Once again, we're very thankful
to be able to meet and to worship Thee in spirit and truth and
freedom that we have to come and worship. And we don't take
that for granted, and we're very thankful, Lord God. We pray that
You would bless the services today, each message, that they
would glorify You, Lord Jesus, that You'd be magnified and lifted
up. And we'll be quick to give you all the praise and all the
glory and all the honor. And we love you all because you
first loved us and you drew us with your everlasting love. And
we're so thankful. In Jesus' name, Amen. We'll be continuing our study
in Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 1. Last week
we looked at verses 2 and 3. And today we'll be looking at
verses 4 and 5. Now I'm not going to spend much
time on verse 4 because we went in depth on verse 4 in our study
on the doctrines of grace. And that's about God electing
us in Christ before the foundation of the world. But we will touch
on it a little bit. But we're mostly going to concentrate
on verse 5 today. So let's read verses 4 and 5.
According as He has chosen us in Him, That's in Christ, before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. And look at this marvelous
statement, according to the good pleasure of His will. According
to the good pleasure of His will. So last week we looked at verses
2 and 3. And here we have before us in
these two verses very deep doctrinal subjects. the doctrine of election,
and the doctrine of adoption. And these are rich, rich for
us as believers. And they bring us great comfort.
Let's look at verse 4 here. According as He has chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love. Now God's people,
His elect, are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the
world. That's a hard concept for us to really wrap our minds
around, but it's true. Because scripture plainly declares
that God's people are chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world. That's before anything. That's
when God dwelt in eternity by Himself. Before the foundation, before
He spoke the world into existence. Look at that, we should be holy
and without blame before Him. And now the doctrine of election
is one of the deep mysteries of our God. But the meaning of
it in our scripture here is clear and precise, isn't it? It's clear
and precise. God chose us before the foundation
of the world. But yet people still, people
still are in opposition to the great
doctrine of election. And the reason why is because
it humbles the pride of man. It brings man down to nothing.
And it exalts the sovereignty of God. And man hasn't changed
in 2,000 years. When they said to Christ, we're
not, have this man rule over us, man hasn't changed. And we would have said the same
thing unless God had broken us, right? And bought us to Christ.
And we did. We shook our fists. I shook my
fist at God. If not physically, with my actions
and with my words. But God saves rebels. Oh, He
saves us and He makes us trophies of His grace. But here before
us, this deep mystery, this deep doctrine, is very clear. According to this, He has chosen
us in Him, be in Christ, before the foundation of the world.
God has, from eternity, before the foundation of the world,
before the worlds were laid, before He spoke it into existence,
in the counsels of His wisdom, in the counsels of His wisdom,
and remember, His thoughts are not our thoughts. We only save those who are nice
to us or those who are our family, right? No, He saves rebels. In the counsels of His wisdom
and love, He has chosen of humanity a people unto Himself. And He
didn't look down through time and see who would choose Him.
He saw us all dead in trespasses and sins. He chose us in Christ
then. And again, as we talked about
on Wednesday night, this is not up for debate. People are, well,
that's not fair. As I said many times, we don't
want what's fair. And scripture is not up for debate.
It states a fact. It states a fact. And either
we bow our knee to it or we shake our fist. And praise God, He's
made us to bow our knees. To bow our knees. And then this
precious truth to the believer is wonderful. God chose me. I never would have chosen Him.
Oh, it's wonderful. Wonderful. It's so comforting
to God's people. Scripture is not up for debate,
though. It states facts. And the opinions of man have
no place in what Scripture says. And think of this too, even if
man disagrees with it, which he does, it doesn't change the
fact. That election. That God chose
a people from before the foundation of the world. And we who believe
go, praise God. Thank you Lord that you chose
me. It's amazing. It's truly amazing grace. So
our text is very clear here. God chose a people in Christ
before the foundation of the world. And it's a fact. And it's not up for debate. So
let's look at this marvelous text before us. And it's wonderful. God has chosen the people in
Christ. And look, it says that we should
be holy and without blame before Him. Sinners. Sinners to the
core, right? Holy. The exact opposite of what we
are. Holy. We are full of blame, aren't
we? But scripture declares, look at this. According as he has
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be
holy and without blame. Blameless. Blameless. Before him in love. How? Clothed
in the righteousness of Christ. That's how. That's how. The believer's
clothed in Christ. We who are full of blame are
without blame in Christ. In Christ. And we could never
accomplish this by ourselves, could we? Never. "'Tis He adorned
my naked soul and made salvation mine. Upon a poor, polluted worm,
He makes His grace to shine. Unless the shadow of a spot should
on my soul be found, He took the robe of the Savior wrought
and cast it all around. The Spirit wrought my faith and
love and hope and every grace, but Jesus spent His life to work
the robe of righteousness." Oh, the believer is clothed in the
righteousness of Christ. I like that when He says, He
took the robe the Savior wrought and cast it all out. There is
no spot and no blemish in God's people. Oh, this is wonderful
grace. Wonderful grace. The believer
is clothed in the righteousness of Christ. So the bridegroom
The Lord Jesus Christ says of the bride, the church, because
we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, thou art fair, my
love. There is no spot in me. There is no spot in me. Song
of Psalm 4-7. Thou art fair, my love. There
is no spot in me. Amazing grace. and we're justified by the righteousness
of Christ, washed in His precious blood and sanctified by the Holy
Spirit. And verse 4 finishes up in love. God has loved His elect. He's
loved His church. He's loved His chosen ones with
an everlasting love. With an everlasting love. Think
of that. Before we were even born, before
the worlds even were. He loved his sheep. He loved
his people. Well, we're here on Earth right
now. He loves us. In an eternity future, he'll
love us all the time. It's an everlasting love. It
doesn't change. It never, ever, ever changes. The love of God is eternal because
God is eternal. And it never changes. Let's look
at verse 5 here. Having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will. The same God who chose, in verse
4, chose us in Christ, elected us, elected us in Christ, to
be holy and without blame before Him in love, has predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. What wondrous
love. What wondrous love. What perfect
order unites the whole from verse 3, let's look at verse 3, to
verse 5. Blessed be God and the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He has
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will." Whose will? Man likes to speak
about their supposed free will, don't they? Whose will? Oh my,
His will, beloved. His will. Oh. And this was all planned and
purposed in eternity. All planned and purposed in eternity
according to the good pleasure of His will. Think on this. We're born in this world dead
in trespasses and sins. If you go over just one chapter
in verse 2, or verse 1 of chapter 2, and you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sins. There's our state, natural
state in this world. Wherein in times past ye walked
according to the course of this world. Oh, we don't even want
to think of how we were, right? But we were. We did. We did this. According to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience. And this ties into Colossians where it said
we're under the power of darkness. Right? among whom also we had
our conversations in times past, the lust of the flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others." You couldn't tell God's
people, His elect, from a goat. Couldn't tell. Couldn't tell.
And then remember in Colossians we're translated into the kingdom
of his dear son. Look at verse four, mountaintop
here. But God, where's man? But God, man's dead in trespasses
and sins. But God, but God, who is rich
in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace
you are saved. Born again, born again of the
Holy Spirit of God. So we were dead and trespassed
as sins. As one commentator said, we were in Adam's loins when
he sinned, and when the righteous sentence was passed upon him,
it was passed upon us. Only God can call us forth from
the dungeon that we were in. We were chained up by sin. Chained
up. But the chains are removed from
our hands. and were robed in the royal garment,
the righteousness of Christ. Oh, and were received as sons
and daughters of the Lord God Almighty in Christ. And it pleased God. It pleased
God to predestinate us unto this adoption. It pleased Him. Why
did He do it? according to the good pleasure
of His will. Now, sin reigns universally,
doesn't it? Within all of us and all the
people of the world. And before we are saved, as I
said earlier, we're enemies in our minds with God. And not only
in our minds, but also in our ways, too. And Christ finds His sheep in
this miserable state, dead in trespasses and sins. This is
how Christ finds His sheep. We don't find Him because we're
running the other way. We're lost. He finds His sheep
in this state and He calls them. And He saves them. And they're
regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God. Why? Because it pleased God to
predestinate us unto this adoption. Because it pleased God. Turn, if you would, to Galatians
4, verses 5-7. And the purpose which Christ
has said to be made of a woman, made under the law, was to redeem
them that were under the law. that they might receive the adoption
of sons. Galatians 4, verses 5-7 says
this, To redeem them that were under the law, that they might
receive the adoption of sons. Galatians 4, verses 5-7 To redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption
of sons. And because ye are sons, Why
do we cry out to God? Why do we cry out to Him? Why
do we flee to Christ? Because He draws us, right? Because
we're chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. But
look what the Scripture says. And because ye are sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ. Those whom God has chosen in
Christ. Those who Christ has predestinated
will cry, Abba, Father. They'll cry, Abba, Father. They'll
cry out to Christ. They will. This is why we know
God will get every one of His sheep. There won't be one left
behind. Not one. And why do we cry out,
Abba, Father? Because we've been regenerated.
Born again of the Holy Spirit of God. And we cry out. I have
a father." Hawker says this on adoption.
The word adoption is borrowed from a custom well known among
the Romans under whose government Judea became a province and adopted
the children of strangers and acknowledged them for their own
when they themselves were childless. And this term is applied to believers.
from being openly adopted and acknowledged in the family of
Christ. This is our family. Blood-brought saints. Yet, strictly
and properly speaking, this is not done because they were not
of the family of Christ before. For in fact, they always were.
We always were. A goat is always a goat and a
sheep is always a sheep. It doesn't change. God's the
only one who knows that. But the reason we cry out to
God is because we're predestinated in Christ before the foundation
of the world. Turn, if you would, to Isaiah
chapter 44. And in Galatians 4, 6 it said,
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of
his Son into your hearts, whereby ye cry, Abba, Father. The express
purpose of this was because we were adopted in Christ. Look
at Isaiah 44, verses 1-4. Yet now hear, O Jacob, My servant
in Israel, whom I have chosen. Thus saith the Lord that made
thee and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee. Fear not, O Jacob, My servant.
And thou, Jezeron, whom I have chosen, Or I will pour water upon him
that is thirsty. How are we thirsty? Oh, by the
Holy Spirit of God moving and regenerating us. And floods upon
the dry ground. And remember in Galatians it
says, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts whereby
you cry, I have a Father. Look at this Scripture here.
I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine
offspring. And they shall spring up among
the grass as willows by the water courses. God seeks out His people, having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to
the good pleasure of His will. Oh, this is marvelous. And because
ye are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Galatians 4, 6 again. Turn again
just a few chapters over to Isaiah 59. And then put your finger
in Ezekiel. Actually, turn to Ezekiel 37. And I'll read Isaiah 59-21. As
for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord. My spirit
that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth
shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed,
nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord from henceforth
and forever. Again, and because ye are sons,
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father. And then turn to Ezekiel 37.
And we'll read a rather long portion here, but keep this in
mind. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit
of His Son into your hearts, crying, I have a Father. And
also keep in mind, heaven predestinated us into the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will.
In Ezekiel 37, verses 4-14, Again He said unto me, Prophesize upon
these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word
of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto
these bones, Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and
ye shall live. Remember what we looked at in
Ephesians 2, verse 4, about God who is rich in mercy for His
great love. Even when we were dead in sin,
And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon
you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye
shall live. The dead will live. And ye shall know that I am the
Lord. God's people know He's the Lord. So I prophesied as
I was commanded, and I prophesied there was a noise, and behold,
a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to His bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews
and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above,
but there was no breath in them. Then said He unto me, Prophesy
unto the wind, prophesy, Son of Man, and say to the wind,
Thus saith the Lord God, Come from the four winds, O breath,
and breathe upon these slain that they may live. So I prophesied
as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived
and stood up on their feet, an exceeding great army, Then he
said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of
Israel. Behold, they say, oh, our bones
are dried and our hope is lost. We are cut off from our parts.
Therefore prophesy and say unto them, thus saith the Lord God,
behold, O my people, I will open your graves and cause you to
come out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. Think of Lazarus come forth. Oh, my. And ye shall know that
I am the Lord, whom I have opened your graves, O my people, and
brought you up out of your graves. Remember, we were dead in trespasses
and sins. We were dead. Oh, but He's made
us alive. And remember, and because ye
are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son unto your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father, and shall put My Spirit in you,
and ye shall live. and you shall live. And I shall
take place in you, in your own land, and then shall you know
that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it, saith the
Lord." And these all tie in with Galatians 4, verse 6. And Galatians
4, that portion we read, ties in with this having predestined
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according
to the good pleasure of His will. What privileges we have, beloved,
in adoption. What privileges we have in adoption.
We're adopted in Christ. And in Christ we have all spiritual
blessings, right? We know that from verse 3. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And by adoption, The children
of God are translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom
of His dear Son. We've been looking at this in
Wednesday nights. Colossians 1, verses 12-14, giving thanks
unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us. Remember, we're held captive
by sin. We can't escape. Delivered us from the power of
darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear
Son. In whom we have redemption. It's not of question we have
it, beloved. Oh, what a wonderful God. In
whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness
of sins. By our adoption in Christ, we are bought out of the bondage
of sin into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. We are regenerated,
born again, justified, pardoned of all our sins, all of them.
Made heirs in Christ Jesus our Lord. All by God's choosing. And all
by Him predestining us unto the adoption in Christ. It's all in Christ. Back to our text. Having predestined
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according
to the good pleasure of His will. Now, folks like to pop off all
the time, don't they, about their free will, their supposed free
will. They pop off all the time. I used to do it before I was
saved. But I didn't know at that time, and I really believe most
people don't know this, and it's scriptural, is that our will
is tied to our nature. Excellent book if you ever want
to read it by Luther, The Bondage of the Will. He just lays it
out. Our wills are tied to our nature.
So if we're dead in trespasses and sins, then we have a dead
nature. But when we're alive in Christ, born again, we have
a new nature that governs our will. But man likes to pop off
about their will. But here before us in Scripture,
there's only really one free will in the whole universe. Really. There's only one will that's
totally free to do whatever it pleases. And no man possesses
it. It's God's. God's will. He can
do whatever He wants. Whatever He pleases to do. Oh
my. And look at what the text states
before us. According to the good pleasure
of His will. His will. Here's the determining cause
of the whole of God's counsel in the choice of His people in
Christ. Here it is before us. It's according to the good pleasure
of His will. It's the determining cause of
the church being blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ.
This is it. There's no other determining
cause. None at all. according to His good pleasure,
His free will to do whatever He pleases. Whatever He pleases. According to the good pleasure
of His will. And remember this, too. Remember this, and this
will bring us great comfort when we're going through things and
when trials come and things. His will is supreme. It can never
be overwritten. It's absolutely supreme. His will's sovereign. He does
whatever he pleases. Whatever he pleases. And his
will is absolutely free because it's controlled by no one else.
No one else. It's absolutely, and this is
our God, beloved. This is the one who keeps us.
This is the one who saves us, who redeems us. What a mighty God. What a mighty
God we have. And it's all according to the
good pleasure of His will. He's absolutely sovereign. His
will is sovereign to do whatever He pleases. Aren't you thankful
He was pleased to save you who believe? Oh my. When He willed that there should
be a church in union with His dear Son, He rejoiced and delighted in
that particular act of His will, one commentator said. He rejoiced. It was the good pleasure of His
will to do it. To choose a people in Christ before the foundation
of the world. Now should that, and I've often
heard folks say, And I don't know, because I came out of that
camp, too, and used to say the same things. They say, well,
that'll kill missions and that'll kill evangelists. No, it doesn't.
It gives us a zeal for that. We want others to come to Christ,
but we know it's all God's work. But we desire folks to come to
Christ. We desire His sheep to be gathered in. We desire for
the Gospel to be preached and proclaimed. Because we know it's
the power of God unto salvation. Oh, my! We just acknowledge that
He has full control to do whatever He pleases. He is absolutely
sovereign. Absolutely. There's nothing that
happens but chance. He's absolutely sovereign. And
to think this, beloved, here's a great comfort for you and I.
If we're in Him, and He's absolutely sovereign, we're secure, aren't
we? We're secure in Christ. Oh, what
comfort for our souls, because we're sinners. But what comfort
for us in our souls. Oh my. God exercises His mercy in the
pardoning of guilty sinners in Christ. He exercises His mercy
in the pardoning of sinners in Christ. And when we connect the latter
part of verse 4, look at this. In love. In love. The love of God and the good
pleasure of God and the will of God are all interconnected
in Christ. In Christ. They all move in harmony. in the electing of the church
of Christ unto holiness and righteousness, and it's only found in Christ.
Nowhere else. Nowhere else. Well, I ask you, do we not see
the absolute sovereignty of God at work in our texts that we've
looked at in the last few? The absolute sovereignty of God
at work. Fully at work. And it all is
from eternity. And this should fill our hearts
with joy. Fill our hearts with joy and with love for our great
King and our Lord and Savior. May we be encouraged to look
to Him and to wait upon the Lord Jesus Christ.