According to the Romans, chapter
8, I would not set one scripture against another for anything
in the world. That would be folly. For any man to say this is the
greatest verse or the greatest chapter or the greatest book
is to show his ignorance because all scripture is God-breathed.
And all scripture is profitable for doctrine, for correction,
for instruction. in righteousness. And no scripture,
no verse, no chapter is of any private interpretation. It cannot, will not, must not
stand alone. But the eighth chapter of Romans
is like Isaiah 53, Psalm 23, John 3, Galatians 1. It's just one of those great, great, great
oases in a dry and thirsty land. It's one of those chapters you
can get into it and stay forever. It begins with no condemnation,
and it ends with no separation. And what two greater blessings
could I have? No condemnation. No condemnation. I think of all my sins, past,
present, and worry about those that are in the future. And the
Bible says no condemnation. I think about my imaginations
and thoughts and deeds and words, and it says no condemnation. I think about how holy is the
Lord and how sinful am I, and it says no condemnation. And
then I read on the rest of the chapter and come to the last
few verses, and it says, no separation, no condemnation to those who
are in Christ, and no separation from the love of Christ. But
my friends, in between these blessings, you have so many other
blessings in this chapter. Verse 2 says, we're free from
the law of sin and death. That fearful law that frightened
Israel at Sinai does not frighten me. that terrible, terrible,
austere, immaculate, piercing law of God, it does not cause
me to tremble because I have before His law a perfect holiness
in Christ. Christ hath delivered us, made
us free from the curse of the law, from the penalty of the
law. He hath freed us from the power
of the law. and brought us into his own dear,
sweet, precious kingdom, free from its curse and condemnation.
And then down here in verse four it says, the righteousness of
the law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but
after the Spirit. Before his presence we are perfectly
sanctified. Before the presence of God we
are declared to be holy. made holy in Christ. And then
verse 15 says we're adopted into the family of God. I'm not condemned. I'm not under the curse of the
law. I have a perfect standing, a perfect righteousness before
God. All of this in Christ. I'm not
condemned in Christ. I'm free from the law of sin
and death in Christ. I have a righteousness, a holiness
in Christ. And then it says, I'm adopted
into the family of God. I'm a son of God. An heir of
God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. I am a son of God. Behold
what love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called
sons of God. Sons of God. Verse 15 says, You
have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but
you have received the spirit of adoption whereby you cry,
Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness
with our spirit that we are sons of God, children of God. And
if we're children of God, then we're heirs of God. We're heirs
of God. And we're joint heirs with Jesus
Christ. Then down here in verse 20, he
says God's going to make us a new dwelling place. He's going to
make a new heaven and a new earth. The whole creation will one day
sing his praises. And then down in verse 23, he
says God's going to redeem and resurrect our bodies. I don't know a great deal about
heaven. Even the man who was taken into the third heaven did
not find it convenient to say a great deal about it. The Apostle
Paul said, I saw things it was not lawful to utter. But I do
know this. I know according to the scriptures
there's going to be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness. That this creation which was
subjected to vanity and sin, not willingly but because of
Adam's fall, will one day sing again, will one day bloom again,
will one day be restored to its goodness without sin, without
sorrow, without death. And that we, the children of
God, are going to be resurrected. We're going to have a new body.
This body is decaying. This body is dying. One day it'll
be put in the ground. It'll go back to the dust from
whence it came. But God says that he's going to raise this
body in the likeness of Jesus Christ. We're going to have a
new body. Sown in corruption, raised in
incorruption. Sown in weakness, raised in power. Sown in shame, raised in glory.
Sown a mortal body, raised an immortal body. And this new body
will be flesh and bones. Christ said he had flesh and
bones after he arose from the grave. He appeared to his disciples
and ate with them and talked with them and they touched him.
He said, reach out and touch my hands. A spirit does not have
flesh and bones as you see me have. I don't know a great deal
about what it's going to be like, but I do know some things. That
we're not going to float around on crowds in a misty fashion,
plucking on a harp with a silly-looking pie plate like a halo over our
heads. We're going to have a real body,
a real body, be real people, and perfectly conform to the
image of our Lord. I'll tell you honestly, There's
not anything wrong with this world that the absence of sin
and the presence of Christ wouldn't cure. It's a good world. God made a good earth. The heavens
declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork.
And I'm amazed at the things God has made, and I say with
David how wonderfully I am made. The original man was made in
the likeness of God Almighty. We've lost a great deal of that
likeness, but we've retained enough of that likeness so we
can know something about it. The Bible talks about the eye
of God, and the hand of God, and the arm of God, and the ear
of God, and the lips of God. And our Lord Jesus Christ came
down here to this earth, and when He arose again, He appeared
to His disciples. And they touched Him, and talked
with Him, and He ate with them, and He ascended back to heaven.
And the angel stood there and said, this same Jesus shall so
come in like manner as you've seen him go. And the scripture
says we're going to bear his likeness. It does not yet appear
what we shall be, but when he shall appear, we shall see him
and we shall be like him. Will we know each other there?
Of course we will. Will we remember this earth?
Of course we will. We know in part. We prophesy
in part. Then we shall know even as also
we are known. We're going to have the thoughts
of Christ about sin and the thoughts of Christ about holiness. We're
going to be like Him. Now, He says in verse 26, says
He's given us His Spirit. The Spirit, verse 26, helpeth
our infirmities. We know not what we should pray
for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for
us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And then verse 28,
I read this to you a moment ago. He causes all things to work
together for our good. those who love him, those who
are called according to his purpose. That means all things. That means
the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. That means the heavenly angels.
That means God's purpose and plan and redemption. That means
the good things that occur to us on this earth. That means
the pleasant things. That means the successful things.
That means the joyful things. That means the unhappy things. That means the unpleasant things.
That means everything. Everything, if we love God by
His grace and we're called according to His purpose, then everything
that happens in our lives, good and bad, at the beginning or
the end, or anywhere in between, that which is accomplished by
God or that which He permits Satan to accomplish, that all
things, whether the fear of man or the wrath of man or the love
of man, will work together for our good, our eternal good. and
His eternal glory. That's a blessed promise. And
then he says in the closing portion of this chapter that no one can
separate us from the living God. But our God has a purpose. That's
the word I want us to look at, verse 28. We know that all things
work together for good to them who love God, to them who are
called according to His purpose. God has a purpose. In all of
this, God has a purpose, a plan. Turn to Ephesians 1, verse 11. Here's the word again, Ephesians
1, 11. Things aren't just happening, they're happening according to
His will. Whatever's taking place today, and if you can come to
this place where you can believe and enter into the fact that
whatever's taking place is for God's glory and our good and
to accomplish His purpose. It'll give you a quiet spirit.
It'll give you a joyful spirit. It'll give you a restful spirit.
It'll give you a peaceful spirit. You can lay hold upon things.
You can deal with them, whether it be success or failure, whether
it be tragedy or whether it be happiness. You can deal with
it in the light of this truth, that there are no accidents with
God. There are no accidents with God. He works all... Look at
verse 11 of Ephesians 1. "...in whom also we have obtained
an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things." You see, that word just keeps coming
up. All things. "...who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will." All things. All things. "...work
together for good to them who love God, who are called according
to his purpose." For whom he foreknew, he predestinated, he
justified, he called, he glorified. And here again it says that he
worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Everything
is predestinated according to the purpose of him who, you can
cope with things then. They got a medicine out, I used
to see it advertised on television, called cope. Well, it's not really
cope, it doesn't help you cope, it stuns you so you don't have
to cope. That's what it's all about. Compose. That doesn't
compose you. It fixes you so you addle and
you don't have to have any composure. But this is real cope here, Bob.
This is composure here. They come in to Job and announce
to him that his sheep are all taken away. They come in and
announce to him that his cattle are all gone. They come in and
announce to him there's children all dead. Well, he believes that
God has a purpose. The Lord giveth, and the Lord
taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. He said, naked I
came out of my mother's womb, and naked I leave this world.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name
of the Lord. In all this, he didn't charge God with foolishness. Turn, if you will, to Ephesians
3, verse 11. Ephesians 3 verse 11, according
to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our
Lord. Now this is what we've got, this
is the thing that we've got to get hold of in the first part
of this message. That Almighty God has an eternal
purpose. That purpose is according to
the good pleasure of His will. That purpose is in Jesus Christ
our Lord. And that purpose is being accomplished
and that purpose is being worked out. Now whatever happens today in
your life or my life, if we're called according to His purpose,
if we love God, then it'll work together for His glory and our
good. Now I can't say that to every person here. I cannot say
that to the unbeliever. I cannot say that to the rebel.
I cannot say that to the person resisting God in his life. I
can't say that. But that can be said to every
believer. And that's the rest. See, we cease from our labor
and enter into His rest. That's the rest that we have.
That's the peace we have. Eli, when they announced to Eli
that his sons were going to be judged by God, he said, it's
the Lord. Let Him do what He will. Now here are four things that
I believe are God's great design in redemption. Four things. That which our Lord purposed
in all eternity. That which He promised and prophesied. That which He's accomplishing
today and that which He will accomplish. First of all, the
Lord's grand design in redemption. is to glorify His Son, Jesus
Christ. Turn, if you will, to Colossians
chapter 1. Colossians, the first chapter,
verse 12 through 18. Now listen carefully to this
Scripture. Colossians 1, 12. Giving thanks
unto the Father which hath made us meat. Now that word meat is
sufficient. That word is sufficient, giving
thanks unto the Father which hath made us, that's His people,
that's believers, sufficient to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light. Now let me give you an illustration
here. The Apostle Paul says, I give thanks to God who hath
made me sufficient to inherit, to inherit, to be a partaker
of that inheritance. He's made me sufficient, given
me a sufficiency. With all my failure, with all
my inability, with all my need, God has made me sufficient. Now,
suppose somebody comes in today and says, so-and-so's had a new
baby. There's a new child been born
into a family. Well, let me tell you this. That
child that's born, that little infant, is born neat or sufficient. sufficient with all he needs
to survive on this earth. He has eyes, ears, a mouth, a
tongue to speak, legs to walk, arms to defend himself, to wait
upon himself, and to minister to himself. He has all these
sufficiencies. He has all this meekness or sufficiency. He'll never add anything. Whatever
he's born with, he'll have the rest of his life. Now, he'll
grow. He'll mature. He'll develop. He'll become someday a big strong
man. Right now he's just a small 20
inch infant weighing 7 or 8 pounds. But everything that that infant
needs later on is already born. Small little fingernails, you
see, small ears and so forth. That's sufficiency. Now when
we're born into the family of God, when God redeems us, When
God saves us by Christ, we need wisdom. This has made us meet
or sufficient to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints
in life. To be a sufficient or a partaker of heaven's glory.
Now heaven is a place of love, gentleness, meekness, faith,
kindness, humility. Just keep on naming. Well, we're
born with those things in the kingdom of God. In Christ, heaven
is a place of righteousness. I've got to have a perfect righteousness.
Heaven is a place where the justice and attributes of God are honored
and glorified. I've got to have an appreciation
for those things, not only a standing before them, but a love for them.
And in Christ, I have all that. As a babe in Christ, as a babe
brought forth, born of the Spirit of God, I have a sufficiency.
I have a sufficiency to enable me to be a partaker of all that
heaven affords. I have in Christ wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. Now then, listen to me. I know
we talk about progressive sanctification. But I'm not sure, now you wait,
don't judge me before I finish. I'm not sure that we're using
the right term there, progressive sanctification. We don't, Charlie,
say progressive redemption. We don't say progressive wisdom.
We don't say progressive righteousness. Then why do we say progressive
sanctification? Now, I know we have a growth in grace. I know
we have a growth in the fruit of the Spirit. I know we have
a growth in love and a growth in faith. Why don't we say growth?
Your faith groweth. Your grace groweth. Your knowledge
of Christ groweth. But listen to me. In Christ,
Cecil, I'm sanctified. I am sanctified. We sing a song,
Draw Me Nearer. Draw me nearer. In the person
of his Son, I'm as near as he. We say, I'm pressing on to higher
ground. I'm already seated at the right
hand of God. Where's that higher ground? I
just believe, maybe we're using the wrong word, Ronnie, I don't
believe it's progressive sanctification, I believe it's progressive growth
and progressive understanding. We grow in grace and the knowledge
of Christ, we grow in faith. But brethren, God sanctifies,
I am holy and without blame, unblameable, unreprovable in
the sight of God in Jesus Christ. I've got to move on. Let's move
on here. "...who hath made us meet, or
sufficient to be partakers. He delivered us from the power
of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear
Son, or the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through
His blood, even the forgiveness of sin, who is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of every creature." Now watch
this. For by him were all things created that are in heaven, that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions,
or principalities, or powers. All things were created by Christ
and for Christ. He's before all things. By him
all things consist. He's the head of the body, the
church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.
That in all things, there's that word again, that in all things,
he might have the pre-existence. that he might have the preeminence
in all things. That's God's first design in
redemption. Now if you think little of Christ,
you think little of God, because in God, Christ is all. It says
every knee's going to bow and every tongue's going to confess
that he's Lord to the glory of God the Father. John 17, he said,
turn to John 17, 24. I want you to read this scripture
here. John 17, 24. This is our Lord's great prayer. The prayer
of our great priest. Listen to it in verse 24. Father,
I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where
I am that they may behold my glory. Christ is all in creation. Christ is all in salvation, Christ
is all in the Bible, to Him give all the prophets witness, and
Christ is all in heaven. He said, I go to prepare a place
for you that where I am there ye may be also. So that's God's
first and primary and great design in redemption. He's going to
glorify His Son. Everything I have is in Christ.
God chose me in Christ, God loved me in Christ, God redeemed me
in Christ, God called me in Christ, God accepted me in the Beloved,
God raised me and seated me in Christ, and God will one day
raise me and make me in the likeness of Christ. But He's going to
glorify His Son. Alright, secondly, not only will
He glorify His Son, but the second, Grand design in redemption. God's
going to glorify his son. The king made a supper in honor
of his son. Secondly, he's going to have
a people in heaven like Christ. Now watch this, and listen to
this, and learn something here. It's something we need to learn.
Election. When you come to the term election
in the Bible, It generally refers to the people whom God had chosen. They're called God's elect. God
will send the angels and gather His elect. He said when the Antichrist
come, they'll deceive if it were possible even the elect. He calls
them His elect. In 1 Thessalonians 1-4, Paul
said, knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God. In 2 Thessalonians
2, verse 13, he said, I thank God for you brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God hath chosen you. When you see the
word elect or elected or election, it's talking about people, individuals
whom God hath chosen. You see that? That's generally
so. Elect. When you see the word predestination,
now turn back to Romans 8. When you see the word predestination,
It generally does not refer, I just say it never, it's only
used four times in the King James Bible. It never refers to the
people themselves. It refers to what those people
shall be. Now look at it, predestination.
Now election refers to if God chooses people. But God has predestinated
that those people are going to be something. God has predestinated
the means. God has predestinated the purpose. God's predestinated the path.
God's predestinated the highway. God's predestinated the instruments
to bring to pass what they shall be. Now look at it. Whom He foreknew,
He did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. You
see, He predestinated us to be something. God had a purpose. God chose a people. God predestinated
them to be something. Turn to Ephesians 1. Let me show
you that again. Ephesians chapter 1. Here it
is. We begin here in Ephesians 1
verse 3 with what we have. Ephesians 1 3 now look at blessed
be the God and Father who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings and the heaven is in Christ You see I said while ago.
I already have I already have a sufficiency I already have
a sufficiency to partake of the inheritance of the saints in
life. I already have the sufficiency.
I'm going to grow some more. I'm going to grow in grace. I'm
going to grow in love. I'm going to grow in faith. Whatever lives,
grows. This pulpit doesn't grow. It's
dead. Whatever lives, grows. I'm going to grow. But I already
have a sufficiency. I'm blessed already with spiritual
blessings, and the heaven is in Christ. I'm sanctified, justified,
redeemed. I'm declared righteous. And Christ
has presented me holy and without blame before the Father. You
see that? I'm already blessed. Now watch
this next verse. According as He chose us. God
chose us. He elected us in Christ. He elected
us before the foundation of the world. That's when He elected
us. According to the good pleasure of His will, He chose us. He chose us that we should be
holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of sons. You see the word there? He predestinated
us to be sons. I use this illustration often
now. A bus company owner goes down
to where they make buses, and he chooses a bus. He chooses
a bus. He picks out one. It's a 75 passenger
bus, air conditioned, V8 engine, all that. He chooses a bus. And
then he predestinates where it's going. Predestination. Predetermined destination. He
puts a sign up there over the driver which says Louisville,
Kentucky. That's where that bus is going.
It may take Route 60, it may take Route 23 to Knoxville, and
Highway 40 to Chattanooga, and 65 to Lexington, and 64 over
to Louisville, but that's where it's going. He may go 23 to Columbus,
and 75 to Cincinnati, and then Highway 64 down to Louisville,
but he's going to Louisville, that's what's got on the bus.
And I'll tell you this, God may save me when I'm 20, 30, 40,
50, or 60, but I'm going to be like Christ. I may live in Mexico, or Africa,
or England, or America. I may be brought to knowledge
of Christ through the depths of the most evil vices, or I
may be brought up to Christ through the vices and evils of religion.
But I'm coming to Christ, and I'm going to be like Him. God's
predestinated that. So He's going to have a people
like His Son. They're going to love what He loves. They're going
to hate what He hates. They're going to be like Christ.
That's what David said. He said, I'll be satisfied when
I awake with thy likeness. Now, John Newton preached a sermon
one time. Let me give you this. It's seven
points, but I'll give it in just a few moments. He spoke on the
religion of the gospel. The religion of the gospel, it
arises, first of all, from a right knowledge of God and ourselves.
That's the religion of the gospel, a right knowledge of God and
ourselves. Job said, I've seen thee. I hate
myself. Isaiah saw the Lord in His holiness. He said, woe is me. I'm a man
of unclean lips. The religion of the gospel arises,
secondly, from a sense of the great things God's done for us
in Christ. I am what I am by the grace of
God. Wherever you find these people, I don't care where they
are, they'll have this knowledge of the great things God's done
for us in Christ. Thirdly, the religion of the
gospel produces a well-grounded hope based on the Word of God
of our interest in Christ. This is the record God has given
us eternal life. This life's in His Son. Fourthly,
the religion of the gospel produces a principle of sincere love to
Christ who loved us. God's people love Christ. Peter
said, you know I love you. You know I love you. Fifthly,
the religion of the gospel consists of a total surrender of ourselves
to Christ as our Lord, King, and Savior. Thomas fell at his
feet and said, my Lord and my God. Paul said, on the deck of that
ship, the angel of the Lord appeared unto me, whom I serve. before whom I stand and whom
I serve. Enslaved. Number six, the religion
of the gospel makes the goodness and grace of God to me the motive
and model of my conduct toward you. Forgive one another as God,
for Christ's sake, has forgiven us. Love one another as I love
you. And then here's what I'm getting to. In the seventh place,
the religion of the gospel presses upon men a threefold goal. A threefold goal. unattainable
in this life, unattainable in this life, but the seed of which
is sown and begins to grow. And here's the threefold goal
of every believer. First of all, total commitment
to Christ. Secondly, total communion with
Christ. And thirdly, total conformity
to Jesus Christ. I'll be satisfied when I awake
with His likeness. That's so. Total commitment to
Christ. Total communion with Christ and
total conformity to Christ. Now that's God's second design
in redemption. He's going to have a people like
Christ. He will glorify His Son. Heaven will echo with His praise.
All the redeemed of all ages shall say unto Him, unto Him,
unto Him who loved us. And watch this, for I say, worthy
is the Lamb. He'll have the preeminence. Every
knee will bow and every tongue will confess. But heaven will
be populated by a people like Christ. God chose them. And he
predetermined, he predestinated the means, the instruments, the
agency, the word, and all trials and everything to make them like
Christ. They're going to be like Christ.
And then thirdly, turn to Ephesians 2. The third great design of
God in redemption is this. And let me say, I'll give those
seven things that Newton gave, I'll put them in the bulletin. If you didn't get them down when
I was giving them, I'll put them in the bulletin. Ephesians 2,
now listen to this. Verse 4. Here's the third great
design. God's going to magnify His grace.
He's going to magnify His grace. But God, verse 4, Ephesians 2,
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. You say, Brother, listen, you
didn't love God. He loved you. You didn't choose God. He chose
you. I don't care what anybody says. You were a rebel. You were
without God, without Christ, without hope, at your wit's end
in this world, condemned with this world, child of wrath, even
as others. But God God, who is rich in mercy
for His great love, wherewith He loved us even when we were
dead in sin, quickened us together with Christ. We love Him because
He first loved us. I call on Him because He called
me. I seek Him because He sought me. That's so. And He raised us up together.
He did it. And He made us sit together in
heavenly places in Christ. That's where we sit now. That's
where we are now. In Christ. In His purpose. in
the mind and heart of God. Otherwise, listen to me, God
couldn't have any communion with you down here in the mess that
we're in. Have you ever thought how holy
God is? How immaculately holy? Now listen
to me. You ladies out there, do you
have a fair, modest, humble, lady in this congregation who's
offended by sloppy, foul-talking, filthy-mouthed, dirty people,
she wouldn't run around with folks like that. If she knew
a person, another woman who was a prostitute and a drunk and
a foul-mouthed, you won't find this godly lady over there fellowshipping
with her and having communion and coffee. Because it's offensive. It's just offensive. That kind
of language is offensive. That kind of behavior is offensive.
Drunkenness is offensive. Well, let me ask you now. You
know what you are by nature. How do you think God associates
with you and me? You mean you really think that
God had come to your house for coffee? He told Moses, even Moses, he
had to hide him in a rock so he could pass by him. I don't know, I'm worried about
these preachers that God tells them things and God comes to
them and brings things. That God, I don't know, the Bible
doesn't know anything about that God. Now, if you want to associate
with drunks, what makes you think God associates with you? With
your foul mouth and foul heart and foul imagination and foul
mind, huh? Well, He's infinitely more holy
and modest and pure than you are. If that kind of language
offends you, think how your prayers offend God. I'm not talking about
you using God's name in vain. I'm talking about your prayers
that are shot full of self and sin and self-righteous. It's
nauseating. Brethren, you say, well, preacher,
what is our fellowship? In Christ we have fellowship.
In Christ we're accepted. In Christ God communes with us.
In Christ we're seated. In Christ we're accepted. In
Christ God receives us into His bosom. That's the difference. It's His
grace. And He's raised us. Look at verse 6, Ephesians 2,
"...and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ."
That's the only way you're going to sit there. Through a representative. Someday you'll be there in person,
but you're going to be like Him. God can't take you to heaven
in the shape you're in. He's going to have to change you even
more. He gave you a new nature, but He's got to get rid of the
old you. Verse 7, "...in the ages to come." He might show
to the whole world, to the universe, to the angels, to all men, to
heaven, to hell, that He might show the exceeding riches of
His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. I go into your house and you go to the trophy case
and bring out a trophy, set it down and say, I won that playing
softball. I worked hard. I labored hard. And I won it. And over here is
my high school football letter. I got a star on there as captain
of the team, played three years. That represents a lot of blood,
sweat, and tears. Those are my trophies. But I'm
telling you, when God gets me and you to heaven, he's going
to say, look at here. These are my trophies. Trophies
of my grace. I loved them. gave him a son
to die for him. He suffered, bled, and died. This represents a lot of tears.
This represents a lot of blood. This represents a lot of suffering.
These are the trophies of my grace! I just can't agree with
this. I can't agree with this theology
that says when we get to heaven, God's going to say, now there's
old Brother Smith, He won 12 souls to Jesus, and he gave his
money, and he helped build a little chapel down there in Skid Row,
and he did this, that, and the other. I just don't believe that.
And over here is Sister Sadie, and Sister Sadie did this. She
played the organ, and she sang, and she helped in the ladies'
missionary society. And here's so-and-so. He went
to the mission field. No, sir. He's going to say, looky
here. These are trophies of my grace. My mercy, my love. Everything they ever had or said
or did was by my grace. All of it. Everything they ever
gave, everything they ever received is by my grace. Even they believed
by my grace. They repented by my grace. They
preached by my grace. They sang by my grace. These
are trophies of my grace. That may not fit into your pattern,
but that's the way it's going to be. And I say that with authority,
the authority of this book. Grace, it's a charming sound,
harmonious to my ear. Heaven with that echo shall resound,
and all the earth shall hear. Grace first purposed the way
to save rebellious man. And all the steps that grace
displayed drew this wondrous plan. God first inscribed my
name in His eternal book. It was grace that gave me to
the Lamb who all my sorrows took. Grace taught my soul to pray.
Grace made my eyes overflow. It is grace that kept me to this
day, and grace won't let me go. Grace, all the work shall crown
through everlasting days. Grace will be my heavenly song,
and it well deserves the praise. Fourthly, and I'll close. God's
great design and redemption. He's going to glorify His Son. Now you put that down. And no flesh should glow in His
presence. He's going to have a people like Christ. Heaven's
going to be populated with people who can say amen to the condemnation
of rebels. Who can rejoice in God's perfect
holiness. Enjoy it. He's also going to
magnify and exalt His grace, that through the ages to come
He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness
toward us. And then fourthly, God's going
to put an end to everything, everything spoiled and ruined
by sin. That's right. Turn to 1 Corinthians
15. God's gonna put an end to everything that was ruined by
the fall. 1 Corinthians 15. It says in
verse 24, Then cometh the end. Then cometh the end. When God,
when He, Christ, shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father,
even the Father, to God, even the Father, when He shall have
put down all rule, all authority, and all power, For he must reign
till he hath put all enemies under his feet. Satan is going
to be put where he can do no more harm. Sin is going to be
finished. Disease, sorrow, death. The last enemy that shall be
destroyed will be death. God is going to make a new heaven.
The old heaven is going to be purged by fire. God will make
a new heaven. You say, why new heaven? Because
sin was there one time. Satan fell from heaven. That's
what Christ said. God's going to make a new earth,
a new world. The old world was defiled and
corrupted by sin. God's going to burn it, purge
it by fire, cleanse it. There's going to be a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness. The righteousness and holiness
of God will cover this world like the sea, like the clouds. Everything in heaven and earth
is going to be perfect. And everything that worketh or
maketh alive is going to be cast out. The only reason I'm not
going to be cast out is because I'm in Christ. The only reason
you're not going to be cast out is because you're in Christ.
By faith in Christ. Love Christ. Everything he that
loveth not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed when Christ
comes. Let him be cast out. God's going
to destroy, God's going to put away. The Lord God in hell is
going to put away everything that worketh or maketh alive,
everything that defileth, everything impure, unholy in his sight. He's going to put an end to everything,
everything. And the last enemy that will
be destroyed is death. God will put it away.