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Could we also sing #330?
330 What raised the wondrous thought, Or who did it suggest that we the Church glory brought, should whip the sun be blessed? 330.
Woodrise the Wanderer.
'S your glory.
00:05:40
Ephesians one starting at verse 7.
A lot of ground to cover here.
In whom we have redemption through his blood.
Forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made all known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He had purposed in Himself, not 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, Him in whom 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.
And whom also after that ye believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, and to the praise of His glory before. I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love to 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, 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 the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the same.
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 heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and have put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his body.
The fullness of him that filleth All in all.
We discussed our position and the responsibility of it and the balance that needs to be maintained.
We've been given God's richest blessings, heavenly blessings.
Blessings which he considers more precious than anything else that He can give us because they have been given to us in His Son and Biden through His Son. These have eternal value in God's eyes, whereas material blessings and possessions had no value in God's eyes as far as eternity is concerned. This has been given to us for His glory. And it was mentioned two things which touched my heart. One was in a prayer. That is God's desire to bless us as far greater than our desire to receive those blessings.
And the other comment that was mentioned yesterday was the importance of taking possession of our possession, what we have in Christ.
And the Lord is so practical, His approach to us as far as maintaining that balance. How do we take possession of that prized possession, a most important possession that the Lord has entrusted to us? We remember that when Israel entered the Promised Land, it was theirs. It had been given to them by promise of God. But to take possession of it, they needed to walk in obedience and under the Lord's direction. And we remember we read in Judges that that obedience was incomplete.
And that restraint restrained the fullness of the blessings that God had promised to His people.
How important it is for us to take possession.
Of our possessions, they're ours. They've been given to us and entrusted to us to use for his glory. May we lay hold on eternal life. I'd just like to read 2 verses in first Timothy chapter 6 because it was also mentioned how we are to use them. How the God the the the glory of God is to be re revealed in and in and through us in these possessions. That they be real to us. That we lay hold on them. That the world can see in us the glory of God, his love and his grace shining through us.
00:10:25
First Timothy, chapter 6.
Let's start just verse 17 through 19.
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
One of the things that was very important to Alex when they entered the land was to stop at Gilgal and circumcise themselves with sharp knives. Remember that comes out clearly in Joshua chapter 5. So there's a condition there of them entering in and possessing their inheritance. Uh, there was self judgment necessary before they used swords upon the inhabitants of the land. They were to use sharp knives upon themselves and that brings before us. That was circumcision, but it brings before us.
The need for self judgment in our lives if we are not careful and, uh, we allow things that are contrary to the will of God, we're not going to, uh, possess our inheritance and enjoy these, uh, possessions that, uh, we have presented to us as a state of soul that is required. Uh, so, umm, you have Gilgal, which speaks of the self judgment circumplace of circumcision. And then you have eating the old corn of the land, which is a, a picture of our heavenly blessings. They were now out of the wilderness.
We're never out of the wilderness, so we partake of the manna and the old corn of the land at the same time, and the Passover. But the point was there had to be a judge, a self judgment there in their own lives before they.
Proceeded into the conflict with the Canaanites.
And they had to return to Gilgal after their victories, didn't they? And sometimes we may get inflated after a victory, thinking that it is something of our own doing. But that's when we need to use the knives, like you say, John.
Another unrelated aspect of that thought is that they, uh, were told that they had to put the sole of their feet on the land before.
It was theirs, although it was promised and that involved as we, as they found out that involved conflict. And so it's the walk of the Christian that, uh, that makes the truth we possess good to us.
In this chapter we're meditating verse 7 deals with some more of our spiritual blessings. Notice it says in whom we have here's something that is present possession. We have redemption through his blood and as a result of that redemption, we have the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace.
Wonderful truth to think about before a holy God. I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. And it's interesting, brethren, before the Lord Jesus accomplished redemption at the cross, He taught his disciples to pray, forgive us our sins as we also forgive our debtors.
That was proper, but if you look carefully, after the Lord accomplished redemption, never again are we told to ask God for the forgiveness of sins. It is a gift that God is offering to us freely because the price of redemption has been paid, and it is a matter of simply accepting what He offers us. Wonderful truth. I say that because.
I find in Christian circles so many that continue to ask for the forgiveness of their sins and in a certain way do not have the assurance that they have it. But it's very clear here, brother, and it's something that is present possession. Remember preaching the gospel in the penitentiary in the state in the United States. And an older man was sitting in the back of the group as we spoke about the forgiveness of sins and insisted that it was not a matter of asking any longer. God was freely offering it. And all you have to do is.
00:15:23
Accept it and say thank you to God for that wonderful gift. And he came up afterwards. This older man, I don't know what he was in for.
But he said, so many years I've been asking God for the forgiveness of sins.
Today I accept it, thank God for it. Wonderful reality brethren to enjoy. Sometimes it's so simple. We kind of Passover it, but before a holy God that cannot stand one sin in his presence. I can say because of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, that price that was paid on the cross by his precious blood, I have the forgiveness of all my sins.
I think yesterday brother Steve was mentioning too and Romans chapter 3.
It says, uh, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So there's another result of redemption, not only forgiveness of sins, but something that really goes beyond that is that we are declared to be righteous in the sight of God, justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Could we say Brother Bob too, that at the end of the verse it says?
According to the riches of his grace.
That is, the redemption is, shall we say, according to the grace of God. Well, if it is according to the grace of God, surely it is enough for you and for me. How often? As you say, there are those who don't enjoy the forgiveness of sins or somehow have the idea that, well, when I got saved, God forgave all my sins up to that point, but what if I sin again?
Well, there is such a thing as governmental forgiveness. Yes, we understand that first, John, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But that's restoring communion, isn't it? But here it's once and for all that those sins are taken away according to the riches of His grace. Can you and I measure the grace of God? No, and so you have so much said about grace in this chapter. So the praise of the glory of His grace, according to the riches of His grace, and so on. The appreciation of forgiveness of sin is something that does affect us practically, as we find in chapter 4.
I thought that in the Lord's Prayer.
The forgiveness that the Lord refers to is a governmental forgiveness because He forgives us according to how we forgiven others and we find out in God's administration too. But Ephesians 4 and 32, it says that the end of the verse, it says forgiving one another even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you. So in the measure that we're appreciating the forgiveness of God towards us, then we have a model, a pattern for us to forgive others that have done us wrong. It was very practical. We enjoy it then it can be shown in our life how we forgive others.
And when we sin as believers, I think it is important. Like that verse you quoted, Brother Bill. It doesn't say if we ask for the forgiveness of our sins, but it says if we confess our sins. And that is far deeper than merely asking for the forgiveness of sins. If I do something against you, Brother Bill.
Then sin always breaks fellowship, doesn't it? And I see that you are a little bit wary of me, and I may look at you and say, well, I'm going to ask him to forgive me. But if I say forgive me, I'm not really thinking about the bad thing I did.
I'm thinking about your attitude toward me, and I'd like to be friends with you again. But what God wants from us, brethren, is not to say forgive us, but He wants us to recognize the thing that we've done wrong and to say so that's confession. And that's what's important in restoration is to recognize what we've done wrong and to say so then he can, like he's been brought out, forgive us governmentally and his family.
00:20:01
That's very important, but it's not asking for forgiveness. He's disposed to forgive us, but to confess. And that goes deeper because in confession I have to judge myself.
Are you going to say, John, I'm just going to say the glory of God's grace here brings before us that position that we've been brought into.
Uh.
In heavenly places with Christ, the riches of his grace is the depth to which his grace reached down to to meet us in our, uh, misery and our deep need. So in both cases, it's all the grace of God. Marvelous.
I think of what uh David said in Psalm 32.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth, not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. But we know that David certainly failed. And.
And then he orchestrated the murder of the husband of the one with whom he committed adultery. So things seemed to go from bad to worse. But, you know, David appreciated the mercy of God and the forgiveness of God. And so he could write, I believe blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
These things add up to set us in a place and position without any anxiety as to the place that we have before God. All has been taken care of. We had no resource in ourselves. We were undone. But He has a resource in himself. He has the richest of His grace, and every block, every stain has been completely effaced. And now in that position, as sons, as blessed.
And in the enjoyment of it, now he says, now I want to tell you what I'm going to do. Now I want to tell you what I've been thinking about from a past eternity. Now I want to tell you where I am moving everything towards. Now I want to tell you what is the center of everything I'm doing. And he begins to unfold that mystery of His will.
What a shall we say? It's not a good word, but what an.
Shall we say in addition, if we could use the term that is to the truth of as it has in verse seven, redemption and forgiveness. He's abounded toward us in what all wisdom and prudence or could read intelligence.
What's he doing? He's saying I'm going to tell you what it's all about, where it's all coming from, what I'm going to do. It's marvelous, isn't it? No Old Testament saying ever knew what we have here. It was a secret, a mystery hidden in God. That's why it's so serious. That doctrine that I believe you mentioned yesterday, Brother Bob, covenant theology that really tries to equalize the the nation of Israel in the Old Testament with the church in the New Testament, No.
God is doing something entirely new by revealing the secret of His will that was.
As we could say, brought out way back in the past eternity, long before the world was made. But now he says, I've forgiven you, I've saved you. But let me tell you the whole story. Let me tell you what I really have in mind. Because if you could put it this way, it's not really all about you. Yes, this book is all about.
What the church is to Christ, and it's about the highest blessings that we receive.
But in order to enjoy and see those blessings, we have to realize everything from God's side. We have to see what he's doing that if we could say it in one sense didn't really directly involve us in the 1St place. We're brought in, you might say, into the blessing that God has and into the glory that he is purpose for his son. But now he says, I want you to be intelligent as to all that. I want you to know it all. I think this phrase the good pleasure of his will is is.
Maybe I'll give it a a week's paraphrase. I'm really excited about this.
I, I just love to think that the Lord is looking forward to this. This is the ultimate. This is what he's been wanting. This is what he's been desiring. He is looking forward to that time that we will be with him and that we will be exalted with him and we will bring forth the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. You know, it's just we can look at that in his in his excitement, his joy, his pleasure in bringing us into the whole revelation of who he is and, and the glory of his person.
00:25:17
In all of creation, so we can so we can enjoy it now, can't we? And that is the purpose of it. He's abounded in all wisdom and prudence. You know, brethren, there is a gift in expounding Scripture for that. There in chapter four, we have teachers who teach the Scriptures. There is no special gift to learn what He has put out for us. That belongs to all of us.
And so there is no impediment for us to learn. If there is an impediment, it's on our part. It's not on his part. He says, I want you to understand the full scope of all my purposes and counsels from all eternity in relation to my son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, brethren, we can enjoy that. That belongs to sisters as well as brothers. Frankly, I must say, there's areas where I go and.
Sometimes I find sisters more alert as to these things than us brothers. I'm not sure why, but when you look at what happened with the Lord Jesus when he was here in this world and so many times.
He said we're going to go up to Jerusalem and I'm going to be delivered to the chief priests and the authorities there and the crucified and die and rise again. The third day. They didn't get it, but I think there was one person that seemed to understand and it was Mary of Bethany. It seems like she got it because she sat at his feet and heard his word. She brought the anointment for his, the ointment for his burial beforehand an anointed his feet.
With that ointment so that he could enjoy it, too. I think it's so amazingly beautiful. Brethren, let's be encouraged to learn these things. He's abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, and that belongs to everyone of us. Don't look at a certain class of people and say they must understand that. I don't. You have the capacity just as much as anybody else. Isn't that what we're doing now, Bob, right now? We've been over the Word of God these 2 1/2 days.
And we have this before us and brought before us, and it is for us to learn from it and to abide by it. And this is to everyone.
I pray that each one here, from the youngest to the oldest, will go back with something of these beautiful Nuggets from God's Word that will enrich our lives and bring honor and glory to Him. That's why we're here.
I was thinking there might be an impediment to uh enjoying these things.
And umm, we may have the, we had David brought up, we might look at David in second Samuel chapter 12 to see that there was an impediment before David could be brought back, as it were, into the good graces. When you get in the Chapter 11 with the execution of Uriah, we already recognized David in that chapter as being the David, uh, first Samuel with the lion and the bear and the, and Goliath and so on. But I think there's probably three things at least that has come into his life in chapter 10 in early 11.
That might reflect that and we won't bring the details simply in chapter 10, he's rebuffed by a neighbor. He's showing kindness to a neighbor who rebuffs his kindness and he reacts to it. And then in Chapter 11, the first verse, it says, see, I believe a message. There is a time it says when, when kings go forth to battle and David sent Joab, I believe the Spirit of God is telling us that he failed there a little bit. He didn't go forth the battle. He sent Joe Ave. and he stayed at home.
And then he got his eye on his neighbor's wife.
Three things I believe they relate to lust of the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life. And so.
We find that in chapter 12, the, uh, the Lord has to tell them that he has to bring in judgment. It's going to start at his own home. Something has happened to David, so he's going to turn them around. But notice that verse 15 says of chapter 12, the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bear unto David and it was very sick.
00:30:04
I was thinking of this that umm notice it says there David besought the child that God for the child and then it uh in verse 18 the 7th day the child dies. Why did the Lord take the child in day one?
So I believe David has a pass through a lot. He has get before the Lord and now we can ask for the child's life every day. He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep, he doesn't seem like he's occupied with what has taken place. We wanted to find out listening in on his prayer. I believe we might go to Psalm 38 and 51 and so on. Just turn to 38 for a moment and get an idea of what listen in as a word to what David is saying. And I believe it's part of the restoration of his soul.
He has realized he's departed from the Lord. He's not into the enjoyment anymore. He says, O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me with thy hot displeasure.
For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There's no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger.
It is resting my bones because of my sin and so on. I believe we're listening in to David's prayers. He passes through these seven days and then the Lord takes the child. But what does David do in verse 20? Then David arose from the earth and wasp and enlightened himself and changed his apparel and came into the House of the Lord and worshipped.
Turning point, I believe for now we can enjoy those things because he had missed the path here. There was an impediment. He was enjoying the things that got at for him, and that's true of me too. He wasn't even aware of it. If you go back to the 11Th chapter, when Nathan comes and says it's the rich man and the poor man, rich man and all this, David is incensed. He's going to punish him. He doesn't realize that he's the rich man.
He lost sight of who he was.
Until the Lord had to show him that who he was, and then he forced out his heart and the restoration begins and he gained in joy as the things of the Lord and these things that were looking at right now.
Well, He is abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known these verses go together, verse 9 unto us the mystery of His will. It's already been spoken of something from that past eternity, but now made known to us according to His good pleasure, which He has purposed in Himself. And then verse 10, I think your brother John mentioned yesterday, is the key to the whole Bible, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, that's the millennial day.
He might gather together in one all things in Christ which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him. So God's eternal purpose is to gather everything directly under the authority of the Lord Jesus. And that's what's going to happen in the future day. We're getting down to the end of what is called man's day, when man dominates the scene, and it's getting increasingly.
Confusing and chaotic and awful when you look around the world. What's going on? Oh, brethren, it should make us long for that day that it's spoken of here in verse 10. When the Lord Jesus is going to reign supreme over this world. All things not only in this world but in heaven to are going to be brought into his direct control. Oh, what a day is ahead.
Sometimes like to say major changes.
Are ahead in this world.
Yes, it will not be democracy. And sometimes I stop to think, brother, and if the Lord would come this afternoon.
In 10 years we could be in that millennial day easily. Isn't that amazing to think about? It will not be democracy, it will be theocracy. The Lord Jesus reigning supreme for 1000 years.
Will now be a change of government like you've had here in Canada recently every so often. No, it will be 1000 years of his righteous reign. And you know, the Old Testament is full of it, brethren. But here we have the added part of those things which are in heaven and on earth, and sometimes they stop to think of earthly glory. You know, we tend to be occupied with things of earth. Of course, here we live. I guess that's the way we are.
Made-up, but we're told, brethren, distinctly told to set our minds on things above. Sometimes at the end of the day, I have to stop and say, what percentage of the time today did I have my thoughts on things above? Brethren? It's a pretty small percentage, I have to confess. But look, what is greater, heavenly glory or earthly glory?
00:35:30
What would you say, Burrell, on that one?
Well, there's not much doubt, is there?
Oh, you mean, uh, in connection with the Christ position in this verse?
Well, scripture doesn't say, but it's it's going to be a wonderful display, isn't it?
And I often think.
Brethren, of what time when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with his Saints? I I really believe it's right to say it will be the grandest display of power and glory this world has ever or will ever see when the Lord Jesus is introduced with his Saints. The end of the of the tribulation when he comes back.
As we have in so many parts of Scripture with his Saints.
We know that from Revelation 19 that the beast and his armies, the 10 Kings, are going to be.
Raid against him as he comes out of heaven. But just think of it, brethren, when he comes out of heaven with his Saints, how many of the Saints are there from times, All times, brethren? I don't know. I think we could easily talk about billions.
Of His redeemed ones, but it's not only His redeemed ones, but it's the angels of His strength, of His power. As it says in Second Thessalonians chapter one, How many angels are there that will be accompanying him in that moment? Myriads 10,000 * 10,000. It will be a major invasion from outer space. It's when God is going to vindicate.
The glory of his beloved Son. The last time they saw him, he was hanging dead on a cross.
As a malefactor, he was never vindicated in this life, but he's going to be vindicated, fully vindicated, in that coming day of glory when he comes to reign supreme. And you and I are going to be intimately connected with that display of glory. We're going to see it. We're going to be eyewitnesses of it. We should live in view of that day, brother. And there's nothing down here that can compare with it.
Wanted to ask if this tenth verse has a connection with the Jacob's Ladder.
The angels of God I send and descend on the Son of Man.
Yes, I believe it does. It's, uh, it's millennial there and God looks on to that day when there's going to be ultimate blessing. Uh, you might say for that people of whom Jacob was the ancestor. And you get the same thing, of course, in, uh, John's gospel where it says, uh, at the end of the second chapter, thou shalt see the angels of God and ascending and descending and so on, which is a picture of the restoration of Israel. So I believe it is millennial there and it's a picture of the.
Uh, among other things, we don't wanna take time to go into it, but it's a picture, among other things, of the restored, shall we say, communion between heaven and earth. It's not enlarged upon because the truth of the Church hadn't come out yet. But we know from Revelation 21 and other scriptures that the Church will be involved with the earth and be visible from the earth and the glory will be seen. So there will be, it'll be a wonderful scene, won't it, when that revelation of Christ takes place in that glorious day.
There will be, uh, communion that has not been seen.
Before, since going back to the Garden of Eden between heaven and earth. And yet that was really in the picture there with Jacob prophesied up. Joel, I believe, takes it up as well. But here's a mystery of his will, something that was not revealed. And so one aspect of that take up something that Jacob's ladder speaks of a communion there, but all the prophecies in connection with the coming king only spoke of him as reigning over the earthly scene.
00:40:06
They spoke of a communion between heaven and earth that was going to come, that this earth has not seen since the garden. But they never spoke of that coming King, who was the Messiah, who was going to reign over this earthly scene as being over the heavenly as well. And so he brings out here the mystery of his own. What is a mystery? This word is used.
Really in, in the same way, and I don't mean there's a, a connection with idolatry, but in the Chaldean, uh, pagans, idolatries, they had a priesthood and those who were initiated into their right knew all the secret things that they did. They were called mysteries. The only ones who knew them were those who were initiated into that. And that's what this word has come to mean. It means a secret that only is known to those who have been brought in to that circle, that sphere.
That that mystery has been made known to, we've been brought there and that is the verses up to this point. We've been brought into that sphere and now he's made out. It's not a mystery to us. It's not like a mystery book, not mystery in that way, but a secret that's now unfolded to us. And what is it? Something that was not part of prophecy, that all things, not only in earth but in heaven as well would be headed up in the Christ. This is Speaking of it.
The mystery and its future aspect, we're still waiting for that day, but everything is going to be headed up in Christ, both in heaven and on earth. There is an earthly present side of the mystery taken up later on, and that's the fact that we're presently united to Christ by the Spirit of God. The mystery of Christ in the church, that's the other aspect of it that's not taken up right here in this verse. That comes later in the book.
The efforts of believers over the years.
To speak in the Scriptures, a unifying theme, a unifying principle. To be able to understand the ways of God.
Have led them.
In a particular case, to look at the covenant that God has made through the scriptures as being the unifying theme.
The covenant that God has made with man.
Being the unifying theme for scriptures and that each covenant is a development of the revelation of God and of the position of the faithful over time and the revelation gets bigger and bigger. And finally the top of the list of covenants is the covenant of grace, which they look at the covenant to be made with Israel, the House of Judah and the House of Israel in the coming days, a new covenant and the covenant of grace.
And all who are saved are under the covenant of grace, and that that's God's unifying them. This is the grand purpose of God that runs through the whole scriptures, the salvation of man. And in essence, it puts man at the center of God's purposes.
And seeing this, as they say, covenant of grace, salvation of man.
But that has led to the thought that it is through the efforts of man and proclaiming the gospel.
And spreading the gospel and its effects through this world, that this world is going to be transformed and the Kingdom is going to be brought in and all will be brought under the covenant of grace, but that is to bring the Kingdom to humanity efforts.
But in this verse we find what is the true unifying principle of the word of God of all that he is about. He is purpose to head up all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth. Even in him. God has one purpose, that is to glorify himself in Christ Jesus in two spheres, heaven and earth, one purpose and a brother who didn't hold that. And he said, you're making it a God has two purposes. No, he has one.
To glorify Himself in his Son, in heaven and in earth. And that is the unifying principle around which everything else in all the ways of God revolved. It's like the hub on a wagon wheel from which all the spokes radiate out and support the rim. It all rests on that center principle that by the purpose to glorify Himself in his Son in heaven and in earth and everything else hangs on that. I want to read a verse in Second Corinthians, chapter one.
00:45:00
And verse 20.
2nd Corinthians 120 For all the promises of God, in him are ye, and in him Amen to the glory of God by us. Isaiah and the 22nd chapter speaks of the Lord prophetically, of the nail fastened in a short place upon which all the glory of His Father's house hangs. Everything rests on. He is not only the one in whom God has centered His purpose and counsel, but He is the one that's going to bring it to pass. That's what it means. He's the yay and the Amen. It centers in Him. It rests on Him and He is going to bring us past. He is going to bring the Kingdom in. It's not man's efforts.
He is going to do and it's for God's glory, and that is the true unifying principle of the Word of God, and that's why this verse is the key to all of Scripture.
That's very, very good, brother Steve. So that just simply then the mystery that is spoken of, that Paul talks about so often is given to us right here, isn't it? And if we could put it this way, in verse 10, we have the mystery of God that God has in his purposes the exaltation of his beloved son as head over all things his brother Steve has mentioned. There's also the second part, if you could put it to that mystery.
The mystery of Christ, the mystery of Christ in the church, and that's alluded to in verse 11, although not developed, it's mentioned later in chapter 3 and developed more there. And so the mystery has two parts, God's purposes in Christ, the mystery of God, and then the mystery of Christ, that God in Christ is going to have you and me associated with His beloved Son throughout all eternity as His bride.
Beautiful. I was thinking of the those two verses in Romans 16 verse 25. Now to him.
That is of power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began. So it was not revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures. There may have been types and shadows, but no revelation of this wondrous purpose of God. But now He's made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets.
Those are the New Testament prophets, not the Old Testament prophets. We don't get to any revelation in the Old Testament of this marvelous purpose of God to exalt his son and, and, and for the believers, the Church of God to be associated with the the Lord in that coming millennial scene in the Kingdom according to the commandment of the everlasting God made no one to all nations for the obedience of faith. But I just asked a question here, brethren, the inheritance that we're looking at here is that not in connection with the the earth.
Uh, umm, where it speaks of, umm, the purchased possession, uh, is that not, uh, in connection with the earthly inheritance?
Going on to uh.
Verse 14, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory, Is that not umm, the Lord putting forth his power to uh, bring the earthly inheritance into uh on?
He bought the whole field, didn't he? He purchased the whole field, but it's not redeemed yet. It's not been delivered from the power of the enemy yet. And that's why, as you mentioned in verse 14, the earnest of the inheritance is until the redemption of the purchase possession. So he bought that. He paid the price that it could be.
Brought back to God fully. But when you have the inheritance in verses 10 and 11 Connected there, I don't think you can limit it to earth. It's all creation, don't you think, Brother Bill? It's all creation is our inheritance. And I'd just like to say that I think it's important to distinguish our blessings, which we've been talking about in the first verses.
From verses 3 down through verse 9 perhaps?
Those are present possessions. You can't say that you've inherited the inheritance yet because Christ hasn't taken it. The time is going to come, and maybe it'd be good just to mention it in Psalm 2, when the Lord Jesus is going to take his inheritance and we are coheirs with him. Notice in Psalm 2.
00:50:26
Verse.
Seven. I will declare the decree the Lord that Jehovah has said unto me, Thou art my Son.
This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. That's going to happen at the end of the tribulation. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a Potter's vessel. Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings, be instructed and.
Or you judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling, kiss the sun, lest he be angry. And he perished from the way when his wrath is kindled. But a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him. So the time is going to come when the Lord Jesus is going to ask for the his inheritance and God is going to give it to them him, and we are going to inherit it with him. That's why it says in the beginning of verse eleven of our chapter.
In whom we also have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Wonderful brethren, to think about our inheritance. And I say, I think if we would enter into it more, it would deliver us from the materialism of our age. Why struggle so hard to earn so much stuff?
When you're going to inherit it all anyhow.
When the Lord comes back again, does that make sense?
Member of brother in the Dominican Republic that we've gotten away into materialism and was overly occupied with it so that he couldn't be at the meetings and he was just neglecting the spiritual side and that exhortation was given to him. Brother, you're gonna inherited all in a few brief years when the Lord comes. Why are you killing yourself to have so much?
Right now, all we need is enough to get through as pilgrims and strangers, that's all.
That's very, very good.
There is a difference, isn't there, between the thought of the Kingdom and the thought of the inheritance. Yes, Christ is going to reign over all things in the millennial day, and as Bob has brought out, he's going to be vindicated in that day in the world that cast him out and crucified him. In that sense, the Millennium is necessary for the public vindication of God's holy character, but the inherit the Kingdom will have.
A time frame of 1000 years and then at the end he delivers it up.
To God, even the Father. But the inheritance is eternal according to Hebrews 9. Isn't it eternal inheritance? And as Bob has mentioned, it consists of all creative things. Christ died not only to put your sins and mine away, but also to remove sin from the entire universe. We might say, how is sin defiling the universe? Well.
Man is already starting to litter the planets with things that he has made, and for hundreds and maybe thousands of years he has used the stars as figures of demonic things in the Zodiac and predicted people's fortunes and lives and all the rest of it. By these various signs and whatever you were born under and so on, Man has defiled not only this world, this earth, but the whole universe. But Christ, by his work is going to remove sin from the entire universe.
And God gives it to him all as his inheritance all created things.
What would be the thought in connection with his inheritance in the Saints?
There's umm.
18.
Going to take his inheritance until he has his people with him until, like in the Old Testament, the nations of Israel.
He took the inheritance through the nation. And so the Lord is not going to actually take the possession of the, all these things that his inheritance until he has the church with him. He's going to take it in, in the church. But I was wondering, brethren, in the, uh, Mr. Darby says there's the can be looked at in, uh, in two ways, the heavenly aspect and the earthly aspect. So you have the inheritance, uh, in first, uh, Peter chapter one, incorruptible, undefiled, that fate is not awake. Isn't that a heavenly inheritance?
00:55:34
Umm, is that a different character to what we have in Ephesians 1?
For you, that means you and I inherited on the heavenly side in Christ because our portion is heavenly, but the inheritance is not properly heaven. And so, uh, I don't believe in that sense that.
I speak subject to correction, but I don't believe the scripture speaks of inheritance being heaven itself or the things that are in heaven. It's all created things. Now if you say the heavens as we get in scripture, yes, it includes all that.
But it's not strictly speaking heaven itself or being in heaven, but it's all created things. I believe that God is committed unto Christ.
How would you say it, Brother Steve? Is that correct? I enjoy that thought. I'm thinking it includes the angels, too. Yes. It's not merely material things. Yes, that's good. When the Son of Man come up with all those holy angels, they're his. What's his?
I have a question. So what is the internal inheritance mentioned in Hebrews 9 the end of verse 15?
Just what we've been saying, brother, all creative things. And when God gives Christ an inheritance, He doesn't take it away. Again, it's His for all eternity. The Kingdom is 1000 years, but the inheritance, Christ has it in that sense for all eternity. It's just that when Christ reigns in the Millennium, as we get in First Corinthians 15, at the end of the Millennium, when He's put down, as it says, all rule and all power and all authority, He delivers up the Kingdom to God, even the Father.
And it says that God may be All in all, but there it's not God the Father may be All in all. I believe it's God in Trinity.
And so Christ will in that sense, retain his inheritance for all eternity. And, uh, in that way it's an eternal inheritance.
28 It says for the law maketh men high priest, which have infirmity, but the word of oath, which was since the law maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
And, uh, friendship, uh, in the Darby translation in French, it says consumed forever, born as a, as a believer. I, I don't know if that makes sense, but I, I like to think that just enjoying the presence of the Lord is.
I'd like to make a comment on the practical side that Brother Alex brought up about UMM in the beginning there about in enjoying the laying on the eternal life.
Umm, Brother Dave mentioned this too. I believe the first meeting about knowing these truths won't keep us.
Because all these things were delivered to the Ephesians assembly and we know what happened to the Ephesians assembly. And I will come down to the thought about being. So allow me to share what I enjoyed a little time back on Ephesians. That's a three act play.
As Marie, I'll be as brief as possible. First act is here.
Written to the assembly, all these truths we have for everyone, we can enjoy these things. And that's Act chapter one, and that's act one. In act two, we go to, uh, book of Acts chapter 20, which is referred to before. And we turn to for one, one moment. And, uh, in that portion there, it talks about not the assembly, but overseers. So 3 axis one is to the assembly and two is to the overseers, and that three is to the individual. And so to the overseers in X20.
01:00:08
We have the warnings about therefore watch and so on. Why? Because those beautiful heavenly things, these truths have been delivered to the assembly are going to be taken away. They're going to be robbed and they work. And was the overseers who's given this instruction here? They came out to the Apostle Paul's book with them. But if you go to the first part of Acts chapter 20, you'll notice that in the fourth verse, up to seven people that went with Paul, one must take a kiss. And I believe he was there and heard.
The the message that was given and so we go to our 6th chapter of Ephesians. Now you pick up tiki kiss who I believe was an Ephesian or a Colossian and here's the rub. I believe he made it personal. He was the one that centered in on these things was just noticed what it says in chapter 6 and verse 21. It says but they that ye also may know my affairs. Now I do ticky kiss a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord.
Shall make known to all things whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. Now just notice Colossians as well as I believe thinking has brought brought both letters efforts. Ephesians and the Colossians letter at the same time and Paul references in in both letters in chapter 4 of Colossians and verse.
Seven, all my state shall ticky kiss declare unto you.
Who is a beloved brother and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, whom I have said unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate and comfort your hearts. In the last letter that Timothy Paul said all day of Asia forsaken me. That's Ephesus. In all those churches they also fall. But here was one who stayed with the apostle Paul and invited those things and took it to heart. He lived those things. They became and he became.
And and trust it with them. And now he's delivering him these letters and the the comfort to the Saints. So that's the message I got out of it. It's not the knowing the truth as a word.
As beautiful as they are by this making them our own, it's the willingness to go on to old fasting them. And so I will turn again or turn to that second Timothy, second Timothy chapter one, because there's another one mentioned there as well. I believe that it's like a ticky kiss and that.
Have you noticed verse 15, chapter one this Thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me. And then a little further down he says, the Lord give mercy on to the House of Buenos Aires, for he off refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain.
And then verse 17, keyword. But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently and found me. I believe Vicki just did that too, sought the Apostle Paul out and found them Paul's ministry. So we've enjoyed these things this weekend, all these beautiful truths. But now it's the seeking out and finding it also falling, going on owning these things. I thought I would mention that because it's encouraging to my heart.
That's nice. Uh, let's go back to verse 12 now because like to finish up the at least the verse 14 rather than before we finish, uh, verse 15 forward is the prayer that the apostle gives here for the Ephesians believers. But notice verse 12. He says that we should be to the praise of his glory who first or pre trusted in Christ.
The nation had rejected the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul says.
Those believers, those Jewish believers that trusted first trusted or pre trusted before the nation comes into a blessing, they pre trusted in Christ. And then he says in verse 13, in whom ye that's the Gentiles. Ephesians were Gentiles in large measure.
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 that Holy Spirit of promise. Brother Henry is speaking about that and I think Brother Steve yesterday as well. The seal is for security. And so when a person believes the gospel of our salvation, I think is beautiful, brethren, because it includes, when it says the gospel, it includes the work of Christ. Our faith rests on the person of Christ, but the work of Christ is necessary to bring peace.
01:05:06
Sometimes, they say faith in the person of Christ gives life. Faith in the work of Christ gives peace.
When you realize that the work has been finished and you say, OK, I accept that because God has accepted that God says the work of salvation is finished in that soul and he puts his seal on them. When he rests where God rests in the not only the the person of Christ, but the work of Christ. It's so important that that be so I I've noticed that there are souls and Christendom.
That seemed to have a real faith in the person of Christ, but they don't understand that the work of Christ completely forever settled the question of sin with God. And when they understand that and accept that, however simply that is, God puts His seal upon that soul.
Yes, God values faith in the person of His beloved Son. And if we think of all the good gospel verses that we might quote in the New Testament, by far the vast majority connect faith and belief with the person of Christ. There are only a handful that connected with the work of Christ. And So what? God values His faith in His person even if there is a limited or even in some cases a wrong understanding of the work of Christ.
God honors the faith in the person of His beloved Son. But as you say, Bob, what a, what a piece it gives to have a, an understanding of the work of Christ and to be established in what he has done. What a, what a wonderful piece it gives. Then you say, when we believe fully in that and in what Christ has done, then the Spirit seals us and we are spoken of as being saved.
And the cleansing of the leper when they applied the oil, it was applied on where the blood had been applied before. That's the type of the applications of blood of Christ on us, the gospel of our salvation. It's not the gospel of salvation, it's the gospel of our salvation. It's applied to individuals. Once the blood is applied, then the oil was placed where the blood has been applied. So the Spirit of God can come and dwell and failing creatures as we are because the efficacy of the blood of Christ, I believe.
This is connected with the assurance of salvation, isn't it? It's a, a person is not really saved in the scriptural sense unless they have intelligence of what the work of Christ has done for them. Uh, souls are quickened, uh, but you couldn't say they're really in the enjoyment of the finished work of Christ. So the Spirit of God, uh, is the seal, uh, of faith in that finished work. And he's also the earnest.
Fortress of the Glory before we get there.
It's a, umm, we haven't uh, entered into the fullness of our blessings yet, but we have a foretaste, uh, in the, uh, the Spirit of God, uh, indwelling the believer. Now that was not so in the Old Testament, not Even so when the Lord was on earth, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit on the ground of the work of Christ, as our brother Michelle brought out the, the oil was put on the blood, so we have the Spirit of God only.
On the ground of the work of Christ the Lord. When he was anointed, he didn't need any blood.
So we have these wonderful blessings, the seal, the earnest umm of the coming glory.
He wants us to enjoy these things right here and now. Brother, I remember Brother Gordon Hale given an illustration that I thought was very appropriate in connection with the earnest since the buzzing. Somebody has a piece of property and they're asking $100,000 for it. And so I'm certain man wants to buy that property and says, uh, I'm so interested in that property.
Says to the owner. I'm gonna put a down payment of $1 million.
So the price is only 100,000. But rather compare the inheritance with the Spirit of God that God gives us, which is a great. Necessarily the furnace is greater than the inheritance.
The Spirit of God isn't that amazing to think. The Spirit of God I I just don't think we truly grasp the import of the fact that the Spirit of God is given to dwell in us now, to bring us into the enjoyment of all these things ahead of time.
01:10:11
665 just before we sing, I'd like to just conclude with this, uh, little thought We started for seven. And that, in a way, is a look faster at the worst price for redemption.
And forgiveness and that's somewhat something like what we did this morning. We look back at what the Lord Jesus has done for us and it every time we do that is it is marvelous equipment for turning around 180 and looking ahead at what the glory of Christ is and will be when he receives his inheritance. So now it's kind of an open-ended view beyond that that we can't ever get to the end of and we'll until we actually see it with our own eyes and glory.
It, it expands as we go along and, uh.
But every time we go back to what the Lord Jesus accomplished and completed at Calvary, it leads us directly into the thought of these things that we've been discussing this afternoon.
Do I have a thought to that brother? Or in chapter 3 verse 18 and 19?
The apostle here Speaking of all that had been unfolded before, he gets to the practical part of the epistle.
He looks back and his prayer is at the Saints. Verse 18 May be able to comprehend with All Saints and the enjoyment of the whole body of Christ with All Saints. What is the breadth and length and depth and height of the mystery that was hidden God and all its fullness and all that we've been brought into.
Its length is immeasurable. It's infinite. Its breath is without measure. Its height is without measure. Depth is without measure nonetheless.
The terms length, breadth, depth and height convey measure.
But he says no, there's one more thing.
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, brethren, we have one portion, like Jacob said to Joseph, one portion of I given thee above all I breath. We have one portion that's above all the rest. And to know the love of Christ, which has a knowledge, there is no bound, no description in connection with any measurement.
To the and to no the love of Christ, which passes knowledge.
What time was that?
To take away from the beautiful hymn that could be sing also 260 just the fifth verse. 260 just the fifth verse.
Lord Jesus.
God.
I lost her here. Our souls made our eyes and.
Our Lord.
And Lord, his Lord was blessed and.
Nsnoise.