Open your Bibles with me, if
you will, to the second chapter of the book of Ephesians. Ephesians
chapter 2. The title of my message is God's
Operations of Grace. God's Operations of Grace. You may recall that when the
psalmist sang of that which God performed in Egypt in sending
all the plagues upon the Egyptians by which he brought Israel out
of Egypt, his saying of God's wondrous works in the land of
Ham. Oh, what wondrous works and operations
of grace our God performs for his elect in this world, the
land of Ham. Jehovah's wondrous works we see
in earth and sea and sky. Our God in sovereign majesty
rules from his throne on high. The raging storms and waves are
calmed when he commands be still. For troubled souls, how sweet
this balm, all things obey his will. He made all things by his
command, weighs mountains great and high, measures the oceans
in his hand, and spreads the lofty sky. Our God, our Savior
is in control, who bought us with his blood. His grace abounding
in the soul brings joy and peace from God. Let's read about God's
operations of grace in this second chapter of Ephesians, verse 1. And you hath he quickened 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 also we all had our conversation,
our empty, meaningless, vain way of life. in times past, in
the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, children conscious
of God's wrath, children full of wrath, even as others. 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, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages
to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of
works lest any man should boast for we are his workmanship created
in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. God's mighty operations of grace
bring salvation to chosen sinners according to his purpose. Grace
is not an offer of salvation. Grace is not an opportunity to
be saved. Grace is the accomplishment of
salvation. Now let me show you through the
word of God some of the things that God performs in the land
of Ham, his wondrous works in this world for the saving of
his people. Follow with me through the scriptures
if you will. Go back first to Ephesians chapter
1. The first operation of grace
by which we are saved is set before us in the word of God
as covenant grace. Look in Ephesians 1 and verse
3. 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, 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. Those words speak of that which
God did for us from eternity in covenant mercy before the
world began. We were accepted in Christ. God put us in Christ. He chose
us in Christ. He blessed us in Christ. He accepted
us in Christ. And the works were finished from
the foundation of the world. Oh, how I thank God for covenant
grace. salvation as we experience it
in time is the result of God's covenant mercy, a covenant made
between the three persons of the Holy Trinity before the world
began. Now let me summarize the covenant
with you with four things that took place. And I again must
stress this fact. When we speak of these things
and speak of order of things and so on, God graciously to
describe His works and to describe Himself in human terms so that
we get some grip on what He's done for us, some grip on His
wondrous works of grace. God doesn't think. God knows. There's a huge difference. God
doesn't do things in sequential order. That which God does, He
does in eternally it was done from eternity and it is brought
to pass on the stage of time in this world in our experience
but the works were done from everlasting in that covenant
God chose a people to whom he would be gracious of whom he
said I will be their God and they shall be my people For those
people, a ransom was found for the redemption of our souls.
Our Lord Jesus is described as the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. And He is that One who God describes
in these words, I have found a ransom. The Lord God found
in Himself, in His Son, a ransom for our souls. his own darling
son would come into this world in human flesh, obey the law
and will of God in our room instead, and fulfill all the requirements
of divine justice by his suffering and death to redeem our souls. And the Lord God accepted us
in him as redeemed, justified, sanctified, accepted in the beloved. And the Lord God to seal. In the tenth chapter of Revelation,
I'm sorry, the seventh chapter of Revelation, we hear our Savior,
the Angel of the Covenant, speak these words, Hurt not the earth
till we have sealed the hundred and forty and four thousand.
Hold your hands here in Ephesians and turn to 2 Peter, 2 Peter
chapter 3. Whenever you attempt to describe
or simply declare to anyone God's eternal purpose of grace, His
sovereign election, His free grace toward chosen sinners.
People get all bent out of shape and they're all upset because
they think somehow or another that takes man off the throne
and puts God on the throne. And they're exactly right. And
they will snarl. They'll snarl at you. But God's
not willing that any should perish. Misquoting 2 Peter 3, 9. Listen
to 2 Peter 3, 9. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering,
here's the operative word, to usward, to usward, not willing
that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
A year or so ago, I was over at the men's store in Lexington,
a fellow who generally helps us. me fitted for things. I asked him a question and he
said, well, let's see if they do this. That will be the determinant,
if there's such a word. And I thought, I said to him
almost immediately, I don't know whether there's such a word or
not, but we'll just make one. That's the determinant. The determinant
of everything is the will of God. God's eternal will, God's
immutable will for the saving of his people. We often think
like worldlings who don't know God and we think that these things
are trying God's patience and God's long-suffering and surely
things can't go on any further, any longer. Surely this is going
to bring the end of the world. As it was in the days of Noah,
So it shall be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man.
Men lived like hell in Noah's day just to please themselves. And men lived like hell in the
21st century just to please themselves. And there's one reason why God
hasn't destroyed this world. Just one. Just one. One reason why God doesn't destroy
this world right now. Just one. Now he may do so as
soon as I get done preaching tonight. That'd be wonderful.
That'd be wonderful. That's not a thing for us to
be dreaded. That's a thing to be anticipated. But I'll tell
you when it will be done. When the last of God's elect
has been called by His grace, then the end shall come. Why
is God long-suffering with men? God's not long-suffering with
men. God is not long-suffering with men in general. God is long-suffering
to usward. Long-suffering to His elect. Long-suffering to His redeemed. Not willing that any of His own
should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge
of the truth. The angel of the Lord said to
Lot, I can't destroy this city until I bring you out. And so
the Lord God our Savior says, not the earth, until the hundred
and forty and four thousand had been sealed. That is saved by
my mighty grace, the sealing work of the Spirit. And another
thing done in this covenant, the salvation of God's elect
was accomplished and secured. What does that mean? We were
justified, sanctified called, glorified, accepted in Christ
from everlasting. Now that's not a supposition.
That's not a point of theology. That's not a logical point of
doctrine. That's the plain declaration of Holy Scripture, saved from
eternity. Oh, that's wonderful good news.
but we were also given the security of salvation experienced in time
by God's purpose of grace. In everything that God did in
that covenant, he ordered all the affairs of history in divine
predestination to secure the calling and the grace of God
experienced in the soul for every one of his elect. God orders
the world and daily providence to accomplish the salvation of
each of his chosen. Now, I can't begin to explain,
understand, let alone explain what I'm fixing to declare to
you, but that is, it is a fact. I have no question. The Lord
God works all things together for the everlasting salvation
of all his elect. But there's something more minute
than that. Our great God, Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost arranged everything from eternity. Everything that comes to pass
in time just for me. me, just for you, for you who
are His. All right, here's the second
work of our God's great grace that brings salvation. Turn back
to Psalm 21. It's set before us in the book
of God as an operation of prevenient grace. Now preachers don't talk
much about prevenient grace these days because preachers don't
know much about grace. But there was a day many years
ago when it was a common thing for men who knew God to speak
about prevenient grace. Prevenient simply means that
which goes beforehand. That which is done ahead of time
to prepare for something else. Here in Psalm 21 we have a prophecy
of our Lord Jesus Christ. The king shall joy in thy strength,
O Lord, and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice.
Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden
the request of his lips. Thou hast given him his heart's
desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. The
King, Christ the King, you have already given him his heart's
desire. You have not withheld from him
the request of his lips. for thou preventest him that
is you go before him with blessings of goodness thou preventest him
with blessings of goodness God comes in prevenient grace before
he sends his son in the saving power of his grace giving life
and faith He comes to his elect in prevenient grace. Grace preparing
the way for grace. It might be described in three
or four ways. Certainly, prevenient grace speaks
of formative grace. The Lord God said to Jeremiah,
before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. Before thou camest
forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee and ordained thee a prophet
to the nation. The Apostle Paul said, God separated
me from my mother's womb. God was dealing with me when
I took my first breath in this world. We often think about when
the Lord began to work with us. He began to work with us before
we ever knew his being. He began to work with us before
we ever drew our first infant breath. God has always worked
for His elect, forming us exactly as He would through the experience
of things in time to prepare the way for His grace. Paul said
to Timothy, from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. In that formative
grace, God forms the character of a man. the character of a
woman and forms them in such a way as to prepare them for
His mercy when His mercy comes. Read the 107th Psalm and see
how God in His grace graciously, sweetly forces us into the arms
of our Savior to seek His mercy, to call upon His name. And in
those formative years while we lived in rebellion, in ungodliness,
hating God and hating all that's right, still the Lord God held
his hand upon us in restraining grace. He said, I will hedge
thee about, and none can deliver thee out of my hand. I have been praying for our two
grandchildren like you do for yours. I pray in their absence
and I pray in their presence every day, Lord God, hedge them
about. Hedge them about as only you
can. Hedge them about sweetly to force
them into the arms of the Savior. Hedge them about with your goodness.
Hedge them about if need be with a thorn hedge but hedge them
about and graciously compel them to believe on your side. God
hedges about his own. You remember how he spoke concerning
Abimelech when he was about to take Abraham's wife and he said,
I also withheld thee from sinning against me. If that's the case, it's God
who controls all the sins of all men. Well, that's the case. God controls men absolutely. And when God will restrain evil,
He restrains evil. When God will unleash evil, He
unleashes evil. But in the lives of his elect,
God graciously restrains his own. He says to his own, hitherto
shalt thou come, and no further. And he stops us in his restraining
grace. Oh, how often should we be sensible
enough to see how God has worked. We might look back over our lives
and see how God kept us from intended evil by which He preserved
us in life. Thank God for restraining grace.
And His grace not only forms us in our lives and restrains
us from the evil that's in us by which we would destroy ourselves,
His grace overrules the evil and makes it work for good. There was a man by the name of
Onesimus who was serving in the house of Philemon. Philemon,
a godly man. Philemon had a church in his
house. Apparently a man of considerable
means. And Onesimus was the head servant in his house, one to
whom his master had trusted all the riches of the house. Onesimus
no doubt had heard the apostle Paul preach the gospel many times. Paul's name was as familiar in
the household of Philemon as Don Fortner's name is in your
household. Just that familiar. But Onesimus
never heard anything the preacher said. Said it just like some of you
did for years. I ain't gonna listen to him. I won't hear him. But he will hear when God gives
a hearing ear and prepares him. One day, Onesimus stole his master's
goods and ran away to Rome. Ah, now I'll get out from the
influence of that oppressive religious fanatic. I'll be free. And Onesimus was caught in Rome. and he was thrown in jail in
Rome. And as luck would have it, at just the appointed time of
love, the Apostle Paul was in prison in Rome. And now Onesimus
has been prepared by grace to hear the word of God's grace. Now listen to how Paul explains
that. He says to Philemon, Onesimus
therefore departed for a season for this purpose, that thou shouldest
receive him forever. Gomer ran away from Hosea, went
and joined her lovers. Hosea could have come at any
time and taken Gomer back home. He could have come at any time
and had her stoned. He found out where she was and
he every night while she was in the arms of her lovers would
go up to the room where she stayed and set a bag of groceries down
by the door and she'd get up in the morning and she'd say,
look what my lovers have left me. Oh, look what I've gotten
from my ungodliness. Look at the pleasure I have now. The Lord God explains that experience
like this for us. For Gomer is you. Gomer is me. She did not know that I gave
her corn and wine and oil and multiplied her silver and gold,
which they prepared for Baal. And she doesn't know this yet,
but she's going to find out soon. I'm going to come in the time
of love. And I'll take away her corn,
and her wine, and her oil, and her silver, and her gold, and
none can deliver her out of my hand. Oh, God in His goodness. While
we live, hating God never ceases His own to cherish, but provides
for and cares for His own. all the days of their lives in
prevenient grace. It is prevenient grace that gives
His angels charge over His own, that they should be ministering
spirits sent forth to minister to, to protect and care for those
who should be the heirs of salvation. Prevenient grace is that grace
by which we are kept, as Jude describes it, unto Jesus Christ. Third, here's another mighty
operation of God's grace by which we are saved. It's called regeneration. This is what's described in our
text in Ephesians chapter 2. This marvelous work of grace
by which God brings sinners from death to life in Jesus Christ. You hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and in sins. He called. And when God calls,
the sinner called comes to Christ. He called us and His call produces
life. He called us and His call produces
faith. His call is always an effectual,
irresistible call. Look at verse 8. For by grace
are you saved through faith, And that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For
we are his workmanship. His workmanship, the work of
his hand, his masterpieces, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. God's grace, I repeat, is not
an offer of salvation. It is not an offer to be accepted
or rejected. It is a mighty operation of God
in the soul. It is by the operation of God
that we live. It is by the operation of God
that we believe. It is by the operation of God
that we come to Christ. Fourth, the grace of God by which
sinners are transformed, saved, and made saints is a mighty operation
of justifying grace. Turn to Romans chapter 3. Romans
chapter 3. Verse 24, the apostle tells us
that we are justified freely by His grace. Justified freely
by His grace without any condition, without any qualification, without
any contribution on our part through the redemption that's
in Christ Jesus. I realize that justification
was accomplished long before regeneration is experienced. We were justified, according
to Romans 8, 29, in the purpose of God from eternity. We were
justified in the court of heaven at Calvary when Jesus Christ
shed his blood and he was delivered for our, or raised again for
or because of our justification. And we're justified in the experience
of grace when God comes and speaks peace to the heart, giving us
faith in Christ Jesus. Look at this text again in Romans
3. We're justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus, whom
God hath set forth to be a propitiation, a justice-satisfying sacrifice,
an atonement 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 that believeth."
We're justified in the experience of grace. We read earlier in
Ephesians 2 that we were children of wrath even as others. Now
there was never a time, never a time when God God's wrath was
upon His elect. That was finished before the
world began. God satisfied His wrath in His Son, the Lamb's
slave, from the foundation of the world. But we were born children
of wrath, born sons and daughters of Adam, living with our fist
in God's face, hating God, and born with a sense of wrath in
our consciences until God reveals Christ in us. And when He reveals
Christ in us, causing us to believe, looking on Him, God testifies
we're righteous and we have the experience of justification. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Fifthly, sanctification is another mighty operation of God's saving
grace. Another of Jehovah's wonders
performed here in the land of Ham. God's saints are sanctified
by His grace. I want you to look at 1 Corinthians
chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. If there's any church in the
New Testament that you'd look at and say, well, that's sure
not the church I'd choose to be a member of. It'd be Church
of Corinth. These folks were divided, and
thus Mark Mitchell delivers from pettiness. They were divided
over the preachers who preached to them. They were petty, griping,
carping, fighting, bickering people. These folks at Corinth
had in their midst a fellow who was practicing fornication. such
as was not even named among the Gentiles, he took his father's
wife. This church at Corinth was in
a horrible state of affairs. But Paul writes to God's people
at Corinth, many of whom he had never met, those who were saints
of God. Now listen to how he speaks of
them. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9, Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the
kingdom of God. And such were some of you. That
is, I think I probably touched everybody in the church now.
Now watch this next word. But ye are washed. But ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
and by the Spirit of our God. Sanctification, contrary to popular
opinion, is not a work to which we make our contribution. Most
everybody, even folks who do who do understand that we're
saved by God's free grace because we have such a horrible weakness
of flesh many have the idea that somehow sanctification is something
that God begins in us when he makes us new creatures in Christ
and he gives us faith in Christ and then we with discipline and
great care and exercise if we if we really Really live a really
godly life. And I have to pause and say this,
children of God, seek to live for God. Seek to live for God. Don't ever
think that to be a light thing. If we really live in holiness,
children of God, ever seek to walk with God in righteousness
and true holiness. Don't ever count that a light
thing. If we really, if we really discipline ourselves then we
will grow more and more holy and more and more righteous and
at last we will be sanctified. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Nowhere in this book Absolutely nowhere is sanctification
spoken of as something you do or something dependent on you
or what you do. Sanctification, like all the
other works of God for us, is a work of grace. Jude tells us,
before the world was, we were sanctified in Jesus Christ. Sanctified by God's purpose.
The word sanctified means separated, set apart, or made holy. That's what we were by God's
decree before the world began. Set apart by God. Separated from
the rest of the world by God. Made holy by God in His Son. We were sanctified according
to Hebrews 10 by the blood of Jesus Christ. He hath once forever
perfected them that were sanctified by the blood of His cross. It
was done when Christ died, so that when Christ paid our debt,
we were fully separated from all other men. We were sanctified,
made holy by Jesus Christ our Lord. And God the Holy Spirit
comes in time in the new birth and sanctifies all of God's elect,
making us partakers of the divine nature, making us to have that
holiness without which no man shall see the Lord, that's Christ
in you. So that we're sanctified by the
work of God's grace. Now, somebody asks, I get questions
about this at least once a week. Somebody will write to me or
call me about progressive sanctification. Sanctification is never spoken
of here as a progressive thing. It's impossible, Mark, for you
to get more holy. You're either holy or you're
not. It's just that simple. You can't have partial righteousness. Either you're righteous or you're
not. We're holy. We're righteous. So it's not
a progressive thing, but it is a continual thing. Sanctification
is that which continues in us through the days of our lives,
so that God causes his people to grow in grace, to grow in
the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. As our Savior himself
is described in Luke 2, he grew in wisdom and stature with God
and with men. He grew. He didn't become more
holy. He didn't become more righteous.
He simply grew as a man. And God's people grow in grace. Being sanctified, they serve
in righteousness and consecrate themselves to God who redeemed
them. Here's the sixth mighty operation
of God's grace. It works in us effectual. Because his grace is sufficient
grace. Turn to 2 Corinthians 12. 2 Corinthians
chapter 12. Verse 7. Paul had been translated to the
third heaven. He had seen things no man had ever seen. Things
that couldn't be expressed in words. And then it says, lest
I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the
revelations that was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger
of Satan to buffet me. Satan came and beat me in the
face. Now watch what it says. Lest
I should be exalted above measure. Now, there's been a lot of speculation
about the thorn in the flesh. A lot of folks say, well, it
was Paul's weak vision. I don't have much question that
he had weak vision because he wrote the book of Galatians in
large letters, as he states. But that's not what this is talking
about. That's not what this is talking about. I have some weaknesses
in the flesh. Weaknesses that prevent me from
doing physical things I would otherwise do. That's not a thorn
in the flesh. That's not a thorn in the flesh.
Some of you have Difficulties a physical weakness. That's not
a thorn in the flesh. That's not a thorn in the flesh
This thorn in the flesh is that which Paul said was given him
a messenger from Satan to beat him in the face Lest he be exalted
above measure. I don't have any question what
it is. I Don't have any question. Oh, he's talking about pride
the raging pride flesh. Can you imagine? Can you imagine
living constantly with the absolute knowledge that you saw and knew
things that no other human being on earth saw and knew? Our heads would be bigger than
this room and our hearts bigger than the earth, swollen with
pride. unless God stopped it. And so
he says in verse 8, for this thing I besought the Lord thrice
that it might depart from me. And he said to me, my grace is
sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in
weakness. Paul responds, most gladly therefore
will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I
strong. My grace is sufficient for thee. Here is God's mighty operation
of grace continually for us. There is in God a superabounding,
overflowing sufficiency of grace poured out to our souls continually
to sustain and strengthen us in our pilgrimage. That means,
my brother, my sister, His grace is sufficient to sustain you
in trial. He says, the flame shall not
kindle upon you. The waters shall not overflow
you. Satan has desired to sift you
as wheat. Nevertheless, I prayed for thee
that thy faith fail not. My grace is sufficient. I proved him o'er and o'er." Oh, thank God. For grace sufficient. for every day and every trial. His grace is sufficient to sustain
you in every temptation. He will with the temptation make
a way of escape that you may be able to bear it. His grace
is sufficient to enable you to do His will. I don't think I will ever forget
the first time I was called upon to preach. I couldn't read. I mean literally,
I couldn't read. When I was 17 years old, I couldn't
read as well as my daughter did when she was in kindergarten.
I couldn't read. I didn't have any ability. I
mean, I don't mean a little, I didn't have any ability for
anything. But here is a door of opportunity
set before me to tell other sinners what God has done for me. And
I simply couldn't say no. I just couldn't say no. And God
got me through it. And I've been doing this now
since I was 17 years old. And I have no more sufficiency
now than I had when I was 17 years old. but God still gets
me through it. I have this responsibility and
God gives grace where God gives a work to do. And whatever it
is that God has for you to do in his kingdom, I speak to you
who are young and to you who are old. Put your hand to it
and do it with all your might and you will find his grace sufficient
for you. Have been thinking a good bit
because I am at the age where we think like this Folks get
old and they do a lot of things and that's perfectly. All right,
but I I can't find in this book Where any believer any child
of God? just Well, I'm anxious to go
to heaven. So I went to bed and just waited
for the Lord to take it I just don't find that in this book.
I don't find it rather They were like Caleb. Give me this mountain,
I'll take it. Give me this mountain, I'll take
it. Oh God, give me grace sufficient to serve you with my dying breath. His grace is sufficient to uphold
you, sustain you, provide for you, protect you as His servants
and His people. And His grace is sufficient to
make that which is your labor in the name of the Lord effectual
to the souls of men for His name's sake. I've made it my practice as a
preacher, I don't pour mouth. I don't go begging to men for
anything. I'd wear slick breeches and move
my wife into a pup tent first. Not gonna happen. I'm God's servant.
God's servant. But if I look to you like I've
gone hungry, you need to take another look. God has provided
every need for my soul to do everything He's put in my hand
to do for His glory. Isn't that amazing? He does that for all His own.
His grace is sufficient to meet all our needs, temporal and eternal,
carnal and spiritual, for all that's necessary in our service
for Him. I don't think I will ever forget
a statement that our friend Bill Clark made to a missionary in
France, when Bill was still in France. The missionary was packing
up, going home. And Bill got wind of it. He went
to him and he said, what are you doing? He said, my wife and
I are moving back to England. And Bill said, why? He said,
well, we just can't live on what we're getting here. And Bill
looked at him and he said, you mean you can't live on what your
Heavenly Father provides you? I believe I can. I just believe
I can. You too. God's grace is sufficient. even for his fallen saints, no,
especially for his fallen saints. The steps of a good man are ordered
by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, and
often we do, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord
upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am
old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed
baking bread. And when it comes time to leave
this world, and we step into the chilly waters
of Jordan, his grace will yet be sufficient for each of his
own to leave this world believing on the Son of God. One more thing. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 5, verse
10. and understand that God's grace
bestowed on us in Christ. The grace we experience in this
world, operating effectually toward us, for us, and in us,
is keeping grace. The God of all grace, 1 Peter
5, 10, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ,
after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect. establish you,
strengthen you, settle you. The grace of God can't be altered,
it can't be destroyed, it can't be taken away, not even by anything
that you do. God give us grace to so understand
His works, His operations of grace, that we can sing with
Toplady, A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing, nor
fear with thy righteousness, O, my person and offering to
bring. The terrors of law and of God
with me can have nothing to do. My Savior's obedience and blood
hide all my transgressions from view. The work which is goodness
began, the arm of his strength will complete. His promises yea
and amen and never was forfeited yet. Not all things below or
above can make him his purpose forego, or sever my soul from
his love. My name from the palms of his
hands, eternity will not erase. Impressed on his heart it remains
in marks of indelible grace. Yes, I to the end shall endure,
as sure as the promise is given, more happy but not more secure,
the glorified spirits in heaven. Amen.