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Ephesians chapter one, and it's been suggested that perhaps we start with verse 3 to tie together what we've had.
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 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 unto 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 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 hath 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 in 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 counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
And whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation? In whom also after that ye believe, ye were sealed with the 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, ceased not to 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 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 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 hath 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 that filleth All in all.
Last meeting we spoke about verse four being election.
We were chosen in him before the foundation of the world, and verse 5 is.
Predestination.
The purpose for which we have been chosen.
Not only to save us, but to bring us into a specific position of privilege.
And really, the thought is.
Our King James translation puts children, but it's really sonship being brought into sonship, the privileges of sonship, tremendous position of favor that we've been brought into.
You know, we think of UH.
The parable of the prodigal son.
And how the prodigal son in that far country?
Made-up a prayer and in his prayer, he said.
At the end of it, make me as one of Thy hired servants.
He thought that would be tremendous, to get back there and have bread enough in despair.
But that wasn't the father's thought. And so when he gets back home, that part of the prayer is forgotten.
And the father wasn't interested in having another servant.
What he wanted was a son to sit down at his table.
And to enjoy fellowship with him, to share common thoughts with him.
And that's what God has brought us into brethren.
It's a joy to serve the Lord.
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But God doesn't really need anymore servants. He has millions of angels to do his bidding, what he wants, and this is characteristic of the day, the dispensation we live in. What he wants is bring us into the full enjoyment of sonship. So he's predestinated this unto the adoption of children or sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.
What a privilege.
To sit down at the father's table.
To enjoy fellowship with him. To have common thoughts with him.
About his eternal purposes. About his Son, About.
His eternal purpose of making his Son the center of that coming day of glory.
A person may be assigned, he may be a child, and uh, but you never see a truck going up and down the road by Smith and his children. But it's Smith and his sons, because a son is one who is old enough to understand the business. And so the brother has outlined a few things there. You know, we talk about the privilege of sonship, the Old Testament Saints, they had confidence in God, but in the New we have a relationship.
And so we have liberty, liberty to go right into the very presence of God. We just did. Some brothers stood up and took us into the sanctuary, So we have liberty to go in. Somebody has said that.
When Kennedy was president, that there were UH agents there to keep any, UH, foreign dignity from going into his presence unless he was called.
But the doors swung open and in ran this little kid, and he played under his desk and everything. He had liberty because he was a son that those dignitaries didn't have. Then there was there's uh, so there's a dignity too, uh, to sonship.
Uh, we've all heard these, these maybe these are hackneyed stories, but of the UH Prince who was down in the Amazon, UH serving UH with the Royal Navy and UH they all, it was very, very hot. Nobody was around and so they went, uh as it were, skinny dipping. Well, when it got back to England, uh, he was called in. He said it's all right for the other men to do it, but you.
Are next in line for the kingship.
It's not all right for you to do it. There's a certain dignity with a place that you occupy. Well, there's uh many things that go along with uh, uh, being a a son, you know, there's a certain affection.
That one has for his son, but he doesn't have for the children down the street.
And so this is a wonderful, uh, privilege that we've been brought into sunshine.
You get that in John's ministry that we have been brought into the family of God and given the very nature of God, but were sons by adoption and sonship, as has already been said, has to do with the dignity of the position in which we're brought in. It's interesting with Mephibosheth when he was brought by David to the palace, that it says all the the household of Zaiba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
But the Mephibosheth, they meet at the King's table continually. David didn't bring Mephibosheth to serve in the palace. There were lots of servants, as we've as Bob has already said, God has his legions of angels. But what David wanted to do was show kindness to the household of Saul and have one that he could sit at with with in fellowship at his table. Just another little story in connection with the dignity of the position that we've been brought into.
History tells us of the Crown Prince of France many years ago, when France had a royal family and this Crown Prince as a young boy had an English tutor in the palace, and this English tutor found his.
Student very unruly and this young man was really incorrigible and hard to control.
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Because he was the Crown Prince of France, he this tutor couldn't really discipline him.
And so, in desperation, he came up with a rather novel solution.
Purple was the French royal color and one day when this student showed up for his English tutoring, the tutor pinned on his lapel a purple rosette and he said as he pinned it on the young Princess lapel. He said this is the color of the French royal family and I can't discipline you because of who you are when you're unruly in the class.
But he said, every time you do something you shouldn't, I'm going to point to this purple rosette so that you will be reminded of the dignity of the position that you have as heir to the French throne. And they say that the effect was amazing. And so this young man learned very early in life that there was a dignity connected with being heir to the throne of France. Well, brethren, if we could just learn thy dignity that we have as.
Of God, sons and heirs of God. It would make a difference in our life. And I remember our brother, Albert Hayhoe.
And whose home assembly? I grew up and under his ministry, he said. One time he sat in a meeting and he listened to his father speak about the evils and follies of pride and self esteem. And after the meeting was over, he went to his father and mustering all the respect he could, he said. Now father, I understand what you're saying, but he said if I didn't have some self respect and a little bit of self esteem, a little bit of pride, he said I wouldn't make sure that my hair was combed.
And my shoes were shined and that I looked presentable.
Well, his father listened to him. And then, very wisely, when Albert was finished, he said, Now, Albert, if you remember at all times that you are a son and heir of God, it will take care of all those things without one ounce of pride. And when brother Hayhoe told us that as a young person it had an impact on us, and I've never forgotten. And I think there's something very good for us to consider as to our practical conduct when we realize that this is the position that we have been brought into.
And that's really what's taken up here, isn't it? It's we. We have brought in responsibility and then that's that's OK. But really, what God, what is being said here is God is saying relax. Let me tell you what I've done for you and you can say, well, but I haven't. Let me tell you what I've done for you.
Nice to see that expression in verse five according to the good pleasure of his will.
We know that the Lord Jesus did not exercise.
So to speak, a will of his own. While here upon this earth he was subject to the Father's will, and it's nice to see a corresponding portion in Matthew Chapter 11.
In verse 25 it says at that time.
Jesus answered, and said, I thank thee, O Father.
Lord of heaven and earth.
Because thou hast laid these things, hath hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hath revealed them unto babes.
The thinking especially of this next verse.
Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. Well, this is the pleasure of his will, is it not?
In a slightly different, uh, connection and connotation, but that was ever.
The Lord's, uh, desire to please the Father in all things, and I believe this is.
The aspect of the burnt offering, as we have brought before us in the book of Leviticus.
And if you and I had perhaps.
Chosen or selected the order of the offerings, we would have selected the sin offering, but we.
Uh, see the burnt offering, that which in the Lord's life was pleasing and acceptable unto the Father.
Definition.
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I think Brother Bob was giving us a good definition this morning. If you wanna repeat that again, I'm gonna turn it over to Bob because I think Bob gave, uh, a good.
Uh, definition of that.
Election has to do with our persons, Predestination has to do with a position he has.
In mind for us when he chose it.
He, uh, Joseph, and he had in mind to bring us into the full privilege and enjoyment of sons of the body.
Barack Obama, Barack Obama was elected to the to be President of the United States. As a person. He was elected, but he was predestined to take that position of president and to move into the white, to the White House. There was a dignity of position and a place that he was going to occupy. So he was elected as a person we might say was predestined to the president ship and the White House as having been elected. I know that's a feeble illustration, but perhaps helps us to understand the difference.
Would it be right too to use a illustration? If you went to a sales store and you were going to buy lamps and uh, you chose a certain lamp that would be and paid for it. That would be, uh like election. But you could do many things with that lamp. You know, it might be a very valuable lamp and you could stick it down in the basement. Nobody would ever see it.
Or you could put it in the hallway.
Where everybody came in, they could admire it. He's placed us as sons, you know, in that relationship. So I think it has to do with UH where we're placed predestined predestination is always 2 something.
In all these verses kind of go together. You'll notice that many of them have a comma the end of them, and so it goes right on into verse 6.
To the good pleasure of his will at the end of verse 5.
Through the praise of the glory of his grace.
No, brother. And that's what God's going to display in that coming day.
The glory of his grace.
Oh, what a display it's gonna be. It's gonna provoke our praise.
And the praise of the whole creation as it is displayed out, God has brought into focus.
The glory of his grace. And then he goes on to say in verse 6, wherein he hath made us.
Accepted in the beloved.
And I love the Darby translation there says.
Brought into favor in the beloved.
God looks at us in a place.
Of unchanging favor in Christ, in the beloved beautiful to think about.
God cannot look at us.
In any other way than in unchanging favor.
But what if I am disobedient?
He will discipline because of that position of unchanging favor.
That I occupy before him in love. Wonderful to think of it, brethren.
And I find that so many people, sometimes young people, sometimes older ones too, struggle because they don't feel accepted.
I've talked to people that don't feel accepted in their local gathering.
Brethren, let's not worry so much about being accepted by our fellow man.
Let's enjoy the fact that at the highest level possible.
We have been accepted before God. He looks at you and me.
In the place of unchanging favor, and his dealings with us in this life, even while we're still down here in this world, are because of that place of unchanging favor, we are accepted.
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In the beloved.
Remember a story that was told and I.
Don't know if I have it very clear but.
It's a young boy in England.
That came one day to He wanted to see the Queen.
And he came up to the gates of the Buckingham Palace.
And of course, the guards held them out.
You come from quite a distance and he was rather disappointed.
Sat off to one or stood off to one side and was crying.
While he's standing there, another young boy came running towards the gate.
And when he approached, the guards stood at attention.
It was the Prince of Wales.
And as he went in, he noticed that little boy standing there crying.
And after he got just inside the gate, he stopped and said to the guards, what's wrong? What's what happened to that little boy? Oh, he wants to see. He wants to see the Queen and.
And he can, because he's just a commoner.
And so the little boy, the Prince said to the little boy. You come with me.
And with that, he went right in to see the Queen.
He was accepted in the Beloved.
Brethren, if God could refuse.
Us to day who are believers in the Lord Jesus, he would have to at the same time.
Refuse his own beloved son. Is that possible?
Absolutely impossible. That's the place you and I enjoy of favor before God in Christ.
Think that to get any thought.
Is to deny the truth of election that's taught here.
And the favor and the goodness of God. And the grace of God.
Now it is true that as many as I love, I rebuke and chase him.
But we never want to give any.
To the thought that we could lose the salvation that God has provided.
Ship with the Lord.
We can lose our enjoyment of these things.
And that's what the spiritual warfare in the book of Ephesians in chapter 6 is about.
Because the enemy knows he can't take these things away from us, brethren. But he also knows if we're not going to walk in the enjoyment of them, he's taking away our power in the Christian life. And so that's the constant struggle, and we need to be aware of that.
He wants this. The Lord wants us to enjoy these things and let the reality of them sink into our souls so they will have its proper effect practically on our lives.
Going back a bit to the uh to the thought of uh of uh. Predestination, I was looking ahead in chapter 2 and I was wondering if this would apply here too in verse. Umm, umm.
Well, you could read from verse 8. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. And this is what I was thinking of, for we are his workmanship.
Created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
And I was we were mentioning that uh predestination has to do with being with uh something that is unto we predestined unto and here's good works. Well we know that as sinners and before God we could not do any good works. They're all all our works were were under were filthy rags. But to think that God has prepared something for you and me to do that he calls that are good works and these are gonna precede us into glory because we're gonna be close with them there.
And and so God has. There's nothing that we could do to gain God's acceptance. He's gone ahead, and he's prepared everything from the beginning right to the end. And then at the end, he gives us credit for it.
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Well, we never want to forget the faces of all this, do we? And that's what's brought out in verse 7, in whom we have redemption through His blood.
And brethren, as we enjoy these precious things, these spiritual blessings, and so on.
Let's not forget that it's on the basis of the blood of the Lord Jesus. You know, there was a great cost to bring us into blessing.
We hear about those who go to other countries to adopt A child, and you know, those that go to those countries to adopt A child, they do it at great cost. There's a cost involved in travel, There's a cost involved in purchasing the child when they get there, and all that goes with it. But think of the great cost rather than to the God and to the Lord Jesus in connection with our being brought into this wonderful position.
That we have now and that we are going to occupy and enjoy for all eternity. And we never want to forget the ground of our blessing. And so we have redemption through His blood brethren. It's a simple statement, but what a precious statement. How profound to think of what it took the Lord Jesus to purchase us for Himself. It cost Him His precious blood.
And we find in Peter too, when he takes up the subject of redemption.
He adds a little something that I think is very precious, and he says we're redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.
And that is it. Precious to the heart of God. That's God's value. Because I've often said that I am thankful that my redemption doesn't depend on my appreciation or estimation of the the blood of Christ.
My estimation of it may be very feeble at best, but to the heart of God, the blood of Jesus Christ is precious, and my redemption is based on that. And not only so, but it goes on to say that it's not with corruptible things as silver and gold. You know, silver and gold are commodities that change in value.
If you check the price of silver and gold on the world market at the beginning of one week as opposed to the beginning of the next week, you may find that they've changed in value. And so those commodities go up and down. But rather than our redemption is based on something that does not change in value, that blood is as precious to the heart of God this afternoon as when it was shed on Calvary's Cross.
And that blood will be just as precious to the heart of God for all eternity. Well, what a security we have.
Believe in the book of Ephesians. We have the word riches used at least six times. And I was just thinking of that expression at the end of verse 7, the riches of His grace.
I'd just like to turn to a ver a few verses in First Kings chapter 10.
And in this chapter we have the meeting of the Queen of Sheba with Solomon.
And in the early part of the chapter.
We noticed that.
That she came to prove Solomon with hard questions, and so those questions were answered.
And uh, she mentions in verse seven. However, I believe not the words until I came, and mine eyes had seen it, and behold, the half had not been told me thy wispin wisdom and prosperity exceeded the fame which I heard.
And then we have brought before us uh, in.
The succeeding verses that which the Queen of Sheba brought.
To King Solomon.
And specific amounts are mentioned.
In terms of the talents of silver and gold.
But there's a very nice thought and connection with this. And if we looked at verse 13, it says in King Solomon gave unto the Queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever. She asked beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. And so I believe it's this royal bounty that's brought before us when it speaks of the riches of His Grace we can't measure.
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That royal Bounty, Can we?
But it's spoken of here.
His royal bounty.
Suppose there's a difference between those two expressions, the riches of his grace. It's been illustrated if a person with unlimited wealth was walking down the street of India and he saw.
A poor ratchet dying in the street and he took compassion on him and and called for the ambulance to take him to the hospital and nursing back to health, no matter what the cost.
Yeah, the man had unlimited wealth, he said. I just want him nursed back to health, but after he was nursed back to health.
Say he told him I would like to adopt you as my son.
I would like to bring you into that relationship. Well, that's the glory of His grace.
And to be in Christ means that we have His position and the sons position, the Lord Jesus position before the Father, His position and favor. The Old Testament Saints were accepted, but they didn't have that relationship that we do. That is a privilege reserved for the Saints of God of this age, and we shall reign with him. That's the inheritance.
Somebody has said that the inheritance in Ephesians is under our feet.
And Peter, it's over our head because that's a wilderness book. But here we're looked at as in in heavenly places, so we will reign with the Lord.
Over all created things.
During the Millennium.
Verse 7 Going back there again. Here is another present possession. We have redemption through His blood.
And then it adds another thing that is based on that redemption.
The forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.
Brethren, isn't that wonderful to enjoy the fact that we have the forgiveness of sins because of that precious blood that was shed? One of our present possessions is the forgiveness of sins. I'm amazed as I travel around and hear sometimes believers pray.
That many of them still are asking for the forgiveness of sin.
They don't seem to enjoy the fact that it is one of our present possessions.
Interesting people say, well, didn't the Lord teach His disciples to pray, forgive us our sins as we also forgive our debtors. That's true. But remember that that was before the cross, before redemptions price had been paid.
But you look in Scripture.
After redemptions, price was paid by that precious blood of Christ.
You will never again find that we are to ask for the forgiveness of sins.
Sometimes, say when I'm preaching the gospel, even to those who are unsaved, I say, you know what? You don't. Even as unbelievers, you don't even have to ask God for the forgiveness of sins. What you have to do is accept the forgiveness of sins that He's offering you. His hand is extended and he wants to give it to you. And if he's extending it, wanting to give it to you, are you gonna just sit there and keep on asking for it?
That would be not understanding his offer. But look at a simple verse brethren, because I think this is something that we need to understand clearly. I've met up with a lot of believers who don't seem to understand it. Look at Acts chapter 10 where Peter is preaching.
To Cornelius and those in his household.
Notice how it puts it.
In verse 43.
To him, that is the Lord Jesus.
Give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
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So it's a matter of simply believing God.
Remember one time in the Walla Walla State Penitentiary?
Going on Brother Ted Frazee, and speaking about this matter of the forgiveness of sins. And there was an old man.
Towards the back of the group.
Sitting there, I didn't realize. I of course we don't know what they're in there for.
But after the session was over, he came up and said to us, All these years I've been asking God for the forgiveness of my sins.
Tonight I accept it and thank God for it.
It's that simple. It's a present possession before the God of the universe. I have the forgiveness of all my sins.
How can we know that?
Brother Vern, do you have a document that says you have the forgiveness of sins here in the word of God? The word of God? That tells us, but it's something we possess by faith.
God says it, and we accept.
Now one other thing, as believers sometimes we sin. Should we not ask for the forgiveness of sins when we sin?
Ripshur tells us clearly in one John chapter one.
If any man.
Thank you. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What God wants when we sin as believers, not his, not for us to say forgive us. No, He's already forgiven us.
He's disposed to forgive, but what he wants is confession. And confession brethren goes far deeper than saying forgive me.
When I say forgive me, I'm not really thinking of my guilt. I'm thinking that maybe he's not disposed to forgive me. So I'll ask him that. We don't have to ask that. He already is disposed. What he wants is confession. And to confess means that I have to judge myself and recognize the thing that I did was wrong, that was wrong, and tell him so. And that's what we should do as believers.
But it is important to understand that we have forgiveness of sins.
And it's according to the riches of His grace. I'd like to refer to a verse in Romans as well where we have another result of redemption. Redemption is the basis of all blessing brethren. But notice in Romans chapter 3.
And verse.
24.
Being suffered freely by His grace.
Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So in Ephesians 17 we have forgiveness of sins on the ground of redemption. Here we have something further. We have.
Justification. We're justified freely by His Grace.
Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, God has been so fully satisfied.
And glorified in the work of redemption that the Lord Jesus accomplished at Calvary.
That not only can he not he, he doesn't compromise his holy character.
No. He's been satisfied and glorified. So he can extend forgiveness and he can actually completely declare us righteous in faith in Christ. What a wonderful place is ours. We have redemption through His blood. Oh, let's let those words sink into our souls. What a precious privilege. Breadth.
Save the Apostle Paul had a sense.
In his soul of what the Lord had.
Accomplished in his life.
He referred to himself as the chief of sinners.
And just yesterday, a few of us were speaking and we were referring to the Holocaust which took place in Germany.
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In the late 1930s and the early 1940s, and we were specifically speaking about one man.
Who was to accomplish Hitler's design? UH plan of the Final Solution and that was Adolf Eichmann.
Later, Eichmann fled from Germany at the end of the war.
He was apprehended. Finally, he was brought to trial.
And there was an American Baptist ministry missionary that had access to Eichmann throughout the trial.
And this American missionary, I believe his last name was Davis.
Was having.
Some difficulty in terms of whether he could present the Gospel to Eichmann after all of the horrible deeds that he had committed, but he realized that if.
The chief of sinners could be saved with his responsibility of bringing the gospel and the offer of forgiveness of sins to Eichmann.
And when the occasion presented itself, this missionary did present the plan of salvation to Eichmann.
And it was so striking to learn of Eichmann's response. It was a simple response.
And a very solemn response, he said. I neither need nor want the forgiveness of sins. Well, we just hope there's none in the room this afternoon that takes that position that they don't need the forgiveness of sins and reject God's offer of salvation.
Before we pass on, I'd just like to make another comment in connection with what bro brother Bob brought out. Because redemption is more than just the forgiveness of sins. As we read in Romans, there's justification connected with it as well. And again through the blood of Christ. Because it's necessary in in order for us to be comfortable in the presence of God, to understand that we have more than just forgiveness.
Sometimes. Use this illustration. Suppose I broke into Brother Bob's house this evening and I robbed him. And I'm caught down the road with the goods and I'm brought up to the police station and they call Bob and they say, Mr. Tony, we've caught the thief and we'd like you to come down here and lay charges. And so Bob comes down to the police station and he sees who it is and he puts his arm around me and he says, now, Jim, I'm not going to press charges.
I'm going to fully forgive you, and not only am I going to fully forgive you.
But you're welcome at my house anytime. In fact, why don't you come over tomorrow evening and have dinner with me and a nice time and just forget what's happened and I've fully forgiven you. Would I really be comfortable to go over and have dinner at Bob's, or would I ever really be comfortable in his presence again? No. I'd always feel just like a forgiven thief and brethren. We are forgiven sinners, as our verse in Ephesians has brought out.
But we are more than forgiven sinners. We are seen before God in all the perfection of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We've been made the righteousness of God in Him.
When God looks at you, when God looks at me, what does he see? He sees Christ. What is our acceptance? We're accepted in the beloved, and to be justified is to be brought into a position before God where we are seen in all the perfection and acceptance of Christ. Brethren, can we take that in? Do we understand it? It overwhelms us to think about it. But it is the truth of God's word. We're more than just forgiven sinners.
We're redeemed and just by the blood of Christ and justified.
We might just say 2 to clarify some of these expressions that we have in scripture. These words redemption, we sometimes say is to buy back, but that is not really the full thrust of the word redemption.
There's a difference in Scripture, and it's brought out later on in the chapter. But there's a difference in Scripture than being purchased and redeemed. To be purchased is to be bought.
Or even to be bought back, but to be redeemed is to be bought back to be set free.
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Later on, it speaks about the redemption of the purchased possession. What is the purchased possession? It's all created things, but all created things have not been redeemed yet in the sense that they're not set free.
This creation is still groaning and travailing under the ******* of sin. The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain, and it's waiting for the that redemption that's coming in a future day. When the Lord Jesus sets this creation free and he reigns supreme in the effects of sin, are not felt in the way that they are now. And so to be redeemed is not only to be bought back, but it's to be bought back, to be set free, the children of Israel.
When they were redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb.
As we said earlier today, they were not left on the Egypt side of the Red Sea. They were delivered by a mighty hand and set free completely from the ******* of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. They were a peculiar treasure to Jehovah. They belonged to him, redeemed and delivered. And brethren, we have not only been purchased by the blood of Christ, but we have been fully set free.
I know we're still here in the presence of sin. Our bodies are waiting for the redemption of the body when we when the Lord Jesus comes. And there's that wonderful change. And we're called away from the presence of sin. But as far as the power of sin we've been per we've been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Hebrews.
Ten we have, and their sins and iniquities Will I remember no more.
Got a record of the number of hairs on my head.
If you could access God's record of my sin, what would you find?
They're not there.
Redeemed by the Precious Blood of Christ.
We might mention, too, that as the justification, it has to do with those who are who are capable of sinning in the full light of God's divine testimony.
And and it doesn't necessarily include, say, those who are unresponsible and those who are infants and so forth, but those who are fully capable and guilty before God are the ones who are justified. Is that right?
Yes. And again to go back to the illustration that we used this morning, the the boards of the Tabernacle, which represent individual believers, they were set in two sockets of silver. That's redemption.
But they also were covered with pure gold they were seen in.
God of the righteousness and perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ and as far as those who are do die before the age of responsibility, He came to save that which was lost. But he can't. As far as those who reach the age of responsibility and understand the gospel, he comes to seek and to save that which was lost. And so when that all are redeemed, all are going to be in heaven on the basis of the blood of Christ.
And the work of Calvary, but with those who have reached that age and received the gospel and understand.
Then they're referred to as being justified and in verse eight we find that what we the position that we have in Christianity.
Is comes with intelligence. Mr. Darby translates that that word, prudence, intelligence and brethren. I I think we need to just think about this for a moment, because in the Old Testament there wasn't the intelligence that goes with the light of Christianity.
You know, there were the sacrifices, and the blood of those sacrifices atoned for that sin, and so on.
But the priests and the Levites and the children of Israel who brought those sacrifices?
They didn't really do it as an intelligent service if you had stepped up to the altar in the Old Testament and said to the priest.
Now, why does this have to be offered in the a certain way? Why, just when it's a bird, the head has to be pinched off and the crops and the feathers set aside? And why does this offering have to be filleted in this certain way? And there has to be incense and fire off the golden altar and and and so and so on. What are fire taken and put on the golden elder and from the brazen altar and so on? What? What is the significance? They really couldn't have told you.
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They would say this is the way God has ordained it. And we saw what happened to Nadab and Abayu when they violated God's instruction. And there are serious penalties if we don't go along with it. But it wasn't really an intelligent service that they rendered. They didn't have a real understanding of what they were doing. But brethren, we sit here this afternoon. We've gone over these precious things. We've talked about his purpose, about being chosen.
We've talked about being predestinated. We've talked about the the riches of his glory and the riches of his grace and redemption and forgiveness and justification and so on.
Brethren, we have intelligence in divine things. Sonship brings us not only into a dignity of position, but into an intelligence, an intelligent position as as well. And it's a position that was not enjoyed prior to the coming of the spirit of God and Christianity. Oh brethren, what a blessed place we have been brought into.
He's abounded to us in all wisdom and intelligence and we can understand. I know we know in part and we prophecy in part because there are those things that come between and hinder us now.
But brethren, we he's told us all things. We have an unction from the Holy One, and we know all things.
He has given us all wisdom and intelligence.
We need to go ahead. Perhaps we gotta ask a question. And uh, we're talking about the blessings of the heavenly places that a believer in this dispensation has. But when we turn to the 6th chapter, we find that there's all our enemies there too. So uh, it says uh, I just. I'll read that verse. Uh, the 12 first of the 6th chapter, for we wrestle not against blood and flesh, but against principalities.
And powers against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world.
Against the spiritual wickedness in the Heavenlies. So where we have our privileges, we have the enemies. So maybe someone could define what the heavenlies are and kind of explain this to us.
It's the present position of the believer in the Lord Jesus. We are in a certain way looked at in the three positions in this world.
Of course not of it.
And in a certain way, we're looked at is in the wilderness too, but we are also looked at as.
In the land of Canaan. But Canaan is heavenly is not what we look forward to in the future, but what we.
Uh, I find it to be right now. It is an area of conflict, spiritual conflict. And like we were mentioning a little bit before, the enemy knows he cannot take away our blessings.
But he also knows that he can take away the enjoyment of those blessings, and that is the conflict that we have in chapter 6, and we need to be aware of it. I have noticed, brethren, and.
I don't know how he will work this time, but uh, so many times when we get into the enjoyment of Ephesians chapter one that there is an attack in some way to try.
To dis, uh, distract us and get us worried about things and away from the enjoyment of these things. I remember one time in the Dominican Republic, and enjoying these precious truths and little gathering there is in Rio San Juan in the north of the island.
And I was staying with a brother and he had one room in his house, he had a little store downtown and and we really enjoyed that evening.
This chapter.
At 2:00 in the morning, somebody pounded at his door, he says. Jago, get up. Somebody's robbed your store.
So he gets up, and I watched him as he got up out of the mosquito net and before he went out, there was no rush. He knelt down and prayed.
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And then he went out, and he came back maybe about 6:00. I was up by then and I said chuckle, that's terrible. They robbed your store.
He says. Brother, when I think of those wonderful things we were talking about last night, that's nothing. That's nothing. The enemy failed.
To take away from him the enjoyment of that place that is ours in Christ. And that's what the conflict is, brother.
He's going to attack some way. This is an ongoing conflict.
In our spiritual lives.
We are in the heavenlies right now.
Whether we realize it or not, and in the measure that you try to enjoy these spiritual realities, and that's why we try to encourage you to let it sink down into the soul. The fact that we have the forgiveness of sins, how many people wrestle with that? They think they're not totally accepted before God and it takes away their enjoyment and so they can't walk as a Christian ought to walk in the full liberty. That's conflict, brethren.
And there's going to be that. Remember, another place in South America where I was one time and and uh.
We were visiting an older man in his house, I think he said. He was 88 and.
He said to us as we sat down in his home to enjoy a cup of coffee.
He says, Uh, brethren, I ask for the forgiveness of my sins every day of my life.
Went over to Ephesians one and verse.
Canaan, that inheritance and that blessing.
Earthly people, and as you say, it's interesting to note that the real conflict for Israel never began until they crossed the Jordan and went in to take possession of their inheritance. It's true they had a skirmish with Amalek in the wilderness, but the real conflict with for them was when they crossed the Jordan and there were many enemies in the land that sought to keep them from taking possession.
And enjoying what God had for them. And I just want to re echo what Bob said because it's very important.
In the measure in which you and I seek, by grace, to lay hold in our souls and walk in the practical good and enjoyment of what is ours in Christ, the enemy is going to be there in one way or another, to seek to rob us of that enjoyment. It's all ours. But how much do we enjoy? And I'd like to just take a moment and go back to two scriptures in the book of Joshua.
That I think are very helpful and significant in connection with the comments that have been just previously made. The first verse I want to notice is in the 11Th chapter, Joshua Chapter 11.
And verse 23.
So Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord had said unto Moses, And Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes, and the land rested from war. Well, Joshua, as we know, is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus, because it was actually Joshua that was raised up as their captain to lead them through the Jordan and into their good of their inheritance.
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And here we find that Joshua as a picture of the Lord Jesus, he takes possession of the whole land.
And he secures it as the inheritance for the children of Israel and brethren. That's what we've been talking about.
Our Joshua has taken the whole land, so to speak. He's taken it by the work of redemption, secured it for us and it's ours. He's taken it as an inheritance for his people, for us to enjoy now and for all eternity. But then notice in the 13th chapter.
Chapter 13 And verse one. Now Joshua was old and well stricken in years. And the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, And there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed, you say? I thought Joshua took the whole land. He did. But as far as the practical possessing of it by the children of Israel, there remained at the end of Joshua's life very much land to be possessed.
And, brethren, don't we all? At least I do. I have to hang my head and say that in my Christian experience there remains very much land to be possessed. My Joshua has secured it all. It's all secure in Christ. It's all mine for the taking. But how much of it have I really possessed? How much have I really taken hold of in my soul? Every place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon?
That have I given you for an inheritance.
The Lord had told the children of Israel in the first chapter of the book of Joshua.
But after all those years, they had actually set their foot on very little of what God had for them. And to this day, they have possessed very little. And they will not take full possession until the Lord comes back and puts their enemies down and brings them into that full blessing. But the practical lesson that we learn is it's all been secured. It's all ours. As Bob has been saying, we don't have to ask for it. It's all ours. He secured it.
But the question is how much is left to be possessed by you and me?
Interesting to see in that regard, Jim. Umm. Also, I believe that when the children of Israel were set to go into the land, umm, they were ready to possess it. And they were willing. They had the strength they had, they had the history of God's help for them in crossing the Red Sea and so forth. And so they were no doubt willing and ready. But uh, God didn't allow that, did he? The first thing that happened was they were circumcised.
And they were far from ready to go to war.
And they might say, well why would this why why would God do something like this when we have all this land to possess and and uh we're in no fit condition to do it now. So they read they had to remain there until they were all healed. And I believe we all know that the circumcision is uh is is a type of cutting off of the flesh and that that what we commonly call self judgment and so before we can possess.
These riches that we have and live in the good of them.
We have to realize as we get into Chapter 2 That that it's not a works, lest any man should boast. It's all by grace. And so it wasn't until Joshua met the captain that he realized that God, that it was through through, uh, God's strength and God's grace, that they they could possess that land. And so they had to learn this lesson. And you and I have to learn the lesson that before we can really enter into the good of these things, we have to we have to do with the deal with the flesh, but in US.
Verse eight of our chapter says he's abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence or intelligence.
In Spanish, it says he's super abounded.
In all wisdom and intelligence, wonderful brethren.
To learn the truth of God.
There is no one that has a corner on it more than another.
It is for you and I to be diligent in learning it.
To give out there are those who may have a gift in teaching, but to learn it no one is favored above another. We all have this blessing, in that he is abounded toward us in all wisdom and intelligence. And then it goes along with verse 9 having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he had purposed in himself.
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So he's open to us, the full councils, what he has in mind, and we are getting close to the end of our meeting here now this afternoon. But verse 10 tells us what those councils are. And somebody has said that verse 10 is a key to the scriptures, What God's eternal purposes are that in the dispensation of the fullness of times at Millennial Day?
He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth, even in Him.
So God has opened up to us the full revelation, those things that were before hidden but now are revealed. We can understand them, brethren. They are opened up to us. And He expects, I guess we could say.
He so, uh, he would, you would think that we would be interested in knowing all those councils.
Of his will.
What a wonderful thing. It's just as if sometime I would, I give this illustration of the president of the United States knocks on your door, brother Vern, and you go to the door and you say, here's the president, he says, Mr. Clark, I've chosen you to be one of my personal confidence and I'm gonna share with you what I have in mind for this country. Say what in the world did he choose me for?
Brother, we're not talking about the president of the United States. We're talking about the God of the universe. And he's opened it up to us. In his word, How much do we understand of the way the world's going today? Do we understand why there's such conflict between Israel and the Arab nations around? There's a reason for it. God is moving the scenes, and if you and I are reading the scriptures, we're gonna understand something. None of us understand that much.
But wouldn't understand something of the mystery of his will. What a wonderful thing that he's opened it up to us.
We should be encouraged to get into the word to understand what he's opened up to us, right? If I could just add one thought to that, uh, with regard to entering into the things that we've had, uh. John 16 and verse 13 says, how be it when he the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth. We shall not speak of himself. And so sometimes.
As we take these things up, we kind of feel like we will never come to have these things unfolded to us. Well, we won't, but the Spirit of God will, and He's living in us. He is a part of the Godhead. He has come to dwell within us.
And so we do have that which we need to enter into these things.
That is always by the way of the Spirit of God.
210 One spirit with the lordly light, What power divine doth that sweet word afford?