All right, everything's running.
Lord willing, no technical difficulties. If you would, please open your
Bibles to 1 Thessalonians chapter five. 1 Thessalonians chapter
five. I'm just gonna read two verses,
verses nine and verse 10. 1 Thessalonians 5, verse nine says
this. For God hath not appointed us
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who
died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live
together with him. I've entitled this message Appointed
to obtain salvation And I called it that for a specific
reason and I'll get to that in a little bit But Paul stated
here now, this is the beginning of Chapter 5 Paul stated that
he was not writing to these Thessalonians of the times and the seasons,
because you don't need anybody to write to you of that stuff. You know why? The day of the
Lord is coming. Now that day, no man knows. No
one knows when, because that day comes as a thief in the night.
And that day, he says there, will not overtake you as a thief. How? Why? Paul states it. Verse five, ye are all children
of the light and the children of the day. We are not of the
night nor of darkness. Then Paul switches from here
From there, you to we here in verse nine. We at one time were darkness, but
now are ye light in the Lord. Now in Christ, ye are not of
darkness, Why? Because believers, those
who know Christ, are of the light. And he is the light. We are of
him. How is this? Paul answers in
verse nine, for God hath not appointed us to wrath. but to obtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ. Paul starts off this verse with
a negative. Then he'll go to the positive.
First thing, first point is always, everything starts with God. For God hath not appointed. Now, I make appointments, you
make appointments, We make plans. You ever watch Blackadder? He
has many cunning plans. It doesn't matter. What God does
is the only thing that matters. For God, in this case, he's telling
us what God hath not done. Starting off with a negative
in this verse, because it's okay. This is actually a good negative
to have. He hath not appointed you to wrath. He's telling these
believers that. This is a letter to believers,
not to unbelievers. This is a letter to the Church
of God in Jesus Christ. This is not a letter to the world. They wanna preach it like it's
preached to the world, but these words are not for the world.
These words are for those who believe, as always. This is something God has not
done. He hath not appointed, and this is where Paul, us. Paul
put himself in here too. See, before this, you were in
darkness. You were not in darkness. You're now in the light. You
are here, you are there. But here, when we get to this,
Paul says, this is us. Because apostle or believer,
in this case right here, doesn't make any difference. For God
hath not appointed us to wrath. Now, what does this word appointment
mean? Well, I found another verse where
it uses the exact same word. That's Acts 20 and 28. You don't
have to turn there. I'm gonna read it. It says, take
heed therefore unto yourselves and all the flock over which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. Where's it, hath made? That's the same word here, appointed.
To be appointed means that God hath made you. That's what it
means. Hath made you overseers to feed
the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
He had appointed these men to be overseers. In other words,
it's got it in the definition, to put, to make, to laid, or
laid on, set forth, and here's another word, ordained. This
word is translated ordained. God hath not made you to wrath. The most holy God is not angry
with believers. And that's what the word wrath
means. God's angry with the wicked every day. But he's not angry
with you if you believe. That's what Paul's writing. He's
angry with the wicked every day. The Old Testament hasn't gone
anywhere. The Old Testament's still here.
He is angry with the wicked every day today. But he has not appointed
you to wrath. He has not appointed us to wrath,
including himself. He is not angry with believers.
What a blessing! What a mercy, what grace. Now, what about that verse? What verse? Oh, you know what verse. It's Ephesians two and verse
three. Among whom also we all had our conversations in times
past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our
flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath,
even as others. Years ago, Earl corrected me
on this verse. We were talking, and I mentioned
it. And he said, no. And I said, what? And he said,
no. It's amazing how Earl would repeat
himself, you know. He told me, and he was right.
I needed to be corrected. I was using it in a bad reference,
is what I was doing. And he corrected me, quite rightly
so. Because he told me, it says,
we were by nature the children of wrath. That's what it says.
It doesn't say we were the children of wrath just like them. It doesn't
say that. We were in our nature just like
them. Our depraved nature is no different
than the depraved nature of unbelievers. There is no difference. Because
we were just like the others, wrathful persons, living in the
lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, Paul
even put it this way, and of the mind. You know, your mind's just as
depraved as your flesh. Well, your mind's right in here.
It's part of your flesh. It's just as depraved. And it
said, we walked according to the course of this world, according
to the prince and the power of the air. The spirit that now
works in the children of disobedience. He does not call us the children
of disobedience. He says we were just like them.
And here Paul writes, God hath not appointed us to wrath. And here's my point here. He
never has. He never has. We'll get to it.
But by nature, we're just like them. We were just like them. The natural state of the believer
was no better than the natural state of the unbeliever. However,
Paul clearly states we, those who believe, were not appointed,
were not made to be, were not ordained to wrath by God. That's the negative. But like
I said, it's not a bad negative to be under. You don't want to
be appointed to wrath. But Paul never states a negative
without stating the positive. And he puts in that one little
word, but. But, to obtain salvation. That word but is put there to
separate that negative from that positive. We started with something
God has not done, and now we're gonna start with what God has
done. Past tense. We're still referring
back to actually not appointed. So this, from that phrase, is
what we have been appointed to. We have been appointed to obtain
salvation. Now, this is where it's gonna
get a little tricky. And if I, I hope I can get this
across. I don't know because it's, It's
a fine point, but I really think it's important because, see,
I know people try to grab ahold
of this word, like they do that children of wrath thing. By nature,
the children of wrath, they grab ahold of this word. See, you
have to go out and obtain salvation. That's what's taught. You know
it is. You've been there, I've been
there. It's on television right now, even as we speak. You have
to go and obtain salvation. You have to get saved, okay? So I looked up this word. Now,
I fully expected to look this word up and see that it was a
passive verb, where you don't do any of the action. Because
that's the way, if you ever study it in the scriptures, and if
you're looking at the Greek a little bit, you have passive verbs and
you have active verbs. Okay, when you look at salvation
in the New Testament, in the Greek, it's active when God's
working, when God does something. And when we do something, even
believers, when believers do something, having to do with
salvation is passive. because we don't do it, he works
in us both the will and to do of his good pleasure. But I was
surprised when I looked at this word. This word obtain is not
a verb at all. It's not an action, passive or
active. It's a noun. Which really surprised
the dickens out of me because when we think of stuff, You know,
when we think of obtaining something, we think we have to actually
go and get it. But actual word here is a noun. And I found a couple other verses
that use this exact same word, so I put them down here. And
here's what it means. In Ephesians 1 and 14, it uses
it in this way. Which is the earnest of our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession. unto the praise of
his glory. The word purchased, possession,
is that same word obtained. Now in 1 Peter 2 and 9, and this
is Woos version because I like this. But as for you, you are
a race chosen out, king-priests, a set-apart nation, a people
formed for possession. Order that you might proclaim
abroad the excellency of the one who out of darkness called
you into participation in his marvelous light Young's literal translation says
we are in that same verse first Peter to and I we are a people
acquired We are the acquisition of Jesus
Christ And that's what that word says, obtain salvation. Here in 1 Thessalonians, Paul
is writing that when he writes, they translate it to obtain salvation,
it means that now we actually have as a possession the salvation
of God. of Jesus Christ, and we were
appointed to have as a possession our Lord Jesus Christ's salvation. We've been appointed to this.
This is a continuation of that previous phrase, and Paul includes
himself in this. It doesn't matter whether you're
an apostle, it doesn't matter whether you're a preacher, it doesn't
matter whether you're a believer, God has appointed you to have the
possession of the salvation, which is in Jesus Christ. We
don't go get this salvation. He gives it. We don't go obtain
this salvation as an action, but we do possess it. We do possess
the salvation. Why? because he gave it to us. We receive it. Not because we
go out and get it. We receive it because he gave
it to us. It's a gift. This salvation is
ours. And this salvation, we have been
appointed unto it. I wanna read another scripture
to you. 1 Peter 1 and 2. Elect, elect, elect. We like that word around here.
According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. We are chosen according to God's
foreknowing of you. And you have been appointed to
possess salvation unto obedience through the Holy Spirit. Through
the Holy Spirit, if you believe, you were appointed to his salvation. That's grace unto you. That's
grace unto you. And of course, 2 Thessalonians
chapter two and verse 13, but we are bound to give thanks all
way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning, what? Chosen you to, to, to salvation. 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. God chose you from the beginning
to salvation through the Holy Spirit and belief of the truth,
and yes, that is the correct order. There's no believing without
the Holy Spirit. Why? Because there's no faith
without the Holy Spirit. We don't have a divine spark
in us and we have to fan it up, okay? All men have not faith,
that's why we are persecuted. Because all men don't have faith.
Because those that don't have faith hate the Lord of light.
And those that hate the Lord of light hate you. Hate me. Faith is the gift of
God. but God chose you from the beginning
to salvation. And guess what? Paul writes here,
you've been appointed to possess that salvation, to have in your
possession this salvation, to have it as a possession. We're to hold on to this salvation.
His salvation, we're to hold on to him because he is our salvation. We don't get saved. We believers
are saved. And there's a world of difference
between those two words, a world of difference between getting
saved and being saved. And if you don't believe you
have no claim to the salvation of Jesus Christ, because What's it say? For God hath not
appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation, what? By our Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is by Jesus Christ. All salvation is by Jesus Christ. The only salvation is by Jesus
Christ, and there is no salvation without Jesus Christ. Is there any other way to say
that? Salvation is by Jesus Christ
alone. Alone. It's not by Jesus Christ
in you. It's not by Jesus Christ and
me, it's by him. Salvation is of the Lord because
salvation is from the Lord and the Lord Jesus Christ is our
salvation. And we have been appointed to
obtain salvation. Neither is there salvation in
any other for there is none other name under heaven given among
men whereby we must, what? Be saved. Be saved. If Seth hadn't brought his guitar,
we were gonna sing this song. Jesus is our great salvation. Worthy of our best esteem. Why? He hath saved his favorite
nation. Christ alone could us redeem. I like those words, I do. Then verse 10 says this, who
died for us? That whether we wake or sleep,
we should live together with him. Who died for us? We just said by our Lord Jesus
Christ. That's the who. Who died for us. Who died for
us. Who died for us. You can emphasize
each word individually and emphasize all the words. Because our appointment,
our being made, our being made to have his salvation as a possession
is only because He died for us. He died for us. His death was substitutionary
and sacrificial. He gave his life, he shed his
blood in righteousness, in holiness, and in punishment for sins, our
sins. because he died for us. He died for us. But his death,
his death has a direct result. And the one that Paul writes
about here, that, it's a word of purpose, that whether we wake
or sleep, we should live together with him. Because his substitutionary
death directly results in our life. We have life now. If you're a believer, you have
life. If you don't believe, you got no claim on life right now.
This is not talking about elect or non-elect. Elect or reprobate,
that's not what it's talking about. He's talking about believers
and unbelievers. Because that's the only ones
we can talk to. You can argue yourself blue in
the face with unbelievers. I know, I've done it. You can
argue them into a corner and use biblical logic and confound
them. And guess what? It does absolutely
no good. Never has, Mason. I found that
out years ago by reading Martin Luther. His bondage of the will
was a wonderful piece of literature and a good piece of truth. Excellent
piece of truth. And it didn't do Erasmus a bit
of good. That's whose letters he was answering. Didn't change
a thing. No. Why? Because the gospel is
the power of God unto salvation to those that believe. You can't
leave that part off. Oh, they want to say, oh, the
gospel can break you down. No, no. God's got to break you
down. and God's gotta build you up.
And God's gotta give you life, and God's gotta give you faith,
and then you will hear, and you will believe, and you will receive
the gospel. And not until. I'm sorry, that's
just the way it is. That's what the book says. We are saved by grace, through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. Not of
works lest any man should boast. Yes, I can get Baptist with the
best of them. That's right. For we are his,
what? Workmanship. Created in Christ
Jesus, what? Unto good works. And I'm gonna
tell you this, a good work is believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a good work. How do you
do that? He'll put in you both the will
and the do of his good pleasure. We're his workmanship. We are
his work. And guess what? We have been
appointed to be his work. He chose us from before the foundation
of the world. I know the world hates that,
but that's their problem, not mine. I can't help him with that. All I can do is rejoice in it.
Well, I'd like to help the world. I'd like to teach the world to
sing in perfect harmony. But it ain't gonna happen. I
don't have enough money to buy them all Cokes. But yes, I'd like to see that.
I'd love to see sinners get saved. But first you have to find somebody
who knows they're a sinner. Because he's gonna show you you're
a sinner before he ever gonna make you a saint. Just because
you're chosen in Christ Jesus, that don't mean you're gonna
go through life without ever knowing him. Because if you're chosen
in him, he's gonna bring you to himself. He's bringing in
many sons to glory and giving God the glory as he does it.
Why? Because they have been appointed
to obtain salvation. I mean, it's all there. It's
all there. Here, Paul talks about whether
we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Now, our having
life, our true life, the true life, is his life. And this also has to do with
our living our life. In him, we move, we live and
move and have our being. What? that whether we wake or
sleep, we should live together with him. Now this reference
here where he's talking about wake or sleep, that's actually
in reference to verses six through eight. He's talking about, therefore,
let us not sleep as do others, let us watch and be sober. Because
a lot of times when he talks about sleep, he's talking about
death, but not here. He's talking about, therefore,
let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober.
For they that sleep, sleep in the night. They that be drunken
are drunken in the night. Let us, who are of the day, be
sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for an
helmet, the hope of salvation, for God has not appointed us
to wrath. He's talking about the difference
between being alert to the things of God or being asleep, not watching. not waiting, not being aware,
not being alert. Our condition, our circumstance
doesn't affect this part here. We live together with him. Why? Because he died for us. He gave himself for us and he
has appointed us to possess this salvation. If you believe him,
there's the qualifier. You have to fit the category
before you can get the blessing. You have to be part of this us
Paul's talking about or he's not talking to you. That's just
the way it is. I mean, I don't want to downgrade.
I don't want to denigrate our walk. Our walk is important It's vital we are to have a walk
a good walk But our walk doesn't change our appointment by God
God changes our walk He does work in you both to will
and to do of His good pleasure. I've said it before, I'll say
it again. You may not be very good at it, but you're gonna
walk. You may not be very consistent
at it, but you're gonna walk. And whether you wake or sleep,
what? We live together with Him. Even when I'm slothful, oh yes. Even when I'm inattentive, yes. Even when I'm distracted by the
world, yes. Yes. Even when I'm rebellious,
oh, especially then, yeah. Thank God, yes. When I'm wrong,
yes. Even if I don't feel it, yes. If you're a believer, we live
together with him. He's the constant faithful one,
not you. I'm not the constant faithful
one, he is. It's not that I can get closer
to him, it's that he is in me. Know ye not, ye are the tabernacle
of God. You've got his spirit within
you. He's with us every day, whether we know it or not. And
that's a blessing from Him. And this is the thing, we are
together with Him. We live by Him, we live in Him,
and we live with Him. We live and we move and we have
our being in Him, in Him. because believers are together
with Him. We live together with Him. We abide together, love together,
walk together, and we gather together. Where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.
But He was in you before you got here. If you know Him, He
was with you before you got here for this gathering. Because together
with Him, all is life. Because He is life incarnate. Walter pointed this out to me
last week after I said about what Paul wrote was that one
coherent thought. It was a complete thought. It
couldn't be separated apart. Walter pointed out to me when
we were out there in between services, he said, God's thoughts
are actions. And I said, oh my, that's right.
It made me wish I'd said that when I was preaching. So I'm
gonna say it now. Because it's one of them things
that just kind of hit me all at once. It's something already new, but
then you put it all together. Because God speaks and does exactly
as God thinks. There's no variableness with
him, neither shadow of turning, right? God doesn't think one
thing and say another. God doesn't say one thing and
do another. No, that's us. That's us. I'll think one thing and say
another. And it has saved my can more than once. I'll say
something and then do another. And that's been to my shame more
than once. But God's not that way. God's thoughts are his actions. He said this, for my thoughts
are not your thoughts. Neither are my ways your ways. You know why? Because your thoughts
aren't my thoughts. So your ways aren't my way because
his thoughts are exactly like his ways and his ways are exactly
like his thoughts. I believe him. His thoughts and
his ways are exactly the same and mine are not. But from this
scripture here of Paul's, we believers have not been and never
have been appointed to wrath, to anger, or to punishment. We believers have been, he did
write this in the past tense, I did look at that. And always
have been appointed to have as our possession the salvation
of Jesus Christ. We have been chosen to and appointed
to salvation by Jesus Christ, by grace, through faith, and
that not of yourselves. Believers possess his salvation. and we have this possession,
this salvation only by our Lord Jesus Christ because he died
for us. We didn't earn it, we didn't
get it, and we didn't go out and obtain it. We were appointed
to this salvation and we were given this salvation by God himself,
our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. And we have it because and only
because He died for us. This is the thing the world doesn't
quite understand. The only way to believe is to
have been given faith, the faith of God's elect, the faith that
Christ is the author and finisher of. It's His faith. That's the
only way to believe is to be given faith. Now the only way
to be given faith is by the Holy Spirit. The only way to be given
the Holy Spirit is for him to come into you. To be given life. And what does it say about the
Holy Spirit? What did Christ say? He bloweth
whithersoever he will. And you can't tell where he came
from and you can't tell where he's going. So is what? everyone that is born of the
Spirit. It's not true of everyone, but
it's true of everyone that's born of the Spirit. The only way to be given faith,
to be given life, is by the grace of God, which is in Jesus Christ,
who died for us. and gave himself for us. Gave
himself a ransom for many. Because all this comes to us
by the appointment of God. Who hath chosen us in Christ
before the foundation of the world. What? That we be possessed
by his salvation. And now, right now, in this time,
we live together with him. You understand, I know you live
in him. And our life is only in him. But we get to live with
him. I'm gonna send the Holy Spirit.
He's with ya, but he's gonna be in ya. He's going to be in
you. He's in you now if you believe.
Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Grieve not the spirit.
We do, but don't. We now get to live together with
him because he died for us. Our heavenly father, we're thankful
again for this time in this place. Thank you, Lord, for all that
you've done. Be with Walter as he speaks. Bless all of your children with
the hearing of your gospel. Thank you, Lord. In Christ's
name, we pray. Amen.