Turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter five. Ephesians chapter five. I have a glorious topic for us this morning that I don't think I've ever drew a title from. The title of the message is The Wheel of God. The will of God. And there's a lot of different opinions about what the will of God is, especially in false religion, a lot of different opinions.

I remember in false religion, men would talk about living God's will. You better clean up your life. If you know what's best for you, you better clean up your life or something bad's gonna happen to you, you're not living in the will of God. I knew somebody one time and told everybody, he said, my cousin was struck blind because he didn't obey the will of God. That's what he said.

Brethren, God's will cannot be resisted. What does the scripture say? For who hath resisted his will? His will is sovereign. It accomplishes that which he's purposed. It accomplishes that which he has purposed. God's will is not moral reformation. God's will is the salvation of his elect. God's will surpasses time. God's will is eternal and infinite. God's will is everlasting, just as his love is everlasting, just as his holiness is everlasting. Every attribute of our Lord is everlasting, never having a beginning and never had an end.

How do you believe that? You believe it by faith only. There's no way our brains can wrap around never having a beginning or an end because we are in the flesh. We're born, we live, we die. Death's all around us. We see trees come up, trees go down. We see flowers bloom in the spring, but where's the flowers now? They're gone. Looks dead out there, don't it? Not our God. He's forever. He cannot change. Everything around us is changing. This building is changing. I'm not talking about paint, I'm talking about literally everything decays that man builds. But the earth is, the things in the earth are decaying. We see how all the different seasons, things come, things go. It's just how it is, isn't it?

God's will is infinite. It surpasses time and cannot be changed by anyone or anything. Nebuchadnezzar was given the enlightenment of the Lord by grace, and he said, none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? None can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? What doest thou?

This hour, I hope to look at the will of the Lord. Let's read our text, Ephesians 5, 14 through 20. Wherefore, he saith, awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, Christ shall give thee light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore, be you not unwise, but understand, understanding what the will of the Lord is. Be you not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine wherein is access, but be you filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things unto God. and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I have one question I'm gonna ask this morning, and I have three answers to that one question, Lord willing. What is, or what was, however you wanna say it, God's will pertaining to salvation? What is his will pertaining to salvation? Number one, it's that he might choose to save some people. choose to elect some people. All according to his mercy and grace, not based upon their merits at all, but he would choose by grace alone to save some people, his elect.

Number two is that he might redeem those whom he elected. All by the sacrifice of himself. It doesn't involve you and I in the redemptive work of Christ. We're the benefactors, but we're not We didn't contribute anything.

And lastly, what is his will pertaining to salvation that he might regenerate and keep all those that he elected and that he redeemed. He might regenerate and keep. I put those in one. I probably could have done four, but I just put them in one for the sake of time.

This is the will of God pertaining salvation, not by trying, but by purposing. Men have an idea that God plans and hopes and wishes, and none of those things are true. Our Lord doesn't calculate algorithms like you and I do. He doesn't have an input-output system like we do. He knows everything. He's never learned anything. Think about that. Can you believe that? If you do, it's by faith. God's never learned anything. Who's gonna teach him? He knows it all. You ever heard somebody call you a know-it-all? Like, are you just a know-it-all? He really is. He really is the know-it-all. He knows everything. All the time, nothing gets by him, he knows everything.

He alone is God, he's the sovereign one, the sustainer of life, the creator of all life, the giver of light to men. You and I are born dead dog sinners with no hope of salvation, no hope in a choice, no hope in a work, no hope in anything because we're dead. And dead begats dead, so anything we do when we're dead and trespasses in sin is just gonna begat more death and more sin. Therefore, we need a substitute. We need the will of God to be our salvation, because if it's not, we're not gonna be saved. We're not gonna be saved.

People talk about the will of God is this, the will of God is that. The will of God, if we back up and just look at this world, this universe, why was it created? It was created for the purpose and will of God, which was the salvation of his people for his glory. That's the purpose. So what is his will? The exact same thing, that his people would be saved from their sin, that he would get all the glory in it.

Somebody said, well, it doesn't make a lot of sense when the Lord would just elect some and pass by others. It does if you see yourself a sinner. But you know what I love about, I was reading about Jacob and Esau, and I think we may be turning there in just a second, but He said, Jacob, have I loved Esau, have I hated? And I've always thought it marvelous and mysterious because I know why he would hate Esau. I just couldn't see why he would love Jacob.

The reason I've always said that was is because I couldn't comprehend. Why would he set affection on something like that? Because it's his nature. It's his nature to show compassion and to show mercy and to show love. It's also his nature to be holy and just and true, but his nature towards his people His love. His banner over me is love, the scripture says. He said, I've set my affection upon you. I've spread my skirt over you. You're mine. I've bought you. I've redeemed you. This is our God.

So it's not surprising that he would love Jacob, if you look at him. But if you look at Jacob, it's like, well, I don't understand why he would love him, because I'm the same way. Exactly. Exactly. There's nothing in us that he should love. And yet he did. It's Christ in you, the hope of glory, isn't it? We are bound to our sinful nature, but the nature of God is holy, merciful, just, and good, and true. We heard that the first hour, didn't we?

Therefore, in his infinite wisdom, he chose to save everyone that he loves, every single person that he loves. Somebody said, I thought God loved everybody. Well, if he loves everybody, and there's some that go to hell and some that go to heaven, what does his love have to do with salvation?

If he died for everybody, And some go to heaven, some go to hell. What does the death of Christ have to do about salvation? If He shed His blood for the remission of sins, and yet some still die for everyone, and some still die and go to hell, and some go to heaven, what does His blood have to do with salvation?

See, that's why it's silly, it's foolishness. No, His blood accomplished salvation. Him dying accomplished salvation. He saved His people from their sins, those whom He chose in the covenant of grace. Scripture's clear on this, we know this. God elected a people according to his will and he saved those people. All according to his purpose and grace.

And I love the fact where it says, given to us in Christ before time ever began. You were given gifts before you were even born. Think about that. The Lord was just waiting for the fullness of time to enlighten you on it. Everlasting life. It was waiting on you. It was already yours. You didn't even know it, did you? That's how glorious this truth is.

Turn with me to Romans chapter nine. I thought we were gonna turn there. Look at verse 10, and we'll stop at verse 20. This is talking about the sovereignty of God. The issue he's dealing with the Romans right now is the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews believe that salvation is only to the Jew. And Paul's saying, it doesn't matter about your bloodline. And he's trying to, trying to convince them or trying to deliver the message into them that God saved his people. It wasn't just a bloodline. It was, Because he's about to tell us, Jacob, have I loved Esau, have I hated him? Both of them were Jews. Do we see that? That's what he's trying to tell him. I hated it. Well, why would he hate Esau? He's a Jew because he wasn't an elect. It doesn't matter the bloodline. It doesn't matter where you're from. That's the glorious news of the gospel. The Lord's not a respecter of person. He doesn't look at the skin. He doesn't look at the blood of us. He looks at the blood of Christ.

Verse 10 says, and not only this, but when Rebecca had also conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for the children being not yet born, either having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

What shall we say then, is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion or grace upon whom I will have grace, compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore, hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he'll hardeneth. Now here's the response of all men that hear that, that's never heard the truth. Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth God yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? He's saying it's all God's fault then.

Verse 20. Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replyest against God? Shall the thing formed sayeth to the thing that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel into honor and another into dishonor?

I know I said verse 20, but that was part of it too. It's God that chooses, it's God that purposes, it's God that chose to elect a people.

So if we relinquish, if the Lord calls us to relinquish our pride, which is all by grace, it will be resolved, and I like to say dissolved sometime, we're completely dissolved, we're just melted into nothing. That's the whole point. We'll have to say, He's sovereign, He's true, He's holy, He's not this little Jesus that people talk about, He's God. powerful. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the conquering King. He's not trying to accomplish anything. Everything that he purposed, everything that he willed has been accomplished.

And it started before time ever began with him electing a people that the purpose of election might stand. What did he purpose in election to save his people from their sin?

You remember whenever, uh, They were looking, John said, the angel was looking for someone who was worthy in heaven and glory and said, looked in heaven and the earth, no man was found worthy. And I, John, began to weep much. And the elder touched me and said, behold, the line of the tribe of Judah, the root of Jesse hath prevailed and is worthy to open the book and loose the seals thereof.

It's also in Revelation 21, that's the Lamb's book of life. That's what that is. And the Lord purposed to give us to Christ at that time. It was his responsibility. In this election, God chose people and then gave those people to Christ to redeem. Do we see that? That's election and then redemption. We're not quite there yet, but you understand what I'm saying.

Before the world was formed, that the purpose of God might stand, not based upon you and I. We can obviously Jacob's life and see that it wasn't based upon Jacob. Jacob was a liar. Jacob was a thief. Jacob was a trickster. Jacob was a supplanter. I mean, there's so many words you could use for that guy. And the same thing with King David. He was an adulterer, a murderer, all these things.

It's you and I, that's who it is. That's the whole point. It's nothing in us. that God chose or made God choose us in election. This is all by grace. That's the greatest comfort to a believer because if it was something in me, my greatest fear would be I'm gonna lose that something. Whatever that something is, I better not lose that something because as soon as I do, the Lord won't love me anymore.

But no, his affection was based upon his work, not ours. It wasn't based upon our performance. It was based upon what Christ performed on the cross at Calvary. It wasn't based upon our potential. I mentioned this last week. I might elaborate a little bit more this time, but I was thinking about antiques. You know, you go to an antique store and you see something. It's like, hey, that has a lot of potential. It just needs a little, what do they say, spitz polish. Just shine it up good. That'll look a lot better once we clean it up. That has a lot of potential. It'd be nice. Lord didn't look at us and say, you have a lot of potential. No, you don't. Our potential is a hundred percent of the time self-destruction. That's our potential. That's our potential. We will believe the lie all the way to the pit. Unless God has grace, unless God has elected us, unless God has redeemed us, unless God calls us and keeps us, we will go headlong wide open into the pit.

Thank God his affection was set because of an everlasting love that had no beginning or no end. Not that it was one day we did something that caused him to fall in love with us. Each of us that have been married can understand this or that are married or in love, whatever, however you want to say it. Whoever's listening, I don't know. There was a time you weren't in love with the person that you're with, and there was a time that you were. That person won you over. Now, I don't know guys, you know, you're dating, whatever, you're giving flowers, you're doing this and that, and she's falling in love with you because of your kindness, because of your gentleness, maybe your fathering skills, maybe your work ethic. And the guy's falling in love with the girl because she's attractive and her mothering skills and whatever else. I don't know all the formulas of chemistry. The Lord didn't fall in love with us because anything we did. He loved us before we were born. He knew us by name before we were born. He looked through the corridors of time and he saw us, his people, and he says, that's mine, and he chose it.

But you're talking about the most wretched, vile creatures, absolutely. What better trophy of grace than the worst? What better trophy of grace than the worst? Our hope is not in what we do. Our hope is in what he did. He elected a people. He says, I'm going to save you, and then you know what? You're gonna be saved. That's exactly how it went. Jeremiah 31.3, the Lord hath appeared to me old saying, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. Brethren, it's his nature to love perfectly. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. That was his choice. That was his choice. He says, Moses, I'm gonna show you my goodness. He said, show me your glory. He said, I'll show you my goodness. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I will have, I'll be gracious to whom I'll be gracious. And he says here, compassion in Romans, compassion on whom I'll have compassion. That is his glory. That is his goodness. The finished work of Christ. That's what that is. Psalm 100 verse five, for the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth through all generations.

all for his glory, all for his namesake. He didn't do it for my namesake. It's not so I, you know, some men have a vendetta to try to leave a legacy behind. I told Bobby this, and she got what I was saying, and I hope you do too. I'm not looking for my name to be on a mantle posted somewhere where everybody can remember me whenever I die. The only thing I want said about me whenever I die is that, I want you to talk about my Savior. That's all I want you to talk about. That's all. That's it. Don't say anything about me. People don't even know if I was nice or friendly or kind. I don't care. I want to be nice and friendly and kind, but what I want to hear, what I want the people to hear about is the Lord Jesus Christ, about His election, His redemption, His regeneration, not about me. Not about me. It's not my name, it's his.

Listen to what Isaiah 48, 11 says. For mine own sake, God speaking, for mine own sake, even for mine own sake will I do it. For how should my name be polluted or how will I give my glory to another? It's for his name's sake. He chose to save his people from their sin.

Our nature is ugly. His nature is perfectly beautiful. Ours is corrupt, his is undefiled. When we talk about election, a lot of times people become upset because they're saying, but God is love. Where's the love in your message? Well, the love is the fact that he chose to show mercy and grace, because if you see yourself and I see myself as the creatures that we are, and the Lord removes that pride of thinking we're entitled, then we'll really understand what greater love hath no man than this that my man lays his life down for his friends. What Christ accomplished on the cross of Calvary is the greatest display of love that ever has been or ever will be. That's the love.

But because God is love, he also hates those he did not elect according to scripture. All workers of iniquity our Lord hates because they're left to themselves. The thing about Someone not being one of the elect of God is somebody say, oh, that means God sent them to hell. No, no, actually what it means is, is he left you to yourself completely. And every choice that we make will lead us to hell because we can't help ourself. We just cannot help ourself.

Our hope is this verse right here, but God who is rich in mercy and his great love where he loved us. That's, that's our hope. not in me it's in Him. So, what is the will of God? In salvation to elect His chosen people, to predestinate them to be conformed to His image.

Now let's go back to our text Ephesians chapter 5. Read verse 14-17. Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Wherefore be you not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

What was the will of Lord pertaining to salvation before time ever began to elect a people?

Number one. Number two, is to regenerate those people, to redeem them that he predestinated, to make certain they were justified, that they were sanctified, that they were made righteous, that they were made fit for his kingdom, that they were made holy, that all the truth that they didn't have was given to them freely by grace alone.

How could he do that? Well, he couldn't depend on you and I in any way. The task was not given to you and I. The task was given to the Lord Jesus Christ. The father did not give Christ the task of redeeming his people and then turn to his people and say, okay, now he's done his part and I want you to do your part. And that's what men say blasphemously. It's not true. Christ said, I have finished the work that thou has given me. So either Christ, if what they're saying is true, either our Lord's not telling the truth and we know that's not true. He cannot lie. Well, they just have it mixed up and it's just falseness altogether, isn't it?

It had to be brought by him alone. He required a lamb, but not just any lamb. The lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. That's what John saw. Remember I just told you about John when he was weeping when the elder touched him? Right after that, John looked up and he saw a lamb as if it was slain between the two, or between the throne, as if it was slain from the foundation of the world. It's the only begotten son of God, the lamb of God. The lamb, that God provided himself. It's himself that he provided, but it's the land that he provided for himself as well. He's the only one that could satisfy himself. The only way you and I could be redeemed is if God satisfies God. So how did God satisfy God?

Well, God was manifest in the flesh. robed in this dust that we are, if you want to put it that way, he became a man. And this is the part where a lot of people can't believe because they don't have faith to believe. But how can you explain that he was both 100% man and 100% God in the flesh? He's the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We can understand that because we're just in the flesh, and they that are in the flesh cannot mind the things of God. So you tell somebody that, they begin to think that Christ was less than God. No, Christ was God, manifest in the flesh, 100%. And he did that for a purpose. It wasn't just that he came to try to accomplish something. He came for a purpose.

Call his name Jesus, Matthew chapter one, for he shall save his people from their sin. All of them, all of them, not just some of them, all of them forever and ever. Those that the father elected were given to the son to redeem back to God. It was God's will to redeem them.

Um, I don't know if I told Bobby this yet or not. It's not a big deal, so I won't get in trouble. Some of you started holding your breath. We just donated some clothes to a thrift shop. And I happened to go back in that thrift shop recently. And there was a shirt that I didn't mean to donate. And I was like, I didn't know I donated that one. And I thought, OK, well, I'm faced with a couple options here. Number one. buy my shirt back that I donated for free, or leave it. But it hit me. Do you know that's what the Lord had to do for his people? What we lost in Adam, all of us fell. The Lord had to redeem back those which were his already. Think about that. That was my shirt. I couldn't get it back unless I redeemed it. They'd be stealing. They'd go arrest me for stealing my shirt. You see what I'm saying?

The Lord Jesus Christ redeemed back to the father all that was lost, all that was lost. He ransomed his people by his own blood. That was the purchase price. Scripture says by one man centered into the world and death by sin. And it says another place by the disobedience of one, uh, All were made sinners yet by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. This is the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is Adam. That's who we're talking about here. He was made to bear our guilt, our shame, our sin on the cross of Calvary. that we might be made righteous. He was righteousness personified. I wanted to know what that meant, because I wanted to say it. And it just means manifest in the flesh. It's the person, the manifestation of righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's righteousness personified, perfection personified.

Adam damned the entire human race, but by the will of God, the Lord Jesus Christ saved his people from their sin. He says, no, that one's mine. I'm going to redeem it back. going to redeem it back. Well, how did he do it? Well, he lived a perfect life. He offered a non-polluted sacrifice to the Father that the Father was pleased with. He was holy, harmless, separate from sinners. He was undefiled, and now he's seated higher than the heavens, the scripture says. But as he offered up himself and his soul was made an offering for sin, And we heard, I think it was last Sunday or the Sunday before, he went up as a sweet smelling saver unto the Father, and the Father was well pleased with him in every aspect.

Everything required for the salvation of God's people, the Lord Jesus Christ, was and did. There's nothing left to do. By his blood, we have been purged and cleansed of every sin and stain. His people have been made the very righteousness of God. And we can't overlook that word righteous. It's perfect. We've been made perfect in the eyes of God. No blemish, no spot. Having done no wrong one time. What a glorious gospel.

Never have I ever offended God by something that I did if I'm in the Lord Jesus Christ. I could take a deep breath and sigh on that one. Never have I ever offended God If I'm in the Lord Jesus Christ, because he put away all of that sin, it's all gone. Cast as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered again.

During the travail of the Lord's soul, God blacked out the universe. He was completely forsaken and in the darkness that we deserve for eternity. This is how he did it. Pitch black, you know, I can't remember where it says it, Talks about a darkness that can be touched. You ever heard that before? Or a darkness that can be felt? That's what he experienced on the cross. Talks about the terrors of the Lord can pass in him about. Imagine all the doubt that was being whispered in his ear by all the, that my sin brought about, the things that I had done, all the things that Brethren, we don't understand it. We just have to believe it.

And yet the Lord saw the travail of his soul and was satisfied. He was satisfied. We've been made perfectly righteous, bearing his righteousness alone. Whenever he was resurrected, we have evidence of our justification.

So what is the will of God according to his salvation? Number one, to elect a people. Number two, to redeem those people. And the last thing Christ said before he died, Father, into thy hands, I commend my spirit. It is finished. It is finished. And it was finished. Salvation accomplished. Righteousness secured. Sanctification done. I love the fact that there's nothing left to do. It was a done deal. There's no going back. There's no erasing it. It doesn't need altercation. It doesn't need to be fixed. People talk about reformed grace. Grace doesn't need to be reformed. It just needs to be preached. Just simple and plain as it can be. For by grace are you saved through faith. Christ did it all. Christ did it all.

Lastly, the will of God. Once we are born into this world, is that we would be born again, spiritually. Spiritually. Lord told Nicodemus in John chapter three, you must be born again. And Nicodemus said, how can a man when he's old enter into his mother's womb a second time and be born? Nicodemus said, marvel not that I say unto thee, you must be born again. He said, that which are born of the flesh is flesh, that which are born of the spirit is spirit.

Nicodemus couldn't understand it, neither can we. So the Lord elaborated a little bit more and said, the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou canst tell from whether it come or whether it goes, so is every one that is born of the Spirit. In other words, the Lord's Spirit's gonna blow upon that which he has purposed, and they're gonna be regenerated. That's what that means. Look at verse 14, this is exactly what he's talking about here. Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

What is there to rejoice about? Whenever you go down through here, he talks about rejoicing. Let's see if I can find it. Verse 20, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. What is there to rejoice about? Well, the disciples, they came to the Lord and said, Lord, we can cast out demons. We can heal the sick. Peter walked on water the other day. Lord said, rejoice not that you can do all these things, but rejoice that your name is written in heaven. Name is written, it's the Lamb's book of life. Rejoice that you're bought with a price, that you're not your own. Rejoice that you have been redeemed. That's why we rejoice.

This verse 14 is actually partially a quotation from Isaiah 60, listen. Arise, shine, for thy light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Scripture says in John chapter one, and as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God. were born, not of the will of flesh, nor the will of blood, nor the will of man, but of God." What is His will? That we would be born again, if we're His. Christ died for us, that means the Father elected us. If the Father elected us, that means Christ died for us. And if the Father elected us and Christ died for us, we will be regenerated. And the fullness of time comes.

You know the means that he uses? The foolishness of preaching the scripture says. Why does he call it foolishness? Because that's what men call it. It's not what we call it. It's what men call it. He was given the example to him about how that you have the Jews who are the religious. You have the Jews who are religious and you have the Greeks who are the scholars, the brainiacs. They think they know things. So Christ is too simple to the Greeks. And he's foolishness to the Greeks and he's simple to the Jew. He's like, no, it can't be that simple. It's gotta be more works. It's gotta be more of this. It's gotta be more of that. He's saying, no. He says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. To the Jew first and also to the Greek. It doesn't matter what you know, it matters who you know. That's what he was saying.

By his gospel preached and anointed by his spirit, His people are called by His sovereign will according to His power at His appointed time, and they are kept. They are kept by Him as well. Which I guess is the last point I should have made instead of just tucking it in there, but that's okay.

Turn with me to 1 Peter chapter one. 3-5, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. This is his will. This is his power. We're elected. We're redeemed. We're regenerated and we're kept all by his power. And lastly, is what I'm already talking about. He won't lose one. He will not lose one. We're kept by his power.

John 6, 39 and 40 says, and this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life. And I will raise him up again at the last day. He says, I'm not gonna lose one. I'm not gonna lose one.

Turn with me, you're in first Peter, turn to second Peter, chapter three. And we'll come to a close after this. Look at verse 8, 2 Peter 3, 8. But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord a thousand as a thousand years. thousand years is one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat, and the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned."

Most men read that verse eight, Note verse nine, I'm sorry, where he says, God is not willing that any should perish. And they take that verse alone and they say, well, God's not willing that any should perish, but they're not talking about the same God that we're talking about right now, because he's talking to the beloved. That's why we read verse eight first, but beloved. verse 9, "'The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness. But as longsuffering to us, we are not willing that any of the beloved should perish, but that all should come to repentance.'"

Scripture tells what Scripture means. It's not, we just declare the truth, plain and simple. The will of the Father is to lose none. He elected us. Christ redeemed us. The Spirit regenerates us. And we are kept by His power. He's not willing that any should perish. So do you think any is going to perish? No. Why? Because he's not willing. He's not willing and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? He's God, he's sovereign, he's holy. He will keep us until we awaken his likeness. This is the will of God pertaining to his salvation for his people.

Let's pray. Father, we ask that you would take these words and bless them for your glory in Christ's name, amen.