Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of Ephesians chapter one. We'll read through the entire
chapter, but our focus is on four verses within the chapter
and specifically on two words that are found within those four
verses. Those verses are in verses four, five, nine, and 19. And
the words we're gonna focus on and look for them as we read
through here. That phrase, those words are
according to, according to. That's the title of this message
and it's my prayer that that's something we can take home with
us this evening. According to everything, everything. is according to God. Everything
from creation, election, redemption, the effectual call, salvation,
and finally when God brings us to glory to be with him. Everything,
everything is according to God. We have that burden how many churches we all passed
on the way here tonight. And I'm not just talking about
them, I'm talking about me. That burden through the week that
tells me there's something I need to do. I need to pray more. I need to be more kind, which
is all true. It is. I need to be a better
reflection of the love that has been given to me. I do. That's
true. But nothing related to my salvation,
nothing related to my relation My relationship with God is according
to anything within me. It's all it's all according to
him. For us to leave that salvation
with him, the hope of our salvation with Christ. You simply couldn't. We can't.
We can't. Unless it's revealed to us, and
that's according to him also. What did Christ say to say to
Peter? He said, who do you say that I am? Peter says, thou art
the Christ, the son of the living God. Christ said to him, flesh
and blood hasn't revealed that to you. But my father, which
is from heaven has revealed it. Flesh and blood hasn't revealed
that to you, the spirit has. That's according to God. It's all according
to God. All those things that we should
do, and we should, if we can see him, if we can see him, the
one that it is according to. We can see God in his authority
and in his love and in his power. If we can see him in Christ,
if we can see him, then we will. I can tell myself and you can
tell yourself what we should do and what we shouldn't do all
day long. I can speak for myself. It does not work. It just doesn't
work. I tell myself to pray more all
day long. And if that's what I'm focused on, if I'm focusing
on something according to me, I promise you I won't do it.
It won't last. But when I see Christ, Right,
then I pray from the heart, then I do, because it's according
to Him. Everything, creation, Adam's
rebellion, Christ's redemption, the Spirit's call to His children,
everything. The life that's given, salvation, eternal life with
Him, everything is according to God. Everything is according
to His active will. I talk about my will, and what
I'm really meaning is something I intend to do in the future.
It's my wish, if you will. But that's not God's will. God's
will is active. The scriptures say that what he will, that's
a verb. It's what he is doing. He is
actively willing. God's active will, his power,
his decree, his authority, it's all according to his character
and who he is. Everything is relative of God,
the result of God, and it's in perfect alignment from from election
to creation to eternal life with him. It's all in perfect alignment
with his character. If you'll give me a moment for
a humorous example I thought on the way here. As I'm driving
here, I'm obeying the speed limit for the most part. And I stop
at red lights for the most part. And I stop at stop signs for
the most part. I follow the traffic laws for the most part. And I
promise you, that is not in any way, shape, or form according
to my nature. There's nothing that brings out my type A if
I get behind the steering wheel. It's not according to what I
want to do. I might do it. I might drive the speed limit.
I might obey the traffic laws, but it's not in line with who
I am. I really want to drive fast and
blow through. I think traffic laws are for you all, not for
me. Not so with God. Everything that he does in creation
and salvation, In eternal life, it's all according to his character.
It's all in perfect alignment with his character. Everything
flows from God. Everything. The same loving kindness
that wrought salvation is the same loving kindness that wrought
the trial. Everything flows from God. It's all according to him.
What in the world can be our peace in the middle of a trial
other than seeing that it is according to God? I look for the I get myself in
trouble doing this. I look for the purpose. I look
for the reason. I'm much happier, Jonathan, when
I, when I look to him and I see that it is according to him and
whether I see the goodness in the middle of it or not is irrelevant.
It really is. It's irrelevant. It's according
to him. It's in perfect alignment with
his goodness. Therefore it is good. Even the trial, it is good. Even, even if I don't see it,
cause it's all, all things are according to him. That's our
hope, and that's our peace. Let's read through Ephesians
chapter one together, and then we'll focus on those 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 in heavenly places in Christ, according as
he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him, in love, having
predestinated us 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, in whom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. His
grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
having made known unto us the mystery of his goodwill, according
to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that
in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together
in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, which
are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an
inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will,
that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted
in Christ, in whom he also trusted, after that ye have heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the
redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of his glory,
wherefore I also, After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for
you, making mention of you in my prayers. That the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. The
eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling and what is the riches of the
glory of his inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power to us who believe according to the
working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when
he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand
in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and
might and dominion, in every name that is named, not only
in this world, but also in that which is to come, and hath put
all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over
all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of
him that filleth all in all. When we look at these, again,
these four verses that I pointed out, we're looking again for that
phrase, according to, and I'd like to look, I'd like to turn
to quite a few scriptures so we can see other ways, get a
fuller understanding of that phrase, according to. And if
you would start with me over in Luke chapter 17. Luke chapter 17. One way that
this phrase according to is translated is in the same manner as. In
the same manner as. Here in chapter 17, look here,
look in verse 30, then we'll go up a few verses and we'll
read down. Start in verse 30. The same manner as, here the
words are even thus. means in the same manner as,
also according to, even thus shall it be in the day when the
Son of Man is revealed. That's even thus. Start back
up in verse 26. As it was in the days of Noah,
so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat,
they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
until the day that Noah entered into the ark and the flood came
and destroyed them all. Likewise also, as it was in the
days of Lot, They did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold,
they planted, they builded. For the same day that Lot went
out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and
destroyed them all. Even thus, in the same manner, according
to, even thus, in the same manner shall it be in the day when the
Son of Man is revealed. In the same manner. Galatians
4.28 says, now we brethren, here it's translated as as, now we
brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise in the same
manner that Isaac was the children of promise. So as we are, we,
the children of promise as now back in there in our texts and
Ephesians applying that in, in the same manner, in the same
manner, look here in, in, uh, in our
texts, Ephesians one, uh, verse four, this is election according
or in the same manner. 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 under the adoption of Jesus Christ to himself. That's the
election in the same manner, in the same manner. Redemption again, according in
the same manner to the starting in verse five there to, 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, in
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of grace, in the same manner.
And that is our redemption, our redemption. The ransom being
paid. This is Christ's perfect sacrifice,
and through his perfect sacrifice many are made accepted in the
beloved Romans 5 states for what by one man's disobedience many
were made sinners it is the obedience of one shall many be made right
righteous how was that redemption made again we're still on bear
with me in the same manner how was that redemption made it was
made in the exact same way that in the early verse election was
made in the same manner that election was made, redemption
was also made, what contribution did man have to election? None
whatsoever. Verse four says that God's election
was made before the foundation of the world, with no input whatsoever
from man, right? And I think if election of a people wasn't
made before the foundation of the world, What in the world
have we done since then that would have made God choose us
since then? It was made before the foundation of the world with
no input whatsoever, with no input whatsoever from man. It
was made from God's character, from his goodness, from who he
is. It was made from God. How did God elect a people before
the foundation of the world? He did so alone. God the Father,
God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, they did so alone with no input
at all from man, with no need from man, from God's own goodness
and love and authority. In the same manner, he did redeem
a people also. He did so in love. He did so
alone, and he did so in love. Deuteronomy chapter seven says,
the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his prized
possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. The
Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because
you were more numerous than the other peoples. because there
was something about you that stood out because you were better,
not because you were more numerous. For you were the fewest of all
people, the chief of sinners." There's nothing that stood out
that would make God choose me. That ridiculousness about God
looking down through the portal of time, that's evil, sacrilegious. That's not at all who God is.
God is perfect authority and perfect love. He says, you're
the fewest of all people, But because the Lord loved you, that's
why. Because the Lord loved you, because
he set his affection on you, that's why. It's according to
him. And in that same manner that
he elected, according to, in the same manner that he elected,
he redeemed the people. Not according to the people's
works, not according to anything but because he would. Because
he had the right and the authority to do so and the perfect love
to do so. Electing a people and redeeming
a people is perfectly within his character, do you so? It's
within his right, it's within his authority. It's according
to him. According to the good pleasure
of his will. How did God redeem his people in Christ? Verse five
says that according to the good pleasure of his will in the same
manner that he elected a people alone. In the same manner that
he elected a people alone, he redeemed a people alone. Hebrews
one says, when he hath by himself purged our sins, sat down on
the right hand of the majesty on high. That is by himself alone,
and that is by the sacrifice of himself. He did so alone,
and he did so in love. John four said here in his love,
not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son
to be the propitiation for our sins. He did so alone, and he
did so in love. In the same manner of election,
so is redemption. So is the effectual call. Election
and redemption are accomplished in the same manner by God alone,
in Christ alone, and through his love and authority alone.
What is the spirit's effectual call in time? Verse eight tells
us that. In our text here, Ephesians one
verse eight, in whom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, is
in this same manner, according to the riches of His grace, having
made known unto us the mystery of His will, again, according
to His good pleasure, in that same manner which He hath purposed
in Himself. This is the Spirit's effectual
call. How does the Holy Spirit call? In what manner does the
Holy Spirit call? It's in the same manner that
God elected a people and God redeemed a people, in the same
manner, alone, with no input whatsoever from the sinner, and
also in love. Let's listen to John, actually
turn over there, turn to John chapter six. John chapter six, verse 44, the
spirit's effectual call comes in the same manner as election
and redemption, alone and in love. John chapter six verse
44 says, no man can come to me except the father, which has
sent me draw him and I'll raise him up at the last day. This
is done without the input of the center. This is done by the
spirit alone. That said, look back in verse
37, all that the father giveth me shall come to me. This is
him in love. All that the father giveth me
shall come to me. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast
out. I will never cast out. The Spirit
calls in the same manner, alone, without input from the sinner
in any way, shape, or form, and also in love, right? No man can
come to me. All that come to me, I will in
no wise cast out, in love. In this same manner, salvation
and eternal life, the same manner that God elects the people, redeems
the people, calls His people in that same manner, God also
saves His people and brings them to eternal life with Him. Isn't
it a comfort? It's never left us. I'm a lot older than when we
first met. And that hasn't changed not one
bit. And as the time comes, whenever
that time is, if it's tonight or if it's 50 years from now,
and the time comes for Lord to call me home, it's still not
on my shoulders. It's all on Him. It's all according to Him. And that just, that settles me.
It's according to Him. And that's good news because
He is good. It's good news that it's all
according to Him because He is good, because He has authority,
because of His character. That's why that's good news,
because of who He is, who God is. Here in our text again, in
verse 19, Paul's prayer for us is that we may know, he says
that a couple of verses earlier, that we may know what is the
exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe according to
the working of his mighty power. That is in the same manner, that
same power, same power, which he wrought in Christ when he
raised him from the dead. and set him at his own right
hand in heavenly places. That same great power that raised
Christ in justice, in justice, because the sacrifice was paid,
the debt was paid, the ransom was paid. Sin was put away, the
scripture says, as far as the east is from the west. He raised
Christ in justice, in that same power, in that same manner, God
uses to raise sinners from the dead. Both in the granting of
spiritual life, From the dead, Ephesians 2.1 says, and you hath
he quickened who were dead, dead in trespasses and sins. Everywhere I go now, I see those
AEDs, the defibrillators, you probably see those on campus
all over the place, right? Those work really well when there's
a spark of life left. They don't work at all on a dead person. And you hath he quickened who
were dead, in trespasses and sins. And also in the granting
of eternal life, Ephesians 2.6 says, hath raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. God accomplished this, the election,
the redemption, the effectual call, the keeping grace needed
to bring his children to eternal life with him, all in the same
manner, all according to, all according to his goodness, all
according to his love. all according to his authority,
all according to his right, both as the creator and also as the
sacrifice. He has a right to call, he has
a right to save, he has a right to redeem, all in perfect alignment,
all according to who God is, all according to his power, in
the same manner as. Let's also look at another interpretation
of according to. is in Matthew chapter 25. Let's
turn over there, Matthew 25. Here in verse 15, this is the
parable of the talents. It means to the degree of, to
the degree of. Unto one he gave five talents,
to another two, to another one, to every man according to his
several ability, to the degree of his ability gave you the talents
to the degree of God accomplished election, redemption, the effectual
call, the keeping grace, salvation, eternal life, all to the same
degree that he is good, that he is loving to the degree that
he has the authority in the right. Is my salvation sure? My salvation
is sure to the degree that Christ's sacrifice was accepted. Is my hope sure? My hope is sure
to the degree that Christ is sitting on the right hand of
God making intercession for sinners right now. Is my salvation accomplished?
It's accomplished to the degree that he said from the cross it
is finished. It's accomplished to the degree that he has the
authority as the creator and also as the sacrifice. To the
degree, to the same degree as his power as His goodness, as
His love. Is my salvation sure? It's sure
to the same degree that Christ had the right to declare it is
finished. He had the right to declare that.
My salvation is sure to that same degree, according to. According
to can also be translated as by the authority of. If you're
still in Matthew, turn over a page to Matthew chapter 26. by the authority of. Matthew chapter 26, look all
the way over in verse 63. Here the word is, is by same
word, according to for 63, but Jesus held his peace and the
high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the
living God or according to the living God that thou tell us
whether thou be the Christ, the son of God, it can be by the
authority of. Again, back in our text, our
four verses, God accomplished his election, his redemption,
the effectual call, the keeping grace, salvation, eternal life
with him, all according to the authority of, according to the
authority of, according to the authority that he has because
of who he is, according to who he is. Is my salvation sure? It is as sure as God is holy
by His authority. According to, it's all according
to God. It can be agreeably with, agreeably with, or in lockstep
with. Turn over, we'll look at a few
verses here. Turn over to Mark chapter seven. Mark 7, verse 5. This is according
to, translated as, agreeably with. Mark 7, verse 5. When the Pharisees and scribes
asked him, why walk not thy disciples according to the traditions of
the elders? Why walk they not in lockstep with the traditions
of the elders, but they eat bread with unwashed hands? In lockstep
with. Let's look over here at Romans
8 also. Romans chapter eight, verse five. Here the word is, is, is after
it means in lockstep with for they that are after the flesh
that is in lockstep with the flesh or agreeably with the flesh. They that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit
do mind the things of the spirit. And finally, in first Corinthians
15, in first Corinthians 15, verse
three, again, these are translations according to meaning in lockstep
with or agreeably with, for I delivered unto you first of all, that which
I also received, how the Christ died for our sins, according
to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he rose again the
third day, according to the scriptures, in lockstep with the scriptures,
in agreement with the scriptures. Again, back to our text, God
accomplished this election, redemption, the effectual call, keeping grace,
salvation, eternal life with him all in lockstep with his
justice and with his holiness, never at a sacrifice of his justice,
never at sacrifice of his holiness. It's because he was made sin
who knew no sin, but we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. Never since never winked at never
skidded over. It was removed. Salvation is
in perfect lockstep with the scriptures from beginning to
end. There's no contradiction in Christ. What Christ accomplished
is absolutely according to the scriptures. It's mercy and justice. How can God be just and justify
this sinner? Only in Christ. Something has
to give. One of these two things have
to give outside of Christ. Justice has to give, or mercy
has to give, something has to give outside of Christ, only
in Christ. Mercy and peace, truth, kiss
each other, only in lockstep with God's holiness and justice. Romans 3 says, being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God to declare,
I say at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Is salvation sure in
Christ? Is salvation according to God
sure? Is it sure? It is sure, because
Christ wrought that salvation in perfect lockstep, according
to God's holiness, God's justice, God's love, in perfect lockstep. with his justice and love. You
know what would not be according to the scriptures? You know what
would not be in lockstep with God's justice and love? Is if
a sinner who Christ died for died in hell. Anyway, that would
be against God's holiness and justice. It's right for God to
save his people in Christ because Christ has taken that sin away. finally, by virtue of. According to is also translated
by virtue of or as a result of or as a consequence of. These
I'll just read. 2 Thessalonians 1 says that the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ might be glorified in you and
ye in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ as a result of. The name of our Lord Jesus Christ
might be glorified in you and he in him as a result of the
grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Second Timothy
1.9 says, God who has saved us and called us with an holy calling,
not as a result of our works, not according to our works, but
as a result of his grace, of his own purpose and his grace,
according to his own purpose and his grace, which was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began by virtue Titus says,
and I know I'm quoting a lot of scriptures. I know that I
am, but I love, I was so blessed by seeing this over and over
and over. You can't tell me too often that
salvation is according to God and according to Christ. I realize
that we're looking through a lot of scriptures that say that.
You can't tell me that too much. So I was blessed. I'm praying
that you are too. Titus 3, 4 says, but after that, the kindness
and love of God, our savior toward man appears. not by works of
righteousness, which we have done, but according to, as a
result of, as a consequence of, by virtue of, according to his
mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost. And Romans four says, now to
him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of
debt. And I read through Strong's lexicon. I just, I liked the way it was
worded. Same verse says, Now, the wages
of the worker are not credited as a gift. The wages of the worker
are not the result of a gift. You cash your paycheck, you don't
say thank you. I mean, you can say thank you because you're
nice, but you don't have to. You've earned it, right? It's not a result. It's not the result of a gift.
It's not a consequence of a gift. It's not by virtue of a gift.
It's by virtue of an obligation. The wages of the worker are an
obligation. God will meet you where you want.
And meeting God claiming that he has an obligation to me is
terrifying to even stand here and say, right? That you would
meet the holy creator on the basis of an obligation and left
to ourselves, that's exactly what we will do. That's exactly
what we will do. But not God. God accomplished
his election, his redemption, and the effectual call into keeping
grace and salvation and bringing sinners, bringing his people
to eternal life with him, all by virtue of, all according to,
all a result of, all a consequence of Christ's loving sacrifice,
all according to Christ. And that lets us see, right?
Therefore, we can say, if any man speak not according to these
words, right? The same spirit, allows us to
sing, I think we sang this in Danville on Sunday. We sang the
song, Oh How I Love Jesus. Great song. And if I have any love in my
heart, if I have the smallest little, teeniest little tiny
bit of love for God in my heart that you all can't even see,
if I have any, to Him be the glory. I'm not going to sit here
and sing about the degree of my love to Christ. I'm certainly
not going to sing and point that out. It's to the degree of, it's
in the same manner as, oh, how I love Jesus, because he first
loved me. It's to the degree of, it's his
love, it's by the same manner of his love. Not according to
me, according to because he first loved me. And therefore we can
also say with Paul in Romans eight, that we know all things
work together for good. to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose, as a result of
his purpose, by virtue of his purpose, to the degree of his
purpose, in the same manner as his purpose, according to his
purpose, in the same manner, again, in the same manner as
his purpose, to the same degree as his purpose, by the authority
of his purpose, in lockstep with his purpose, and by virtue or
as a result of, purpose. Salvation is all according to
God in Christ. Let's pray together. Our Holy Heavenly Father, I pray
that you'd be with us this evening and bless your word. Use it to
bring glory to your name, to call us to the feet of Christ.
I pray that you'd be with us as we go throughout our week,
be with our pastor as he continues his treatment and others and
be with us in trial. Be with all of us and that we
see it's according to your loving kindness and according to your
purpose, according to your holiness and your authority and your goodness,
according to your character. Father, give us faith to believe
and rest in salvation according to your will. We pray this thankfully
in Christ's name and for his sake. Amen.