Turn with me to Paul's epistle to the Ephesians. I'm going to be preaching from chapter 3, the first 6 verses this morning. But let's read chapter 2 because he starts out with the words for this call. Now, I'm going to start in chapter 2, because I think everybody here is familiar with chapter 1. I can't count the times I've preached from Ephesians chapter 1 or used it as a reference.

But here in chapter 2, he said, and you, this chapter 1 is what he's done for the church. Now he gets to chapter two and he says, now you, he's going to make it personal. You, Hathi Quicken, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom we all had our conversation, our behavior in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

We're just like that heathen in darkest Africa. We're just like that prisoner down at the state penitentiary. We're just like that by nature. A full potential of anything evil is in our hearts. And that's what he's telling them. We're by nature the children of wrath, even as others, but God. Boy, don't you love that phrase, but God. Who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace, ye are saved. How? In that eternal union with Christ. That's how. He quickened us together with his Son and hath raised us up together. No other way to do that except by this unionism. He raised us up together in and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

And he did that, that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. And here's how he does it. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, It's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we're his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. What good works? Faith, repentance, love, kindness. We're his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in.

Wherefore, remember that ye being in time past Gentiles, in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by them which are called to circumcision, and the flesh made with hands, that at that time you were without Christ, being alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, and having no hope without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he's our peace who has made us both one and has broken down the middle wall of petition between us, showed us our connection with Christ, even though we're not Jews.

Is that a big deal? It is if you're basing your salvation on the word of God, because all through the Old Testament, these promises were given to the Jews. And what a mystery, this mystery of the Gentiles. That's what I'm going to preach about this morning. And he abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, to make in himself of twain one new man. Who's that? That's Christ. That's Christ. The union not only had to do with his substitution, it not only had to do with his death on the cross, that imputed righteousness by his perfect obedience. It not only had to do with that, but it has to do after those things. What's going to happen after those things? It has to do with his intervention into your life, this faith that's the gift of God that turns the world upside down.

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, Jews and Gentiles. having slain the enmity. And he came and preached peace to you, which were afar off, and to them that are nigh. Boy, you can't get any farther off than a Gentile. And he came and preached peace to us. The same peace he preached to the Jews. For through him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father.

Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye are also builted together for a habitation of God through the

What a picture of the believer. Now, if you will this morning, turn back with me to Ephesians chapter 3, Paul's letter to the Ephesians. With just a little bit of background, Paul had spent nearly two years with the Ephesians taught them, and that small group began to grow and become a very influential local church. He loved these people, loved these people, and they loved him. Now he's getting up in years, some writers say somewhere in his 60s, and he's writing to these people and saying what needs to be said, as he said over in Acts chapter 20, declaring unto them the whole counsel of God. He's basically telling them everything that he already told them, reminding them of it.

My message this morning is titled The Dispensation of Grace, chapter 3. Our sign out front says Grace Baptist Church. We are Baptist by tradition. That is, the truth of the gospel has been carried traditionally through the years by men who call themselves Baptists. Are you a Baptist? I am. I am. Not just in the order of baptism, but I'm a Baptist by tradition. I believe a lot of the same things. enough so to put their name on my sign. And the other word that we've added to it is grace. Grace is our doctrine. That's what we preach. The grace of God. Salvation by grace. By grace are you saved. Through faith. And that, not of yourselves, it's the gift of God. And if it be of grace, Paul said, then it's no more work. Otherwise, work or grace is no more grace. And if it be of works, then it's no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. And the apostle begins this letter, and that's where I want to begin. He begins this letter with a full, clear, complete explanation of how God saved sinners. If you want to know how God saved sinners, read Ephesians chapter 1.

I'll never forget Henry relaying the story to me. He came to Pollard Baptist Church, the Southern Baptist Church, and he heard from the old evangelist, Ralph Barnard. He heard the gospel, and God saved him. taught him the gospel. And he was teaching Sunday school there. And the whole church was upset over his preaching. He's preaching grace now. He's not preaching work. And so this Sunday, he decided in the Sunday school, all he's going to do is read Ephesians chapter 1. And he started reading. And this old deacon stood up and said, now, hold on. Hold on. Hold it right there. He said, I know what you're trying to do. Henry said, brother, he said, I'm not trying to do anything. Oh, yes, you are. He said, I know what you're trying to teach. He said, I'm not trying to teach anything. He said, I'm reading to you Ephesians. This old guy accused him of preaching election, teaching election. And he said, I'm just reading Ephesians chapter 1. He said, is election what you got out of it? Because that's what I got out of it. That's what it says, isn't it?

It's a full, clear explanation of how God saves sinners. Starts way back in eternity past, brings you all the way up in chapter 2, brings you through the experience of the believer, what God's done for him, how he's changed him. Salvation by grace, that's what he's teaching. He fitly frames you into his temple. You don't just walk into his temple. You don't knock on the door and he opens and you walk in. He fitly frames you into that temple. It's a work of God, a work of God. And that's what he's talking about. It begins with God.

All through the scriptures, God tells us who he is. He's the creator. He's the worshiped one. He's the high and lofty one. Shaddai, which means almighty God. He's the lord of hosts, expressing his dominion over all things. Abraham used the word Adonai, which means the cause. He's the cause. There's a creation out here. Who caused it? God did. Here's an Earth, and all these planets have been beaten to death. So they say, those who can see them through telescopes, and they're beaten to death by meteors. How come the Earth's not? Cause. That's why. Cause. He told Moses to tell Pharaoh. Moses said, who am I going to tell this great monarch down here? I'm going to go up to him. I'm nothing. He'll squash me like a bug. So I'm willing to go. But when I get there, who am I going to tell him sent me? He said, tell him I am. Who is God? He is. He is. He's God. He's God. Tell him I am sent you. What did Christ say when he came here? I am the way. God. I'm God the way. God the truth. God the life. That's what he's saying.

This declares not only his present being, but his immutability. In the New Testament, the Holy Ghost uses the word Lord, kurios, or despo might be a better word. Simply means sovereign. He's sovereign. What's that mean? It means he does what he will. Sovereign. You don't tell a sovereign what to do, do you? No. No, he tells you. And we know by these names that God is infinite, eternal, almighty, self-existent, glorious, and holy. He's God, and as such, he's to be feared and worshiped and obeyed. To his enemies, he's a consuming fire. That's what he said.

There's one name I would mention concerning Jesus Christ is Jehovah. Jehovah means Savior, Deliverer. This name is revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ. So how does Jehovah save sinners? Well, it begins with eternal election. That's where it begins. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ have blessed us with all spiritual blessings over here in chapter 1. Verse three, verse two. With all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ, now listen, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Salvation begins in election. We're talking about how God saves sinners, not how men talk about the God that you have to let save you. He's sovereign. He's sovereign. He's sovereign God. He's eternal. He didn't wait to see what man did and then say, whoa, man, I got to come up with a plan. No, this whole thing's of God. Before God ever created the earth or a man to live in it, He chose a people in Christ. He set them into an eternal union with His Son. What's that mean? That means He put you in Him, made full provision for you in this union. I'm talking about a covenant union. God has purposed to save a people for the glory of his name, and to do that, he elects a people and puts them in Christ, an eternal union. No matter what else happens to the world, these are secure in him. That's what he's talking about over here in Ephesians 2 when he said, by grace ye are saved. Not going to be saved, you're saved. When did God save his people? Well, it began in eternity past. He put us into a covenant union with his son by divine election. Why did he do it? Well, he tells you right here. according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy.

Now here's what I've been teaching for years, and I believe this is the truth. Holiness has nothing to do with how you dress or how you act. Holiness has to do with the whole character of God. The whole character of God. And this character is in perfect harmony at all times. And what's one of the main things that Paul talks about through salvation by grace? That's what we're talking about this morning. Well, what's one of the main things that he says? He says it over in Romans chapter 3, that he might be righteous in his remission of sins, that he might be just and justifier of those that believe in him. His character remains in perfect harmony He chose us, put us into a union with His Son, who is God, that we should be holy. It's the only way we can be holy. And this is an act of God. He put us in His Son that we should be holy. Now, what's this? And without blame. Oh, I'm to blame? Look yourself in the mirror and say, well, I'm to blame. You can't do it. You can't do it. You can't go a minute without sinning against God. We're to blame, aren't we? Well, how in the world are these people without blame? In Christ. In Christ. And what else? That we might be before Him in love. That's not talking about you loving Him, that's talking about He looking on you and you're standing before Him and He can see all things, all things open, and naked unto him with whom we have to do. And he's looking at us, and he's looking at us in love. Undisturbed love. But what if? All taken care of. He's looking at me in love. How can he do that? That love never changes. Re in Romans chapter 8, the last few verses. Nothing can separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He loves us and that love is secured in Christ for all eternity. It's in Him. You see what I'm talking about? He took us, put us into a covenant union with His Son.

Now watch this. Ephesians 1 verse 5. Having predestinated us. This is a work past. Having. He didn't say I'm going to. He said, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. Election marks the objects of God's predestination. Their names are struck in the Lamb's Book of Life, and full benefits are allotted to them because God has predestinated them to be heirs. They're his children. Children of God. Isn't that what the Bible says? Huh? What's that mean? That means I'm an heir of God. That's what that means. Full benefits. And to accomplish this adoption, Christ must come and redeem us. And when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son, didn't he? Made of a woman, made under the law. What's that talking about? That's talking about that manifest union. God manifested our eternal union with him, that covenant union. He manifested it becoming one with us. One mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. When we talk about Jesus, we're talking about the God man. What Mary says, she worshiped God, her Savior. Wow. You mean Jesus of Nazareth is God. That's exactly what I'm saying. God. But he's God and man. God and man. And this adoption is made known. And this, we talked about the Eternal Covenant Union, and then the Manifest Union.

a vital union. He manifests our adoption when the gospel comes to men and the Spirit attends that gospel and that man's regenerated. And that man who didn't know God now cries, Abba, Father, from his heart. I'm not talking about just repeating the words of some priest somewhere. I'm talking about from his heart, he understands now how God can be his Father. And that's what he cries, Abba, Father. That is Father, Father.

Ephesians 1, 6, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the blood. There's no part of future circumstance that's not provided by God by way of union with His Son. And this union is to the praise and glory of His grace. He made us accepted. When He put us in union with His Son, He made full provision for us in His Son. And now He can look on us accepted. I can't imagine, I just can't imagine a holy God looking down on this world full of nothing but maggots. Nothing but maggots, and saying to this maggot, you're accepted. But isn't that what he says to the sinner? You're accepted. How? In the blood. In him who is our provision. All things in him.

Ephesians 1-7, in whom we have redemption. Redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." How many times does he use that word, grace? Over and over, isn't he? All the way through. Everything God's holy justice and righteousness demands from the sinner, Christ has fulfilled. He's provided in full. He paid the bill. You know what? I love receipts that says paid in full. Kathy had a bad cancer, brain cancer, and the hospital bill was out of this world. And I could just pay them a little bit as I could, and I paid them. And finally, they wrote me a letter after several years and said, if you'll pay X amount, we'll consider it paid in full. And so I took the letter, and I went over there to the hospital, and I said, Is this, am I reading this right? Oh, yeah, yeah. You pay this much money. I said, well, here it is. And I wrote him out a check. And he put it in there. And he said, well, thank you. I said, no, no, no. I said, I want you to write on here, paid in full. And he did. Still got the receipt. Never got another bill.

Oh. We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, verse eight, wherein, that is, in the things he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom, these things, he's abounded toward us in the wisdom of these things.

Who else in this world talks about an eternal union with Christ except a believer, huh? Have you ever been to, I've been to all kinds of churches. play and sing, and I'd travel from this church to that church. I never heard ever, not ever, not any message ever been to my father-in-law was Catholic. And I went with him one time up there for some reason. I can't even remember what it was now. It was long before the Lord had done anything for me. But I never heard anything about any kind of eternal union. But here it is. It's in the word of God.

And then, you know, I preached one time on justification and I was talking about eternal justification. Boy, people was losing their marbles over that. I got, I don't know how many letters. No such thing. You preach eternal justification, you're taking away the whole reason for Christ to die. No, I'm establishing the reason. Now you can't have, in Hebrew chapter 9, he tells us he entered in once by his own blood and obtained eternal redemption for us. Well now wait a minute, he couldn't do that, take out the reason for him to die. No it don't, it establishes the reason. He was the Lamb slain before the foundations of the world. Does that mean he don't have to be slain? No. That means he must be slain. Same thing with justification. Did God justify us from all eternity and provide provision for us in Christ? Then he must come down here and justify me. You see what I'm saying?

All right. And now he abounds toward us in all wisdom and prudence, making known unto us the mystery. These things are a mystery, aren't they? You're not going to sit down and read your Bible and figure all this out. These things are a mystery. All right, look at verse 10, Ephesians chapter 1. That in the dispensation, the eternal stewardship of time, what's he talking about? Time, what's he talking about? Time has to do with the whole economy of God. There's not time and then eternity. There's eternity, and God creates this little space, this little time dot in eternity, and he said, this is where I'm going to manifest my glory, and this is how I'm going to do it. And this is who's in charge of it. I'm going to give it to my son. He first trusted in Christ, right? All right, now listen to me. He's the steward of time. Everything that God has purposed to happen in time, Christ is the steward of it. He's in charge. That he might gather together in one all things that God put in him. All of it. His elect, everything. God's glory, the whole economy of God. He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth, even in Him. It's just this little space in eternity set apart by God to manifest His glory and the salvation of chosen sinners in Christ. And Christ is the steward of the whole economy of God beginning to end Alpha to Omega front to back.

Verse 11, in whom the steward of God's grace, in whom we also." He's gathering all these things, gathering them to himself. Does he forget his elect? No. He gathers them too. Huh? He's gathering all these things, and he reaches down, he gathers his elect. And that's what Paul's saying. in whom we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Now, without dragging this thing out, just let me tell you something about Romans chapter 8, verse 29. He said, whom he did foreknow. Now, without going through a big dissertation on this, just let me say this. Who did he foreknow? He foreknew whom he did foreordain. And I challenge you to look it up. Look up the two words. One is in 1 Peter 1. The other one is right there in Romans 8. Whom he did foreknow, that word is the same as foreordain. Look it up. Very same word. Who does God know? He knows who He chose. He knows them inside out. He's going to create them. He knows what kind of world He made. Oh my soul, he's God.

And in whom we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Now watch this. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ, that is God himself, God who blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ. He made Christ the steward of these things. in him, in whom you also trusted, he said, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation." All right, let's go back to chapter three now.

For this cause, for this cause, the will of God, the purpose of the priceless death of the Son of God, the perfect righteousness provided in Him, all things provided in Him, who He is, His title. He's God. For this cause, the cause of His glory and grace, for the cause of the stewardship of God's grace in Christ. And this is what I'm, my whole point to this is to show you that this stewardship of the grace of God is Belongs to Christ. Don't belong to a man. Belongs to Christ.

For this cause, I call the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, you heathens. If you heard, now watch this, if you heard, have you? Will you? If you've heard of the dispensation, the stewardship of the grace of God which is given me to you. What in the world is he talking about? He's talking about Christ. He revealed Christ in me that I might preach him among the heathen. He's the steward. All grace, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. There's no grace apart from Christ. Forget it. It's not going to happen. Somebody said, well, he's gracious to all men. No, I beg your pardon. He's merciful to all men, but he's not gracious. I'll be gracious to whom I will be gracious. God's grace is effectual. It reigns, don't it? Isn't that what it says over there in Romans chapter 5? Grace reigns unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Reigns in righteousness. And he's telling these people, if you've heard Have you heard that the dispensation of the grace of God is given to men to give to men? Have you heard that? Most of this, my generation, never heard of it. He thinks he's God. No, he don't. Not at all. But I know the way of God and I know the means of God. He tells you as clear as words can be in the Scripture. Well, what does that man have to give? Huh? Christ. That's what was given to him. He revealed Christ in him. Well, how's he gonna do it? He's just gonna point you to Christ. That's what he's gonna do. Huh? He's not gonna try to talk you down an aisle or get you to sign a card. Not gonna get you to agree to all the the stipulations of some denominational preference. No, sir. I'm going to point you to Christ. There he is. Believe on him. He's all. He's the hope of glory, Christ in you. Oh, my. You read over in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, where he talks about that antichrist religion that reigns in this world. Oh my, everybody everywhere just buying into that deceitfulness of false religion. And it's the working of Satan, he said, and the way he does it is in this deceitfulness of unrighteousness. Their prayers, everything they do is unrighteous, but he makes them to believe it's righteous. Deceitfulness. Deceitfulness. Call their long prayers. What did the Lord say about that? He said, they're just making a show. They're just making a show. They don't even know how to pray. And they're praying for an hour? Give me a break. And they're so twisted in these things and so bought into them that they won't receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause, he said, they won't receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. For this cause, he said, I'm giving them over to believe a lie and be damned. I'll just leave them alone. If they want to sit there and worship some priest dressed up in a gown, I'm just going to make them happy. They're going to sit there and say, amen, amen. I used to do it. Sit there on the pew. Amen. Listening to rubbish. But Paul said, I'm bound, bound by his love and his grace and those things that he's done for me. I'm bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. Why? because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel." Huh? See, don't bet a man preaching the gospel to another man. Absolutely. Absolutely. Why did he suffer all these things? Because he knew that a man had to bring that truth because God purposed it. Yeah, but he's going to be shipwrecked. Yes, he is. He's going to be beaten. Yep. He's going to be hated and despised. Yes, he will. Why will he do it? Because that's God's way. Huh? That's God's way. Oh, if you heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you, God gave it to him for his elect. And what he gave him is everything. Oh, man. If I could somehow get you to look to Christ and trust on Christ, you'd get it all. You remember that illustration I gave you several years ago? He that hath the Son has it all. He gets it all. If you heard what he said. I've taken some time this morning to show you what salvation by grace is, but how it comes to sinners is equally glorious. Last week I read the words of Paul to you, asking his hearers to bear with him in his folly. I know something about the folly of the preachers. I'm a preacher. Education, inability, weakness, I could go on. that any man should think himself worthy or confident in his flesh to present such a glorious work to men is absolutely unthinkable. And I've had men ask me that, not by the subject that I've just mentioned, but just because of the truth that I've read to them in the Word of God. They said, well, you think you're somebody. No. No, I'm nobody. trying to tell anybody or somebody about him that can save anybody. But the scripture is very clear that it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe, ministers by whom you believe, chosen to salvation by sanctification of the spirit and belief in the truth. And Paul said, if you've heard, if you've heard, and I wonder every time I stand before this congregation or any other congregation, I wonder if they've ever heard that this dispensation of grace in Christ is set in motion for them, for heathens, for godless, idol-worshipping heathens, sinners, ignorant of God, raised in antichrist religion, raised believing men must make themselves worthy of hearing. Worthy of grace. Boy, what a contradiction of terms. Worthy of grace. Grace is unmerited favor. And he said we're justified freely by his grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. Have you heard? Let me tell you something. When you do, it'll take something monumental to keep you from being in that position. Huh? Now that's just the truth. I couldn't come this morning, I had the hiccups. You probably needed to stay home. You understand what I'm telling you? Don't sweep us under the rug. Everything God has done for chosen sinners, is purposed of God to come to them by way of a man, chosen, taught, sent of God. How should they preach except they be sent? Now, you can go to seminary, and you can get a title and a degree, and you can pin it up on the wall. And every time you stand up to preach, you can point at it. See here? See here? I'm ordained. You know what I did with my ordination papers? Threw them away. I don't need them. What do I need them for? Huh? Last time I went down to marry a couple, I had to go down and register with the state. I went down. He wanted to know where my ordination papers were. I said, I ain't got a clue. He said, you don't have them on the wall? No. I have them on the wall. I don't need them. Don't need them. And all this is purposed toward Gentiles. Boy, what a mystery. Boy, that made the Jews mad. Oh, how mad they were. Even these men that they believed were preaching a false gospel were trying to take the things of God and make some application to these heathens, that God had forbid them to marry or associate with or have anything to do with. And now he's saying this is God's purpose, save this heathen. He's saying when all these promises in the Old Testament, all these promises, he said, is for you, given to me to you words, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in a few words, which we just went over, that you might understand his knowledge in the mystery of Christ.

I was talking to my nephew years ago about the gospel and my ministry, and he said, the world's full of churches and preachers, all claim to be called of God. He said, how does a man like me, who'd never been to church, Never read the Bible. How in the world is a man like me, poor ignorant man, who's never donned the door of a church, supposed to know the difference? And here's what I told him. You never will, apart from the grace of God. You never will. I know your election of God because my gospel, Paul said, come not unto you in word only. Come unto you in power. Come unto you in the Holy Ghost. It was effectual. It was effectual. And you submitted yourself, unlike the rest of the world, you submitted yourself to us and the Lord. Ooh, what a man. Submit to a man, or you will of God save you.

In 1 Corinthians 1.8, Paul's acknowledging his confidence. And here's what happens. And you might fly off the handle at this. I don't know, but it's so. The revelation of God is in the gospel. When he talks about revelation, He hath revealed this unto us by his Spirit. When he talks about that, he's not talking about you out on a bass boat somewhere floating around. Boom, suddenly it pops into your head. That's not what he's talking about. The gospel is the revelation of God. The work of the Holy Spirit of God is to make you know that, make it real in your heart, and confirm that message. In 1 Corinthians 1, verse 8, Paul's acknowledging his confidence that they're truly saved, and he says in verses 5 and 6, that in everything you are enriched by him, now watch this, in all utterance and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.

I used an illustration up in Virginia the other day about one of our members who's dead now, Brother Nathan, he had brain cancer and he couldn't talk too clear. Kind of sounds like me. But anyway, I was preaching on these things one night and he got all excited about it and he said, that's right. That's confirmed. God confirmed that message in his heart. He said, that's right. How does God confirm faith? We receive it, we acknowledge it, we confess it, and we rejoice in it.

Verse 5, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as is now revealed unto us by his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. It was revealed, but not in the manifestation of Christ. What they saw was figures, figures for the time then present. That's what Paul says in Hebrews chapter 9. That's what this priesthood and sacrifices and all these things, patterns of things in the heavens. The shadow. The law is a shadow of good things to come.

But now the whole economy of Christ is made known by his person and work in this great mystery that the Gentiles, that's me and you, should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Any promise, go back there and read them. Oh, my soul. Old Testament's full of promises. All of them. But how he promised those to Israel, that's who we are. Huh? That's what it says. Oh, what a revelation that God's elect is called out of every nation, tribe, kindred, and tongue under heaven. And that's a slap in the face to the self-righteous, but it's good news to sinners.

May the Lord be pleased this morning to teach us all this grand and glorious truth. Ground us and settle us in Christ, in whom we're complete. Complete in him. Oh, man, what a revelation. What a glorious thing to think about. Salvation by grace. By grace. Made sure Christ sitting on the throne arranges his providence, calls you to a place, sends a man there to that place, preaches to you the gospel, and boy, your heart's just turned upside down.

I was talking to Brother Ray before the service, and he said, boy, when you hear the gospel, your whole life turns upside down. And I said, that's what he said. These 12 men have turned the world upside down. That's what they did. And it will. And boy, trouble will come right in behind it, won't it? It'll come in right behind it. In this world, you're going to have tribulation, trouble, trouble. A few days and full of trouble.

Father, thank you for the message this morning. Thank you for bringing these visitors here this morning to hear. Oh, how I pray that you use this message for thy name's honor and glory. Be gracious to all that are here. I ask it for Christ.