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Umm uh, Wednesday for the treasure to go to bed to the house for.
Whatever it is. So when it comes to.
And the corporate?
Oh, Lord will be in the world.
And still shall thaw. 4000 and thighs and thou scared.
And nothing.
Happened to our own children. I've been in there.
The two prayers of the apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians. And there's so much cruise for us there.
One the prayer at the end of the chapter.
First of all, we have to read the what precedes them. For instance, that Ephesians the 1St chapter and the prayer comes at the end of the first chapter. In fact, another reading read chapter 3 is this mind of the present.
I was looking at chapter one of Ephesians brother and I wondered about the.
Need that we have in connection with Paul's daughter. As you know, I was just through a place that and I experienced something that was.
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A burden to my heart, and that is that I went to several reading meetings and it wasn't Paul's doctrine that was being taken up some Old Testament passages and that we need to have false doctrine before it's absolutely vital. It's not optimal for a believer. And Mr. Darby said that one of his little statements that it's not possible for a Christian to live rightly in this world.
Without knowing and enjoying Paul's darker and soul, I was conferred. It might be helpful if you say, read chapter one and then you comment on the first part of that chapter and then go into those prayers. Yeah, that's what I meant. I don't know my heart.
You know if we read the truth.
Somebody works.
Ephesians chapter one, verse one.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. By the will of God to the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be to you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.
Having predestinated us on the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood.
The forgiveness of sin, according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He had purposed in Himself, That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth even in Him.
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated.
According to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the council of His own will, that we should be through the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ, in whom He also trusted. After that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
In whom also after that ye believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise?
Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the Saints, feast not give thanks for you.
Making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of His calling.
And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints? And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward, who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places?
Far above all principality and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And have put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church.
His body, the fullness of him that filleth All in all.
I thought that said in an introduction we might just look at a verse in Romans chapter 16.
Verse 25.
Now to Him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophet.
According to the commandments of the everlasting, God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. So there are two parts to Pauls ministry. There's the gospel.
Which we have developed in the Epistle to the roles. We have the Gospel marvelously unfolded there, and all this breath and depth.
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All preach the gospel untiringly.
Full gospel who was finished work of Christ. So he mentions here first the uh, preaching of the gospel, which has met us in our deep need of sinners riches of God's grace has been manifest that's most in the room have partaken of the blessings of the gospel.
Wherever a person is saved, they believe the gospel of their salvation.
But there's something beyond that, and many Christians, I fear, do not enter into it. That is the second part of Pauls ministry here and verse 25, the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began.
What does the apostle mean here by the mystery now? It's not something mysterious that we cannot understand, but a mystery in Scripture is something that was kept secret in the past, in the past ages or dispensations, but now is no longer.
Secret in the heart of God, but revealed, made known to us. And the particular mystery that Paul is Speaking of here he develops in full measure in chapter one of Ephesians.
And this week, which was kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest. Now it's not the mystery of the person of Christ. That's not a mystery, although it's unpossible. Not the mystery of the Lords life and death and resurrection. That's not the history that is cold or not here. It is the truth that the Church of God is now the body of Christ.
And is going to have the highest place of privilege in that coming day that we are going to reign with Christ. We're going to share all that inheritance. We're coheirs. Christ is going to have this supremacy over this whole universe. The truth that that Christ as the Messiah would reign over the earth was not something new. It was known in the Old Testament. There are many verses that refer to Christ coming as the Messiah and setting up his Kingdom.
But the truth of the church, that we who are Gentiles and had no rights or privileges have been brought into the nearest possible place, even as members of the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, he's going to reign over this whole universe. Not only the earth, which was foretold in the Old Testament in many scriptures, but he's going to reign over the whole universe, heavens.
The heavens and the earth will all be in order under threat. But when he does that and it's it's a Millennium is the beginning of it. We are going to be associated with him. That's the mystery of the Christ that we are going to be associated with the Lord in that marvelous headship of all things is not going to rain alone. You will be the constant we will be.
The Queen on the throne with him. That's the mystery that was never made known to the believers before. When it mentions prophets here, as it does in other scriptures, it's not the Old Testament prophets that is referred to. It is the New Testament prophet, the apostles and prophets. None of this marvelous truth was known in the Old Testament revealed.
Founded it, others learned it through him, but I believe that he was the special vessel that God raised up to bring forth this wondrous truth of our oneness request. And that's why Paul's ministry is so important and vital, because while it's true, the other New Testament writers bring in different aspects of things, as you even do the church. John looks at the church in her ending, in Revelation, in her millennial glory, reigning with Christ, and so on.
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Yet the meat of the truth of Christ in the church is contained in Paul's ministry will never understand what our position is now our relationship with Christ as members of His body as part of the Church of God.
In a future day, if we don't go to Paul's ministry, it's true that all Scripture is important. It's given by inspiration of God and is profitable. But I had a brother say to me something some time ago, well, I only read the Gospel now because those are the most important. Well, we need the Gospels. We get the life of Christ, we get the pattern. He's left us an example that we follow in his steps and so on. But if we only read the gospel.
We're going to understand what our true position is here and sad to say, many believers today don't understand the truth of the Lord's coming, our relationship to the world now, our position now, and all that is ours ahead in that future day of rain. Just say too that here in Ephesians as to the mystery of the church, it's not just what future, but it is what is ours now, our position now. How are we going to understand what is ours now?
How are we going to understand our reaction to the world and to others as we walk through this world now if we don't go to Paul's ministry in a, a chapter like this, a book like the book of Ephesians, Colossians, Corinthians and, and those books that are vital as to false doctrines. So in this, in this book of Ephesians, we get and at the end of this chapter, it's brought out it's what what the church is to Christ in Colossians. It's what Christ is to the church.
He's the head of the body. Isn't it a tremendous thing? Rather than consider, we take up something from the book of Ephesians to realize that it's what we are surprised. We are the fullness of Him that fulfill us. All in all, in Colossians we are incomplete without him, but in Ephesians teeth incomplete without us. And to try to get a hold of our truth in our souls, I believe, is going to give us the motivation and the desire.
An apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the states which are an Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. That means it's written to you and me and we ought to know it and we ought to read it and enjoy it. But it's interesting chapter 19 to see where these deer Saints came from. There were Paul came to Ephesus and it says in verse, let's read from verse five, chapter 19 of Acts verse five. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
That thou may discharge some, that they keep no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and to endless genealogies which minister questions, rather than the godly edifying which is in faith. So do well. These verses of Scripture in the book of the Acts, present to us the truth that these Gentiles were saved out of the worst conditions that were possible in the Gentile world. And so Paul.
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Ministered to them and it said all the men were about 12. It wasn't a large assembly.
I noticed in verse 19 of Acts 19 in Mr. Darby.
Umm, it says of those that practice curious art from books of charms and burnt in the forearm. And that does suggest they were umm taken out with sorcery or witchcraft like you say.
Might be good just as introductory as well to look at the Acts chapter 20 and just mention the latter part of verse 23, Acts chapter 20, the last part of the verse 23 down to the end of verse 27.
Verse 27, umm, verse 26 Wherefore I take you to record this day that I'm sure from the blood of all men, for I have not shown to declare unto you all the council of God. So he was speaking here to those that in connection with mystery, not only of Christ in the church, but those things that were hidden in God's heart, that were for His own glory, for his own enjoyment in future days, that Christ would have arrived. And all of us happened in connection with the mystery that we read out, particularly as Brother Jim has mentioned in Ephesians and Colossians, but in Romans, what we have is really written for what God has done.
Call the Council of God. So we need all three. And so if we just go to the gospel of the grace of God, we get taken up with it and then don't read the epistles and don't become established in the teaching of practical Christianity and of the mystery, the place, the true position of the church in this world, that we will not live as we ought to live. So sometimes people say, well, doctrine is not that important, it's how we live, it's the highest life and so on.
But you can't have sound behavior without sound doctrine. Sound behavior is based on sound doctrine. How are we going to know how to act? And that's why so often when you have a list of things that the Word of God is profitable for, doctrine usually heads the list. Just like the early believers in Acts chapter 2. They continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. I know it wasn't Paul's doctrine there, but the principle is there.
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Because sound doctrine was the basis for fellowship, for breaking of bread, and for prayers. Paul when he wrote to Timothy, said thou art fully known. My doctrine and then manner of life. If some of us have been writing that, I probably would have reversed the order and put manner of life and maybe doctrine down further. Again, we already quoted it. But all scripture is given by inspiration and it's profitable. And what is the first thing it's profitable for per doctrine? Because everything else, instruction and righteousness, correction, whatever it is.
Have to be based on sound doctrine. Just say this too, because we don't want to get bogged down with these first few verses of the chapter in connection with John's exercise. But we what we find too brought out so clearly here that we don't get if we don't go to Paul's doctrine, is that the church is heavenly in its character, in its hopes, in its goals, in its aspirations. Brethren, the only thing that connects us with this world today.
Is the fact that we're still here physically in it, but Christianity, the truth of of Paul's doctrine, detaches and separates us from this world in every other way except physical? And why is it so many people today are looking for the Kingdom and think we're a moral force to change the world and usher in the Kingdom? Because they're missing what we have here in books like Ephesians. I wanna just confirm that by pointing out one little expression in verse 4.
According as he hath chosen us in Him. Now notice this. This is final before the foundation of the world. Go back to Matthew's Gospel chapter 25 for a contrast in connection with the Kingdom that's going to be established and Israel's blessing in a coming day.
Matthew's Gospel, chapter 25.
And verse 34.
Then shall the King say unto them, on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you. Now notice this from the foundation of the world, not before the foundation of the world, but from the foundation of the world. Why is it from the foundation of the world here? Because there is an earthly Kingdom that is going to be set up, connected with this world, connected with the blessing of planet Earth.
When the Lord Jesus comes back to bring about blessing for Israel and ultimately for the nation and reign in righteousness, that Kingdom is connected with this world and will last 1000 years. But we have been chosen before the foundation of the world. You see how careful the Spirit of God is to detach us from this world. Our blessings are not connected with this world. The blessings that are enumerated in the first part of this chapter.
Our spiritual blessings, you and I were chosen long before the foundation of the world was laid, and we haven't have a heavenly portion. And so careful is the Spirit of God to guard this, that we are already seen seated in heavenly places in Christ. Positionally, yes, physically we still see that in this meeting room in Hammer Bay, Ontario. But positionally, God sees us in Christ seated in heavenly places.
You and fill us that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church, where all I have made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God so.
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Paul is the Lord Jesus, reverencely speaking, did not suffer in bringing out the truth of the Church because it was not revealed during his ministry on in this world.
Foreshadowings of it. There was a prediction that it would be formed, but, uh, it was not revealed during the Lord's life down here. It wasn't until he had died. He had risen from the dead and he had been glorified in God's joy's hands, and the Spirit of God had been sent down, warming the church to the body of Christ. But the apostles suffered much in bringing out that truth. That's why he was a prisoner.
I suppose he was a prisoner at the time when he wrote through this book of the Ephesians.
Yes. And he said he was a prisoner. And it was because of the development of that group which the Jews could not understand and rightly solve because there was no revelation of that in the Old Testament. Paul could not even turn to the Old Testament and stole to the Jews the the prediction of these blessings for the church. It's not there.
But.
It was a revelation to the apostles.
And views, uh opposed it very strongly because of their tradition and prejudice.
All are you saying that these Gentiles whom they considered to be dog outside the place of entirely are going to be brought into a Gloucester place and relationship and the patriarchs, Moses and Abraham and so on? We won't have we won't have that.
In Colossians a Little Pass for Brother John Red and chapter 2.
And verse two, that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement, or to the full knowledge of the mystery of God. Leave out the last part of the verse added by a copy of later time. The mystery of God, and not in whom? In verse three, but in which?
His head all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
So in when we understand the mystery that was hidden God, we have in hand the key to unlock the truth of the word of God. If we don't have that key, this book will remain largely closed to us. It will have moral lessons, profitable in themselves, encouragement, but it will remain other than that, a closed book. We need the key, and the key is the mystery and.
Three places it's taken up, Brother John's read and.
In Romans 16, we have an Ephesians 3, which we have not gotten to yet. And here in Colossians that that mystery was hidden God. It wasn't made known in past ages. It's only now been revealed by his holy apostles and prophets to his holy apostles and prophets by prophetic scriptures in Romans 16, scriptures that have a prophetic character, New Testament apostles, it's now been unfolded.
The apostle touches on two aspects of that mystery, and I'd like to distinguish them. Both have been brought up, but I'd like to distinguish them a little bit. First in chapter one of Ephesians and verse 10, that in the dispensation of the administration of the fullness of times, that's the millennial day.
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He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him.
The Old Testament abounds with prophetic scriptures as to the reign of Christ. Why then is this a mystery? Verse 9 says, having made known unto us the mystery of His will. The mystery I'll call it, because there are mysteries and the New Testament. But there is something called the capital T, the capital M mystery, and it has two aspects.
Again, the Old Testament abounded with scriptures that Christ would reign on the earth. It was a mystery hidden God that the Christ would reign in heaven and on earth, that not only earthly things would be brought under under him, but heavenly things too. And God would glorify himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. And bringing all things under him in heaven and in earth, God is going to glorify himself in Christ.
That is His grand purpose upon which everything else in the Scripture hangs. But he is going to do it in two spheres, heaven and earth. Only the earth was spoken of in the Old Testament. The other part of the mystery we don't really get fully until it touched on a little bit. The end of chapter one where it says he's put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body. It's now touched on for the first time.
In chapter one.
Chapter 2 takes up those who compose that body, where they came from, the what God had to work with and how He worked to.
Get the material, you might say, for that which was Christ's body. Chapter 3 brings out then the other side of what we call the mystery. Chapter 3 and.
Uh, verse 5, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs.
First thing, end of the same body, second thing.
And partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Not the promises made to Abraham, but New Testament promises. Jew and Gentile were going to be joint heirs, joint body, and joint partakers of the promises in Christ by the gospel. The Old Testament abounded with scriptures that speak of Gentile blessing, but it wasn't subservience to Israel. The forces of the Gentiles are going to flow into Jerusalem.
But Israel is going to be head of the nation, and the Gentiles are going to be blessed underneath them. That's not what this talks about. This is joint heirs.
It's a equality between Jew and Gentile. In fact, not even Jew or Gentile anymore, but now Church of God. That's the other side of the mystery, hidden God. There's nothing of that in the Old Testament Scriptures. Two things. Christ is going to reign over all things. God is going to glorify himself in Christ and bringing all things in heaven and in earth under him. And he would have a body united to him by the indwelling Spirit of God composed of Jews and Gentile, forming 1 new man.
That's the mystery. That's not the mystery of His will and the mystery of the Christ. Yes.
In those two seconds, those two aspects explained very well and the mystery are as well is that God has a purpose for the glory of his Son as even as mentioned in two spheres, not only on the earth, but in this whole universe, he's going to have a the supreme place of of the headship.
Individual things taken up first.
With uh, Paul doesn't by divine inspiration just jump right into chapter 3.
He really brings out and establishes our souls and the things that concern us individually and then settle and in the enjoyment of those things. And from that position we can then broaden out and embrace that which is collective and enjoy that as well. So he doesn't get the cart before the horse. He gets things in the right order. And 1St, we have to be settled as to what's true of us individually. If we're going to enjoy what's collective. That has to be established first.
And in Galatians he establishes the source of that truth. It's the Galatians, chapter one, verse 11.
Galatians one verse 11. But I certified the brethren that the Gospel which was priest of being is not after man.
For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Christ.
And so the source was heaven itself. The source was the Lord Jesus, the risen head in glory. And so that's why it was hidden in times past. It was hid to the Jew. It wasn't part of Judaism, it was very distinct. And so the church is not a part of Israel. Israel is not a part of the church. The two are distinct. And so he brings this out even in Ephesians chapter two, he says in verse 15, having abolished in his flesh the enemy, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make himself.
A queen that's the Jew and Gentile 1 Newman show making peace. And so he recognizes that there's two the Jew and the Gentile. But now there's the Church of God and the Church of God has all this hope heavenly and their spiritual hope, their eternal hope. You never had that. Everything that he had with material was earthly and it was really just temporally. It was going. He was just passing through this world.
One expression that comes over and up, over and over is his will.
And so we see that all of this flows out from the heart of God made good established through the work of Christ on the cross, and the Spirit of God sent down consequent upon his being glorified as brought it to pass and made it good in our souls and opened it up to us. But the the screen flows from the depths of the heart of God after you and I. It was just his sovereign will. He wanted it so.
And it flowed out to you and I and we owe everything to him. And so it's his will that has brought this all to pass. He chose us. We didn't choose him. You know, Andrew said we found him that is called the Messiah. And he said later ye have not chosen me, I've chosen you. You know, we don't find that out till later. The sun, the prodigal son didn't find out.
Uh, he said. I perish with hunger, right?
But he found out when he got home. His father said this my son was dead. Oh, I was you know, there's truth. We find out after we're saved that we don't know before that we and our proper to know before, but we find out after we we've come to the Lord in the experience of our souls that we were chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world. You know when Abraham offered up Isaac there and type on on Mount Moriah and brought him back down at the end of the chapter you get a little genealogy.
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And at the end of that genealogy, there's a special person mentioned. Her name's Rebecca.
And what was furthest back in the heart of God?
It was revealed last, but it couldn't take place till after the cross and the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then it's all unfolded and that little genealogy of the one who is going to be Isaac's bride comes out after.
The offering on Mount Moriah. And so all these things are now unfolded to us. He wants us to take them in and enjoy them. But we've been chosen. Not only have we been chosen, His sovereign election to make us fit for His presence to be before Him and all his very own nature holy. He's like without blame, but He's loved too, and in love. It's the place He sent us before him in his own character, not only that.
Those he's chosen, he is predestinated to be as close to him and in a relationship as near as his own son's relationship is to him as is possible.
Predestinated to sonship. Not only that, we find we have redemption through his blood. We are accepted with all the acceptance that Christ has before the throne. I remember brother saying years ago, some soaps say you know 99 and you know 9944% fewer. I think Ivory soap has that. He says not even that it's 100% acceptance before the throne of God.
We're accepted in the beloved. He looks and he looks at Christ and is how acceptable is Christ to him?
Can you, you can't put a figure on it. We're in Christ. We're accepted with all his acceptability. HA Ironside was on a farm one time and it was a sheep farm. And he saw this little creature running across the field and it looked like it had six or seven legs. And he said, the fireman, what's that? And the farm hand ran and grabbed it and he brought it in and it was a lamb. They had another lambskin tied to it. He said, he said, well, why? He said, well, there was a there was a time of birthing and there was a you that died.
And giving birth. And it had a little lamb and there was another ewe that his little lamb died. So we said, well, we'll put the lamb with the mother that doesn't have the lamb. But she rejected it. It didn't smell like her baby. So they skimmed out the dead lamb and put that skin around it. And she smelled that. And she let that lamb nurse. It was accepted. It smelled just like her own. Well, a female picture where that little lamb was wrapped in that skin there was running happily across the field behind it. Adopted mother.
Accepted and the beloved so we there's just no measure to the exceptions that we have this. These are our spiritual blessings. Sometimes people say what are our spiritual blessings in heavenly places? We're reading them. These are part of them.
And he wanted to have a son with Sydney. And so here it's, uh, really properly, uh, having predestinated a sense of the sunship by Christ, by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasures as well. And so Israel never really had that place. They had a place of blessing. They had in the Jewish economy, the ability to enter into the presence of God on a very limited basis. But a son has full liberty. And so this is really partly what he said.
Telling us here is that there's God has desired to place us before him in the full place of blessing of those that are sons, that we might have No Fear. A son has No Fear, ought not to have any fear to enter into the presence of his father, unburden his heart, and share in all that the Father has the souls upon it. So we have those little pictures given to us, some of them in the Gospel and so on. But it's vital to read these passages and to understand the scope.
Of the blessing that is ours in the sonship, the position of sonship. And here it says that in verse five and King James adoption of children were not adopting the same way as the world thinking of adoption. It's not that way at all. And we're brought into a place of those that are sons. They're children of God, heirs of God. Let's read that in Romans chapter 8. That false doctor.
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He says, uh, in verse 16 he says something similar in Galatians, but uh, this is the.
The chapter 8 verse 16 the spirit itself bearers witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heir heirs of God joining us with Christ. If so be we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together. And so then he speaks of here in this chapter he speaks of.
Verse. Let's read it in verse 13, chapter one of season first 13.
In whom he also trusted. After that he heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also after that he believed, he repealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of his glory. So we're indwelled with the fear of God. And the reason we address God is our Father in chapter 8 in verse 15 is that we know him as our Father.
We're involved with the Spirit of God. We have a.
Absolutely everything started with him, but now he wants us to know that we're sons, we're brought into the relationship and we know that place. We enjoy that place and we dress God as our Father because we're in love with the Spirit of God. And we also enjoy the fact that we will have and enjoy the future inheritance that the Lord Jesus has, all creation, all created, being how we know where as well with the Spirit of God. That's Paul's doctrine. He tells us that we enjoy both of those things because we're involved with the fear of God.
So the inheritance here, as you say, and I think it's important to realize, is all created things, and to realize that the work of the Lord Jesus on Calvary has a far greater scope than just our being brought into blessings.
As was mentioned, we have redemption through its blood, the forgiveness of sins. Wonderful. We have that now, but there is a day when there's going to be what is referred to as the redemption of the purchased possession, and that's going to be on the grounds of the work of Calvary, the blood of Christ as well. That's really what you have in Hebrews 1, where he's introduced to us as the Son and Creator. And then it says he's made the not just purified our our sins, but he's made the purification for sin. It's a greater scope there than just our being brought into blessing.
The Lord Jesus is going to take this creation not just as Creator, but on the grounds of redemption. He's coming whose right it is to reign because he he passed through death and shed his blood. Important to realize that when man sinned in the garden, not only did man come under the effects of sin, but the whole world came under the effects and the curse of sin. And to this moment the whole creation groans and travails in pain.
This world is not set free yet. Creation is not redeemed yet. It's purchased. To purchase something is to buy it, but to redeem something is to buy it back, to set it free. We've experienced that individually, but there's a day coming when creation is going to feel the effects of redemption, and it's going to be a wonderful day. And when the Lord Jesus takes the inheritance, we're going to share in that inheritance with him.
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As the Lamb's wife, we're going to be at his side. Another thing that's helpful to understand is the little difference between being chosen or elect and predestinated. Choosing or election has to do with the person. There's an election coming up in a few weeks in the United States, and a person will be elected as the next president of the United States. Election has to do with the person, but that person who will be elected.
As President, next President of the United States is already predestined to live in the White House. That's been determined long ago since the establishment of the Republic of the United States of America. Every president being elected predestined to live in the White House, and you and I are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. We were elected according to the foreknowledge of God, but were predestined to the Father's house and to be eternally in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
We're going to dwell with Him. That's why it says at the end of first print, our First Thessalonians 4. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. When He's in the Father's house, we're with Him. When He comes to reign over the earth, we're with Him. We're never, as the Lamb's wife, going to leave his side again. And we are going to share in the inheritance. The righteous reign. A king shall reign in righteousness, and Princess shall rule in judgment. You know, there's somebody in the White House today that's there not because they were elected, but because of relationship.
And that is the wife of the president of the United States. And she has a part in the administration. She's acted by on a lot of occasions. She does certain things and has certain functions, not because she was elected to the White House, but because of the relationship she has with the person who was. And we are going to share as the bride, the Lamb's wife in that coming day. Now, brethren, why do we want to reign before the time?
Why do we want to take up things before the time the Corinthians were doing that? They didn't understand this, and they were trying to reign as kings before the time Paul said I would, that you were reigning as kings. Because if you were, if it truly was the reigning times, we'd be reigning with you and it would be a wonderful time. But brethren, look around the world today.
You know, there are those who really believe this is the reigning time now. And I remember talking to a brother who really believes that. And I think to this day believes that. And the last time I had a conversation with him, I said to him, I said, brother, if you look at the world today and say that this is the reigning time now, that is a slap in the face to the Lord Jesus to see the condition of things in this world and to say the Lord is reigning. When the Lord takes his inheritance, he's going to be center of everything.
Man, this is the key to the whole Bible, verse 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of time, that is the millennial period, that is not the eternal state, that's the Millennium, the dispensation of the fullness of time. He that is God might gather together in one all things in Christ. His purpose is counsel, His wisdom.
Everything is going to rebound to the glory of Christ in that age and.
Both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him and we.
It says there therefore God also has highly engulfed and given him a name which is about every.
That the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things that really could say of being of beings in heaven and beings in earth and being under the earth, and that every tongue should contest the fear of Christ is Lord of the territory of the Father, so those all created beings abound will recognize His authority. Is that wonderful everything, the whole of the created being, But then the whole creation has been purchased as His.
And purchased it across.
And it belongs to him as well. Now He hasn't taken me inheritance. It will be given to him, and He will come to take it, and He will receive it from the hands of His Father. And then He will reign. As has been mentioned here in verse ten of our chapter. It's the millennial scene, the dispensation of the fullness of time. That's the Millennium. He will reign. And so it will be not only over created beings, but over all of the creation.
It's all that is ours in Christ and is reserved in heaven for us. Notice it's reserved in heaven. It's a heavenly inheritance. What we've been Speaking of is created things and things connected with this earth, which is in the context of what we have in Ephesians. So let's just go back to first Peter for a moment and recognize or to see the context in which this is written and who it's written to. Interesting that in Ephesians it's written to Gentiles and he's telling them that there's a day when they're going to have.
An earthly inheritance here, an earthly inheritance with Christ. That was the Jew in the Old Testament. As Stephen said, the Jew was promised earthly blessing and an earthly inheritance if they were faithful, but not the Gentiles. And so the Gentile and Ephesians is told, there's a day coming.
When you are going to reign over earth, you're going to have an inheritance connected with this earth, and it's going to be an association with Christ and in a relationship closer than what did you enjoy or will enjoy. We're going to be the bride of Christ, the Lamb's wife. But now in Peter, he's writing to Jewish those who've been saved from the Jewish background, Jewish believers who are now part of the Church of God. And it's just the opposite here. Let's just reread it here.
01:05:00
Uh, I'm I'm gonna read from verse 3 to get the context. The first Peter one, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed.
In the last time, this was a great encouragement to these believers who, because they had been saved from a Jewish background, were suffering greatly and they lost everything. And they having been brought up under the Jewish order of things and the teaching that if you were faithful to the Lord you'd be established with land and cattle and families and peace and so on, they might have wondered what's gone wrong here. We've tried to follow the Lord now and we've been driven from our homes.
Peter describes what they were going through, a fiery trials. They might have thought we've lost everything now what's gone wrong? Peter writes to them to encourage them that they had something that was no longer connected with the earth, that they had a heavenly inheritance that was incorruptible and undefiled. The earthly inheritance had been defiled.
They lost that. But he says you've got something laid up in heaven, and that inheritance is reserved for you. Let me use a little illustration. Suppose someone tells you that after they die, they're going to leave you a large sum of money and inheritance. But you find and they find that at the end of their life they need health care. They need to go into a facility, and maybe they live long enough that the inheritance is eaten up, It's gone.
The inheritance wasn't reserved and when they passed away, there's nothing left to pass on to you that you say. Well, they promised me an inheritance but it was incorrupt. It was corruptible and default. It passed away, but not only that.
Suppose someone offers to leave you an inheritance, promises to leave you an inheritance, but you predecease the person. Well, the inheritance has to go to someone else. You weren't reserved preserved for the inheritance. But what Peter was telling the Saints is either way, you can't lose. You've got an inheritance reserved for you, and you're reserved for the inheritance. But again, remember the contract Paul is writing to Gentiles who've never been connected with an earthly inheritance.
Peter is writing to Jewish believers who had never had a heavenly inheritance promised to them in that way. And so both are true because this was said earlier. And we get this so clearly in the second chapter of Ephesians, Jew and Gentiles who come through faith and repentance based on the work of Calvary, really we refer to them as save Jews and save Gentiles. And we do that for sake of distinguishing. And I understand that, but really that's not quite an accurate expression.
It's important because there's a quite a movement among Jews who have received Christ as Savior. It's called Messianic Christianity and there's a series of papers some years back said Messianic Christianity eviscerates Paul's doctrine. And really it does. It completely denies the truth that are brought out here that we've been looking at in Ephesians by saying I've received Christ as Savior. But I still maintain.
That I am a Jew with all its privileges and blessings and so on. It completely undermines Paul's doctrine. I think the, uh, versions that we have here separated you and the Gentiles in, uh, Ephesians. You notice how the pronouns are put, verse 11. All is talking about me, and I take it without referring to the Jews.
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Good and whom? Also we have obtained an inheritance.
Without referring to the Jew. And you notice in verse 12 That we the Jew should be through the praise of the glory of his glory and truth, trusted or pre trusted in Christ, which brings before us the Jew that is accepting Christ as the Messiah or as our Lord in this in this dispensation.
Prior to the receiving of the Jew and the Millennium or after the tribulation. So then you notice how in verse 13 it says in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard.
So here Paul is referring to the Gentile. He's writing to the Gentiles. But you know what's really nice to see how he's bringing himself as a Jew down to the same level as they who were the Gentiles. And then he goes on in the 14th verse, which is the earnest of our inheritance. So these combining there, the Jew and the Gentiles together, it's very gracious to see, isn't it Very helpful.
Various characters that the quickening takes place.
When the soul.
Is, uh, is awakened to their, their condition, but uh, it's after believing the gospel of our salvation that the depth and resurrection of life that the uh person is sealed and has the assurance of salvation. Quickening and ceiling are not the same.
You don't want to get into something too deeply about final year, but weakening is when the Spirit of God gives it a divine light to us all. But it is not necessarily at that point that that person has the assurance of salvation. It could be at the same time, or usually it is an interval anyway, when the when they apprehend the work of Christ.
50 sheep. So I have a higher man with me and I pay twice $500, whatever. So I put down the money and I purchased the sheep. They belong to me now. So I bring them home and I say to my hired man, now these are my chiefs now. They don't belong to the other person. I paid for them. I want you to put a brand on them, on the ear or wherever you put a mark on them.
01:15:32
The assurance we're going to have all those blessings, but God says I want you to enjoy them now. You have all those spiritual possessions and brought her in this chapter. You have those, they are yours now, but are you enjoying them? They're going to be yours for eternity, but are you enjoying them now? Is that not the thought of the earnest? And that's the land of pain. And isn't it pain in this book really corresponds with the land of Canaan, because sometimes people think of Canaan as that which comes after this, after death, after the Jordans.
That which we're going to enjoy in a future day. But as John has said, we can have an enjoyment of those things before we get there and before the time. And so Cain and pictures to us, all that is ours in Christ, that vast panorama of blessings and all that we are going to, we now enjoy and we are going to enjoy and share in that coming day. And so we can enter into these things. And that's why, brother, we don't want to just settle down and be content to know that our sins are forgiven.
20 For all the promises of God in him are yeah, and in him Amen. Under the glory of God by us now, He which establishes us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us on in God, who has also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
So we're not just sealed when we're saved and secured, but he's given us by the Spirit of God the capacity now to enjoy these things. And that's really what marks Christianity. We've been saying this in these meetings and we didn't comment on it. But earlier in, in this chapter, Ephesians, he's abounded unto us in all wisdom. And you notice Mr. Darby's translation intelligence. It was mentioned he's given us full knowledge. Now how is it that we can can enjoy these things? We have divine life.
We have the Spirit of God, we have the full revelation of God in Christ and the word of God is complete. Paul was given this full revelation was given to him to fulfill as a complete the revelation of God is was read to us in Colossians and so brethren, let's not just be content to be saved sinners and on our way to heaven. Now he's got far, far more for our enjoyment and I realize at the end of a meeting like this. We know in part and we prophecy in part and we scrape a few.
Lots of truths out of a chapter like this.
But rather than there's a day coming when we're going to fully know, but he doesn't want us to just be content to wait that day, He wants us to enter into these things now.
Further north and be able to connection with the church.