If you would and you'd like to follow along, we're gonna be in Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one. And I wanna read verses three through six of Ephesians one. Verse three, 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, having predestinated us under 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. My title for this today, Paul, Blessings of Ephesians 1. Because folks, we have the Apostle Paul here, speaking of the children of God. It says it's addressed to 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. Now that's not two separate people. That's one people. The saints at Ephesus and the faithful. And folks, that includes us. This letter, Paul wrote it, and he knew it was gonna get passed around. They copied it and passed it around, and we ended up with it here, translated into English. But the children of God are spoken of in the book of Ephesians, and blessings are spoken of in the book of Ephesians, and what I wanna speak to you today of is the very first blessing listed here in this epistle. He said this, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us. Us, that's who. The saints at Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus. That's the us. And matter of fact, I always like how he does this. Paul's including himself. This is us. It's not you. It's us. He includes himself in this. who's blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Now here's the first fact. All blessings are of the Father. All blessings are of the Father. That's where they came from. Who hath blessed us? Who's that? The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one who blesses because all blessings are his. All blessings are his. All blessings are given by God the Father. And they're given by God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I like that. I like that. He's the Lord Jesus Christ. All blessings are of the Lord. And all blessings are through, are by, through, and in our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh my, there are no blessings without the Father. And let me tell you this folks, there are no blessings without the Son. Without the Lord Jesus Christ, there are no blessings. That's where they are. I know, and I will mention this just for the sake of argument, the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. But sometimes the rain is a blessing and sometimes it's not. You can ask them down in Louisiana and Texas where they had those floods. That rain wasn't a blessing. Well, it was to his people. But I'm not gonna go into all things work together for good to them that love God. All things don't work together for good to people who don't love God. And that's just the truth of it. But there are no blessings without the Father, there are no blessings without the Son. Peter also wrote about these blessings in 2 Peter 1 and 3 and 4. He wrote, as all things to us his divine power, the things pertaining unto life and piety hath given through the acknowledgement of him who did call us through glory and worthiness. Now let's be very clear here. It's not your power, it's not your glory, it's not your worthiness. It's his. It's in Christ. Through which, to us, the most great and precious promises have been given. Through the one who has the worthiness. Through the one who has the glory. We are given these great and precious promises, have been given, that through these you may become partakers, and here is a blessed thing, of a divine nature. Oh my. Having escaped from the corruption in the world of desires. These great and precious promises that Peter wrote of are the blessings of the Lord. And they are still where? In Christ Jesus. in Christ, oh my, the Lord Jesus Christ. They are blessings, and all spiritual blessings are in Christ Jesus, that's what it says. And it says, through him who did call us, through glory and worthiness, and I said it already, I'll say it again, not yours, his. His worthiness, oh, I like that. He is worthy. He is glorious. and he is worthy, oh, and he gives to his people. All blessings, all these great and precious promises are given. This verse shows us the blessings spoken of here in general, but then as the chapter goes on, Paul writes specific blessings, specific blessings. All spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, And I'm gonna tell you something, folks. Sometimes, especially in this epistle, the specific blessings is where the trouble arises because of this very first one. I can tell you that right now. Verse four. This is the first blessing spoken up here. 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. Now listen, I can't make this any clearer than what it says, but I'm gonna try. Because I'm gonna tell you the deeper meaning of this verse right here, the deeper meaning. It means God has chosen us in him, that's in Christ, before the foundation of the world. That's what it says. That's what it means, Tom. That's what it says, and that's what it means. And I have been argued with over this doctrine probably more than anything else in the world. Y'all believe that election stuff, because that's what it means, chosen. Yes, we do. And yes, we do. And yes I do, and hopefully tomorrow I will still believe it. Because this is what it says. And this is not the only place. Well, it's just been there a couple of times. No, it's in there a lot more than that. You're just not looking. Or if you're looking, you're not seeing. And if you're seeing, you're not understanding. Or you're fighting against it, let's just put it that way. The first blessing, this is the very first blessing in the book of Ephesians that Paul mentions concerning the children of God, it concerns us, it doesn't involve us because we don't have a part in this. Well, we don't have a part in any of it, but we'll get to that later, but we don't have a part in it. It said God chose us from before the foundation of the world, what? And he chose us that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. That's salvation, folks. That is salvation. God has chosen his people to salvation. I know people hate that. But here's the point of the scripture. If you don't get anything else, get this. I'm telling this to the TV camera here. If God didn't choose anyone to salvation, there would not have been anyone saved. Because we cannot save ourselves. It's not possible. But he can. He can. Oh, thank God he can. The Father chose his people in Christ Jesus. And I know a lot of people really hate this truth. This doctrine, I'm gonna tell you something about this doctrine. This doctrine is both distorted and it's denied flat out. Jason and I had a little chat about some of this the other day. People wanna explain it away. That's why, and he heard somebody say this. I don't know if it's specifically about this, but it's true about this as anything else I've heard people say. That's what it says, but that's not what it means. This is what we get, folks. This is where we are in this world. The people have itching ears, and they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. They want to hear what they want to hear, and they don't want to hear anything different. And I've said it here before, Paul has actually quoted me, I felt very proud about that. Listen folks, people, preachers especially, will not let the scriptures get in the way of their doctrine, or their teaching, or their believing. See, where their thoughts go contrary to the word of God, they don't look to see the problem within them. they ignore the scripture. And that's what they do. That's our nature. I have to guard against it even now. But the Bible usually says what it means, it means what it says. Yes, sometimes you have to look at context, and yes, sometimes I do look at the Greek, just to see if that word actually matches, or if it's something different, but you know. But listen, folks. This book says what it means. And we get the gist of it, and it's not just in one place, but this is just a wonderful passage that I love. You understand, he didn't say, well, election is this, that, no, he said right here, he just said, God chose us. What? In him, in Christ, Jesus, the Lord, Jesus Christ, in him, before the foundation of the world, before this world was formed, When it was without form and void, God the Father chose us and His Son. And if you wanna go back to John, you can look in there, God the Father gave us, gave His people to the Son. And Christ said, I will in no wise lose anything the Father gave me. Oh my, I like that too. But I'm gonna tell you this, Paul is one of the most denied and hated apostles to the world. Now, I love the guy. I love his writing. I love his words. I love his wisdom that came down, God breathed through the Holy Spirit, and he had it written down if he didn't write it down himself. And it had people copied it because it was so true and so good. The other one, folks, is the Apostle John. They don't like the Gospel of John. You know why? Because that's the Gospel that talks about Jesus Christ being God. Jesus Christ being the son of God, Jesus Christ being God himself, what? In human flesh. But if you listen to these biblical scholars, this is who they have trouble with. Well, you know, that Paul, he was a bit overboard. And then they say, oh, he was a misogynist. And it's like, no, Paul talked real nice about some women. Now, he talked real bad about some other people, but he did talk, anyway. They wanna nitpick something so they can say, well, we'll just throw this out. They think it gives them a reason to deny, but there's no denying this truth, folks. I gotta get a move on here. One of the reasons, though, for where they deny and they dislike the Apostle John and the Apostle Paul is because they proclaim the truth of the choice of God. Before the foundation of the world just makes it worse. They don't like God having the decision anyway. They don't like it being the decision of God. But before the foundation of the world just makes it worse, it does. They hate that. But Paul also wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2 and 13, he says what? 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. Verse 14 says this, whereunto? Where unto, where's where unto? Belief of the truth and sanctification of the spirit. Where unto he called you by our gospel, that belief of the truth, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. God chose you from the beginning to salvation. Now who's that talking about? That's talking about people who from before the foundation of the world were going to be saved. That's what it says. I know people don't like it. I know there are people who hate it. And you can turn off the TV if you want, but I wish you wouldn't because I still got more. But here's the thing. This is what the book says. This is what it says. God chose you from the beginning. You Who? Brethren. Beloved of the Lord. Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. What? In love. In love. Beloved. Beloved of the Lord. Oh my. The context is definitely believers. And the brethren is to whom Paul is writing, chosen from the beginning through the sanctifying work of the spirit And I'm gonna tell you this, folks, the work of God in believing. I remember that's in John 6, I was there a couple weeks ago. This is the work of God. What? That you believe. On him whom the Father has sent. And it goes on, I can get ahead here. Verse 19 of Ephesians chapter one. Well here, verse 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance is in the saints. Now listen here. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward, toward us, who believe. How do you believe? according to the working of his mighty power. I can't take credit for my believing. He gives the life, he gives the faith, and he gives you the power to believe. It's his work, it's his work from beginning to end. But here it is, God chose you from the beginning. Through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and the work of God in believing, and here you go, the calling of God through his gospel. What'd I talk about the other week? He draws and you come. He draws and you come, oh my. But here, Romans 9-11 says this. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God The purpose of God, according to election, might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. Oh, I like that. Verse 12, it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. the purpose of God according to election. I'm gonna tell you something, folks. It stands. It stands. It stands. Whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, the purpose of God according to election stands. And it stands in God, not in us. Now, this is one of those verses where I heard a fella, and it was by tape, not in person, where he read, as it is written, Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated. And what this guy said, and I heard it with my own ears on a tape, well, on a digital recording nowadays, I heard him say it. Well, God doesn't hate anybody, so that's just wrong, we'll go on. Now that is some scriptural exposition, is what I call that. Or if I'm gonna be Jim McLarty, I'm gonna tell you, hermeneutical eisegesis. We call that lies around here, Tommy. But that's the term where you are taking something out of the scripture or putting something into the scripture that's not there. And he's, Paul's quoting the Old Testament when he wrote that. We looked it up, Malachi, I believe it was, talked about, anywhere, somewhere. Here's the thing. What is the purpose of God according to election? Well, I know this. It stands. It stands, there's no doubt. The purpose of God according to election stands. And it's not a works. It's not of what you do. The choice of God is nowhere dependent upon our actions. I include myself in that. That's what Paul's telling us. It's not of works. It stands, but the purpose of God is of him that calls, God the Father. Election and its purpose stands and God calls his people, what's that? To himself, to himself. That's what he tells us in Exodus. Romans 11 and verse four says this, but what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then, even so then, at this present time, There is a remnant according to the election of grace. Oh, there's my word, I love grace. I need grace, I want grace. Because I can't do works. Well, I can, but they're not good. According to the election of grace, and then Romans 11 says this, just to elaborate on it. And if by grace, then it is no more of works. Otherwise, grace is not grace. But if it be of works, then it's not grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. That's what you got, folks. Grace and works. And this is where we are. Paul writes, Jesus said, it's of grace. What's he say? The law came by Moses, but grace and truth are given, came by the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace does. Oh, I like that. According to, what is it? I just read it in Romans nine. The purpose of God according to election is of him that calleth, that calls by grace. He draws, you come. That's grace. That's grace. He draws and you come. Let me, oh boy, I gotta hurry up. I'm going the wrong way. First Corinthians chapter one. Verse 26. For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God, and here we go, folks, God hath chosen. God hath chosen, what, the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and the things, I love this part, which are not, to bring to naught, nothing, things that are, Why? That no flesh should glory in his presence. It's God that calls. It's God that chose. And it's God that calls. What's it say? But of him. of God the Father, are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that it is according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. No flesh glory in his presence. None, except the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, I like that. God hath chosen. past tense. God is not choosing right now. He already has. Before the foundation of the world and from the beginning, his choice was made for his people in his son. And he gave them to his son. John 15 verse 16. Remember I told you the thing about they don't like Paul and they don't like John, right? Well, here's one reason why they don't like John. John 15 verse 16. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. And these are the words of Jesus Christ. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ said. He said, you didn't choose me. I chose you. You didn't choose me. Whose choice is it? Not yours. Not mine. It's his. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. You didn't choose me. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit shall remain, that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. Give it you. Those are the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ, recorded by John, and this is a flat out statement. There's no doubt here, none nothing. You didn't choose me, I chose you. People hate that. People hate that. They hate John 6, I talked about that. No man can come unto me except the Father which has sent me draw him. No man can come unto me unless it be given to him of my Father. Why? People don't like the real grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. They don't like the power of God. They don't like the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. They don't want him in charge. They don't want him choosing. They wanna be in charge. Well, folks, we're not in charge. And here's the thing, we never have been. We never have been. God does what he wants, when he wants, and where he wants. You'll find that all through the Old Testament. You'll find that all through the New Testament. Oh, I like that. All blessings are from God, and I'm gonna tell you something, folks. Election is a blessing from God. Why? It's in Christ Jesus, in our Lord Jesus Christ. His people were given to him by the Father. His people were chosen by the Father in him from the beginning, from before the foundation of the world, to salvation, to salvation. Oh, I like that. I do. But that's the first blessing. That's where Paul starts. I don't know whether he knew it or not, but I thought he may have just decided to make people mad from the beginning of the book. Because it's worked. It's worked. You won't hear people preaching sermons from Ephesians 1 and other places. Not about this part. They'll get up there and try to explain it away. Well, God looked ahead and said, oh, you chose me, so I'm gonna choose you. That's what they say. I've been there too, Tommy. I hate that. Our God, the Lord, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is not reactive. He's not reacting to what you've done or what I've done. No, no, no, no, no. He's proactive. He chose from beginning. He chose from the foundation, before the foundation of the world. And you know what? He chose his people to salvation. And here we are. I did not know any of this when I was lost. Never heard anything like it. But it's here. I've read it, and once you see it, folks, it's everywhere in the scriptures, Old Testament and new. And this is all spiritual blessings in heavenlies, in Christ. And thank you, Lord, for your blessing. Excuse me. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful today for this time and this place. Lord, be with us. While we're here at the baptism, when we leave, we need your guiding hand always, every day, all day. And thank you, Lord, for everything you've given us in Christ. Life, faith, believing, redemption, all blessings are in Jesus Christ. Amen.