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Still.
Relying on the power of your dreams of the soul.
Oh.
Just in the address.
I'd rather add and the prayer at the end of the chapter seems to.
Have our eyes of our understanding open to that young man's eyes growing?
Well.
Chapter One.
Apostle of Jesus Christ and the will of God for 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 hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath 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 under 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 hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, wherein he hath bounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will.
According to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, but 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 to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, In whom also after that he believed you were sealed without Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of his glory. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the Saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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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 you 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 us. For 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, in 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, which is his body, the fullness of him, said Philip All in all.
There are no doubts in this chapter. It's all the purposes and counsels of God. It's absolute.
Doesn't depend on us at all. It's what God has purposed and what He has determined to fully accomplish, even to that working of His mighty power and resurrection, raising Christ from the dead. That's the greatest power that God has ever displayed in this chapter, and we're associated with Him in it.
He has determined, God has determined to set up and glorify His Son as a center now two spheres, heaven and earth.
And he's going to have a companion associated with him in that.
Place of display and it comes here as written to the Gentiles.
That magnifies the grace of God.
That he looked down at this world.
Passed the Jews.
Whom he had worked with and dealt with for years to bring in the blessing.
Under the law, they couldn't get it.
Denise.
Determined to have.
The Church and to have Gentiles.
And especially the Gentiles in them we look in the next chapter.
It says in verse seven that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. This is God's thought. This is his purpose to display.
People associated with Christ Jesus who had been so far down.
More than anyone without God and without hope in this world, bringing up bring us up to the highest place and displace there with Christ? Well, that's just a touch of what we have in this chapter one.
But these purposes were his before anything. That is, what way back into an eternity and you go back as far as you want. We were in His purposes, not only individually, but as the bride of his Son. This is probably the highest thought that we can reach of God having this you and I individually as the Bride, the body of Christ, as a gift to His Son.
Before anything was made that goes farther back, I believe, than Proverbs 8. Proverbs 8 is precious. When all these things were made that are made, he was the Lord Jesus, or I should say, the Son of God His delight through with the sons of men.
But very specially with His bride. And you know, when we realize that this is before anything was, and we were chosen in Christ before the world was made, well, that begins to put the setting for what we have before us all according to His will and His good pleasure.
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Wonderful to think isn't that that before anything was made that God had this eternal purpose and this very world in which we live, and all the planets and all the stars, everything were put in place in relationship to this eternal council and plan that was in the heart of God. That his Son would be the center of a new creation scene of glory, but that out of this universe in which we live, he would pick a people who were to occupy that place.
In association with his beloved son, well, it's just more than our little minds can take in.
But it's God Himself making Himself known in His eternal counsels and purposes.
And also showing us that it was a personal thing that he didn't own. They just choose that he should have a pride, but he chose the people who would form part of it. So that you and I, those who are here, were not only to be part of that, but that he was thinking of us individually to form us into this glorious bride for his son. It's just beyond our minds to take it in. But it was the will of God, wasn't it?
In his son, and that his son would be the one who would be the center of that whole new creation scene of glory and we to share it with him.
Second Tennessee Nine, chapter one, verse nine, who have saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
I think it's wonderful to see two in first Peter chapter one.
Just the word from verse 18 Redeemed verse 19, with the precious blood of Christ as the lamb without blemish, without spot, who verily was 14 before the foundation of the world.
Christ chosen before the foundation of the world to be the Lamb of God. The need of Calvary. Foresee the cost of Calvary.
Christ showed the Lamb of God, and then the work of creation went on.
The mystery that Paul reveals, and it's so beautiful, a mystery like this, There are several mysteries, but this is the highest. But a mystery is not something that's not solvable. A mystery is something that's hidden, a precious truth that's hidden. And we have it revealed by the Spirit of God and the New Testament. But it's hidden in the old. And I think it's beautiful when you see just types of this, the exaltation of his son, like in the Psalm 19.
And justice, the very first verses.
Psalm 19. The heavens declare the glory of God. The firm of Joyce, his handiwork, day under day utter a speech, and night on the night Joe at knowledge. There is no speech nor language. Their voice is not heard, their line is gone. Out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. Now here it begins in them. That's the mighty heavenlies and the the wonderful stars and planets and all.
He said, a Tabernacle for the Son, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chambers and rejoices as a strongman to win A to run away a race. Well, that's beautiful. We've got the picture already of the sun is a type of the Lord Jesus, the Son of righteousness, and the world, the the the moon is really a type of the pride.
No light of its own, but how beautifully it shines when there's nothing between it and the sun. And it just announces to the world that the sun in all his brightness is there. And so we have it hidden in all these beautiful places. But that's the mystery that was everything to God. And that chamber he comes forth, he comes out of is really John 11. In the beginning was the word, the word with God. The word was God.
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But that's where he was, That's where he left and came to run that race to have a pride.
It's interesting to notice in that 19 song that he is seen as the bridegroom first, as you mentioned, and then we see in verse 6.
A millennial picture, his going forth is from the end of heaven and his circuit unto the ends thereof, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. So we see that after he has his bride, then of course he will come forth in his millennial power, and nothing is hid from the heat thereof. He'll have universal dominion and control.
At the end of the.
Chapter One of the Ephesians.
Involves prayer. He prays, and it seems to me there he gives an outline of the chapter that precedes his prayer.
I'd just like to point out what he prays for.
FB is in verse 18, the eyes of your understanding, being enlightened, that ye may know. And there are three things.
He prays that they would know, and we just look at that. I think there's an outline of the chapter for us that you may know. First of all, what is the hope of his folly? That is our heavenly calling and the blessings associated with it. And you get that briefly. Perhaps you can say from verses 3 to maybe down to verse 9. Don't like to put two definite verses to it, but.
The second thing in verse 18 that he prayed that they would know is what is the richest of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints, and that you have developed in verses 10 and 11. And the third thing that he prayed that they would know in verse 19 is what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us. We're to believe according to the working of His mighty.
Which he rotting Christ when he raised him from the dead. And that's what you get in versus.
13 and 14 where it speaks to the Spirit of God, who now dwells in the believer. So you have kind of an outline of the chapter in the prayer he wants like a brother brought out. It's not that we lack, brethren.
In what God has given, God has the full provision on His part. What it's lacking is to have our eyes open, to see and to know what belongs to us as the leaders in the Lord Jesus.
His heart and his purposes and counsel, He chose a servant to reveal it. That's where our chapter begins. Pull. He wasn't one of the 12.
He was a special apostle, an apostle Jesus Christ, by the will of God.
And the ministry he got turned back to Galatians one and we'll see that he didn't get it from Christ on earth like the 12 did. He didn't get it from man.
Galatians 111 I certify you, brethren.
That the gospel which was preached on me is not after man. I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. So he got his apostleship sent from Jesus Christ by the will of God to make known the last thing that God had to make known. And that's the truth of the Church as it's been said. It wasn't hidden in the Old Testament. There were tapes of it, but in our third chapter.
3rd chapter of E Patient We find out that it was not hid in the Old Testament.
But in the ninth verse of chapter three, to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery? I suppose this is a mystery that Bob was talking about, which from the beginning of the World War have been hidden gone.
Unsearchable place to be hidden, but it was going to come out. It was God's purpose as in councils he chose Paul. He was caught up to the 3rd heaven. He saw and heard things unspeakable. But then he had this revelation to give that he had gotten that comes out so brightly, especially in this epistle.
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It's good, brother, that you pointed up to us that it's the last thing that God had to say to man in the first chapter of Colossians.
In the 20.
5th verse.
Wherefore I am made a minister that chosen vessel to reveal this mystery, according to the dispensation of God, which is given me for you to complete the word of God. The revelation, given that the Son of God should be exalted, and everything brought under submission to him in association with his pride, is the end of the revelation of God and those who.
As John points up in his third, Third, and 2nd Epistle, who go beyond and pretend to have fresh revelation, are going beyond what Paul revealed, and therefore are wicked teachers. So those who in our present time are pretending to hire revelation beyond what Paul has given us in this epistle are not true teachers of the truth of God.
This is God's last word to man, and it is the Word of God, complete as to His revelation.
Rival is unlike any other book that it is a revelation. Men write books and they are founded upon what they have discovered, perhaps by research and so on. But this blessed book that we have is a revelation, telling us things that we would never know unless God told us and he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. How wonderful that we have a revelation from God, and I think it's important when we pick up the Bible that we realize that it is a revelation.
It's not for us to reason about it. It's for us to take it because God has said it and he speaks with authority. He speaks to tell us things that we would only know because he tells us this expression too, in the end of the verse, to the faithful in Christ Jesus, I don't believe, refers to any particular class. That is some being faithful and some not. That that is, it's all believers.
Are looked upon in this verse as being faithful in Christ. That is, they have received this revelation. They have received Christ as Savior. They're they have acted in faith, a faith given of God.
In the Old Testament, we have a lot of things about the Kingdom.
And the coming glory for Israel and for mankind in general. But we don't have eternal councils. We have that only in the news, and we have it here revealed. It's also interesting to see that when it comes to the Kingdom.
Like in Matthew 25.
That that goes back to the foundation of the world.
There we find that those.
Sheep are told that they should enter into the blessing of the Kingdom, which is prepared for them from the foundation.
Of the world. But when it comes to the heavenly things that we have in Ephesians, they're the eternal counsels and purposes of God are brought in, and we as Christians are identified with that. Now we have here that the Lord Jesus is going to be the head of the earthly and the heavenly sphere, but for those who enter into the earthly blessing, it is prepared for them from the foundation of the world. But how wonderful our blessing.
Goes to.
Before anything was made, God had this in his heart for us, and he has brought us into it now to the Lord Jesus and those of us who are in Christ. I think that's so important in the first verse in Christ Jesus. That's a Christian blessing, never known and realized by any before. Now that we have accepted, the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of God dwelt within us.
This is true of us.
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And like our brother Gordon already said, it's not a question so much of being faithful to the truth, but by faith, having accepted what God has told us of the Lord Jesus, that's how we come into their blessing.
Cobb was mentioning the hope of his calling that's early referred to.
It's a very large thing, the hope of his calling.
I think we might look at three things especially.
In versus.
3-4 and five. It's God our Father.
Having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Christ Jesus, that's children.
Of God, knowing God is our Father.
At the end of the chapter.
It's the Church, the last words of verse 22, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth All in all.
That's relationship to Christ. What a calling to be children of God, to be the body of Christ and the next chapter.
In the last verse.
222 In whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation of God through the spirit.
Relationship with the Spirit of God is a place where he dwells. What a what a high calling. And so I think based upon those three relationships, children of the Father God, the Body of Christ, and the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
That the calling is very, very large, and it's what's referred to in chapter 4 and verse one, I believe as well. I, therefore the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the calling, the vocation. The same for with your call. So the hope of his calling, how grand it is, The whole of the Trinity, we're in relationship to God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All the expectations, too, are founded upon what God has done in a certain position He has put us in. How would I know how to act if I didn't know I was a child in the family? How would I know how to act as a member of the body of Christ if I didn't first know that that's where God has placed me. And so I believe it's so important people make a great deal out of practice. It's very, very important. But God first lays the foundation of where He has placed us in grace.
And all the exhortations then flow from where grace has placed us and brought us. And I feel that's so important. That's why it says they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship. There's a lot made out of fellowship, but in order to know properly how fellowship is carried on, we must know where God has put us. And the apostles doctrine tells us this where children.
We're members of the body of Christ, As our brother said, We're indwelled by the Spirit of God.
We're not citizens of earth. We belong to heaven. We know our position that all the exhortations are because he has made known the position to us. And I feel that's so important, and that's the importance of what we have here. For here we are brought and introduced into this place where God by his wondrous grace has brought us. And I was thinking too, how wonderful that the instrument whom God used wasn't a man who had that kind of natural inclination.
He says. I thought with myself I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth concerning zeal, persecuting the Church. This man whom God picked up wasn't a man who had this natural inclination. God picked him up when he was a rebel on his way to Damascus. And now it shows that every operation is based upon sovereign grace, the instrument itself, and we who ourselves who are brought into this place.
It's all of grace, not one thing in which the flesh can glory, but all the riches of His grace and the glory of his grace.
But you really should be pointed out who that this question of adoption goes beyond merely being children in the father's family. In Galatians chapter four we get this expression in verse one. Now I see that the air as long as he's a child, different nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all.
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But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the Father.
Even so we when we were children, were in ******* under the elements of the world. And here is what we come to in our chapter in Ephesians. One when the fullness of time has come, God sent forth His Son made of a woman made under law, to redeem them that were under the law that they might receive the adoption of sun. So when we come in our verse as to adoption, it is predestined to sonship.
Which brings us more into the intelligence of what God has done and what our brother has pointed up to us. Of this, a necessity of continuing in the apostles doctrine is that God not only begot us anew as children and his family, but by the spirit of adoption has given a sonship. So we have intelligence as to what God is given. So it really goes beyond just me being children in the family. John brings us into that.
The revelation given to Paul is the highest truth of God to man.
Is that we are brought into the place of sonship to enjoy intelligently what God has given.
No, Brother told us one time. Brother, never neglect the tail end of the epistle.
What was he talking about? Exhortation. But we need the first part of the epistles before we need the exhortation. That's what our brother was saying. Where are we put? We're putting this wonderful position in grace. It brings us there. Then we have a basis.
For our conduct, our behavior. So evasion, first three chapters it primarily teaching doctrine. In the last four, the last three chapters primarily exhortation. It's in God's order.
Could we say, fortunately for us in one of our other conferences, and the criticism was made, that we spend all of our time in the doctrinal portions and we never get to the exhortation? Well, it was pointed up that if the teaching of the first part of the epistles does not form the affections of our heart to instruct us.
Then the exhortation becomes law and the entire truth of Christianity is destroyed.
Like the thought that an adopted child is a wanted child.
God has adopted us as His children. He wanted us.
To think that that one who created this scene, the whole universe, wanted us as his children.
We have children by both birth and by adoption. Both is true of us.
And this is one of the most wonderful truth in Scripture, that in Christianity we know God as Father, you know, and as children born into the family we have the very nature of our Father, and adoption and sonship speaks of position and the exalted position that we have in Christ and while.
John speaks much about God as the father and the family.
But we have it also here that God the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, is our God, is our Father, and we have that revelation given to Mary.
In John chapter 20, the risen Savior gave that message to Mary to take to the disciples. This is a wonderful truth in Christianity that we know God in the intimacy of a child.
And also.
In the dignified position as a son being a son to the father.
It's a wonderful truth that we lay hold of and like we have already had Galatians chapter 4. It goes on to say because we are sons he has given us the spirit of his Son crying ABBA Father, someone has explained he gives us the feelings of the Son. It's a wonderful truth we have God is our Father and that this Father has blessed us with all spiritual blessings.
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He has withheld nothing. All that he has, he has given to us in Christ Jesus. Isn't that wonderful, beloved? We do not lay hold of it enough of all that we have already in Christ as those that have come to know the Lord Jesus as Savior. God the Father has blessed us with every with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
Let that be done into our souls.
Enjoy it. I really believe the reason that we do not walk as heavenly citizens. I.
Think we know the truth, but we don't let it sink into our souls and enjoy it. What a tremendous fact that is. In verse three that you mentioned. He has blessed us. I like the way Mr. Garvey puts it with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, in grace, everyone. You cannot think of any spiritual blessing that does not belong to you if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It belongs to you. It is present possession. It is not something to be laid hold of when we get home to heaven. It is what I have now as a believer because of my position in Christ. And I think there's another thing in this verse three that is so important to get a hold of. It is spiritual blessing. It's not something that you can show me physically.
You cannot put it out in your hand and say here it is.
See it? It's spiritual. And that is in contrast with the Old Testament, where Israel was blessed with material blessing as a result of their obedience to the law of God. And because it was on that ground of responsibility, they lost it all. Brethren, thank God. That is not the ground upon which we possess these spiritual blessings.
It is pure sovereign grace that brings us into the position that we now occupy in the Lord Jesus Christ. Every spiritual blessing is mine. I really feel that the materialism that we're so surrounded with and so occupied with day after day brethren, blinds our minds, robs us of the enjoyment of these things.
Some of the happiest moments I spent with these this chapter open, is with some of the poorest in this world, brethren. And I must say that when the material things aren't there to occupy the soul that they enjoy, in a fuller measure the reality of these spiritual blessings, which is more real? The things that we see and touch and feel and say, this is mine, or those things that you cannot see, which is more real?
Brethren, it is those things that are spiritual and that are unseen and that you cannot touch.
As to your physical touching it, it is not that the real things are spiritual realities, things that will last forever. Everything that we see with our physical eyes and touch with our hands physically is going to pass away. In a few short moments it will be gone, but our heavenly spiritual blessing.
Is forever and its heavenly blessing, brethren, not earthly bless important that is to that we understand, because the doctrine is becoming.
Popular and Christendom That when God is pleased with the person, he gives them material blessing and people say look how I've been blessed.
The Apostle Paul lost everything.
He ended his course in the prison and according to secular history, was beheaded. If that philosophy would hold true, it would mean that Fall failed somewhere along the line. That is not a true doctrine. The blessing of the believer in this present age is spiritual, is heavenly, and it's important to keep that before us.
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And then in Christ, that's the whole thought.
And so if you look at first Peter chapter one Speaking of Jesus Christ at the end of verse 7, but I have verse 8.
First, Peter chapter one, verse 8. Jesus Christ, whom having not seen ye love, in whom, though now ye see him not yet believing, he rejoice with joy, unspeakable and full of glory. That's something you can't explain to anyone of this world. That is an inner spiritual joy that comes from knowing who we belong to and and who is our life.
Christ the Son of God, and it's wonderful. It's unspeakable. You can't explain it. Paul or Silas, I doubt could explain to any of those prisoners why at midnight, after being beaten soul and put in stocks, they could sing praises to God. But the prisoners realized this was something that's real. You can't see it. It's real. And really that's the testimony we have to this world and that third verse really ought to set us really on fire in our hearts.
What we realize this is ours, and it's reserved in heaven for us, and we're kept to enjoy it. And that makes it so grand. We're not just heirs of God. We're joint heirs with Christ. God has given everything to Son. That means we share eternally everything with Him. Marvelous grace.
Grayson and Joshua, Chapter 11.
Verse 23.
It's striking. There's no mention made of the Army of Israel.
11 and 23 So Joshua took the whole lamb, according to all, the Lord turned to Moses, and Joshua gave upon inheritance unto Israel, according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war, if we go to Joshua. 13 and one.
Now now Joshua was old and stricken in years. And the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and the remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. Joshua had won it all. He had given it all to them. But there wasn't the energy to go in and possess what was given to them. And beloved, we need energy.
To possess now by faith and joy by faith.
What the Lord has given to us, it's all ours, but we need energy to possess it. We get distracted with other things instead of valuing that which the Lord has given to us.
Nick of Abraham. And like this too we're talking about that some mention was made that that we these blessings are ours. We just don't have the faith to possess them. We don't make them our own. And Abraham had everything that that he needed in the in the the land where he was born. But God said get thee out of that land and go into the land which I will show thee. And so the only way that Abraham was going to get a hold of those possessions and appreciate them was to.
To do what God said. And so he left that land of his.
Birth. And he went out not knowing whether he went. We're told in Hebrews that he looked for a city that hath foundation whose builder and maker is God. And God had told Abraham that every place where he put the sole of his foot on would be his. And and is that not the same with us, brother?
If we're going to make these things good for and good to our own soul, we have to walk throughout the length and the breadth of the land that God has given us. We have to appreciate these blessings that He has told us about him in this book, and I believe the reason that we don't appreciate them is a very fact that we don't meditate upon them.
So talk through the length and the breadth of this land and God will give them to us as we walk in them and we will make them our own in that way. But brother Chad was pointing out was for Israel the blessings were in the land of Canaan, and that's only a picture of the heavenly places for us. We have here in verse three that the blessings are in heavenly places.
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And so we find that our position in Chapter 2 seated in Christ in heavenly places. Then we find in chapter six that the warfare, the conflict is in heavenly places. You see, Satan would.
Try and will try to hinder us from entering into our possession, and he might well use earthly things. You know, in Colossians this is one of the dangerous pointed out that there is such a thing as being earthly minded.
And even the duties and responsibilities that we have in connection with this earthly life might well be used of Satan to so occupy us that we have no energy and time for the spiritual things and lay hold of these things. And you know, many times you hear comments even like this amongst the Saints, somebody who is successful in his business, people say the Lord has really blessed you.
Well, I don't think that's a proper comment to make. You know, all the things connected with this earthly life are the mercies of God that he gives us. And we must distinguish between what our blessings are and what our mercies are. Good health and have a job and have a family, and all of these things are mercies for which we are thankful. But we must not forget our real blessings are in heavenly places in Christ.
And that we must not allow to be so occupied with these duties and responses, Earth, that we lose out spiritually. And let me say this for the young people. You know, sometimes we set our goals too high. In other words, let me use an example. A young man might say, I want to become a doctor.
Or some other goal, but in so doing it takes.
All of his energy and his attention to make it to medical school. I don't believe the Lord would lead anybody to become a doctor. If, while he is studying in medical school, he has no time for the things of the Lord, maybe he is setting his goals to hide. I'm just using that as an example, as a warning. I don't think there's anything wrong in desiring to be a doctor and to be a help to ailing people.
But the Lord would not lead you into that path if you, in so doing, have no time for the things of the Lord.
The Lord will enable you to, if that is really His path, for you, to also give energy and time for the things of the Lord that you increase in your spiritual well-being.
I think that's our brother was bringing before us was that all the land was actually given to the children of Israel, but in actual possession they only had as much as they walked in. And so with us, every believer, the moment he is saved is blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And that's the purpose of these readings, that we would be brought to the knowledge of this if I don't know that a piece of property is mine.
I can't defend it against any person that says, well, I don't think that belongs to you. But if I know it's mine, if I have a title deed to it, I can show it and stand there with confidence. And the reason that we compromise and give up truth, brethren, is because we don't know how richly we're blessed, we don't know really what our true Christian possession is, and we act as though it were something we could give up or whatever. But it's all ours.
Through the work of Christ we're blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ. But every part that the souls of our foot tread upon is ours in actual possession. You might have a piece of property in Florida, it's yours if you have a title deed, but if you've never been there, you don't know the length and breadth of it. You don't know to enjoy it. And I feel that that is the important thing. As our president have been remarking. We need to know what is ours in Christ. We have to know what true Christian possession is.
00:50:03
And then we're tested day by day as to whether we're walking in the things that God has given to us for our good and for our enjoyment. We know how important it is. And I believe even in the testings we have been going through of late. Have we? Do we really know what Christian position is? Do we know the true position of the Church? Knowing this fortifies us to stand in the days of testing, just as you when you're tested about the land, you draw out your title deed. You look at it again. That's mine. I know it's mine.
Well, may the Lord grant will be established in the truth of His word, and that's why in the whole armor of God it says, take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We we need to have the word of God before us to know the truth on which we on which we stand, and stand for it by the strength that He gives.
Very much wrong teaching. Many, many dear Saints of God have real difficulty with allowing God to choose before the world's foundation works have been so instilled in the mind of many.
That they cannot conceive of the sovereignty of God in setting his heart.
Upon the unworthy, and selecting out of that mass of unworthy beings some on whom to make his love known, in order that his heart might be made known. But it's wonderful that God because of his sovereign.
Grace and love set his heart upon us and brought us out of that mass of moral darkness in order that the glories of His person and his Son might be exhibited in the likes of us. It's God's sovereign choice before the world, before sin, so that He is the actor We are the acted upon, wonderful grace of God.
Third word that is used in first Peter one.
For knowledge. I think that helps to understand choosing our election.
Elected, Peter says, according to the poor knowledge of God, God knows everything beforehand.
You cannot limit God's foreknowledge. Some people who do not believe in this question of election, like Scripture teaches it says that God just kind of knew in kind of a general way. He didn't really know our names.
Are you going to limit God's foreknowledge in that way?
Absolutely impossible to limit his foreknowledge. He knows everything before him and according to that poor knowledge he chose us. I like to think of verse 4 On its chosen or election it's in connection with our persons and in verse 5 when it's free destination, it's to a place that we are predestinated.
That place is sonship in God's family, so we are chosen with a specific purpose in mind. The primary purpose, brethren, is not to serve God.
Precious privilege to serve God. But that's not the primary place. It's to be brought into sonship. God has millions of angels to do his bidding, but he has chosen us to bring us into sonship.
To share the full councils of His eternal purposes with us, that we would walk in fellowship in the intelligence and the knowledge of those councils, and walk in the enjoyment of it with him through this world, even here and now. What a tremendous privilege.
This expression here before him in love, God has elected the angels. They're spoken of as the elect angels. But we don't read anywhere in God's word that he loved the angels. But isn't it a blessed thing to think that he's going to have a people before him perfectly suited wholly and without blame? Holy as the character, without blame as to our our position that is.
00:55:07
That's that's where God has put us. He sees us in Christ. It's says we are made the righteousness of God in Him.
But the angels, as I say, they're the holy angels, they're the elect angels, but they're not there in love. But as God looks down on every believer in this room, he finds the satisfaction of his own affections, which he didn't have in any of creation or in the angels. But he has a people picked out, and we by grace are among that number. Not that we're the only ones, there are many more, but we are. And God would have us to know this and enjoy this and walk in the sunshine of it. And this is what He is bringing before us, brethren.
Because I believe it's important, as I say again, that we understand where God has put us.
In order that our walk might be according to it. For instance, if you said to an ambassador in another country, are you going to vote in the next election, He'd probably say, well, you don't know who I am. He wouldn't. He wouldn't go into a long explanation about why he didn't vote. He'd say, you don't know who I am. I'm an ambassador from such and such a country, and that's what we need to know. We need to know where God has put us. And the exhortations become very simple.
And plain. And the power is supplied to walk in them by the Spirit. But we need to know where God has put us. But isn't it precious brethren before him in love? And that love is never going to change through all eternity.
Now go to God. You would allow us to Peter that Perth a chapter in that verse in Peter that you quoted.
According to the foreknowledge of God.
That that does not mean that God knew who would accept the gospel and accordingly he elected. No, this is a doctrine that is going around in Christendom that would eliminate really the sovereignty of God and make his choice dependent on the will of man.
That is not what that conveys. Someone has explained it this way. He said his affections upon us in the eternity past. But the position that we have been brought into now, as Peter Gordon has said, is in love before him. It's beautiful. And then young people have difficulties many times, and many argue that it isn't fair on the part of God.
That he elected some and did not elect others, you know, and Mr. Calvin and others go so far as to say that he elected for damnation. That is not what the Scripture teaches. What we have to realize is the whole mass of humanity is seen as guilty before God.
Why are they guilty before God by their own actions and by their own sinful course? So God is under no obligation to any.
And in order to make sure that some will be saved, he elects, because if he would not elect in a solemn way, none would be saved. So this is the truth of Scripture, and it's beautiful to see that he sets his affections upon us and then he does pick us out, and in time he saves us By bringing us to the Lord Jesus, He draws us himself.
To the Lord Jesus, we find that none would come except the Father would draw them. So God did not only pick us out in the eternity past, He makes it his own business to make sure that we come to the Lord Jesus in order that we be saved and come into all the blessings that were in his heart.
Before anything was made.
We have all that the Father hath given me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me. I will in no wise cast out.
We were given of the Father to the Son, but if any have any doubts as to whether they were given or not, just come him that cometh to me. I will no wise cast out, and you'll find then when you come, that you were given of the Father to the Son.
We should not bring up the sovereignty of God in the preaching of the gospel. It really is a a family secret, you might say. But there may be a time when someone would put up such a resistance that we might have to go to Romans 9, you know, it says.
01:00:09
Verse 20 But nay, but, old man, who art thou that replies against God, shall a thing form say unto him that formed it. Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honor, another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels?
Of mercy which he hath afore prepared unto glory. Now here again, I believe we'd have to consider carefully the passage that this fitting of destruction was not God's part, but really was man's willful course that fitted himself for destruction.
But God exercises his sovereignty for the good and blessing of man. And who is man to reply against that?
God is sovereign. He'll do as he pleases.
Speaking of this, that before a child comes to the age of responsibility, it comes into the blessing of the Father's will, and saw a baby who dies before it's able to express its own will. The scripture says God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And so that child that doesn't come to the age of it can express its own will, will be in heaven through the Father's will because God is not willing that any should perish.
But isn't it a solemn reflection on man that he comes to the age of responsibility and he rejects the blessing that God is willing to give and does give to the one who doesn't resist his will? So in that way, as you said, he fits himself for destruction. He rejects the will that would have brought his blessing. But we must also remember in connection with election that God wouldn't be God if he didn't know everything beforehand. We might as well forget about prophecy if God doesn't know beforehand.
Because everything that we know in the prophetic scriptures is because God knows what's going to happen, and he knows what's going to happen for years to come. And so we have to accept these things and recognize that we have a God who is beyond our minds but who has been pleased to make his mind known to us in such a way as we can comprehend it, and to just rest in that. But I I want to make it very clear that what you are saying is right.
That God is so willing to bless every human of the human race that he's going to take everyone to glory who doesn't resist his will. But when they come to that age, by then they resist his will. And if God didn't act in sovereign grace, nobody would be saved.
Go to dawn at the first statement you made there that we don't preach election to the laws. I wonder if we do not need to adjust our thought on that. Because in John chapter 6, to whom does the Lord say these things? All that the Father has given me will come unto me. I don't think he says that only to his own. And then also in the 10th chapter.
The Lord Jesus makes the statement in verse 26, but he believed not.
Because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. So he makes clear that there were sheep that from the fold would be saved, that from Israel and those who are not from the fold. But he also addresses the unbelievers here, and points out to them that they do not believe, because they are not of those whom God in His grace has chosen to be his.
Really. A rebuke to them, was it not? Yeah.
And God is sovereign, as we are saying, and God can really use any part of his.
Word to work in the heart of a person. We were enjoying that little verse in the Sunday school paper.
Prepare to meet thy God, you know. But we don't quote the whole verse as a rule in the gospel. It says Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
But I'm sure that he has used scriptures that apply strictly to the believer. I'm sure he has used them many times to work in the hearts of those that need salvation. So he is sovereign.
We don't need to worry, is what I'm saying in referring to Romans Chapter 9.
01:05:04
We don't need to worry about using the sovereignty of God where the need is great, but I think I would hesitate to bring that out as a point in the gospel. But it's a good stiff warning to man who would resist the grace of God. Romans Chapter 9.
#331.
Father, thy sovereign love has sought captive descends on far from thee. The work that thine own son hath wrought has brought us back in peace and free #331.
Oh my God.