Open your Bibles, if you would, to Ephesians chapter 1. We'll continue our study in this wonderful book. Name of the message is Adoption. Adoption. Ephesians chapter 1, we'll read verses 3 to 7. See the context of verse 5, which is our verse for today.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has 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. I love that. To the praise and the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

This is an absolutely wonderful portion of scripture. I have a feeling it's going to take us a little while to get through chapter one. This is an incredible chapter. We see the works of the Father, we see the works of the Son, we see the works of the Holy Spirit in our salvation. It's absolutely amazing. It's absolutely amazing.

Now last week we looked at the word predestinated, and as Chris was talking to me this week, I had mentioned in Sunday School last week that if you ask a person what does predestination mean to you, What do you think this term means from the scripture? If you ask a thousand people, you'll get a thousand different answers.

So whenever we're talking about the subject of either predestination, redemption, atonement, being born again, always qualify the people you're talking to and say, what do you believe that is? Because when you say predestination, people say, well, I believe God Chose some from heaven and some from hell. No, actually predestination doesn't have to do with that. Predestination has to do with us being adopted. Us being adopted to be heirs, sons of God. Election is that plan in action. Regeneration is that plan applied. Isn't it amazing? And it's all of God, right? From beginning to the end. He's the author and the finisher of our faith, isn't he, Brother Brian?

There's no one in between. Not even us. It's all God. If we're saved, it's all God. Period. End of story. It's amazing. And we're going to see that in this morning's message, too. Which is, you must be born again. And it's not by human effort. See, modern church has replaced Holy Spirit regeneration with this. And we've all heard this.

Bow your head and repeat this prayer. And then you hear the preacher say, if you've repeated that prayer, now you're part of the family of God. Do you know that's nowhere in Scripture? Do you know you can't find anyone in Scripture saying, bow your head and repeat this prayer?

That's what you call decisional regeneration. And that is rampant nowadays. People say, well, I prayed a prayer. I took care of it. Well, are you born again, though? You may have prayed, you know, and what's a true prayer? What's a true prayer of a person who's been born again? I'll give it to you right here. Want to know what it is? God, be merciful to me, the sinner.

Remember that old publican? The Pharisee and the publican, they went up to pray. Pharisee said, I was looking at it this week. I'm not like that man. I'm not like him. See, this is what, when a human being compares himself to a human being, we can make ourselves look pretty good.

But when we compare ourselves to Christ, we're all just sinners in desperate need of Christ. And that's what the Holy Spirit teaches us, isn't it? He teaches us. He teaches us that we're sinners in desperate need of Christ. See, so praying a prayer can't save us. Walking an aisle can't save us. Only the Holy Spirit of God can regenerate us.

That's why the Lord said, ye must. That word must there in the Greek is necessary. It's necessary. You must be born again. So why are we born again? Because because God the Father predestinated us to adoption in Christ. When? In eternity. We just let that one sink in, eh? Isn't that amazing? In eternity.

So God's people being predestinated by God, unto, look at verse five, look at, having predestinated unto, unto what? The adoption of children. That's what God predestinated us unto. The adoption of children. To be part of his family. See, in our natural state, we were children of wrath just like others. Even though God knew us from eternity, in our natural state, you couldn't tell us apart from anyone else in this world, could you? No. But God knew who we were. because he chose us in Christ. Now, look at this.

But first, before he chose us, he predestined us unto the adoption of sons. Again, election is putting that plan. When we were chosen in Christ, that's putting that plan into action. Predestination has to do with the plan of God to save a people from their sins. It's beautiful. It's beautiful. And why did God do this? Well, look at verse 5. according to the good pleasure of his will. Why am I a saved man standing here preaching the gospel to you? Because I pleased God to do so.

Because I'll tell you what, in my natural state, I never would have come to God at all. Charlie, you and I have talked about it. We were just talking about that. We would have been partying away before we were saved. Here we are now, we're brothers in Christ, with a bond deeper than the bond of a flesh, brothers. It's amazing. It's amazing. That's why I say to you guys all the time, you're my family. You're my family. It's incredible.

And we looked at also that the concept of predestination is rooted in the sovereignty of God, because it's God taking action before we were even born. to save our souls. Before, do you remember last week when I brought out that Greek where the Greek translation by Wiest and he said, before the foundations of the heavens were even laid, before there was ever a universe, before there was ever anything, God in love chose us. He didn't choose everybody, did he? but he chose his people in Christ.

Why? Why? We look at each other and go, why me? Well, because it pleased him to do so. Because he's loved us with an everlasting love, an unchanging love. And so he manifested that love, right? By sending his son to die in our room and place. to shed his blood to redeem us from all our sins. And then he sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts, whereby now we cry, Abba, Father. I'll tell you what, it's the goodness of God that leads men and women to repentance. It's the goodness of God. Look how good God is.

He done all this before there was ever anything. He planned all this before. You know, he didn't look down through time and say, oh, man. Oh, yeah, there's Jim and Barb. They're going to choose me. Did he? No. He looked down through time and said, man, they're rebels just like Wayne is, and I'm choosing to save them. Man. Because it pleased him to do so.

That's love. That's everlasting love. It's amazing. I am so overwhelmed at God's love for me. I am so overwhelmed that all my sins are forgiven. Why wouldn't I praise Him? We can't but praise Him, can we? We can't but talk of it. People say all the time, well, all you do is talk about Jesus. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. To live is Christ and to die is gain.

He's everything to me. I love my daughter. I love my son. I love my wife. But I love God more than anyone. Is it true for you? But I'm thankful he gave me a wife and a daughter and a son and a church family. But our love is to God first and foremost, isn't it? And you know what? That's not a natural love. Because by nature, we do not love God. When we're born into this world, we do not love God.

But after we're saved, oh man, tell me about Jesus. Tell me about my King. Tell me about the one who cleansed all my sin, man. Thought, word, and deed. My, when Travis is up here, and if I'm listening, or if I'm listening from afar off, I just want him to tell me about Jesus. And he does, doesn't he? We get guest preachers come up, what do they do? They tell us about Jesus, don't they? They tell us about his perfect sinatoning work that's accomplished. It's done. It's done. And religion is constantly telling you what you have to do. I'm going to just say, look to Christ. Just look to Christ. Rest in Him. You know, my daughter now, she's coming to Christ, and she told me, you know, Dad, I used to always tell you, oh, I got time for that. I got time for that.

She used to always tell me that. Oh, you know, I'm so young. She goes, I'm so thankful the Lord spared me, Dad. And didn't let me get caught up in all that stuff that I was doing. But that he delivered me from this stuff. You know. And my son just was in the car accident. You know what I said to him? I said, the Lord spared you. I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna puff it around the edge.

God spared him. It's a miracle. I love, I love, I was talking to Jill on the phone, and I said to Jill, I said, oh yeah, the cop said it was a miracle that he even lived. And she goes, of course it was. I love that. Isn't that wonderful? Of course it was. Of course it was. I was like, that blessed my soul so much. Of course it was. My. Isn't that wonderful? And you know what? If he had died, God's still good, isn't he? All the time, right? All the time. You know, he's merciful to us all, isn't he?

He really is. And so, the concept of predestination is rooted in the sovereignty of God, and it emphasizes His ultimate authority. He is Lord over all, whether people believe it or not. He's Lord. You say, I don't believe that. Well, it doesn't change it. It's a fact. He is Lord over all.

People say, what about all these bad things going on in the world? That's because a man's sin. What does God have to do for a man to sin? Amen, brother. That was the answer I was looking for. Leave him alone. Man will do the, oh, we'll do the most awful things. My, it's wondrous that God is merciful to us, isn't it? It's wondrous that God predestinated us to be sons of God. It's wondrous. My, oh, my. Turn, if you would, to Romans chapter 8, verse 29 and 30. Romans chapter 8. Worsely here, Paul speaks of how God foreknew and predestinated us to be what? Conformed to the image of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans chapter 8, verses 29 and 30.

Look at this. Now, when did he do all this? Well, we've learned from Ephesians 1, 3 to so far where we're at, 5. that this was all done in eternity, that he planned and predestinated. And notice something here. This is all past tense. We've talked about that, Chris. It's all past tense. Look at this.

For whom he did foreknow. When? In eternity. He also did predestinate. When did he do that? In eternity. Oh, this is wonderful. And people say, well, predestination. I don't like that doctrine. And I always say this to them. I always say, so you're telling me you don't want to be conformed to Christ's image? You don't want to be made holy? Do we sin more than we want to? Oh yeah, we do, don't we? We're looking forward to the time when we sin no more. Right? Look at this.

This is amazing. He also did predestinate and be conformed to the image of his Son, to be like Christ, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, notice it's all past tense. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. That's in time, right?

There was a time when he called us. We were born again. We may have been religious, we were either religious and lost, or we were just lost, one or the other. I was religious and lost. Man, look at this. Then he also called. In whom he called, then he also justified. You notice the past tense? It's wonderful. In whom he justified, then he also glorified. One day, beloved, we will be with our King forever. It's glorious. Why? Oh, why?

Because of his everlasting love for us. that was manifest when he sent his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the word of God, God in the flesh, to die on Calvary's cross, to shed his blood, to save us from all our sins. And he lived the perfect life for us as our substitute, that we might be clothed in his perfect righteousness. That righteousness is so important because through the righteousness of Christ, we are accepted by God. We are accepted by God. Now, you don't hear a lot about the righteousness of Christ anymore in preaching.

Why? Because man is going about to establish their own righteousness. They say this, and Charlie brought this up today. This is so neat. Charlie greets me today. He says, we were joking around in the vestibule. And he says, how did we say that? We were just talking away.

And then you said, oh, there's no one good, man. Don't call me good, because there's no one good. No, not one. That's true, isn't it? But people say, well, I'm a good person. I've not killed anyone and I've not done all this. You ever get angry at somebody? Like really mad at them? Right?

The scripture says, the Lord spiritualized that and said, you just killed them in your heart. And then with adultery, he said, you know, people say, oh, it's the act. No, he says, if you look at someone, male or female, if a male looks at a female or a female looks at a male with lust in their hearts, you just committed adultery. So what does that tell us? That tells us, as Charlie said, that there is no one good. Because the scripture tells us that, doesn't it? Tells us that.

That means there's no one good. When it says, no, not one, it means no, not one. I'm a pretty simple guy. I really am. And so when I read that, I take it for what it says. I take it for what it says. No, not one. So there's no one good. So when you hear people say, well, I'm good. No, you're not. You're just a sinner like me. Oh my.

And this predestination and this adoption, it transcends our human understanding, doesn't it? It transcends it. We can't grasp it. We think about it and it just blows our minds away. It's just amazing. And what does it do? What does predestination, election, adoption, what do they do? They emphasize the grace of God in Christ, showing to sinners such as we. And I'm a safe sinner, but I'm still a very needy sinner, are you? I need Christ more and more every day, every day. My. Let's read verse five again. Okay, this will be our text. Look at this. That's our introduction. Okay. Look at this. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ himself according to the good pleasure of his will.

So again, during the time of this writing, adoption in the Roman world, where Paul was writing from, he's writing from Rome, It was a legal act that granted the adopted person all the rights and privileges, all the rights and privileges of a natural-born child. So it was just like they were their own children. So Brian, if you adopted, say, a young man named Maximus back in Roman days, he would be just as much your son as Brian is. and just as much a part of your family as Stacy is. Same ground, even though they're not naturally born to you.

Isn't that amazing? So it was a very, it was an honor, a high honor to be adopted. My. In this metaphor, turn if you would, turn if you would to Galatians chapter 4. We're going to see here a metaphor put, um, penned by Paul, but of course the true author is God the Holy Spirit, which further explains this concept.

Showing that through Christ we are no longer slaves. Now we were slaves to sin, weren't we? We were dead and trespassers of sins. We were slaves to sins. Our sins. We served the master. Who is the master? Satan. Himself. We served them when we didn't even know it.

My, look at this though, Galatians chapter four. Look at verses four to six. Actually, we'll go to four to seven, but look at four to six for now. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law. There's the God man. There's the word of God become flesh. Why did he come? To redeem them that were under the law. Who's that? That's his people, right? Oh yeah. That we might receive, look at this. What are we talking about in our text?

The adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying, I have a father. So because we are truly sons of God, we're accepted in the beloved, right? We're redeemed by the blood of Christ. We have no condemnation now. Because God predestined us to the adoption of sons, look what it says there, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Oh my. And then look what it says, and because you're sons, God sent forth the spirit of his Son to your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. My. So because of the work of Christ, we have full assurance that we will never be judged for our sins. They're already judged, aren't they? They're already taken care of. by the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And note here, note here it says crying Abba, Father. Abba is the Hebrew word for Father. And then Father is the Greek word for Father. So what does that mean?

Jews and Gentiles, one in Christ. Isn't that amazing? That covers the Jews and it covers the Gentiles, doesn't it? Right there. It's wonderful. It's wonderful. So our God is the Father to the elect Jews, and our God is the Father to the elect Gentiles. And we all cry, Abba, Father. Isn't that wonderful? And notice this is all accomplished by God. Then look at verse 7. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Look at that. We're heirs of God through Christ. What an honor! What a privilege!

We're no longer servants under tutors and governors. If you look a little bit above, in the first part of chapter four, it says we were under schoolmasters, tutors and governors. But now, beloved, we're sons of God. We're sons of God. That means we're born again. My, and why are we now, why is this being applied to us? Why are we born again? Because God the Father predestinated us unto adoption of sons. And we see in this text, we're sons of God. According to the goodwill and pleasure of God. You know, we're free from the law. The law has no hold on us. We love the law of God. but has no hold on us, no claim on us. We desire to live a holy life before our God, but the law has no claim upon us.

We've entered into the enjoyment and the blessings of redemption in Christ, haven't we? My, let's go back to verse five again now. We see that before God the Father chose the people in Christ, that was his plan. He predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, according to himself, according to the good pleasure of his good will. This is why we are elected in Christ, beloved. The reason we're elected in Christ is because God predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. That's why we're chosen in Christ.

See the plan first, and then the execution. It's beautiful. When we go on a trip or something, we always plan, right? Everybody makes plans. No one just goes off to see the pants. Sometimes we do. But usually on a big trip, we plan it and plan where we're going to go, right? Well, God has a plan too, doesn't he? It was all set forth before the foundation of the world.

The awe and wonder of Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. The awe and wonder is that God loved us and still loves us. That's the wonder of it all, isn't it? And He manifested that love by sending His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die in our room and place. Because God can't die, can He? Can God die? No. God can't die. And Jesus Christ is the Word of God. He can't die as the Word of God, but He becomes a man.

That He can die in our room and place. And then the scripture says, greater love hath no man than this. than a man laid down his life for his friends. I know, you can, people talk about love all the time in this world. This is the greatest manifestation of love that will ever be seen in this world and even in the worlds beyond. God himself died for sinners. My, my oh my. And this adoption, beloved, signifies a profound transformation and acceptance into God's family. So, the application is when we're born again, we find out that God predestinated us.

We didn't know before, did we? We had no clue, did we? And anyone who says you think you're better than all of us, You don't know me, man. Because that's the last thing we feel, isn't it? We're in awe that God saved our souls. That God would save a sinner like me. A bona fide sinner like me. And now that I'm saved, did I stop sinning?

No, I wish I did. No, I'm gonna let you down. You're gonna see my flaws. You're gonna see all my flaws. Yeah? But let us look to Christ and let us see each other in Christ. Because if I look at you in Christ, I don't see no flaws, do I? And if you look at me in Christ, you don't see no flaws, do you?

And we're a bunch of flawed human beings that have been saved by the grace of God. Isn't that wonderful? Washed in the blood and I mean all our sins are forgiven I mean every you you you think of the worst sin you ever thought or ever did? Washed under the blood man or ever will do oh My you know I'm just thank God that he keeps us because left to ourselves we'd be gone with me oh My My. And you know what's the motivating factor of God predestinating us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself? His everlasting love for us. His everlasting love. I think one of the things that keeps us in awe is that God could love a sinner like me. Love a sinner like me. It's amazing.

So adoption is a legal and relational term. It's not a natural one. It establishes our standing and position as sons, not our nature. Not our nature. Our new nature as new creations comes through regeneration. Comes through regeneration. By God, the Holy Spirit, we're born again by his almighty power.

Now think of what adoption in Christ conveys to God's people. It's the highest of privileges. Do you know that? To be a child of God is the highest of privileges. Number one, the right to God's name is His children. It's His children. Sons of God. That means women too. Sons of God. Mine.

The gift of the Spirit of Christ, which was in Jesus, were born again by the Holy Spirit of God. The status of heirs and joint heirs with Christ, in the hope of final redemption and the resurrection of the body, where we'll be with Christ forever. May we who are the born again blood-washed people of God, redeemed of the Lord, contemplate these great privileges of adoption and not focus so much on worldly honors or praise. Right? This is marvelous. This is wondrous that God would choose a sinner like me. God would save a sinner like me. You put your name in there, too. It's amazing. Turn, if you would, to Romans chapter 8 again. Romans chapter 8. We're looking at verses 14 and 15 this time.

You know, we can test if we have the spirit of adoption by whether we're being led by the Spirit. Those who are led by the Holy Spirit of God are sons of God. You know, my son. He's not being led by the Holy Spirit of God. I pray he will be. I pray the Lord will regenerate him. But he has no desire for church. No desire for the gospel.

He's my son. You see? He's the son of my flesh. We're sons of God. We're born again. Look at this, Romans chapter 8, verses 14 and 15. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. But, look at this, you have received the spirit of what? Adoption. Isn't that wonderful? Whereby we cry, Abba Father. There it is again.

So, this is evidence of a union with Christ. We're regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God. We're baptized into Christ by the Spirit. We're taught by the Holy Spirit. We pray, we worship, we sing, and we live and are being led by the Holy Spirit of God. It's wondrous. Then we see that believers have received the spirit of adoption.

Turn, if you would, to John chapter one, and also put your finger in 1 John 3, and we're closed with these. And notice again, we saw in verse 15, Abba Father again, Father of Jew and Gentile, all the elect of all the ages. Look at this, John 1, verse 12. See, people say, well, now you just make a decision for Christ. We can't. Unless we're made willing, and then we'll run to Christ. But look at this, John 1, verse 12. But as many as received him, so these are who have been born again, received Christ, to them gave he power, what? To become the sons of God.

We can't make ourselves sons of God by praying a prayer or walking in an aisle, we just can't. If you're trusting in that, that's wrong. You must be born again. You must be. even to them that believe on his name. So there's the other part. If you're born again, you're going to believe on Christ. If you're not born again, you won't believe on Christ. You won't have any desire for him. Plain and simple.

My. Now we desire to worship him when we never used to desire to worship. Now we desire to be with God's people and hear the word of God when we never used to. Right? Oh, yeah. Look at this in 1st John. This is beautiful. 1st John chapter 3. This is, this is mountaintop stuff again too. Look at this. 1st John 3 verses 1 and 2.

Beloved, what manner of love. Oh, that's the everlasting love of God. The Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. Right now while we're on this earth.

Isn't that wonderful? and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is we're going to see him face to face we're going to see our savior face to face wonder of wonders what a savior is Jesus Christ my lord to save sinners such as we right glory and honor and praises and blessings to him holy is his name my oh my What a Savior. What a Redeemer. He's just amazing, isn't he? Brother Steve, would you close?