Good morning. Turn with me, if
you would, to Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one. I bring
greetings from my pastor and from Janet
and from our congregation. You all are always in our minds,
continually in our prayers. Very special to us. Not sure appreciated. We've had
a time of worship already this morning. Appreciated your, it
was Psalm 25, I believe. According to your mercy. Remember me, according to your
mercy. And according to, that's what we're focusing on. Those
are the two words we're gonna focus on in Ephesians 1 today.
According to. If you're a sinner like me and
you can't look inside yourself and find anything that the holy
God might look at and show any sort of kindness whatsoever to
you according to anything that's inside yourself, if you're that
sinner like this sinner is, As you said, you come up here and
tell you what God has done for you, right? If you're a sinner
like me who you look inside yourself and you can't find any reason
inside yourself for God to show any sort of kindness, anything
but darkness and damnation, according to what I have done, then I have
good news today. I have good news for you. just
as Moses had good news when he lifted up the surface in the
wilderness. He had good news for sick people. He had good
news for bitten people. He had good news for people who
are under the curse of the snake. And I have good news for those
of us, this is good news for me too. I have good news for
those of us who are under the curse of the law, under the curse
of damnation, according to God's word, according to God's work,
according to who God is. Whole drive here this morning,
I was put in mind of, my father-in-law's with me here today, by the way,
Brian Edwards here with me, I'm glad he rode with me. My whole drive here today, I
was put in mind of the day that I asked his daughter to marry
me. And I had it planned out, and we drove to the spot, and
the whole drive to the spot, and everything we did until we
got to the spot, The whole way, I'm chomping at the bit, man,
because I got something to say, right? I got something to say
to her. I can't wait to tell her what I have to say, which
is, will you marry me? I can't wait to tell a sinner
what God has done for this sinner, which is according to, I've been
sitting there chomping at the bit to say, according to his
good pleasure, he has saved us. And that's what I want us to
look at today. According to your mercy, according to his mercies,
remember me according to his mercies, not according to anything
that we have done. We'll read through this entire
chapter, chapter one. We're gonna focus on specifically
four verses where that common phrase is repeated, according
to, according to. It's repeated in verses four,
five, nine, and 19. Those stand out to me, that phrase,
according to. Again, that's the title of today's
message. Everything, everything is according to God. Everything
in creation, everything in Adam's rebellion, everything in Christ's
redemption, everything in the Spirit's call, the Spirit's call
to his children, everything in life given, everything in salvation
is according to God, everything, and ultimately everything in
eternal life with him, everything is according to God, according
to God. Everything is according to God's
act of will. We talked about that another time. I'm willing
means I want to do something in the future. God's willing
is a verb, it means he's doing. He is accomplishing his will,
he's willing. Everything is according to God's
active will, his power. Everything is according to his
degree, his decree, excuse me. Everything is according to his
authority. Everything is according to God. Everything is relative
to God. Everything is the result of God.
Everything is in perfect alignment with God's character. There's
no shadow of turning with him. Everything flows from God. Loving
kindness that wrought salvation is the exact same loving kindness
that wrought the trial. It's the same loving kindness.
Everything is according to God. God does not change. And we were
talking a little bit about that before the service. It doesn't
make it right, this is my sinful nature. It's more enjoyable for
me to look backwards and see God's providence. Often when
I look backwards, I see the sweetness of God's providence. It is often
hard in the middle of the trial to see God's loving kindness,
isn't it? Doesn't make it not true, doesn't
change a thing. Whether I see it or whether I
don't see it is not a factor. That's not relevant. It's certainly
good for my comfort. It's good for my comfort if we
meet here together and I look and I see God's loving kindness
in the midst of a trial. That's good for me, but it doesn't
change God. It doesn't change God's loving
kindness, not a bit. How many times did David say,
oh Lord, have you cast me off? But his loving kindness does
not change. It's all the loving kindness that wrought salvation
and the loving kindness that wrought the trial. It's all according
to God, according to God. All things are according to God.
Let's read chapter one here together. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the
faithful in Jesus Christ, 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 has 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, 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, wherewith
he hath made us accepted in the beloved, the beloved in whom
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace. Wherein he hath abounded
toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, 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 and which are on the earth, even
in him, 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 ye also trusted. After that ye heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, after
that ye believed, ye were sealed with that 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 knowledge
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, 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
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also
in the world to come, and hath put all things under his feet,
gave him to be the head over all things in the church, which
is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. As we look at those four verses
I brought out, according to, I'd like us to turn together
and look at a number of these verses. We'll turn and look at
a lot of verses together to help give a fuller understanding,
if you will, of those words, according to. Let's start with
turning to Luke chapter 17. One way this phrase, this word
according to, is used is found here in Luke 17 as even thus,
meaning in the same manner as, in the same manner as, even thus. Look here at Luke 17. Let's first read verse 30, then
we'll go back a little bit. Even thus shall it be in that
day when the Son of Man is revealed. Now what's Luke talking about
here? Look back here in verse 26 and read through. He's saying,
in the same manner as, even thus, in the same manner as, starting
in verse 26. And 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 earth 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. But the same day that Lot went
out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and
destroyed them all. Even thus, in that like manner as Noah,
in that like manner as Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot, even thus,
in like manner, shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is
revealed. Even thus. Turn over to, remember that,
and turn over to Galatians with me. Galatians chapter four. Remember, we're looking at according
to, being in the same manner as, or even thus. Here in Galatians
chapter four, look here in verse 28. Here it's translated as as. Now we brethren, as Isaac was,
in the same manner that Isaac was, You could also say there,
according as Isaac was, right? We brethren, as Isaac was, are
the children of promise in the same manner, in the same manner. Our text in Ephesians says, look
there in verse four, according, or if you will, in the same manner
as, according as, in the same manner 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. This
is election. This is election. In the same
manner, in the same manner that God elected his people and God
predestinated his people to the adoption, in that same manner
of election, Continue reading. According to the good pleasure
of His will, in the same manner, here in verse six, to the praise
of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the
Beloved, and this is redemption, 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
that God elected a people, God redeemed a people. This is redemption.
through Christ's perfect sacrifice, many are made, made what they
were not. Made, accepted, and the beloved.
Romans 5 states, for by one man's disobedience, many were made
sinners, as by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
It's in the same manner, it's according to. The same manner
that God chose a people, God redeemed a people. How was redemption
made? in the same manner that election
was made. What contribution did any man have, did any fallen
man have to election? That election was made, scripture
says, before the foundation of the world. What contribution
did man have to election? Zero, right? This was before
the foundation of the world. In the same manner, God redeemed
a people. What contribution does man have
to redemption? The same manner that man had
to election. Zero. Zero. It is of God. It's according to God. It's in
the same manner. Does that make sense? Election,
redemption. Another way I like, and the scripture
says, redemption is that the ransom is paid. The unpayable
ransom. Christ paid the unpayable ransom
in the same manner that God the Father elected a people, without
input from the people, before the foundation of the
world. I was thinking about that, that
we hear that phrase, fortunately, I'm fortunate to have heard that
phrase from the time that I was born here in this city until
now, 50 years. I've heard that phrase before
the foundation of the world. Pause for a minute, think about
that. Had God not elected the people before the foundation
of the world, is there anything that has happened in time since
that time that would cause God to elect the people since then?
It must have been done before the foundation of the world.
whether I see that or not, whether that's logic or not. I realize
I'm speaking foolishly, but bear with me. Even if I don't logically see
it, the word says it, so it must be that way. But isn't it a blessing
to see that God chose a people before the foundation of the
world? Certainly, there is nothing that has happened from Adam to
Jonathan that would have changed that, right? If anything, again,
I speak foolishly that God could change. But if anything, nothing
would make God choose us at this point. Must have been done prior
to the foundation of the world. And it was. How was election
accomplished? Before the foundation of the
world with no input from man. In that same manner was redemption
made in Christ. All in Christ, all of Christ,
of who he is, of his perfect work, of his perfect sacrifice,
with no input, with no catalyst from man whatsoever. how many
churches we passed on the way here today that are putting the
burden of even something as good as faith on people. It is not
our faith that stays, faith is the evidence of things not seen. Faith is the evidence of that
work that is according to Christ, that is done, that is finished
according to Christ. How did God elect the people
before the foundation of the world? He did so alone. alone,
according to his own authority, the authority that he had as
creator. According to his own right, he elected a people alone,
according to his own authority. How did he elect the people before
the foundation of the world? He did so in love. In love. Deuteronomy 7 says,
the Lord your God has chosen you. to be a people for his prized
possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth. The
Lord did not set his affection on you. The Lord did not set his affection
on you and chose you because you were more numerous than other
peoples, because you were better than other peoples, because you
had more to give than other peoples, because of anything in you. The
Lord did not choose you, Jonathan, because of you. For you are the
fewest of all people, you are the least. but because the Lord
loved you. He chose the people alone based
on his own authority, and he chose the people in love based
on his own perfect loving kindness, not based on a response to us,
based on a response to who he is in love, according to his
love. How did God redeem his people
in Christ? Look here in verse five. Verse five says, according
to the good pleasure of his will, in this same manner, in the same
manner that God elected a people, God redeemed a people. He did
so alone. He did so alone. And based on
his own authority as Christ. Hebrews one says, when he had
by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
majesty on high. That is by himself alone. And that is also by himself,
by the sacrifice of himself. That's his authority, that's
his right, his right as creator, his right as the perfect God-man
in Christ, his perfect life, his perfect blood, his perfect
obedience, his perfect holiness, his perfect sacrifice that was
accepted by the Father. He did so alone and he did so
in love, in love. We don't even have a fathom,
just not even an inkling. I do not have an inkling of what
it's like to be purely motivated by love. Can't do it. Fall in nature. Cannot do it.
Christ did. And is. And always has. He did so alone. Election and
redemption were accomplished alone. According to God. In the same manner. alone and
in love in the same manner, in the same manner. How did God redeem his people?
He did so alone. He did so in love. John 4 says,
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, to
be the covering for our sins. If you can't find a reason inside
according to yourself, This is very good news for your soul. If you are too much of a sinner
to possibly be saved, I have good news. Christ saves, God
saves in Christ, in the same manner of election, so does He
redemption, alone by Himself and in love. According to this
same manner, The effectual call, look down a little bit here in
verse eight. Election and redemption are accomplished in this same
manner by God alone, in Christ alone, through his love alone. What are the Spirit's effectual
call? That effectual call that happens in time, in time. Verse
eight says, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of his grace, in the same manner,
according to the riches of His grace. How is the call from the
Spirit made? In the same manner as election
and redemption. In that 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 this
same manner, He calls, having made known unto us the mystery
of His will, which he hath purposed in himself. That's the Spirit's
effectual call. How does the Holy Spirit call?
In what manner does the Holy Spirit? In the same manner that
God elected a people and Christ redeemed a people, according
to, in this same manner, alone, with no input whatsoever from
the sinner. John 6, 44. Let's turn over to John. There's
two verses here in John. that only in Christ can both
of these sweet promises and truths be
found in one chapter, only in Christ, alone with no input whatsoever
from the sinner. John 6, 44 says, no man can come to me except
the father which hath sent me draw him. The spirit calls alone. Later, that same John 6 also
says, and I didn't write down the verse, I apologize. Thank
you. Come to be accepted as given
to him by the Father. Yes, he that cometh to me shall never
hunger. He that believeth on me shall never thirst. All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. Him that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out. That's, look back and see, that
is in verse 37, I believe. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out. I will in no wise cast out. He did so, how does the spirit
call? The spirit calls alone. No man
can come to me. except the father which sent
me draw him. And the spirit calls in love, all that come to me
I will in no wise cast out. Come, the spirit commands sinner
right now, come. The spirit commands me now, me
standing here right now, come to Christ, come to Christ. To
whom coming, right? Come to Christ in that same manner
with authority alone and also in love. Salvation and eternal
life in this same manner. Look in our text here in Ephesians,
look at chapter nine, or excuse me, verse 19. In the same manner
that God elects a people, the same manner that God redeems
his people, the same manner that God through the Holy Spirit calls
his people, in this same manner, according to, God also saves
his people and brings them to eternal life with him in this
same manner. Verse 19, Paul's prayer for us
is that you may know, here starting in verse 19, that you may know
what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe,
the greatness of his power, according to, in the same manner as, the
working of his mighty power in the same manner which he wrought
in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at
his own right hand in heavenly places. The same great power
that raised Christ in justice is the same power God uses to
raise sinners from the dead, both spiritually, spiritually,
in the granting of spiritual life and light. One page over
in Ephesians chapter two, Verse one says, and you hath he quickened,
hath he made alive, hath he given life that was not there before. And you hath he quickened who
are dead in trespasses and sins. Left to ourselves, left to ourselves, we see Christ as a doctor healing a
sick person or performing CPR of what is almost there and God's
just gonna help us out a little bit. He's gonna help. spark life
that is just barely hanging on, perhaps. But that is absolutely
not what scripture says. Scripture says, and you hath
he quickened, hath he given life to, where there was no life.
You hath he made alive, where there was no life. You who hath
he made alive, who you were dead in trespasses and sin. You hath
he made alive. That's the same power Right? According to, it's the same power
that raised Christ in justice. It's the same power that God
uses to raise sinners in spiritual life. Raise them from the dead
in spiritual life and also in the granting of eternal life.
Still in Ephesians 2, look there at verse 6. and hath raised us
up together, together and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. That same power in this same
manner, the same manner that wrought election. in the same
manner which is all of God, the same manner that wrought redemption,
which is all in God the Christ, the same manner that effectuated
the call, which is all in God the Holy Spirit, is the same
manner that raises sinners, gives sinners life, gives sinners spiritual
life in this world right now. Holy spiritual life in Him and
is the same power in that same manner. raises us to heavenly
places together in Christ Jesus. God accomplished election, redemption,
the effectual call, salvation, and eternal life. Eternal life.
That keeping grace, that grace that keeps us now, because everyone
knows. You know you'd fall. I know I'd
fall away. I know I'd... I pray God doesn't take that
from me either. Remember when I started driving, and I'd cover
the brake, Every time someone was coming to a stop sign on
the right, stop sign on the left, every time someone was coming
up from a peripheral street, and I'm driving, I got the right
of way, every time someone would come up though, I'd cover that
break. I said, Dad, I'll eventually learn to quit doing that. He
said, I hope you don't. I hope you always stay cautious like
that. Oh, I pray the Lord keeps us mindful, mindful, mindful,
that we would leave him without the same, this keeping grace,
which is the same keeping grace that raised, it's the same according
to, in the same manner, that power that raised Christ from
the dead, that raised our spiritual deadness to life, that will raise
this body and join it with the spirit in heaven, in that same
manner. And I pray he keeps us there.
We know we would leave him otherwise. The same manner. And here's the catalyst of it
all. It's all according to His goodness. It's all according
to who He is. It's all according to His character.
It's all according to His goodness. It's all according to God's love.
It's all according to God's authority. His authority as the creator
and His authority as Christ who earned salvation as the God-man. He shared our blood. He became
a man just as if He was never God. He became a man who walked
on this earth perfectly and was the perfect sacrifice to God
the Father. And it's all according to Him. in the same manner. It's
all according to his authority. It's all according to his power.
Now that is in the same manner. We'll look a little bit quicker
at four or five other ways that this is interpreted because I
want to see these things, election, redemption, the call, eternal
life, all in the same manner, all according to God in the same
manner. Turn, if you would, with me to
Matthew 25. We'll look here in verse 15,
this is the parable of the talents. According to also means to the
degree of, to the degree of. Here in Matthew 25 verse 15,
unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one,
to every man according to. his several ability, to every
man to the degree of his ability, right? To the degree of. Back
to our text again in Ephesians, God accomplished this election,
redemption, the effectual call, eternal life, keeping grace,
salvation, all for his children, all to the same degree, right? Every one of these miracles from God are accomplished
to the same degree that He is good, to the same degree that
God is loving. Is my salvation sure? My salvation
is sure. According to God's goodness,
my salvation is sure to the same degree that God is good. My salvation
is sure to the same degree that God is holy. To the same degree
that God is just. To the same degree that Christ
is sufficient. To the same degree that Christ
satisfied what he came to do. To the same degree that Christ
said it is finished. Period. It is finished. Is my
salvation sure? According to, to the same degree. of his power to the same degree
as his authority, again, as both the creator and the sacrifice,
is my salvation sure? It's sure to the same degree
that Christ has that right to declare it is finished. It's
sure to the same degree, according to God's power. Can also mean, turn back to Matthew,
if you will, Matthew 20, chapter 26. can also mean, according to,
can also mean by. Matthew chapter 26, verse 63. But Jesus held his peace. The
high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by, that's
by the living God, according to the living God, by, by this
authority, according to, I adjure thee according to the living
God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the son of
God. By, according to. God accomplished, again, this
redemption, election, redemption, the effectual call, keeping grace,
eternal life, salvation, all by his power. According to his
power, by his power, by his power. That power that he has as a result
of who he is. It's all according to Him. Is
salvation sure? It's as sure as God is holy.
By God's holiness. By. Another interpretation for
according to is agreeably with. Agreeably with. Turn over to
Mark chapter 7. We'll turn to a few scriptures
here. agreeably with or, in my words,
in lockstep with. Agreeably with. Mark chapter 7 verse 5 says, Then the Pharisees and scribes
asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to or in lockstep with,
or in agreement with, why walk not your disciples in lockstep
with the tradition of the elders? For they eat bread with unwashing
hands, according to, in lockstep with, in agreement with. Turn
over to Romans chapter eight. Romans chapter eight, verse five. Here this same word is interpreted
as after. It means in agreement with, in
lockstep with. For they that are after the flesh,
for they that are in lockstep with the flesh, do mind the things
of the flesh. But they that are after the spirit,
for they that are in lockstep with the spirit, the things of
the spirit. In lockstep with or agreeably
with. And one more, turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. First Corinthians chapter 15,
verses three and four. For I delivered unto you, first
of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures. He died for our sins in lockstep
with the scriptures. He died for our sins in agreement
with the scriptures. After that he was buried, that
he rose again the third day in lockstep according to, in agreement
with, the scriptures. God accomplished election, redemption,
back in Ephesians. Election, redemption, the effectual
call, keeping grace, eternal life, salvation, all in lockstep,
all in lockstep with God's holiness and justice. Never at a sacrifice
of his holiness and of his justice, Nothing but sovereign grace.
Anything that we would consider, any way that we would make up
in our idolatrous minds to God would put his justice or his
holiness, God's justice or holiness, it could never be in lockstep
with his holiness. How can God be just? and the
justifier of sinners. How can that be? How can that
be? Only, only in Christ. But in
Christ, in Christ, redemption is perfectly in lockstep with
God's holiness, with God's goodness, perfectly in lockstep. Romans
3.24 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. In lockstep with, the scriptures
are fulfilled always and only in Christ alone, according to
his goodness. Is salvation sure? It's sure
because Christ wrought that salvation that is in lockstep, that is
according to God's love and God's justice. It's according to, it's
in lockstep, it's in perfect agreement. What Christ accomplished
is in perfect agreement with every word in this Bible. It's
in perfect agreement with God's justice and God's love. Condemning
a sinner, now get this, condemning a sinner who Christ died for,
And that sinner goes to hell regardless. That sinner whom
Christ died for is cast off anyway. That is very
much against God's justice and God's holiness. That is unjust. That is not at all in lockstep
with the scriptures. For Christ to have shed his blood
and for it not to be made completely effectual from beginning to end,
from election all the way through to glorification in heavenly
places with him. If one drop of that, if one step
of that is left to man or is left to chance or may not be
accomplished, that is very much not to the same degree, not to
the authority of, that is very much not in lockstep with the
scriptures at all. If Christ died for a sinner,
that soul must, must be saved, must be saved. Finally, this same according
to can be interpreted by virtue of, or as a result of, or as
a consequence of. Look over at 2 Thessalonians
1. Second Thessalonians chapter
one, here in verse 12, that the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him, according to the
grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ, according to, as
a result of, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ might be
glorified in you and ye in him, as a result of the grace of our
God and the Lord Jesus Christ, as a result of. Turn over a couple
pages further to 2 Timothy. Chapter one, and we'll look at
verse nine. This is speaking of God. God
who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, not as a result of our works. He called us with
a holy calling, not as a result of our works, not by virtue of
our works, but by virtue of his own purpose, by virtue of his
own grace, which he had given us in Christ Jesus before the
world began, by virtue of God, by virtue of his own purpose,
by virtue of his own grace. which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began. We have no purpose, we have no
grace. It was given us, given us in Christ Jesus before the,
again, before the world began, before the world began. And a
couple other pages over to Titus chapter three, by virtue of, or as a result
of. Titus chapter three, and we'll
look here at verse four. But after that, the kindness
and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of
righteousness, which we have done, not by works of righteousness,
but according to, by virtue of his mercy, he saved us, by the
washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, by virtue
of his mercy. So we've seen in those three
verses, by virtue of God's grace, by virtue of God's purpose, by
virtue of God's grace, by virtue of God's mercy, by virtue of
God, not by virtue of us. Don't you sinner, if you have
no virtue, this is good news. It's not by my virtue or your
virtue. Very much the contrary. It's
all of his virtue. There is nothing that we can
do. We should bow. That's our response. Our response
is to bow. Bow and to say God is holy whether
he chooses to save this sinner or not. God is just whether he
chooses to save this sinner or not. God is right whether he
chooses to save this sinner or not. Bow, that's what we do,
we bow. Romans chapter four. Romans chapter four here in verse
four. Now to him that worketh is the
reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. And I wanted to
read the way Strong's lexicon interprets this. I like the wording
in this. Now to him that worketh is the
reward not reckoned of grace, it's reckoned of debt. Strong's
lexicon says, now the wages of the worker are not credited as,
they're not a result of a gift. The wages of a worker, they're
not a gift, they're not the result of a gift, right? They're the
result of an obligation. That's how Strong's writes it.
The wages of a worker, I get to the end of my week and I get
my paycheck, Sometimes I'm nice, I might say thank you, but I
don't have to, right? It's not a gift, I've earned
it. It's not a gift, it's an obligation. My employer has an
obligation to give me that check at the end of the week, right? I'm convinced that this Bible
teaches us that God will meet us where we want to be met. God will meet us where we want. Meeting God, claiming that he
has an obligation to me. It's scary to even say that.
To meet God claiming that he has an obligation to me is scary
ground. Terrifying thought. That's the
definition of vanity, isn't it? Don't the scriptures say man
in his best state is altogether vanity? What could be more vain,
what could be more disgustingly prideful than for the worm to
say to the creator, you owe me this because of something that
I've done. That's an obligation. Romans
4.4 there says, now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned
of grace, but of debt. But God accomplished election,
redemption, the effectual call, keeping grace, salvation, eternal
glory with him. He accomplished that all by virtue
of, according to, by virtue of Christ's loving sacrifice. Let's
read through Ephesians, those verses in Ephesians again. keeping
those definitions in mind, by virtue of, in the same manner
as, to the same degree as, to the degree of, by the authority
of, agreeably with, and lockstep with. Starting in verse four, 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, according,
having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
in lockstep with the good pleasure of his will, according to the
power of his goodwill, to the same degree of power as his goodwill,
as a result of, flowing from his goodwill, You know, that
same word, translated according to, almost always throughout
the scriptures denotes a direction. It always denotes a direction.
Flowing down is commonly the same word. It's always a direction.
All through Ephesians, all these directions are always, always,
always from God to man. Never from man to God, always
from God to man, according to his loving kindness. Verse seven,
according to the riches of his grace, in lockstep with the riches
of his grace. Salvation is sure. God's acceptance of a sinner
is in no way reluctant. I've heard that before, that
almost as if God the Father just has to reluctantly save us because
we are covered under the blood of Christ. That's not scriptural
in any way, shape, or form. He delights to show mercy. He's
just and holy and good to show mercy to sinners covered by Christ's
blood, whose sin has been atoned for, has been removed, that sinner
has been redeemed, the ransom price has been paid. There's
no reluctance whatsoever. It's agreeably with, it's in
lockstep with God's mercy and love. How in the world, only
in Christ, can God's mercy and love and authority and justice
all meet without one of them being compromised in any way,
shape, or form? Only, only, only according to Christ. It's the same power and the same
spirit, in closing, the same power, the same spirit. that
also keeps us and teaches us if any man speak not according
to this word, if any man speak not according to God, if not
by virtue of Christ, if it's not by his authority, if it's
not by the same degree of his holiness, if it's not in lockstep
with God the Father and his justice, if it's not all according to
Christ, You cast that off, right? If you didn't mean to speak not
according to these words, that's the same spirit, that's the same
power. It's the same one that allows us, as we sang this morning,
to sing, oh, how I love Jesus. And we do. We do love Jesus,
right? Because he gave us that gift. And if there's any degree, if
there's any degree of love from this center, from this chest,
from this heart. If he gave a new heart that produces any sort
of love whatsoever, then yes, I am absolutely amazed at the
magnitude of that. Even if there's this much, I'm
amazed that any love can come from this heart. But I'm convinced
that song is singing about, oh, how I love Jesus, in what manner
do I love Jesus. By virtue of, by virtue of what
love? Oh, how I love Jesus. In what
manner do I love Jesus? Because he first loved me. That's
the manner I love him. In that manner. That's what allows
us to sing, oh, how I love Jesus. What degree? Not my degree of
love. It's his degree. It's according
to his degree. His degree. So that we can also say with
Paul, turn one final chapter to Romans chapter eight. And
you know this. You know this text. Here in Romans chapter eight,
we know that all things, we know that all things work together
for good. To them that love God, to them who are the called, according
to his purpose. To them who are the called in
lockstep with his purpose. To them who are the called in
the same manner as his purpose. To them who are the called to
the degree of his purpose. Everything flows from God. Everything
is according to God in that same manner, to the same degree, to
them who are called by the authority of God's purpose. And that's
what we rest in. We rest in God's purpose according
to God, according to his power, according to his authority, according
to his right, according to his goodness, according to his love,
according to his justice. That's all seen. in election,
in redemption, in the calling of dead sinners and giving of
life to dead sinners, in the calling, in the salvation, and
in the eternal glorification, and in between, in that keeping
grace that keeps us here and keeps us looking to Him. I pray
that in the middle of a trial, in the middle of a day, every
day that we look to Christ, and Ephesians 1 reminds us, Left
to ourselves, it doesn't take long. And we start looking back
at this cold heart for assurance. It doesn't take long at all.
But Paul reminds us it's according to God. It's according to his
purpose. It all flows from him. And I pray that we keep our eyes
on him.