Ephesians chapter 4. He ascended up on high. He led
captivity captive, and He gave gifts unto Now, our Lord Jesus
Christ, as the Great Mediator, Great High Priest of God's Church,
God's Kingdom, He's not a defeated, frustrated Lord. Our Lord Jesus Christ, our Great
High Priest, and God our Savior, the glorious God-Man Mediator,
is the absolute victor over all spiritual enemies. He knows nothing
of defeat. I like that scripture in Isaiah
42 verse 4 where it says, He shall not fail. He shall not
be discouraged. The Lord Jesus Christ whom we
preach and whom we serve is a conquering king. The words are recorded
in Revelation 1. Our Lord Declares there. I'm he that liveth and was dead
behold. I'm alive forevermore. I have
the keys. He says of hell and death Hell
and death our Lord is the conquering King. He's Lord of Lords and
King of Kings and As such he has soundly and completely and
eternally and finally defeated all enemies all opposition We
read a moment ago from Revelation chapter 5, but in Revelation
chapter 6 we read these words. And I saw him to hold a white
horse, and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given
unto him, and he went forth conquering to conquer. And he has conquered
all our enemies. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ
are not losers. You'll never be a loser trusting
and finding all of salvation in the Lord Jesus in His person,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ
are not losers, they're winners. They're winners. Don't you want
to be on the winning team? Everyone wants to be on the winning
team. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are victors in Him. They are winners. We read in
Romans 8, 37, In all things, we are more than conquerors through
Him that loved us. He has fought every battle for
us with complete, absolute, and eternal victory. He's never lost
a fight. He's my Savior. He fights all
my battles for me, and He's never lost a fight. His record is perfect. He has knocked out every opposition,
knocked them out cold. With one blow, with one punch.
We read in 1 Corinthians 15, 57, Thanks be unto God who has
given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I love
to talk about the victorious Christ. That's the Christ of
God. That's the Christ that's revealed in the Bible. Not a
frustrated, defeated reformer, but the absolute conquering King
that is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. This is the Christ
we preach and this is the Christ that we worship. The one who
is victorious. The one who accomplished all
of God's purpose in saving His covenant people. Now, notice
if you will, verse 7, and we'll start with verse 7. Unto every
one of us, unto every one of us is given grace. Now, who's he talking about when
he's talking about every one of us? This is not talking about
all people without exception. It's talking about His covenant
people unto every one of us is given grace. Now, remember who
this epistle is addressed to. It's addressed to believers at
Ephesus, but it's addressed to all the elect of God in Christ
Jesus unto every one of us is given Now, grace is not something
that's earned. Grace is not something that's
merited. Grace is certainly something
that is sovereignly given freely by the hand of Almighty God. God gives grace and spiritual
gifts according to His own sovereign pleasure. He will have mercy
on whom He will have mercy. God's grace God's grace. Whenever we talk about grace
and God's grace, it is sovereign grace. That's the only grace
there is, sovereign grace and sovereign mercy, and God will
have mercy on whom He will. It's not of Him that willeth,
nor of Him that runneth, but it's God that shows mercy unto
His covenant people. God's grace is not deserved,
or merited, but rather it's free, infinite, eternal, and sovereign
electing grace unto His people." It is free grace, free grace. The Lord said, I love them freely. I want you to turn and see these
verses, Romans chapter 3, very familiar verses. Most of you
could quote these verses, but it's good to have our mind and
memory refresh for a moment. freely. God gives blessings to
His people sovereignly and freely. Romans 3, verse 24. It says in verse 23, we are all
sinners, we've all come short of the glory of God, being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus. Now the key word in this aspect
of salvation that we're talking about, the grace of God that's
sovereign grace, freely. God gives grace freely, sovereignly. There's another scripture that
uses that word freely. Find Romans chapter 8. Romans
chapter 8 verse 32. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things. Everything I need to stand before
God Almighty eternally and perfectly holy and unblameable in His sight,
all things that we need to stand before God justified are freely
given. Freely given. Eternally given. I like that. I like that scheme
of freeness and sovereignty. Here's another scripture. 1 Corinthians
2. 1 Corinthians 2, verse 12. 1 Corinthians 2, verse 12. Now, we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given unto us. God
freely, sovereignly, eternally blesses His covenant people. Given, look what it says back
to the text. But that every one of us, every
one of us, His covenant people, is given grace according, according
to the measure of the gift of Christ. Now, herein is love.
Herein is love, not that we love God. but that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the propitiation, the sacrifice, the atoning victim
for our sin. God blesses us through the redeeming
work of the Lord Jesus Christ according to the measure of the
gift of Christ. God so loved that He gave the
Lord Jesus Christ. And it is of His fullness, of
His fullness, We all have received grace because of grace. The only reason for grace is
the grace of God. Grace because of grace. Grace
because of grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ,
according to God's eternal purpose in the Lord Jesus Christ, as
it says over in chapter 3 of Ephesians, according to the eternal
purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus the Lord. God's
purpose is an eternal purpose, and it is a sovereign purpose,
and His purpose shall be done. God saves sinners on purpose. Purpose. His purpose. But unto
every one of us is given grace according, or in complete harmony
with, the measure of the gift of Christ. gift of Christ. Look at verse 8 now. Wherefore,
wherefore God says, and this is speaking of the Lord Jesus
Christ, this is quoted from Psalm 68 verse 18. God says, when he
ascended up on high. Now this is God's estimation
of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. When he ascended up on
high, he didn't ascend defeated. He led captivity captive, and
he gave gifts unto his church. You know what he gave? He gave
some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors,
and some teachers. He sovereignly gave gifts unto
his church. Now, let's look at verse 8 for
just a moment. David in Psalm 68 and Paul here
in these verses speak of the same glorious triumph and conquest
and the glorious bodily ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. As
we read in the book of Acts, they watched Him bodily ascend
to glory. I remember years ago, I don't
know if you remember the old preacher from North Carolina,
his name was Herman Moore. You ever heard of him? Herman
Moore. But in 1982, he came to Ashland, Kentucky, and preached
a message, ìThereís a man in glory,î the title of it was,
ìThereís a man in glory, what does his presence mean to me?î
Heís talking about the God-man mediator. ìThereís a man in glory,
what does his presence mean to me?î Means I have salvation.
in Christ Jesus. You see, He ascended not as a
private man. He ascended as a public man,
as a representative man. The old theologians called Him
a federal head of His covenant people. And when He lived, we
lived. What He did, we did. When He
died, we died. When He was buried, we were buried. When He ascended, we ascended. When He was seated on the throne
of glory, we're seated in Him. It says that in chapter 2. We've
studied that. He led captivity captive. Now, after our Lord's resurrection
from the dead, delivered for our offenses, raised again for
our justification, He dwelt among men forty days, showing and demonstrating
that His death and His resurrection was not a hoax. It was real. He died a real death. Sin demanded
death. The Lord Jesus Christ died at
the hand of God. The hand of God. It pleased God
to bruise Him. You see, as I've said so many
times, it was not what men were doing at Calvary that day. That's
our hope. They did what God determined
before to be done. But it's what God was doing at
the cross. That's our hope. God made Him
sin for us. who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him." He died a real death. It says in 1 Corinthians 15,
he died for our sin. He died for our sin according
to the scripture. Sin demands death, payment. The guilty must die. What happened
to Calvary? He became guilty in my room and
in my stead and he paid the ultimate price, death. Suffering the judgment
of God. for our sin. You see, His death
was not a hoax. He died a real death. But my
friend, His resurrection is not a hoax either. It's real. It is real. The God-Man Mediator,
that third day, just as He said, He walked out of that tomb victorious. Victorious over death, hell,
and the grave. And His victory is mine. His
victory is given to me freely by His hand. On the appointed
day, the disciples watched Him ascend unto the heavens." Now,
I want you to find a book of Hebrews and notice these references,
how many times it references this glorious ascending of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter 1, first of all. Hebrews chapter 1, verse 3. who being the brightness of his
glory, and the express image of his person, upholding all
things by the word of his power, when he by himself purged our
sins, he sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high."
That's talking about his ascending glory, his victory over sin. Now here's another reference
found in Hebrews chapter 4, Verse 14, seeing then that we have
a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the
Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. And then if you'll
find Hebrews chapter 6, it mentions this again, talking about the
refuge, you who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope
that's set before us. Verse 18, you got it? which hope
we have as an anchor of the soul," Hebrews 6, 19, "...both sure
and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whether
the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus made a high priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek." The forerunner for us. He lived
a life for us, and He entered into glory. We're the forerunner
for us. is entered in, in absolute victory. Now, here's another reference.
Find Hebrews 8, verse 1. Now, the things which we have
spoken, this is the sum. We have such a high priest, speaking
of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is set on the right hand of the
throne of the majesty in the heavens, in the heavens. One
more reference, Hebrews 9, verse 24, "...for Christ had not entered
into the holy places made with hands, which are figures of the
true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us." Now, my friend, that's good news. That is good
news. He ascended up on high. He led
captivity captive. and freely and sovereignly lives,
ever lives for us to give gifts unto us. He is the great giver. Now, what is He doing there?
As He's ascended to the throne of glory, seated in absolute
victory and majesty and glory, what's He doing there? The Scripture
declares He's interceding for us. It says in Hebrews 7.25,
He's able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him,
saying that He ever liveth, ever liveth, to make intercession
for us. Again in Romans 8, it talks about
His glorious interceding work for us. Who can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who
is He that condemns? It's Christ that died, yea rather
is risen again, even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession
for us. Who can charge us? He ever lives
to intercede for us. God has justified us. Christ
has died, paid the debt in full. And he ever lived to intercede
for me, my forerunner, my mediator, my great high priest. John wrote
this, he said, my little children, these things I write unto you
that you sin not. A moment ago, one day we will
not sin no more in that glorious, glorious day of resurrection. But John says, my little children,
these things I write unto you that you sin not, but when you
do, when you do, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous, and He doesn't plead our righteousness, He pleads
His. His payment for all our sin,
for the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all
our sin, all our sin. Now what does His glorious ascension
mean? to the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Let's get a little bit more personal.
What does it mean to you personally? What does it mean to you personally?
Well, look what it says in the text here. He led captivity captive. He conquered all opposition,
all our enemies, such as sin, such as Satan, such as the holy
law of God, even death itself. Now let me show you scriptures
here. Find Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2. This will help you. Colossians
chapter 2, verse 13. Colossians 2, verse 13. And you
being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
that simply means ungodly flesh, hath he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses. blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary
to us. Speaking of God's law, which
is holy, which demands holiness, I can't produce it. He did. And
He took it out of the way by satisfaction, nailing it to the
cross. Now look at verse 15. Here's
the verse. Having spoiled, defeated principalities
and powers, He made a show of them. openly triumphing over
them," and this is a better reading here, notice the marginal reference,
"...triumphing over them Himself." Christ Himself. He conquered
all our enemies. Now, sin. Let's mention several
of those. Our sin. Our sin. We've sinned against God. Sin
is difficult to put away. Sin's difficult to put away.
The blood of bulls and goats cannot put away sin, but the
blood of Jesus Christ. He has redeemed us with His precious
blood. Our sin, it says in Hebrews 9,
26, that He appeared once in the end of the age to put away
sin, to put away sin, to make an end of sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. And my friend, He got the job
done so completely that God said their sin, their iniquity, well,
I remember No more. No more. God does not remember
my sin no more. The blood atonement of the Lord
Jesus Christ is not something that's weak and anemic. It is
all prevailing and powerful so much so that God says, I know
their sin no longer. They do not exist. Pardon English. They do not exist. Our sin is gone. He's defeated
our sin, put away our sin. Our chief adversary, Satan himself,
the accuser of the brethren, the Lord Jesus Christ, to seize
a woman, has crushed his dominion, crushed his head. His heel was
bruised, but he crushed Satan's power, Satan's dominion. Something else, the holy law
of God. We read again, we read just a moment ago in the book
of Colossians. The Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed
us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. He has satisfied God's holy law
for us with perfect obedience unto God. In every jot, tittle,
in every word, every thought, every motive, every deed, He
did everything to the glory and delight of God. I was somewhere
in a city years ago preaching for a pastor substituting. This
has been years ago, 20 years ago or so. And I was in this
particular city preaching and staying with a young couple.
And the young man asked me, he said, preacher, he said, have
you ever done anything totally for the glory of God alone? And
I said, nope. No, I haven't. There's always
an element of self in whatever I do. The Lord Jesus Christ is
the only one that could say what I do, I do alone for the glory
of God. His motive was perfect and pure,
never selfish, never self-worth, but always God-worth. I've never
done anything completely to the glory of God alone. I want to,
I hope, I hope to, but I fall so short. of doing it, for my
motives are not perfect and pure because I'm a sinner." And you
know what? You are too. You are too. But thank God we have the substitute,
the abdicate, the mediator that does everything perfectly. He
honored the law of God in every jot and tittle. It says so much
so that God says of him, Isaiah 42 verse 21, that the Lord is
well pleased for his righteousness' sake he will magnify the law
and make it honorable." You see, when he ascended up on high,
he led captivity captive, captive. Also, we've already talked about
this, but he also freely gave, and he gave gifts unto men. He
freely gave to his church all spiritual blessings by giving
himself, giving himself unto us. He's blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, in Christ Jesus. For we read
of Him, of Him are you in Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, that according
as it is written, He that would glory, let him glory in Christ,
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, verse 9 and 10, you see
these parentheses? Verse 9 and 10 is a parenthetical
statement that explains what has just been said in verse 8.
Now, he that ascended, what is it but that he also descended
first into the lower parts of the earth? Verse 10, he that
descended is the same also that ascended. You remember we read
in the book of Acts this same Jesus will come again? He that
descended is the same also that ascended, far above all heaven,
that he might fulfill all things for us." Now, verses 9 and 10
gives a further explanation of who our Lord is and what He accomplished. This can be said of no one else
but the Lord Jesus Christ. He that ascended is the same
also that descended. Now, two things here. We clearly
see His eternality plainly declared unto us. His eternality. What do I mean by that? Find
John 17. John 17. A lot of people have the wrong
notion that the beginning, that the Lord Jesus Christ had His
beginning at Bethlehem. That's the beginning of His humanity.
But He's the eternal King. The wise men came, and they said,
where is He that is Born king. He was king when he got here.
And we see his eternality declared. The Christ of God and the sovereign
Christ of God is the ever-living God. From everlasting to everlasting,
he is God. It says this in John 17. Verse
2 will begin there, "...as thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast
given him. And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee the only true God," and let's read it
this way, "...the only true God, Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent. I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the
work you gave me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou
me." Now here's his eternality. Glorify thou me with thine own
self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
The Christ of God is the eternal Christ of God. He has always
been the eternal God. God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. Now, He that ascended, what is
it? But that He also descended first
into the lower parts of the earth. So we see His eternality declared
unto us. But also this, this speaks, this
truly speaks of His humanity. God manifests in the flesh. The Word was with God and the
Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and
we beheld His glory. Now, don't turn. Let me just
remind you of this scripture. In Philippians 2, he made himself
of no reputation, took upon himself the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as
a man. He humbled himself, became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also
hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name." So it speaks of his eternality, it speaks of
his real humanity. It says there, he descended first
into the lower parts of the earth. Now you can read the commentaries
on it, and they all have their opinion. But I think what this
is saying here, I think this is talking about His descending
and taking upon Him a bodily, taking in union to that divine
person, taking in union to Himself, that true humanity, truly God,
truly man, and one blessed person, the God-man Mediator. He descended
first into the lower parts of the earth. You know what he's
talking about here? He's talking about that descension
into Mary's body. I believe that's what he's talking
about. That virgin conceived by God the Holy Spirit into the
lower parts of the earth. I believe that's what it's in
reference to. He remained who he is and became what he was
not, flesh adored among us. He descended into the lower parts
of the earth. He became a real man. And yet
He never stopped being God. Explain that. I can't. I believe
it. I do. But also this declares
His eternality. It speaks truly of His humanity. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. But it also declares His deity
as well. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh. In the flesh. Now He that ascended
What is it? But that he also descended first
into the lower parts of the earth. He was born of a woman made under
the law. I believe that's what he's talking
about there. If you disagree with me, it's okay. I won't hold
it against you. But look at verse 10. He that
descended is the same also that ascended far up, far above all
heavens, that He might fulfill all things. The same Lord Jesus
that descended and took upon Him our humanity and accomplished
our salvation is the same that ascended to glory as our forerunner. We read in the book of Acts,
you men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This
same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so
come in like manner as you have seen Him go. Beloved, our blessed Savior is
coming back. No wonder he declares unto Peter,
when, you know, we oftentimes, we read, don't turn, let me just
read this to you. Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God, believe also in me. But you know what precedes
that verse? Listen to what precedes that
verse. Peter said, I'm going to lay down my life for you,
and the Lord said, Is that so? He said, "'Truly I say unto you
before the rooster crows, you're going to deny Me three times,
but don't let your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in Me. My Father's house are many mansions,
dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare
a place for you, I'll come again and receive you unto Myself,
that where I am, there you may be also.'" Notice in verse 10 again, "...he
that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heaven,
that..." You see that word? "...that he might fulfill all
things for us." That he might fulfill or fulfill all things.
All things are under his feet. What is that psalm? Is it Psalm
110 where God says, Sit thou at my right hand till I make
all your enemies your footstool, that he might fulfill all things. You remember back in Ephesians
chapter 1, turn over there. Ephesians chapter 1, he is ascended. When He raised Him from the dead,
verse 20, set Him at His own right hand in heavenly places,
far above all principality and power and might and dominion,
every name that is named, not only in this world, but also
in that which is to come, and has put all things under His
feet. Now, you remember that scripture
in John 3, 35, where it says, The Father loveth the Son, the
Father loveth the Son hath given most things into His hand. I
misquoted that, didn't I? The Father loveth the Son hath
given all things into His hand. He hath put all things under
His rule, under His dominion, under His authority, and gave
Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body,
the fullness of Him that filleth all in all that He might fulfill. all things, that he might fulfill
every picture, pattern, and promise written of him." Our Lord said
this in Luke chapter 24. It's recorded, "...these words
which I spake unto you, he said, while I was yet with you, that
all things must be fulfilled which are written in the law
of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning me. And
the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled every promise, pattern, picture,
in the Old Testament as prophet, priest, and king. He did. Or
some suggested that he might fill all places as the glorious
reigning king, God our King. Or rather that he might truly
fill his people with himself in the power of God the Holy
Spirit. Now some of you are readers of
John Gill. You mentioned that earlier. You ever notice how
he said, or it could be this, or it could be that, but rather
this is what it is. And I think this is what he's
saying, "...rather that he might truly fill his people with himself
in the power of God the Holy Spirit, Christ in you, the hope
of glory, that he might fulfill all things, or that he might
fill us with himself." Well, I'm going to quit right there,
and we'll pick up Lord willing next time with verse 11 and following.