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Right now.
Very strong.
And oh, no.
Halloween.
Of life here in general.
Oh, baby, I love you, baby. Whatever I've never done. No, no, no, no, no, no.
Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 7.
But in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Or by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh?
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Who are called on circumcision by that which is called the circumcision, and the flesh made by hands, That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.
Having abolished in his flush the enmity.
Even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make in himself of twain 1 Newman, so making peace.
And then he might reconcile both unto God and one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you which were far off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by 1 Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.
Jesus Christ himself, being the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.
And whom he also are build up together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit.
I was just thinking, brethren, how we have three things brought before us. In the fourth verse it says rich in mercy for his great love. And then in the fifth verse, by grace ye are saved. I think we all know that mercy is delivering us from what we deserve, and when we think of the way we were walking the course of this world, we deserve the judgment of God.
But God was rich in mercy. Judgment is God's strange work, and he delights to bless.
And so love found a way that He could show mercy to us and deliver us from the penalty of what our sins deserve. But more than that, He not only has delivered us from the penalty that our sins deserved in great love, but He has in grace. Now Grace is giving us what we didn't deserve at all, bringing us into a place of favor and love and acceptance. And oh, how wonderful this is. So that Grace could have. He could have delivered us from judgment.
He could have given made, known His love, but He wants us to know that his heart will not be satisfied, brethren, until everyone of his own are supremely blessed according to God's eternal councils, and those councils fulfilled in all their fullness in a coming glorious day. And He wants to us to enjoy it. Now He wants us to enjoy the position that He has brought us into. And so He has already seated us in heavenly places.
We're going to be in the full of enjoyment of it when we get there, but Ephesians sees us already there and no wonder it fills our hearts with praise and Thanksgiving.
Reference was made this morning to Hannah's prayer, and that bears out what you've just said, brother, that she said. First it lifted me off the dunghill. That would be like my mercy and but grace is the second part of her prayer.
Set us amongst the Princess. Princess of his people. That's the grace.
I like to pass on what somebody mentioned once and I greatly enjoy as to the difference between vengeance, justice, mercy and grace, he said. If somebody comes and kills your son and you in turn kill him, that's vengeance. If you turn him over to the authorities for punishment is justice, but when you forgive him.
That's mercy. And when you adopt him in place of your Son, that's grace. God has done that, hasn't he? Were we not guilty of rejecting his Son? Yet He has placed us in the position of His Son. It's beautiful to see that grace. And isn't it true that the riches of his grace?
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Compared to the glory of His grace, you know the riches of His grace takes care of our need and our condition.
The glory of this grace shows where grace has put us, the position it has given us before him in Christ.
I'd just like to add to in connection with it. He's not only placed us there, but he loves us perfectly if I put a person at a wonderful position. But it might be another thing as to whether you loved him and loved him fully. But we're not only in this glorious position, brethren, but there's a love and a love that never changes.
Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And with Israel, even when failure had come in, as in Jeremiah Day, we read that beautiful verse. Yay, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness have I draw me. So the position is in grace, but it's a position that we occupy as love in a way that it couldn't be a greater love and a love that never changes, even in spite of all that we are.
Since we are saved.
Just want to make a comment or two on the expression before we leave that sixth verse in Christ Jesus.
He's made us to sit together in the heavenlies in Christ, Jesus 2nd Corinthians 5 says. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. There's a new creation. Old things are passed away. All things have become new. We have that new creation in verse 10. We are his workmanship created.
In Christ Jesus unto good works. Does the Christian believe in good works? Absolutely.
Not to get saved, but as proof that one is saved. And it's that which we've been created for. We've been created for good works. He is ordained that we should walk in them, but in Christ is an expression that only has meaning. After Christ was glorified, the disciples on earth were not in Christ. The Old Testament Saints were not in Christ.
There was number Christ in glory to be in. It's an expression which applies after Christ has died, then raised and exalted to the right hand of God. Now when it says we are in Christ, it means we are in Christ place before God.
We are there where he is, and that's what that 7th that sixth verse says.
He hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenlies where he is.
In Christ. So we're there where he is, if Christians understood this.
They wouldn't be promoting what's being promoted all through Christendom, that Christians get involved in politics and reforming the world and all of that kind of thing. We are, we're heavenly people. We are in Christ. We're in Him who has been rejected here and cast out of this scene, and we belong now to a new creation, what we ought to be manifesting.
As we pass through this scene is the new creation life that we've been brought into and the the heavenly place that we occupy now which separates us. You can't be a separated people until you realize that's your place. God has separated us from this scene and brought us into an altogether new scene above which is where Christ is in glory.
We're going to reign with him. When he comes back, we'll come back with him, but that's still future. But now we're united to a rejected man here, glorified man there, and we should conduct ourselves accordingly. If we understood that, we wouldn't get all involved in trying to improve the scene which has hated and rejected him, who is our Blessed Lord?
We're here to represent him and to display new creation.
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Life and the new creation place that he's brought us into. Maybe there's some others that can express this better, but I feel that in 90, nine, 9595% of Christendom, they don't understand what a Christian is, really understand what Christianity is. It is not a religion to improve the world. That's not why we're here.
Christ will do that when he returns and sets up the Kingdom in power and glory, and then with him will reign with him. But that's future. And that was the fault of the Corinthians. They were reigning as kings without the apostles. They were rejected and accounted as the off, scarring, the scum of the world, and that's the way they were treated. But the Corinthians were reigning as kings here. And this social gospel, this prosperity gospel, I should say.
That because you're a Christian, you should live as a king. Absolutely. Contrary to Scripture, we live now as those that are linked with and identified with a despised and hated Jesus.
Christ on high, and we're part of that new place, and to to promote the things that are being promoted under the guise of being Christian. They're not Christian. They are really opposed to the true Christian position that we're looking at here, what Christianity really is.
Would you say that the little word there in those verses is just thinking in verse 5, Even when we were dead in sins, he had quickened us together. The emphasis seems to be on the together, because we're together. With whom? With the one who accomplished it all for us. When we were afar from God, we were strangers, they were we were sinners. We had no claims upon God whatever. And here we are now we are quickened or made alive together.
By Christ, then he says in verse 6 and raised up together.
And made to sit together. Now if we thought of that, if I thought of it, well, let's put it that way. If I thought of it, my I would be a little bit more detached from this world than than I am. So I believe it's an exercise. It should be an exercise with each one of us to know who we are connected with together with that blessed One who has accomplished it for us and were to be together with him forever for eternity.
We are really united by the Spirit to a glorified man. We're one with him in glory.
And that separates us, That separates us from this scene completely. Because the Lord is not here. He's gone back on high. He will be here when he rains in the coming day, but he's not here now. He's gone and we're there with him. Another portion that would help on in Christ is Galatians chapter 3, Galatians chapter 3, verse 26.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus that presents a new family. Brethren, we're heavenly, have nothing to do down here, that we're heavenly people. We're children of God in Christ. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ or under Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile or Greek. There is neither bond that nor free. There is neither male nor female.
We could say there's neither Jew nor Gentile. That's the claimant boy. He brought that for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if he be Christ, then are you Abraham? Seed and heirs according to the promise, not work, not law.
The promise. And that's very beautiful. So we're in Christ with new family. We we don't. There's only three groups in the world in this event. There's Jews and Gentiles and Christians. That's all.
I like to point out that first.
Through Red Brother Bob in Galatians 326, the correct rendering says sons of God through faith in the Lord Jesus. Why is it important? They were children of God before Christianity, but there were no sons of God. That is, that man would be put into the position of being a son of God. You know, to gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad clearly indicates that there were children before.
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The work of the Lord Jesus was accomplished, but we are more than children of God. We are in the position of sons. And that is only true of Christians. Tremendous, you know, to recognize that a dignified position before God.
Would it be correct to say that the contrast between the Old Testament position and the New as we have it here would be illustrated in the fact that that when the priest went into the Tabernacle in the Old Testament, they had to wash their hands and their feet?
Otherwise they would die both hands and feet. Whereas we don't learn that in the New Testament and John 17 it speaks there of washing the feet only.
For that there is what you're saying, that we're in Christ, the work is all complete, and what we are called upon to do is walk worthy of the vocation where what we are called.
Heinz, would you carry on and give us the thought on the difference between sons of God and children of the Power?
Well, by birth we are the children of God. We are born into the family. But sons seem to be connected with the truth of adoption and refining. Galatians 4 The difference between an Old Testament St. and a New Testament saying, you know, they were heirs, but as long as they were children they could not really be brought into their possession.
But then now in Christianity, we are brought into the position of a son, the tour before God, so that we are not only having claim to blessings, but we really possess them. And it was quite interesting for me some years back that I noticed that in Mr. Darby's translation in Luke 24.
The older son is not addressed as Son. He is addressed as child. It's that way in the German translation too, because he represents one who belongs to the people of God under the old economy. But the prodigal Son, he is in the position of a son, and these are tremendous truth to lay a hold of, to be a son of God in a dignified position before him in Christ.
Now children brings in a relationship, doesn't it? Sons, inheritance or heirs?
I think in Galatians 4 the thought is brought out quite clearly. It says the child is under tutors and governors, but when the time is appointed of the father, then his royal position is made clear and he's manifested in that royal position. So in the Old Testament they were children, but they were under tutors and governors. They didn't really enjoy the position that belongs to those who are in the family of God. And it wasn't as it says, when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son.
Made of a woman made under the law and then it speaks about how the spirit is come that she might receive the adoption of sons. It's just a difference when say, the heir to the British throne is a child. He's going to school. He's not in the dignity of his position. He's in the family, he's going to be. But the time hasn't come for that. So in the Old Testament they were children, but it's blessed to know that since the Lord Jesus has come and accomplished that word.
And they've gone up on high and the spirit has come down. Every believer can enjoy the dignity of the position that we're in. And I believe, perhaps I could say that's the thought of sonship as it's brought before us in our present position now in Christianity, in the first chapter, just to go on with that, in the first chapter of Ephesians in verse five it should read Having predestinated us unto the adoption of sons.
By Jesus Christ to himself, the adoption of children is confounding these two things. Adoption always refers to sonship being placed before him in the intelligent, in the intelligence of a known established place of acceptance with the Lord Jesus children, is is, is another thought and.
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We're both are true of us, but.
That should read the adoption of sons or sonship in Ephesians 1/5.
Well, it says in Hebrews Chapter 11, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. And so I believe they will enjoy a wonderful place, but not exactly the same as we who are now brought in as part of the bride of Christ. And perhaps they're separated in the 11Th chapter of Hebrews.
If you, I should say the 12Th chapter.
Ross, Chapman, Hebrews and the.
22nd verse.
But here come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels. It's really the universal gathering and the Church of the first born which are written in heaven, And to God the judge of all, and the Spirit to the spirits of just men made perfect. And then the other verse that I mentioned, which is in the last verse of the 11Th chapter.
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us.
Should not be made perfect. They'll never become part of the Church, the bride of Christ, but they will be in that glorious place, and they will no doubt enter into much more than they ever did in their lifetime here. But they'll never be in exactly the same place as grace has brought us into. Surely ought to fill our hearts with praise that we're living in this more favored time when God has brought us in, not because we're any better, but just in matchless grace into such a position.
I think that's why the Lord said of those born among women, there's not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but the least of those, let's see in the Kingdom of heaven is the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John. That's barbarous, isn't it? It's just because we're closer to Christ and pride.
Can we also say that those after the rapture will also not enter into that something only for this day, only for us?
Disposition.
I believe that the following the Ephesians letter.
Epistles deal with states of soul, each one in some form or other going downward from the understanding or the enjoyment of this position that we see in Ephesians, in Christ Jesus.
We know at the end of Ephesians he speaks of needing prayer. The Apostle does that he would be faithful in setting forth the mystery of the gospel.
We'll learn much gospel preaching today without the mystery of the gospel.
Then in the Philippians, we see that they are taken up with their own things, preaching the gospel, but no one cared for the Saints. He couldn't find anybody to send over there except Timothy.
They were thinking about their own things and that remarkable statement gained to me comes there in Philippians.
And so they it's not gained for me or gained to my bank account. It's gained to me. It's something for my pride. It's something for me to gain. Then in Colossians, we're down to where they want to accept philosophy and let go of the head, as though, well, we don't need Christ for everything.
And there is where Christ is presented as everything and justice one. I think you can go on down the line through the Epistles all the way out to the end of the New Testament. Timothy comes up later. And I've enjoyed the thought that Timothy was to stand there and preserve doctrine. And I look at it as though using an illustration as though the apostle had told Timothy to go stand over there by Eudicus by the window. It looks like he's going to fall asleep and.
And and don't let him fall out the window. He was at a preserve and the doctrine, but Eudicus fell and we get two Timothy. But as it goes downward, it's because they've lost sight of what it is, as we've just heard of what it is to be a Christian.
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And it doesn't. Well, what difference does it make child or son or whatever these things? The devil would have us back down to the level of a Jew who is justified or something of that sort. Well, just one thing I was saying this way in Ephesians. We're looking out from the heart of God on his beloved son.
And measuring our position.
In Philippians, we're looking at him from our pathway here below, the one who came down and the one who went up, measuring our path.
In Colossians, we are looking up at Christ to see his greatness.
To remind us that really everything is in here because everything is calling us back as we go through the Epistles, they're calling us back to this that we're reading.
Back to what God has done in His sovereignty. It's what's mine because he gave it to me. It's what he wants to give me, because He's glorifying his Son and he glorifies his Son every blessing he gives me.
And that's mine.
And my place is to seek to walk in such a way that I can enjoy.
And say that differently, brethren, if I'm occupied with my state, it won't improve my state.
If I'm occupied with Christ, he'll show me what I have in Christ and that will elevate my walk and elevate my life more. They'll they'll bring about the transform the character, put the character of Christ in me. Christ is everything.
And in all.
All beliefs today, I believe it's in the mind of the society in which we live, this idea of equality. But we see in God, just like a happy family, the father enjoys certain things, the mother enjoys certain things, a teenager enjoys certain things. The smaller child, every child can be perfectly happy, but not all be in the same position and so in the glory.
They'll be fullness of joy for every believer.
And pleasures forever evermore, but all will not be in the same position.
And that's the wonderful ways of God. And in His grace, He's showing to us what our position is. The Father can enjoy what his position is, that mother enjoy what her position is, be perfectly happy in it, because God has placed her in that position. And so where there's nothing of that old man that will enter the eternal glory, there will not be one person whose cup won't be full.
But there will be different measures and will all be because of what the Lord has done.
All because of Calvary, but everyone will be ascribing full praise to the Lord and rejoicing in the place that grace has placed us in.
Could somebody comment? Some comments have been made already on the gospel what the difference is?
In Galatians 3 verse nine or verse 8.
That says as the Scripture, for seeing that God would justify the Hedon through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, indeed, shall all nations be blessed.
Sometimes that might be confusing. It says the gospel was preached to Abraham. Does that mean that Abraham heard something about what we hear in the gospel?
For myself, I had just thought that it meant that before the law came in at all, that God had shown that the promised seed was going to be the one for whom all blessing to man would come after the law came in. Well then of course we know that God's book of blessings and he brought him blessing in spite of the fact that man had broken the law. But long before the law was given, God declared his purpose.
Not only for the nation of Israel, but as it says in thee shall all nations be blessed. And so whether it's Israel on the earth who will be blessed as a nation above all the other nations during the millennial period, or whether it's ourselves in glory or those who are part of the church, all is through Christ. That's the way I have taken the verse in thee. So our blessing center in that blessed one. And he's showing in Galatians that it wasn't after the law was given, but it was before man had been placed in that position at all.
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That God purpose blessing through the promised seat.
Thought can be brought out in Luke 19 very clearly in verse 9.
We know who he's talking about. And Jesus said unto him, this day his salvation come to this house. For as much he also is the son of Abraham. That's the thought of faith. That's it. Abraham believed God. It was encountered unto him for righteousness. And when he when Zacchaeus came down and received Jesus, well, he's the son of Abraham. I am too. And you could tell that I like to talk to the different Jews.
And I tell him, Abraham to my father, that was one of Abraham. And they don't like that, you know, they think they got a special corner. But I said he wasn't even a Jew.
That they don't like that either.
That's what it means. Faith. Simple faith.
Sometimes I like to contrast this seventh verse with what the devil did. He took the Lord up onto an exceeding high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. In a moment of time you can quickly see all that the world has to offer, and becoming more possible to see all that's going on in the world in a very short time. But he said, all these will I give thee if thou will fall down and worship me. Satan is the God and Prince of this world.
But it's going to take all eternity, brethren, to show us what God has purposed in new creation that in the ages to come he might show. And so, as eternal ages roll, I believe we'll be still ever learning the great depth and wonders of the love of God and His purposes. Men have been never able to measure the universe, and if God could make a universe that men can't measure, he has blessings for every believer that eternity will never exhaust.
God really had one opportunity to empty his heart.
That was that Calvary was not, when he gave his only begotten son all eternity. Blessing us to the fullest extent that he could possibly bless still will not empty his heart out. Heart of love. It can only be seen at Calvary's cross.
This is part of his purpose here, isn't it? That he might verse seven, that he that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his race in his kindness toward us through Christ's peace. That's God's purposes in the book, in the book of Romans, in Romans 8, you know it's not his purpose. But he rises to a purpose there toward the end of that chapter, and tells us about the marvelous, what we are called for.
To bring us into that place, Romans 8, He rises up there to a little bit of the height. Doesn't he explain what he might look at that Norman state?
Romans 8 and verse.
Beginning and Verse 28.
Well, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them were the call according to his purpose. Now what is his purpose?
That it says, for whom he did for know, he also did predestinate to be conformed the image of his son. That's his purpose, isn't it? That he might be the first born among many brothers. And the call the this was purposed in Christ before the foundation of the world. So Romans rises to a little height there, doesn't it? Romans 8 chapter. And then he says.
There was predestinated to be called to be conformed to the image of his son.
That we might be the first born of my money brethren. Then notice verse 30. Moreover, whom he did predestinate. Then he also called. When did he call? When in time. Now he's called us. He's called you, he's called me. To what purpose? That we might be conformed to the image of his son. So it says we recall, and then he rises up and he says. And whom he calls, Then he also justified. That's the thing of Romans, isn't it? Justification.
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And then it says whom he justified, then he also glorified. So I've always enjoyed the little thought there that he rises to great heights there in the in the age of Romans. So that's not really the subject of Romans. Romans is justification, isn't it?
The purpose here in Ephesians that you brought out was individual. We are brought into this. But he has the ultimate purpose, and that's in the first chapter, verse 10. This is his ultimate purpose. Everything else is is substantially subsidiary to this, that in the dispensation of the fullness of dying, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven.
Which are in Earth, even in him. That's his ultimate purpose.
Brother, you bring out those things in the age of Romans and then what we're talking about here, that makes us pretty special people, doesn't it believers? We talk about, you know, a self esteem. So this is where we want to find it, isn't it? Right here what we are in. Christ, what a blessing, what grace, what mercy. It's something that God can't bless us more than what he has. So we're special and we ought to look upon the Saints as being special.
And I just You're not just. You're not just people.
There are those whom he chosen out of what a foundation of the world they were in Portland, enough for him to give his son to die for, and we ought to value it.
In chapter 3.
We read in verse 10 to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God you know here at the present time.
The heavenly being learned in the church, the man of cold wisdom of God, that I like to suggest that in this chapter here in chapter 2.
That is what we ourselves will enjoy.
And an unfolding more and more.
The riches of God's grace. I like to quote this story, and the children here might.
Be able to take that in. You know this brother worth driving past the golf course and there was a golf cart and he said to his boy, wouldn't it be nice to have a golf cart like this? And the boy said, yes, that would be nice. But he said when I get to heaven, the Lord Jesus will have so many presents for me and will take an eternity to unwrap something.
I'd like to think of that story in connection with this Earth.
You know we will learn more and more what the grace of God has given to us.
I enjoyed the comparison between what Abraham was told to with by God to look over the whole land.
The the bricks and the length of it. But that is that is 2 dimensional. It's the length and the breadth. But in our book in chapter verse 18 of that third chapter it says.
May be able to comprehend with All Saints what is the.
Breadth and length and depth and height. There's the four dimension. That's what else matters. We stand in the center with Christ and lookout in all directions. And the eternity it will take to reveal all those glorious effects while all those things.
Realization we have.
These two verses verse 8:00 and 9:00 and that there will be a day.
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When there'll be no Boston.
And perhaps in this world man the light that boast about their works.
There were many things in their lives.
Talks about the grace of God.
For by grace are ye saved. The very foundation of being salvation is not by works, but by grace, marvelous grace of God, that we can say we are saved by grace. That you saved. We have many young people here today, and you all say that you're saved by grace.
Time when I was on my knees and God brought this verse before me. What a revelation from God. Because I was thinking, well, I need these works and this religion. I need something to present to God. And suddenly through this verse, I realized that it was all by grace. By grace, are you saved? And so we hear this afternoon, they're talking about all that we have in Christ. And it's true that it's all by grace.
My grace, are you saved through faith? You believe that God is coming in His grace and presented salvation at infinite cross to himself. The gift of his beloved Son grows his faith, and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God, no, the worst. Lest any man should boast, I believe that this truth they need to lay hold of. They need to realize in our souls that when we get to glory, there won't be any boasting. There won't be proud of anything we've done. It comes to us through grace. Alone. Beautiful are these two vases together. My grace will be saved through faith.
Not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works. Lest any man should know. As we've been talking about grace, the children can take the five letters and get a pretty good idea of what we're saying. God's riches at Christ expense? Great.
What's the age reporting to in that?
Eighth verse I believe it's the faith itself as the gift of God too. It's not only that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son blessed foundation of it all. But there's not one of us here that would have believed if God in his grace hadn't brought in our hearts and imparted that faith. So he brings us right down to the end of ourselves, or we see ourselves as bankrupt centers and then he imparts the faith.
So we won't be able to glory in anything. We'll just glory. And that work of Calvary, that he made himself known to us and he imparted the faith. I think that's important, as you say, because many think of just salvation as a gift. Well, that's true, but it's faith itself is the gift of God and he. He gives it. When we come to the end of ourselves, He gives us the ability to believe and then gives us the credit for believing.
Where then is boasting? It says in Romans, where then is boasting? It is excluded.
There will be no boasting in heaven.
If we saw what we have in Christ, how we got it?
There'd be no boasting here either. That's why I believe it's good for us to ever remember, brethren, being so blessed, being gathered to his name, and having liberty and in the power of the Spirit to enjoy the things of God, that we understand that if I have any thought about game to me.
That sin.
If you have a thought that's gained to me, I'll be end up better than everybody else, or better than some others or whatever.
But that's not what God has for us. He has that which excludes boasting. Where then is boasting? It is excluded.
Some think that God in his omniscience he.
New and eternity past. If we use, that's an expression who is going to believe? And he chose them.
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I mean, that's a common thought out across Christendom. What does it leave? It leaves man some credit. Well, I believed.
But it isn't that God knew persons whom He whom He did before. No, He also did free destiny. God knew and loved me, each believer can say. And He called those things that were not as though they were. And in his own love he chose me sovereignly and saved me.
He excludes all boasting.
It is excluded. You have to set aside two things, do you not?
If you are going to enjoy grace.
He's presented to us in these verses.
As it says, it's not of yourselves, but first of all you have to set aside yourself.
And it's not of works for those two things you must set aside in order to enjoy grace. You enter into faith, into the bliss of truth, of the salvation through Christ Jesus on the cross. But it wasn't something that we did ourselves, or it wasn't at work. It was the work of Christ Jesus on the crown. Those two things must be set aside.
Yourself and your works, and then you can come through sovereign and grace.
If this teaching in Christendom would be true, that would really set aside God's sovereignty.
You don't think God depends on man's will, whom he might and might not elect? To me, the thought of late has.
Been overwhelming to realize that God in his grace.
Knew me before anything was created, and he purposed me for blessing. He chose me and his son, but not only did he do that, he made sure that throughout all those generations the genealogy would be kept alive. You know that there would be no interruption in my life so that I would be born on April 9th, 1930, so that in time I by faith could accept his son to be brought into that which he purposed for me.
In the eternity past, it's mind boggling, isn't it? But God saw to it, you know, He did not only purpose me for blessing, He saw to it that I would come into existence and that then he would in time draw me to His Son. That's true of all of us here, beloved. It's amazing that God would.
Go through such an extent, but how could he carry out his purposes without making sure that the one that he has purpose for blessing will also come into existence, and then in time by faith except his son?
On the responsibility side, well, God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And so it tells us that Christ is the propitiation not for us only, but also for the whole world.
And the profiting propitiation is the mercy seat. And I could tell any Sinner of Adam's race that God has provided a way of blessing for him. The blood is on the mercy seat of his own will. He may and would refuse that unless God worked in his heart. But predestination never, never changes responsibility, and it's very important that we bear in mind those two things so clearly taught in the word of God.
And so I think it's a lovely thought that a baby who dies before the age when it can express its own will, comes into the blessing of the Father's will. And so it says it's not the will of your Father, which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
And I look at it this way. God is so willing to bless any who will come. He's provided a mercy seat for the whole world. He's provided a way of approach for any Sinner, and any baby who dies before it can express its own will comes into the blessing of the Father's will. It is not the will of your Father, which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. But isn't it a sad reflection on what man is? He comes to the age when he can express, or we could express our own.
Will, and immediately we set it in opposition to the will at once to bless us.
And so, unless God interfered, there be no one blessed. I believe it's good to see the two sides of the truth. So God is just in offering salvation and providing a way of blessing for all mankind. But if he didn't interfere, there would be no blessing. No one would be blessed. But he steps in in His grace and saves.
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Like to just also add the thought that.
He chose me in eternity.
And then, as we've heard, he calls me in time, God is the God of the things that are not just as much as He's the God of the things that are.
And he also we have in Ephesians one He chose us in Christ.
He chose us in Christ.
What a, what a thought that is, that he chose us in Christ in eternity. As he looked at his Son, he saw us. That's where He had chosen us in Him. He chose us in Him from before the foundation of the world.
What a marvelous thought it is to be loved of God.
As he loved his son.
And whenever we read in Proverbs 8, it was read, I believe, this morning.
I was by him daily his delight. Do I see myself in that verse chosen in Him.
But are one just thought it is beloved to be chosen in Christ?
And then him carrying it all out and here we sit right this moment, all in that purpose and plan that God has and he's not. Frustrated we may be, but he is not, and he's going to make good his plans and his purpose to glorify his Son. And we are part of that thinking of in John's gospel, just turning over to the fifth chapter of John's Gospel.
And verse 40 we read words like this.
And he will not come to me.
That you might have life.
Man first sets his will against God, as our brother, said Gordon. We get up to a responsible place. We set our will against God.
No, he says he will not come to me. That's man's will, isn't in the way. Then turning over to the 44th verse of that chapter, in that six, Yeah, 6th chapter. I go 6 on the 6th chapter. And then you read these words, verse 44. No man can come to me.
Except the Father which has sent me draw him.
And I will raise him up. We need the constrained love of God that draws us. We set our wills against God, but then to climax. All this I I enjoyed this too, going back into chapter 6, verse 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me. I will in no wise cast out how precious that is. We set our wills against God. He constrains us. He compels us. No man can come to the Father except by him.
We're compelled to come in. And then he says when we come, he says all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. He gives us credit even for coming. How marvelous. All that is that God's matchless grief? That's part of his grace, isn't it? The grace of God. That's that. You wouldn't do it. I bring you. I call you to come. You respond. And I appreciate the fact that you do. I thank you for it. I wonder if we could just turn to the left, the 11Th of Revelation. Because I think.
It's lovely to see this brought out here in this 11Th of Revelation in the 15th birth. And the 7th Angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever. And the four and 20 elders that's the redeemed in heaven which sat before God on their feet, fell upon their faces and worshiped God, saying, we give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and West and art to come.
Because thou has taken to thee thy great power, and has reigned, I see a different side here. And the nations were angry, for thy wroth is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou should us give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the Saints.
And then the fear of thy name, small and great. Here we have responsibilities I brought in.
And ensures destroy them which destroy the earth, but particularly this last verse. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in heaven the ark of his. There was a scene in his temple, the ark of his testament. And there were lightnings and voices and thunderings and earthquake and a great hail. Now the time has come when God must act as judge, but he opens heaven. And as it were there was the ark and the blood, the mercy feet was on top of it.
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And Christ is the propitiation for the whole world, and God is as it were saying. I didn't want to be your judge.
I provided a way of blessing, and he opens heaven and shows that there was a way that every Sinner could come and be blessed of his own will. He had rejected it, But the redeemed are just praising God. Their own wills would never have brought them there, but the wonderful grace of God and it seems to me that the thought of.
Predestination and election and responsibility are brought together at this time when judgment is about to fall. God doesn't only want us to realize we were chosen in Christ by Him before the foundation of the world. That's individual. But he wants us to realize that in his purpose as His eternal purposes was a heavenly pride for his Son. And that comes out beautifully, too.
Look at.
Psalms 139 and I believe it can be applied on this way.
First of all, verse six, Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is I I cannot attain unto it. 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me? Oh God, how great is the sum of them?
All the verse 15 and 16 My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unformed, not unformed substance. And in my book in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned.
When as yet, there was none of them.
I believe that gives us a little thought of the bride and God's purposes before the foundation of this world. Each member before they were fashioned unformed. God saw them as a bride for his son. Now sometimes I have wondered, and you might also have wondered, why did God pick me? What was there in me? But I like to connect with brother, Brother Bill has said.
In Christ.
You know that gave God, you might say, a reason to show grace to us. Not only does He now see us in His Son when He picked us, He picked us in view of His Son and that we would be in Him. That helps us, I believe, to understand why God could reach out at all. There was certainly nothing in US, but He found a purpose.
In his son 3:30.
God.