If you'd like to follow along, we're gonna be in Ephesians chapter one again. It's Ephesians chapter one, and I'm gonna read verses four to six again. According as he has 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 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. And I should have read verse three, and I didn't. Change that. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Now last week, or last time, yeah, it was last week, I spoke about election. Because that's the first blessing that Paul mentions here in verse four, according as he hath chosen us in him, in Christ, before the foundation of the world. God chose his people before the foundation of the world. And I said it last week, I'll say it this week. People hate that doctrine. No, wait a minute, let me put it another way. People hate that truth. They hate that truth. That somehow it's up to God who's chosen. Well, don't leave it up to me, folks. Because, well. I'd save my friends and damn my enemies. But no, it's up to God. And Paul's very clear here. And this is where he starts, right after he talks about having the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is bless us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he has chosen us. And that us in the third verse is the same as the us in the fourth verse. But I wanna speak today of another of the blessings revealed in Ephesians 1. Let's be clear, these blessings are not given to us in Ephesians 1, they are shown to us in Ephesians 1. And I'm gonna tell you something, folks. I like them. I like them. I'll take as many blessings as the Lord can heap on me because I need them. I like them. Because here's the thing, God is so good to us, better than we deserve, better than we ever deserve. And I'm gonna tell you something else, even with everything that's written here and all of these books and all of the Bible, we don't know the half of it. We see through a glass darkly as best, at best, Oh, but I'm gonna tell you something, but by his grace and through his word, we can learn some of the blessings given to us in Christ Jesus. So I wanna begin in verse five. Having predestinated us under the adoption of children, and that word means sons, 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. Oh, I'm gonna tell you something. And we start here in verse five with the word having predestinated. I'm gonna tell you something. That's another word people hate. I don't believe in that predestination stuff. Well, now you don't believe what Paul wrote here. You don't believe what he wrote in somewhere else. Because this is the word. It's hated by the world, it's hated by the religious. Because here's the thing, folks. The natural man hates the things of God. The things of the spirit of God. Because I'm gonna tell you, this word predestinated, what it actually means is purposed and determined beforehand. and not by you, by God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh my, I like that, I do. Now I know I said this word predestined, it means purpose and determined beforehand. The word purpose is not there, but if you look down at verse 11, there it is. Verse 11 says this, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated, how? According to the purpose of him, and here's the thing, folks, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. It's not up to us. It's in God's hands. And believe it or not, what anybody tells you, that's where you want it. Because I can tell you this, God shall do right. God has done right, God is doing right, and God shall do right. And it says he has, believers have been predestinated according to the purpose of God. Understand, your work is not important here, in this. in the election or the predestination. Your work is not important. This is his work. This is his work. It's all in his hands. And that's what we say, or that's what we mean when we say that our God, the God of the Bible, is a sovereign God. He rules over all. The Father gave power to our Lord Jesus Christ. Power over what? All flesh. For what purpose? To give eternal life to as many as God gave Him. Who is that? Those that are chosen and predestinated unto the adoption of sons. Oh, I like that. This is the work of Father, and here it is, folks, in Christ and by Christ. No man comes to the Father but by me. That's what Jesus Christ said. And bless God, that's what Jesus Christ meant. No man comes to the Father but by me. We are predestinated, and here's the thing, unto. Unto the adoption of sons. The adoption of sons. And that word is not small children. That word is a full adult of age, ready to come into his inheritance, ready to be given some responsibility by the father. Oh, I like that, I do. Oh, my. The father determined beforehand, and I do believe that's before the foundation of the world also, those that he chose in Christ shall be sons of God, in Christ by his grace, by his grace. Chosen and called by God in Christ Jesus. I quoted it last week. Jesus Christ is bringing in many sons, what? Unto glory, unto glory. But he's bringing those sons in. This is his work. He's bringing them into what they are predestinated unto, the adoption of sons. Chosen and called. Matter of fact, in the next chapter, chapter two of Ephesians, it'll tell you that you were chosen and called unto good works. Not by you good works, unto good works. Why? That he has ordained before. That sounds familiar. He's ordained it before that you should walk in them. Oh, I like that. Saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves, it's the gift of God. No, not of works, lest any man should boast. Oh, I like that. Saved by his grace and believers praise the glory of his grace. Oh my, I like that. Because here's the thing, let's be clear. His grace is glorious. He's taken dead alien sinners, chosen them in Christ and predestinated them unto the adoption of sons. And Christ is bringing in those many sons unto glory. Oh, I like that, I do. His grace is glorious. His grace is holy. His grace is good and perfect and right. And right. Oh my, and I'm gonna tell you something. It's his salvation and it's all of his grace. His grace. Believers have never earned his salvation. Believers do not deserve his grace. What it is, is the loving kindness, the mercy of God the Father on those he has chosen in his son and predestinated to be sons. Oh, I like that, I do. Without his purpose, without his grace, without his faith, without the provision of his son, we're lost. We're lost. We would have no hope. However, by him, in him, we have received the adoption of sons. Oh, I like that. And here's the thing. Now, believers are the sons of God. Now, this is not boasting, because it's all of him. It's all of his work, it's all of his grace, it's all from him, it's all by him. But it does say this, John 1 and 12, but as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. And then he explains it, which were born. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's cut to the chase. Born of God. To those who are born of God. Born not of the will of man, not of the will of the flesh, and not of blood, but of God. Those who are born of God. Oh my, in John chapter three, Christ says, ye must be born again. And that's born from above. And that's born of God. That's his work again. Oh, I like that. Who are these? Those who are born of God. There are those that he chose before the foundation of the world, and those he predestinated unto the adoption of sons. I was listening this morning to a sermon by Henry Mahan, one I'd heard 40 years ago. I got all his sermons on DVD, and I downloaded them on my computer. I got them on my phone, some of them. But he was talking today about the Gadarene demoniac. I was listening to him on the way up. I liked it. I liked that story, I do. But here's the thing I got to thinking about on the way up. Way up, excuse me. He also mentioned the thief on the cross. Both of them had been railing against Christ, two thieves. One of them stopped and said, you know, we're here where we're getting what we deserve, but this man's done nothing. And he looked at Christ and he said, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Christ said, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. And that Gadarene demoniac, I got to thinking about him, living in the tombs, living among the dead, just like we used to. Dead ourselves and living amongst the dead. But listen, folks, I got to thinking about it, I got to thinking about this sermon here. That thief on the cross and that gathering demoniac, both of them were chosen before the foundation of the world. And both of them, what? Were predestinated unto the adoption of sons. And so is every child of God. In Jesus Christ, not in and of yourselves, but in Jesus Christ. Oh my. We don't know where the spirit comes from or where the spirit's going. There are some times I'd like to be around when it happens, but I don't know if I'm smart enough to recognize it. Maybe afterwards, maybe afterwards. But here it is, we know this, Romans 8 verse 14, for as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. and they were predestinated unto that adoption of sons, the sons of God. Believers are purposed and predestinated to be the sons of God. Oh, I like that. Praise the glory of his grace. I like this one. There's a psalm of praise. It's Psalm number 100, and verse three says this. Know ye, know ye, that the Lord, he is God. What's it say next? It is he that hath made us and not we ourselves. Oh my, we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. I like that, I like that because you understand, This is what Paul's saying here. God makes his people. He chose his people and he has predestinated them unto the adoption of sons, the adoption of children. He calls us. He calls us. Like I said, Christ is bringing in many sons unto glory. He makes us his sons. Oh, I like that. And that's the thing. No God. It's he that made us and not we ourselves. And I got something else I want to tell you in light of that. Acts 15 verse 18. Known unto God. Known unto God are all his works. What? from the beginning of the world. You understand, you stop and you think about it. Jesus Christ, our Lord, when he was on this earth, never met anyone accidentally. It says it in a couple places. He told him, he said, I must needs go through Samaria. And he did. And you know what? People were saved. That woman at the well, and then the others, Samaritans, believed on him. Oh, I like that. That thief on the cross, that one, wasn't there by accident. Neither was the other one, for that matter. And God looked at him in the form of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he said, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. Oh, I like that stuff. Let me tell you something, folks. I said it last week. The purpose of election stands. I'm going to tell you this. The purpose of the adoption of sons stands. Stands. Oh, I like that. The purpose of predestination stands. The purpose of placing us as sons in Christ Jesus stands. Why? Because it's his work. It's his work. It's not our work. It's not even, let's get this very, very clear. It's not even the acceptance of his work. It's his work. You understand? It's not our acceptance that activates the power of God in salvation. No, no, no, no. Power of salvation is in God's hands. It's his salvation and he gives it where he will. Oh, we do receive it, but we can't take any credit for that. We believe according to the working of his mighty power. Oh, I like that too. It is of him that calls us by his grace in our Lord Jesus Christ. Flip over to Ephesians chapter three, just turn the page here. Verse eight, unto me, and these are the words of Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, okay? 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 that mystery which has from the beginning of the world has been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ to the intent that now under the principalities and powers and heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. Now here it is. according to the eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus, our Lord. This is a fellowship of the mystery, and this is what believers are to know this. Paul wrote it down for us. It's written in the Gospels. It's written in the Old Testament. It's written in the epistles. You understand? God moves in mysterious ways. His wonders, you understand? It's His wonders to perform. And He does. And He does. Oh, I like it, I do. And Paul's telling us that some of the blessings for us, and the first blessing he starts with is election, the second blessing is the adoption of sons. Oh, oh, I like this. This is the fellowship of the mystery believers are to know in fellowship with Christ Jesus, right? First John, verses three and verse one says this, chapter three and verse one, behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, here you go, therefore the world knoweth us not. because it knew him not. Verse two. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. Right now. 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. Oh, I like that. He's bringing in many sons, what is it? Unto glory. We're gonna see him as he is. We're gonna see him as he is. And you understand, the reason God calls us the sons of God is because right now we are the sons of God. In Christ Jesus. In Jesus Christ. Not in and of ourselves. Not because we're better than anyone else because we know we're not. but in Jesus Christ, God sees us in love, in the love for his son, in the love for his son. Oh, I like that. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, came by the word, and that word is the Lord Jesus Christ. We are saved by his grace, and we are in his son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Now listen, all blessings All blessings come from God. All blessings come from God, and all blessings to his people are in Christ. The Father of Lights, oh my. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us in Christ Jesus. He chose us in Christ. He's predestinated us to the adoption of sons in Christ, in Christ Jesus. Oh, I like that. He already had a people before he came. The angel told Joseph, call his name Jesus. Why? For he shall save, who? His people from their sins. Oh my, I like that. Election, predestination, the adoption of sons are just a few of the spiritual blessings in Christ. And I'm gonna tell you something, if you got a problem with the choosing before the foundation of the world, if you got a problem with the predestination to the adoption of sons, it's your problem. Because this is what the book says. This is what it clearly states, and this is what it clearly means. This is God's work in his people, for his people, by his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, I like that. The scriptures are clear. The Father chose, past tense, before the foundation of the world, a people. in Christ Jesus. And you can look back at John 6, John 10, and John 17, they will state that the father gave this chosen people to his son. He chose them in him, and then he gave them to him. These are yours. Oh, I like that. Well, John 17, 10 says this, and all mine are thine. These are the words of Christ. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. Bringing in many sons unto glory. Oh, I like that. Because I'm gonna tell you something, whatever it is, the purpose of God always stands. In Christ. But his purpose is standing. You can't add anything to the purpose of God. You can't take anything away from the purpose of God. Understand? Says it in the Old Testament. It's God that does it that men should fear before him. Oh, I know. I got a song here by Richard Burnham. All the elected train were chosen in their heads. to all eternal good. Before the worlds were made, chosen to know the prince of peace and taste the riches of his grace. Chosen to faith and hope, to purity and love, to all the life of God, to all the things above. Chosen to prove salvation sure, chosen to reign forevermore. Nothing but grace appears in this eternal choice. It charms the humble saint and makes the soul rejoice. Its endless glory shines so bright, it makes obedience all delight. It's a shame when you find a song better than the sermon you just preached sometimes, because those words are true. Those words are true, and they agree perfectly here with what the Apostle Paul has written us about the blessings of God. Those words are so. He has chosen us before the foundation of the world, and he's having predestinated us under the adoption of children, what? By Jesus Christ, and here's the thing, folks, to himself, to himself. Oh, there's a purpose in salvation, And so many people in so many places miss the meaning. They miss the message. It's great for us. I'm gonna tell you something, folks. This is glorious to God that he saves sinners. He saves sinners undeserving, at one time unwanted, looking for this, but he gave it. And you know what? Since he gave it, I like it. I love it. I love him and I love his word. You never know what a difference God will make in you until he makes it. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful again for this time and this place. Help us, Lord. Lord, you've done so much for us. You've given us all these blessings in Christ, your son, our Lord. You've given to us life and faith and the power to believe you and trust you and want to please you. or we never cared before. Help us, Lord, to continue on to walk, be with those who need your touch, which is all of us. But Lord, help those who would be here but can't. And help us that are here as we go forth. In Christ's name we pray, amen.