Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. I've entitled this message, But
God. And as I read our text, I think
you'll understand why I've entitled the message thusly. Verse 1,
And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. That's Ephesians 2, verse 2.
wherein in times past you 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 in times past in the lusts of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath, even as others, but God. You were in this prison that
you couldn't get out of, a child of wrath just like everybody
else, but God. Not but you repented, not but
you turned your life around, Not that you accepted Jesus Christ
as your personal Savior and asked Him into your heart. Nothing
like that. Those things are not even in the Bible. But you've
made Him Lord of your life. You didn't make Him Lord. He
is Lord. The difference is, but God, who is rich in mercy, for
His great love for us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened
us together with Christ. By grace you are saved. Somebody once said one of the
best definitions of grace is this, but God. You were going in this direction
unable to turn around, but God. Now, I'd like to go back into
Genesis chapter 6 for a few moments, and this is shortly after the
fall. or not shortly after the fall,
actually 2,000 years after the fall, right before God destroyed
the world with a flood. Now, in the fall, God told Adam,
in the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die. And he ate of that fruit, and
in that very day, he died. Now, he didn't die physically,
but he died spiritually. He died spiritually. And what that looks like is described
in Genesis 6, verse 5, after man had had 2,000 years to practice
on living in spiritual death. And here is God's testimony. Genesis 6, verse 5, and God saw. that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts
of his heart-he's not even talking about his works right now, what
he actually does, he's just talking about what's going on through
his mind right now-every imagination of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually. All probably heard the statement,
perception is reality. How we perceive things is our
reality. And that's true. How we perceive
things is our reality. But there's one problem with
that. Our perception is always wrong. Our perception is always wrong. Now, how God sees things, how
He perceives things, is always right. He sees things as they
are. We have our perceptions, and
those perceptions are our reality. We really believe these things,
but they are wrong. Somebody says, trust your heart.
The scripture says he trusts his heart. He's a fool. I want
to believe what God says, not what my heart tells me or what
I perceive. I want to believe simply what
God says. Now let me remind you, the Bible is the Word of God. It's the inspired Word of God. If God can create the universe,
and he did, he can inspire a book. where it is preserved that tells
us who He is. What if you were dependent upon
me to tell you who God is without a book to verify what I'm saying
is true? You'd be in trouble, wouldn't you? I'd be in trouble,
but thank God for the Bible, and the Bible gives us God's
perception of things. And when God looked at man, He
said, and God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil, nonstop, continually. Now what this is, is dead in
trespasses and sins. Everything that passes through
my mind is only evil, nonstop. That is the heart of the natural
man. That's what God sees, and that
is God's perception. But in verse 8, we read, But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the LORD. Now, does that mean Noah was
a cut above everybody else? Noah was not like these people
who Their imagination was only evil continually. He was a better
fellow. He sought God. He sought to obey
God. He sought to be like God. He was not like these people
described in Genesis 6, verse 5. Is that true? No. Noah was just like this bunch
described in Genesis 6, verse 5. Listen to the words of David. the man after God's own heart.
He says in Psalm 53, verses 2 and 3, and God looked down from heaven
upon the children of men. Listen to that. God looked down
from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any
that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is
gone back, including Noah. They are all together become
filthy. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one. Now that's God's description
of me and you and Noah. Noah was in that group, but Noah
found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God saw Noah differently
because God had grace on Noah, and it made God see Noah like
this. Listen to these scriptures. Genesis
6-9, these are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man
and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. Look in verse 17 of chapter 6,
And behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth,
that destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life from under
heaven. And everything that's in the
earth shall die, but with thee will I establish my covenant,
and thou shalt come into the ark, thou and thy sons, and thy
wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. Chapter 7, verse 1, And
the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou in all thy house into the
ark, for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Now, other people might not have
been able to see that, but God did. And God's perception is
reality, unlike ours. And that's what the gospel does.
The gospel makes people who are sinful, who every imagination
of the thoughts of their heart is only evil continually, and
it makes them righteous in God's sight. It makes them perfect
and just through the work of Christ on the cross. What a glorious
thing the gospel is! Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Now, but Noah found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. Let's go back to our text in
Ephesians chapter 2, and when I read these first three verses,
this is saying the exact same thing that Genesis 6-5 said.
Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually.
Now look in verse 1, and you hath he quickened who were dead
in trespasses and sins. That means you could not perform
the functions of spiritual life dead. Not hurt, not sick, not
needing assistance or help, but dead in trespasses and sins. What can a dead man do in performing
the functions of physical life? We can't do anything. He can't
see, he can't smell, he can't taste, he can't feel, he can't
hear. He's dead. And a spiritually
dead man cannot believe, cannot repent, cannot love God. He's
dead. And you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins. And here's what that death looked
like, wherein in times past you walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air.
You were under the dominion of Satan and didn't even know it,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
among whom also we all had our conversation, times past, in
the lusts of our flesh." Now, remember, this is Paul talking
about himself, too. He's not just talking about you all. He
said, This is me, among whom we all had our conversations,
times past, in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind. And we were by nature. Children
of wrath, we were born into this world evil. Children of wrath,
wrathful children, sinners by birth, sinners by choice, and
sinners by practice, by nature, the children of wrath, even as
others. Are you telling me that I am
as bad as all these sinful men? No God saying that. There is
no difference. No difference between me and
the worst man to ever live. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. Now, this description of man
sounds just like that description we read in Genesis chapter 6.
Now, before I go on, Let me say this. I've been reading
this awful description of man, and it's an awful description
of me and you, but did you know that it's not this sinfulness
I'm speaking of that'll keep you from Christ? It's not your
sinfulness that'll keep you from Christ. If you ever see this,
this'll drive you to Him. It's your righteousness that
will keep you from Christ. And may I say that is a perceived
reality that is not real. You don't really have any righteousness
at all, but you perceive that you do. You perceive you have
some ability, some righteousness, something that you can present
to God that He would accept. That's what's going to keep you
from coming to Christ, not your sinfulness, your righteousness. Now, after he gives this bleak,
bleak description of man, he says in verse 4, but God. You were in this prison that
you couldn't get out of, but God. He doesn't say, but you,
of your free will, decided to allow Jesus Christ to save you. He didn't say you turned things
around and you changed your life through effort and diligence.
He doesn't say you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.
He doesn't say you turned from your sins and didn't return to
them, therefore you, no, nothing like that. But God. in spite of you, but God." Now,
there we have grace. But God. Now, that statement represents
everything every believer believes. God. He is salvation. The only reason any sinner is
saved is because of a but God. He intervened. He broke through my deadness
and my sinfulness and my inability. He did something about my sins. I couldn't do anything about
him. I couldn't put him away. I couldn't take him away. I couldn't
do anything to get God to forgive me, but God." Now, there's grace. But God. Adam falls and plunges our race
into ruin, but God. Men wickedly nail Christ to a
cross, but God. That's the difference. But God. He did something. But God. I love the scripture, Acts chapter
four, verse 27, for it's the truth. Against thy holy child,
Jesus, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and
the people of Israel, were gathered together for to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. But God, who
is rich and powerful, in mercy. Let me tell you this about the
character of God. He delights in mercy. Now, that's meaningless
to you and I if we're not guilty as charged, if we don't deserve
to be damned, if we don't deserve to be cut off and separated from
God. That concept really is meaningless
to us. But if we're guilty, If we're
described as being dead in trespasses and sins, and we believe that,
we know that we've walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit
that now works in disobedience. We know among whom also we all
had our conversation in times past, on and on in that passage
of Scripture. But God, who is rich in mercy. He delights in mercy. Yes, He's rich in power. Yes,
He's rich in justice. He's rich in silver and gold.
It's all His. Whatever you have is just borrowed
from Him. He is rich in all things. He's infinite. But I love the
fact that this scripture says He's rich in mercy. What do you need? I need mercy. I desperately need mercy. Oh, that I might be found in
Christ. Oh, that I might win Christ and
be found in Him. I need His mercy. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, Paul said, of whom I am chief. Now listen to
this statement. The gospel that I'm preaching is a sinner's religion. It's the only sinner's religion,
and the only one who can have appreciation of this message
is a real sinner who deserves to be forsaken by God. Listen
to me. But God, who is rich in mercy,
He delights in mercy. If you need mercy, He's more
willing to give it to you than you are to receive it. God delights
in mercy. But God, who is rich in mercy
for his great love he had toward us, even when we were dead in
sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. Now, notice Paul
says, but God, who is rich in mercy for his great love which
he hath toward us. Who is the us? Now let me make
a statement that may surprise some of you, but the us is not
everybody. To make God's love to all men,
even those who go to hell, is to make God's love powerless
to save. He can love you, but you might
be damned anyway. To say God loves all men without
exception is to make God's love meaningless. God loves those
He's quickened. God loves those who were dead,
and He gave them life. If you look in the context of
all of Ephesians 1, He begins by saying, Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings and heavenly blessings in Christ. Who's the
us? Those he's blessed. According
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.
Who's the us? The elect. Those he chose before
the foundation of the world. He said in verse six, he hath
made us accepted in the beloved. He said in verse five, having
predestinated us. The us is every child of God. The us is the elect, those the
Father chose before time began. The us is those for whom Christ
died. The us is those who have been quickened by God the Holy
Spirit in given spiritual life. Now, he says, but God who is
rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us. even when
we were dead in sins. He loved us even when we were
dead in sins. He's quickened us together with Christ. And
let me tell you a couple of things about God's love. Oh, how giving
it is. God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son. You know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ that though He were rich, yet for your sakes He became
poor. He lost everything on the cross.
that you, through His poverty, might be rich. His love is saving
love. All He loves, He saves. Go on reading. But God, who is
rich in love, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when
we were dead in sins and could do nothing to save ourselves,
hath quickened us together with Christ by grace. YE ARE SAVED. Here's what Paul means by all
this. I was quickened together with Christ. You know what that
means? When Christ lived, I lived. When Christ died, I died. I was
in Him. This is my salvation. This is
what we depict in baptism. A man going underwater and coming
back up. A man putting him underwater
and bringing him back up. When Christ lived, I lived. When
He died, I died. When He was raised, I was raised.
I was quickened together with Christ. I don't even like to
think of my quickening apart from Him. As a matter of fact,
if you look in this passage of Scriptures, three times we read,
quickened together with Christ, or raised together with Christ,
or seated in heaven in Christ. My stand before God is in Him. And Paul says, here's what I
mean by all this. By grace, you are saved. Grace of God. Now understand this. God's grace
is saving grace. It's not an offer. Somebody or
a preacher says, God's offering you grace. No, He's not. He either
gives grace or He doesn't. Grace is not an offer. Grace
is God's action in salvation. Now let me make these statements
about the grace of God. First of all, the grace of God
is eternal. It doesn't have a starting point.
It doesn't have a beginning point. God's grace is eternal. 2 Timothy 1.9, He saved us, and
He called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace, which were given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. If you have grace now,
it's because you eternally have the grace of God. Now, you hadn't
experienced it until God gave you new life, until you heard
the gospel, but the grace you have was given you in Christ
Jesus before the world began. You see, if grace has a starting
point, that means God's grace is His response to you. If grace
has a starting point, that means God is not immutable. He changes. He changes in His purpose. He
changes in what He's doing. No, everything God does is eternal. Salvation is called eternal salvation. Judgment is called eternal judgment. Redemption is called eternal
redemption. The gospel is called the eternal
gospel. God's eternal. He's not bound
by space or time the way you and I are, and His grace is eternal. Oh, He said, I've loved you with
an everlasting love. He says that to everybody He
loves. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee. Now, I was talking to someone
recently, and after hearing me speak to them concerning the
grace of God, their question was, Doesn't God give every man
a chance? My answer, salvation is not by
chance. Salvation is by the purpose of
God, His eternal purpose, which He purposed in Christ Jesus our
Lord. Now, if it's not eternal grace,
it's not grace, period. Secondly, God's grace is free. And for me or you to have it,
it better be free, because we don't have anything to buy with.
We're dead in sins. But God's grace is absolutely
free. Ephesians 2, 8, 9 says, for by
grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's
the gift of God. That faith didn't come as a result
of your free will. You have it because God gave
it to you. It's the gift of God, not of works. lest any man should
boast. To think that there's anything
you've done, including your faith, that has earned you salvation,
you're saying salvation is by works, but thank God salvation
is by the free grace of God. Listen to this scripture in Romans
11, 6, and if by grace, and in the context, he's talking about
election. He said in the previous verse, the election of grace,
and if by grace, It's no more of works. Otherwise, grace is
no more grace. But if it be of works. it's no
more of grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.
Now, grace excludes works altogether. It is free, no strings attached. It's utterly free. And the only way you're going
to receive something as free is when you have nothing to pay. May God make you that way and
me that way, that we might receive His grace. And what does God's
grace do? It saves. By grace, ye are saved. And that is in the perfect passive
tense. You didn't do anything. He did
it all. Justifying grace. Grace that
makes you just before God, without sin, perfect. It's redeeming
grace. All of your sins have been paid
for and put away. It's life-giving grace. And you
hath he quickened, hath he given life to, who were dead in trespasses
and sins. God's grace saves. And thank
God God's grace won't take no for an answer. You see, God's
grace is not an offer. If He gives you His grace, you've
got it. You can't turn it down. We read
in Romans 521, that as sin hath reigned unto death, how much
power do you have to prevent death? None. That as sin hath
reigned unto death, even so in the same manner might grace reign. How much power do you have to
prevent God's grace if He gives you grace? Absolutely none. Grace might reign through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. And God's grace is
all-inclusive. This is Todd Kniper. To request
a copy of the sermon you have just heard, send your request
to messages at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Or you may write or call the
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