Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn number 60. The tune is St. Anatolius, 555. All the elected train were chosen
in their head to all eternal good before the world were made. Chosen to know the Prince of
Peace and taste the riches of his grace. Hymn number 60, tune
St. Anatolius, 555. The chosen in the heavens to all eternal good before the
world's perplexed chosen to know the Prince of Peace Chosen's
the richest of his friends Chosen to faith and love to purity and love, to all the
light of love, to all the light of love. ? Chosen to her salvation
so ? ? Chosen to reign forevermore ? ? Nothing but grace the Lord
has given me ? In this eternal joy, It charms the humble saint, And
makes us all rejoice. ? It shepherds lowly shepherds
of night ? ? It makes her weak and so denied ? ? Now, Lord,
to us ? It o'ercomes earth in grace,
And may we all pursue That shining light of peace, Let us read together from the Holy
Word of God in Paul's epistle to the Ephesians
in chapter 3. Ephesians chapter 3. For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner
of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation
of the grace of God which is given me to you all, how that
by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore
in a few words, whereby when ye read ye may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made
known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy
apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should
be fellow heirs, and of the same body and partakers of his promise
in Christ by the gospel. Whereof I was made a minister
according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by
the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than
the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make
all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things
by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now unto the principalities
and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church
the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which
he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness
and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore,
I desire that ye fade not at my tribulations for you, which
is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees
unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family
in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according
to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by
his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth
and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the
fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to
do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according
to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory. in the Church, by Christ Jesus,
through all ages, world without end. Amen. May the Lord, at his
blessing to the reading of his precious word, grant unto us
a spirit of real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy We desire to bow before thy glorious majesty,
and to worship in thy holy hill of Zion. We desire to draw near
to thee with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, nothing
wavering. For thou art the King of glory,
that thou art, O Lord, the almighty King of the universe. And as one says, with heaven
and earth at his command, he waits to answer prayer. He that sitteth upon the circle
of the earth and the inhabitants are like grasshoppers. O most
gracious Lord, we desire to humbly bow before thee, feeling our
sinfulness and a sense of thy holiness. feeling our insufficiency
and our helplessness, prone to wander, Lord, we feel it, prone
to leave the God I love. We often have to say a wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death.
Gracious God, we desire grace tonight to worship thee, grace
to confess our sins, our wanderings, our backslidings, so true as
to what the Apostle himself declares, that which I would I do not,
that which I would not I do. I find a law within my members
that when I would do good, then evil is present with me. And as he himself says, for I
know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. And our Lord Jesus did say that
it is the spirit that quickens, the flesh. Prophet is nothing,
and so we prove it to be so. Our flesh is our flesh, and it
always will be. Oh, but that we might be a partaker
of those rich spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus, and that we may feel that blessed union to him to our Lord
Jesus Christ, and that his love may be shed abroad in our hearts,
that we may indeed be enabled to bow our knees unto the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is full of wisdom
and grace. Lord Jesus, we pray that thou
wouldst come and stand in our midst here tonight. We thank
thee for the sacred reality of what thou art, and what thou
dost mean to us. And we thank Thee that from time
to time Thou art exceedingly precious to our souls. Exceedingly precious when we
feel our own insufficiency and poverty and sinfulness. And a
great wonder of wonders that Thou should even have mercy upon
us. So that we have to say, O Lord
with the hymn writer, why me? O blessed God, why me? by such
a wretch as me, that must forever lie in hell, were not salvation
free. But we thank Thee, O Lord, that
that salvation that is in Christ Jesus is absolutely free, and
that it cannot be bought or purchased. It is beyond that price. Gracious
God, we do thank Thee for the glory of the incarnation of the
Son of God, and over this coming weekend, O Lord, we pray that
as we seek to meditate on these things, that they may be made
unspeakably precious to our souls, that we may behold thy glory,
the glory as the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace
and truth, God manifest in the flesh, Emmanuel, God with us. Oh, we do thank thee for that
wonderful glory that is in our Lord Jesus Christ. In him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And Lord, what a profound
mystery that is. The infinite, taken into union
with his infinite nature, a sacred, holy human nature, sinless and
pure and holy. spotless, innocent, and pure,
our great Redeemer stood, while Satan's fiery darts he bore,
and did resist the blood. Oh, we do thank Thee for that
holy life, that sinless life, that perfect life of Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for that law that
has been honoured and fulfilled in His glorious person, something,
Lord, that we can never do. but something that Jesus has
done on our behalf. Oh, we thank Thee that Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness. He Jehovah said, can you, the
Lord our righteousness. We thank Thee for that wonderful
provision for poor, wretched, empty sinners. We thank Thee
for the wonderful glories of the cross. the wonderful glories
of divine love, Gethsemane, sin laid upon him, Calvary. He took our sins and he now them
to his cross. He suffered what we should have
suffered in a never-ending eternity of damnation. He passed through
those tremendous travails of his soul and satisfied all the
demands of divine justice, all those terrible, oh Lord, curses
that come against us because of our sinful nature. He was
made a curse for us. Lord, on such love, such grace,
my heart still ponders. Love so rich, so full, so free. The love of our eternal Father.
The love of his only begotten Son. the love of the Holy Ghost,
the wonders of our eternal God, the glories of his name and the
fullness of his grace. He died for our sins and he rose
again for our justification. He swallowed up death in victory
and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Oh, we do thank thee for the wonderful glories of Christ.
We thank thee that his body ascended into heaven and our great High
Priest, who is passed into the heaven, Jesus, the Son of God.
We do thank that it is He, instead of me, is He, when I approach
to God, O that we might lay hold of that truth, and the wonder
and glory of that truth, that everything that we stand in need
of, for time and for eternity, is treasured in His glorious
person. And how true is the dear apostle
himself says, unto you that believe therefore, he is precious. Oh, we thank thee for the preciousness
of Christ, for the fullness of Christ, for the wonders of redeeming
love, for the infinite love of our eternal father in sending
his only begotten son to live and suffer and bleed and die
for our sins, and to rise again for our justification, the eternal
son of the eternal father, a divine saviour, an everlasting saviour,
an almighty saviour. Oh, fill our hearts with gratitude
as we consider this weekend the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. And may we consider what he himself
said, To this end was I born, when he came to suffer, bleed
and die. To this end was I born, for this
cause came I into the world. Bless us as a church and as a
congregation. Work mightily, continue to work
powerfully and effectually amongst to the great glory of thy name,
to the good of precious souls. May there be those yet in this
coming new year, that shall come and tell to sinners round what
a dear saviour they have found, and point to thy redeeming grace. Say, behold the way to God. Gracious God, so work. We do
humbly pray thee. Thy spirit yet remaineth among
us. May we continually see thy work.
Thou hast said, open thy mouth wide. and I will finish, so work
amongst us. And thou hast said, instead of
thy fathers shall be thy children, at whom thou mayest make princes
in all the earth. May we see the bringing forth
of the next generation that shall come and serve in this house
of prayer to the great glory of thy name. We do humbly beseech
of thee. May 2024 be a year of jubilee when we
shall see thy wonderful works and thy power made known among
us. O Lord, remember our brethren
the deacons. Help and give them needed grace,
wisdom, and help in all their responsibilities here and elsewhere. Gird them with all sufficient
grace. Remember each one of our brethren and sisters in Christ,
and that richly bless them. Pray especially for dear Lydia.
We thank thee for what thou hast done for her. We thank thee for
that witness of thy wonderful grace. We pray, most gracious
Lord, that thou wouldst bless the dear children, that thou
wouldst guide and direct them into that heavenly way, guide
them into thy truth, Bring them to living faith in Jesus Christ.
Make them true followers of thee, and of those who through faith
and patience inherit the promises. Thou hast said out of the mouth
of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength. Gracious God,
we pray that thou wouldst work in the hearts of the young friends,
or that thou wouldst bless them indeed. that thou would bring
them to living faith in Jesus Christ, that thou would supply
all their providential needs, whether it's to do with their
education or their employment or a partner in life journey,
help them to commit all things into thy kind and gracious hands. And remember the prodigals that
have wandered from the sanctuary, O gracious God, Remember those
also that haven't wandered from the sanctuary but are yet dead,
in trespasses and in sins. Oh, remember them for good. Remember
them with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people. Visit
them with thy great salvation. Gracious God, work mightily,
work powerfully, and that do graciously send the light and
truth and power of the gospel into this village and the surrounding
villages and hamlets. We think, O Lord, of the distribution
of the scripture calendars and the word of God among the schools. We pray that thou wilt bless,
that thy word may have free course, that thy name may be honoured
and glorified that many precious souls may be brought unto Christ,
we do humbly beseech of thee. Oh, we pray that the strongholds
of Satan may be pulled down, and that people will stand amazed
at the wonderful grace of God. Hear us, Lord. May there be some
Jerusalem sinners that shall be saved. We pray, most gracious
God, that thou wouldst remember parents, give wisdom and grace
and help to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord, and that thou wouldst guide and direct them in family
worship. And Lord, we pray for those that
are fearful, those that are tried, those that are tempted. Oh, we
do pray that thou wouldst, with thy grace, with faith and hope
and love, fill them with strength to follow Thee. And O Lord God,
we do pray that Thou in Thy precious mercy would deliver us from the
temptations of Satan, that old serpent, the devil, who goeth
about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, who also
goeth about as an angel of light, seeking whom he may deceive.
O do hear us, Lord, Humbly pray that thy work appear unto thy
servants and thy glory unto their children. Remember those of us in the evening
time of life's journey. And Lord, we pray that as the
outward man perishes, that the inward man may be renewed day
by day. Make us more spiritually minded.
set our affections on things above, draw my soul to Thee,
my Lord, let me love Thy precious Word. And O Lord God, pray for
dear Ena in her great age, be with her, bless her, help her,
undertake for her, visit her with Thy great salvation. And
Lord, remember all Thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine
upon the walls of Thine set them free, set them at liberty. We do humbly pray thee, and we
pray thee, the great Lord of the harvest, to send true labourers
into the harvest. Lord, wilt thou not revive us
again? Come and make bare thine holy
arm. Arise, arise, O God of grace,
into thy rest descend thou in the ark of thy strength. and
let thy priest be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shall
shout aloud for joy, O abundantly bless the provision of thy house
and satisfy her poor with bread. O Lord, we do beseech thee, bring
our sons from far and our daughters from the ends of the earth. Let
thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man, whom
thou madest strong for thyself. Build up thy people in their
most holy faith. Grant that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and that we may be more like him.
Hear us, Lord. Be with us now as we turn to
thy word. Come and touch one's lips with
a live coal from off the heavenly altar. Remember all in trouble. trial, affliction, sorrow, sadness
or bereavement, we ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 66. The tune is Revolts. 396. Deep in the everlasting mind
the great mysterious purpose lay of choosing some from lost
mankind whose sins the Lamb should take away. Hymn number 66, tune
Revolts 396. Thank you. O Jesus, O Lord, have mercy on
us. For to change the world should
they endeavor. ? And love is ready to come around
? ? Till the earth and the heavens revolve ? ? In heaven's love
? Which Thou hath brought forth,
which Thou hast brought forth to give to them. In this, he has returned to earth. The gift that all his goodness
earned. In this, he can say ? For Jesus' sake ? ? And use them
not as He is done ? ? May goodness grow ? ? Whose throne
we'll build ? ? And all His praise give praise to Thee ? ? The bounteous in the universe
? ? Which we did love from the beginning to the end ? ? O come all ye faithful ? ? Joyful
and triumphant ? ? O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem ? Christ is born in Bethlehem. greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I'll direct your attention to the third chapter
of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, and we'll read verse 11 for our
text. Ephesians chapter three, verse
11. According to the eternal purpose
which he purposed, in Christ Jesus our Lord according to the
eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. We read here in the surrounding
verses and verse 9 and to make all men see what is the fellowship
of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been
hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. We read in scripture of the mystery
of iniquity and it is a mystery that God
permitted sin to enter into the world. and thereby Satan tempted our
forefathers. Satan himself fell. He was a leading angel, an archangel
in heaven and with him many angels, many thousands of angels fell and were cast out of heaven.
It's clearly recorded in the Word of God especially in Revelation
chapter 12, that when Satan was cast out of heaven, the leader
of those that made an insurrection against God, and we read in Isaiah
that he sought to sit where he ought not to sit. Now, what does
that mean? He sought to sit on the throne
of God. In that symbolic language that
is used in scripture, a throne represents a seat of power and
authority. And he sought to sit on the throne
of God, to take the seat of God's power and of God's authority,
usurping the power of God. And we read there was war in
heaven. There were the elect angels. chosen before the foundation
of the world. And then there are fallen angels.
And the head of those fallen angels is Satan himself. He's called Apollyon, the destroyer. He's called the prince of darkness.
His kingdom is a kingdom of darkness. It is. And he was cast down And
the word of God records it. Woe unto you, inhabitants of
the earth, for the devil has come down onto you having great
power. My beloved friends, never underestimate
the power of Satan. That's so easy for us to do. But if the Lord truly brings
you into Satan's sin, and when you're brought to feel the tremendous
power of the wicked one, and the power in temptation, It's an awful thing and it's
a mercy if like the Apostle we're not ignorant of his cunning devices.
Now there is no doubt whatsoever that the reason for sin entering
into the world is that God might show forth his mercy, his love
and his grace in Jesus Christ. to a chosen people. A people that were chosen before
the foundation of the world. And the Apostle, he says here
that he was made a minister. He said, unto me who are less
than the least of all saints is this grace given that I should
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ
and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery.
Now, in another place we read That great is the mystery of
Godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh.
We read of another mystery in the Colossians we alluded to
on Lord's Day morning. The mystery of God and of the
Father and of Christ. In whom dwell all the treasures
of wisdom, knowledge and of understanding. God the Father, God the Son,
God the Holy Ghost. From everlasting to everlasting
thou art God. And as John says in what is known
as the Johannes comma in the first epistle of John, these
three are one. This is the wonderful mystery
that we see. These three are one. One blessed, infinite, almighty,
and Eternal God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And these mysteries
are revealed in the Word. They're a mystery because we
can't work them out. If we could work them out, they
would no longer be a mystery. But these mysteries are revealed
by the Holy Ghost to the Lord's people. The mystery of God and
of the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Holy Ghost,
God the Father, God the Son, co-equal and co-eternal. Profound mystery. And in this
mystery of the Trinity, we see it in the creation. The creation
is attributed to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. In that divine act of creation,
in six days God made heaven and earth and all that therein is.
And we read in that divine act of creation that the Holy Spirit
moved upon the face of the waters and he brought order out of chaos.
according to what is revealed in the Word of God, we need the
Holy Spirit to move upon the waters of our heart, to bring us from spiritual death
into spiritual life. That same almighty power that
was needed in the creation of the world, that same almighty
power is needed in the salvation of our souls. So these wonderful
mysteries which are revealed, especially in these New Testament
days, he says here, and to make all men see what is the fellowship
of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been
hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. How wonderfully does the apostle
set before us the wonderful glory of Christ. that he says in our
text according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in
Christ Jesus our Lord and he says here that he made known
these things in the previous chapters chapters one and two
these wonderful mysteries he said i've written a four time
in a few words and it just turned to chapter one And we see the
wonderful mystery that the Apostle is bringing forth. And just look at verse 3 in chapter
1. 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 has
chosen us in him. before the foundation of the
world and this is the mystery that the apostle is alluding
to here that he said I've made known in a few words before according
as he has chosen us the profound mystery isn't it you know some
people look upon the doctrine of election as excluding people
from heaven no God would have been God would have been just
if he had left wicked mankind to die in his sins it would have
been to the great glory of his eternal justice but to show forth
the riches of his grace he purposed to save a remnant as the apostle
says in the romans a remnant according to the election of
grace a remnant means a small part of I remember going with
my mother to the draper's store in Antill in Bedfordshire and
she would ask him, have you got any remnants? That was a piece
of material left over from perhaps a big job they'd done and there
was a piece left. And that explains what the term
remnant means. It means a part of, just a remnant,
a piece that is left over. There is a remnant. according
to the election of grace, according as he has chosen us in him. And of course the Arminian view,
Arminius was a Dutchman, and that system of doctrine that
he, obviously a very clever man, that he propounded in that system
that it was man's free will to be saved or not to be saved.
Nothing to do with divine election. What he says is that God foreknew
who would choose him. That is not what the Bible tells
us. God chose a people. Not that he foreknew them, he
chose them. According as he has chosen us
in him, before the foundation of the world. What wonderful grace isn't it?
We should have been lost. We should have been eternally
lost, eternally ruined, under the solemn curse of God for a
never-ending eternity, but for the doctrine of election. So
the doctrine of election does not exclude, it includes. It includes a people that are
not worthy. One hymn writer says, they all
declare I nothing am. My all is bound up in the Lamb.
We didn't choose Christ. I had to learn this experimentally
when the Lord began that work of grace in my heart. I had to
learn experimentally. I wouldn't have chosen Christ.
I say it to my utter shame. I remember so distinctly. In London, my work, And the Lord
so drew near to me in holiness and righteousness. And I shook
and I trembled. The greatness, the power of this
great God. I trembled, literally. But you
know, friends, The effect it had on me. You would have thought
that that would humble you, that would bring you suing for mercy.
That's just the opposite effect. I went from that place into my
office and I literally stood and I shouted, I will not have
this man to rule over me. All the terrible enmity there
is in our hearts. The apostle tells us that the
carnal mind is enmity to God. is not subject to the law of
God neither indeed can be and friends I've proved it literally
personally by experience enmity to God enmity means hatred hatred
of God she chooses the things that suit
her taste but hates the God of truth and grace but what a mercy
that God I speak personally at my word, but he spent the
next two years convicting and convincing me of sin until I
was brought as a poor, wretched, hopeless, helpless sinner. Pleading for mercy, I couldn't
possibly see how that mercy could come to such a sinful, wretched,
rebellious sinner. I really couldn't see. However
could This great God have mercy upon such a sinner. The Apostle, he calls it shut
up under the law and that is exactly where I was. Completely
shut up under the law. No hope. No hope. Now he goes on here in chapter
1 and he says in verse 5, have him predestinated us unto the
adoption of children. by Jesus Christ to himself, listen
to this, it's important, according to the good pleasure of his will,
not yours, nor mine, but his will. If grace has reached your
heart, it's because the God of heaven has willed it to reach
your heart. If grace has reached your heart,
it's because the God of heaven has sent his Holy Spirit into
your heart and he's quickened your soul into he's brought you
to see your lost condition and he's brought you to see if ever
my poor soul be saved is Christ must be the way having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children no more a stranger or a guest
but like a child at home. It's a wonderful thing to be
brought into the family of like a child at home. You now have
a heavenly father, you do. You have an elder brother in
his son, Jesus Christ, who became bone of our bone and flesh of
our flesh. To the praise, now he says, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace. And this is the wonderful thing
that is in this eternal covenant of grace, the electing love of
our Eternal Father. It's not some cold thing. It's
the eternal love of God. Infinite, eternal, almighty love
of our Eternal Father. Put away those thoughts in your
mind that may tend you to think, well, God, the Father is holy
and righteous and I cannot approach unto him. Whatsoever he ask in
my name, who speak in Christ? Who are you asking? His Heavenly
Father. Whatsoever you ask in my name,
I will do it. In the name of Jesus Christ.
We can't approach Him in our own person. All our righteousnesses
are as filthy ragged. We're all as an unclean thing.
We cannot approach God in our own person. Therefore, we have
to approach Him through a mediator. And that wonderful word in Timothy,
there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man,
Christ Jesus, who gave his life of ransom for all to be testified
in due time. Now he says here in verse seven
of the first chapter, in whom we have redemption, through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his
grace. In another place, the Apostle,
I think it's in the Titus, he says, not by works of righteousness
that I have done, but according to his abundant mercy. According,
that's the only reason. Now, the reason that you seek
God is because the Holy Spirit has quickened your soul. The
reason that you feel your need of salvation is because the Holy
Ghost has given you to feel your need of salvation. The reason
that you're longing after Christ is because the Holy Spirit has
entered your heart and brought you to seek Him. And it gives
many beautiful words of encouragement to those that seek Him in the
Word of God. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself
has said, Or rather it starts, doesn't it? Ask and it shall
be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock
and it shall be opened unto you. You see, my beloved friends,
in whom we have redemption, through his blood. This blood cleanses
from all sin, the forgiveness of sins, But there is forgiveness
with thee that thou mayest be feared. Poor trembling sinner,
there is forgiveness with him, in and through the glorious person
of his Son, Jesus Christ. There is salvation in none other.
There is none other name given under heaven whereby you must
be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way to God. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. says here in in chapter
1 verse 8 wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence
having made known unto us the mystery of his will again it's
another mystery his will we're only called by divine grace
according to his will wherein he hath abounded toward
us in all wisdom and prudence having made known unto us the
mystery of his will These words are very important.
According to his good pleasure, which he had purposed in himself. The Arminian would tell you it's
because he saw some good in you, because he saw that you would
believe. No, he didn't see any good in you. There is none that
doeth good. No, not one. The word of God
is absolutely clear. which he hath purposed in himself,
that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven
and which are on earth, even in him. In him, in Christ, in
the eternal Son, of the Eternal Father manifest in the flesh,
it's in Him. God manifest in the flesh, that
wonderful mystery of Godness, in whom also we have obtained
an inheritance. Now, just consider the word inheritance. The apostle uses it in the first
chapter of the first epistle of Peter, and he says to an inheritance
incorruptible, undefiled that fade in not away reserved in
heaven for you are kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation an inheritance well just look at an inheritance you
can't purchase an inheritance it's freely given it's usually because you've been
born to that person not always but usually and that is your
inheritance what they have given to you freely. You inherit it. You didn't have to pay anything
for it. You didn't have to do anything for it. It's an inheritance. And it's the same with this salvation
that is in Christ Jesus. You don't have to do anything
for it. No. It's given. Some would say, I know in one
sense they're right, but in another sense they're wrong. So all you've
got to do is believe. and they will say, well you go
to hell because you're not believing. It's your own fault because you're
not believing. What a false gospel that is. You believe because the Holy
Ghost gives you faith. The other term that is so often
used by these people, and some of them are very godly people,
they say, it's your responsibility. It's your responsibility. And
they emphasize it again and again and again, it's your responsibility. What a false gospel. What a false
way of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. My beloved friends,
we believe because the Holy Spirit gives faith. And when he gives
faith, Christ is revealed. Christ is made precious. Your
heart is drawn to Christ. It's a faith that worketh by
love. You love our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because he's the
saviour of sinners. And you're a poor lost sinner.
And he's your only hope of salvation. You see, this inheritance, in
whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated,
that's why. being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. These things are abundantly clear,
that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted
in Christ. You see my beloved friends, and
it speaks here in verse 13 of the, ye were sealed with that
Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest. What does the
earnest mean? I've often explained it to you.
It's an ancient custom that even used to happen in this country
as well as in eastern countries and that is if a person went
to buy a piece of land and when it was agreed the price for the
purchase of that piece of land the person that he was purchasing
from would dig up a little sod of soil on a spade and he would
give it to the person and that was called the earnest of his
purchased possession. That was the evidence that he
had purchased that piece of land. It's the earnest. Now look at
how the apostle uses it in a spiritual sense of the word. The earnest of our inheritance. Now what
does he mean? Well he goes on. He says, the
earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession and to the praise of His glory. You see, when the
Lord makes known to you His loving kindness, when the Lord gives
you His Spirit, when the Lord convinces you of sin, when the
Lord brings you to save in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, to
see that if ever my poor soul be saved, if Christ must be the
way, that is the earnest. The Holy Spirit entering your
heart, dwelling in your heart, the Lord has given you spiritual
blessings. And those spiritual blessings
brought by the Spirit into your soul is the earnest of your inheritance, of our inheritance. until the redemption, that is
Christ comes a second time, until the redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of his glory. You see, this is what
the apostle is speaking of when he says that those things that
I wrote are for of the mystery that I wrote you of before. According to the eternal purpose. which he purposed in Christ Jesus
our Lord. In who? Where? In Christ. I've often pointed out to you
in the Ephesians because it's the most prominent place in the
word of God. It happens in all the other epistles
but I feel most prominently in the Ephesians. The terms the
apostle uses when he speaks of Christ and the blessings that
come from Christ he says in him, through him, by him, under him,
everything's in Christ and he uses these terms all the time
and exactly what is in our text according to the eternal purpose
which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord in whom we have boldness,
a spiritual boldness, that boldness is always accompanied with humility,
because there is always a sense of our sinful nature, our corrupt
nature, and there always will be worry here upon earth, and
that will bring you to feel your unworthiness of the Lord's tender
mercies and loving kindnesses. But equally, it will also give
you boldness. We're in Christ, through Christ,
by Christ, in whom we have boldness and access. This is the wonderful
thing. given access in prayer. Have
you ever had access in prayer? Have you ever had liberty in
prayer? Has Christ ever been made precious to you in prayer?
Do you see him sometimes in prayer as the altogether lovely one?
Do you see him sometimes as your great high priest and you plead
with him as your great high priest to have mercy upon you and to
grant your petitions if they're according to his will in whom
we have boldness? Although we're wretched, ruined
sinners, we have boldness and access with confidence. The Apostle in the Hebrews says,
cast not away therefore your confidence which has great recompense
of reward. That confidence of faith. Not
the confidence of the flesh, not the boldness of the flesh,
but the confidence of faith. Believing we rejoice with joy
unspeakable and full of glory. in whom we have boldness and
access with confidence by the faith of Him, faith of Christ,
trusting alone in the finished work of Christ. And when Satan
comes and tempts you and says, yeah, but you're such a poor,
wretched, hopeless sinner, and you have to say, yes, I am Satan,
but my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. It doesn't stand in myself, it
stands in this glorious person of Jesus Christ. in whom we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Now you
see how he encouraged him, wherefore I desire that ye faint not at
my tribulation for you which is your glory. And then these
beautiful words, for this cause I bow my knees. See this is the
boldness he's speaking of. He bows his knees in humble reverence
For this cause, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. What a wonderful thing, of whom
the whole family in heaven and earth is named, in the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Never forget those lovely words,
the Father himself loves you. He loves you. And I believe,
you know friends, we can rightly say that that word in Jeremiah,
we know it can be spoken by Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in that sense.
But in one sense, it's the Father's voice. You might say, why do
you say that? It says, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. You see, a love that had no beginning. A love that had no ending. It's
an everlasting love. We read in Solomon's psalm that
his hands are as gold rings, his gold rings on his finger. Just think of that divinity.
It's what it represents in that metaphorical sense in poetry.
But a ring has no beginning and it has no ending. That's the
everlasting love of God. It has no beginning and it has
no ending. I am the first and the last,
the beginning and the ending. I am he which is and which was
and which is to come, the Almighty. For this cause, I bow my knees. Oh, that the Lord would give
us that gracious liberty to bow our knees unto the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and
earth is named that he would grant you according to the riches
of his glory be strengthened with might by his spirit in the
inner man that christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that
ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend
with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height,
and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that
you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Notice what
this means. It passes knowledge. What does
it mean? It's beyond our comprehension. On such love my heart still ponders,
love so rich, so full, so free, the love of our Father in Christ,
amazing grace, amazing love. But by the Spirit enabling he
says may be able to comprehend in some little measure with all
the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height
and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. that
you might be filled with all the fullness of God. What a wonderful
thing according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in
Christ Jesus our Lord. What a mercy to know Christ Jesus
our Lord and what a mercy through him to know the love of our eternal
Father. Loved with an everlasting love.
Therefore, with loving kindness. That's why I say, I feel that
word is spoken by the Father, because it says, therefore with
loving kindness have I drawn thee. And Christ himself said,
none can except the Father draw. Do you feel drawn to Christ?
it's because your Heavenly Father is drawing you to Christ. Do
you feel a love to Christ? It's because your Heavenly Father
has given you a love to Christ and you see everything that you
stand in need of. Now, he comes to the end of this
chapter and says, now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the
power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by
Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 69, The tune is Calverdon 676. Sons, we are, through God's election,
who in Jesus Christ believe, by eternal destination, saving
grace we here receive. Our Redeemer does both grace
and glory give. Hymn number 69. tune Calverdon
676. O come all ye faithful joyful
and triumphant O come all ye faithful joyful and triumphant O come
all ye faithful joyful and triumphant O come all ye faithful joyful
and triumphant Where is the Lord? Can I see Him? Never till the last day find
Him. But by love without beginning,
Full and instant patience can, Prophets with it, Shedding light
through Jesus' reign. ? Whose broad stripes and bright
stars ? ? Through the perilous fight ? ? O'er the ramparts we
watched were so gallantly streaming? ? Patience would be never found,
but God the Savior's love will be forever given. The kings of the world shall
sing your praise. He just breaks the consummation,
Decommitted sons of grace, In its gay and wholesome nature
To live in the saviour's place We pray solely for salvation's
safest place. habitation, which by God our
dying father, many glories from her possession now with saints
and Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each, both now
and for evermore. Amen.