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[Music] welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of God on this Sabbath evening for our call to worship you can turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter one Ephesians chapter one and I'll begin reading in verse 3 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 well please take your Trinity hymnal and turn to hymn number 136 hymn number 136 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well let us pray our God and Father we come before you again on the Sabbath day to call upon you to acknowledge your glory and your majesty and your excellence to acknowledge that you are the god of Ephesians 1 Father Son and Holy Spirit who is purpose to save his people from their sins and how we praise you that you have had mercy upon us how we praise you that you have dealt so graciously and kindly with us and that Christ came into this world to live in obedience to the father's law to die in our place at Calvary and to be raised the third day how we thank you that those by grace looking to him in faith will have everlasting life and we know Lord God this is the case we're not here tonight we're not celebrating the supper because of our merit or because of our good works or because of our obedience but we're doing it solely and alone because of the grace of Almighty God revealed to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ we ask tonight that you would be glorified as we sing these the Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs we pray that you would hear our prayer that you would bend your ear toward us God and answer with reference to the particular needs in this congregation and we pray that you would bless the preaching of the word the celebration of the ordinance and may you indeed further conform each and every one of us unto your beloved son the Lord Jesus Christ God as we consider Christ as we look at him as Scripture sets and forth we are we're truly thankful for that grace that you've given to us we're truly thankful that he is our champion our Savior our deliverer we thank you that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him and we pray tonight that as we eat this bread as we drink this cup that we collectively would proclaim the Lord's death until he comes and what a blessed prospect that is the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ this ordinance points us and causes us to reflect upon the reality that this home isn't eternal for us that we are on our way to a much better place and that Christ will consummate the age and he will offer up the kingdom to the Father and God will be all in all and we look forward to that eternal state we look forward to that time in that New Jerusalem when there is no more sin no more sorrow no more pain or suffering and God we pray that you would cause us to think through these things on a daily basis to comfort our souls with the reality that Christ is coming for his bride and until that time Lord God we do pray to you for the various needs in our church again we braid pray for Linda we ask that all would go well on Tuesday we know that all things are in the end of a good and gracious God and we just commit our sister into that hand we also pray for Deion Deanna Hutchings and the in the church in Surrey we just ask father that she would respond well to medical treatment that she would heal her and that she would grant her strength and physical help and that you would just cause her to be praising you and look with favor upon that church as a whole we thank you for Pastor Mike and for the ministry of the word there we ask that you would bless that ministry that you would add to their number such as should be saved and be with the Saints and Vernon as well we thank you that Pastor Derek is there to minister to them today we pray that that word would be a balm to their souls that it would indeed continue to work in their hearts and in their lives and father we pray that in your time you would provide for them a good and faithful man to labor in the word and doctrine we ask as well Lord nod that you raise up a whole host of men to send them out into the mission field we know that the the fields are white unto harvest but the laborers are few so we pray to the Lord of the harvest that you would do that work of calling and equipping men and sending them forth so that they may indeed preach the gospel of Jesus Christ we know father that you tell us to prayer Jesus taught us to pray that your kingdom of grace would come and we know it's through the preaching of the gospel by the power of the Spirit and we pray those things would take place for your glory and for your honor and for the Advancement of kingdom of Christ we ask now that you would continue with us in this worship service to forgive us for our sins and our transgressions whenever we come before a holy God we are mindful what the hem writer said that we are prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love we confess our transgressions and our iniquities we confess our lawlessness and our wickedness and we plead the merit to the Lord Jesus Christ thanking you for that precious blood that does wash us from all sin and all iniquity and all all ungodliness so fit us to stand in your presence even now and receive our worship as it comes to the Father through the mediation of the son in the power of the Holy Spirit and we pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you could turn again in your Trinity hymnals to him number 440 him number 404 40 you can stand as we sing together [Music] we could turn in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 2 for a meditation before the supper Ephesians chapter 2 last time we had the supper we looked at verses 11 to 22 under the title the inclusion of Gentiles in God's covenant thought it would be good to look at the previous section verses 1 to 10 under the title the inclusion of wretches in God's covenant so I want to read beginning in chapter 2 at verse 1 and you he made alive who were 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 we're by nature children of Wrath just as the others 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 and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of His grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them amen let us pray our Father we thank you for the written word and thank you for the glorious content of the written word the reality that God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself what a blessed book this is is it details that plan as it demonstrates it as it shows us and is that as it reveals that blessed Christ to us we ask now the Holy Spirit would guide us and direct us as we consider this passage of Scripture may it encourage our hearts and may it strengthen and fortify us and may we stand in awe at the amazing grace of our great and glorious God and we pray this in Jesus name Amen well as I said I wanted to focus on verses 1 to 10 to look at the specific salvation of individual sinners remember that in verse of chapter 1 verse 19 Paul wants the Ephesians to know God's power and then he gives three concrete evidences or demonstrations of God's power God's power is demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ you see that at the end of chapter one God's power is demonstrated in the salvation of individual sinners you see that in chapter 2 verses 1 to 10 and then you see that power displayed in the inclusion of Gentiles in God's covenant and you see that in chapter 2 verses 11 to 22 so again we're going to go back to that section previous to the one we looked at last time and I want to look at three things first the origin of salvation secondly the objects of salvation and then thirdly the execution of salvation but as we consider or contemplate the origin of salvation it's important for us to consider the link between chapters 1 and 2 in other words we don't just fall into chapter 2 we come to chapter 2 having been very well instructed concerning God's plan to save his people from their sins we might look in terms of covenantal categories to see in chapter 1 verses 3 to 14 what we call the covenant of redemption and then when we look at chapter 2 verses 1 to 10 that's the covenant of grace essentially the covenant of redemption is that transaction between the persons of the Trinity it is between the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit concerning the salvation of his elect by Jesus Christ and Paul unfolds that in glorious detail in verses 3 to 14 and then we see the application of that in history in what's called the covenant of grace when God takes that plan of salvation or or rather what Christ has wrought out on the cross and it's applied to individual sinners so let's look first at this origin of salvation in Chapter 1 notice that Paul indicates there's a comprehensive plan of God and he sets for specific theological categories notice that he praises the Father in verse 3 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ and then he gives as the reason who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ so he wants to bless God he wants to speak well of God he wants to honor and glorify God and the reason for this is because God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ and now he goes to the individual components with reference to that salvation the work of the Father the work of the son and the work of the Holy Spirit you see when we come to the supper when we eat this bread and we drink this cup this is not an afterthought in the mind of God this is a comprehensive plan set in motion before the foundation of the world we're not here tonight because we're wise we're not here tonight because we're good we're not here tonight because we made great decisions we're here because of what Baal sets forth in Ephesians 1 verses 3 to 14 the father chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that ought to just humble each and every one of us who confesses faith in Jesus Christ when we get to chapter 2 and this salvation by grace through faith and that not of yourselves there's a big debate does that mean the faith is not of yourselves does that mean that it's something that we bring to the table if you understand chapter 1 there's no way you can approach the covenant of grace and think for a moment that man has a contribution to make with reference to his salvation Luther was right the we think we contribute to our salvation is the sin we need saved from it is not the case that we offer to God any good thing the father chose us the father predestined us in fact if you look there at verse 4 it says just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him notice he doesn't choose us because we were holy and without blame he chooses us unto holiness and blameless nests he doesn't look down the tunnel of time and say oh that group that's going to occupy those pews on Sunday night March 3rd and Chilliwack they're gonna do some good things so I'm going to purpose them in my plan no it's because God saved us it's because God chose us it's because Christ's blood for us that's the basis upon which we now go out and live in a way that is without blame or in a way that is full of good works we're not saved as a consequence of that that rather those are consequences of the salvation and then notice at the end of verse 4 there's some question as to where this in love ought to go is it without blame before him in love or does in love go with verse 5 I think it love goes with verse 5 it says in love having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself the enemies are the opponents of Sovereign Grace try to paint God as some sort of a monster they try to paint him as some sort of a of a deity that just pulls the strings behind the scenes and then it's just the way that it is it's in love that he predestined us it's in love that he calls us it's according to the riches of his mercy that he brings us forth we ought never to forget who God is he's the one that orchestrated this plan of salvation and so Paul rehearses the father and then he speaks concerning the son and you see that specifically in verse 7 well in verses 6 and 7 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 so you see the work of the father is election and predestination the work of the sign is specifically Redemption and Union we have union with Christ this phrase in Christ that highlights that were in union with him and then dropping down to verses 13 and 14 we see the work of the Holy Spirit in him you also 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 so you see this doctrine of the Trinity it's all over the Bible and here Paul assumes and Paul works in terms of it and Paul highlights the various aspects of the persons involved with reference to our salvation the father chose the son redeems the Spirit applies and that's the origin of our salvation again we don't come to the supper tonight as a reward for our good works we come to the supper tonight because God chose us in him before the foundation of the world and that in time and space and in history he showed us our sin he showed us our wretchedness and he showed us the majesty and the glory of Jesus Christ and he gave us the graces of faith and repentance so that we may close with Christ that's why we're here tonight it's by God's grace now let's look at the objects of salvation and Paul highlights that in chapter 2 verses 1 to 3 and notice the Apostle Paul highlights in the first place that you were dead in trespasses and sins again only with foreign theology answers the big questions you cannot move from deadness in sin to life in Christ by virtue of the creature we cannot resurrect ourselves we cannot make ourselves alive we cannot make ourselves anew it must be God who raises us from the dead and that's a very important point for all of us to understand sinners aren't crippled sinners aren't lamed sinners aren't a little maimed but rather sinners are dead if you have a sinner that you love and you want to come to know the Lord Jesus Christ you better be praying to God Almighty because the only way that dead sinners ever gonna enter into eternal life is by the power that resurrection power that Paul will go on to declare in verses 4 to 7 in this chapter we need the grace of God to move from a state of deadness to life that ought to be obvious it ought to be evident and again it ought to put to rest any notion whatsoever that man contributes to his salvation there's nothing a dead man can contribute to his salvation again except the deadness from whence he needs to be raised that's Paul's point notice what he goes on to say we walked according to the course of this world governed by the Prince of the power of the air the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience lords as dead men and women as dead boys and girls our orientation was demonic our orientation was to this world our orientation was contrary to God Most High there's that vice list in Romans chapter 1 that the Apostle highlights talks about Gentiles apart from the grace of God and what they look like and one of the things that Paul describes the mass as being those who did not like to retain the knowledge of God in their minds well who do you think you are to actually try and exclude God from your mind in your heart that's how we were we didn't like to retain the knowledge of God we suppress the truth in unrighteousness during the days of the Prophet Jeremiah the Lord upgrades the people because they turn to him the back and not the face was that me it means they did not like to retain the knowledge of God they turn their back on him have any of your pet you parents ever had that experience you're having a heart-to-heart with your child and it's actually not a heart-to-heart you're yelling at them and then they turn around and walk away that makes you happy doesn't it as a parent you just feel like father of the year at that point at that point you want to turn them back around and say don't you turn to me the back you rather turn to me the face see sinners do that to God in spades sinners do that to God all the time and not sinners out there but sinners in here this describes us prior to our conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ I think it's important for us to remember this rock from whence we've been huge so that it will stir up the gratitude that we owe to our God for so great a salvation notice what Paul goes on to say he says we conducted a we conducted ourselves actually notice verse 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind notice that Paul is not saying you wretched Gentiles and Ephesus you terrible monstrous people Paul includes himself Paul understands that prior to his conversion to Jesus Christ he was a man who hated time prior to his conversion to Jesus Christ he may have appeared upright he may have been a Pharisee he may have been a man who went about doing the religiosity of that particular generation but when Paul comes to deal truthfully and honestly and he understands something about redemptive grace he includes himself with these dirty filthy Gentiles and he says we we all did this this is a comprehensive problem look around at the world today you know what the the recurring issue is it's sin it's not a lack of money it's not a lack of education it's not a lack of you know new green deals it's a lack of ethical disposition toward God that's the issue today Paul is describing man before coming to the Lord Jesus Christ but as well he's describing what society looks like apart from saving faith in Jesus Christ and it's disgusting isn't it it's truly wretched and repulsive notice what he says there in verse three among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind this is why we speak of total depravity sin isn't just the the the physical appendages sin is comprehensive its flesh and mind a man who is absolutely positively utterly paralyzed from the top of his head to the end of his big toe is a filthy sinner who stands in need of Jesus blood and righteousness you say well that's not very nice to our handicapped brethren well if you ask our handicapped brethren and they have a Bible and an open heart by the grace of God they'll say the same thing remember our dear brother Johnny furries a man that had no ability in terms of getting up and going out and sinning he couldn't go by crack cocaine he couldn't go visit prostitutes but he saw himself as a wretch who needed the grace of God most high you see it's not just a flesh issue but it is a flash issue and it's a mind issue our problem is total it's comprehensive it's through and through this is the picture Paul portrays and essentially what he summarizes is that we aren't lifeless and helpless and hopeless prior to God's grace coming into our lives and bringing us to his beloved son for the salvation of our souls that's a bleak before picture isn't it don't know that any of us ever just sort of contemplate on what kind of men or women we were prior to coming to Christ I think this happens to me you know the times that we go down to California you know you ever get that where there are certain sights or certain smells or certain environments that sort of cause you know memories to memory recall it happens in life it happens with all of us and I'm not suggesting we need to spend every moment of every day thinking about how bad we wants were but once in awhile to think about how bad we once were and how bad we presently are we'll give us a fresh apprehension of the glorious grace of God Almighty this is what God said to the Prophet you are not to forget the rock from whence you've been hewn so we've got the origin the objects now let's look at the execution of salvation who's involved here well again it's the triune God notice in the first place it is due to the love and mercy of God verse 4 I'm sure I've told you this fact I've probably told you it ad nauseam but listen to lloyd-jones on Ephesians 2:4 it's got a whole sermon on those two words but God get the contrast here's what we were but God here's how we found ourselves but God isn't that a beautiful contrast he doesn't leave us in that condition of lifelessness helplessness hopelessness he doesn't leave us there but God and in the first place we see that our salvation is owing to the love and mercy of God but God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us I tried to encourage us to consider this in light of who God is according to the rest of the Bible he doesn't grow in his love for us he doesn't diminish in his love for us God's love for us is always of the most sort he is most loving toward the objects of His grace he is most loving to each and every one of us who by grace confessed saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whoever just ponder does it ever melt our hearts to consider but God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us I mean just mercy is good isn't it but this is rich mercy just love is good isn't it but it's great love you know the Apostle Paul was known to coin new words when he was writing theology not like brand new words but he would take prepositions and add them to existing words to make them even higher and better and I think he's doing some of that in this particular instance to show the super abounding grace of God most high the Greek language didn't contain the vocabulary the apostle needed so he took words and pieced them together so that he can extol the majesty and the excellency and the glory of God it is dude is owing to it flows from the love and the mercy of God notice secondly is due to the resurrecting power of God in verses 5 to 7 even when we were dead in trespasses again he doesn't effort let us forget what we were again that's not because Paul has some sick fascination with the misery that you have or should have he has a fascination with the grace of God he has a fascination with the reality that even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins God be grace to us even when we were at enmity with him God loved us even when we were shaking our fists and turning the back when he when we weren't wanting to retain the knowledge of God even then the Lord was showing us this mercy in this grace but noticed the language of verse 5 even when we were dead in trespasses he made us alive together with Christ regeneration the power of the Holy Spirit the glory of God Almighty remember were dead in our trespasses and sins how do we come to that place of life how do we believe the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the Spirit makes us alive it's another question does faith precede regeneration or does regeneration precede faith why are there such foolish questions never ask in the realm of theology how could there be faith from a dead sinner he must be regenerate he must be born again he must be made alive and the reflex is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that's Paul's point if you need to look for the power behind the salvation of sinners you're gonna have look beyond the center to the God who Reza resurrects them from the dead that's the point in verses 5 and following even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ parenthetically wants to make sure you don't forget this by grace you have been saved and then note the beauty of verses 6 and 7 and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus now I can't pretend to say that I know everything that Paul means by that but this much I do know it's glorious this much I do know it's it's awesome it's blessed its wondrous and it's by virtue of our union with Jesus Christ where Christ is we are and Paul can say that we are seated in the heavenly places by virtue of that gracious the grace of God faith in Him and that union that obtains and then note verse 7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of His grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus it's a beautiful thing isn't it God has chosen several great multitude that no man can number according to the book of Revelation I know there's this idea you know there's just this handful that's going to be in heaven the frozen Chosin I guess they call them or you know not many are called or many are called but not many are chosen and there's this idea that what Jesus meant there was that there's not gonna be many sinners not many people people in ethylic heaven well Jesus making an ethical point concerning the Jews of his particular generation Jesus also says that he shed his blood for the remission of the sins of many the Scriptures envisage a time when the knowledge of Yahweh will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea brethren were not supposed to look for just this handful that's going to fall into heaven by God's grace but a great multitude that no man can number he shall have dominion from sea to sea that's the emphasis of Scripture and God has chosen those objects so that he can confer upon them His grace his kindness his it's not amazing it's like finding an old stray and taking that stray home and bathing it and combing it and caring for it giving it a bowl of milk and tending to its particular needs is it's just doting on it to dote on it because that's what you do you have that kind of love you have that kind of kindness you have that kind of graciousness and you need to to vent it on these objects of salvation notice Paul in Ephesians 3:10 there's a sort of corresponding thought there as well we'll just pick up at verse 8 in Ephesians 3 to me Who am less than the least of all the saints this grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all see what is the Fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hid in God who created all things through Jesus Christ - the intent look at God's intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places I sort of understand this text this way the church is a trophy case we're all bowling trophies and the angels of the principalities that look upon this place see those trophies and they say wow the God who brought them together is glorious and amazing you never go to somebody's house and say wow that trophy is is is fantastic that trophy on your mantel is everything no it's a token of the everythingness of the one who earned the trophy the one who secured the trophy the one who is the victor of the trophy the church is a trophy case and when the church gathers together on the Sabbath day the angels the principalities they look down upon us and they magnify the glorious grace of God because we're not going to heaven because of our goodness we're not going to heaven because of our law keeping we're not going to go to heaven because of our merit but because of God most high see that's the point God saves his people to demonstrate certain perfections of God I've often said this in our theology meetings on Saturdays and probably in the confession studies sometimes people ask well why did God allow Adam and Eve to sin I suggest there's a few different ways one can answer that question but certainly one answer is that because if Adam and Eve did not sin there would be no need for the redemptive work of Jesus in other words the sin of Adam and Eve is the occasion for displaying the manifold riches of God's grace in the salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ prior to the fall of man the Angels understood many of the perfections of God but grace mercy redemption blood atonement those things were wanting or lacking but now every time an angel looks upon this group gathered together the angel says what a display of God's amazing grace I'd like to think we think that as well right we're not here because we're good we're not here because we merit we're not heaven bound because we've performed while we are heaven bound because of the grace of God notice thirdly he specifically highlights the grace of God in verse 8 he says for by grace you have been saved for by grace you have been saved the salvation of God flows from the grace of God certainly love and mercy resurrection power all those components all those elements are there but the direct causal agent that God uses in terms of our salvation is not our goodness but his graciousness for by grace you have been saved the grace of God that is conspicuous in chapter one notice in chapter one chapter one specifically at first six the praise of the glory of His grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved verse 7 in him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace all of this grace is manifested in the salvation of our wretched souls for by grace you have been saved this amplifies or explains what he means in verses 4 to 7 notice in verse 7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of His grace and so he reminds us now in verse 8 the reason that you are in Christ is owing to the grace of God and then he says fourthly it is through faith in Jesus Christ for by grace you've been saved through faith faith is the instrument faith is the means by which God brings the center in saving union with Jesus Christ now you need to see something with reference to the tax he doesn't say or saved because of faith you're saved by grace through faith there are some who teach on unhappily that we are saved because of our faith that seems to imply that we have a previous faith that we bring to the table and then God confers upon us this gracious salvation that's not Paul's point it is very conspicuous it is very specific it is through faith it's an instrumental it's not it's not a causal agent we don't bring faith to the table and then God rewards us faith is given by God to us so that we may lay hold of Jesus Christ and the way to understand that for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves I've already mentioned there's a big debate this not of yourselves does that mean the faith I think it means the whole section grace through faith salvation is not from yourselves grace through faith salvation comes from God grace through faith salvation is conveyed freely by God to needy sinners that find themselves in the condition outlined by Paul in verses 1 to 3 and faith is a gift now in this particular passage again I think it's the grace through faith salvation that is the gift of God that is not of yourself but turn to Philippians chapter 1 for just an illustration of the grace character of faith the fact that it is a gift given by God and if you're following you'll know it has to be this way because dead men don't exercise faith in Jesus dead men don't say oh I've heard the gospel I'm gonna believe the gospel no God raises them from the dead and God conveys upon them the grace of faith so that they may believe the gospel in an instrumental way it's not causal we don't bring faith to the table and God rewards us with salvation salvation by grace through faith is conveyed by God to needy sinners but notice in Philippians 1:29 and the fact that faith is a gift is not Paul's point in verse 29 the fact that faith is a gift is incidental the emphasis of Paul is on suffering for the gospel say notice in verse 29 of Philippians 1 for to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him again you see how that's just an incidental point Paul's not in some dispute here with our minions and Pelagians arguing where faith comes from and I want to show you that it's a gift given but that's assumed that's incidental we all know that because dead sinners don't exercise faith in a living Savior they have to be born again they have to be made new they have to be regenerated they have to be given those gifts so that they then can exercise them so Paul's point here is on suffering Ferdie you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake so back to our tax it is through faith in Jesus Christ now Paul goes on to make sure that we don't miss this I think Potro defeated stew eight to ten you know for people that need a few wraps on the head occasionally to make sure that you you can't mess this up you ever you ever kind of get that in your life you just feel like you mess everything up well senators mess up the plan of salvation a whole lot but it's not owing to Paul because Paul couldn't make it any clearer Paul couldn't make it any more conspicuous Paul could not highlight the grace of God any more than he's already doing notice what he says in verse eight for by grace you have been saved through faith that not of yourselves again the grace through faith salvation specifically including faith and because on to say it is the gift of God it's given freely its grace to display of his love and mercy to display of his affection it's his having chosen us before the foundation of the world it's Christ's blood atonement it's a Spirit's work of sealing and guaranteeing all of that by grace it's the gift of God and then verse 9 not of works lest anyone should boast now again could you possibly conceive how Paul could be any more clear to demonstrate that it's not what sinners bring to the table but it's how God saves that is uppermost in the Apostles thought there's no contribution there's no my faith there's no my repentance and then God owes me and then God gives me that's not it at all it's not of yourselves it's the gift of God and it's all designed lest anyone should boast turn back to 1st Corinthians chapter 1 for just a moment 1st Corinthians chapter 1 the Saints as seen by the apostle 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 which are mighty and the base things of the world and the things which you despise 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 if he him again it's of God sure in him it's not you and God he's not your co-pilot you get that sort of cheesy theology once in all God's my co-pilot no not at all and praise God for that we don't want God is our co-pilot because that assumes that we're the pilot we want God in absolute sovereign control of every jot and tiddle that's where the people of God are safe that's where the people of God are secure that's where the people of God are happy not when he's their co-pilot but notice but of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God now these next three words flesh out what this means wisdom from God we could translate but of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God that is righteousness sanctification and redemption notice verse 31 that as it is written he who glories let him glory in the Lord go back to Romans chapter four for just a moment Romans chapter four focusing on that bit where he says lest anyone should boast notice in Romans 4 verse 1 what then shall we say that Abraham our Father has found according to the flesh for if Abraham was justified by works he has something to boast about but not before God he see brethren the pesky truth is is that if we had one iota to boast we would do it we would do it in a heartbeat if we contributed a millimeter I guess that's the lowest form in the metric system I'm still new to that after 22 years here I still use Fahrenheit on my phone I still think in those categories sorry but the the very smallest contribution it's pulling out the water if we could we would MacArthur has said if you could lose your salvation you would lose it if you could boast you would boast but there's no boasting before God because it's a gracious through faith salvation could fete freely upon lifeless helpless hopeless wretches that were children of Wrath even as the others but God who is rich in mercy who has great love made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved now before we end I want to point out one other thing that we need to be aware of with reference to this grace through faith salvation there are those who teach this is grace through faith fulness salvation that group is called Roman Catholicism that group is called federal vision that group is any group who sees our covenantal faithfulness as somehow part of our justification before God that's not Paul's point Paul beans here the faith we're in by grace we believe the objective content of the Christian gospel it's not our faithfulness that's in view again if it was we boast if it was we take credit if it was we'd say little Jesus and a lot of me got me into this heavenly place know our confession is far more excellent when it highlights that the ground of our justification is the active and passive obedience of Jesus Christ it is faith that hold of that faithfulness has a place in the Christian life under the category of sanctification but with reference to justification and salvation its grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone John Piper also teaches this our faithfulness is absolutely crucial to land us in heaven brethren that's the worst possible news I could ever effort dole out the gloriousness of the Christian gospel is that it's not our faithfulness its Christ's faithfulness it's his doing it's his time it's his rising the third day that's the warrant for our entrance into heaven not our contribution not what we add not what we do and our imperfect sanctification in other words we're solely received based on the justifying work of God most saw in the person of Jesus Christ the Spirit's work in US visa vie sanctification our faithfulness our obedience all of that is crucial all of that is absolutely imperative but that's not what lands you in heaven what lands you in heaven is the Savior King and the last observation is just that notice that this gracious salvation of our God this gracious solvation of our God is on to good works verse 10 see there's a pendulum in all matters theological on the one hand we don't want to be Roman Catholic so we'll end up as antinomian we don't want to be antinomian so we'll end up as Roman Catholic how about we be pauline and listen to what he says and appreciate the categories of justification and sanctification notice what Paul says in verse 10 for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them we are created in Christ Jesus for good works not because of them were not created and in Christ Jesus because of our good works but we're created in Christ Jesus for those good works so sanctification necessarily follows justification but our entrance into heaven comes as a result of the Savior's work for us and not the Spirit's work in us now persons will say John Piper one of them heresy blasphemy terrible I'm not mitigating the work of the Spirit in us but read the Bible read the confessions of faith why will you and I go to heaven because of the active and the passive obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ it's not what we wrought out it's what Christ wrought out our confession grasps this beautifully this connection between justification and sanctification in the chapter on saving faith in chapter 14 paragraph two excuse me but the principle acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ accepting receiving and resting upon him alone for justification sanctification and eternal life by virtue of the covenant of grace and then the chapter specifically on justification speaking to this verse stand situation the hour justified freely by His grace yes we've received the forgiveness of sins yes we've received the imputed righteousness of Christ and we've received it by faith alone that doesn't mean we just sit on the couch and do nothing our confession says faith us receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness is the alone instrument of justification yet it is not alone in the person justified but is ever accompanied with all others saving graces and is no dead faith but worketh by love the Apostle could it be clearer or saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ on two good words but on that final day our acceptance by God is because of Christ wrought out for us and that is wherein we have joy we have stability and we have security this is what Paul means at Romans 5:1 therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ this is what Paul means in Romans chapter 8 first one there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus believer do you ever just embrace those truths and say praise God Almighty will take Ephesians chapters 1 and 2 and may this serve for you or provide for you fodder and matter by which to express your gratitude and worship and adoration to the living and the true God well let us close in a word of Prayer our Father we thank you for your word we thank you for the clarity of Apostle Paul and for the beauty of the grace of God displayed in our hearts and lives we know it's not because of our deeds it's not because of our contribution it's because of what Christ has has accomplished in his life of obedience and and as his personal obedience to the law and then that obedience unto death at Calvary we give praise to you for this we thank you for the the means of the supper and we pray that you would strengthen us now and encourage hearts and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen you can turn with me to Matthew chapter 26 as we transition into the table for the supper Matthew chapter 26 remember just a few preliminary thoughts about the supper we are not Papists we do not believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation we do not believe there is a change in the elements we don't believe that the body and the rather the bread and the wine actually become the body and blood of our Lord Jesus they remain what they are they do take on significance however to point us to those spiritual truths pod knows that we are a physical people God knows that we are a car carnal in the right sense people he's ordained baptism he's ordained the supper he has given us these tangible means no pun intended to sink our teeth into to remind us of the doing and the dying of our blessed Savior the Lord Jesus Christ so this is not a transformation of one element to something other rather it is a means by which we're pointed to the spiritual realities of a broken body and shed blood secondly this is for believers this is not a converting ordinance it's not a gospel message in the in the sense that if you eat this you'll become a believer if you're not a believer tonight please do not participate in the supper we're not trying to be offensive or unkind or untoward but Christ gave this to his church he gave this to his people we are to do this in remembrance of him as well there's no atonement being wrought out again the Roman Catholic travesty teaches that the change occurs and then this unbloody sacrifice of atonement is undertaken by the Roman brain a Romish braced that's not what's happening there's no atonement wrought out in the supper the atonement was wrought out in the life and Ministry of our Lord Jesus when he died at Calvary that once for all sacrifice as abiding and perpetual effects for his people so understand that this is a means of grace designed to point us to spiritual truths and to relate to us as a physical people with physical means to conjure up those blessed spiritual truths and realities and then in terms of a real practical observation if you prefer juice versus wine the juices in the outer ring as the elements come around I want to say those particular things we'll read the section after the brothers pass up the the bread we'll find ourselves in matthew 26:26 so if the men will come pass out the bread I would ask the rest of you to remain seated and turn to Psalm 130 and will sing while they do that psalm 130 in the RET Trinity Salter [Music] [Music] matthew 26:26 and as they were eating Jesus took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body let us pray bless God and father we thank you for this work of salvation on our on our behalf no it cost the Son of God is his own life we thank you that he was raised the third day and as we read the passion narratives as we see what our Savior went through it does magnify the grace of God it magnifies the depths of our depravity it magnifies the glory of the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ may we think in these terms and may we praise you and may we worship you and may we genuinely express gratitude for the grace that you have shown us in our lives we bless you and thank you for this church we thank you for the privilege of communing not only with you but with one another we don't take this lightly Lord God and we pray that you would help us to foster that that unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace one one toward another and help us God to be a place where Christ is glorified and we pray at his most blessed name Amen take together will sing number 186 in the Trinity hem Knoll 186 again please remain seated it's the brothers come to pass out the wine remember the juice is in the outer ring [Music] [Music] [Music] Matthew 26 27 we read then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you and my father's Kingdom and when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives let us pray our Father we thank for the precious blood of the Lord Jesus as Paul sets forth in Ephesians and Colossians in him we have redemption through his blood what a glorious truth Lord God as David said if you Lord should mark iniquities O Lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared we thank you so very much dealing with our sin thank you so very much for moving it from us thank you so very much for giving us all things necessary for life and salvation for giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ and we pray in his name amen take together we'll close our service by singing 175 175 will stand as we sing together [Music] may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete and every good work to do his will working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever amen God go with us now may these things be realized in our lives may the spirits work in us produced good works and may we shopping as lights and this crooked and perverse generation and give us boldness to hold forth that word of truth that message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone and all that for the glory of God alone go with us we pray in his glorious name Amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation and then will be dismissed you