Now, we're looking again at Ephesians
chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. At verse 19, when he states this,
that we are no more strangers and foreigners, it's based upon
a foundation that he has laid in the previous verses. Now,
therefore, you are no more strangers and no more foreigners. Seeing
that the Lord Jesus Christ as a representative man, as the
advocate, as a mediator, as a surety of the sacrifice and the sacrifice
of that everlasting covenant, seeing the Lord Jesus Christ
by that blood sacrifice has justified His elect before God, seeing
that He has reconciled us unto the Father, through that blood
atonement, through His obedience, seeing He has reconciled us into
one body by the cross, having satisfied completely God's holy
law and justice for us as a representative man. Believers are accepted in
the Beloved because of all that He has done for us and in us,
making us new creatures in Christ Jesus. Verse 17, He came and
came and preached peace to you which were far off and to them
that were nigh. The message that God has given
to us. is to preach Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. The message that God has given
to His church and to His ministers who are put in the ministry and
given this message of salvation in Christ Jesus and the message
that we preach to all men is peace with God one way. Only one way. Through Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. Peace with God only through Christ. For He is our peace. He made
peace for us with His own blood. Look at verse 18. For through
Him, only through Christ, upon what He has done for us, upon
His blood, upon His righteousness, upon His obedience, through Him
we both, Jew or Gentile, have access, access, liberty, boldness
by one Spirit unto the Father. We have access. Again, Paul emphasizes
we only have a righteous access, free admission, open and an open
audience, and generous acceptance before God's throne one way,
in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's acceptance with God only
upon the merit of Christ and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
I want you to look just across the page at Ephesians chapter
3 Look at verse 11 and 12. According to God's eternal purpose,
which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness,
liberty, freedom, access, and access, and we have boldness,
liberty, freedom, and access, acceptance with God, and we have
this with competence. Now watch this, it doesn't say
by our faithfulness. You see that? By the faith of
Him, by the faithfulness and the obedience of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Salvation is not based upon my
obedience at all, it's based upon His faithfulness, His blood,
His righteousness. You remember this verse from
our study in Galatians? Turn back over there, Galatians
chapter 2. I believe this religious world
is very confused on this very point. Galatians 2, 16, knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by
the faith of Jesus Christ, by the faithfulness of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. It's his faithfulness. It's his
obedience. Not by the works of the law,
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." By the
works of the law, none. Saving faith, and listen to me,
the faith of God's elect and saving faith does not look here
in the heart for assurance or for salvation. The faith of God's
elect looks to Christ. We're going to see in just a
minute, Jesus Christ Himself is the sole object of faith.
Through Him we both have access. Look at verse 18. We have access. He said, seeing we have a great
high priest that is passed into the heavens, let us come boldly
unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. Access by one Spirit unto the
Father. A blessed, blessed access in
Christ Jesus. He is the door. He is the way,
He is the truth. Neither the holy law of God nor
the righteous justice of God stand in the way of a believing
sinner approaching God through the merits of Christ, through
the sacrifice of Christ. The believing Jew has absolutely
no advantage over the believing Gentile. We both have access
by one Spirit unto the Father. The chief and paramount purpose
of God the Holy Spirit is one thing. One thing, to magnify
Christ, to honor the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said, when He,
the Spirit of truth, has come, He will take the things of Christ
and show them unto you, and He will magnify the Lord Jesus Christ. Tell you what, if you see Christ
as altogether lovely, and you see yourself as altogether ugly,
it's obvious that the Holy Spirit has operated on your heart. Now
therefore, verse 19, You see what he's saying here? Now therefore,
you are no more, no more a stranger, no more strangers, no more foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of
God. Now therefore, the holy law of
God being honored in precept and penalty, believers in Christ
are no more aliens, no longer strangers, no longer without
Christ and without hope, no longer without God, but are made nigh
unto God, and we have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I know I'm repeating myself,
but it's a message that we need to repeat, because there's not
much preaching going on in our day. Well, there's a lot of preaching,
but not much truth going on in our day. No, not much true preaching
going on in our day. Now therefore, in Christ Jesus,
no longer strangers." That's good news. That's good news to
those who know something of their own nature and character, something,
we know something of what we are in Adam. No longer estranged
from God. No longer strangers to His covenant
of love. No longer strangers to His mercies. No longer strangers to His grace
and to His power. No longer strangers, but intimate
friends. We have an intimate, believers
do, an intimate covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It's
intimate love. He loves us. And we love Him. No longer strangers. Oh, friends. One with Him. In union with Him. In love with Him. No longer foreigners,
aliens to the covenant of promise in Christ Jesus. Now we see all
the promises of God in Christ Jesus fulfilled and complete
in Him. And believers stand complete
in the Lord Jesus Christ. No longer strangers. No longer
foreigners. Why? Because of something you've
done? Oh no. Something because of what He has done. Now, therefore,
looks back to everything that he has said before. Now, therefore,
you are fellow citizens with the saints, and you belong to
the household of God. But rather, he says, you're fellow
citizens with the saints, having a blessed sweet fellowship around
the glorious good news of forgiveness and pardon through Christ Jesus.
The Apostle put it this way in Philippians 3.24, our conversation
is in heaven, that is our citizenship is from heaven, salvation is
of the Lord, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ. And notice it says here that
we are fellow citizens with the saints. Who are these saints? Every believer in Christ Jesus
is a saint. sanctified in Christ Jesus. These saints are set apart by
God's divine election. God has, from the beginning,
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth, whereunto He called you by the gospel.
Saints are set apart by this divine election. Saints are set
apart by this divine calling and regeneration. Turn over just
a few pages to Colossians chapter 1. By this divine calling, Colossians
1 declares, giving thanks, verse 12, unto the Father, who hath
made us meet. In that word there is fit to
be partakers of the inheritance of the saints. The inheritance
of the saints. We have an inheritance. The saints
in light, in holiness, in Christ who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of God, dear
Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness,
even the forgiveness of sins. Saints are set apart by divine
calling. Saints are set apart by divine
election. Saints are set apart by divine
regeneration. He's called us out of darkness
into His marvelous light. Fellow citizens with the saints,
I tell you, that's good news. What a contrast from being an
alien and a stranger, having no hope and without God, to fellow
citizens with the saints. And then he goes on and says
also, secondly, of the household and of the household of God. The household of God. Turn over
here to I John chapter 3. The household of God. Beloved, 1 John 3. Beloved, behold
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, beloved, now are we
sons of God. And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, We shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Every man that
hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure."
We are of the household of God. By God's glorious adoption of
grace, by God's glorious adoption of love, turn back over here
to Galatians chapter 4. We are of the Household of God
by his adopting love By his adopting love Galatians 4 But when the
fullness of the time was come God sent forth his son Made of
a woman made under the law to redeem Them that were under the
law that we might receive the adoption of sons Now look at
that next verse and because you are sons God has sent forth the
Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Father, Father, Abba,
Father, He's my Father. You see, we've been adopted into
His family by the glorious adoption of His love and grace. Here is
love, not that we love God, but that He loved us. And He sent
His Son to be the propitiation, the mercy seat, the satisfaction
for our sin. We belong to the household of
God by the adoption of love, but also by a new birth, by regenerating
grace, by regeneration and glorious new birth. We're born into the
family of God, not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth,
but it's God that shows mercy. Turn back over here to John chapter
1. We've seen this before, and I know we've read this before,
but I think it'll be good to read it one more time. This is
John chapter 1. John chapter 1. Some say the
gospel written by John, but John chapter 1, look at verse 12. We're adopted in this family
and we're born into this family. But as many as received him,
says it came to his own, his own people, his own nation, and
they received him not. They rejected him. They said
away with him, crucify him. We have no king but Caesar. But as many as received him,
To them gave he power, right or privilege, a marginal reference
has, to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name,
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, not the counterfeit, the true
Christ of God. And these people who receive
him and believe on him were born, not, give the negative, not of
fleshly blood, nor of the will of the flesh. You didn't will
yourself into the kingdom of God. Nor the will of man. Someone
else didn't will you into the kingdom of God. We were born
of God, but of God, begotten of God. Whosoever believeth that
Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Believing is a result of
being born, being born of God. in this household of God by adoption,
by regeneration, and watch this, and the household of God, and
then it says over there in chapter 3, verse 6, that the Gentiles,
Ephesians 3, Ephesians 3, verse 6, that the Gentiles should be
fellow heirs, not only fellow citizens, not only the household
of God, but were fellow heirs of the same body And we are partakers
of His promise in Christ by the gospel. We are partakers of a
new nature in Christ Jesus. Fellow heirs, believers share
in the fullness of His grace. They are richly clothed in Him.
Of His fullness have we all received grace for grace. Believers in
Christ have plenteous provision of mercy. They're made heirs
of a never-fading inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, that
fadeth not away, that's reserved for you in heaven, made heirs
of God and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. Fellow citizens,
fellow heirs of the household of God. I tell you, we're blessed. We are blessed. Oh, I tell you. We are blessed. But look at verse
20. You mean there's more? And, and are built upon the foundation,
the foundation, the foundation that was provided for the apostles,
the foundation that was provided for the prophets, the foundation
of the apostles and prophets is one thing, one person, Jesus
Christ himself. You see that? Jesus Christ himself
is the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed
groweth together unto a holy temple in the Lord. Built upon,
all believers are built upon this strong and only foundation,
the same foundation of the prophets. In Acts 10, 43, it declares this,
to him give all the prophets witness, all the prophets bear
testimony to this one and only foundation and all of salvation
in Christ Jesus. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Zechariah, Malachi, all the major, what they call,
and minor prophets, all declare one message. Salvation in Christ
Jesus. That's the message. That's the
message. That's the foundation that the
apostles preach, and that's the foundation that the prophets
preach. The apostles declared clearly that Jesus Christ himself
is all of salvation. First Corinthians 311, for other
foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is
the Lord Jesus Christ. When Peter and John were examined
after they healed that man at the temple, remember, And they
said, silver and gold we don't have, but such as I have, give
I thee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rise up and walk.
God healed that man. When they were brought before
the council to give answer, by what means did you make this
impotent man whole? And he said, let it be known
unto you. that neither is there salvation in any other, for there's
no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be
saved, only in Christ." There's no other foundation. That was
a message that the early church preached. That was a message
that the prophets preached all the way through, the Old Testament
and the last Old Testament prophet. John came preaching, Behold the
Lamb of God that taketh away our sin. There He is, behold
the Lamb. Jesus Christ Himself. I want to work on that phrase
for a few minutes. Jesus Christ Himself being, being
Lord, Chief. He's Lord, God in this building. He's the chief cornerstone. Now
five things, if you want to jot these down. Five things we need
to remember about Jesus Christ Himself. This is a five-point
outline. Here's the first point. Jesus
Christ Himself is the theme, the message, the sum and substance
of all Scripture. Jesus Christ Himself. Now, I
can make good on that by Luke 24. Luke chapter 24. The risen Lord joined Himself
to these two men. In Luke 24, verse 25, "...then
he said unto them, O fool, slow of heart, to believe all that
the prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered these
things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning in Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded
unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning," what's
that word? Jesus Christ Himself is the theme
of all Scripture. And because the Lord Jesus Christ
is the theme of this book, and God has told us to declare this
book, to preach His Word, because the Lord Jesus Christ is the
theme of this book, He must be the subject of our preaching. He must be the subject of our
preaching. I believe it was Charles Spurgeon
who said, when we're done preaching Christ, we had better be done
with preaching. I believe he's right. Jesus Christ
Himself. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 5 and 6
declares this, Paul said, We preach not ourselves, but Jesus
Christ the Lord, and ourselves your servant for Jesus' sake.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has
shined in our heart to give us the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. We preach not
ourselves, but we preach Jesus Christ Himself. Now that poor
pitiful man I listened to on the radio coming down here talking
about his prayer life, If I want to talk about prayer, you know
who I'm going to talk about? I'm going to talk about the one
who intercedes for me. I'm going to talk about the one
who ever lives to intercede for me. I'm going to talk about His
prayer for me. Read John 17 sometime. That's
His prayer for us. So Jesus Christ Himself is the
theme of all Scripture. Here's the second thing. The
Lord Jesus Christ Himself is all our redemption. all of it. The Lord Jesus Christ himself.
Now I can make good on that. Ephesians chapter 5. Turn to
Ephesians chapter 5. Jesus Christ himself is all of
our deliverance. That's what redemption is, it's
deliverance. He redeemed us from the curse of the law being made
a curse for us. But look what it says right here.
Ephesians 5 verse 1. Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children and walk in love. as Christ also hath
loved us, and hath given," what's that word? Himself, He gave Himself
for us, an offering, sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor,
satisfying unto God. Jesus Christ Himself is all our
redemption. What was the price? For our redemption,
what was the price for our deliverance and the price for forgiveness
of sin? His blood. The blood of bulls
and goats could not, cannot, will not take away sin. All the
blood that flowed on Jewish altars for thousands of years, you think
of all the oceans of blood that was shed, never put away one
sin. The blood of Christ cleanses
us from all sin. Jesus Christ himself is all our
redemption. Turn to one other scripture.
Find Hebrews 1, verse 3. Talking of our Lord, who being
the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person,
upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by
Himself purged our sin, sat down at the right hand of the majesty
on high." Don't turn, let me just read this to you. In Hebrews
chapter 9 it declares this, "'Nor yet that he should offer himself
often as a high priest, who entereth into the holy place every year
with the blood of others, where then he must have often suffered
since the foundation of the world. But now, once in the end of the
world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself." So Jesus Christ himself is the theme of all Scripture.
He is the message of this book, Jesus Christ, his person, his
work. Secondly, the Lord Jesus Christ himself is all of our
redemption, all of it. Repentance never put away one's
sin. Christ, His blood, His blood.
Faith never put away one's sin. Faith looks to Christ. True repentance acknowledges
that the Lord Jesus Christ put away our sin. And so does the
faith of God's elect. Thirdly, Jesus Christ Himself
is all our righteousness before God. All our righteousness before
God. Find Philippians chapter 3. This
is one of my favorite scriptures. Philippians chapter 3. I'm never
weary of reading it. I believe the Lord used this
portion of scripture to reveal himself to me and to show me
something of his glorious person. Jesus Christ himself is all our
righteousness before God. Look at Philippians 3 verse 7,
"...but what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for
Christ? Yea, doubtless I count all things
but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do
count them but dung, that I may win Christ and be found in Him."
Jesus Christ Himself. Oh, to be found in Him. To count everything else lost
and dung, be found in him, not having my own righteousness which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ."
There's that statement again, the faith of Christ. Righteousness
which is of God by faith, by faith, by Christ. That I may
know him, the power of his resurrection. fellowship of his suffering,
being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Or, by all means
I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. How? Jesus Christ
himself is all our righteousness. In Jeremiah 23, it talks about
the Lord Jesus Christ. His name shall be called the
Lord our righteousness. Jeremiah 23, 5. But jot this
reference down. Over in Jeremiah 33, 16, it says
over there that, "...she shall be called the Lord our righteousness."
Did you get that? The righteous branch shall be
called, that He will raise up the Lord our righteousness. And
then when it talks about the church in Him, "...she shall
be called the Lord our righteousness." We are righteous in Him. no longer
going about to establish a righteousness of our own, but resting in the
Lord Himself. He is made to us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and He is our redemption. Jesus Christ Himself,
number four, Jesus Christ Himself is the only object of saving
faith. Jesus Christ Himself. Now find
the book of Hebrews one more time and find Hebrews chapter
12. Hebrews chapter 12. Jesus Christ himself is the only
object of saving faith. Hebrews 12 verse 1, wherefore
seeing we are encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. He's talking here about all those
that's recorded in chapter 11 there. Let us lay aside every
weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, I believe
it's unbelief, and let us run with patience the race that's
set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is
the author, the beginner, the finisher of our faith, who for
the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising
the shame And this statement here is said so many times in
Scripture and is set down at the right hand of the throne
of God, exalted. Saving faith in the faith of
God's elect sets and looks unto the victorious,
seated in throne, conquering king, who knows nothing of defeat,
who is the absolute victor over all things. Saving faith looks
to Christ alone, not to the past, not to my feelings. Remember
what Martin Luther said about feelings. Feelings come, feelings
go. Feelings are deceiving. My want
is a word of God Nothing else is worth believing. Though all
my heart should feel condemned for want of some sweet token,
I know one greater than my heart whose word cannot be broken.
So I'll trust God's unchanging word till soul and body sever.
The words of men will pass away. God's word abides forever." Looking
to Christ, not to the past, Paul said, forgetting those things
which are behind, reaching forth unto those things which are before,
looking to Him. Our Lord said, look unto Me and
be ye saved. All the ends of the earth, I
am God and there is none else. Looking to Christ alone, not
to the past, not to my feelings, certainly not to my feelings,
certainly not to an experience. An experience is not salvation.
Christ is salvation. Salvation is something we experience,
but an experience is not salvation. Not even looking to my faith.
Faith doesn't look to faith. Faith looks to Christ. It's objective,
not subjective, looking unto Christ. This is the saving faith
of God's elect. It's the command of God. He said,
look unto me and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth, I
am God and there's none else. Here's the fifth point. Jesus Christ himself is the only
source, refuge, hope of true joy, true comfort, and true peace. Jesus Christ himself. I want
you to find 2 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. This is 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2. Notice verse 13, first of all.
This is II Thessalonians 2, 13. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit, that's regeneration, which the fruit of that is belief
of the truth, and he uses the means that he has ordained whereunto
he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ." Look at verse 15. Therefore stand
fast and hold the traditions. Now that word actually means
truth. Hold to the truth. Hold to the
truth which you've been taught, whether by word, by preaching,
or by epistle, by precept or preaching. Now, look at verse
16, "...now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself," Jesus Christ Himself,
"...and God, even our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given
us an everlasting consolation and a good hope through grace,
now comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word
and work." How? Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus Christ
Himself. He is our hope. Just right across
the page in 1 Timothy 1, verse 1, Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ,
our hope. We can read it that way. Leave
all the additions out. God our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ,
our hope. He is our hope. Christ himself
is our hope. Christ himself is our hope. He
is our hope, He is our joy. We joy in God, Romans 5-11, we
joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we now have received,
and the word there is atonement, but the actual word is reconciliation. He is our hope, He is our peace,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and He
is our comfort. Jesus Christ Himself. That sums
it all up, does it not? Jesus Christ Himself. Now, I've
got a few minutes, so let's look
at verse 21 in our text. Ephesians 2. In whom all salvation
and all spiritual blessings are all relative to Christ. In whom
all the building Except the Lord build the house, they that labor,
labor in vain. In whom all the building fitly
framed, together, together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord."
This word together, we ran into this earlier in chapter 2 of
Ephesians, you remember? Back over in verse 5, turn over
there. He says in verse 4, "...but God,
who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved
us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us together
with Christ. By grace are you saved." Now
look what he says here, "...raised us up together, made us sit together
in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus." Now back over here in verse 22,
"...in whom all the building fitly framed together." You see,
The Lord God Almighty is the chief architect. He's the master
builder. In whom all the building fitly
framed together groweth. You know why it grows? Because
it's alive. And it's holy. It's a holy temple
because it's His building. In whom in Christ all the building,
His church, His body, fitly framed together groweth. Our Lord said
in Matthew 16, He said unto Peter, Thou art Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. Now, he's not saying he's going
to build the church on Peter. He's talking about preceding,
in those preceding verses, what Peter confessed, Thou art the
Christ. Upon that rock, Christ. I'll build my church in the gates
of hell, shall not prevail against it." 1 Peter 2, you also as living
stone to build up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer
up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Psalm 127, except the Lord build
the house, they labor in vain that build it. Groweth together
in Christ. He is the master builder. He's
the chief architect. He's the foundation, the chief
cornerstone. Believers are knit together in
love in Him. And this building is of a spiritual
nature and it will abide forever. Whatsoever the Lord doeth, it
shall be forever. This building, His church, grows
as He adds to it by calling sinners out of darkness into His marvelous
light. These members, believers in this building, grow in grace.
In faith, in love, and in the knowledge of Him, believers in
Christ Jesus desire the sincere milk of the Word that they might
grow thereby. Verse 22, in whom you also, boy,
as if he could add any more, in whom also you are builded
together for a habitation, a habitation of God. Habitation of God. Every believer are built together,
put together by His purpose and grace where His workmanship made
new creatures in Christ and a fit place, made a fit place for God
the Holy Spirit to dwell and to reside. Christ in you, the
hope of glory. What outstanding mercy and grace
that God would justify us in Christ make us new creatures
in Christ, and then come to live within us, and abide within us,
and reign within us. Christ Himself is a glorious,
Christ Himself in the glorious power of God the Holy Spirit,
He inhabits us, never to depart. He said, Lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the earth. Let your conversation be without
covetousness, and be content with such things as you have,
For he hath said, I'll never leave thee, I'll never forsake
thee, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will
not fear what man can do unto me. He hath said, so that we
may boldly say, and we can boldly say it, without any embarrassment,
that salvation is all of God, salvation is of the Lord in Christ.