In Ephesians chapter two, the title of the message is distinguishing
grace. Distinguishing grace. About too
many weeks ago, Abby and I, Getting ready to leave for the worship
service on Wednesday night. And there was a man walked up
our driveway. Come up to the come up to the
house, had his Bible, had a. Handful of tracks and. He left
one with us. Later. Later in the week when
I took time to. Just curiosity got the got the
best of me. But. In there was a list of the
things that his church believed. One of those was this. It says,
we believe that depraved sinners are saved wholly. I look that up, wholly, W-H-O-L-L-Y,
wholly. That means entirely. That means
fully, completely. We believe that depraved sinners
are saved wholly by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. I thought I could get behind
that, right? That's what I believe. Didn't stop there, though. It
went on the list two or three other requirements necessary
to be saved by grace. Now listen, I'm not the smartest
person on the block, but I do know this, that if I'm saved
wholly or completely by grace, there is nothing left. Right? Wholly or completely by grace. What else could there be left? And you know, I believe we would
be hard-pressed to find anyone who would not say, I believe
in Christ God. There's a few churches up and
down this road here. We passed several on the way.
I'm just confident if I walked into any of them and asked the
question, are you saved by grace? The answer would be, well, absolutely. They might even say something
like this. We believe the same thing. We believe the same thing
you do. But here's the difference. They say this, grace. is an offer. They say grace gives you a chance. What is grace? What is God's
grace? What's the grace that we read
of in God's Word? It's unmerited favor. It is undeserved faith. And it's not an offer. It's the
free gift. It's a free gift of Almighty
God. And it's by His grace that we
are made accepted in the beloved. Made accepted in the Lord Jesus
Christ. What does God's word say? about
grace. What distinguishes the grace
of God, not in man's opinion, not in man's thoughts, not in
man's methods to get the place full, what's God's word say? And this morning I have four
critical points. I wish I knew who I got this
outline from it. It was written in my Bible. I typically write down a name
beside it, but this one I didn't. Tried to find one. But I found
this out. Four critical points of grace. Four critical points of what
we believe. And the first one is this. What
does it mean to be a sinner? What does it mean to be a sinner. Grace is for the guilty. Scripture says it's the whole.
They don't need a physician. They that are whole don't need
a physician. Scripture declares this, that
we have all sinned. Now for us to understand anything
about the grace of God, I need to know something about my need
of Him. I need to know something of my
condition before Him. I need to know that I am a sinner. That I'm helpless to do anything
in and of myself. I am in need. Jason, you just
read that. You hath he quickened. That word quickened, it means
to give life. You cut your fingernails. You
don't feel anything when you cut your fingernails. But when
you get into the quick where there's life, that hurts, doesn't
it? You hath he quickened. You hath he given life who were
dead in trespasses and sin. And he has to give life. That's
our condition. That's the condition of a sinner.
We're dead. There is no life in us. We're
all like that. Remember that account of that
infant cast out into the open field? Laying there, polluted
in her own blood. And she laid there until he passed
away. Remember that? He said, I saw
you, polluted in your own blood, and I said, live. He spoke life. And that's where we'll continue
to lie, dead, until the master is pleased to speak life, just
like Lazarus of old. Remember that Lazarus lay there
in the grave. His body began to stink, he had
laid there so long. Did he stay that way? Oh, the
master passed by and he comes and he says this, called him
by name. He said, Lazarus, come forth. What happened? Did Lazarus say,
well, I'll have to think about this? Did he say, Lazarus, walk
to the front of the church. Lazarus, do this. Lazarus, do
that. No, he spoke life. He said, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth. Turn to Romans chapter 3. Hold
your place there in Ephesians. Turn to Romans chapter 3. Just over a few pages. Romans chapter
3. Look at verse 10. Romans 3 verse 10. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after
God. They are all going out of the
way. They are together become unprofitable. We think in our minds, surely
there's one. What's Scripture say? There's none that do it. No,
not one. And apart from Him giving life,
apart from Almighty God giving life, I have no power to seek
Him. I have no desire to seek Him. He must give life. I'm the sinner. He is the Savior. And as a sinner, we are without
Christ. Aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel, strangers from the covenant of promise, having no
hope and without God in this world. Our Lord said this, no
man, no man can come unto me except the Father which has sent
me draw him. I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner in
need of a savior. Second, the love of God. The love of Almighty God, it's
effectual, it is particular, and it is eternal. Ephesians
2, 4, we read that God, who is rich in mercy, For He is what? He is great love, wherewith He
loveth us. Now, what does Scripture say
about His love? Well, turn with me again to a
few Scriptures. You turn to just over a page to Ephesians 3. Ephesians 3, beginning with verse 1. The love
of God is effectual. Easier way to understand that
is it gets the job done. It's effectual. Look beginning
there in verse 1 of Ephesians 3. For this cause I call the
prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. If you've heard
of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me to
you, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mysteries.
I wrote afore in few words. whereby when you read you may
understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other
ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now
revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that
the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body, or takers
of his promise in Christ by the gospel, whereof I was made a
minister. according to the gift of the
grace of God given unto me by the effectual. You see that word
effectual working of whose power? His. It's effectual. It gets the job done. It's particular. The love of God is particular. Turn to Romans chapter 10. Romans 10, look beginning with
verse 11. The scriptures say, Romans 10,
verse 11. The scriptures say, whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. There's no difference
between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be said. How? How then shall
they call on him in whom they've not believed? How shall they
believe on him of whom they've not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent as it's written, how beautiful are the feet of
them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings
of good things. He sends forth his minister to
preach the word to his sheep, to his people. God sent Philip. to that Ethiopian eunuch. Remember
that? How did that eunuch sit there
in that chariot reading from Isaiah the prophet? And he didn't
understand anything. He didn't understand a word that
he was reading. I often wonder, I wonder how
many, I get stuck in traffic sometimes. You know, all those
cars running. I don't know why, but I picture
that in my mind. that eunuch sat there stuck in
traffic in that chariot. How many chariots were around
you? How many people had any interest
in God's word? How many were sitting there reading
God's word, and yet God in mercy is pleased to send his messenger
to just one? To just that one eunuch? And he asked him, he said, do
you understand what you're reading? He said, how can I? How can I,
except some man, should guide me? You know, I've had people try
to explain something to me before, and I had no interest in what
they were saying. I'd say something like, I know what I'm doing,
right? We do that, don't we? I've done
this before. I don't even know what it is. Maybe that eunuch had said that
his whole life, but on this day, what'd he say? How can I? How
can I accept some man should guide me? The Lord gave him a
teachable spirit, a desire to hear his word. How can I accept some man should
guide me? And then what did Philip do?
He says he began at the same scripture. What did he tell him? How to
be a better husband? Had to be a better employee at
work. Oh, he began at the same scripture, and he preached Christ. That's the message. Christ. The
Lord Jesus Christ. And that one man, that one man
was saved. Remember that they were driving
along, he said, there's water. What doth hinder me to be baptized? Stop the chariot. Now that message. That message upsets some. That message upsets some people,
that God, that His love is particular, that it's for a particular people. In the book of Luke, Luke chapter
4, the Lord was speaking to a group of people. Turn there to Luke
chapter 4, Luke 4. Luke 4, Luke beginning with verse
25. It's our Lord speaking. He said,
I'll tell you the truth. He's speaking to this group here,
and he said, I'll tell you the truth. Many widows were in Israel
in the day of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years
and six months. Great famine was throughout all
the land. But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta,
a city of Sion, unto a woman that was a widow. I suspect there were many widows. But the Lord sent his messenger
one. Just one. Many lepers. Read on. Many lepers were in Israel. He
says that many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha
the prophet. And none of them was cleansed
save Naaman the Syrian. Naaman the leper. What a glorious thing to think
that God would show mercy to him. That he would show mercy
to just one. Now I ask you, did the people
rejoice when they heard that? Do we rejoice when we learn that
God has showed mercy to a family member or maybe anybody in the
community, a child? Our heart just swells with joy,
doesn't it? Look at verse 28. All they in
the synagogue, when they heard these things, look at that, they
were filled with wrath. Filled with wrath. And listen,
they rose up. They rose up and thrust him out
of the city. They led him to the brow of the
hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down.
headlong. They wanted to kill him. They
wanted to kill the Lord of Glories because he told them the truth.
God's love is particular. They were fighting mad. I tell you, it makes some mad,
but I'll tell you who it doesn't make mad. those to whom he's
pleased to show mercy. You reckon Naaman was upset at
first, wasn't he? When the Lord was pleased to
heal him? What about that window wall? Last, just go throughout
the scriptures. God, think about yourself if
God's been pleased to show you mercy. That doesn't upset you,
does it? It causes you to rejoice. It
doesn't upset those who are the objects of His mercy. Those who
are the objects of His particular love. That remnant that we read
of in Scripture. That remnant whom the Lord shall
call. That remnant whom the Lord shall
deliver. That woman, remember that woman
with the issue of blood? I could just touch his garment.
The Lord healed her. She spent everything she had.
Grew worse. And the Lord showed mercy to
her. That jailer, what a wicked man
that jailer must have been. And God's pleased to put two
of his servants in jail for this purpose, to preach the gospel.
But that one man and his family might hear the gospel. Zacchaeus,
there he is. I just pictured Zacchaeus being
like the rest of them, just kind of being nosy, wanting to see
what's going on. Climb up in the tree, look down
at the Lord's room. This man, Jesus, is going to
pass by. And the Lord stops at that place
from all eternity. Looks up. Zacchaeus, come down. His love is particular, particular. Turn to Deuteronomy 7. Deuteronomy
7. Is it for any good in us? We've already seen that, didn't
we, in the first one? We're all dead in trespasses
and sin. Look at Deuteronomy chapter 7. Deuteronomy 7. Look, verse 7 of Deuteronomy
7. The Lord, the Lord did not set
his love upon you nor choose you because you were more in
number than any people. Speaking to Israel here, his
church. You were the fewest of all people. Why'd he do it? Why did he do
it? but because the Lord loved you. The Lord loved you, and because
he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers,
and the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed
you out of the house of the bondman from the hand of Pharaoh king
of Egypt. God has people. God has people. He has a particular people. And He's sent His love upon them. And they shall be saved. Saved by His Son. Saved in His
Son. God's love. It's confessional. It's particular. And it's eternal. In John 17, I won't have you
turn now, I'll just read it to you. John 17, he says, I pray
for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given them, for they are thine, and
all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified
in them, and now I know more in the world. These are in the
world. And I come to thee, Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those which thou hast given me, that
they may be one. Well, that's a tall order, isn't
it? That they might be one. There shouldn't be any division
among God's people. They should be one, as we're
one. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me, I've
kept, and none of them is lost. He's not gonna lose not even
one. None of them is lost but the
son of perdition that the scriptures might be fulfilled. Four critical
points. What does it mean? What does
it mean to be a sinner? Maybe this question, am I a sinner?
I pray he'd reveal that to me, that I am a sinner. Second, the
love of God is effectual. It's particular. And it's eternal. And then third, the redemption
of Christ. The redemption of Christ. It
too is particular. And it's effectual. Look at Ephesians. Again here in Ephesians 2. Our
text. Look at the beginning with verse
8. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus. Unto good works, which God hath
before ordained, that we should walk in them. The redemption of Christ, what
did he do? We know what man did, right?
Man sinned, man failed, man disobeyed God. What did Christ do? What
did the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, do? Scripture says he redeemed us.
He redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse
for us. What did he do? Scripture says
this, that he gave his life for the sheep. He suffered and died. Why? He laid down his life for
the sheep. In Ephesians 5, 25, we read that
Christ loved the church and he gave himself for it. For it. Let me ask you something. You
can turn over there if you need to, but does it say he loves
everybody? It does, it does. I tell you what, we're close
by there. Turn to Ephesians 5. Look at
Ephesians 5, verse 25. Husbands, what's it say? Ephesians 5, 25. Love your wives as Christ loved
the church and gave himself for it. For the church. A husband's love for his wife,
that's what we're instructed. To love our wives as Christ loved
the church. Christ's love for his church,
for his bride, Let me ask you this. Would a man's love for his wife
mean anything if it wasn't particular? If I said, I love Abby, but then
I walk out of the house and I say, I love every woman in the county.
That love would be meaningless, wouldn't it? It would mean nothing. His love for his church is particular. He loves his bride. And it's effectual. It's effectual. Scripture says, neither by the
blood of goats and calves But by what? His own blood. He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained. If you obtain something, what's
that mean? It's done. It's finished. It's complete.
Having obtained eternal redemption for us. Turn to Colossians chapter
1. Colossians chapter 1, beginning
with verse 20. Colossians 1 verse 20. And having made peace through
the blood of His cross by Him to reconcile all things unto
Himself. By Him, I say, whether they be
things in earth, things in heaven, and you that were sometimes alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now have He reconciled
in the body of His flesh through death to present you, to present
His bride, to present His church wholly unblameable and unapprovable
in his sight. The redemption of Christ, it
is particular and it is effectual. And then fourth, the work of
the Holy Spirit is irresistible. In Ephesians 4, 22, it says,
in whom you were built together for inhabitation together through
the Spirit. The work of the Spirit is irresistible. Turn to one more scripture with
me. Turn to John chapter 1. John chapter 1. Look at verse 13, John 1, 13. Turn back to verse, look back
to verse 12. John 1, 12, as many as received
him to them, gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name, which were born. Not of blood,
nor the will of flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. Who will receive Him? Who will receive Him? Not all. Not all. I ask you, is it left to chance,
is believing is believing God left to chance? Is the success
of His covenant, is the success of His redemptive work left to
a fallen man? No, sir. No, sir. This verse
explains to us why. Why men receive, why men believe
the Lord Jesus Christ. They're born of God. Not of blood. Not of blood. That's to say,
salvation is not a matter of, it's not a matter of heredity.
It's not a matter of bloodline. It's not a matter of family association. Now some may have reaped the
benefit of, as a child, being drugged to the worship service
time and time again, until God in mercy was pleased to reveal
himself to you. But it's not blood. It's not
of the will of the flesh. Our will, the will of the natural
man is enmity against God. We have no will toward God. It's not the will of man. The new birth is not brought
about by the efforts of our friends and our neighbors or so-called
soul winners traveling ocean to ocean. It's a divine work
brought about by the Spirit of God. It's accomplished by the
will of God. The Holy Spirit must take the
Word and apply it to the heart, must give us a new heart to hear
and believe and love Him. Psalm 110 verse 3 says this,
thy people shall be made willing, when? In the day of thy power, right?
Thy people shall be made willing in the day of thy power. Consider, Zacchaeus, what happened? What happened
when the Lord said to him, make haste and come down? It's pretty clear, isn't it?
He came down. He came down. What about Levi? There was a
man named Levi. He was a publican. Scripture
says this, that after these things, he went forth. The Lord went
forth, and he saw a publican named Levi sitting at the receipt
of custom. Levi was at work doing what he
did every day, collecting taxes. taking man's money from him. And our Lord crossed his path
and he said unto him, follow me. That's a simple commandment,
isn't it? Follow me. What did Levi do? Scripture says this, he left
all, he rose up, and he followed him. Our Lord said this, he said,
my sheep, hear my voice. I know them, and they follow
me. Is there any way, Levi, I could
just stay there sitting at his table? No. The work of the Spirit is irresistible. And it results in a change of
mind, change of masters, change of manners. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9
says this, 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 revelers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of
God." That's a pretty rough bunch there,
isn't it? Pretty dumb. And such were some
people. We didn't remain there, did we?
Huh? What's he say here? But ye are
washed. Ye are sanctified. Ye are justified. How? In the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and by the Spirit. of almighty God. Who makes you to differ? Who makes any of us to differ? It's all the result of Him. It's all the result of his work,
the result of his touch. Remember that woman with the
issue of blood? I could just touch the head of
this woman. How many times did he touch the
eyes of the blind or touch the ears of the deaf? What happened? They were healed. They could
hear. Their sight was received. I want to close with you with
this poem. "'Twas battered and scarred,"
and this is the touch of the master's hand, "'Twas battered
and scarred, and the auctioneer "'thought it hardly worth his
while. "'To waste his time on the old violin, "'but he held
it up with a smile. "'What am I bid, good people?'
he cried. "'We'll start the bidding for
me. One dollar, one dollar, do I hear two? Two dollars. Who
will make it three? Three dollars once, three dollars
twice, going for three. But no. No. From the back of the room, far
back of the room, a gray bearded man came forward and picked up
the bow. And wiping the dust from the
old violin and tightening up the strings, he played a melody,
pure and sweet, as the angel sings. And the music ceased. And the auctioneer, with a voice
that was quiet and low, said, now, now what am I bidding for
this old violin, as he held it lofty from above? 1,000? 1,000?
Do I hear 2,000? Who'll make it 3,000? 3,000 once, 3,000 twice, gone. And gone said he. The audience
cheered with some pride. We just don't understand. What changed its worth? What
changed it? Who make it thee to differ? What
changed its worth? Swift came to reply, it's the
touch of the master's hand. And many a man with life out
of tomb, all battered and bruised with hardship, is auctioned up
cheap to the thoughtless crowd, much like that old violin. A mess of pottage, a glass of
wine, a game he travels on. He's going once, he's going twice.
He's going, and almost going. But the master comes. The master
comes. And the foolish crowd can never
quite understand The worth of the soul and the change that
is wrought, how? By the touch of the Master's
hand. How's a man saved? A man, a woman,
a young person, how are they saved? Truly saved? How can a
dead sinner be brought to life in the Lord
Jesus Christ? It's all by grace. It's by his
grace. It's all of him. He saves sinners by his grace. By his love, which is effectual. It gets the job done. It's eternal. It's particular. It's by Christ's
redemption. Christ redeemed the people, his
particular and effectual, and it's by the work of the Spirit,
which is irresistible. Pray God bless you.