2 Thessalonians chapter 2. You got it there? 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2. And the title of this message
is, Seven Unforgettable Gifts. He said, we are bound to give
thanks. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren. Believers are under obligation
unto God. to thank Him for all that we
are, all that we have, all that we know, all that we will be
someday in His glory, in His presence. We are bound to give
thanks when? Always, always to God for His
people and for all blessing He has given unto us. We are bound,
we are bound, obligated to give thanks unto God. Now the apostle
having given such a strong warning about rejecting and disbelieving
the gospel, as he begins to write about in verse 10, they who receive
not the love of the truth that they might be saved, you see
that? And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions
that they should believe a lie, that they might All might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Now that's a strong warning about those who would reject the gospel
of God's grace. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. He that believeth not the Son,
the wrath of God abides on him. He gives a strong warning about
rejecting the gospel of God's grace. Now in verse 13, see this
little word, B-U-T. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you." Now, he encourages believers with
a strong word of comfort in Christ Jesus. Those who are loved of
God, chosen of God, called of God, will hear the gospel. He said, my sheep, they'll hear
it. They will believe the gospel. They will embrace the truth.
They will persevere in faith to the glory of God. You see,
we are kept by the power of God. Did you remember this verse we
read in the beginning in chapter 1, verse 12, that the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in Him
and it's all according to what? According to His grace. According
to the grace of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation
from first to last is all of grace and grace alone. You see, the Word of God gives
both warnings, warnings, hedges us about with warnings lest we
presume. We are to examine ourselves whether
we be in the faith. Warnings lest we presume, but
it also hedges us about with these great and precious promises
lest we despair of any comfort and grace in Christ Jesus. Seven unspeakable gifts. Paul writes about this in II
Corinthians 9.15. He says, ìThanks be unto God
for that unspeakable gift of His grace.î We know the wages
of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. And believers are bound to give
thanks always to God. Always to God. We are bound. Look back in chapter 1 again.
Look at verse 3. 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 3, ìWe
are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet
fit, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the
love, the charity, the love of every one of you all toward each
other aboundeth.î We are bound to give thanks. That love that
we have one to another is the gift of His grace, the gift of
love, of His love to us. He said, ìBy this shall all men
know that you are my people, that you love one another.î Now,
go up to chapter 5 there in 1 Thessalonians, talking about giving thanks unto
God for these blessings we have in Christ. He says in 1 Thessalonians
chapter 5, verse 17, ìPray without ceasing.î Verse 16 says, ìRejoice
evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything
give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning
you.î In everything. We are to give thanks unto our
great and glorious God. Now turn back to chapter 2 in
1 Thessalonians chapter 2. Talking about giving thanks unto
God. We are bound, obligated to thank
Him for all spiritual blessing. Notice this in 1 Thessalonians
2 verse 13. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing because when you When you received the word
of God which you heard of us, you received it not as a word
of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually
worketh also in you that believe. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing." You see, we're bound to give thanks unto
God. Now turn back to chapter 1, in
1 Thessalonians chapter 1, he uses this phrase again. Verse
2, we give thanks to God always for you all. making mention of
you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of
faith, labor of love, patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
in the sight of God our Father. We are bound to give thanks to
God always for all blessings that he has showered upon us
abundantly who has made us to differ from another. Why didn't
He leave us in our darkness, in deadness, in idolatry? He is the One who has made us
to differ. He called us out of darkness
and into His marvelous light. Therefore, believers do give
thanks unto our God. That's why He says we are bound
to give thanks always to God. Now, He mentions seven, seven
unspeakable, unspeakable, unforgettable things. Number one is this, down
in verse 13. We are bound to give thanks for
His love to us. For His love to us. Look what
he says there. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. We are bound to
give thanks unto God for His love toward us. You see, we love
Him only because He first loved us. This love of God, as it's
described in the Scripture, is a sovereign love. Turn back to
Romans 9. It's a sovereign love. You see, the love of God is like
Himself. Holy love. The love of God is
like Himself. Sovereign, distinguishing love.
Sovereign love. Hail, sovereign love that first
began, remember that song, the scheme to rescue the fallen man. This is Romans 9, verse 11, for
the children, being not yet born, neither 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, Esau have I hated. That sovereign, distinguishing
love of God that is manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ. So
this love of God, that's why we give thanks unto God for His
love that's sovereign love, holy love. Something else about this
love, it's everlasting love. He loved His people with an everlasting
love. It's covenant love, it's covenant
mercy based upon that covenant. Having loved His own, He loved
them to the end. It's an everlasting love from
old eternity to future eternity. He'll never stop loving His people
in Christ Jesus. Something else about this love
of God, we can certainly say this, it's undeserved. We don't
deserve His favor. We don't deserve His mercy. It's
undeserved love. God commended His love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the
ungodly. Oh, we thank God for His love
to us. Something else about this love
of God toward His people, we certainly know it's sacrificial
love, don't we? John writes about that when he
writes about the love of God in his epistle, 1st John and
2nd John, 3rd John. He writes a lot about this love
of God. And he writes about distinguishing that love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He said, herein is love. You want to really know what
love's about? Here it is. Herein is love, not that we love
God, but that He loved us. And He sent His Son to be the
propitiation, the satisfying mercy, the sacrifice. to put
away our sin. It certainly is sacrificial love,
isn't it? Christ redeemed us from the curse
of the law being made a curse for us. And this love of God
we know for certain and sure. Look down at verse 16. This love
of God is in the Lord Jesus. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
and God even our Father who hath loved us. He has loved us everlastingly. And it's love of God. When Paul
writes about this love of God in Romans chapter 8, and he talks
about nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's where the love of God
is manifested and revealed and known, in Christ Jesus. Everything
outside of Christ, God is a consuming fire. God is holy. The love and
mercy of God is found in that person, in the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself. Oh, we are bound to give thanks
to God for that love of God, wherewith He loved us. Now, you think about that. Distinguishing
sovereign mercy upon the ungodly for Christ's sake. We give thanks
unto God. Secondly, we are bound to give
thanks for His salvation, for His salvation. We are bound to
give thanks always to God for His salvation and His electing
grace. Look what it says right there.
in verse 13. Beloved of the Lord, this is
the love of God. Brethren, he said, because God
hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Now who did the choosing here?
It says there that God hath from the beginning. When is the beginning? In the beginning, God. That choice
that He made of His people, unconditional election we call it, is from
the beginning, God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Oh, we are bound to give thanks
to God. You remember Psalm 65, Blessed is the man whom thou
hast chosen, whom God has chosen, and causes him to approach unto
Him through Christ Jesus. Our Lord said to His disciples,
you didn't choose me, but I've chosen you. Oh, we thank God
for this sovereign electing love. Now, three things or four things
we know about this love or this electing love in Christ is absolute. It's absolute and unconditional.
God does not change. He doesn't fall in and out of
love with His people. And He doesn't elect us and then
unelect us. He said, I am the Lord. He does
not change. I am the Lord, I change not.
Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. It's an absolute
election. It says there that God hath chosen
you. It's already done. God hath chosen
you. It's an absolute election. Not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but it's God that shows mercy. My friend, if you ever see yourself
as a vile, wretched, guilty sinner, you'll thank God for His sovereign
electing love in Christ Jesus. It's absolute, God has chosen.
Something else, it's eternal, from the beginning. It says there,
God has from the beginning chosen you. Now, are you familiar with
this scripture, I hope? Turn back to Ephesians chapter
1. We know who did the choosing, God did. When did He make that
choice of His covenant people? Well, from the beginning. Ephesians
chapter 1, look what it says, verse 3, Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, heavenly things,
spiritual things in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy. He didn't
choose us because we were holy. He chose us that we might be
holy in Christ, without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of whose will? His will. And it's all to the praise of
His glory, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in
the Lord Jesus. It's an absolute election. It's
an eternal election. Something else is personal. Look
back at the text again. God has chosen you. It's personal. Now oftentimes when you read
Ephesians chapter 1 or a text like this or others, Some who
do not believe the gospel will say, well, you know, he's just
talking about a plan or a church or a certain group of people.
No, he's talking about individuals. God had chosen you from the beginning. You see, it's personal. God had
chosen you. Now, turn back to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 1 and look at this Scripture here. We just read this a moment
ago about giving thanks. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Look
at verse 4. Knowing, brethren, beloved, your
election of God. He gets right personal. Your
election of God. Well, how do I know anything
about God choosing me? Well, He describes how we know.
Look at verse 5. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. And it came with much assurance
of faith. As you know what manner of men
we were among you for your sake, and you became followers of us
unto the Lord, having received the word in much affliction,
but with joy." With joy. God hath chosen a people. It's
absolute, it's eternal, it's personal, and my friend, know
this for sure, it is in Christ. He is the elect. What is election
all about? Christ. He is the elect. Isaiah 42, 1, the first time
that word's ever used in Scripture. When God said, Behold My servant,
My elect, and whom My soul delights. You see, we're chosen in Him.
He is the elect. He is the head. We are chosen
in Him. We are the body of that head. So it's in Christ Jesus. Our
Lord said, All that the Father hath given to Me, they will come
to Me. and I will in no wise cast them
out." So we give thanks unto God for His electing grace, do
we not? Had He not chosen me, I would
never have chosen Him. Would you? No, not at all. I
would have been religious and still lost. But had God not chosen
me and distinguished me and loved me, I never would have believed
Him. I never would have loved Him. I never would have called
on Him for mercy. God be merciful to me, this sinner. I never would have called out
had he not called me first. So we give thanks unto God. We
are bound to give thanks. Here's the third thing. We are
bound to give thanks for His salvation. Look in the text again,
verse 13. We are bound to give thanks because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through, through
the means He has ordained, sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth. What does election lead to? Believing
the truth, the sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit. We are
bound to give thanks for His salvation. It's always determined,
dependent, accomplished, and applied by God's determinate
will. Of His own will beget He us with
the word of truth. He works all things after the
counsel of His own will through the praise of His glory. Salvation
is of the Lord. God who hath begun a good work
in you, you reckon He'll complete it? He never starts without completing
His work. When God begins a work in you,
He will complete it, He will finish it until the day He takes
us home to glory. And it's finally done, it's finally
complete. Look what it says there, He's
chosen you to salvation. Now who is salvation? Salvation
is in a person. He is the Savior. Salvation is
in Him. But it's through... How do we
know anything about that? It's through the sanctifying
work of the Holy Spirit which leads us to believe the truth. The truth. It's through the means
that He has ordained. What is this sanctification of
the Spirit? Well, it's conviction of sin. It's quickening. It's
regeneration. Turn, if you will, to John chapter
16. This is the work of the Holy
Spirit. in the hearts of His people. He quickens us, regenerates
us, makes us new creatures in Christ. He gives us a love for
Him that by nature we do not have. John chapter 16, look what
he says right here. When He, the Spirit, when He
has come, the Spirit of truth, He will reprove the world of
sin and of righteousness and of judgment, of sin because they
believe not on Me. of righteousness, because I go
to my Father, and you see me no more, of judgment, because
the prince of this world is judge." Look at verse 13, "...howbeit
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth. For he shall not speak of himself,
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will
show you things to come. He will glorify me, for he shall
receive of mine and show it unto you." All things that the Father
hath are mine, therefore said I, He shall take of mine and
show that unto you, reveal that unto you." This is a sanctifying
work of the Holy Spirit. He convicts us and reveals, He
convicts and shows us what we are and what Christ has done
for us. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter
1, 1 Corinthians chapter 1, the sanctification of the Spirit.
When He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will convict of
sin. I can't convict any person of sin. I can tell them they're
sinful. I can tell them they're guilty. But it's God, the Holy
Spirit, that works in the hearts of His people and shows us what
we are and convicts us of our sin that's against God. And then
He reveals unto us the remedy. And that remedy is Christ. Look
what He says right here. This is 1 Corinthians chapter
2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Look at verse 7, But we speak
the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which
God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of
the princes of this world knew. For had they known it, they would
not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written,
I hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into
the heart of man. The thing which God hath prepared for them that
love Him, but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For
the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. Look at verse 14. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God. For they are foolishest unto
him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. What I'm saying is this. It takes
God to reveal God. It takes God the Holy Spirit
to reveal the truth of the Gospel, to convict us of our sin, and
to reveal unto us the remedy in Christ Jesus. Christ and Him
crucified. Sanctification of the Spirit
and it leads to, look what it leads to, belief of the truth.
Belief of the truth. Belief of the truth. You see,
this is a fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, meekness, temperance, faith. Where did that faith come
from? It's not native to this heart.
It's the gift of God. Belief of the truth. This is
the faith of God's elect. Whosoever that believeth that
Jesus is the Christ, he is born of God. Now listen to me. Now
this is crucial because this whole religious world has turned
this thing of regeneration and new birth on its head. Faith
is the fruit of the new birth, not the cause. Not the cause. I don't believe to be born. I
believe because I have been begotten of God. You see, faith is the
result and the fruit of life. When you're begotten of God,
you believe what? Him. Believe the truth as it
is in Christ Jesus. You see, this is the faith of
God's elect. Turn just a few pages over to Titus 1. Titus
1. Titus 1. The faith of God's elect, Titus
1, 1, Paul a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging
of the truth." True faith loves the truth as it is in Christ
Jesus. Which is after godliness. It
glorifies God. The faith of God's elect loves
the truth, believes the truth, preaches the truth. Here's the
fourth thing we give thanks for. Look back to the text again.
Sanctification of the Spirit. Belief of the truth. Look at
verse 14. We give thanks for this. Whereunto
He called you. He called you by our gospel to
the obtaining, the acquiring of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Christ in you is a hope of We
are bound to give thanks for the sovereign call of the gospel. God is more than a mighty orator
beseeching men. He's a mighty operator quickening
the hearts of dead men to life in Christ Jesus. We are bound
to give thanks for this sovereign call of God. This is that effectual,
irresistible, conquering call of God with the gospel of God. Let's turn to a few scriptures.
Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter
8. This call of God. This is the
irresistible, effectual call of God. It's a conquering call,
my friend. That's why we don't stand down
front after the end of a service and sing so many verses of a
particular song and ask folks to come forward and make a decision.
Salvation is not down here. Salvation is in a person. You
can make all the decisions you want. But until God calls you
and quickens you and gives you life, you're not saved. Salvation
is something God does for us and in us by His sovereign purpose. This is a call of God with the
Gospel, the Word of Truth. Look what it says in Romans 8,
verse 28. And we know that all things work
together for good. to them that love God, to them
who are Thee called according to His purpose. We're called
by His purpose. What is that purpose? What is
God's purpose? It's the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. His purpose. For whom He did
foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called. And whom
He called, then He also justified. And whom He justified, then He
also glorified." God calls His people irresistibly, effectually
with the gospel. Let me give you an example of
this. Turn to Galatians chapter 1. Galatians 1. When will a man be saved? Look
what it says right here in Galatians 1. Galatians 1.15. But when it
pleased God, Here is old Saul of Tarsus talking about everything
he was in religion. He says in verse 13, Galatians
1, "...you have heard of my conversation in time past, my conduct in the
Jews' religion." Oh, he was a successful Pharisee. How that beyond measure,
I persecuted the church of God and wasted it. He killed believers. and profited in the Jews' religion
above many my equals, being in my own nation, being more exceedingly
zealous of the tradition of my fathers. But when it pleased
God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by
His grace to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among
the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." You
see, this is that conquering call of God. You can read about
it in Acts chapter 8, when old Saul of Tarsus was on his way
to Damascus to bind believers and throw them in prison and
have them executed for believing the gospel. And God arrested
him. God put him in the dust. As my
pastor used to say, God unhorsed him. Put him in the dust. And he cried out, Lord, what
will you have me to do? I'm your servant." It's the conquering
call. It's a holy calling. Turn to
II Timothy 1.9. It's a holy calling. It's a heavenly
calling. It's a high calling. It's a holy
calling. It's a calling out of darkness
unto light in Christ Jesus. Look what it says here in II
Timothy 1.9. It's God who saved us. Now, who saved you? We say, well, God saved me. Well,
let me ask you this then. Did He do it on purpose? Or was
it an accident? God doesn't do anything by accident. Everything He does, He does on
purpose. It's God who saved us and called us with a holy calling. Not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace, given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began. That's a powerful verse. One
of my favorite verses. I think I quote it every time
I preach. It's a sovereign call, it's a holy calling, and this
calling is out of darkness unto light, unto Christ. Oh, every one that thirsty, our
Lord said, come to me and drink. Come to me and drink. And He
does this with the gospel. Did you notice that back in our
text? Where unto He called you by our gospel. He called you
with the good news to this end, to the obtaining of the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's a sovereign call. It's a
holy calling. It's unto Christ. And my friend,
it's a personal call. Look what it says in verse 14.
He called you. He called you by our gospel.
Now you can go all through the record of Scripture. God called
Abraham. His name was Abram. In idolatry,
God called him. Said, Abraham, get out! Abraham
believed God. He went out. He went out. You
remember the call of the Lord to Matthew, the tax collector.
He said, Matthew, follow me. To that of Zacchaeus, who was
another chief of the tax collectors, the publicans. He was up that
tree, wanting to see the Lord as he walked by. And the Lord
walked under that tree and looked up and said, Zacchaeus, make
Hasten come down, for today I must abide at your house. You know
what he did? Did he resist that call? No,
he came down. That's a personal, powerful call
of God. And that's what he does with
the gospel by the Spirit of God. How about Lazarus, dead, four
days. His sister said, Lord, you don't want to take that stone
off. He stinks by now. And the Lord walked in front
of that tomb and said, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead
came forth. That's the irresistible, effectual
call of God. He called you by our gospel to
the obtaining." Now don't miss this. To the obtaining. To the
acquiring of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, what a
call. Oh, we're bound to give thanks
for this call of God. What is this glory of the Lord
Jesus? Turn back here to John 17. John 17. John 17. To the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now you know this prayer. John
17 is a prayer of our Lord as our mediator. He's praying for
His covenant people, all that God had given Him. It says in
verse 22, "...and the glory which Thou hast given me, I have given
them, that they may be one, even as we are one." The glory which
You've given me, I've given it to them. The glory of His mercy,
the glory of His grace, the glory of His love. Christ Jesus. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, because God has called you with the gospel. Now, turn back to the text. Look
at verse 15. We are bound to give thanks unto
God always for you. Look what it says in verse 15.
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, stand fast, hold to the truth. That word there is precept. Precepts
of God. Hold to the truth. which you
have been taught." Believers have been taught of God. Taught
of God, whether by word, whether by preaching, or whether by the
written word. They have been taught of God. Turn back to John
6 this time. You remember this scripture in
John 6? See, we give thanks that God Almighty is the teacher.
We preach and we preach, but He's the teacher. And when he
teaches the lesson, he is the teacher, and you know what? He
is the lesson. He's the lesson. John chapter
6, look at verse 44. No man can come to me except
the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I'll raise him
up at the last day. It is written in the prophets,
and they shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore that
hath heard and learned of the Father, they come to me. They come to me. We give thanks
that we have been taught of God. We have been taught who God is.
We have been taught who we are. He's given us an understanding
that we might know Him that is true. And He has taught us that
salvation is by grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, the
Word of God alone to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the lesson He teaches. Salvation is of Him and salvation
is in Him to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, and we
are bound to give thanks. Aren't you glad that God taught
you the gospel and revealed Himself to your heart? Oh, we are bound
to give thanks always to God. Well, look at verse 16. We are
bound to give thanks for this everlasting comfort we have in
Christ. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
and God, even our Father who had loved us, He's given us everlasting
comfort. That's what that is, comfort.
Comfort, comfort, you my people. And a good hope through grace.
What is this everlasting comfort and where does it arrive from?
Turn to Isaiah 40. Isaiah 40, we are always bound
to give thanks for this everlasting comfort, assurance that God gives
us in Christ Jesus. And it arises from this, knowing
our sin has been dealt with. Remember what we read in Psalm
103? He hath not dealt with us after our sin, but has given
us mercy. He has separated our sin from
us as far as the east is from the west. Look what it says here
in Isaiah 40 verse 1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
sayeth your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
crying to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned. For she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sin. My sin is gone. The warfare is over. The battle
is done. Our Lord said it is finished.
That gives this sinner comfort. Comfort. She has received of
the Lord's hand double for all her sin. Full payment. Paid in
full. Stamped on my debt. Paid in full. That gives me everlasting
comfort in Christ Jesus. Look back to the text again.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God even our Father who had
loved us, He's given us an everlasting consolation. You know everything
He does for His people is eternal? Now you think about that. He said, I give my sheep what?
Eternal life and they'll never perish. He said, I obtained for
them, in Isaiah 45, I've given to them everlasting salvation. It says in Hebrews 9, 12, He's
obtained for us eternal redemption. See everything He does for us.
It's not temporary. It's eternal. He's given us an
everlasting comfort. And then He's given us an everlasting
good hope. It's a good hope. It's not a
wishy-washy. It's not a maybe. It's not if
I do, He will. If I take the first step, then
God. No, no. It's a good hope. It's a good
hope. It's an everlasting hope. It's
a good hope through His grace, not my obedience, not my works,
but His grace. You see, it all boils down to
this. You condense it all down. Salvation
is all of God, God and His sovereign mercy, His sovereign grace. It's
a good hope through grace. Good hope through grace. It is
Christ in you, the hope of glory. It's a blessed hope. And my friend,
it's a living hope. Turn to 1 Peter. It's a living
hope. It's a living hope. It's what
it says here in 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1, 3, Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His
abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively, living
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance,
incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in
heaven for you, for it kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." We have a
living hope. It is a good hope. It is a blessed
hope. It is Christ. Now look back to
the text again and find right next to it 1 Timothy 1. 1 Timothy
chapter 1 and look what it says in verse 1, right across the
page from where we're studying. 1 Timothy 1.1, look what it says,
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our
Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, and notice the two words there,
which is? They've been added. Let's read it this way. Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior,
Lord Jesus Christ, our hope. You see, he's all our hope. He's
all our hope. And it's a good hope, my friend.
It is a good hope through grace by the sovereign grace of God
alone being justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. You see, we're bound to give
thanks always to God for this everlasting comfort, everlasting
good hope we have in Christ. Here's the last one. Now comfort
your hearts, verse 17, and establish you in every good word and Look
down just in the next chapter, verse 3. But the Lord is faithful
who shall establish you and keep you from evil. We're kept by
His power. We are bound always to give thanks
to God because He does establish His people steadfast in the faith. He does establish us. Stand fast
in the liberty wherewith Christ has set us free. He establishes
upon what Foundation. Upon what ground are believers
established? Upon my profession? Upon my membership? Upon my baptism? Is that the
foundation upon which we are established and rooted and grounded?
Not at all. It has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with
Christ and Him alone. Now let me show you a Scripture
here. Turn to I Peter again. I Peter 1. This is 1 Peter 2
I want. 1 Peter chapter 2. You see, He
does establish us. He does establish us. You see,
the faith of God's elect has a foundation. It's the Word of
God. And the faith of God's elect has an object. What's the object
of faith? Christ! Christ alone. Look what it says right here.
He does establish us. This is 1 Peter 2. Look at verse 5. as living stones are built up
a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore, also it is contained
in the Scripture, this is from Isaiah 28, Behold, I lay in Zion
a chief cornerstone, elect, he is the elect, precious, he that
believeth on him shall not be confounded. This is the foundation
that God has laid upon which we shall never be confounded,
never be forced to flee from that foundation He has established. He establishes us in Christ Jesus. Now, turn to Psalm 65 and look
at this. Psalm 62 I want. You see, to
move the believer, because God has established us upon that
foundation which is Christ. To move the believer, you know
what you have to do? You've got to move the foundation.
The believer is fastened to that foundation. And to move the believer,
you've got to move the foundation. That's not going to happen. You
see, we give thanks. He establishes us. We're rooted
and grounded in Christ Jesus. Look at what he says right here.
Psalm 62. Look at verse 5. My soul wait
thou only upon God, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock. He's my foundation. He's my salvation. He's my defense. I shall not
be moved. And God is my salvation, my glory,
the rock of my strength. He's my salvation. He's my glory.
He's the rock of my strength. He's my refuge. It's in Him. Trust in Him at all times, you
people. Pour out your heart before Him. God is our refuge. You see, we're established in
Him. We give thanks that He has established us. Rooted and grounded,
He has established us by His sovereign grace in Christ. One more scripture, 1 Thessalonians
3, verse 12. 1 Thessalonians 3, verse 12. Talking about giving
thanks for God establishing us. on that rock of ages, the Lord
Jesus. This is I Thessalonians chapter
3 verse 12. And the Lord make you to increase,
the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward
another, toward all men, even as we do toward you. To the end,
He may establish your hearts. Now look at this. Establish your
heart unblameable in holiness before God. even the Father at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. But we're established
in the Lord Jesus Christ and in Christ Jesus we stand before
God holy, unblameable. Look right back at Colossians
chapter 1. He establishes us in holiness. And whose holiness is he talking
about? That holiness provided, that righteousness that justifies
us in Christ Jesus. He is my holiness. Richard, you
believe in sanctification? Yeah. Christ is my sanctification. It says that in 1 Corinthians
chapter 1, doesn't it, Jerry? But of Him are you in Christ,
who of God has made on us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
holiness and redemption. It's all of it. To Him be the
glory for now, both now and forever. Now, Colossians chapter 1, look
what it says right here, verse 19. For it pleased the Father
that in Him should all fullness dwell, having made peace through
the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto
Himself. By Him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things
in heaven, and you that were sometimes alienated, enemies
in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in
the body of His flesh through death to present you holy, unblameable,
unreprovable in God's sight." Boy, I tell you, that's being
established. That's being established. And that's the way believers
are established in Christ Jesus. And it leads us to this. Believers have so much to give
thanks unto God for. Remember what David said in Psalm
115? Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name that
we give glory for Thy mercy and for Thy true sake. We are bound
always to give thanks unto God. You see those things that He
has done for His people in Christ Jesus. What a multitude of blessings
we have in Him. Well, I pray the Lord will bless
that.