone will die and they never believed in Christ, but
all of a sudden they're in heaven. No. Upon all that believe, for
there is no difference. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. There's the level playing field,
beloved. There's where we're no better
than anyone else. I am what I am by the grace of
God. Being justified freely by His
grace. Freely by His grace. For by grace
are you saved. Freely by His grace. Oh my. Through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus by what He did on Calvary's cross, He purchased
His people, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission
of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God, to declare,
I say at this time, His righteousness, that He might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? Well, it is excluded. No room for us to boast. No room
for us to boast. By what law? Of works? Nay, by
the law of faith. Therefore we conclude, look at
this, that a man is justified by faith. without the deeds of
Allah. And then I'll go back to our,
I'll just read the verse, keep that in mind, what we just read
there in Romans 3, 28. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. The believer has no room to boast,
no room to boast in himself or herself, no room, no room. But
we make our boast in Christ. He has saved me. He has redeemed
me. And He saves all who come to
Him. Oh, that God would make you willing.
Oh, that God would make you willing to flee to Christ.