Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I invite you to turn in your
Bibles with me to Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1, let's
begin by reading verse 10. It says, 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 in him. That in the dispensation, that
means the dispensing of, all the time He's going to give. He might gather together in one
all things in Christ. That is the mystery that the
verse before it, verse 9, is talking about. It says, having
made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to his
good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. That's the end of
all this. That's the hope of eternal life,
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 in Him. Salvation and eternal life is
all about being found in Him. Now if you're turning with me,
turn over to 1 John chapter 5. I'm going to read two scriptures
before we look at 1 John 5. The first one is Revelation chapter
22 verses 14 and 15 say this, Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and
may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are
dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters,
and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." That's who's without. Now listen to Revelation chapter
20 verse 15 says, "...and whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire." without. Now 1st John chapter 5 verses
10 through 12 say this, He that believeth on the Son of God hath
the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath
made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave
of his Son. And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." Salvation and eternal life is
all about being found in Him. I need to be in Him. That causes me to want to repent
and be saved. It causes me to want to kiss
the Son, kiss the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, lest He be
angry. It causes me to want to beg for
mercy. Lord, hide me in Thee. I've got to be in Him. Well, back in Ephesians, verse
one tells us that this chapter is written to the faithful in
Christ Jesus. Listen to verse one. It says,
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. It's written to those who are
in him. And then it tells us what it
means to be in Him. Now, we all must be in Him. Here's the question. What does
that mean? To tell somebody, you must be
in Him. Well, what does that mean? The
Lord told a man named Nicodemus, you must be born again. And Nicodemus
said, what do you mean? Can a man enter into his mother's
womb the second time? What does it mean to be in Him? Well, let's read this chapter,
Ephesians 1, and let's find out. Verse 2 says, Grace be to you. If we are in Him, we're in His
grace. Judgment came upon the world
But Noah found grace. Listen to how our concordance
describes the word grace. Noah found graciousness. Noah found kindness. Noah found favor. It says the object of grace is
beauty. It was God's grace Noah was the
object of grace, but Noah was beautiful in the eyes of the
Lord. It means pleasant, precious. The world suffered wrath, but
Noah was precious in the eyes of the Lord. If we're in Christ,
we're in His grace. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that
a wonderful place to be? Verse two goes on to say, grace
be to you and peace. If we're in Him, we're in His
peace. He said, peace I leave with you,
my peace I give to you. In the Lord Jesus Christ, Righteousness
and peace have kissed each other. If we're in Christ, we are in
the prince of peace. That word means safe. It means
healthy, happy, prosperity, rest. All is well. If we're in Christ,
All is well. There's a song that says, when
peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea
billows roll, whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it
is well, it is well with my soul. Now, outside of Christ, they
cry, peace, peace, when there is no peace. What's actually
coming is sudden destruction. But in Christ, peace. All is well. I want to be in
Him. Don't you? Verse 3 in Ephesians
1 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." If we're in Him, we're in His blessing. Jacob said, I will not let you
go except you bless me. Turn over, if you're turning
with me, to Genesis chapter 27. Genesis 27, look at verse 21.
It says, And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee,
that I may field thee my son, whether thou be my very son Esau
or not. Isaac is about to bless one of
his two sons, and Esau is out making venison for his father.
And Jacob comes in to trick his father. And verse 22 says, Jacob
went near unto Isaac his father and he felt him and said, the
voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
And he discerned him not because his hands were hairy as his brother
Esau's hands. So he blessed him. And he said,
art thou my very son Esau? And listen to what Jacob said.
He said, I am. And he said, bring it near to
me and I will eat of my son's venison that my soul may bless
thee. And he brought it near to him
and he did eat and he brought him wine and he drank. And his
father Isaac said unto him, Come near now and kiss me, my son.
And he came near and kissed him, and he smelled the smell of his
raiment, and he blessed him and said, See, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed." Isaac
gave Jacob everything, everything that was rightfully Esau's. But
Isaac gave it all to Jacob because that trickster, that sinner,
came pleading the firstborn. The only reason Jacob got a blessing
was because of Esau. Jacob came in scared to death.
He thought, I wonder if I'm going to be found out. And he kept
saying, Esau, Esau. How do you plead? Esau. Now turn to Genesis 32. Verse
24 says this, And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a man
with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that
he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his
thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was at a joint as he wrestled
with him. And he said, let me go, for the
day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee
go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, what is
thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said,
thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel. For as a prince hast thou power
with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him
and said, tell me, I pray thee thy name. And he said, wherefore
is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of
the place Peniel, for I have seen God face to face and my
life is preserved. Jacob received a blessing because
somebody came to him and wrestled with him and broke him. And Jacob said, I'm a blessed
man. Because in that one who came,
I have seen God face to face and lived. He said, my life is
preserved. God in heaven told Moses, no
man can see me and live. You know, you can't look into
the sun at its high noon strength. When the sun is out on a hot
day, at high noon, when it's shining in its strength, you
can't look into it. But at the end of the day, when
that sun sets over the horizon, when that very same Son comes
down and touches the earth on the horizon. Do you know you
can look straight into the face of the very same Son? If we are
in Jesus Christ, the One who came down, the God who was manifest
in the flesh, if we're in Him, we're in His blessing. in His
blessing. Well back to our text 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. If we are in Him We're in His
choice. I want you to listen to 1 Peter
1, verses 1 and 2 say this, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to
the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father." Elect. Now listen to 1 Peter chapter
2 verse 9 says this, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people. And that word
peculiar means purchased. a purchased people, that you
should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out
of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past were
not a people, but now are the people of God, which had not
obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." Why? How? We'll listen to Isaiah 42 verse
1. This is God the Father talking to God the Son. Behold my servant,
whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have
put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. How can a guilty, vile sinner
become the choice servant of God? Only in Him. Only in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who was chosen. All who are in Him are chosen
in Him. He's the one who was chosen.
We're chosen in Him. Well, our text Ephesians 1 verse
4 says, 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. If we're in Him, we're in His
love. If we're in Him, we are in true
love. We're in unconditional love. Listen to Hosea chapter 11, verses
1 through 4 say, When Israel was a child, then I loved him,
and called my son out of Egypt. As they called them, So they
went from them. They sacrificed unto Balaam,
and burnt incense to graven images. I taught Ephraim also to go,
taking them by their arms, but they knew not that I healed them. I drew them with cords of a man. with bands of love, and I was
to them as they that take off the yoke of their jaws, and I
laid meat unto them." Our Lord God is so good to His people. In Jeremiah 31, our Lord said,
I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee." 1 John says, Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. There in 1 John chapter 4 he
said, Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved
us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Paul
said, God commended his love toward us in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us. Our Lord said, greater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Romans 8 says, He spared not
His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is He that condemneth? It
is Christ that died. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? For I am persuaded that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. If we are in Him, thanks be to
God, we're in His love. Well, Ephesians 1 verse 5 says,
having predestinated us unto the adoption of children. If
we're in Him, we're in His family. And verse 11 here says, in whom
also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated. If we're
in Him, we're in His inheritance. That means whatever He gets,
we get. Romans 8 says, 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 brethren
in His family. The purpose of predestination
is to conform a sinner to the image of Jesus Christ. The glorious truth is, if we
are in Him, It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know
that when He shall appear, we shall be just like Him." That's
hard to understand, but it's true. If we're in Him, we're
going to be just as pure as He is. Oh, a true sinner can't enter
into that, cannot enter into that. But if we're in Him, we're
gonna be just as good as He is. We're gonna be just as right
as He is. Just as holy, just as sinless
as He is. If we're in Him. I beg to be
in Him. I wanna be in Him. Our text,
verse 5, says, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will.
If we're in him, we're in his will. We're in his desire. We're in his heart. He said,
David is a man after my own heart. He said, Abraham is my friend. If we're in Him, we are in His
want. He said, I will, that where I
am, They may be also. I want them to be wherever I
am. I want them. But verse six right
here in our text says, he only wants us if we're in the Lord
Jesus Christ. It says, to the praise of the
glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. That's Jesus Christ. Verse 7 says, in whom we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. If we're
in Him, we're in His blood. That means we're in His death. His blood was shed for us. His blood was shed on us. When He died, we died in Him. Without the shedding of blood,
there's no remission of sins. But it's not just any blood.
Not just any blood will do. It is not possible that the blood
of bulls and of goats should take away sins, neither by the
blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood. He entered
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us. Hebrews 9 says, so Christ was
once offered to bear the sins of many. Many. That's the good news. Not all,
but many. Maybe that includes me. Are you
washed in the blood, in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb? Well, if we're
in Him, we're in His blood. Verse 7 says, "...in whom we
have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according
to the riches of His grace." If we're in the Lord Jesus Christ,
we're in His forgiveness. The song says, in loving kindness,
Jesus came, my soul in mercy to reclaim, and from the depths
of sin and shame, through grace, he lifted me. He called me long
before I heard, before my sinful heart was stirred, but when I
took him at his word, forgiven, he lifted me. Luke 23 says, Then
said Jesus, Father, forgive them. Luke 5 says, who can forgive
sins but God alone? Well, if we're in Him, we're
in His forgiveness. Our text, verse 8 says, wherein
He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having
made known unto us the mystery of His will according to His
good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. If we're in Him,
we're in His mind. were in his thoughts. He said,
I know my thoughts toward you. If we're in him, he thinks about
us. He said, before I formed thee
in the belly, I knew thee. Now, if a person is not in Christ,
if a person comes before God Almighty outside of Christ, not
pleading Christ, but pleading his own work, If I come pleading
the things that I've done, then the Lord God will say, depart
from me. I never knew you. I never thought
about you. But in Christ, he says, I know
my thoughts towards you. They're thoughts of peace. Well,
verse 10, our text says, 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 in him. If we're in Him, we're in His
kingdom. He said, I go to prepare a place
for you. If that were not so, I would
have told you. He said, I'll be their God, they'll
be my people, and I'll dwell with them forever. May the Lord
God cause it to be so. Our only hope of all of this,
our only hope of any of this, is to be found in Him. Until
next Sunday morning, may the Lord bless His Word. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m. and 6 o'clock p.m.,
Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace. you