They tell me places in the world
you have to be careful with the name Campbell in certain parts
of Scotland. It's a joy to be with you this
morning and a great privilege. Brother Mike Walker, I talked
to him yesterday afternoon and he said to tell you folks hello.
Mike's doing very well and can you pray for him? I thank the Lord for His grace
this morning, and we'll just look at the Scriptures. Turn
with me to the book of Ephesians, chapter number 1, that great
book. I've copied something in my Bible,
and I'd like to read it first, before we look at chapter number
1, a portion of that Scripture. It's read by Thomas Brooks. And I've added just one line
to it for the message today. It says, God has in himself,
and I've added this to what he said, all power to save me or
save you. He has all power to defend you,
all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace
to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to
supply you, and all happiness to crown you. I thought that
was very good. But the Lord blessed his word
this morning. In the book of Ephesians chapter
one, verse number 19, 18 and 19, I read these verses and we'll
look at a portion of it this morning. The Apostle prays for
three things that you might know in these verses. He said, eyes
of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the
hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance into science. And what is the exceeding greatness
of his power to usward who believe. according to the working of his
mighty power, which in which he wrought in Christ when he
raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand
in heavenly places. These verses said that you might
know, and I have chosen this morning and of the leadership
of the Spirit of God, just to take a portion of these verses,
and that is that you might know the power of God. That power. In salvation, there is the power
of God. And we ask the question, is salvation
a result of what I do? No, we must look at it this morning
according to the Scripture that salvation is a result of God's
power working in us. His power. And the apostle says
here that you might see or know the greatness of His power to
us. Our starting point this morning is this. I am what I am by the
grace of God and the power of God. I am what I am by His grace
and by His power. Look over with me to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 1 and verse number 5. It says, knowing, brother and
beloved, your election of God. I know just what the phrase next
is, says our gospel came not on you in word only, but also
in power. It came in power and in the Holy
Ghost and much assurance. We see, we believe this morning
in his gospel by his power. Many people speak of his power
after salvation, but there's a few that speak of the need
of his power in order to be saved. And we need this morning that
power. That is a power that we are saved
by. It came unto us. We rest all
in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we look at him this morning. And faith is described in the
scripture as a childlike act. Yet to bring one to the exercise
of true faith is a work of God's power. Can we gather that this morning
in our very lives as we think upon this subject? to bring down
the pride of man and bring his will to the Lord Jesus Christ. I read many years ago from Mr. Pink and he said instead of men
looking up to heaven and raising his hands to heaven, he's got
his feet toward heaven and kicking against heaven. All in one receives and accepts
what God presents in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's
by the power of God. The Blessed Spirit is the author
of faith. Doesn't the Bible say it's not
of ourselves, it's the very gift of God? And our text this morning
uses the strongest words and sets forth the almighty power
that brings a soul to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And
it says the exceeding greatness of his power to us would who
believe. according to working of His might. That's just effectual
working of His might, His strength. The exceeding greatness, it says. This tells us this morning that
God must put forth His power. That salvation is the fruit of
His mighty power. Nothing less and nothing else.
And it's a doctrine that we can't get rid of. We like this doctrine. It's Christ's doctrine. It's
the Bible's doctrine. It's Paul's doctrine, isn't it? That brings a soul to faith in
Christ Jesus and the life of faith in the soul is by the power
of God and His power alone. The Scripture speaks of us And
I want to show you why the power of God. It speaks and tells us
that we are born in sin and shaping in iniquity. There's a bloodline
of Adam. And the proof of that is that
we all die. And that a proof this morning
to the bloodline of Adam. It tells us by nature that our
understanding is darkened. We need light. Now, what's man's
understanding of God? and spiritual things. What's
his understanding of spiritual things this morning? Is his understanding
darkened? Wasn't our understanding darkened
this morning? The Bible even goes and says
the gospel is here to those that believe not. How much this morning
is that the true gospel preached and taught and is here to preachers
this morning. There's preachers standing today
that the true gospel is here. They do not see it, do not know
it. And the Bible also says this, that the God of this world is
blinded the eyes of those and blinded the minds of those that
believe not. These blinded minds say things
like this. If there be a God, if you not
heard that, if there be a God. The Bible even says that there's
a veil over the heart. I've been saying this for years.
Merely putting the Gospel before man is not enough. It's not enough. I must be the power of God. I've seen people over the years,
and they've heard a Gospel message, and I've watched them, then they
couldn't tell the difference between the gospel message, the
true gospel message, and that of the works message. I went with some people one night,
and they heard Pharaoh Griswold back in his day, and he preached
on the sovereignty of God. And I happened to be at another
place in two or three nights with the same people, and he
preached against the sovereignty of God. And it's like they couldn't
tell the difference. See, there's a veil. And the Bible goes on and says
the heart is hardened, the heart is deceitful, and the heart is
desperately wicked. Now, who does that speak of?
It speaks of those that are most refined and are most respectable
also, doesn't it? When it speaks of the heart in
that way that is twisted and perverted. That's not hard to
see, is it? The Bible says that man loves
darkness. He doesn't come to the light.
He hates the light. He loves darkness. Furthermore, the Scripture says
that he hates God. He's at enmity with God. There's
rebellion. Man's a rebel against God. Do
you see why? That the Scripture says it's
the power of God. It's His power. If man could, he'd get rid of
God. And that pretty much is what's
happening today in our society, trying to get rid of God. They
want to get rid of it. But I'm telling you this morning,
there's a consequences to the fall of man. There's a consequences
to the sin of man. As someone said, it's more than
just stomping his big toe. There's the fall. So there must
be a display of God's power. Now, what does it call for? And
here it says we believe it says we believe or who believe we
believe according to notice the scripture according to the working
of his mighty power are in consequences of it. Or by virtue of it are
on the count of it are from it are own it to it. That's what the scripture says.
The same word is found here in chapter one in verse number seven.
It says here in whom we have redemption through his blood
for the forgiveness of sins, according to. The riches of his
grace, the same word according to. It's also found in verse
number nine. According to the good pleasure
which he purposed in himself. Verse number 11, here it is again,
"...in whom also we have attained an inheritance being predestinated
according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after
the counsel of His own will." So there's a must this morning
for the power of God. Because the Scripture says that
the salvation of the soul is a creation. It's a creation. And no man has ever been able
to create That's God and that's his domain this morning. Creation
is and Jehovah alone is creator. Jehovah Christ is creator. And it talks about the new man,
which after God says we created new in Christ Jesus and a new
man after God created in righteousness and there's a new birth. Called
regeneration. And I don't know if anyone has
birthed themselves. Regeneration this morning is
not the reforming of the old man, but it is implantation of
that which did not exist. It's called a creation. God made
this world out of nothing. And he didn't have anything to
oppose him. He said, let there be. And there
was. But when it comes to this new
creation, there's that that opposes, there's sin, there's a stony
heart, there's evil. This morning we say it's a miracle.
It's a miracle. The Bible goes on and calls it
a work of transformation. And it says, be you transformed
by the renewing of your mind. There's pride to humbleness. transforming by the power of God. You've seen
that of pride turned to humbleness. You've seen that of the unwilling
to willingness. You've seen that of the wayward
and stubbornness to submission. The Bible speaks of the leopard
changing his spots and the Ethiopian changing his skin. And God has
to do it. He has to do it. The difference
this morning is that of what divine power makes and what it
does in divine grace. The Bible goes on and says that
this work is a work of quickening. It's compared to the quickening
of the dead. As you find here in you, Hathee
Quicken, who were dead in trespasses and sin in chapter two, verse
number one. Dead souls are quickened. They
become servants of the Lord as a display of His power. And there
is a continual display of His power in the life that serves
the Lord and follows the Lord. That one rises above this world. Isn't that His power that we
rise above this world and our thoughts and our desires? So
the text tells us this morning that that same power which raised
Jesus Christ from the dead and exalted Him to the highest is
the same power in conversion and the preservation of every
believer. That's the same power. Aren't
you thankful this morning? Aren't you grateful this morning?
Let us exalt Him. We don't need to exalt man, do
we? We need to exalt the Lord. That same power. Christ came
forth from a real death. We talked about His resurrection
and the women wrapped Him in spices and fine linen. He was
put in a tomb. His heart was pierced. Blood
and water flowed from Him. There was no motion. There was
death. And the Scripture speaks of us,
that we had a real death. We was really dead spiritually,
by nature. Dead in trespasses and sin. And
I ask you this morning, can you stir the dead to that of spiritual
actions? Can you put his hand to that
of good works? That is, good works to glorify
God. You might put his hand to works,
but I'm talking about works that glorify God. Can you put His feet in a way
to run in righteousness? His heart in this deadness, the
heart doesn't beat toward God. Spiritual life does not exist. One sees no beauty in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Who is the fairest of 10,000?
Oh, we must have God's power. We
must have His power and we must have His grace. Christ was raised up, the Bible
says, in three days and three nights. He was among the dead,
but the Bible says He did not see corruption. That was prophesied.
He didn't see corruption. We by nature are dead spiritually,
but we did see corruption. The old man is corrupted. The
scripture says we're not different from others. The Bible says here
that we by nature are the children of wrath even as others. Now let me tell you the difference.
Now listen to the difference this morning. And here it is. The Lord has ordained and predestined
that death would not hold us forever. That He would give life
and give eternal life and save and bring us to glory. That there'd
be that of what is called in the scriptures a calling, a time
of love, effectual calling, that He would speak life unto us.
Now that's the difference this morning. That'd be a heavenly
message. Look at verse 13 of chapter number
one. It says in whom you also trusted
after you heard the word of truth. Truth is important. It says you trusted what? After
you heard the word of truth, a heavenly message, a message
to your soul. It's a gospel that said that
Thessalonians, I read a while ago, came in power, word and
power. And it said the gospel of your
salvation. You know, this stood out to me
one time, just like, just, just like a thunderbolt. It says here, the gospel of your
salvation. One day the gospel came. I wouldn't
worry about somebody else. Wouldn't somebody else? The gospel
was to me. It was telling me what Christ
has done for me. It was the gospel of my salvation. That Christ died for me. prayed
and came forth, went back to heaven for me. And it says then, after you believed,
it says you were sealed, came in power, the Spirit of God,
but a living Word of God. So thou was a divine mandate
for our resurrection. His power. The Bible says we're
risen with Christ. Can you go back and look at everything? How it's all tied together. Better
not get too close over here. How it's all tied together from
the very first to the end. In eternity at the cross. Says we died with Christ. We
was buried with Christ. We're risen with Christ. It's
all tied together. We're sitting with Christ in
the heavenlies today. We're quickened. Christ was set
free. And we're set free. Christ to die no more. And we
to die no more spiritually. Resurrection, divine power. It's not an angel or man's power
nor the free will of man that we ascribe salvation to. The
dead do not arise from their own power. But as in our text, it speaks
of God's power, His working power. Death could not hold Christ.
And that same irresistible power is put forth in the believer. That same power. God says, Thou shalt, and they will. Didn't it say
something about being willing in the day of His power? Willing
then, Christ ascended. The Bible says we are risen and
seated with Him. All things is put under the Lord
Jesus Christ. There is complete triumph. He
has universal dominion. There is His glorious headship
and His gracious headship. And let me show you this, that
in the members there is the same power. The head and the members,
the same power. The head and the body, the same
power. There's a union. I am them, thou
me. Christ conquered death and the
grave, so is all of his. They conquered by his power. He says that you might know the
exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe. This morning, I want you to know
this. It's no ordinary thing this morning
to be a child of God. It's not an ordinary thing. To
be saved, to be a Christian, it didn't come by nature. He
didn't come by man. He didn't come by doctrine. He
didn't come by baptism, not by works. But He came by the power
of God. He came by that power. He did not
happen by change, but by grace and power. This morning, you're saved. by the grace of God. We call
it sovereign grace. If God had left you alone, where
would you be? If God had not crossed your path
with His power, where would you be? Why do you believe the gospel when there's millions and millions
that do not? Why do you believe the Bible when most do not and have no
use for it? Why do you trust Christ and believe
God? Why do you put all upon the Lord
Jesus Christ? The scripture asks this question,
who maketh thee to differ? And again, the only answer is
I am what I am by the grace of God. It's His grace and His mercy. Can we take this this morning
and realize what God has done in our lives and give Him all
the glory? We can, can't we? We give Him
all the glory. We see what He's done by His
amazing power that we believe because of His power. By His
grace and His mercy upon us. And we give Him all the glory. And we see grace. And we see
mercy. And He's gracious and merciful
to us. Don't we give Him the glory when we realize what He's done
for us? We see this verse this morning,
and it's nothing but the power of God that makes us believers. That makes us. And I say unto you, it's His
power that we continually believe. The Bible says, and I think this
was quoted this morning by Brother Lindsey, He that has begun a good work
in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. He that
has begun a good work. See, there's no doubt in his
power that when he gives it, it'll continue. The Bible says that we're going
to stand before Him, and here again, let us give Him the glory. The Bible says we're going to
stand faultless. That's something, isn't it? Isn't that a greatness of
salvation this morning? That we're going to stand faultless
before God? It also says we're going to stand
blameless. without spot or equal. Going to stand perfect, entire, complete. Now, let's thank the Lord for
His power and His grace, because that's how we're going to stand.
That's a great salvation, my friends. No wonder Paul says
here in that you're understanding, enlightened, know all of this. Know it! That great hope of His
calling, and it goes on to riches of the glory of His inheritance
in the saints, and His exceeding great power toward us. His great love, eternal love. We ought to worship and praise
Him Give Him this morning all the glory. The glory belongs to Him. So I trust this morning that
you meditate upon this. You'll think upon it. And it
will worship Him. It's all because of His exceeding
greatness and His power to us. Nothing else. It's His power. You believe this morning it's
because of His power. He's the one. May the Lord bless
you. Let's pray. Our Father, thank
you this morning for your great power. We realize if we'd been
left to our sins, if we'd just been left, what would have happened
to us? But we are thankful for your
power that has come and a heavenly message with power to our very
souls. The gospel of our salvation and
what you've done for us in a redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it says that we believed
and sealed with the Holy Spirit, I promise. We thank you this
morning and praise you and we worship you for the giver of
this power. Bless this people, each one of
them today. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.