Ephesians chapter 1. I want to
mainly use for the message this evening verse 13 and verse 14
of Ephesians chapter 1. We'll read these two verses and
then we'll make some comments, introductory comments. Notice
it says, in whom you also trusted. Trusted. Whom do you trust for
your salvation? It's in a person, a person. The
same as it says in verse 7, in whom we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace. In whom? The apostle said, I
know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able. He is able. to keep all that
I've committed unto Him. He is able, in whom you also
trusted." Trusted. After you heard, you heard the
word of truth. The word of truth. You just didn't
hear words. You heard truth. You heard the
gospel. It's the gospel of your salvation. Now, you know the word gospel
means good news. It's good news. It's the good
news of God's mercy to sinners through and by the Lord Jesus,
the gospel of your salvation. Notice it says again, in whom?
In whom also? After that you believed. Believed who? Him. Trusted who? Him. You see, the preaching of the
gospel is setting forth a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the
preaching of Christ. in Him crucified. The Apostle
said, I'm determined not to know anything among you, but Jesus
Christ in Him crucified. That's our message. Christ, His
person. Christ, His priestly work. How
He obtained eternal redemption for us with His blood in whom. Also, after you believed, you
were sealed. God put His stamp. And that's
what the word means. God put His mark on you. He sealed
you with that Holy Spirit of promise. That Holy Spirit of
promise. Which, verse 14, is the earnest. The earnest of our inheritance.
The earnest. You know, earnest is token or
pledge. The earnest of our inheritance.
We have a glorious inheritance being made heirs of God. The
joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter said it's incorruptible
inheritance, undefiled, it does not fade away, that's reserved
in heaven for you who were kept by the power of God. But we have
the earnest of this inheritance, the token or pledge of this inheritance
until the redemption, until the redemption of the purchased possession.
That word redemption also means deliverance. We have this token
or pledge of our eternal inheritance until the deliverance, the total
complete deliverance and glorification of all the saints in Christ Jesus. This is the purchased possession.
He bought us with His own blood. He says you are no more your
own. You're bought with a price. Bought
with His blood. This is the purchased possession.
And notice this is the third time this phrase is used in verse
14, unto the praise of His glory. It says in Ephesians chapter
1 verse 6, that God the Father chose us, predestinated us, accepted
us to the praise of the glory of His grace. And then it talks
about the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ, how He redeemed
us. He has justified us by His grace,
washed away all our sins, made Himself known unto us, He abounded
toward us, He's given us this eternal inheritance, and notice
in verse 12 it says that we should be to the praise of His glory. That's the bottom line in salvation. God is determined to glorify
Himself in the saving of sinners. God is determined that in salvation
the Lord Jesus Christ, and rightly so, should receive all honor,
blessing, glory, and power, both now and forever. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Now, in verse 13 and verse 14,
I'm going to bring this study, and this is what it's going to
be. A verse-by-verse and word-by-word study in these two verses. Paul
declares unto us in these two verses the means that God has
ordained to apply salvation and to reveal salvation unto His
elect. His sovereign application of
grace to the praise of the glory of His grace in Christ Jesus. Now, we know in reading the Word
of God that in salvation God has done a glorious work of salvation
for us, a justifying work of salvation for us. He justified
us by His blood. The Lord Jesus Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures. No doubt about that. God made
Him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Him. He has done a glorious Marvelous,
sovereign, powerful, justifying work of grace. He's done that
for us. But also, in the Gospel we read
that He is also doing a work of grace in us. We read in Colossians,
Christ in you, the hope of glory. And then we read in that Philippians,
Epistle chapter 1 verse 6, being confident of this very thing,
that God who hath begun a good work in you, He will perfect
it, He will complete it, He will finish it unto His glory, unto
His purpose. Now, in verse 13, there are three
vital necessary things are revealed unto us in the believer's actual
experience of salvation, that which God does within us in conversion
and in regeneration. Pastor Mahan used to always have
this expression when people would ask him different questions about,
and a lot of times the questions along the line is, you know,
when is a man saved? When did I come to know the Lord? And I don't think it's important
at all that we pin down a date, time, and place. I'm not at all
interested in trying to pin that down. But I would have you know
that after you heard the true gospel, God gave you faith to
trust the true and living God. He would always say this. talking
to these people who would question him, he would always say a religious
experience, a religious experience is not salvation. Now you can
have lots of religious experiences, that's not salvation. But he
always would have the flip side to that. Salvation by God's sovereign
saving grace is certainly something we do experience, something we
do partake of. We are by His grace partakers
of a divine nature. That's God doing that regenerating
work of God in the heart. God raising us from the dead,
that's something we certainly do experience. It's the transforming
work of God, translating us out of the kingdom of darkness into
the kingdom of God's dear Son. It's God calling us out of darkness
into His marvelous light. That is something we certainly
do experience, is it not? That's something that God, by
His power and purpose and providence, brings to pass in our life, and
that's something that we do know something about. Now, in verse
13 of Ephesians 1, three vital things. He says here, we've heard
the word of truth, in whom you also trusted. In whom you also
trusted. After you heard the word of truth,
The gospel of your salvation. We've heard, just not preaching,
we've heard true preaching. We've heard the word of truth.
We've heard the gospel of our salvation. The good news of mercy
to beggars. Beggars on that dung hill. God kills and God makes alive. We've heard the truth of the
gospel. We've heard the good news of
mercy to sinners. Couple words here. He says, you
heard, you heard the truth. You see it? In whom you also
trusted after you heard, you heard. Now this hearing is God
given. This hearing is God given. God
must give us eyes to see his glory. God must give us ears
to hear him. God must give us life and salvation. This hearing is God given. Now
all men hear words when a sermon is declared, but some hear with
understanding. Some hear in the power of God
and with the power of God. They just don't hear words, they
hear God speak through His Word, through His servant. I want you
to turn to 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians, and then we'll
go back to Colossians chapter 1. But 1 Thessalonians, This
is not just hearing words audibly. This is hearing with understanding.
This is hearing being blessed of God. I Thessalonians chapter
1 verse 4, Knowing, brethren, beloved,
your election of God. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only. Now, it didn't come that way.
The gospel did come through the preaching of Christ and Him crucified,
but it didn't come in word only. But, there's one of those little
words, but it's a big word in scripture, but also in power. God gave you ears to hear Him
speak. God enlivened His word and He
drove it home to your heart. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power. and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were
among you for your sake, and you became followers of us and
of the Lord, having received the Word, the Word, the message,
in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit. How did they
receive this Word? Find I Thessalonians chapter
2, Luke verse 13. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing, because when you received the word of
God, which you heard of us, God gave us ears to hear. He sent
us a preacher with the truth, with the word, and he gave us
ears to hear. Which you heard of us, you received
it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of
God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe it.
Now, they heard. And God's people love, love the
Word of God, the truth of God. Find Colossians chapter 1. Now
look, look at this verse here. Colossians chapter 1. Our Lord
said, blessed is that man who's been given years to hear him
speak. Colossians chapter 1. Colossians
chapter 1, a little verse 4. Since we heard of your faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, and love what you have to all the
saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof
you heard before in the word..." What did you hear? You heard
the truth of the gospel. The truth of the gospel. Who
God is, who Christ is, how he saved sinners, what he accomplished
in dying for our sins, and which is coming to you. This word,
this truth of the gospel is coming to you as it is in all the world.
He said, and He told us to go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature. And it brings forth fruit as
it doth also in you, since the day you heard it and knew the
grace of God in truth." In truth. You heard. God gave you an interest
and ears to hear Him speak. You heard. Now look back at the
text again. Ephesians 1. And then it says
here, you heard You heard the word of truth. Of truth. You heard the word
of truth. Not the lies of men, but rather
the truth of the gospel as it's revealed in the word. Now here's
some more scripture. Let's find John. John chapter
5. John chapter 5. You heard You
heard God's Word, God's truth, that Word that's quick and powerful,
sharper than any two-edged sword, that Word that's the power of
God unto salvation. John 5, 24, "...verily, verily,
I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him
that sent me, he has life." He has everlasting life, shall not
come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life."
Now find John 6, John chapter 6, verse 44. John 6, verse 44. Our Lord said in John 8, You
shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. Notice
John 6, verse 44. No man can come to Me, except
the Father which sent me draw him, and I'll raise him up at
the last day, as it is written in the prophets, they shall be
all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard, heard what? The word of truth, the gospel
of our salvation, the gospel of your salvation. Every man
therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father, they trust
Christ. Our Lord said, they come unto
me. So you heard. What did you hear? You heard the truth. And then
the third thing he says here, you heard the word of truth. You heard the gospel of your
salvation. Of your salvation. Your salvation. You heard the good news of God's
mercy to sinners in Christ Jesus. This is the gospel that we've
heard. We've heard that's the power of God. Find Romans chapter
1. We'll keep you busy here, turning.
Romans chapter 1, you heard the gospel, the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the true gospel, not another. There's just one
Lord, one faith, and there's one gospel. One gospel, one saving
message. Romans 1, look at verse 15, for
as much as in me is, I'm ready, oh, I'm ready. I'm ready to preach
the gospel. What is the gospel? Romans 1
verse 1 turn over there just a minute Romans 1 1 the gospel
Paul said that he was separated unto the gospel of God It's God's
gospel and then in Romans chapter 1 verse 3 concerning his son
Jesus Christ our Lord who was made of the seed of David according
to the flesh and declared determined to be the Son of God with power
and According the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the
dead that gospel He says verse 15 for as much as in me is I'm
ready to preach that gospel The gospel to you that at Rome also
for I'm not ashamed I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ For it's
the power of God unto salvation everyone who believes to the
Jew and also to the Greek and Therein is the righteousness
of God revealed in that gospel. The righteousness that's of God. Of God. It's by His doing, His
dying, His performance. Not mine. His. This is the righteousness
that's of God that's provided in the gospel. Therein is the
righteousness of God. That's a key statement all the
way through the book of Romans. The righteousness that's of Him.
That is, it originates with Him. It is from Him. The righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the
justified or the just shall live by faith. Or we can read it this
way, the justified live in Christ, by Christ, through the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that the Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners. So, back to the text, Ephesians
1 verse 13. You see, you just didn't hear
some man popping off. You heard the truth. You heard
the Word of God. You heard the Gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And it became the Gospel, the
Good News of your salvation. Of your salvation. I tell you,
I rejoice in the salvation of others. I was telling my wife
on the way up this morning about a young couple, actually the
grandson of Pastor Henry Mahan. recently was converted and confessed
Christ in baptism. And oh, I rejoice. I rejoice
in that young man's salvation. But I rejoice in his salvation,
but I, my friend, I also rejoice in my salvation. My salvation. It's the gospel of my salvation. He saved me by his grace. I rejoice
with you in your salvation, but my friend, I do rejoice that
God had mercy on me, the sinner. I can say with the Apostle, O
wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of
death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Oh, we heard
the gospel of our salvation. Now, the second point in this
message goes like this. We by His grace have believed
the gospel, the truth. Notice it says here, in whom
you also trusted, in whom you also hoped in, in whom you also
trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, in whom you also believed, you trusted, you hoped in Him,
Christ. You trusted Him. You hoped in
Him. Believing is not the cause of
salvation. It's the fruit of it. Salvation
is a gift of God. Our faith does not accomplish
salvation. Our faith, true saving faith,
acknowledges that Christ accomplished our salvation, and by faith we
receive Him as everything. in salvation. Believing is not
the cause of our salvation, it's the fruit of it. The fruit of
it. Faith is the gift of God. It's not of works, lest any man
should bow. Faith, it says in John 5, 29,
faith is the work of God. This is the work of God, that
you believe on Him. Now find the book of Acts chapter
13. You have years to hear Him and
faith to rest in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's because God gave
you life through the Gospel. Acts 13, verse 38, "...Be it
known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this
man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him
all that believe are justified from all things which you could
not be justified by the law of Moses." The faith of God's elect,
it says this in scripture, I'm not making this up. The faith
of God's elect, Titus 1.1, the faith of God's elect, what does
it do? Like true saving repentance,
true repentance acknowledges the truth and the faith of God's
elect acknowledges the truth, the truth. You see, you heard
the gospel and God gave you the gift of life, the gift of faith,
and it caused you to believe Him and rest in Him. Now I want you to find II Thessalonians
and look at this scripture here. II Thessalonians chapter 13.
You heard the word, and after you heard the word of truth,
you trusted Him. You believed Him. You rest in
Him. Why? God gave you ears. God gave
you life to trust Him. Now look at this scripture here.
II Thessalonians 2, 13. We are bound to give thanks. 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, through sanctification of the
Spirit. That's the work of the Spirit
in us. That's the work of regenerating
grace in us. And the fruit of that is belief
of the truth. Now watch this, whereunto he
called you, how did he call you? By the gospel. by the gospel,
the good news of salvation in Him, to the obtaining of the
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. It says down there in verse 16,
"...now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father,
who hath loved us, and has given us an everlasting consolation
and a good hope through His grace." Through His grace. Oh, the preaching, the preaching
of the gospel. How necessary it is to preach
this message and to preach this truth, whereunto He called you
by our gospel. Now, I put this statement or
this article in the bulletin this week by an old preacher,
way back in the 1600s, John Flavel. I don't know if you have his
works. I have all of his, well, I have six volumes of his works.
John Flable, way back, way back, 1600s. He was born early 1600s. But talking about the Word being
preached and the necessity of God using that message in the
preaching of the gospel. He said, the Word preached is
God's ordained, appointed means to give spiritual life to his
people. You hath he quickened who were
dead. Of his own will begat he us,
us with the word of truth." The word of truth. Now, I want you
to find I Peter chapter 1. See, you trusted after you heard
the word of truth. The necessity of preaching the
gospel. Now, our Lord clearly throughout
The Word instructed us to go preach the Gospel. Go preach
to every creature. Go preach the Gospel. It doesn't
matter to whom. It matters whom we preach, but
it doesn't matter to whom we preach. Go preach to every creature. And God uses that preached Word,
blessed by His Spirit, to call, convert, and to quicken His covenant
people. He calls us with the Gospel.
Now notice I Peter 1. I Peter 1, verse 23, being born
again. Oh, our Lord said you must be
born again. You must be born again. Except
you're born again, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Except you're born again, you cannot see. being born again
not of a corruptible seed, now that's how we were begotten in
Adam, with that corruptible seed, but of an incorruptible seed,
the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever. For all
flesh is grass, and the glory of man is the flower of grass.
The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falls away. But,
but the Word of the Lord, endures forever." And this is a written
word, it's the preached word, it's the living word, the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's our message, Christ. But
the word of the Lord endures forever, and this is the word
which by the gospel is preached unto you. It's preached unto
you. Now, God, I wouldn't, now listen to this statement, and
don't misunderstand me. The apostle said, God has given
us this treasure. We have the treasure of the gospel,
but it's in a clay pot. It's in an earthen vessel. That
the excellency of the power of the gospel may be of God and
not of us. We have this message of the gospel. God has given us this message
and this truth to declare, but we do not glory in the vessel,
we glory in the Christ of God, the message of the gospel. Now,
I would not make much of the preacher, especially this one,
but I would make much of the means that God has ordained the
preaching of the gospel and the calling out of His sheep. He said, My sheep hear My voice,
I know them, and they do follow, follow Me. That's what we read
earlier in Romans 10. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call
on Him in whom they've not believed? And how shall they believe in
Him in whom they've not heard? How shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall he preach, except he be sent?" The sin of
God. The Apostle, his last, the Apostle
Paul, his last letter that God gave him, and it was addressed
to a young preacher, Timothy, right? And the last chapter of
that last epistle, it says this, I charge you before God and the
Lord Jesus Christ, to go and preach the Word. Preach the Word,
be in season, out of season, it doesn't matter what season
it is. But you go and preach the gospel to everyone, to everyone. Go and preach the gospel now,
the gospel. Now, back to the text, Ephesians
chapter 1, "...in whom you also trusted after you heard the true
gospel." God doesn't say with lies. He saves with truth. God doesn't save with tradition,
ceremony. God saves with truth of His own
will. He asks with the word of truth,
as I quoted earlier, in whom you also trusted after you heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also
after you believed, believed by grace, you were sealed. You were sealed. Now, here's
the third thing. You were sealed with the Holy Spirit. Notice,
and I read over that word. You were sealed with that Holy
Spirit. That Holy Spirit of promise.
Remember our Lord said to His disciples, when He, the Holy
Spirit of truth is come, He will take the word and reveal Christ
unto your heart. with that Holy Spirit, that Holy
Spirit that was promised by the Lord Jesus. That's who he's talking
about. Here's the third thing. We were
sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise or the promise of the
Holy Spirit. Now, stay right here and find
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30. Ephesians 4 verse 30. Grieve
not the Holy Spirit, grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby you
are sealed unto the day of deliverance, unto the day of redemption. sealed
with the Holy Spirit of promise. Now, it says in Romans 5, 5,
"...hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts." How is the love of God shed abroad in
our hearts? How do we know anything about it? The love of God is
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given
unto us, given unto us. Now, this word here, sealed,
look it up, simply means to set a seal on one as a mark or as
a stamp. God put His stamp upon His people. He put His ownership upon His
people. He had branded His people. They're
branded in the foot, the hand, and the ear. They're branded.
They follow Him, they hear Him, and they receive Him. He puts
His mark of ownership upon Him. God the Holy Spirit puts this
mark upon us, which bears a continual witness in our heart by exalting
the Lord Jesus Christ within us, confirming and assuring believers
of our right entitled to all of salvation in Christ Jesus
alone, in Christ. Now here's another scripture
on that if you find II Corinthians, II Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 20. For all the promises
of God in him are yes, and in him, amen, all the promises of
God. of salvation, mercy, pardon,
forgiveness are in Christ Jesus and they're yes, they're in Him,
amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now He which established
us with you in Christ and hath anointed us with God is God who
also has sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in
our hearts. Christ in you, the hope of glory. If any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, Romans 8, 9, he is none of His. Now find Romans
8, verse 14. Romans chapter 8, verse 14. He has given us that Holy Spirit
in our heart, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Romans
8, notice verse 14. For as many as be led by the
Spirit of God, They are the sons of God. For you've not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you've received the
spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father, the Spirit
himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are children
of God. And if children, then heirs of
God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified together in him, with him. Now, back to our text, Ephesians
chapter 1, and let me give you this last verse of our study
here, verse 14. He sealed us with the Holy Spirit
of promise, that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest
token or pledge, is what that word means, of our eternal inheritance
until the redemption or to the deliverance of the purchased
possession. He bought us unto the praise
of His glory. The praise of His glory. Now,
what does earnest mean here? We've all experienced this, I
believe, to some extent or another in natural things, in carnal
things. Earnest is the first installment
payment as a pledge that the rest will follow. Maybe when
you were younger, you went out and looked at a house and you
told the real estate agent that you were interested in that house
and you put down a earnest, you put down some earnest money,
a token or pledge that signifying that you intend to purchase the
whole and that you intend to have the whole. That's what he's
saying here. That's what he's saying. We have given to us God the Holy
Spirit indwelling in us in anticipation of the full possession of our
eternal inhabitants in Christ Jesus in resurrection glory. And that's what he's talking
about there in that verse 14. Until the purchase, until the
deliverance of the purchased possession. He's talking about
resurrection and final glory in Christ Jesus. Verse Romans
8, 23 declares this, "...not only they, but ourselves also,
which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we grown within
ourselves, waiting for the adoption to wit, the redemption of our
body." The redemption of our body. You see, we have this earnest,
this token, this pledge. dwelling in us, the Holy Spirit,
and it's a token and pledge of our eternal inheritance until
we completely receive it totally, finally, and fully in eternal
glory in Christ Jesus. Until the redemption, the deliverance
of that purchased possession or His peculiar people. The church
bought with His blood, and this is referring to that resurrection
morning. I want you to find 1 Corinthians
15, until the redemption, the total glorification of that purchased
body, believers that he bought with his own blood, when we will
be in that glorious resurrection morning, totally delivered, body,
soul, and spirit, when this mortal shall put on immortality and
this corruptible shall put on incorruption, then we'll sing
this, 1 Corinthians 15, Let's start with verse 54. So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
death is swallowed up. It's victory. O death, where
is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin. The
strength of sin is the law. He put away our sin. He honored
the law. Verse 57, thanks be unto God
who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him. It's always by Him,
through Him, and in Him. Always in Him. All these things,
the last part of verse 14, unto the praise of His glory. All these things are working
according to His sovereign will and purpose, to the praise of
His glory. Chosen to the praise of His glories,
redeemed to the praise of His glory, hearing, believing, being
sealed, resurrected, all to the praise of His glory. That's the
good news of the gospel. That's what He has taught us
by His Spirit through His Word. through His truth, through His
gospel. Well, Lord willing, next week
we'll pick up with verse 15 and we'll continue