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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, 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. 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. 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. 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 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, 
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. 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, 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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 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. 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.