Go with me if you would back
to Ephesians chapter four. There's a song that I love to
sing. You're gonna sing it at the close
of this message. I love the words of the song. It was written by
a woman who I would imagine is very dear to the heart of every
person who knows who she is and knows what her story is. Her
name was Fanny Crosby and she was born blind. And she wrote a lot of the songs
in the hymnal, a lot of the songs we love, just a dear, you could
hear her heart pour out onto that page, her love for Christ. But she used to say that one
of the greatest joys of her heart was knowing that when she was
finally called home, Her eyes of faith would become eyes of
sight. This was one of her greatest
delights to think about. I mean, she was blind, completely
blind, saw Christ by faith. But she said, it floods my heart
with joy to know that one of these days my eyes are going
to work. And the very first thing I will
ever see in my life is the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. So
that's gonna be the very first thing my eyes ever see. I'm gonna
see him as he is. That'll be the first thing these
eyes ever see. What a blessing. What a blessing. Well, she wrote a song that says
one day the silver cord will break. My life on this earth
is going to be over one day. My time here will be done. One
day the silver cord will break and I know more as now shall
sing. But oh, the joy when I shall
wake. Within the palace of the king
And I shall see him face to face and tell the story saved by grace
And I shall see him face to face and I'm gonna go around telling
everybody I was saved by grace Saved by grace Ephesians 4 verse
7 says But unto every one of us is given grace. That is good news. That is good news. That is the declaration of the
gospel. The word gospel means good news. Glad tidings. Good news, and
that's it. That's it unto every one of us
is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Now what stood out to me and
made me want to look at this was the word measure. The measure of the gift just
think about that the measure of the gift. The measure of the
gift of Christ. I'd like for us to see two things
in this. Number one, let's see who this gift is to. And then let's see if we can
get a glimpse of the measure of the gift. The great measure
of the gift. Verse seven says, but unto every
one of us, who is he speaking to? Who are the us? We just saw in our Bible study
that not everyone is an us. Who are the us? Who can say that
he or she is an us? Well, look back at chapter 1,
Ephesians 1. Verse 3 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. The us is all of those that God
chose to not pour out His fury on. That's who the us are. All of those that God chose to
not pour out His wrath upon. His fury and His wrath. them. Every man and woman deserves
God's anger. People do not know that. People
do not realize that. Every man and woman deserves
God's anger. Every man and woman has willingly
earned, wanted to, Willingly earned punishment and vengeance
from God every man and woman through willing Willing open
sinful Mocking spiteful Rebellion Man has unknowingly begged God
to for his wrath to come down on him unknowingly, unknowingly. And he wanted to be what he is,
wanted to sin, wanted to rebel. Men and women do what they want
to do. And in the process, they have unknowingly, we have all
unknowingly in the flesh begged God for his wrath to come down. But in spite of the fact that
that is what the flesh would naturally prefer, it would prefer
to be something that has earned God's wrath. In spite of that,
though, God chose for some to be put in Christ. This is salvation. All men and
women have sinned. All men and women deserve the
same thing. Most people believe, well you
have good people and bad people. Okay? Good people, if you come
out good, you go to heaven. If you come out bad, you go to
hell. It's not so. All people are bad. All people
have sinned. None have earned God's favor.
None have earned God's love. But God chose to put some people
in Christ. God chose. This is salvation.
God chose to put some people in Christ. He chose to put some centers
in a hiding place. That hiding place is his own
son, Jesus Christ. And every man and woman is going
to get what he or she deserves. This is a critical thing to understand
about salvation. Every man and woman is going
to get what he and she deserves. God's anger. All of us. All of us. Including me. God's
anger. Every man and woman is going
to get what he and she has willingly earned. Punishment and vengeance
from God including me punishment and vengeance from God Every man and woman no exceptions
Every man and woman is going to get what he and she has unknowingly
begged God for Wrath to come down on But God chose for some
To be able to endure every bit of that and Safely hidden in
the person of Christ That anger came down That vengeance came
down the wrath came down the punishment came down But God
chose for some to endure it safely hidden in the person of Christ
Some were kept kept safe while all of that anger came down,
kept safe in Christ. And God calls all of those people
the us. That's the us. Those that were
put in Christ. Verse four right here says, according
as he hath chosen us in him. Christ bore all of that for us. Us. And verse four says, God's
choice Who he would do that for was made before the foundation
of the world He made his choice before the foundation of the
world. It says according as he had 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 He ordered all the steps of the
us To bring us to Christ. He ordered all the steps of those
people to bring them to his word and bring them to his message.
Bring them to the gospel. He ordered all of that Romans
8 says to conform them to the image of Christ. Verse 5 says,
Having predestinated us unto 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. He made us. Accepted he's the
one who authored and finished the salvation of all of the us All of the us know that He is the one who authored and
finished the salvation for all of the us and all of the us know
that They all know that Answer this question in your heart.
I asked myself the answer. I've already asked it to myself.
I've already answered it Answer this in your own heart Is your
salvation Secure is it complete is it sure is it ordered and
sure? because of something that you
did or because of something that God did Ask yourself that question
as you think about salvation. Now what makes my salvation clenched? What puts the seal on my salvation? What does it all come down to?
Is it something I have to do or is it something God has to
do? Is it something that I have to
do for God? Am I going to be allowed to enter
into heaven, accepted into heaven because of something that I have
to do for God or because of something God has to do for me? Is it because of something that
we both did together? Is it something that we both
do together Or is it something that God does alone? Verse six says, to the praise
of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. He did it by himself. He did it by himself. Verse seven
says, in whom we have redemption through his blood, a complete
full payment for all of our sin. In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace. That's who the us are. That's
who the us are. And we'll find God's people referred
to in that way all through the scriptures. All through it. If you look at verse 19 right
here in chapter one. And what is the exceeding greatness
of his power to us word? What is the exceeding greatness
of his power to us word who believe according to the working of his
mighty power? Chapter 2 verse 4 says 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're saved
and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus and That in the ages to come, He might
show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus. Let me show you a verse of Scripture
that's very popular. Very, very popular. People love
to quote this verse of Scripture trying to deny that God chose
in us. Naturally, people do not like
to hear that God chosen us. People do not like to hear that
God selected who he would save. So they love to quote this verse
of scripture to try and deny that he chosen us and to try
to prove that Christ died to make it possible for everybody
to be saved. The only problem is, in quoting
the verse, they're missing the us. They don't see the us. Turn with me to 2 Peter chapter
3. 2nd Peter 3 verse 9 says The Lord is not slack Concerning
his promise as some men count slackness slackness But is long-suffering
to us word Us word he's long-suffering to
the us word not willing that any should perish or But that
all should come to repentance. God people say God is not willing
that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
No. He's not willing that any of
the us word should perish. But that all of the us word should
come to repentance. So this gift of grace this gift
of salvation by grace. Is to God's chosen predestinated
put in Christ people us All right now go with me back to Ephesians
4 Verse 7 says but unto every one
of us Unto all of the us All of the us will receive this
gift of grace, all from the richest to the poorest, from the tallest
to the shortest, from the oldest to the youngest, all of the us will receive this. Let's not
be shocked if our children end up believing this. Let's not be shocked. All of
the us doesn't matter how old they are. It doesn't matter how
young they are. Let's not be shocked. If our
children end up crying out to Christ from the depths of their
hearts for mercy, let's not be shocked. All of us unto every
one of us. every one of us. Look at chapter
3 verse 8, the Apostle Paul said, 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. He said if
it's given to me, he said I'm less than the least of all the
us And he said, if it's given to
me, it will be given to every one of us. Every one of us. I never can remember whether
it was John Newton or Richard Baxter or whoever it was. You
all may know, but whoever was the pastor of this church, an
elder of the church, came into the pastor's study one day and
asked him, he said, did you hear that God saved old so-and-so? And the pastor said, no, really? Yeah, sure did. The elder said,
I'll never despair of anyone since God saved him. Pastor said,
dear brother, I'll never despair of anyone since God saved me.
Never, never. Unto me who am less than the
least of all Saints is this grace given? Our text says but unto
every one of us is this grace given it's given it is given
It is freely given salvation is a gift from God Somebody wants
to know tell me about salvation. What what what is it? What's
the deal? It's a gift from God and It is
a freely bestowed, on purpose, particular gift from God. Look with me at John 17. John 17 verse 1 says these words
spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said father
the hour is come glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify
thee as thou has given him power over all flesh that he should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him said you've
given me the power to give eternal life not just put it out there
on the table to see who who takes it not just that you haven't
given me the power to offer it to people he said you've given
me the power to give eternal life to every person you gave
to me all the us verse 3 and this is life eternal that they
might know thee the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou
hast sent I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished
the work which thou gavest me to do Finished the work. He said father you sent me to
give the gift of eternal life And I have finished the work
that you gave me to do. I've given the gift I have given
the gift now, what did it take for him to give? the gift What
measure did he have to go to To give this gift It is true
In the context of this chapter, in the context of the scripture,
it is true that the response of grace in the heart, the response
of grace in the heart may differ from one to another. God may allow one person to be
more gracious in the heart than another. But when it comes to the measure
of the gift of Christ himself, the measure of the gift of Christ,
every recipient gets the same amount, all of it. God's us do not share a piece
of the measure of the gift. We don't all have a little crumb
Collectively that makes up the gift all of God's us Gets all
of the gift All all of it. What measure did Christ go to
to give the gift of salvation? How much did he give? Well this
gift started with his throne if you'll turn with me to Philippians
chapter 2 and Philippians chapter 2 verse 5
says Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus Who being in the form of God? Thought it not robbery to be
equal with God equal with God an equal member of the Trinity
of God the father said to him I Thy throne, O God. The father said to him, the throne
is your throne. But look what he had to do. Look at the measure he had to
go to to give the gift of saving grace. Verse seven says, he made
himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant
and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. What measure did he go to? He
went from the throne all the way to a feeding trough
in a barn called a manger. He went from all things to nothing. He humbled himself and became
a servant, the king to the servant. The father said, behold my servant. The measure of one place to the
other, the measure No one has ever humbled. No one could ever
humble himself to that measure. No one could ever come down that
far. No one could go that distance.
One position to the other position. Not only did he give his position,
if you'll turn with me to Galatians chapter 1. Galatians 1 verse 3 says, grace
be to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord
Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver
us from this present evil world according to the will of God
and our Father. What does that mean, he gave
himself? Turn with me to Isaiah 50. Isaiah 50, this is the Lord
Jesus Christ speaking. He said in verse six, I gave
my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked
off the hair. I hid not my face from shame
and spitting. I gave my back to the smiters. I gave my cheeks for them to
rip the hair out of my beard. I gave my face for them to mock
me and spit on me. He gave his head to the thorns. He gave his hands to the nails. He gave his side to the spear. He gave his soul to the sorrow. The exceeding sorrow of sin. He gave his body. He gave his
blood. He gave himself. He gave himself. Oh, the measure of the gift. Not only did he give his position
and not only did he give himself. Turn with me to John 19. John 19 verse 28 says, after
this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished,
that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was
set a vessel full of vinegar and they filled a sponge with
vinegar and put it upon hyssop and put it to his mouth. When
Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. He gave his life. He gave his
life. He cried, it is finished. What was finished? The measure
of the gift. The full measure of the gift,
the length he had to go all the way The price he had to pay,
all of it. What truly was the measure of
the gift? All that could be given. He gave
all that could be given. And every recipient of the gift
receives the full measure of the gift. Every recipient of
this gift receives the fullness of everything he gave. Everything
he gave goes to every single us Every single one to every
soul that is looking to him Hoping in the fullness of everything
that he gave. This is the most amazing part
Unto every one of us Is this grace given Unto every one of
us You know, I can see why he would give it to Abraham. I can see why he'd give it to
Moses. I see why he'd give it to David, Solomon, Paul. I see why. Us? Unto every one of us is this
grace given, abundant grace according to the measure of the gift of
Christ? As much as he gave, that's how
much we'll receive. He gave it all and we receive
it all. Romans 8 says, God spared not his own son, and with him
shall he not freely give us all things? The fullness of the measure,
oh, the measure of the gift, the measure of the love that
gave Christ. It's amazing, isn't it? It's
amazing. All right. Let's all stand together.