Amen. I'm so excited putting
this message together today and going through John chapter 17.
It's just been so wonderful and such a rich study. And as I prepared
for this message today, I was thinking about the oneness that
we have in Christ and the unity that we have in Christ and Last
week we looked at the oneness in Christ, and today we're going
to look at it from just a little different angle. The message
is called unity in Christ. Unity in Christ. Same thing,
but just looking at it from verse 22 rather than verse 21. And
we'll continue our study in John chapter 17 tonight. Our verse,
again, will be about unity in Christ as last week's was. And
again, tonight we'll look at it from the perspective of verse
22. We were in verse 21 last week, so we'll look at it from
the perspective of verse 22 this week, which speaks about the
glory that Christ has given to we who are his people. He's given
to we who are his people. Open your Bibles, if you would,
to John chapter 17. John chapter 17, and we'll read
verses 17 to 26. Our master, speaking of the apostles,
says, sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. As
thou has sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them
into the world. Now that could be for all of
God's people because we're saved and we're sent into this world
as ambassadors for Christ. And for their sakes I sanctify
myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
The only way that we are sanctified or made holy is through Christ
and Him alone. There's no other way. If we weren't
sanctified in Christ, made holy in Christ, then we would never
be holy at all. Then he says this, neither pray
I for these alone, but for them also which will believe on me
through their word. That's we who are the Gentile believers
and jew and gentile from when the apostles went out and preached
and it says that they all may be one this is our verse last
week as thou father art in me and i in thee that they also
may be one in us that the world may believe that thou has sent
me now The Father and the Son are one in divinity and one in
essence and one in nature and one in power. It's not speaking
of us being one like that because we never could be. God is God
alone. But it is speaking of a reflection
of the unity that believers have in Christ Jesus our Lord that's
like the Father and the Son. We have that unity with the Lord
Jesus Christ. him and we also have unity with
one another in and through the Lord Jesus Christ by the power
of God the Holy Spirit and then he says tonight's verse and the glory which thou gavest
me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one
and them and thou and me that they may be made perfect in one
and that the world may know that thou has sent me and has loved
them as thou has loved me so we see the latter part of verse
23 is very similar to the latter part of verse 21 which says that
they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou
has sent me that's not a saving belief That's not a saving belief
there, that's not at all. Because not, I was talking to
a fellow tonight and he said, well Christ died for everyone.
I said, no he didn't. I said, he just didn't, otherwise
everyone would be saved. Christ died for his sheep. He
died for his elect. He died for those who the Father
gave him in eternity. It's so clear in Scripture and
yet people just bang their heads against the wall in fighting
what the Scripture says. Either we believe what God says
or we don't believe what God says. The Bible says in Ephesians
chapter 1 that the elect were chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world. Well, we believe that, don't
we? By God's grace, we believe it. Now, there was a time when
I didn't believe, when I was in religion, and someone told me about that,
I didn't believe them. I was like that, banging my head against
the wall, going, no way! You know what I was doing? I was
kicking against the pricks. That's what I was doing. But God, in
His mercy and His grace, revealed that truth to me, through Jesus
Christ, my Lord. And I'm like, God, now I just
glorify God for that. Because as I told the fella tonight
on the phone, if God hadn't have chosen me, I never would have
chosen him. I never would have come to Him if He didn't draw
me. If He didn't make me willing, I never would have willingly
came to Him. No, never, not at all. So He says, Here I in them,
and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, that
the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them
as thou hast loved me. Verse 24, Father, I will. There's that magnificent portion
we looked at last week too. I will. It's not a request. He
says, This is my will, Father. that they also whom thou has
given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory
which thou has given me for thou lovest me before the foundation
of the world when he says I will that's according again as we
looked at last week according to the divine decrees of the
everlasting Covenant so he brings that up like I will that they
will be with me according to the decrees of the everlasting
covenant Where the father gave him a people and he redeemed
them by his precious blood and he's going to do that to remember
Shortly after this he's going to that cross Scripture says
his face set like a flint to Jerusalem He's gonna he's gonna
go and he's gonna redeem his people because he cannot fail
beloved. He cannot fail He's God in the
flesh. He cannot fail And He redeemed us. Oh my, He redeemed
us. He really redeemed us 2,000 years
ago at Calvary's Cross. He said, Father, I will that
they also whom Thou has given me be with me where I am, that
they may behold my glory. One day when we breathe our last
breath, we are going to instantly behold the glory of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Oh, what a day that'll be. Which
Thou has given me, for Thou lovest me before the foundation of the
world. Excuse me. I love this title
that our Lord uses here for the father. Oh righteous father He's
so righteous. He's the epitome. He's he's righteous. He's a righteous father The world
hath not known thee. No. No, we didn't know him before
before The Holy Spirit revealed him to us. We had no clue, but
I have known thee and These have no one that thou has sent me
again. We see that thou has sent me and And I have declared unto
them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. Let's read verse
22 again. It says, In the glory which thou
gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as
we are one. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the only
Savior of sinners, our Redeemer, The only redeemer of our souls,
again, is speaking of all who will believe, of all who will
believe on him through the preaching of the apostles down till nowadays. So I preach the same gospel that
the apostles preached. I'm just the sinner saved by
grace who God called to preach. Like we were talking about, Dave,
it's a great honor. Donny Bell said you'd have to step down
to be president of the United States. I totally agree with
him. It's the highest honor that I've ever had to preach the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, somebody might laugh at
that. Let them laugh. It's a great honor. It's a great
honor. It's a great honor. And look
what he proclaims of his people at the beginning and middle of
this verse. He says, "'In the glory which thou gavest me, I
have given them.'" Now notice, this is spoken in past tense. He who's speaking here knows
the end from the beginning. That which was purposed by God
in eternity is now, at the moment of this prayer, coming to pass. And did you know that everything
in our life, including what we'll get up and read tomorrow in the
news, was all ordained and purposed by God? Isn't that amazing? Nothing catches him by surprise.
Absolutely nothing. Nothing. Or somebody says, well,
what about that person being murdered or whatever? Well, that
just shows you man's sinfulness, right? That's man in his sinfulness
doing that, but it didn't catch God by surprise. What does he
have to do for us to be the most wicked, immoral people as believers
in this world? Just leave us alone. Just take
his restraining hand off us for a few seconds, look out. And that's for us as believers.
I remember one of our preachers, he's saying, the only difference
between me and someone in prison is the grace of God in Christ.
I totally agree with that. I totally agree with that. My
oh my. So our Savior here, who's purchased
our eternal souls with his precious, precious blood and his sin atoning
death upon the cross, which will shortly come, he's praying this
prayer before he goes there, but remember who he is, he's
God. He knows exactly why he's come. See, we're born to live. He's born to die, beloved. He
came on a mission. What's his mission? To die for
the sins of his people, to purchase them with his precious, precious
blood. And here he speaks of a glory
which the Father had given to him, and now he's given to his
people. Now, this glory is not his essential
glory. God because God will not share
his glory with anyone. He just won't. It's not that
kind of glory. He had a glory which he possessed
as the eternal Son of God, co-equal with the Father and co-equal
with the Holy Spirit. He had that while he was on earth
and he has that right now while he's in glory as God the Son.
That'll never be shared. Actually, in Isaiah, it says
this, I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I
not give to another. So that's speaking of his essential
glory. Neither my praise be given to graven images. In that portion,
he's talking about him as God, as opposed to the graven images
of man, that man praise them, but they have no ears to hear
and no eyes to see. If you wanna use that as a reference,
it's Isaiah 42, verse eight. So God's essential glory will
never be shared, and he will never relinquish his glory. Never, ever, ever. It's also
not the visible and external glory that he had as the word
of God, the second person of the Trinity, which he laid aside
when he became a man. Turn, if you would, to Philippians
chapter two. You know, he took upon himself the form of a servant,
God the Son. God, the Word, the second person
of the Trinity, he took upon himself the form of a servant. Remember, he's the man sent from
the Father, right? He's the Son of God sent by the
Father. A body's being prepared for him,
right? Mary, the conception is of the
Holy Spirit of God. He's the seed of the woman. And
look what it says here in Philippians chapter two, verses five to eight.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ, who being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God. So he's God the son, right? He's God the son. But made himself of no reputation. See, that's how, what Paul's
writing here is that we should make ourselves of no reputation.
You know, I don't want you to hear my voice. I want you to
hear the voice of the Savior through the preaching of the
gospel. If you only hear my voice, it won't profit you nothing.
I'll tell you that right now. But my prayer is the Holy Spirit
takes these, as you mentioned, Brother Dave, takes these words
and uses them for His glory and just excites the people of God
and gets us thrilled about our Savior and maybe, maybe, Maybe
the Holy Spirit take them words, and someone who's dead in trespasses
and sins, he makes them alive. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Oh
my. Praise to his mighty name if he chooses to do that. So
he laid aside his glory, it says here, but made himself of no
reputation. He's the son of God. Think of this. He's the son of
God. He's king of kings and lord of lords. He comes into this
world born in a manger. There's no, you think that, you
think, we would naturally think in our minds, the King of Kings,
the Lord, wouldn't he come with pomp and circumstances? Here
I am, right? Made himself of no reputation.
We could look at him, and we wouldn't even know he was God,
unless the Holy Spirit revealed it. And that happened, didn't
it? That happened. My, remember he said to those
unbelieving Jews, Abraham, rejoice to see my day. He made himself of no reputation
and took upon him the form of a servant. He came here to serve
the Father. And now he's still God. He's
still God the Son. But he comes here in the submissive
as a servant. Made himself of no reputation.
The scripture says that he just looked like an ordinary man.
Nothing about him. We would look at him. If we saw
him, nothing about him would stand out. Nothing. He had no form or comment. He was just an ordinary looking
fellow. And yet, he's God incarnate in the flesh, beloved. And took
upon himself, him the form of a servant. It was made in the
likeness of man. Think of the, think of the humility. He's God. The seraphim, they're
covering their eyes. They can't even look at them.
They can't even look at them. They're covering their eyes with their wings.
And they say, holy, holy, holy. And he humbled himself and became
a man. And you know why he did that? Because of his everlasting
love for you and I. The beloved of God. That's what
drove him to come down. Because he we he loved us with
an everlasting. He loves us and cherishes us
so much that he gave his life for us My I'll tell you What
a Savior and look at this did he willingly go to the cross
Look at verse 8. And being found in fashion as
a man, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, right? Remember
he said, he said, I thirst. When he was sitting on the well,
he sent the apostles away to get some meat because he was
hungry. So he suffers hungry like us. He gets thirsty like
us. Yet, he's absolutely sinless. He's perfect. He's the God-man.
There's not a sin thought, not a sin in deed, not a spoken sin,
never even enters into his heart. I can't imagine that. But it's
true. It's true, he's God. And the
reason that is true is because he's God. He's God in the flesh. Look at this. And being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death. Right? What does the law say? It says, the soul that sinneth
it must die. Right? That's for you and I,
because we're a bunch of sinners. Yeah. Yeah. Curses he that hangeth
on the tree. Right? And here he is. Here he
is, the God-man. And our sins is laid upon him.
Remember the priests used to just lay their hands upon? Now
that sheep is still sheep, isn't it? But that just pictured the
imputation of Israel's sin to that sheep. Well, God the Father,
He imputed our sins. Christ is still sinless. He's
the sinless spot. He offered Himself up with a
spot and blemish. He's the sinless, spotless Lamb
of God. And He bleeds and dies before God's justice. And it
says here, it says here, all this became obedience unto death,
even the death of the cross for you and I, beloved. He did that
for us because He loves us. with an unchanging, everlasting
love." Now, I'll tell you what. Christ loved sinners, didn't
he? Amen, brother. Me too. Oh my. And marvel at this, he laid aside
his glory. He's, again, he's got all these
angels worshiping. He's going in heaven. I don't
know if he walked on the street. And they're just, wow, the Son
of Man. It says he's the captain of the
Lord's host. So every angel would be like, out of tension. There's the captain of the Lord's
host. Even the demon said, I know who you are, the Holy One of
God. He is the Holy One of God in
heaven. And he humbles himself. Oh, he
laid aside his glory. to save you and I, beloved, to
save us from our sins. And he who was rich, right, needed
absolutely nothing, became poor. He didn't even have a home to
lay his head in, beloved. He had nowhere to lay his head.
The king, the master of the universe, that's how much he humbled himself.
My, oh my. And the father took care of him,
didn't he? Father took care of him, just like He takes care
of us. And look in John 17, 4. How do we know that He laid aside
His glory? Like the old timers used to say.
How do we know that? Well, look at John 17. The very
chapter we're in. Let's read verses 4 and 5. This
shows us. This shows us that He laid aside
His glory. It says, I have glorified Thee
on the earth. I have finished the work which
Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou
me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee
before the world was. Restore it, Lord. Restore that
glory, Father. And what are the angels doing
right now? Oh, they're jumping before Him, beloved. What are
the saints of God doing? Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Oh, my, that prayer is being
answered, isn't it, beloved? And this is our wonderful, merciful
Savior, And He asked the Father that the glory that He had with
Him before, the world was, be restored to Him again. But this
is not the same glory that's being spoken of in verse 22.
Not at all. Because that glory belongs to
God and God alone. That's His essential glory, is
the Word of God. Let's read verses 21 and 22 again
of John 17. That they all may be one as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in
us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. How many
times have we seen that through this? You and I have been talking
about that, Dave. How many times have we seen where
he's saying, Thou hast sent me. We see in the book of John, Thou
hast sent me. The Father sent me. He keeps bringing it before
people. Now, we as God's people, we absolutely
believe that, don't we? But the world don't believe that.
Oh, my. He says, that they all may be
one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also
may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent
me, and the glory which thou gavest me I have given them,
that they may be one, even as we are one. Now turn, if you
would, to Hebrews, Hebrews chapter one. Now the glory here spoken
of in verse 22, is that which he acquired. is the incarnate
one. He acquired this glory. How did
he acquire this glory? By living a perfect life for
us. Do we glorify him because we're
clothed in his righteousness now? Yes, we do. We glorify him, don't we? Oh,
yes. And do you know that us, our
inheritance is part of that glory spoken of here? It's something
that He acquired. He acquired that inheritance
for us, didn't He? And who has He given it to? He's
given it to those who He died for. I was studying for this
message just going, this is absolutely incredible. Because I'll be honest
with you, I'd never seen this before. Oh my. The scripture says this, listen
to this in Isaiah before we go to Hebrews 1. Therefore will
I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the
spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto
death." So he's going to share this portion that the father
gave him. Well, that's his inheritance,
but that's what we have. Look at what it says here in
Hebrews chapter 1. And then we're going to turn to Romans chapter
8 after this. Look at this. Hebrews chapter
1, verses 1 to 4. God, who at sundry times and
in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed, what? Heir of all things. He's the
heir. Of what? Of all things. The heir
of our inheritance. Right? Our righteousness is His
righteousness. It's incredible. by whom also
he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory,
in the express image of his person, in upholding all things by the
word of his power." Christ has all power. He upholds us. Gives us the very breath we breathe
every single day. And all those God-haters out
there, he's so merciful, he gives them breath to breathe. That's
just, the rain that falls, it falls on the just and the unjust.
The beautiful snow that falls, it falls before the just and
the unjust. The food that grows, it grows
for the just and the unjust, doesn't it? Oh, he's so merciful,
isn't he? He's so merciful, he's so loving.
Look at this. and upholding all things by the
word of his power, when he had by himself, why, purged our sins,
beloved. They're gone! They're gone! Purged our sins. He sat down
on the right hand of the majesty on high. It's finished, the work's
done. Nothing to be added. Being made so much better than
the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more, look at this,
more excellent name than they. Oh, and that inheritance He shares
with His people. Turn if you would to Romans chapter
8. He shares. Do you know He shares His inheritance
with you and I, beloved? This is absolutely amazing. Now
we know this, we've heard this, but to see it in context with
this verse is absolutely magnificent. Romans 8. verses 14 to 17, that
inheritance that he purchased with his blood, right? It's his,
right? It's his by purchase, right? Having obtained eternal redemption
by the shedding of his blood, he's going to give to his own
born-again blood-washed bride. All because of his perfect sin-atoning
work. Look at, okay, now let's look.
For as many as are led by the Spirit, they, look at this, It's
not they might be, or if they choose to be. Does it say that? The Bible doesn't say that, does
it? Yeah, fetching grace, beloved, yeah. They are the sons of God. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear. Oh, we were in so much bondage.
I used to fear death. Did you? I used to be terrified
of death. Death has no more stain, does it? It's just a doorway
we're going to pass through one day and be in the presence of
the Savior. But ye have received the spirit
of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Dad, Father, Abba, You remember
when our little guys and little girls, Dad, you hear that? And they just come running over,
give you a big old hug. Well, we cry out at Abba Father,
don't we? The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that
we are, are. It's not maybe, it's not might,
it's not based upon our decision. We are the children of God. And
if children, then what? Heirs. How do we become heirs?
Well, Christ makes us heirs, doesn't he? And it says, amen. Then heirs, heirs of God are
what? And join heirs with Christ. If so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified together. Oh my. Now the inheritance we have in
Christ Jesus comes to us. How does it come to us? All according
to the divine will and the purpose of God the Father, right? We
are the children of God according to God's divine will, God's divine
purpose. And that was all taken care of
before the foundation of the world, beloved. Which again,
we just can't fathom that. And remember, our Lord's decrees
in his economy are finished. He's the lamb slain from when?
The foundation of the world. So that which was purposed and
planned, you've heard me say this many times, I'm going to
keep saying it. That which was purposed and planned in eternity.
Do you know God invented time? For His plan and purpose to be
accomplished? For His will and purpose to be
done? At the fullness of time, what happened? Christ was born
into this world, right? At the exact second Christ died
on the cross. At the exact second that God
ordained and purposed, we were born again by the Holy Spirit
of God, given faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Why?
Because we were purchased by His blood in time and space 2,000
years ago. And because we're sons, the Spirit
comes to us. Isn't that amazing? Comes to
us, we're born again, we're gonna look at that in our study in
Galatians. Because we're sons, the Holy Spirit comes to us,
and now we cry, Abba Father. Because we're sons. Well, when
were we made sons? Way back before the foundation
of the world. Before time ever was. Oh my. It's absolutely incredible. And
now this inheritance we have comes to us according to the
divine decrees of our great God and the will of our great God.
That includes God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit, who are one in unity. One in unity. And you know the Lord calls,
calleth those things which be not done as though they were.
Listen to this, Romans 4.17, if you want to write it down.
As it is written, I have made thee a father of nations. So
he told Abraham that before it even happened. I have made thee
a father of many nations before him whom he believed, even God,
who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as
though they were. Look at that. Oh my goodness. So when we look
at that verse, before we even were, God chose us in Christ. Before there was ever a sinner,
there was a Savior. It's the only way. And that again,
which was purposed and planned, comes to pass in time and space
on a little planet called Earth. all according to the will and
purpose of God. And I love what Brother Travis
brought out in his messages. And that earth is set in space
at the exact axis and the exact distance from the sun that we
might not be too cold and freeze or too hot and burn up. And they
say, oh, that just all happened by a big bang. No, it happened
according to the word of His Our, the word of our Savior,
beloved. He just spoke it into existence. And there it was. And then he
placed the moon to keep the tides of this world. And do you know
the sea will never go past, the scripture says, in Proverbs,
I believe it's Proverbs, it says that there's boundaries of the
sea, it can go no further. People worried about all this
rising stuff and global warming and the ice caps. Do you know?
Do you know? that that sea will never pass
the boundary that God has made. And it never has. It never has. My, oh, my. That don't mean we
shouldn't take care of things, because we're to be good stewards. Not talking about that. But I'm
talking about this stuff where they say, oh, the whole world
is going to flood. God will never flood the earth again. He's going
to burn it up. He's going to burn it up. He's not going to
flood. He's going to burn it up again. That's what he's going
to do. He's going to just roll up like a scroll. But then there'll
be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.
No sin. Oh, my. My. So that verse there in Romans
4, 17, where he says that he called it those things which
be not as though they were, this is a quote about God telling
Abraham that in you the nations will be blessed. It's not even
happened. It's not even happened. But what
did Abraham do? Well, he believed God. How did an idol worshiper
believe God? He was granted faith to believe,
wasn't he? You know he had the same faith as you and I? Now
my faith's nowhere near as... as strong as Abraham's is or
was, but I'll tell you why. I have the same faith as him.
That's in Christ. That's in Christ and Christ alone.
And that's who I trust for. My soul is hanging on a nail
in the sure place, beloved. And that's Christ. Isaiah says
that. He's a nail in the sure place. We can hang our soul upon
him. Oh my. So he's talking to Abraham about something that hadn't even
happened. Hasn't even happened. But our great God represents
it in the book of Genesis as if it's already happened. Well,
one might say, well, how is that possible? Turn, if you would,
to Acts chapter 15. We're gonna look at one verse.
How would that happen? Somebody might ask us, well,
how can that be? Well, let me show you what the
scripture says. Acts chapter 15, verse 18. Look at this. This is an absolutely magnificent
verse to take people to. Our God is absolutely sovereign.
Acts 15, verse 18. Look what it proclaims. No one
unto God. are all his works from the beginning
of the world. Before they've ever even happened. Before. Before the beginning
of the world. Before he spoke this universe
and all what we see into existence. His works were known before. They were ever before him. Knowing
unto God are all his works. And that's all. All there means
all. That's incredible. From the beginning
of the world. He knew. He knew his Son. Right? They planned and purposed it.
The Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit planned and purposed
salvation. It was all known by God. Before the world was. Before Christ spoke the world
into existence, it was all known. Before there was ever time and
space, it was all known. That's our God, beloved. And
think of this, these words in Acts 15, 18, they bring forth
that all the things which God does in the church and in the
world were all foreknown. Were all foreknown and predetermined
by Him. From when? The beginning of the
world. Or from eternity. You say either
way. From eternity. Even His works
of creation, even His works of providence, And beloved, praise
be to God, even his works of grace. All have been known unto
God, and that's God the Father, that's God the Son, and that's
God the Holy Spirit. That's why Christ said, nevertheless
not my will, Father, but thy will be done. I've got to go. I've got to redeem. I've got
to redeem my people from their sins. I've got to redeem Dave
and Wayne. I was sent to redeem them. I'm
going to go to the cross and I'm going to redeem them. And
you know, Spurgeon said if there was only one elect person, he'd
have done the same thing. He'd have done the same thing
if there was only one person elected in the everlasting covenant
of grace. But praise be to God, there's a number that no man
can number that are elected into the covenant of grace. Oh, it's
so wonderful. So the work, think of this, think
of this. The work of the conversion of the Gentiles, that's you and
I, was fixed. It was already resolved on by
God. It was already fixed. You see why I got so excited
when I studied for this message? Oh my, it's already fixed. It's
already fixed. It's resolved on by God in eternity. And he knew it, he knew it. Would
it come to pass? Why? Because he determined to
have it come to pass. Oh my. And therefore he accordingly
foretold and spoke of it in various periods of time, such as what
he did to Abraham when he said, Indeed, shall all the nations
of the earth be blessed. It's already done in his... You
know, it's like Spurgeon used to say, In God's economy, it
was already done. It just had to take place in
time and space. That's all. My, oh, it's just absolutely
incredible. I'll tell you why. Oh, therefore
those things which have come to pass, the salvation of all
the ransomed church of God, should not be looked upon as some new
and strange thing. Like it was never known. Now
it was hid. It was hid. It was a mystery. But, but God already knew it
was going to happen. And you know what? This holds
true of every other work of God. See man says, oh there was a
big bang. Scripture says God just spoke it all into existence.
That's it. There it was. There it was. My
oh my. Absolutely amazing. Oh my. This is just, this is just wondrous.
Turn, if you would, to Romans chapter 8. We are going to see
something here. And these are verses we know
is God's people. I'm going to say that. These
are verses that we're familiar with. But I want us to look at
these verses tonight, knowing what we just learned, right? From the book of Acts 15 and
18, no one under God or all his works in the beginning of the
world. And knowing what we just learned about how in God's mind,
it's all fixed, right? It's all done. Now look at this,
the same truth is brought forth that it's fixed and accomplished
in God's economy, but it has to take place in time and space.
Romans chapter eight, verses 28 to 30. And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the what? Called according to his purpose.
So that's who all things work for the good, for them who are
called according to God's purpose, and that's his everlasting purpose.
Look at this, for whom he did, notice this little word did,
for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son, that we might be the firstborn among
many brethren, moreover whom he did predestinate, them he
also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom
he justified, them he also glorified. Now notice the word did in Romans
chapter 8 verse 29. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate. When did he foreknow us? In eternity. 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,
in Romans 8.30, it continues there, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also
justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. Now, we're not even born when
he's speaking this. When Paul's writing these words,
we are not even born, and yet, yet were some of whom for Christ
had died for. Okay? And I want we who are the redeemed
to consider this verse this week. Look at this. Note in verse 30,
the verse reads, of all this is already being accomplished. It's already done. It's already
done. And notice the word also in this
wonderful verse in verse 30 moreover whom he did predestinate them
he also called in whom he called them he also justified in whom
he justified them he also glorified he he doesn't say will glorify
he says he also glorified it's already
done it's spoken in the past tense So let us, we who are the redeemed
of the Lord, consider this verse that we're studying today in
light of these other verses, right? Our future glorification
is absolutely certain. It's absolutely, we can't mess
it up, beloved. It's absolutely certain, isn't
it? Are we one who He foreknew? Yeah, in Christ. That's being
revealed to us. Are we one He predestinated?
Now, people get all worked up about predestination. Well, I
see here that we're predestined to be conformed to the image
of the Son. What believer doesn't want to be conformed to the image
of Christ? I want to be sinless in glory, don't you? Yes, absolutely. We're sinners here, but one day
we're gonna be perfect. Look at this, moreover whom he
did predestinate, them he also called. Have we been called?
No, we've been called with an effectual calling, haven't we?
And we're born again by the Holy Spirit of God. And whom he called,
them he also justified. So if we're justified, where
he tells us we're gonna be glorified, it's certain. It's certain and
it is no way dependent upon you and I. Isn't that wonderful? I'll never forget Bruce Crabtree
saying, brother Wayne, we can't mess it up. There's the proof
of it, isn't it? Oh, it's wonderful. What peace,
amen, what peace can flood our soul when we consider that? Because
we know we're sinners, we know we confess our sin to God, but
he tells us here, if you've been, if he foreknew you, and he predestinated
you, and you're called and justified by Christ, oh, you're gonna be
glorified. Oh my, oh my, even though He's
speaking here, and this is the Holy Spirit having Paul pen these
words. Paul is writing these words by
inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God as a thing already accomplished. Even though the actual bestowment
of glorification may be in the future for us, It's presented
here for us by faith to lay a hold of this, this blessed truth. Just because what? Faith is the
substance of things hoped for, not seen. As you said, brother,
peace, peace. Just grab a hold of that. Just
hold it close to your breast, beloved. Oh my. Now let's read verses 21 and
22 at John 17 again in light of what we just learned there
through Acts 15 18 and And Romans 8 28 30 Let's read these two verses again
That they all may be one thou father and son that they all may be one as thou
father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in
us the world may believe that thou has sent me so that speaking
again of the unity in Christ and now here we see the the the
oneness the oneness here the unity that we have in Christ
in verse 22 and the glory which thou gavest me I have given them
we all have the same inheritance right we all have the same righteousness
that's Christ's righteousness right We all have the same salvation,
the eternal salvation that Christ obtained for us. He gave that
to us. He gave that to us, brother. Yeah, he gave us that. We don't have it by natural birth.
We only have it by the new birth, by being born again in the Holy
Spirit of God. In the glory which thou gavest
me, I have given them, that they may be one as we are one. Now
notice the latter part of that verse, that they may be one even
as we are one. Verse 22 opens with the word
and, so it connects it to verse 21. And what follows in verse
22 explains what the Lord had said in the previous verse about
the unity of believers in Christ. In the oneness that we have,
it's a reflection, it's not the same, it's a reflection of the
oneness that Christ has with the Father. And this union referred
to in these verses is also speaking about Christ's unity with his
people. He's the head and we're the body.
And also about the unity that we have in Christ. Having the
same faith, the same righteousness, the same spirit. My oh my. Again, he's the head and we're
the body. Now without Christ, we'd have no unity, would we?
None! We wouldn't have any unity. But
we are given grace, the grace spoken of in the first part of
verse 22, so that we may have unity. So that we may have unity. And that unity is in Christ.
That we may be one, even as the Father and the Son are one. Not
only are we one in unity as the body of Christ, but we're one
more so, even more so in unity with the head, being Christ the
head and we're the body. Our spiritual union is begun
now, but it only attains its fullness, glorification, right? In the world to come. And this oneness results from
Christ's bestowal on us of his acquired glory, and it proves
that no man-made unity, which we hear so much talk about and
so little evidence of these days, man can't unite on anything.
Man, just look at the world. They fight over everything. Yeah,
yeah. And it doesn't take much, does
it? Doesn't take much. So let us highly regard these
wonderful words as we discover a blessedness in these words. There is a glory of the Lord
Jesus Christ and his divine nature as God, one with the Father,
over all and blessed forever that cannot be shared. And there's
also a personal glory as him as the God-man, which he's also
incapable of sharing, because he's the God-man, mediator. And
there's also a glory of his perfect work, honoring all that God demanded
for our salvation, which he acquired by virtue of his sufferings and
his death in our room and place. And we don't have any share in
that, Because we can't even, we can't save ourselves. And
if we could, why did Christ come then? Right? So, but marvel at
this, this glory as the head of his body, the church, as the
storehouse of all the blessings of Jehovah. He can give us all
the spiritual blessings, aren't we? The Father can give us all
spiritual blessings in who? Christ. And Christ gives it to
who? His body. His blood-bought people. And
that is all purposed by Jehovah in eternity. Everything that
a sinner needs is found in Christ. Everything. A sinner I'll tell
you, everything we need for salvation, because we can't save ourselves,
is found in Christ. And only Christ alone. And these
spiritual blessings, they're all shared with all the members
of God's mystical body. And it's Christ who's given it
to us. So marvel at the oneness, the unity, that we who are the
body of Christ, have in him. Marvel at the oneness of the
church of Christ with Christ and how the church is made everlastingly
blessed through him, through Christ. Who's our eternal life? Christ. Who's our righteousness?
Christ. Who's redeemed our eternal souls?
Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. And how
glorious is the Lord Jesus Christ to his church. And you know it's
the church he's described? No. Here we go. Buckle in again, Brother Dave.
The church is described as a crown of glory for Christ. I saw this
verse today. We are a crown of glory in the
hands of the Lord. In a royal diadem, in the hand
of her God. Listen to this. Isaiah 62, verse
3. Thou shall also be a crown of
glory in the hand of the Lord. That's speaking about Christ.
And the crown of glory is we who are his people. Oh my, don't
get, it's just amazing. Thou shalt also be a crown of
glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand
of thy God. Precious to him, precious. And
the only reason we are called a crown of glory is all because
we are clothed in the perfect, spotless righteousness of Christ,
redeemed by the Savior's precious, precious blood, and forgiven
of all our sins, past, present, and future. Christ is the only
hope for sinners. May God give you grace and mercy
to flee to Christ if you do not know Him.