If you would open your Bibles
back to Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one. Our world today is full of something
I like to refer to as fluff, things that really have no consequence
or importance. We spend so much of our time
on our phones, on our computer, on our TVs, watching and doing
things that don't really matter. We talk and think about so many
things in this world, such as sports, fashion, Facebook, We
strive and worry about a different or better car, a newer house,
an update, a better job, better conditions. So often we talk
about other people. Our conversations end up falling
into criticism or gossip. We put on a fake attitude. We tell people and act in a way
that we want people to look at us so that they might believe
that that's what we really are. This fluff is Well described,
and when I was a child, my parents made me write thank you notes.
So I would get a present, and a week or so later, my parents
would finally make me sit down at the desk and write a thank
you note. So I'd have a group of names, and I'd start writing.
I'd say, dear Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, thank you for
my birthday present, Luke. And I'd just go through and take
about three minutes, and I'd sit them there, and then I'd
run out and play or do whatever. Well, later, either that day or the
next, after someone had seen my thank you notes, they would
say, you need to sit back down and do these over. These aren't
good enough. So I would write down, and I would say, dear Mr.
and Mrs. Johnson, thank you for my birthday present. I really
appreciate it. And then that wouldn't be good
enough. And finally, at the end, I would sit down, and I would
be frustrated, so I would start putting in fluff. I would say,
thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, for my birthday
present. I really appreciate it. It means the world to me.
You had no idea how much I needed that money. I can't wait to use
it to buy a basketball, and, you know, just on and on, just
writing stuff. And I didn't mean any of it. And that's who we
are. We say things and do things because
we want it to benefit us, or we want to get away with what
we're doing. Now, so much of what we do in life is of little
consequence in this world and of no benefit. And when that
is compared to eternal things, everything in this world is just
fluff. Now, this book, this book right
here has no fluff. There is not one single word
written in it that doesn't have great importance. Just because
I don't understand something or I can't pronounce a name in
it, it doesn't make it less important or not valuable. On Sunday morning,
our pastor, in his message, which you should listen to if you weren't
here, he said, the reason people go to church is to find out something
about salvation. And I hope that's why you and
I are here tonight. Then he said, you go to church
expecting a man to open up the Bible. And that's what I'm going
to try to do tonight. Unfortunately, most places and
most people who are where we are, are going to hear a whole
lot of fluff. Then in that same message, our
pastor preached the good news of a finished salvation in the
blood of Jesus Christ from James 1 verse 18. one verse of scripture,
one sentence. It said, of his own will begat
he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first
fruits of his creatures. And I've got the exact same message
this morning. Mine is in four sentences and
in 14 verses. And there are four sentences
and each of these sentences tell us something really important.
The first sentence here tells us who we are. Paul is talking
to a certain people, and this is going to tell us who we are.
The second sentence tells us what God did for us, for those
people, before the world began. The third sentence tells us what
Christ finished on the cross. And the fourth sentence tells
us what the Holy Spirit has done in us. Now, I'm going to be reading
a lot, and we'll turn to a bunch of different scriptures, because
the best way to understand the Word of God is to look deeper
in the Word of God. And I pray that He'll bless it.
Now, I hope you came tonight to find out something about salvation.
And I hope you want to open the Bible, because in this book,
when you open it up and when you read it, you will find the
only way of salvation is written on every page and every word.
So we're going to see four things. Who we are, what God did for
us before the world, what Christ finished on the cross, and what
the Holy Spirit did in us. So, the first two verses here
in Ephesians chapter 1. Look with me at verse 1. Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints
which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. We find out who Paul is talking
to here. He's talking to the saints at Ephesus, the faithful
in Christ Jesus. He's talking to the people who
have been saved. As you'll see in the rest of
this chapter, he's talking to a particular people that are
in Christ. He describes these very same people over in chapter
2. Look at verse 1 through 3 in chapter 2. These are the same
people he just said, the saints at Arephasis, the faithful in
Christ Jesus. wherein in time past you walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation
in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. I wasn't so sure Paul was talking
to me when I read verse 1 of our text saying the saints and
those that are faithful in Christ Jesus. But when I read these
three verses over here, I can find myself a little comfort
that I can fit into that group. So, look at verse 2. These people,
Paul says, grace be to you and peace from God our Father and
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says this very matter-of-factly. He says, Grace be to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. He says
this not as a request or not as a hope to those people because
this is a statement. Everyone that is in the Lord
Jesus Christ will have grace and peace from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you catch that? It's not
a hope. Our hope is that we are in the
Lord. But if we are in the Lord, we
don't have to hope, but we know that we get grace and peace from
Him. It's just like everything that's in this book and everything
that's in salvation in our Lord. We have so many doubts and fears,
but these doubts and fears come when we look within, when we
start thinking about ourselves. I think to myself, how in the
world could He save me? Why would He save me? But the
doubt does not come from his ability. The doubt and the fear
does not come from the questioning of his work. We know that his
work is already finished. The linchpin of this chapter,
of this book, and of this entire Bible is salvation summed up
in two words, in Christ. This chapter, these 14 verses
in this chapter, have it written 12 times in these 14 verses.
Any comment any description or any explanation of salvation
that doesn't start and end with the phrase or words in Christ
is complete foolishness. And you and I should run and
hide and do anything we can to get away from anybody that says
or preaches anything else. Now that first part told us who
we are. Now the second part, starting
in verse 3, tells us what God the Father did before the world
began. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. We give thanks to
God for all the spiritual blessings that we have with Him in glory.
These blessings are more than the common or worldly blessings
that we think of. These are mercy and grace through
the eternal covenant. They are things pertaining to
our justification, to our peace, to our pardoning, to our adoption,
our sanctification, and our eternal life. All of these and each one
are all found in Christ. In Christ, God has purposed,
decreed, and given every spiritual blessing which can be bestowed. He has given every spiritual
blessing which heaven can require and he has given every spiritual
blessing which heaven can bestow and everything that's needed
to enter. And it is God's gift through
my representative, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we continue reading
in verse 4, all this, 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 Father chose us in Christ
before the foundation of the world, not because we were holy,
not because we would be holy, not because we showed a little
promise that we might have a glimmer of holiness, but that we should
be holy, that He would make us holy. God, in eternity past,
determined to have a holy people. Therefore, the only way for this
was for Him to choose them in Christ out of the fallen seed
of Adam. Turn with me to 2 Timothy 1. In 2 Thessalonians, in 2.13,
I'm reading this to you, it says, But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto He called you
by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ." Now you're in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 9. From the previous, we know that
this is God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to His own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began. Now, back in our text, we can
read this verse again. Verse 4, with a little more inflection
on a few things. According, this is back in our
text, Ephesians 1-4, according as He hath chosen, as God hath
chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before God in love, in
Christ. John 15-16 says, You have not
chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that you
should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain,
that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he
may give it to you. All these things we receive in
Christ. having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will." Our Father in Heaven predestinated. He determined before for us,
for His children, to be adopted as His own children through Jesus
Christ. Now turn with me to Romans 8. He predestinated to choose us.
Romans 8 verse 29, For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate,
to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be
the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate,
them He also called. Whom He called, them He also
justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified. In Acts it says, And when the
Gentiles heard this, when they heard this good news, they were
glad and glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as were
ordained to eternal life believed. God foreordained the persons,
the means, and the end of redemption. He did it all. And it was according
to the good pleasure of His own will. Now verse 6 in our text. To the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved in
Christ. The Father accepted us in Christ,
which means we are righteous, redeemed, and sanctified in Christ. He looks upon us in Christ and
is well pleased. Let me blow your mind with a
statement. We are already seated with Christ in heavenly places. Look across the page at Ephesians
2 verse 6. And He hath raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Paul
says this to the saints that he's sending this letter to.
This is in past tense. It says, He hath raised us up
together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. If we are in Christ, we are made
to sit in heavenly places. And then God the Father did all
of this for the eternal praise of His glorious grace. Look at
the next verse, Ephesians 2 verse 7. Read verse 6 first with it. And hath raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that
in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of
His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. He did
all this that in the ages to come He would show us, His children,
the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus. Now, we've seen two things so
far. We've seen who we are and we've
seen what God did for us before the world began. Now, let's go
to the third sentence, the third point, what Christ finished on
the cross. Look at verse 7 and 8. In whom,
in Christ, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins according to the riches of His grace wherein He hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Christ redeemed
us by His blood. We were in bondage to sin, to
the law and justice. Galatians 3.10 says, For as many
as are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is
written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them. We cannot
uphold the law. We can't obey one law one time.
The obedience of Christ honored the law of God, and the death
of Christ satisfied the justice of God. And we have full and
complete forgiveness in Him because of that. Turn over to Romans
chapter 3. Romans chapter 3 verse 19. Now we know that what things
soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law,
that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become
guilty before God. These are people that are under
the law. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of
sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness
of God, which is by faith in Jesus Christ, unto all and upon
all them that believe, for there is no difference. For all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission
of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, to declare,
I say at this time, His righteousness, that He might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." We needed someone
to take our place. And the Lord died on the cross
bearing our sins to take our place so that we could be found
innocent. Look at verse 9 and 10 of our
text. Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure 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. Christ, made known, taught us. He enlightened us. He opened
our eyes. He opened our mind to the mystery
of the gospel of redemption in Christ. It is a privilege. It is a gift to know the gospel. It is hidden to natural man.
There are very few who have the opportunity to truly understand.
Turn with me back to Romans chapter 16. Stay with me, I know we're
turning a lot. Romans 16 verse 25. Now to him that is of power,
to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of
Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which
was kept secret since the world began. But now it is made manifest,
and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment
of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the
obedience of faith. This book, these men that wrote
this under the inspiration of God as He gave them these words,
this was given to all men. Everybody has access to this.
And because of that, all nations made known unto all nations.
Now, turn one page over to 1 Corinthians 2 verse 7. I can't say it any better than
these do, so we'll keep reading these. But we speak the wisdom
of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained
before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of
this world knew. For had they known it, they would
not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written,
I hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him. but God hath revealed them unto
us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the
deep things of God." In Christ, we see both the wisdom and the
power of God in redemption and salvation. He reveals this when
He pleases and to whom He pleases. Aren't we thankful for that?
From what we've read so far, who in their right mind would
think that they would be the one who would choose to do this?
They'd be the different one. They'd be the one who goes against
all this. All right, continue in verse 11 of our text. In Christ also we have obtained
an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him
who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will."
In Christ we have obtained an inheritance. We were made God's
children in Christ and we already have received that glorious inheritance. Turn to Romans 8. We keep going
back to this same section of Romans, and I'll say this again,
we already have received the glorious inheritance. I needed to read this before
I was sure I could write that. Romans 8. Now, this inheritance
we're going to look at, this is not like an earthly inheritance.
We all know what an inheritance is. Someone leaves something
to you. A parent or grandparent dies
and leaves something to you. They write it in a will, and
when they die, they give their belongings to people. But this
is not like an earthly inheritance. An earthly inheritance is dependent
upon a sinner leaving something to you. And then it's dependent
on another sinner, a lawyer, determining that you get it.
Then it's determinant on another sinner not contesting it. Then
a judge, another sinner, has to uphold it. All the while,
this inheritance that you so much want It may itself disappear,
be stolen, become worthless before you ever have it or even see
it. Now look with me in Romans 8 verse 16. 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." The last part of that
verse, of verse 17, gives me great peace. If so, if we are
found in Christ, if we are heirs with Him, if so, be that we suffer
with Him that we may be also glorified together. Has Christ
already suffered? Yes. He died on the cross. He
suffered. Has Christ already been glorified?
Yes. He raised. He raised from the
grave. He ascended on high. Of course. Then if we are in
Christ, we have already suffered. And if we're in Christ, we are
as Christ. We are glorified in Him right
now. Though it may not feel like it,
we already have received this glorious inheritance. Now go
back to our text and look at verse 12. All of this, this verse 7-11,
these things that Christ finished on the cross, comes to verse
12, that we should be to the praise of His glory who first
trusted in Christ. All of these things in these
previous verses were done by the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer,
for the eternal praise of His glorious grace. Not only do we
not deserve any credit or have any part in this, but we don't
ever get any praise for it. The Lord Jesus Christ, He is
the one who gets all the glory, and if we're in Him, we share
in that glory. Not because of what we did, but
because of what He did. Now turn back here to 1 Corinthians
1. We've got just a few more to
turn to. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption, that according as it is written, He that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. Because the work is finished,
on the cross. If you are in Christ, we get
His wisdom, His righteousness, His sanctification, and His redemption,
and all of that, according as it is written, that He glorieth,
that let Him glory in the Lord. Alright, we have done three points. We found out who we were, what
God did before the world began, what Christ finished on the cross,
and finally, what the Holy Spirit has done in us. Look at our text
in verse 13. in whom, in Christ, ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation." We heard the word of truth. We heard the gospel. This isn't the hearing with the
ears. This isn't being at the right place at the right time
and hearing something. But this is hearing with the
heart. This is hearing with understanding. This is hearing that gives faith.
Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 1. As you're turning, let me read
from Matthew. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and
your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that
many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things
which you see, and they have not seen them. And they have
desired to hear those things which ye hear, and they have
not heard them. 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 4. Knowing, brethren, beloved, your
election of God, for our gospel came not unto you in word only,
but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance,
as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."
We know who we were. All men hear words. But the Holy
Spirit quickens. The Holy Spirit regenerates and
gives spiritual life to God's elect, all of those that are
in Christ. The child of God doesn't hear
just words. When they hear the gospel, it's
not just words. They hear the truth. They hear
the good news of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Alright,
turn back with me to our text. In verse 13, In Christ ye also
trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation, in whom also, after that, ye believed. The Holy Spirit gives us ears
to hear and then gives us faith to believe. I'm going to read
from Romans 10. That if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then
shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how
shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And
how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. As an aside here, we need to be so thankful that
we have someone who preaches the gospel to us. I am so thankful
that there have been men who've preached the gospel throughout
generations. And the fact that we have a man
and there are other men who preach the gospel. We need to be constantly
in our mind, in our thought, and in our prayers on a daily
basis asking and praying that our Lord will continue to give
our pastor the true gospel to preach to us, make the message
clear and plain, and that when we come here that we can actually
hear and understand it. If we come here by ourselves
or if he gets up here by himself, it is all fluff. It doesn't matter. Without the Spirit of God and
without His hand upon us, even our words with the best intentions
is of no result and no goodness. Now back to our text. Look across
the page. Let me add this on this same
topic. Ephesians 2 verse 8. We're talking about the Holy
Spirit gives us ears to hear and faith to believe. For by
grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, but
it's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. I hope we realize that we have
no reason to look into ourselves for anything that we have or
have been given from the Lord. Now, the last part of verse 13,
"...in Christ ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In Christ also, after
that ye believed, and ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit
of promise." The child of God is sealed with the Holy Spirit.
The seal, or the stamp, of the eternal covenant is not in circumcision. It is not in baptism. It's not
in our outward graces, it's not in our works, but the seal of
the eternal covenant is in the Spirit of God in Christ. Alright,
turn with me to Romans 8. Romans 8, verse 9. But ye are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his. Look at verse 14. For as many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For
ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but
ye 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. 1 John 3 says,
And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth
in us by the spirit which he hath given us. Hereby know we
that we dwell in Him and He in us, because He hath given us
His Spirit. Now the last verse we're going
to look at, verse 14. Ephesians 1, 14. The last part of this, what the
Holy Spirit has done in us. I'm going to read 13 with it
so it goes together. In Christ ye are trusted, after
that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
In Christ also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with
that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance,
until the redemption of the purchased possession, until the praise
of His glory. The guarantee of our inheritance
is the Holy Spirit. He is the first fruit, the pledge,
the foretaste, the down payment on our inheritance. We have the
indwelling Holy Spirit inside us in anticipation of the full
possession of our inheritance in God's good time. In that day,
we will see it. We will understand and realize
that we've always had it. But through the Spirit, we see
it. And all this He does to the promise of His glory. So what
did we find out about salvation from opening this book tonight?
We found out that we're sinners. were dead in trespasses and sins. We see that God chose a people
before the foundation of the world in Christ. We see that
on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ finished the work, providing
a perfect salvation for His chosen elect, His children. And we are
shown that all of the evidence, the work that was done in us,
is through the Holy Spirit in Christ. And in all this, there
is no fluff in the truth. The truth is that salvation is
found completely in Christ. The truth is that salvation is
found completely and wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ.