Please turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one this morning, we're going to look at five truths that demonstrate God's glory. five truths that demonstrate God's glory from Ephesians chapter one. But we'll also look in other portions of God's holy word to illustrate the particular truths that we look at in this chapter. Ephesians chapter one.

I'll pick up reading in verse three and we'll read to verse fourteen. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself. according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made us accepted in the beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself. that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

In him, you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory. Amen. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for your Holy Scripture.

We thank you that you have spoken to us in the 66 books of Revelation. We thank you that all Scripture is given of inspiration of God and it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness. And we pray that you would thoroughly furnish us on to every good work to help us, God, to know your truth and to live accordingly. And Father, may we see how these things contained in Ephesians one demonstrate the glory of God.

We know, as Paul said in another place, for of him and to him and through him or through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Our Father, that is our earnest desire and our plea, and we pray now that you would forgive us for all of our sins, cleanse us afresh in the blood of Jesus Christ, and fill each one of us with your Holy Spirit. And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Well,

Introduction

in Ephesians chapter one verses three to fourteen is one long sentence. Now, in our English translations, we put punctuation and we put periods and all that sort of thing. But it is one long sentence. And in this one long sentence, Paul, the apostle, praises Our Triune God for the work of salvation.

It is Trinitarian in its makeup. Notice, Paul introduces his theme in verse three. He says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a convention that is used in the scriptures in many places.

To speak well of God, to bless God, to honor God, to praise God. We think of God's blessing us as Him multiplying things or giving us good things. Well, when we bless God, it is to speak well of Him. So verse 3 is sort of the overarching theme.

And then verses 4 to 14 fill in the specific reasons why Paul wants his readers, wants us to bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then he highlights the work of the father in verses three to five. The father chose the father predestined. He highlights the work of the son in verses seven to twelve.

He says in him we have redemption through his blood. He's speaking there, of course, of Jesus Christ. And then in verses 13 and 14, he sets forth the work of the Holy Spirit in the salvation of God's people. And then three times in the midst of these verses, he punctuates or he highlights the purpose.

Verses six, twelve and fourteen to the praise of the glory of his grace. Verse six, that we who trust first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. Verse twelve. And then at the end of verse fourteen, to the praise of his glory.

So, Paul is saying that the work of our triune God and the salvation of sinners is to the praise of His glory. In other words, we are to take these things and we are to speak well of God because of that. We are to praise Him. We are to worship Him.

We are to honor Him. We are to glorify His awesome name for what He has done in our lives through the Lord Jesus Christ. And the first of these five truths is this.

Truth 1: Total Depravity and Mercy

Though our depravity is total, God has shown mercy to us. Though our depravity is total, God has shown mercy to us. Notice in verse seven, he says in him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. That's why the triune God operates.

I mean, there's other reasons to be sure, but in terms of salvation, our triune God is about saving us from our sins, not saving us from our low self-esteem, not saving us from our economic woes, not saving us from our social status, not saving us from anything other than our sins. Paul goes on in chapter two, verses one to three, to illustrate or to demonstrate or display just how bad the situation is. The words of the preacher, Ralph Barnard, he says, The Bible teaches that we are just plum bad. Notice in chapter two of verse one, he said in you. who are dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

That is a display, that is a picture of what men have called total depravity. The Bible teaches us that we are totally depraved, not utterly depraved. The doctrine does not teach that we are as bad or as we do as many bad things as we possibly can. We're not all Charles Manson.

We're not all vicious pedophiles. We're not all rapists. So the Bible or the doctrine of total depravity does not mean that each and every one of us does every single bad thing we could possibly do. No, we praise God for his restraining grace.

We praise God that he edges us in. We praise God that he has not abandoned this world, or it certainly would be hell on earth. But the doctrine of total depravity means that every part, every power and every faculty of our nature is corrupt. There is not one place, not the mind, not the intellect, not the emotions, not the will, not the conscience, not the body that is not affected by the fall.

Total depravity is how God sees us.

Total Depravity in Genesis 3

Go back to Genesis for just a moment to see the dawn of this particular truth. Genesis chapter three. You might ask, how does this display the glory of God? Well, you will see.

Well, the proposition itself, though our depravity is total, God has shown mercy to us, and in that he displays his glory. But in Genesis chapter three, we know from the scriptures that God made man upright. He made them in his own image and knowledge and in righteousness and holy holiness. He gave them dominion over the creature or over the creation.

Now notice in chapter three, verse one. Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field, which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, as God indeed said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden. And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.

Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings." Now, Paul tells us in Romans 5 that because of Adam's sin here, all of us die.

Because of Adam's sin, he was our representative. In Adam, Paul says, all die. Total depravity. And notice in this particular instance, you've probably heard the maxim before, experience is the best teacher.

No, it isn't. God's word's the best teacher. 1 Corinthians 121, the Apostle Paul says, for since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe the world in its wisdom has attempted to know God. And one of the ways they have tried to do this is through experience. Notice these issue here, verse six.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her and he ate what it looked like and what it could afford her and what the devil had said regarding it. Trump, the word of the living God. Experience is not the best teacher, young people and children.

You don't have to go out and get addicted to heroin to know that it's a bad thing. God's word tells you it's a bad thing. Now, it doesn't say don't go out and get addicted to heroin, but the Bible does say you shall not murder and ingesting heroin is a murderous activity. You don't have to go out and experience all of the sin of this world to know that Jesus is glorious.

You need to believe God's holy word. The fundamental issue that transpired in the Garden of Eden was a rejection of the word of the living God. Therein marks the umbrella sin of our depravity. Because of that, we all struggle with God's word.

We all want to turn our backs to God. Total depravity affects us, each and every one of us, completely. In this instance, at this particular time, she trusted experience. She trusted sensation.

She looked for the thrill rather than obeying God. It's the essence of total depravity.

Total Depravity in the Prophets

Turn over to Genesis for a moment. I'm sorry, Jeremiah. Just so we can see how the glory of God is displayed even through our total depravity. Following along the five truths are going to be the five points of Calvinism.

If you live with your head in the sand for the last however many many months, you'll know that you won't know, but I'll tell you Friday was the 500th birthday of John Calvin. We're not here to celebrate Calvin's birthday, but it is on the minds of a lot of people. These five truths have gotten the moniker or identification as the five points of Calvinism. They're not.

There are five truths that the Bible sets forth several, several times. But in asking this or as wrestling with this, I thought, how does total depravity magnify the glory of God? Because I think it provides for us the contrast. In other words, when you see just how bad we are and God saves us from that, you can only see how good God is.

And I think Jeremiah 2 to 4 illustrates that beautifully. So we'll just look to a few verses in Jeremiah chapters 2 to 4. Basically, the context is God is bringing judgment upon Judah. This was written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586, but not a long time before it.

Jeremiah was the last prophet to come to call Judah to repentance and faith. Jeremiah was the one that ultimately went into captivity, along with Judah. But in this particular instance, in Jeremiah two, God is highlighting the sinfulness of Israel. And I think, again, it's a good illustration or it is a good picture of God's glory manifested in the salvation of sinners.

Notice in Jeremiah 2 verse 4, hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord, what injustice have your fathers found in me that they have gone far from me, have followed idols and have become idolaters? You see God's question to them. It's rhetorical in nature.

Obviously, there is no injustice in God. The question is clear, though a father might come to his family and say, have I done something to necessitate your treatment of me? Have I been the kind of man that you disregard completely, that you care not one whit about, that you can go out and do whatever it is you want to do? That's what God's saying.

What injustice have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, have followed idols and have become idolaters? Notice in verses 11 to 13, he says, has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods, but my people have changed their glory for what does not profit. He says, look at the Hittites, look at the Hibbites. Look at the Gentile nations surrounding Israel, do they exchange their gods, their idolaters, their heathen, their worshiping a lie.

Do you know what? They're consistent. They don't exchange Baal for some other deity. They don't exchange Asherah for someone else.

And that's an indictment to us, isn't it? How often are we willing and ready to exchange our God for something that will bring more satisfaction to our lives? Something that will please us? Something that will help us in our mindset?

God says, has a nation change this God, which are not God's. But my people have changed their glory for what does not profit. Notice be astonished. Oh, heavens at this and be horribly afraid.

Be very desolate, says the Lord, for my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and human cells, cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water to evils. They have forsaken me, and they have sought out Baal. They have forsaken me, and they have sought out Ashtoreth.

They have forsaken me, and they have chased down the gods of the heathen. Notice in verses 31 and 32, O generation, see the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of darkness? Why do my people say we are lords?

We will come no more to you. Can a virgin forget her ornaments or a bride or attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. You know, as a woman, you will never, ever go to that wedding altar without your dress on.

You're going to get the hair done, you're going to get the jewels, you're going to get the makeup, you're going to get everything dialed in. You would never think to go wandering up to that wedding day or that wedding place in your jeans or in shorts or in a skirt or in whatever. What God says, can a virgin forget her ornaments or a brighter attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

I hope you see what he's doing here. This is what Paul says in Ephesians 2, 1 to 3. You walked according to the prince of the power of this world, by nature, children of wrath. You serve, you serve your own flesh, your lusts, your depravity.

God has given you everything. God has smiled upon you. God has sent his son, his reign. God gives you food.

God gives you drink. God has only ever been kind. Can a virgin actually forget to put on her ornaments prior to going to her wedding? No way.

You're crazy if you think that's the issue. But he says, yet my people have forgotten me days without number. Brethren, this is absolutely crucial to see this before you get to chapter three. Notice in Jeremiah, chapter three, verse one.

They say, if a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's, may he return to her again? Would not that land be greatly polluted to have played the harlot with many lovers yet returned to me, says the Lord. I tell you, those are some humbling words yet returned to me, says the Lord. Y'all are disputing amongst yourself.

If a woman has another lover and then he leaves, can she go back to her original husband? God says, you know what, Judah? You know what, you covenant people? You know what, you people that should know better?

You people that should understand? You've had many lovers. What does God say? Yet return to me, says the Lord.

One thinks of John 4. Hopefully, one face of John for what's Jesus words to that woman. You're right. You don't have a husband.

You've had several husbands and the one you're currently with. What's Jesus say to her yet return to me, says the Lord. He said, well, he doesn't actually say that. Oh, yes, he does.

Because what does she do? She runs to the city of Samaria and she sees the men of that city and she says, come with me and see a man who told me all things that I ever did. This is the prophet. You see, God is merciful.

You may look at the cross, you may look at the glory of God and the salvation of sinners, you may look at the triune activity of our gracious God, but until you see what it is we've been saved from, In some respects, brethren, you can't fully appreciate the cross. You realize that he was exalted on that cross, not to save a righteous people, but to save this kind of people. The people that would reject him, the people that would forsake him, the people that would let experience trump him. I know what God has said, but I'd rather eat this fruit because it's desirable to make me wise.

I know what God has said, but I'd rather worship Baal because he delivers the goods. I know what God has said, but I'd rather have Asherah because there's sexual sin associated with that. And I really enjoy that. Yet return to me, says Jehovah.

He repeats this. This is the theme. This is the anthem in chapter three. He says it again at verse seven.

He says it again at verse twelve. He says it again at verse fourteen. He says it again at verse twenty two verse twenty two. He says, return you backsliding children and I will heal your backsliding.

Indeed, we do come to you for you are the Lord our God. You see,

God's Glory Through Depravity

God's mercy, God's grace, and hence God's glory is displayed in the truth that though our depravity is total, God has shown mercy to us. When you are counting or when you are counting your blessings and you are thinking about God's mercy to you, you are thinking about the fact that you are in Christ. Do you ever give a thought to what it is you've been saved from? And you may be a person who says, I never worshiped Baal or Asherah.

I never, I never exchanged all that glory of God for these creative things. Every sin, every sin is an exchange of the glory of God for that which we believe is more pleasing. One man as well said that sin ultimately is a belittling of God. God's indictment to the people in Jeremiah's day.

One of the things that he says to them, and I believe Paul alludes to this when he says in Romans one, they did not even retain the knowledge of God in their minds and they did not like to retain the knowledge of God. They can never. They can never escape it. The message of Romans one, you cannot.

That's why it's falling for us to try and prove to people that God exists. God exists and he has made it evident to them. They are created in his image. They cannot shake it off.

They can busy themselves trying to suppress that truth and unrighteousness, but they will never, ever be able to eradicate God from their thoughts. But when Paul says that they don't like to retain God in their knowledge, the illusion, I think, or perhaps is to Jeremiah's prophecy. In one place, God says, you turn to me or you gave me the back. You gave me the back.

What's that mean? Means they turn their back on it. You ever been talking to somebody and they turn their back on you? Perhaps it's your child?

What's your desire? You better turn right back around and pay me the respect that you do, that I'm doing. Isn't it? Have you ever had anybody do that?

You're trying to talk to somebody and they turn their back on you? Or you talk to somebody on the phone and it gets a little heated and what do they do? They hang up on you. They send him an email and they don't write back.

That's what man in depravity does to God. Turns the back to him, believes the lie of the devil when he comes and suggests, has God really said? I really know what's better for you. Brethren, I submit that if we don't understand this thoroughgoing depravity, As Christians, we will never fully appreciate the thorough going excellency of the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.

What did Jesus say about that woman who couldn't stop crying and wiping his feet with her or with her hair? She who has been forgiven much loves much. If you don't know what you've been forgiven of, how can you return the love that is due our great God? Two places in the prophets where I believe the glory of God is demonstrated in the salvation of his people in Ezekiel 36, which is a similar passage in structure to what we find a little bit different.

Jeremiah Ezekiel 36 is the giving of the promise of the new covenant. And one of the things that God says in Ezekiel 36, 22 and 23 says, thus says the Lord God, I do not do this for your sake. I love that God's not a humanist. I love that God is theology or theologically driven.

I'm glad my happiness is not uppermost in the mind of God. I'm glad your happiness is not uppermost in the mind of God. I am glad and you ought to be, too, that God's glory is uppermost in his mind. What is the chief end of man?

The confession of the catechism says the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. What is the chief end of God to glorify God and to enjoy himself forever? If we have anything other than that. We are in big trouble.

We want our God consumed with God. Ezekiel thirty six, twenty two. Thus says the Lord God, I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned in their midst.

And the nation shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. John Gill said, When the Lord shall fulfill his promises and deliver his people, when he shall sanctify, justify and save them, and he shall be sanctified, served and worshiped by them and among them, it will be taken notice of by infidels themselves. And they shall hereby know and be obliged to acknowledge that the God of Israel is the only Lord God, that he is true and faithful to his word, righteous and holy in his ways. The Lord God omniscient and omnipotent.

Praise be God. If we would have continued on in Jeremiah 4, the Lord displays this purpose as well. If you will return, O Israel, says the Lord, return to me. And if you will put away your abominations out of my sight, then you shall not be moved and you shall swear the Lord lives in truth, in judgment and in righteousness.

The nations shall bless themselves in him and in him they shall glory. God's glory is demonstrated in the truth that our depravity is total. Secondly, back in Ephesians,

Truth 2: Unconditional Election

God has sovereignly chosen a people for salvation. Or what we might call unconditional election, unconditional election means simply best, it was not conditioned upon the creature. There is a common myth extent in evangelical circles that God looked down the animal of time or the tunnel of time. God saw who it was that would believe and it was those whom God shows those whom God predestined.

That's unbiblical. That's conditional. That's teaching that God looked down, saw the activity of the creature based on the activity of the creature, then chose that person. That's the way they think they can maintain the concepts of election and predestination and try to sound like they actually believe the Bible in these matters.

But notice, Paul will not let us think that way.

Election Before the Foundation

Just as he chose us when? Before the foundation of the world. Well, yeah, because he saw what we would do. No, he didn't.

Not that he didn't see what we would do. He saw all too well what we would do. We'd be totally depraved, totally unable, giving him the back, giving him the fist, rejecting him, violating his laws, having nothing to do with him, wanting nothing to do with him, choosing willfully and happily to walk according to the prince of the power who works in the sons of disobedience. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.

Paul says it this way in Romans chapter eight,

Foreknowledge and Predestination

for whom he foreknew. Some say, well, there it is. He foreknew that I would choose him. That's not what the text says.

It doesn't say for what he foreknew, what they would do, but whom. The foreknowledge of Romans eight, brethren, is the knowledge of intimacy, the knowledge of approbation, the knowledge of love, not the knowledge that you or I would make a decision for Jesus or we would walk in Iowa. We would sign a card or we would give our hearts to the Savior for whom he or knew. It simply means that from the foundation of the world, you and I were in his mind.

Not that we choose him. We were in his mind that we would rebel against him. And he chose us, nevertheless. For whom he formed, it means he also predestined.

What's predestined mean? It means he predestined. Means he calls everything into being according to the counsel of his will. Praise God for unconditional election.

Praise God for predestination. Look at Ephesians one for just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him. The New King James attaches in love here. I believe in love goes with having predestined in verse five.

Get this idea that God is just this sort of orchestrating machine. This big faint monger just pulling strings and doing and doing and doing God loves God's wise, God's gracious, God's kind, God's merciful, God's good. You don't separate the doctrine of predestination from who God is. You see, the doctrine of predestination as the expression of who God is.

Adoption According to God's Will

In love, having predestined us to what he adopted or to adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to what the good pleasure of his will, not according to the good works we would do, not according to some foreseen faith, not according to some foreseen repentance. He does it according to his will. Remember Christ when he's praising his father in Matthew 11. The disciples just come back from preaching the gospel, and Jesus says, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.

Why? For thou didst hide these things in the context is gospel truth. Thou didst hide these things from the wise and the prudent, but didst reveal them unto babes. What does Christ say?

Even so, father, for thus it was pleasing in thy sight. The new American standard captures it the best, for thus it was pleasing in your sight. That's how God operates. That's how God rolls.

God does not react to the creature. God is not contingent. God is not dependent. God doesn't wait and then say, oh, I'll do this.

God has orchestrated all things. Paul says that in verse 11 in him also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. Many say that's not right. That's not fair.

Say that's not right. And that's not fair. All you want. You will not change the fact that our God is in the heavens.

He does whatever he pleases. Grumbling about it. Complaining about it. Fighting about it.

Debating it or arguing with it. Is it going to change reality? God doesn't look upon the creatures and say, well, I'm sorry. Oh, I didn't know that would offend you.

I think it'll change. You try. You try to find that God in the Bible. You won't.

You'll find the God of Romans 11, 33 to 36, whom Paul says, for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. You say, but I had a hand in this. You said that your hand in it.

Total depravity, total inability of things. We just looked at your solidarity with Adam. That's your contribution to salvation. The sin you needed to be safe from.

Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul. What's it? You know, it's like it's like Paul wrote to combat Arminianism and Pelagianism. Not that's really what he wrote for.

He wrote to glorify God and feed the people of God. But Romans 9, 16. So then it doesn't depend upon him who wills or him who runs. But on what?

God who shows mercy. I have seen Christians, professing Christians, struggle with Romans 9. There's one time in my life where I met a guy who was not a Christian. We started talking about these types of things.

He brought his Bible to work. The debate had reached the point of Romans 9. I said, I want you to just open to Romans 9 and I want you to read what Paul says. I sat and I watched this man visibly shaken.

Because he understood what Paul was saying. We've got men in pulpits that don't understand what Paul was saying. But this man who was an unbeliever was visibly shaken. He said something to the effect, he shut his Bible and shut the Bible and he said, well, if that's true, then that means I'm nothing more than a puppet.

I said, no, what Paul says is you're a pot. He's the potter. It's a sad day in Zion when we haven't learned the simple truth of Romans 916. If you are unconverted here, I don't come to you saying I want you to give your life to Jesus.

I want Jesus to save you from your sins. You know, the Bible nowhere tells you accept Jesus into your heart. The Bible nowhere tells you give Jesus your heart. The Bible says, believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.

Believe what God has said. over against your feelings, over against your experience, over against the devil, over against this world, over against your wife or your children or whatever. You believe what God has said concerning his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Who died, was buried and who rose again on the third day, according to the scriptures. Praise God for unconditional election.

Praise God. It didn't depend on us. You know, if it depended on us, we'd all be in hell. Tonight, we're going to sing him.

Ninety six is not that I did choose the for Lord. That could not be. This heart would still refuse the head style, not chosen me. Now, from the sin that stained me, has cleansed and set me free of all.

Thou hast ordained me that I should live to be. The very text itself in Ephesians 1, 4, he chose us in him from before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless. That's the purpose, not the reason he doesn't choose us in him because we are holy and blameless. He chooses us in him so that we will be holy and blameless.

We are not chosen because of our holiness and blamelessness. We are chosen on to holiness and blamelessness.

Truth 3: Definite Atonement

Thirdly, Christ has redeemed his people from their sins. If you're taking notes, the tulip here is the limited atonement. Oh, you can't say limited atonement. Everybody limits the atonement.

Unless you're a universalist. They're the only ones that don't limit the atonement. But Arminians and semi-Pelagians, everybody limits the atonement. You either limit its extent, a la Calvin, Or you limit its power all off Arminius or its effectiveness.

Notice her seven in him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us and always been imprudence. Who's he talking about here? He is talking about those in verses four and five that were chosen by God, predestinated as sons. Those are the ones for whom Jesus shed his blood and rose again.

The atonement of Christ, the power of Christ, the redemption of Christ was actual. It's the best argument for its particularity is that it was actual. He didn't come to potentially save his people. He didn't come to make them save a bull.

Actual Accomplishment of Redemption

Gabriel was not an Arminian when he said, You shall name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. When we get to the book of Revelation, the saints glorified in heaven, they all sing, Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb who sits on the throne. In Revelation, it speaks of Jesus shedding his blood to secure his people's salvation. Christ's work, the language used, the terms used, the propositions, if you will, used of Christ's work all point to an actual accomplishment of that work.

So in other words, when we say that Jesus was the ransom for many, he was not the ransom for someone in hell. That's not the case, he was a ransom for those whom the father had given him. When we take that gospel language and we look at propitiation, we understand the richness of that term.

Propitiation and Double Jeopardy

Propitiation means that God or that Christ rather bore the wrath of God for us, not great. The Westminster Shorter Catechism says, what does every sin deserve? Every sin deserves God's wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come. See, when we sinned in Adam, we didn't just make ourselves liable to unhappiness.

We didn't just make ourselves liable to a difficult life in this current world. We made ourselves liable to the wrath and fury of God. That wrath is what Jesus was speaking about in Luke 22, when he asked the father, if it be possible, take this cup. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.

What's Jesus talking about there? He's talking about the wrath and fury of God that would be poured upon him for our sins. Propitiation is the word that describes that. Paul uses this language in Romans 3, 25 and 26.

He says that God set forth Christ as a propitiation. That means that on the cross, Jesus didn't just deflect the wrath of God. He didn't just send it away to the cornfield. That's not what propitiation means.

It means that he took it in himself. It means that he absorbed the wrath and fury of God, drank down that cup of wrath for all that the father gave him. So, if we take the Arminian or the semi-Pelagian or the non-Calvinistic view and we say that the sinner in hell was propitiated for, may it never be. May it never be.

Our own criminal courts don't engage in double jeopardy, certainly God Most High doesn't. If that crosswork availed for the forgiveness of sins, why are they in hell? Well, it's up to the center. He has to believe he has to repent.

We've already seen that he can do that.

Owen's Trilemma on the Atonement

John Owen said it for this way, God imposed his wrath do unto and Christ underwent the pains of hell for either one of three positions, all the sins of all men. or all the sins of some men, or some of the sins of all men. Those are three options. He wrote this in the 17th century, by the way, and nobody's ever answered him. Volume 10 of John Owen, the death of death and the death of Christ.

No one's ever answered him. Next time that somebody says, well, let's talk about universal redemption and all that, read Owen and get back to me. Because if you can do that, you've done what no other Arminian's ever done. He says, if the last some sins of all men, then have all men some sense to answer for, and so shall no man be saved for God enter into judgment with us, though it were with all mankind for one sin, no flesh would be justified in his sight.

If the Lord should mark iniquities, who could stand? He says, if the second that is which we affirm all the sins of some men, praise God for that all the sins of some men. He nailed all our sins to the cross. He took all the punishment due for us.

He says, if the second that is which we affirm that Christ in their stead and room suffered for all the sins of all the elect in the world. He says, if the first, all the sinners, all the sins of all men, he said, if the first, why then are not all free from the punishment of all their sins? You will say because of their unbelief, they will not believe. But this unbelief that this unbelief is, is it a sin or not?

If not, why should they be punished for it? If it be, then Christ underwent the punishment due to it or not. You see what he's saying? Say all the sins of all the men.

They're going to hell because of their unbelief. Well, isn't that a sin? Yes. Well, why didn't this blood atone for that, too?

You can't have it both ways. The universalist is more consistent than the Arminian. I'm not trying to confuse anybody with terms here. This week, I've been studying apologetics for my seminary course, trying to bring that to completion by August, dealing with some of these concepts.

You know what it does when you study these things? It makes you that much happier. In Jesus. Not in yourself.

As my wife and Cam and Steve can attest to. But in Jesus. Roger Nicole. Speaking of the particularity of Christ's work, Christ gave himself for his people, for his friends, for his sheep, for his church, for many, for us, for me.

That's what the Bible says, Galatians 2.20, Paul speaking specifically about himself. The language used in the scripture, the particularity employed even by Jesus. He says what? When he's inaugurating the new covenant, this is my blood.

Which is shed for the remission of sins of who? Of many. Not of everybody. Not of every single person.

Not of the one who's out there that just must exercise his will in order to make it good. That could never be. God is glorified in this. God is glorified in this as it is punctuated, as we saw in Ephesians one, seven, twelve and fourteen to the praise of his glory.

Christ also is glorified in this. Look at the end of Ephesians, chapter one, Ephesians, chapter one at verse 20, speaking about Christ. He says, which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him to be had over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

God was well pleased with the finished work of our blessed Redeemer King. He exalted him to that position of majesty, to that position of authority, to that position of preeminence. He gave him the reigns to the universe as the messianic king. He is the glorious Lord in commissioning his disciples in Matthew 28.

He says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and disciple the nations. The Lord Christ, as Peter says, has been made assuredly both Lord and Christ at the right hand of God. Most high.

Brethren, it is this system, this system of theology that is not man-made, that was not developed by John Calvin, but that is exegetically deduced from the study of the scriptures that alone brings glory to our God. Turn to Romans 11. It's good to see it with our own eyes. Romans chapter 11.

What is Paul been discussing yet? We'll pick up the last two or the next two points. God willing, this evening, irresistible grace and perseverance or preservation by God of the Saints. Romans 9 to 11.

What's Paul's theme? Teaching on the sovereignty of God. He's teaching on the things that we've been discussing here is teaching about the glory and the majesty and the excellency of our God in the salvation of sinners and he says in verse thirty three of Romans eleven oh the death of the riches both of the of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments in his ways past finding out For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become his counselor or who has first given to him and it shall be repaid to him. Here he's quoting some of the men of old, quoting from Isaiah.

He's quoting from Job. This is not a new development in Pauline theology. It was not a new development in the 1500s with John Talbot or Martin Luther. This is not a new development in the 17th century with the Puritan movement.

This is not something that pop Calvinism today has just redeveloped or is just developing. This is something that has been true from that first declaration in the beginning. God. What does he say here?

Says for of him and through him and to him. That means that God is the source of the origin. God is the governor or sustainer that God is the goal to whom or to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen.

We'll look at the other two aspects tonight, but

Application

just in closing, I want you to consider a couple of things. First, as a Christian, you have much to praise God for. Tis not that I did choose thee, for Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse thee hadst thou not chosen me.

Now, from the sin that stained me has cleansed and set me free of all thou hast ordained me that I should live to be much to praise God. You have much to glorify the Lord for. And do it like Paul. Do it like Ephesians 1, 3 to 14.

He realized that in that particular chapter, Paul is not engaged in polemics. Not polemics, but polemics. Polemics is the discipline or that department where we fight with other people. I don't mean physically.

I actually think sometimes that'd be easier. Whoever comes out of the ring alive wins the debate. Just kidding. Please don't take that from me.

I used to play racquetball with a Pato Baptist brother, and I'd think to myself, if he wins this game, that must mean Pato Baptism's right. I was just engaging in a bit of oddity. Ricks back there said, did he win? He won, right?

Polemics is that discipline where we debate, where we argue. And I dare say most of us at one time or another in debating and arguing with an Arminian, we have gone to Ephesians one. I'm not saying we can't use it for that, but that's not why Paul wrote it. What's Paul doing? praising, worshipping, glorifying, honoring.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. I dare say, brethren, we ought to be blessing, praising, honoring, glorifying, worshipping God With Ephesians 1, a lot more than we're trying to blow our minions away. This affords the stuff of praise. This affords the means for worship.

Scrutum says in his systematics, he says that theology promotes doxology. What's that mean? Theology, who God is, the study of the doctrine of God promotes doxology. What's doxology?

We sing it. Praise to God. When you come away from your Bible reading, when you come away from your study of the Scriptures, again, it's not wicked to say, hey, I know how to answer a Jehovah's Witness when he argues with me about the deity of Christ. That's not wicked.

It's not evil. Do you know what? You ought to come away from that study of Scripture sometimes saying, praise be to God. Look at what I was and look what God has done.

I dare say, secondly, this is a humbling thing. We are all way too proud. Oh, that's offensive. Sorry, we're all way too proud.

A good dose of biblical soteriology ought to put us where we belong. We need to know something of what Isaiah said. We actually think we're pretty clever with our arguments. We actually think we're pretty clever with the use of our tongues.

We actually think we're pretty good when it comes to twisting and putting together a theological debate. Not Isaiah. Woe is me, for I am undone. Why?

Because I'm a man of unclean lips. And I live amongst a people of unclean lips. For what? My eyes have seen the glory of God.

You come to Ephesians one, brethren, don't be proud. That's probably one of the most horrific thing about Calvinism is that it may. It doesn't. It's not Calvinism.

It's our sin. Like Paul, when he speaks about the law of God in the book of Romans, is the problem the law? Oh, problem sin. The law just comes along and identifies it.

Shows it up. Problems not with this soteriology, the problem is with our hearts. That maybe, just maybe, we can not with our heads, but in our hearts, we haven't embraced it fully. We don't really understand what total depravity is.

We actually may think that because of something good in me, I merited favor. Remember reading Sproul's Holiness of God when he's discussing these particular subjects. There's one part he's highlighting, the sovereignty of God and the salvation of sinners. And he says in there, some of you reading right now may actually have to stop and think that you, you thought that you participated in this.

We all kind of have that pride in us. Well, God wouldn't really send me to hell. God really wouldn't cast me off. Why not?

The wages of sin is death. The only reason you stand is by sovereign grace and unconditional election and a limited atonement, not limited in its power. Glorious in its power to save you from your sins. Thirdly, you may be here and you may not be a Christian.

You may be saying, well, this is pretty depressing. There's nothing I can do. That is depressing. There is nothing you can do.

Your situation is horrible. It is miserable. It is worse than you can even conceive or this sermon could illustrate. But the good news is, is that this God exists.

This God is in heaven. This God is full of mercy. This God is full of grace. This God is full of love.

I read verses one to three of Ephesians two. Paul continues. He says in verse four, but God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace, you have been saved. Yes, it's miserable.

Yes, it's depressing. Yes, there's despair, but God. You understand grammar, you'll understand in John three that Jesus is not giving a command. When Nicodemus comes to Jesus, we know you're a teacher sent by God.

What's Jesus say? Unless a man is born again, he shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. How anybody could ever write a book called how to be born again is fallacious. Jesus is not saying, here's something you need to go do.

It's a passive verb. That means something must happen to you. I can't sit here and say, here's how you're supposed to be born again. No, I can say this must happen to you.

And as we follow the argument in John chapter three, we follow the statement of the Lord. We find something beautiful and glorious and wondrous. See, you really don't care if you're a sinner outside of Christ about being born again. You really don't care about serving God.

You really don't care about serving Jesus. But the Holy Spirit is powerful. The Holy Spirit causes men to be born again. The Holy Spirit comes and awakens them.

The Holy Spirit comes and draws them. The Holy Spirit comes and convicts sinners. Jesus likens him to the activity of the wind. You don't see where it comes from.

You don't see where it goes, but you know it's been there. You know, he's been there. How do you know, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that the believing one shall not perish when the Spirit is coming blown through? What happens?

The response is you believe. So the point is, if you're sitting here, you are starting to feel something of your own sin, starting to appreciate something of this particular place. The good news is this. It doesn't depend on you.

Because you'd mess it up, you'd botch it up, you'd ruin it. The good news is it depends solely on our God. And the father chose, the son died and rose again, and the spirit takes that work and he applies it. So what do I do?

Believe. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. And then you can praise God that not only was the wind blowing physically and bringing us a bit of coolness on this day, But the wind blew spiritually. And I was blind, but now I see I was lost, but now I'm found.

And the glory is not due to the man preaching. The glory is not due to the man receiving, but the glory is due to the one who Paul says, blessed, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray.

Closing Prayer

Our father, we give you thanks for these truths. We give you thanks for the scriptures. Father, we know that your word is true. And we pray that you would just help us to see these things, and may they promote in us a desire to bring glory and blessing and praise and honor to you, our great God.

We thank you, Father, for sovereign grace. We thank you for the sending of the sun to die and to rise again. We thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit in being that seal and guarantee until the day of our final redemption. And I just pray, Lord, that you would bring Grace to bear on those who have not known those who have not tasted and seen that the Lord is good.

We know that this is a supernatural work for Jesus said, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood did not reveal this unto you, but my father who is in heaven. So we appeal to sovereign authority this day, Lord God, and asking that you would open hearts and cause men and women and boys and girls to believe the truth that Jesus died and rose again. We pray this not only for our meeting here, but wherever the gospel is preached. We pray your word would run swiftly and be glorified.

And we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture References

• Genesis 3:1-7
• Jeremiah 2:4; 2:11-13; 2:31-32; 3:1; 3:7; 3:12; 3:14; 3:22; 4:1-2
• Ezekiel 36:22-23
• Isaiah 6:5
• Matthew 11:25-26; 26:28; 28:18-19
• Luke 22:42
• John 3:3; 3:16; 4:17-18
• Romans 1:28; 3:25-26; 5:12; 8:29-30; 9:16; 11:33-36
• 1 Corinthians 1:21
• Galatians 2:20
• Ephesians 1:3-14; 1:4; 1:6; 1:7; 1:11; 1:12; 1:14; 1:20-23; 2:1-5