Turn to Ephesians chapter one.
Remember, our Lord said, I will build my church. Amen. The past couple weeks,
we've been on the church's organization. We've looked at oneness. We've
looked at order and unity. Yes, sir. This morning, I want
us to try to deal with God's eternal purpose. Yes, sir. The church's organization God's
eternal purpose. Now, beginning with Ephesians
chapter 1, I will read for this morning the first six verses.
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,
grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord
Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings and heavenly places in Christ, 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. As I said to you the past couple
weeks, when we think about the Church's organization, it's oneness. It's order and unity. We see
in the church that order, that structure, that arrangement. Christ in building the church
has built and I will even say is still building, I believe
today, that church. But he's doing it according to
the eternal purpose of God. I say this with reverence. I
don't mean to be flippant. God Almighty has erected a blueprint
and that blueprint is being followed to the T. In this chapter, that is Ephesians
chapter 1, Paul declares the order, the structure, the arrangement
of the eternal purpose of the triune God concerning the church. This epistle and even this chapter
is not a systematic theology to seminary students. It has system to it, but it is
not a systematic theology written to seminary students. As a matter
of fact, as one man pointed out, This epistle is written to many
who were probably slaves of the lower classes. Some who may or
may not have, we don't know for sure, but some maybe could not
even read and write. Uneducated men and women when
it came to the Greek philosophies and all the instruction of the
world of that day. Thus Paul, this not being some
systematic theology to seminary students, Paul does not start
at the beginning and work his way down. In other words, he
doesn't begin at point A and then go to point B and then go
to point C and so forth and so on. This is a letter to saints. This is a letter to the faithful
in Christ Jesus. He begins this letter that way. The Spirit of God moved Paul
to declare his audience before he even proceeds any further
in his instruction. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
And as though that even needs explanation, yet because we are
so finite and fallible, he says, by the will of God. That's why I am what I am as
an apostle, by the will of God. One of the first statements he
makes as to his position and place in the body of Christ,
in the church, is what? By the will of God. To who? The saints. That's the only people
He's writing to. Saints. This epistle is not to
the world to inform them of God's wonderful purpose He has for
their lives. This epistle is declaring God
Almighty's eternal purpose for how He will build His church. To the saints. and to the faithful
in Christ Jesus. These are not two different classes
of Christians, but the same people. The same people. It's a letter
to saints. It's a letter to the faithful in Christ Jesus. In
other words, I'm writing, Paul says, to the people set apart
by God and set apart unto God. That's what the word saint means.
To be a saint, you do not have to work a miracle. You have to
be a miracle of God's grace. Rome says you work a miracle
and I don't know what the other standards are. It has nothing
to do with being a saint. The word saint is brought from
the Greek word which means to set apart. A set apart person. And the preponderant testimony
of scripture is this. We are set apart by God and we
are set apart unto God. A lot of people don't mind being
set apart. They just want to be set apart
into something other than God. A lot of people don't mind being
a saint if it means I can be a saint in my own way. Joe pointed
that out quite ably this morning. Those who are saints are saints
by God Almighty's ordained way. No one else is saints. No one
else is saints. So it's the people set apart
by God and set apart unto God. A people, and I can say and,
and a people in whom faith in Christ, that is, faith in Christ,
is real. And thus, these people are actively
engaged in believing Christ. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, but it's
not enough just to leave it laying there, and to the faithful, where? in Christ Jesus. There are thousands that are
faithful to religion. Paul is not writing to them.
There are thousands that are faithful to their own particular
brand of doctrine or their denomination. Paul is not writing to them.
He is writing to those who are saints and they are described
as what? To the faithful in Christ Jesus. Faithful means faith is
real. It is active. They participate
in this thing. It's a part of who they are. Not just how they think, it's
a part of who they are. Thus these people are actively
engaged in believing Christ. But I ask the question, I think
it's this implied question, but how, Paul would say, how did
I get here and how did you get there? Remember who Paul was? a hater of Jesus Christ and yet
now he says Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.
How did he get there? How did he get to that condition
or that state or that position whichever way you want to look
at it or look at it all? These people of Ephesus were
the worshippers of an image that had multiple breasts upon its
chest. A God of fertility with full
of orgies and all sexual corruption. That's what Ephesus was. And yet Paul calls these people,
at least some of them, saints in the faithful in Christ Jesus.
How did they get to that? How did they go from being worshippers
of Diana? Great is the goddess Diana. And they screamed it for hours.
Wasn't it? Was it three hours? I forget.
What was it? Hours? Great is Diana of the Ephesians. This big statue. How did these people get to be
saints and faithful in Christ Jesus. I ask you, how did you
get to be a saint and faithful in Christ Jesus? Look at your
background. Look at where you came from.
Look at where your devotions and your love was at one time.
How did you get to where you are today? Immediately then, Paul being
moved by the Spirit of God begins to ascend. He begins to ascend. He begins to ascend toward the
source of this condition of sanctity and faith. Can you see it? He doesn't begin up there. He
begins with himself, who he is, what he is now, and who they
are. And it's the question, how did
he get there? Paul now immediately begins to
ascend up toward the source of this condition. It's ascending
order, not descending. We'll see the order here, but
it's ascending order, not descending. He's not starting at the beginning
and working his way down. He started here, where they were,
and now is beginning to work his way back up. You see it? If you don't see that, you'll
become confused here. Why the blessing before the election?
Why the election before the predestination and so forth and so on? The reason
is, he's now ascending back up to the throne. It's ascending order, not descending.
So again, I ask, how did this come to be? Saul of Tarsus, now
an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, but that doesn't
answer a whole lot, does it? It's not a lot of detail, is
it? It's enough if we weren't so rebellious. and so thick-headed
and so hard-hearted, it ought to be enough when He calls someone
saints and faithful in Christ Jesus that ought to bow us down
into the dust before God Almighty. But even when we're bowed down
and our pride is crushed, every particle cries out with pride
against God. So what's Paul do? He says, here,
I'm going to define to you how you got to be where you are as
saints and faithful in Christ Jesus. Let us now ascend up to
the source. Immediately. Number one. The first thing Paul does is
lavish praise on Him from whom these blessings flow. Blessed
be the God. He doesn't start with God's blessings
to us. The first thing he does is let's
stop and praise God. You see it? Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who Do you see that? The Father of Christ is the source. That's what it is. The Father
of Christ is the source. God the Father is the source
of our blessing. We should then in turn do what? Bless Him. Blessed be. blessed
be, but in religion today, in pseudo-Christianity today, in
the majority of professing Christians today, where do they always want
to begin? With their self as the source. Rather than saying, okay, here
I am, by an act of God, and then ascending up to see the source,
they stay where they are and say, I made myself this way.
They can call it all kinds of things. They can call it divine
spark. That's a lie. They can call it free will. That's
a lie. They can call it works. That's
a lie. It's a lie. Paul lavishes praise
on Him from whom this blessing flows. And it's enough just to
say, blessed be God. Because, Mason, if we simply
said, all we're supposed to do is praise God, then we just go
on with words and words and words. He lavishes praise on Him by
this simple yet profound statement, Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus. Those set apart as saints and
believing, that's the faithful in Christ Jesus. Those set apart
and believing Christ are the recipients of the blessings. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us. You see, he's
beginning to send up now. Here I am, I'm an apostle by
the will of God. You're saints, you're the faithful
in Christ Jesus. Now we praise God for that. Yes,
sir. We praise God for that because
from Him comes our blessed state. Yes, sir. Do you see it? Those
set apart in believing Christ are the recipients of the blessing
who have blessed, that little word, us. Amen. No, listen to me, no spiritual
blessing is withheld from those set apart in believing. Now you
got the right order now. You usually read this, you see,
well, blessed us, so that means he blessed us before the foundation
of the world. No, you're just trying to start
at the top and work your way down. We're at the bottom here
where we are now. Saints and believing. Now we're
working our way back up. Who is he blessed here? The saints
and the faithful in Christ Jesus. You see it? This is the ascending
order. Somebody said, well, but God
did that before the world began. Yes, He did, but Paul is defining
for us how we got to where we are right now. You weren't born
a saint. You weren't born faithful in
Christ Jesus. I'll tell you that right now
without apology, and neither was I. Neither was I. No spiritual blessing is withheld
from those set apart in believing, because to be set apart in believing
are two of the blessings. They're two of the very blessings
he's talking about. In other words, spiritual life,
where'd that come from? God. And the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. A spiritual faith, where'd that
come from? God. Repentance, is that necessary? Oh, yeah, it's necessary. Where'd
that come from? That come from God. Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. What does he say? Who hath blessed us? Who's the us? Somebody says the
elect. He ain't got there yet. Hang
on just a minute. He's talking to saints and the
faithful in Christ Jesus. See, we're ascending up. God's
grace, God's peace, God's salvation, etc., etc., etc. God has blessed
us with all of it. How is it that these blessings
are ours? Paul now keeps going up, you
see. He keeps ascending further. Next, Paul acknowledges the where,
the when, and the why. which hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as."
You see that? That's not there by mistake.
Paul's not just trying to wax eloquent. He's saying, now, there's
a source from which all these blessings are yours. 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. God the Father chose us in Christ. That's where. There's the realm
in which He chose us. If you think about in Christ
in this context, think of Christ as your representative. He is
God's elect one. He's the one that's chosen based
solely upon who He is and what He would do. He's chosen Joe
for that purpose. He's chosen because of that purpose.
Where were we chosen? In Him. Do you see it? In Him. There's the where. There's
the realm. God the Father chose us. Where?
In Christ. Here's the when. Before we ever
even existed. Right? before the foundation
of the world. And here's the why. Is there
a why? Sure there's a why. That we should be. You see it? He's blessed us how according
as He chose us. In Christ. In Him. Before the foundation
of the world. That we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love. Not because we would be, but
that we would be. Now, it's that simple, but it's
yet that profound. And to change it just that much
is to pervert the Gospel of God. is to pervert the eternal purpose
of God. Well, He chose us because we
would be. No. He chose us to be. Now, as a matter of fact, some
people have a problem with that word should. Because in our day
it's used as hope so, or maybe so, or wish so. The old English
word should does not have that meaning. But, as a matter of
fact, if you actually literally translate it into Greek, it is
for us to be. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ who have blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. We're sending up according
as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world for
us to be holy and without blame before Him in love. Our holy and unblemished state
is even before God. Yes, sir. As a matter of fact,
that's the only place it matters. You look at me, you ain't gonna
see that. Do you know that? You look at
me, you won't see me as holy and unblemished. Will they, Tim? Not that you won't. Now I know
y'all think I'm a pretty good fella. Nah, you're not. We don't even have visitors where
that even really makes much of a difference, does it? The whole
point is before Him. Because He's the one that it
matters. If I don't stand holy and without blemish before Him
in love, you know what's going to happen? I will perish. No
matter what men and women may think of me, the question is,
how does God see me? But He chose for me to be that
way. Holy and without blemish. And that is a good way to look
at it. As one pointed out, it has to do here with both inwardly
and outwardly. In other words, God's not hiding
something from Himself. God knows what we really are
by nature. But God Almighty chose us in
Christ before the foundation of the world. And therefore,
it is to be for us before Him, holy and without blame, without
blemish before Him. How? In love. Now if you don't
love Christ, You got no right to claim a part of the election. And men argue about where the
love should be. The love is in his people. Love for Christ,
love for his gospel, and love for others who love Christ and
love his gospel. He chose us to love Him. Not
just to go to heaven. Everybody says, well you believe
God chose some to go to heaven and some to go to hell. I believe
God chose the people to love Christ. To believe Him. To rest in Him. That's the order. That's the structure. That's
the arrangement. You're not going to get the glory
if you don't love Christ. I don't care how much you claim
God chose you. You know? Because why? According, here's how he's blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
according as he chose us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should behold him without blame before him
in love. What does Scripture say love
covers? A multitude of sins. As a matter of fact, love is
the fulfilling of the law. But aren't you glad love is a
fruit of the Spirit? It's not something you've got
to come up with. It's something that God gives you. He just makes
you that way, David. You can't help but love God's
people. Why? We're not lovable. We're not
lovable. I mean, when my wife tells me
I love you, I think something's wrong with you. You know? You ask me, why do you love me?
You're setting them up. Quit doing that. Why do you love
me? I really don't know. Well, let's be honest. Most of
what we love is because we know they're just like we are. Isn't
it true? But real love is based in Christ
and based upon what He's done for us by His grace. Holy and unblemished state before
Him. That's so amazing. Three things quickly on this. The where, the when, and there's
the why. Why? Why? Why did He choose us in Christ
before the world began? That we should be. Holy. Not
because we would be. That we should be. You see it?
Three things. Only the chosen are blessed.
Right? Isn't that what this teaches?
We're ascending up now. We're ascending up. Only the chosen
are blessed. But, thank God, all the chosen are blessed. Huh? When we compare ourselves among
ourselves, some of us are probably better than others. But it's
not based on that. It's according as He chose us
in Him that we should be. You see it? Only the chosen are
blessed, but thank God all the chosen are blessed. Thus, here's
the third thing, the blessed are chosen. Did God give you
faith? That means He chose you. You
see it? Has He set you apart in Christ
to love Christ, to love His gospel, to love His people? God chose
you before the foundation of the world did. Now if you don't
believe, if you don't love, you've got no reason to claim it or
think it of yourselves. But if you do, you have all the
reason in the world. Paul says, Beloved, knowing your
election of God. Why? Because our gospel laid
hold of you. And it drew you out from where
you were and drew you unto us and unto the Lord. And that's
basically my paraphrasing of what Paul is saying there. He
said you became followers of us and of the Lord. Now don't
leave out either one of those things. A lot of people want
to follow the Lord. They ain't worried about being
with God's people. You're mixed up in your mind. I'm serious. I'm being honest with your soul
and my soul. You're mixed up in your mind.
When God calls you out of them, you become a part of us. And
if you don't love to be a part of us, you ain't a part of us.
Period. What are you saying? Exactly
what I just said. What do you mean exactly what
I just said? Because God has blessed the believing
saints, saints who believe. Either way, He has blessed them,
what with all spiritual blessings. And He chose us how to be before
Him holy and without blame before Him. How? In love. Thus the blessed
are chosen. Yes, chosen to be blessed. Isn't
that what it says? We are still ascending up. But
now, Now, Paul sets our hearts and minds square before God's
eternal reason for our election. You know there's a reason for
our election? Having predestinated. So in the order, not in the mind
of God now, but in the order as Paul's ascending, what now
is next? Having predestinated. Predestination precedes election. in the order. That's what it
says, doesn't it? Look, He blessed you. You're a saint. You're faithful
in Christ Jesus. And that's true because God blessed
you with all you needed. Every spiritual blessing you
needed, God gave it to you. And why did He do that? Or how
did He do it? According as He chose you. And
He chose you to be holy without blame before Him in love. But
what's that based upon? His predestinating purpose. having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself according to the good pleasure of his will. Most people
want to say, well, election's at the forefront. No. Predestination
is at the forefront. Our destiny, this is simply,
simply put, our destiny was predetermined by God beforehand. Yes sir. That's what it is. Our election
flows from that. So away with this God looked
into the future and seeing what you would do. No, God chose for
you to be adopted. How? Even then by Jesus Christ to
Himself. Who's doing all the work there?
God the triune God is. Do you see it? You don't have
to go to all, well I need to find out what does it say in
this passage. No, it's all right here. As we ascend up to the
throne, how did we get to where we are right now? Let us go up
to the throne and we'll see the order, the structure. God chose
you because He predestinated you to be His son. That's what
it says. Our destiny was predetermined
by God beforehand. Now there is no other meaning
to the word predestinate. It's not pre-confirm. It's predestinate. The destiny was determined by
God beforehand. The destiny is defined to be
placed as a son. And the way it's done, guaranteed,
is by Jesus Christ to Himself. And that's even according to
the good pleasure of His will. So I'm here to say, if you're
believing in free will, you're not believing the Gospel of God. Man's will is not in here, anywhere. whose will is not only predominant,
but only there. God's will. Paul said, I'm an
apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. And you're saints.
You believe in Christ Jesus. Now let me show you how you got
there. Let's go up. Let's go up. We're ascending
up. We're actually starting at point B or C or D and now we're
working our way back, David, to point A. Now we're at point
A. Our destiny was adoption. That was our destiny. And who
destined us? Who did this having? God did it. By Jesus Christ Himself. This destiny hinged on, was dependent
upon, who? Jesus Christ. Right? having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to
the good pleasure of his will. Paul now has completed his ascension
as we see God on the throne. Now we're back. We're right back
to the beginning. We will say a bit, you know,
God is from the beginning. Right here it is, Mason. There's
the beginning, if we can call it the beginning, as Scripture
does. Paul now has completed this ascension, and we stand
before the very throne of God, and we hear Paul crying out with
clear, unadulterated language, God is doing all of this according
to His will. And it's to assure praise to
Himself. By doing it all Himself, and
assuring it all Himself. You see it? That we... of having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ Himself,
according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of
the glory of His, what? Grace. Amen. Wherein He hath
made us accepted, highly favored. Yes, sir. Same word that was
used to Mary, which is you are highly favored. to the praise
of the glory of His grace wherein He hath made us accepted, where? In the Beloved. You're not even accepted in your
repentance. Those are the blessings that
flow from the source. You're not accepted in your faith,
that's a blessing that flows from the source. You're getting
it all mixed up. When you see where you are now
by God's grace, go all the way back to the source, the throne
of God, and God Almighty did it to bring praise to the glory,
that we might be to the praise of the glory of His grace. So
what is the order of God's eternal purpose in these verses? Top
down. God was pleased to bring praise
to himself. That's where it started. That's the first thing in the
order. That's the first thing. God was pleased to bring praise
to himself and to bring praise to the glory of his grace. There's
number one in this text. There's number one. Number two,
God predestinated the people to adoption for that end. Why?
To bring praise to the glory of his grace. The predestinated
were chosen in Christ for them to be holy and without blame
before Him in love. The chosen are blessed with everything
they need spiritually. Whatever you need, God's going
to give it to you. Yea, in Christ He has given it to you. I may preach on this sometime.
Do you remember Jacob's cup? Was it Benjamin's sack? There are a lot of things in
this world we think, boy, that can't be a blessing. Let me tell
you something, if you're one of God's, if he predestinated
you to be to the praise of the glory of his grace, even Joseph's
cup in your sack is a blessing. You remember when they first
opened up that sack? And all of a sudden Joseph's cup rolled
out, they might say? They were frightened to death.
But you know what that cup was in there for? To bring Benjamin
back. and to guarantee they would be
back. Joseph's cup hidden in your sack
is a blessing. It's there even when you don't
know it. As a matter of fact, it's in
your possession even when you don't know it because it's in
your sack. But eventually, God will show it to you. You'll open
the lid on that sack and go to digging in that grain and say,
boy, look at this grain. And all of a sudden, the cup will
roll out and it'll scare the living bejeeves out of you. But
then you'll realize this is, in the end, you're right, this
is a good thing. This is a good thing. The chosen are blessed
with everything they need spiritually. We're working our way back down
now. The three predominant blessings mentioned here are what? Sanctification,
faith, and love. That's the three predominant
blessings mentioned here. Sanctification, faith, and love. And Christ is the sum and substance
of all these things. That's where it's at. We've traveled,
we've ascended up, and now I've just kind of turned it around
and come right back down. That's why we are where we are
now. But next time, We're going to
look at the church's organization. We'll look at the next several
verses. There is gospel conversion. It's just as much a part of this
as the first six verses. And there is order to it. Let's just read it. Just for
this sake of time, verse 12, that we should be to the praise
of his glory. He keeps saying that, notice
that. He keeps David hopping back up
to the throne saying, don't forget this. It's all about praise.
Why did God do all that? To praise himself. To bring glory
to himself. But look, that we should be to
the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ, in whom
he also trusted after that. You see it? That's the order.
You can't mix that up. in whom you also trusted after
that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
in whom also after that you believed. You can't mix that up. You can't
twist it around. After that you believed, you
were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And that is the earnest
of your inheritance. You see it? Which is the earnest
of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.
And then it's just like it's gonna go right back up again
unto the praise of His glory. And there's an order here. Either
God saved you according to this arrangement, or you're not saved.
Either God saved me according to this arrangement, or I'm not
saved. You don't be like Cain, Joe,
and pick how you want it to be done. It's done this way, or
it ain't done at all. You see what I'm saying? That's
how important it is. How important it is. Father,
not only teach us these things, We do desire, pray for ourselves
and for others at the eyes of our understanding of being enlightened,
that we may know what is the hope of your calling. But God,
that it's real for us and in us, that it's real. God bless
us with this truth, and I ask in Christ's name, amen.