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Ephesians 1, I'll read the chapter 
and then our focus this evening will be on verses 5 and 6. Probably 
going to go a bit slow through this long sentence as it's very 
densely packed with theological riches. So I'll read beginning 
in verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ 
by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful 
in Christ Jesus, grace to you and peace from God our Father 
and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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, a promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance 
until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of 
His glory. Therefore, I also, after I heard 
of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 
do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in 
my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father 
of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation 
in the knowledge of Him. the eyes of your understanding 
being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His 
calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance 
in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power 
toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty 
power, 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 behead over all things to the church, which 
is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank you for this wonderful chapter of Holy Scripture. 
We thank you for the emphasis on the sovereignty of God Most 
High. We thank you that the Bible reveals 
to us that you are spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in 
your being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. 
You are unrivaled and unparalleled in terms of your majesty and 
glory. And the Apostle so emphasizes this for praise to God and as 
a means of instruction for us. Help us now, Lord God, to receive 
with thankful hearts your word. Forgive us for all sin and everything 
that darkens our understanding. Cleanse us in that precious blood 
of the Lord Jesus Christ and fill each and every one of us 
with your Holy Spirit. And for those gods still in their 
trespasses and sins, may you open their eyes and their hearts 
to behold the glory of Jesus Christ as Savior for sinners. 
And we ask in His most blessed name. Amen. Well, remember that 
in this particular section, verses 3 to 14 is one long sentence, 
and it's essentially Paul praising God for God being God. And he starts off with a general 
statement in verse 3a. So he gives us that overarching 
theme, the overarching reason why we are to bless God. Remember, When we bless God, it means to 
speak well of Him, to praise Him, to ascribe glory to His 
most excellent name. When He blesses us, it is His 
giving stuff to us. In this context, every spiritual 
blessing in the heavenly place is in Christ. So because God 
gives us those things, we respond by praising. We respond by worshiping. We respond by living in the manner 
that He has called us unto. Now, as we look at this particular 
section, verses 1, or rather 3 to 6, specifically deal with 
praise to the Father for what the Father does in redemption. Verses 7 to 12 are praise to 
the Father for what the Son does in redemption. And then verses 
13 and 14, praise to the Father for the ministry of the Holy 
Spirit in terms of the salvation of sinners. So it is triune in 
nature. The apostle doesn't just shrink 
back from declaring the whole counsel of God, but he also underscores 
that triune God with whom we have to do. So last time we looked 
at that general statement. And then we noted in verses four 
and five, there are specific reasons that Paul gives as to 
why we bless God. Remember verse four, we looked 
at last time, just as he chose us in him before the foundation 
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before 
him. So God chose us for salvation. We did not choose him. We were 
not out looking for him. We did not try to commend ourselves 
to him. If God had not sought us, if 
God had not foreordained us, if God had not chosen us unto 
salvation, we would be damned, and justly so, as a result of 
our transgression and rebellion against the Holy God. But according 
to His grace, He chose. According to His grace, the doctrine 
of election rings with great joy in the hearts of the people 
of God. But we move on, and Paul then praises God for predestination 
unto adoption. So the apostle is going for those 
things that are true of God that oftentimes frustrate people. 
People don't always like sovereign grace. People don't always like 
election or predestination. There's whole theological camps 
that exist to defy that and to argue against it. Arminianism 
and Pelagianism wants nothing to do with the sovereignty of 
God as Paul extols it in this passage. And again, Paul's not 
trying to defend this. He's not engaged in polemics. 
He's not trying to argue for this. This is a time for praise, 
a time for adoration, a time for worship. Blessed be the God 
and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is rejoicing in the 
goodness of God most high to his people. So we've seen the 
blessing of election in verse four. Let's take up secondly, 
the blessing of adoption in verse five. And there's two broad points 
here. First, the motive of predestination 
unto adoption as sons, and then secondly, the means of predestination 
unto adoption as sons. Now, the commentators are divided 
where that little phrase, in love, goes. A lot of people take 
it with verse 4, but it does put that away from the verb by 
a long shot. Some suggest that it's he chose 
us in love before the foundation of the world. That's not contrary, 
that's not wrong, but that's not how this particular passage 
is to be read. As well, some attach the in love 
to the holy and without blame. That doesn't seem to fit, however. So in love goes with having predestined. Verse five should read, in love, 
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself. And that is most essential that 
we appropriate that reality. We're not dealing with fate when 
we talk about sovereignty. We're not dealing with impersonal 
forces out there that just sort of make things happen. We're 
dealing with a personal God, a God who is described by John 
the Apostle as a God of love. We're dealing with a God who 
does what he does according to his good pleasure, and he does 
what he does out of his love for his children. One man, Stephen 
Baugh, argues that the in love goes with having predestined, 
and I think he does so successfully. And he makes this observation. 
He says, predestination to adoption is not some cold abstract act 
of an impersonal God, but an act of love of an inexpressibly 
gracious kind for the praise of the glory of His grace. The 
emphasis again is upon God's sovereignty, but in God's sovereignty 
it is orchestrated or rather animated by His love for the 
creature that He set His affections upon. So God Most High does what 
He does, not out of blind fate, not out of some abstract coldness, 
but God is love. And it is a reflex of that love 
wherein He predestined us unto adoption as sons. So the motive 
of predestination in this particular section is the love of God Most 
High. Now, notice, secondly, the means 
of predestination unto adoption as sons. So, the election was 
unto holiness and blamelessness. Here, predestination is unto 
adoption as sons. Now, the reality of predestination 
or the fact of it, the Bible teaches this. Again, not everybody 
accepts this, and if you really want to get into some good theological 
argument, just post verses like this on Facebook and say, isn't 
it wonderful that God has predestined us unto adoption as sons? Your 
Arminian friends, your Pelagian friends, will not think it's 
wonderful. They'll try to explain their way out of it. This is 
an offense to man. J. Gresham Machen made this observation. He says, it, predestination, 
writes God entirely too large and man entirely too small to 
suit our human pride. It is an affront when God exercises 
His Godhood with reference to the creature. If that creature 
is not conquered by grace, if that creature is not blood-bought, 
if that creature does not have the Spirit, and that creature 
does not have good theology, he's not going to adore God for 
the act of God in terms of election and in terms of predestination. 
So the fact of predestination is a reality in the scripture. I have mentioned before that 
God, by definition, is a God who predestines. I just want 
to turn your attention to one statement in our confession of 
faith. It is in chapter 2 of God, the 
Holy Trinity. And in chapter 2, at paragraph 
2, it expresses how God relates to his creatures, how God relates 
to the creation that he himself made. It says, God, having all 
life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself, is alone in 
and unto himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creature 
which he hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only 
manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is 
the alone fountain of all being, of whom through whom and to whom 
are all things. And he hath most sovereign dominion 
over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, 
whatsoever himself pleaseth. In his sight all things are open 
and manifest. His knowledge is infinite, infallible, 
and independent upon the creature. So as nothing is to him contingent 
or uncertain, He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His 
works, and in all His commands. To Him is due from angels and 
men whatsoever worship, service, or obedience as creatures they 
owe unto the Creator, and whatever He is further pleased to require 
of them. Amen. That is a packed statement 
concerning biblical truth about our living and true God. He is 
not dependent upon us. There's no contingency with reference 
to God. Look at biblical prophecy. God 
doesn't just sort of throw something out there and hopes that everything 
falls into place. Remember when God commissions 
Moses, he tells Moses to go before Pharaoh and demand that he let 
his people go. God knows exactly what's going 
to happen, God tells Moses what's going to happen, and then God 
brings that judgment to bear upon Pharaoh, and ultimately 
to the point where the firstborn are killed by God in Egypt, such 
that now the children of Israel are free to leave. They marched 
out with all boldness, the Egyptians essentially throwing gold at 
them to get them out of their country. That God is not reacting. That God is proactive. Our God 
is pure act. There's no movement in him. There's 
no becoming in him. There's no betterment in him. 
He is a perfect being. Go to the prophet Isaiah, where 
we get a glimpse of the sovereignty of God when it comes to predestination, 
when it comes to the orchestration of all events, according to the 
plan and purpose of God most high. Notice in Isaiah 46, verse 
9, How can he do that? Because he's God. And then notice, and from ancient 
times, things that are not yet done. Saying, my counsel shall 
stand and I will do all my pleasure. Calling a bird of prey from the 
east, the man who executes my counsel from a far country. Indeed, 
I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed 
it, I will also do it. That bird of prey from the east, 
the man who executes my counsel from a far country, is most likely 
Cyrus, king of Persia. Remember that the children of 
Israel went into Babylon. They went into a time of captivity 
or exile. Well, how were they freed from 
there? How did they get enablement, humanly speaking, to be able 
to return to their land of Judah? It was through Cyrus. Cyrus issued 
a decree that the Judahites could return back to Judah. And not 
only that they could return back to Judah, but the pagans themselves 
gave them money so that they can rebuild their temple. The 
Lord God Most High is not a contingent being. The Lord God Most High 
does not react. The Lord God Most High, by definition, 
predestines all events. Everything transpires according 
to the counsel of His will. We saw that last time in verse 
11. Notice what the Apostle says 
in Ephesians 1.11. 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. So when we look 
at this doctrine of predestination, the fact is clearly established 
in the Bible. Now the particular word that 
Paul uses here means to decide upon beforehand or to predetermine. It means to predestine. That's 
exactly the emphasis in the passage. It is used several times in the 
New Testament. You can turn to Acts 4. Acts chapter 4. Again, 
not only should we see this relative to soteriology and our place 
before a holy God in terms of predestination unto adoption 
as sons by Jesus Christ, but we should appreciate the godhood 
of God as the Bible sets him forth. not just in matters of 
soteriology or salvation, but he has comprehensive sovereignty 
over all things. Remember this morning, Jesus 
walks on the water. Remember last week, Jesus multiplies 
the bread and the fish. Jesus is over the spiritual. 
He's over the physical as well. In Acts chapter 4, we have an 
apostolic prayer meeting, and notice what they say in verse 
27. For truly against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 
both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people 
of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever your hand and 
your purpose determined before to be done. So Pilate and Herod 
functioned as wicked, lawless, godless men, and they were responsible 
for that. But it was according to the plan 
and purpose of God. God uses crooked things to make 
straight things. God overrules evil to bring about 
good. Joseph and his brothers learned 
this, the doctrine of the crucifixion. underscores this. It was an act 
of absolute atrocity. It was the murder of an innocent 
man, and yet it was predetermined by God for the salvation of His 
people from their sins. Notice in Romans chapter 8, another 
passage where the salvation or salvific element is at the forefront 
with reference to predestination. Notice in Romans 8, 28, we know 
that all things work together for good to those who love God. 
We know that. It's a settled principle in our 
religion. We know that if we're in Christ, there is nothing that 
can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus 
our Lord. We know that when we're in Christ, 
whatever afflictions, whatever hardships, whatever trials or 
storms, they will not ultimately defeat us. Our blessed Christ 
has everything under his command. So that's why Paul, with this 
settled principle, can say, we know that all things work together 
for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according 
to his purpose. For whom he foreknew. Now it's 
at this point that people try to, you know, mess around with 
language and say, well, it's all about foreknowledge. The 
foreknowledge here is not what he foreknew. Remember last week 
I said, election and predestination isn't God looking down the tunnel 
of time and seeing which persons would decide for Jesus. So he 
elects them and predestinates them. That's not what it is. The foreknowledge here isn't 
what he foreknew, it's whom he foreknew. It's us. We are the 
objects in Romans chapter 8. For whom he foreknew. It has the idea of setting his 
love upon us. That's what the foreknowledge 
of verse 29 is. So, for whom He foreknew, He 
also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that 
He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom 
He predestined, these He also called. Whom He called, these 
He also justified. Whom He justified, these He also 
glorified. That's the ordo salutis. That's 
the order of salvation. It's the skeletal version. There's 
other elements that we could put in there, but notice the 
emphasis is again upon God's sovereignty. It's not us. It's 
not we chose him. We exercised our free will. We 
know that justification is by grace alone, through faith alone, 
in Christ alone. Who is it that is justified? 
It is those who believe the gospel. Why do they believe the gospel? 
Because they're smarter than other people. Because they're 
wiser than other people? No, because God foreknew them, 
and God predestined them to be conformed unto the image of His 
Son. And it's based in that context 
of reality that He calls us affectionately unto Himself. He grants us the 
graces of faith and repentance so that we close with the Savior. 
And He promises to sanctify and glorify us. The emphasis in the 
scripture is on God's primacy in the matter of salvation. Notice 
in 1 Corinthians 2.7, another use of the word predestination. 
1 Corinthians 2.7, we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the 
hidden wisdom which God, notice, ordained before the ages for 
our glory, which, excuse me, for our glory, which none of 
the rulers of this age knew, for had they known, they would 
not have crucified the Lord of glory." And then in our passage, 
we see it in Ephesians 1 at verse 5, and then Ephesians 1 at verse 
11. So back to Ephesians 1, we have 
the fact of predestination. We have the emphasis concerning 
predestination. The emphasis is upon the sovereignty 
and the power and the glory and the majesty of God. Not on the 
desert, not on the worthiness, not on the acceptability of the 
object. No, we are acceptable, we are 
worthy because He has predestinated us. We are worthy because He 
has elected us and granted us the graces of faith and repentance 
so that we may come savingly to our Lord Jesus Christ. Now 
back to Ephesians 1 verse 5, it says, In love, having predestined 
us, notice, to adoption as sons. See, this predestination has 
such a beautiful end. It is unto adoption as sons, 
a rich and glorious doctrine that the Bible sets forth. In 
fact, look over at chapter 3 in verse 14. For this reason I bow 
my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom 
the whole family in heaven and earth is named. And when he says 
that, I'm thinking redemption. He's not talking about the pagan, 
he's not talking about the heathen, he's not talking about the universal 
fatherhood of God. The fact that he refers to the 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ puts it in the realm of redemption. 
So there is this blessedness of being a part of the family 
of God. Look at chapter 5, verse 1. Therefore 
be imitators of God as dear children. So when persons have a problem 
with predestination, you should ask them, but it's predestination 
unto adoption as sons by Christ Jesus. What could be better? What could be more glorious? 
What could be more wondrous? The Bible teaches that the damned 
are predestined by God as well. Romans 9, verses 22 and 23. The Bible teaches, I believe 
it teaches, double predestination. But as Machen says, the emphasis 
or the accent is on predestination unto life. The Bible speaks of 
reprobation, again, but the Bible speaks more concerning predestination 
unto life. And Machen's explanation is beautiful. He says, predestination unto 
damnation for violating a holy God is absolutely positively 
understandable. The amazing thing in the Bible 
is not that there is a hell for rebel sinners to be cut off forever 
by a holy God. The amazing thing in the Bible 
is that there's a heaven so that rebel sinners, washed in the 
precious blood of the Lamb, having been predestinated by God in 
love, can enter into that blessed place and enjoy Father, Son, 
and Spirit throughout all eternity. The surprising truth in the Bible 
is not damnation. The surprising truth in the Bible 
is salvation, and that's why the emphasis is upon predestination 
unto life. Notice, specifically here, adoption 
as sons by Jesus Christ to himself. Now let's look at a few other 
passages where this doctrine of adoption comes to the forefront. 
Turn back to Romans chapter 8. I think it's J.I. Packer in his 
book, Knowing God, he has a chapter on adoption. And he mentions 
how very few Christians ponder the doctrine of adoption. How 
few of us really ponder the glory that is ours as having been predestined 
unto adoption as such by Christ Jesus. So let's look at a few 
of these passages to see what the Apostle says concerning this 
glorious truth. Notice in Romans 8, specifically 
at verse 15. Father, the spirit himself bears 
witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Now notice 
verse 17, because it underscores something true of adoption. Adoption 
is practiced in the Roman Empire. If you were a man and you were 
a woman and you had a family and you adopted somebody into 
that family, it wasn't to a second tier citizenship. It wasn't to, 
well, here's my natural-born son, and then here's the adopted 
son. Here's the one that came from 
my loins, and here's the one we picked out at the orphanage. 
No, when you adopted somebody into your family, they had every 
right, every privilege, and every prerogative that the natural-born 
son had. That's Paul's point in Romans 
8, 17. Remember, Jesus is the Son of God, not by creation, 
not by adoption, but by nature. He is the eternally begotten 
Son of the Father. Now, notice what Paul says in 
8, 17. He says, and if children, then heirs. Notice, heirs of 
God and joint heirs with Christ. Joint heir means just that. We're on an equal footing, not 
in the sense that we're deity, not in the sense that we're mediator, 
not in the sense that we're the king of kings and lord of lords, 
but all that Christ has secured for his children is given to 
his children. It is a most blessed thing. We 
are joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, 
that we may also be glorified together. And then turn over 
to Galatians chapter three. Galatians chapter 3, the apostle 
underscores adoption here in chapter 3 and then in chapter 
4. Verse 26 in chapter three, four, 
you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized 
into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, 
there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, 
for you're all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ, 
then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. 
Again, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 
Brethren, do we ponder that? We are sons of God. We are joint 
heirs with Christ. We can cry, Abba, Father. Notice 
how Jesus teaches us to pray in the Lord for our Father who 
art in heaven. We possess Him. He owns us and 
we possess Him. Not in some wicked, weird way, 
but we have a relationship with this blessed God. It is familial. Notice in chapter 4 at verse 
4, But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth 
His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those 
who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption 
as sons. And because you are sons, God 
has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying 
out, Abba, Father. Therefore you are no longer a 
slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of 
God through Christ. Now turn back to John's gospel, 
John chapter 1. John chapter 1, this is not a 
metaphor, it's not an analogy, it's not something utilized by 
the Apostle Paul alone, but Paul and John come at it from a different 
angle. Notice what John says in John 
1 at verses 12 and 13. but as many as received him, 
to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those 
who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of 
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." 
So John emphasizes this born of God-ness on the part of the 
elect. Paul emphasizes adoption. Same truth We are children of 
the living and true God, but these brothers come at it from 
different angles to show us the glory of God in the matter of 
salvation. Turn over to 1 John. 1 John, 
again, the emphasis on this born of godness on the part of the 
elect. 1 John, specifically at chapter 
2, verse 29. Well, verse 28, now little children 
abide in him that when he appears we may have confidence and not 
be ashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is 
righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is 
born of him. And then notice in chapter 3 
at verse 1, behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed 
on us that we should be called children of God. Behold that 
manner. Think about that manner. Ponder 
that manner. Consider that manner. See if 
that doesn't provide the impetus for the worship that you see 
these brothers undertake when they ponder these great truths. 
Notice over in 1 John 3 at verse 9. Notice, whoever has been born 
of God does not sin, for his seed remains in him and he cannot 
sin because he has been born of God. Turn over to chapter 
5, verse 1, whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born 
of God. And everyone who loves Him, who 
begot, also loves Him who is begotten of Him. And then in 
1 John 5, 18, we know that whoever is born of God does not sin, 
but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked 
one does not touch him. So you see, the same truth, we 
have become participants in the family of God Most High. The 
Apostle Paul takes it from that Roman point of view, looking 
at it in terms of adoption. The Apostle John looks at it 
in terms of Jesus' teaching in John chapter 3 with reference 
to Nicodemus, you must be born again. B.B. Warfield makes the 
observation concerning this different aspect. He says there is a corresponding 
difference in the use by Paul and John of the conception of 
childship or sonship to God. In accordance with his juridical 
point of view, Paul speaks of sonship conferred by adoption. 
and thinks of our acquisition of the rights and the inheritance 
of sons. In accordance with his essential 
point of view, John speaks of childship as conveyed through 
birth and thinks of growing up into the likeness of God. Accordingly, 
Paul prefers the term sons. We are adults received by God's 
grace into the number of his sons. And John prefers the term 
children or even little children. We are born into the family of 
God as the infants of His household. This difference in the use of 
the conception of childship is not a difference of doctrine. 
It is only a difference in the illustrative use of the conception 
of childship in the setting forth of doctrine. So I think that 
makes good sense, and it helps us to understand that John and 
Paul are talking about the same thing. They're just looking at 
it from a different angle, again, to increase our appreciation 
of what God the Lord has done by including us into the family 
of God. And in 1.5 of Ephesians, it was 
in love. He predestinated us unto adoption 
as sons. And notice, it is by Jesus Christ. By Jesus Christ. And then it 
says it's to himself. So every good gift that comes 
to us comes as a result of Christ. And then, notice, it is to Himself. We saw the middle voice of the 
verb used in verse 4. He chose us for Himself. The same thing is true in predestination. He does this for Himself. Now, 
we obviously benefit as being participants in the family of 
God. We obviously benefit in being able to cry, Abba Father. We obviously benefit as being 
joint heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ. But the ultimate end 
of all things, is the glory of God Most High. It is not our 
happiness, it is not our blessing, it is not our beatitude. The 
ultimate end of all things is God's glory. And that's Paul's 
emphasis throughout this blessed sentence where he ascribes praise 
to our God. Notice the reason for His predestination. So the motive, again, it's in 
love, having predestined us, verse 5, to adoption as sons 
by Jesus Christ to Himself. Now notice, according to the 
good pleasure of His will. It's not according to our good 
works. It's not according to something He foresaw in us that 
we would decide for Jesus and therefore He predestinated us 
on this adoption. No! He does this according to 
the good pleasure of His will. You can turn back to the book 
of Deuteronomy to see an analogy with the nation of Israel. Deuteronomy 
chapter 7. Deuteronomy chapter 7. We know 
God's relationship to the theocratic nation of Israel was one of fatherhood 
and sonship. When God tells Moses to go before 
Pharaoh, he says that the Israel is my firstborn, my preeminent 
son among the nations of the earth. Well, Deuteronomy 7 and 
9 underscore what Paul says in Ephesians 1, 5. God didn't set 
his affection upon Israel because there were more numerous than 
the other nations. And he certainly didn't set his affection upon 
Israel because they were more righteous than the other nations. 
Notice in Deuteronomy 7, specifically at verse 9, I'm sorry, verse 
6. For you are a holy people to 
the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen 
you to be a people for himself, a special treasure above all 
the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his 
love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than 
any other people, for you were the least of all peoples. Now 
notice verse 8, "...but because the Lord loves you, and because 
He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the 
Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you 
from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." 
It's not because you're more numerous. There's nothing in 
us that invites God's predestination of us to adoption as sons, just 
like there was nothing in Israel that would bring them the esteem 
that God confers upon them freely by his grace and according to 
the good pleasure of his will. Look at Deuteronomy chapter nine, 
verse four. Do not think in your heart after 
the Lord your God has cast them out before you saying, because 
of my righteousness, the Lord has brought me in to possess 
this land. But it is because of the wickedness 
of these nations that the Lord is driving them out from before 
you. It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness 
of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because 
of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives 
them out from before you, and that he may fulfill the word 
which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob. Therefore, understand that the 
Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because 
of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people." In 
other words, maintain the proper perspective here. You and I are 
not heaven-bound because we're good. You and I are not heaven-bound 
because we're great. You and I are not heaven-bound 
because we're full of virtue. We are heaven-bound because our 
God reigns supreme. And that God who reigns supreme 
chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. That 
God who reigns supreme in love predestinated us onto adoption 
as sons by Jesus Christ. We're not in Christ because of 
anything in us. We're in Christ because of everything 
in God, and that is cause for rejoicing, and that's why Paul 
praises God. Imagine Arminians or Pelagians. They'd kind of blessed the God 
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but they'd have to bless 
themselves. They'd have to pat themselves 
on the back. You exercised your free will. You went forward at 
that camp meeting. You raised your hand when every 
head was bowed and every eye was closed. You did this. You exercised your will. So yes, 
some blessing for God, but yes, some blessing for us because 
we were wiser than the others around us and we made the right 
choice. That's not how Paul approaches 
the doctrine of salvation. Paul sees the supremacy of God 
most high as do the rest of the authors of Holy Scripture. So 
notice again, verse five, according to the good pleasure of his will. Now notice, this is a theme that 
is replete in scripture. Jonah learned this. Salvation 
is of the Lord. Jonah chapter two and verse nine. Turn to Matthew chapter 11 and 
see how our Lord Jesus acknowledges this with reference to the Father. 
Matthew chapter 11. Verse 25, at that time, Jesus 
answered and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, 
that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and 
have revealed them to babes. In the context, it's gospel truth. In the context, Jesus is praising 
his father for hiding things from the reprobate. Now, we read 
that and we say, that's not fair. It's absolutely, positively fair. God is not dealing with a race 
of innocent, virtuous people. God is dealing with a race of 
sinners dead in Adam. For Him to hide gospel truth 
from them is an exercise of His justice. It is an exercise of 
His righteousness. Again, the accent falls on the, 
and have revealed them to babes. That's what should really cause 
us to stand and marvel. Not that he hides gospel truth 
from the wise and the prudent. Not that he hides gospel truth 
from the man who is self-sufficient and independent. Not that he 
hides gospel truth from a man who absolutely detests and despises 
God and makes it his business to transgress every law of God. 
That is just fitting and appropriate. But the reality is that God Most 
High reveals them unto babes. God Most High opened our hearts. 
God Most High opened our eyes. God Most High showed us our sin. God Most High showed us His Son. God gave us the gift of faith 
such that we could close with Jesus. He granted us repentance 
such that we could have that blessedness of eternal life. 
Back to 11.25, notice after that, he says in verse 26, even so 
father, for so it seemed good in your sight. It's according 
to his will, it's according to his purpose, it's according to 
his plan. Now, when people hear these sorts 
of things, they say, well, that'll kill evangelism. If you absolutely 
think that God is sovereign, that God chooses, that God predestines, 
then why in the world would you preach the gospel to dead sinners? 
Because the God who chooses, the God who predestines, is the 
God who's ordained the means to the end. He is pleased through 
the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 
He's not only purposed the end, but He's purposed every means 
to get to the end. And so we proclaim the glory 
of Jesus Christ and call all sinners everywhere to believe 
in Him, trusting in His power, trusting in His ability, trusting 
in His grace to effectually call those whom He chose, those whom 
He predestinated, such that when they hear the gospel by the power 
of the Holy Spirit, They're awakened, they're alive, they believe, 
they're saved. Notice, after that, even so, 
Father, for so it seemed good in your sight, he says, all things 
have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son 
except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son 
and the One to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. You don't get 
much more emphasis on God's sovereignty than you do in those few verses. 
He hides gospel truth from some. He reveals gospel truth to others. 
He does so according to the good pleasure of his own will. There's 
this intimate connection between the Father and the Son. Again, 
the Son is the eternally begotten Son of the Father, so there is 
this intimacy such that when Jesus lets us in, by grace, we 
know the Father. Now, the hyper-Calvinist would 
say, well, that's it. That's true. God is sovereign. 
God is glorious. God is powerful. God is majestic. But notice what Jesus does after 
having set forth those truths. Verse 28, come to me, all you 
who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take 
my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly 
in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is 
easy and my burden is light. An appropriation of the absolute 
sovereignty of God by our Lord Jesus Christ did not cause him 
to not preach the gospel. He preached, come to me. He preached 
that fully conscious of the sovereignty of God most high, and that's 
what we are called to do in imitation of him. Romans 9.16. Romans 9.16. Again, these passages 
don't mention specifically predestination, and they don't necessarily mention 
according to the counsel of His will, but that's precisely what 
they're commenting on. Notice in 9.16, so then it is 
not of Him who wills, nor of Him who runs, but of God who 
shows mercy. The emphasis in Ephesians, the 
emphasis in the scripture, the emphasis is upon the good pleasure 
of God. It is not us, it is not our doing, 
it is not our efforts, it is not our law keeping, it is not 
our merit, it's not our wisdom at a camp meeting, but it is 
rather the sovereign grace of God most high, which brings us 
to this place of so great a salvation. Now finally, back in Ephesians 
chapter one, notice we've got The general statement, chapter 
1, verse 3, we've got the specific reasons, verses 4 and 5. Blessing 
of election, the blessing of adoption. Now notice the goal 
in election and adoption, according to verse 6a, to the praise of 
the glory of His grace. That's the main purpose. Again, we are blessed with every 
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Election, unto 
holiness. Predestination, unto adoption. Redemption, through the precious 
blood of Jesus, according to verse seven. The sealing and 
the guarantee of the Holy Spirit. So we receive all these benefits 
that have been given to us freely by our God. But the end game, 
the ultimate reason is for the praise of the glory of His grace. See, it's all about God. This 
morning in our study, in effectual calling, in the confession hour, 
our brother appealed to Ezekiel 36. You can turn there. Ezekiel 
36 is the, well, he actually looked at Ezekiel 37. I do think 
he mentioned 36 as well, with reference to God's taking out 
the old stony heart and putting in a new fleshly heart. Ezekiel 
36 is a great companion chapter to John 3. Nicodemus comes to 
Jesus by night, and Jesus says, unless a man is born again, he 
shall not enter the kingdom of God. He shall not see the kingdom 
of God. He must be born again. Well, 
this perplexes Nicodemus. Well, how can a man be born again 
when he's already old? And this is why Jesus chides 
Nicodemus, you're the teacher of Israel and you don't know 
these things. The backdrop is Ezekiel 36. The 
backdrop is this chapter of Holy Scripture. The backdrop is the 
reality that God takes out the old stony heart and puts in a 
new fleshly heart. In fact, look at the emphasis 
in that, say at verse 24. For I will take you from among 
the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you 
into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water 
on you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your 
filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new 
heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of 
stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will 
put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues, 
and you will keep my judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell 
in the land that I gave to your fathers. You shall be my people 
and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your 
uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and 
multiply it and bring no famine upon you." Where's the emphasis 
there? I will, I will, I will, I will. He's not helped by Israel. In 
fact, more often than not, they're stiff-necked and hard-hearted 
and stubborn. He's helping them and they're 
resisting every step of the way. But he emphasizes this I will-ness 
in terms of giving them this blessing. But even prior to that, 
look at what comes first. Look at verse 22. Therefore say 
to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, I do not do 
this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's 
sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you 
went. And I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned 
among the nations. which you have 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." So 
it's no accident that the Apostle Paul tells us that he chose us, 
he predestinated us to the praise of the glory of his grace. So 
the whole idea behind this is that when we're saved, when we're 
worshiping, when we're praising, we're pondering and meditating 
upon the reality that God elected us unto salvation, that God predestinated 
us unto family life in his own household. God the Lord is the 
one who gets the glory and the honor and the praise. It is not 
the sinner. There was a man by the name of 
S. Lewis Johnson. He preached for many years in, 
I think it was Dallas, Texas. And this was back in the days 
of tape cassettes. I know, kids, you don't know 
what that is. But there used to be tape cassette ministries. 
When we sort of transitioned, we had boxes and boxes and boxes 
of tape cassettes that we ended up taking to the Don. They went 
the way of the dodo bird. But S. Lewis Johnson used to 
have a free tape ministry, any sermons that he preached you 
could get. And I remember one time he was saying how he was 
at an evangelistic meeting, and the evangelist gave his call, 
and the evangelist was stirring up the audience, and the evangelist 
wanted them to make their decision for Jesus. And S. Lewis Johnson 
says, I didn't know whether to pray to God or to pray to those 
people. to pray to those people that 
they would just take that step and move themselves right into 
his sphere of favor and redemptive bliss and glory. Brethren, that 
is often the time, the way, or oftentimes the way that evangelism 
is done. Billy Graham famously once said 
that God himself can't even do anything. Now, it's all about 
you exercising your free will. I remember going to something, 
it was an event put on by a church here in Chilliwack. This is going 
back many, many years ago, and it was an odd event, but at the 
end they had a bit of a gospel, sort of a gospel call, or a gospel 
evangelistic sort of a thing. You're in this room, you've been 
scared, and now it's time to hear the gospel, to hear the 
way of salvation. And the man started to say that 
God's already provided the best gift that he could ever give. 
And I'm thinking he's going to be, you know, typical Arminian 
and say Jesus and therefore activate your faith and believe on Jesus. 
That's not what he said. God's already given you the best 
gift that he could ever give you. Your free will. That is horrible theology, and 
that is absolutely contrary to what we find in Ephesians 1. 
He doesn't say, blessed be all of you wise ones, virtuous ones, 
stellar ones, that when I came to Ephesus preaching, you exercised 
your free will and you decided for Jesus. That's how we'd have 
to bless. That's how we'd have to praise 
if we were, in fact, Arminian or Pelagian. But not so with 
Paul, who was neither. He was reformed. That's an anachronism, 
but it fits. He blessed God for so great a 
salvation. He invites us to join him and 
to do the same. God's glory is paramount. Look 
at Romans chapter 11. We sang this in one of the hymns 
tonight. It bears repetition. Romans chapter 
11 at verse 33. Paul's been discoursing in chapters 
9 to 11 on these issues of absolute sovereignty, of God's majesty, 
of God's godhood. See, I think that's ultimately 
the offense and that's ultimately the threat. We want a God that 
we can tame. We want a God that we can master. 
We want a God that we can domesticate. We want a God that we can put 
on the shelf and fetch Him whenever we want Him to do something for 
us. That's not the God of the Holy Bible. Notice in 1133, oh 
the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of 
God. How unsearchable are His judgments and 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? for of him and through 
him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. Look at 1 Corinthians 1. 1 Corinthians 
1. Notice in verse 26, for you see 
your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the 
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God has 
chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the 
wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put 
to shame the things of the... I'm sorry. put to shame the things which 
are mighty, and the base things of the world, and the things 
which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, 
to bring to nothing the things that are. That no flesh should 
glory in His presence, but of Him you are in Christ Jesus." 
Again, election doesn't find us in Christ, as Gil says, election 
puts us in Christ. And that's the emphasis of the 
apostle in verse 29, or verse 30. But of him you are in Christ 
Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and 
sanctification and redemption, that as it is written, he who 
glories, let him glory in the Lord. Have you ever heard a Christian 
testimony and you wanted to praise that guy? You praise that girl? That's a bad testimony. That's 
a horrible way to go about it. A testimony should lead us to 
the glory of God. A testimony should lead us to 
the one who elects, to the one who predestines, to the one who 
does so to the praise of the glory of His grace. That's what 
salvation by grace manifests over and over. Psalm 115, one, 
not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to your name give glory 
because of your mercy, because of your truth. God is to be praised 
for who God is. God is to be praised for what 
God does. And if you wonder, you're scratching 
your head and you say, I wonder what I could praise God for today. 
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. He predestined, 
in love, He predestined us unto adoption as sons. There's enough 
fuel there for praise for the rest of our lives. We can sing 
with Newton. When we've been there 10,000 
years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing 
his praise than when we first begun. Why? Because we've sinned 
against this God. We have transgressed every one 
of his commandments. We have lacked conformity unto 
them. He tells us one way, we go the opposite way. There is 
nothing in us deserving the riches and the beatitude that he confers 
upon us. It is all according to his good 
pleasure and his great grace. In conclusion, I just wanna give 
us two thoughts and then we go. First, the blessings of God's 
salvation. I hope that on Sunday, you love 
to come to church. Psalm 122, I was glad when they 
said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord. If ever there's 
a struggle or in your times of personal prayer or in times of 
family worship, what are some things that we can recall with 
reference to our praise to God? May I suggest Ephesians one, 
three to six, well, three to 14, you can spend a whole lot 
of time there with fodder for praise to our blessed God. The 
fact is, is that the doctrine of election is a matter for praise 
to God. Even if the gainsayers don't 
like it, even if they think it's not fair, even if they can't 
understand it, it is a matter for praise to God. The doctrine 
of predestination is a great and blessed truth, not only underscoring 
the godhood of God, but underscoring our salvation, our adoption as 
sons by Christ Jesus our Lord. And then the doctrine of soteriology 
in general, the doctrine of salvation, is a great cause for the people 
of God to worship, to glorify, and honor. And then the second 
is more practical in nature. Notice verse five, having predestined 
us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself. We know that's 
gracious. We know that's godhoodness revealed 
in terms of how we got to this place of believing the gospel. 
But what are the responsibilities incumbent upon us as children, 
as sons and daughters in the family of God? Well, we'll eventually 
get to Ephesians chapter five. Actually, I hope we don't. I 
hope Jesus returns before we get to Ephesians chapter 5. I'm 
just gonna let that go. If we meet on the other side 
and it's there that we rejoice in Ephesians 5, that'll be perfectly 
fine. But God willing, either we get, 
you know, not raptured, but we get have Jesus come and consummate 
the age, or yeah, we will make it to Ephesians 5 eventually. 
But notice there's three emphases for the children of God who are 
in the family of God. Notice in 5.2, walk in love. Notice in 5.8, walk in the light. And then notice in verse 15, 
walk in wisdom. Those are to be markers. Those 
are the characteristics. Those are the things true of 
the children of God. We are different. We are a holy 
nation. We are a royal priesthood. We 
are set apart for God's special purpose. And we are to walk in 
a manner that is consistent with us being in the family of God. 
Yes, when we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, even 
Jesus Christ the righteous. We confess our sin, we trust 
in the forgiveness of sin, and we keep on. But the goal of our 
adoption, or rather the manifestation of our status as adopted sons 
and daughters, is to walk in love, to walk in light, and to 
walk in wisdom. Yes, with one another, but as 
well in the outside world. Love, light, and wisdom ought 
to characterize the blood-bought children of God who are presently 
family members in this great household. And if you're not 
a believer here tonight, election might trouble you, predestination 
might cause you to stumble, but you need to hear this specifically. 
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Look 
onto him in faith and you will have everlasting life. Jesus 
again in John 6, 37, upholding both truths. He says, all that 
the Father gives me will come to me. And the one who comes 
to me, I will certainly not cast out. You come to Christ in faith, 
and He will not cast you out. That is a blessed, wonderful 
promise from the Savior, who does not and who cannot lie. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for the clarity 
that Paul sets forth in terms of salvation. And we know it's 
not owing to us, it's not owing to our ability or our our free 
will, but it's all about the grace of God Most High. And we 
rejoice in that, and we pray that you would help us to be 
those who bless your holy name, who recall and rehearse these 
facts on a regular basis. And may it be the case, Lord 
God Almighty, that we would give you that glory that is fitting, 
that we would bless you, and that we would speak well of you, 
not just in corporate worship, but in our daily lives, and help 
us as well to walk in love, to walk in light, and to walk in 
wisdom. And we pray these things through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 
Amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation.