Turn with me now to Titus chapter 3. Titus chapter 3. We are looking at verse 7 today. We just looked at the first phrase for our Bible study. And we're going to move to the next phrase. for this message. And what I believe we will realize, what I believe we might have just realized in the Bible study, is more is being said in this verse than we could possibly imagine. I'm telling you, knowing... You know, I don't know if being justified made anybody happy, but... Knowing what I have in these notes, it just makes me want to laugh. I've got a Wednesday night message all day today, okay? I'm telling you, more is being said in this than we can possibly imagine.

These phrases, we read these verses, and these things just roll off the tongue so easily. Being justified by His grace. That's what we just looked at in the Bible study. being justified by his grace. Anybody here a sinner? Anybody need to be justified by his grace? Oh man, these phrases, they are longer and wider and deeper and higher than we could possibly imagine. This is too wonderful for us. I don't have any idea if the Lord's gonna allow me to deliver this message with any liberty, but I'm telling you, this is too wonderful for us. The reality of what's being said here, the amazement of it, the wonder of it, the glory of it, can't be fathomed by mortal man. It just can't. To have a moment to really enter into what it means to be justified in him. Justified through Jesus Christ our Savior, justified by His blood, which He shed on us abundantly. Justified abundantly. It takes the power and the Spirit of God to let us have any insight into that at all.

Well, again, that's what we just looked at for our Bible study. The amazing, glorious condition of being justified. That means without sin. That's what it means. Without sin. Now let's continue on by looking back at verse 3. Let's begin reading in verse 3. Titus 3, verse 3, it says, For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers' lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, But according to His mercy, He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Verse 7 says, that. He did all of that. He accomplished all of that. So that. Verse seven says being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Being justified by His grace. We were justified by His grace. Not by works of righteousness which we have done. We were justified freely by His grace. God's chosen elect people specifically were justified because of His love and kindness toward them. That's the only reason. That's the only reason. He took our sin from us. He bore our sin, He suffered our sin. You know, you think about in the Garden of Gethsemane when our sin was being pressed into Him and He started sweating, as it were, great drops of blood and He was touched with the feeling of all of our infirmities. And He said, Father, I'm so sorrowful over feeling these sins, I could die from it. suffering in our sins, then condemned in our sins, and then he defeated and won the victory over our sin. For his own kindness and love and grace and mercy's sake. He did that for us, for his own sake. There's a scripture over in Isaiah 43 verse 25, and that's what he said, he said, I did this, I justified you for my own namesake. He justified us freely by his grace.

That, verse seven says, being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs. Now you talk about depth in two words. You talk about greatness and glory in two words. Made heirs. Made heirs.

Now we hear of him delivering us from the wrath to come. Have you ever heard that? You ever read that in the scripture? We hear of him delivering us from the wrath to come. Would that not have been enough? Would that not have been enough? Had he just done that? We hear of him preparing a place for us in his kingdom. Would that not have been enough? Had he just spared us from the wrath to come and let us enter into his kingdom? Wouldn't that have been enough? Honestly, wouldn't that have been enough?

We hear of him giving us a new robe of righteousness to wear, and a new glorified body to live in, and a new holy nature to possess, and that would have been enough, wouldn't it? But our Savior didn't stop there. He didn't stop there, all right? Listen to the kindness and love of God our Savior. He endured all of that suffering and wrath. He paid all of that sin debt. He suffered all of that condemnation so we could be made heirs with him. made heirs with him.

An heir is one who is entitled to an inheritance. An heir is one who is legally entitled to his or her share of an inheritance. An inheritance from who? An inheritance from the father, directly from the father. Not only did He spare us and deliver us, and not only did He welcome us and provide for us, but He made His chosen, elect, particular people to be joint heirs with Him. Boy, you talk about selflessness. This is what that means. Whatever He gets, we get. Whatever's owed to Him, whatever the Father says is owed to Him. Now that's owed to Him. Whatever's owed to Him is owed to us.

Oh, the depth, oh, the greatness of what's being said in those two words right there, made heirs by His blood. He made us to be rightful heirs directly of the Father with Him.

Now, let's prove that in the word, all right? We're gonna just turn, we're just gonna turn a little bit here, and we're gonna start by looking at Hebrews chapter one, it's right here, Hebrews chapter one, verse one says, God, who at sundry times and in divers manner spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by son, the word his is in italics, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. God the Father appointed Christ to be the heir of all things, okay? God the Father appointed Christ to be the heir of all things.

Now look at verse 13, Hebrews 1 verse 13. It says, but to which of the angels said he at any time, sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? That's the first thing that God's people inherited from him, from God, salvation, heirs of salvation. And in their salvation, they were made to be heirs of the father. He was the heir and his people were made to be heirs with him.

Turn with me over to Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians 1 verse 3, it says, 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 in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. That's justification. What we just looked at in the Bible study, holy and without blame. Verse five says, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children. by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. The adoption of children. This is what we were just saying a moment ago. It would have been enough for our Lord to have spared us and delivered us and welcomed us and provided for us. But not only did he do all of that, he legally adopted us into his family. By the payment of His own blood, we've been adopted into the family of God. That's amazing.

Look at Ephesians 3 verse 14. It says, 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. Every adopted soul into God's family has been given the family name. Our brother David Edmondson was adopted. And every time he tells his story of him being chosen by them, he was adopted by Mr. And Ms. Edmondson. And I've heard him tell his story quite a few times now, but every time he tells about, um, you know, being chosen by them and, and redeemed, paid for. by them and having a place prepared for him by them and being given their name. Every time I hear that, I get a little bit jealous. I wish I was adopted. I wish that much love was on purpose poured onto me. Well, I have been adopted by God's grace. by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God's people have been adopted into the family of God.

And in Isaiah 45, the Lord says to all of his people, and I love this, he said, I have surnamed you. Surname is a last name. I've given you, I put a last name on you. God's name. God's name, the name of the son of God has been given to all the sons and daughters are included in the name signs. Okay. All of you daughters. Um, when we say sons, we're talking about sons and daughters, children. First John three verse two says, beloved, now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. That's amazing. All we know currently is what it's like to be like us. And it's not good. I can tell you, it's not good. In the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, it's gonna get good. You're gonna say, man, it just got good. As soon as we lay eyes on him, we're gonna be just like him. As he is, so are we. That's what we're gonna say. These vile bodies are gonna be fashioned like his glorious body, and we're gonna look at him, look at us, and we're gonna say, as he is, so are we. That's what the angel said about Adam. He's in the image of God. He's made in the likeness and image of God. Look at him. As he is, so are we. He's made us to be what he is with him. We haven't done it. He did it. He did it. He did it all.

Turn over to Galatians 4. I just asked our brother to read Galatians 3 for us. Turn over to Galatians 4. You know, what he read for us, it was talking about children. If you look at verse 29 of Galatians 3, it says, if you be Christ, then are you Abraham's seed, not seeds. He said, I'm talking about Christ. Everything's in Christ. This is all in one, unified into one. And he said, you're heirs according to the promise.

Chapter four, verse one says, now I say that the heir, as long as he's a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so, we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God hath 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.

What that means is he did it. He did it. He did it successfully. The adoption is complete. We're sons. And if sons, then heirs, heirs of God through Christ. That's just glorious news.

Turn to Romans 8. Romans 8 verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Heirs together with Christ because we were made to suffer with Christ. We were made to suffer with him in his cross. Paul said, I'm crucified with Christ. Made to suffer with Him in His death. That was our death. Made to suffer with Him in His burial. Suffer with Him, if you can say it that way, in His resurrection. That we might be glorified together with Christ.

The amazing part of being an heir is it's with Christ. That's the amazing part. I want to be an heir with all of you. But the amazing part is we're all heirs with Christ. And with Christ, listen to these benefits that we receive.

Turn over to John 20. I'm almost done. Really, really try to, you're going to enjoy this, all right? John chapter 20. Our Lord here has resurrected and he has just revealed himself to Mary Magdalene. Look at verse 16, John 20, verse 16. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself and saith unto him, Rabbona, which is to say, master. Now watch verse 17. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my father. But go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my father and your father, and to my God and your God.

He said, that's what I've accomplished for you. You go tell my brethren that they've been made heirs, direct heirs of the Father, direct heirs of everything that will come directly from the hand of the Father, a direct heir.

Look at John 16. John 16 verse 23 it says and in that day you shall ask me nothing. Barely barely I say unto you whatsoever you shall ask the father in my name he will give it you. Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs, but the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day you shall ask in my name, and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father himself loveth you. because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God.

Now that right there is glorious. He said, I've secured a direct union with you and our Father. A direct union with you and God, the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit. We have a direct union with Christ, a direct union with the Father, a direct union with the Spirit, direct access.

Look at John 17, verse 20. He said, neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me, and the glory which thou gavest me I have given them.

Why? Because they're joint heirs. Well, doesn't Christ get all the glory? Doesn't Christ get all the glory? Amen. Amen. What did he do with it? All of it goes to him. What did he do with it? I've given it to them. He joined the heirs with Him to His glory. He joined His heirs with Him to His throne. We're seated in the heavens with Him. He joined His heirs to the love and oneness of the Godhead.

Verse 22 right here says, And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one. How one are the Father and the Son? They're one. Verse 23, I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Oh, the glory that's in those two little words, made heirs. Now listen, I have a firstborn, okay? I have a firstborn who we would all acknowledge to be the elder. She's sitting right there. And then I have a secondborn who we would all acknowledge is a joint heir with the firstborn. Now here's my question. Who do I love more? Who do I love more?

Before Sophie was born, Hannah was pregnant with Sophie. And I used to wonder, can you love a second child as much as you can love a first child? You can. You can. Look at the middle of verse 23, he said, that the world may know that thou has sent me and has loved them as thou has loved me. Oh, that's amazing.

For God so loved, he gave and he saved and he secured a rightful place with him in his own family. And every soul that has that hope in him or her, every soul that has been given that hope in the finished work of Jesus Christ has the promise of adoption with Christ.

Turn over to 1 John 3 and we'll close with this. 1 John chapter 3. Verse 1, 1 John 3, verse 1, it says, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, the world knoweth us not because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure."

Every man that has this hope, every woman that has this hope, This hope that can only be given by God, and that's just what I want to emphasize in closing. This hope can only be given by God. Every man or woman that has this hope possesses this purified state even as Christ is purified. Every man or woman who has this hope completely in Christ is a joint heir. a joint heir. As he is, so are we. Amen.