Seated in Heavenly Places: The Reality of Grace

• Spiritual Death and Separation from God 00:06:10 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that humans are born spiritually dead, separated from God due to sin, referencing Adam and Eve's fall and the penalty of death.
• Walking According to the Course of This World 00:07:42 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines 'walking according to the course of this world' as walking in a devilish fashion, identifying Satan as the 'prince of the power of the air' and noting that even Paul was once part of this group.
• Children of Wrath 00:11:14 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor asserts that all people are by nature 'children of wrath' destined for hell, countering the idea that only those who 'mess up' go to hell.
• Salvation by Grace Through Faith 00:13:13 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts human spiritual death with God's mercy, explaining that salvation is a gift of grace, not works, and involves being made alive together with Christ.
• Regeneration and New Life 00:13:29 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that being 'quickened' or made alive is regeneration, a work of God done while we were dead in sins, not a result of human effort.
• Grace and Unmerited Favor 00:14:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines grace as unmerited favor, emphasizing that salvation is God's work, not something humans deserve or earn.
• Positional Truth in Christ 00:15:44 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that believers are already raised and seated with Christ in heavenly places, possessing spiritual blessings now, not just in the future.
• Faith as a Gift 00:17:12 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor argues that faith itself is a gift from God, given to the spiritually dead so they can hear and believe, countering the idea that humans generate enough faith to earn salvation.
• Christ's Finished Work vs. Human Works 00:19:16 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor distinguishes between human works (which cannot save) and Christ's finished work on the cross, which is the only basis for salvation.
• Good Works as Fruit of Salvation 00:21:32 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor clarifies that good works are the product and fruit of salvation, not the cause, and are only acceptable when done by those born again.
• Unity of Jew and Gentile 00:24:42 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that Christ broke down the middle wall of partition, making Jews and Gentiles one new man and peace through the cross.
• Salvation by Grace 00:29:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor emphasizes that salvation is by grace through faith, not works, and challenges the congregation to examine their assurance of salvation.
• The Church as Temple 00:32:40 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the metaphor of the temple to explain that believers are built upon Christ, the cornerstone, forming a holy temple where God dwells.
• Believers as Priests 00:38:45 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor identifies all born-again believers as a royal priesthood who offer spiritual sacrifices, specifically their bodies and lives, to God.
• The Temple of God 00:38:07 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines the temple as having three aspects: the individual believer, the local church, and the entire true church of God.
• Priesthood of Believers 00:38:45 ▶️ 📄
  > He explains that every born-again believer is a royal priest called to offer spiritual sacrifices, specifically presenting their bodies as living sacrifices.
• Christ as the Cornerstone 00:40:02 ▶️ 📄
  > He discusses Jesus as the chosen and precious cornerstone, rejected by men but essential for the building, contrasting this with the rejection by the intelligentsia.
• The Local Church as Habitation 00:45:15 ▶️ 📄
  > He emphasizes that the local church is called to be a holy habitation of God, requiring sanctification of thoughts, speech, and hearts.
• Rejection of the Local Church 00:47:04 ▶️ 📄
  > He critiques the modern trend of rejecting local churches in favor of individualism, arguing that Scripture is written to local churches specifically.
• Union with Christ and Salvation 00:48:16 ▶️ 📄
  > He uses the analogy of a seed dying to bring forth fruit to explain how believers are born again by Christ's work and conformed to His image.
• Divine Grace and Mercy 00:51:28 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor asserts that God's nature is to delight in displaying grace, mercy, kindness, and love eternally through Christ.
• Prayer for Spiritual Enlightenment 00:51:52 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor leads a prayer asking God to enlighten the believers' understanding regarding their calling and inheritance, citing the Apostle Paul.
• Identity as Priests and Temple 00:52:23 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes believers as priests of God's temple, where sacrifices are made acceptable through Jesus Christ's blood, and calls for faithfulness in this role.

• Sermon Illustration 00:06:22 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the example of Adam and Eve to illustrate how one sin caused separation from God and introduced spiritual death to all mankind.
• Sermon Illustration 00:08:51 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references Saul (Paul) to show that even a zealous Pharisee who thought he was serving God was actually walking according to the course of the devil before his conversion.
• Sermon Illustration 00:09:23 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes the common cultural attitude of people who reject church to 'have fun,' watch football, and live a good life, identifying this lifestyle as walking after the course of the devil.
• Sermon Illustration 00:13:37 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses a rhetorical question about working up enough faith to be saved, then immediately debunks it by stating that salvation happens when we are still dead in sin, not when we have faith.
• Sermon Illustration 00:13:45 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses a rhetorical question about working up enough faith to save oneself, then rejects it by stating God saves the dead while they are still dead.
• Sermon Illustration 00:18:24 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references Brother Ron's intelligent brother who has many degrees but cannot understand the gospel, contrasting him with Ron who has fewer degrees but believes, to illustrate that understanding is a gift of grace.
• Sermon Illustration 00:21:59 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor mentions Bill Gates giving billions of dollars to question whether non-believers can do good works in God's eyes, concluding that without a right heart for God's glory, such actions are not accepted as good works.
• Sermon Illustration 00:25:21 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the historical wall of partition in the Temple that kept Gentiles out, which Christ broke down.
• Sermon Illustration 00:28:02 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses an analogy of a house being built on a cornerstone to explain how believers are fitly framed together with Christ as the chief cornerstone.
• Sermon Illustration 00:33:06 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references Jesus' statement 'destroy this temple, in three days I will raise it up' to illustrate that Jesus Himself is the true Temple of God.
• Sermon Illustration 00:41:40 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts a Jewish tradition about Solomon's temple where a uniquely shaped stone was set aside during construction, only to be found later as the perfect keystone that completed the building, illustrating Christ as the rejected cornerstone.
• Sermon Illustration 00:48:37 ▶️ 📄
  > He uses an analogy of a tomato seed planted in the ground to illustrate how Christ, the firstfruits, dies and brings forth a crop of believers who share His spiritual DNA.

• Pastoral Charge 00:45:28 ▶️ 📄
  > Sanctify thoughts, speech, and hearts in preparation for church.
• Pastoral Charge 00:47:47 ▶️ 📄
  > Examine personal salvation status and ensure gathering is done with unity, faith, and prayerful expectation.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] Amen. You all may be seated. Praise the Lord.
[00:00:07] Those of you who were with us last night as we studied Ephesians chapter 1, we talked about who we are in Christ, what we have in Christ, understanding that if we're born again and if we're Christians, we have this tremendous inheritance
[00:00:22] that began really in a sense before the foundation of the earth and extends all the way into eternity future.
[00:00:30] Now here in chapter 2 of Ephesians, we talked about the idea, and we actually ended our sermon last night in Colossians chapter 3, verse 1, by reading, If you are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.
[00:00:48] And the idea of being risen with Christ is the same idea as being born again.
[00:00:54] As we'll see in our reading today, being born again means we've been raised up.
[00:00:59] And what does it mean to be born again?
[00:01:01] How do we know that we're truly saved?
[00:01:02] What is salvation and what are the effects of that salvation?
[00:01:06] We talked about all of these things you have if you're a Christian and that we should be very excited.
[00:01:13] We should be focused, our heart and affection set on things above, not on the things of the earth.
[00:01:18] And I said if, in fact, our hearts and minds are consumed with the things of the world and never really focused on heavenly things, then perhaps there is a problem.
[00:01:32] Some people may not be saved if that's the case.
[00:01:35] And we're going to see what salvation is, and hopefully everyone here will know more clearly as they read Ephesians 2.
[00:01:42] And I hope everyone here knows for sure that they are saved, saved by the wonderful grace of Jesus that you just sang about.
[00:01:51] Let's now read Ephesians chapter 2, beginning in verse 1.
[00:01:55] Before I read, I'll just mention, if you look in your Bibles, you have a King James Bible that says, And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.
[00:02:05] The words there, hath he quickened, have been added to complete a thought, but they're not there.
[00:02:12] That's why they're in the italics, but we will read them.
[00:02:14] I'll explain that more later.
[00:02:17] So let's read now Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1.
[00:02:19] And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh of the children of disobedience,
[00:02:35] among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
[00:02:46] But God, who is rich in mercy for his great lover with he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together, or made us alive together with Christ.
[00:02:58] By grace he has saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace
[00:03:09] and his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.
[00:03:12] For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves.
[00:03:17] It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
[00:03:20] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
[00:03:30] Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh, made by hands, that at that time ye, he's talking to the Gentile church now, the church
[00:03:44] at Ephesus, ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
[00:03:54] But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
[00:04:02] For he, that is Christ, is our peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain of two one
[00:04:19] new man, so making peace, that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you which are far off, and to them
[00:04:31] that were nigh for through him we both have access by one spirit unto the father now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of
[00:04:43] god and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets jesus christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are
[00:04:58] builded together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit. Let's take a moment and pray, shall we? Heavenly Father, thank you for this Holy Word.
[00:05:09] Help us now, Lord, as we look at this crucial section of your Holy Word. Help us, Lord, to have ears to hear, to have hearts ready to receive this truth and the instruction, we pray, of your
[00:05:21] Holy Spirit, that we might grow thereby and give you praise and thanks for this glorious salvation through your Son, Christ Jesus, in whose name we pray.
[00:05:30] Amen.
[00:05:32] Here in Ephesians chapter 2, the first three verses describe every person on earth who is not born again.
[00:05:41] As a matter of fact, according to Paul, these first three verses describe each and every one of you and me before we were born again.
[00:05:50] And according to Paul, they describe Paul before he was born again.
[00:05:55] Let's take a look and see.
[00:05:57] Now, as I mentioned before in verse 1, it says, And you hath he quickened or made alive.
[00:06:02] Those words were in italics.
[00:06:03] That means they've been added by the translator.
[00:06:05] So we can just read it.
[00:06:07] And you who were dead in trespasses and sins.
[00:06:10] We are born dead in the sense that we have no eternal life.
[00:06:16] We are separated from God.
[00:06:18] Isaiah chapter 59 tells us our iniquities have separated us from God.
[00:06:22] Remember, Adam and Eve were made in the communion of God, in the image of God, in holiness and righteousness.
[00:06:29] There was no separation, but just one sin caused separation, and they were cast out of His presence, and so too all mankind have been separated from the presence of God.
[00:06:40] And so this idea of spiritual death.
[00:06:43] Remember, God says He only gave them one commandment.
[00:06:47] Many of us might be tempted to say, well, if I only had one commandment, I'm sure I could keep that one.
[00:06:52] I guess Adam and Eve probably thought the same thing, right?
[00:06:56] Didn't work so well.
[00:06:57] They broke it.
[00:06:58] And remember, what was the penalty for breaking that one commandment?
[00:07:04] In the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely.
[00:07:08] Okay.
[00:07:08] And so that is why it says, and you, every human is born spiritually dead.
[00:07:15] We are children of Adam and Eve.
[00:07:16] We are not born in the Garden of Eden.
[00:07:18] We're not born in heaven, we're born separated from God.
[00:07:23] Verse 2, wherein in times past ye, the King James language ye is the second person plural, y'all, you, plural, you-ins, whatever colloquialism you'd like to say, Long Island, youse guys, I don't know, but it means you, plural, okay?
[00:07:42] That's what ye means.
[00:07:43] wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air.
[00:07:53] Who's the prince of the power of the air?
[00:07:56] So to walk in a worldly fashion is to walk in a devilish fashion.
[00:08:02] A lot of people don't necessarily think that or put those things together, but it's true because according to the Bible, who is the God of this world?
[00:08:11] With a little g, it's the devil himself.
[00:08:14] And so, notice verse 2, wherein in time past ye, who's he talking to?
[00:08:18] He's talking to the church.
[00:08:19] He's saying all of us before we were born again, don't let any of us be proud here and say, oh, you know, I've always been so good.
[00:08:25] I've been a goody two shoes, not like some of these other people.
[00:08:28] No, according to the word of God, according to the apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wherein in time past you all walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, Satan, the spirit that now works in the children
[00:08:43] of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past.
[00:08:49] Does he include himself?
[00:08:51] But wasn't Saul, the mighty Saul, didn't he know the word of God?
[00:08:56] Couldn't he out-teach most everybody?
[00:08:59] Wasn't he exalted as a Pharisee of the Pharisees?
[00:09:03] Wasn't he sent by the high priest all the way to Damascus to go and to go after those, that heretic sect of the Christians?
[00:09:12] But according to Paul, he says that even when he was that zealous for God, he thought he was actually working for the devil.
[00:09:23] These people out here, you tell them, hey, you guys, don't you want to come to church?
[00:09:26] I'm not interested in that.
[00:09:28] I'm going to go out on the lake, have fun.
[00:09:30] I don't go to church.
[00:09:31] I'm going to go watch the football game.
[00:09:33] I go to work and, you know, take a vacation and live a good life.
[00:09:36] And you have your little church thing.
[00:09:39] Those people are walking, according to the Bible, after the course of the devil.
[00:09:44] Now, if you tell them that, they'll think you're twice and thrice nuts.
[00:09:48] You're crazy, okay?
[00:09:50] But the Bible says that to walk after the pattern of this world is to walk after Satan.
[00:09:56] And that makes perfect sense because who was it that got Eve out of communion with God?
[00:10:02] that one sin brought her and Adam into a world that is fallen and simply unable to re-enter into the presence of God.
[00:10:16] Remember, a cherubim with a flaming sword was placed at the entrance of Eden so that they could not come back in, lest they take of the tree of life and live forever.
[00:10:29] And so this is the situation that we find ourselves in.
[00:10:32] Even mighty Paul says, this is what I was before I met Jesus.
[00:10:37] Among whom, verse 3, also we all had our conversation in times past.
[00:10:43] Now, what does this walking after the prince of the power of the air, or Satan, what does this walking after the course of the world look like?
[00:10:53] Well, here it is.
[00:10:54] In the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind.
[00:11:00] That doesn't sound too bad.
[00:11:01] Isn't that what everybody does?
[00:11:03] Lust of the flesh and the mind, that's what it's all about, right?
[00:11:07] He who ends with the most toys wins.
[00:11:11] Have fun, you know, live hard, and that's what it's all about.
[00:11:14] But we were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
[00:11:20] And so what he's saying is, listen, it's not a matter of everybody's good and you've got to really mess up to go to hell.
[00:11:26] No, everyone is on their way to hell.
[00:11:29] Everyone is by nature a child of wrath.
[00:11:32] That's what the Bible says very clearly.
[00:11:35] And so we are to be moved by grace out of that wrath into the love of God.
[00:11:42] This is what salvation is, back into communion with God as we saw in Ephesians 1.
[00:11:48] How does this take place?
[00:11:50] Well, we're about to see.
[00:11:54] I've mentioned this before.
[00:11:55] John 3.16, most of you know.
[00:11:58] For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
[00:12:04] But still, I haven't met many people who have committed to memory John 3.36.
[00:12:14] He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
[00:12:27] When? In hell? No, right now. Right now.
[00:12:30] If you are outside of Christ, the corner of the Bible, you are under the wrath of God right now.
[00:12:37] Now, in Ephesians, we have this picture, this accurate picture.
[00:12:43] Some may call it a gloomy picture, but it's an accurate and true picture of how much of the world is this talking about.
[00:12:52] Jesus said, is there many going to be saved?
[00:12:56] Are there more saved or less?
[00:12:58] Straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads into everlasting life and few there be that enter in thereat.
[00:13:03] but broad is the way to destruction, right?
[00:13:07] Many will enter in there.
[00:13:11] Praise God for verse 4.
[00:13:13] But God, who rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us, or made us together with Christ alive, by grace you are saved.
[00:13:29] Notice, he's made us alive.
[00:13:31] He's given us new life.
[00:13:32] This is called regeneration.
[00:13:33] This is the idea of being born again.
[00:13:36] How did it happen?
[00:13:37] Well, you know, I just thought about it and thought about it, and I worked up enough faith, and once I worked up enough faith, God said, man, that guy's got a lot of faith.
[00:13:45] I believe I'll save him.
[00:13:46] No, that's not the way it is.
[00:13:48] When we were still dead, still dead in our sins, he's made us alive together with Christ.
[00:13:57] How much work can a dead man do?
[00:14:03] And that's why it says here, and almost in parenthesis, by grace ye are saved.
[00:14:11] Grace, unmerited favor.
[00:14:13] We don't deserve it, but God does it.
[00:14:16] Why? Because of his love.
[00:14:18] I can't get over these people that want to make it your work.
[00:14:22] Somehow you deserve something.
[00:14:24] Well, doesn't that lessen the love of God in saving you, if you're the one that deserves it?
[00:14:28] No.
[00:14:29] No, this magnifies the love of God because we didn't deserve it at all.
[00:14:35] We were by nature the children of wrath, verse 3.
[00:14:38] But verse 4, but God, who is rich in mercy for his great love of which he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us, made us alive together with Christ, for by grace you are saved, verse 6, and hath raised us up
[00:14:52] and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
[00:14:56] This is a wonderful verse.
[00:14:58] Remember, at the end of the message last night, we talked about that Jesus Christ has been raised up and he is seated at the right hand of God the Father.
[00:15:06] Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
[00:15:09] Remember, this is the idea.
[00:15:11] But it also tells us at the end of Ephesians 1 that we are the body of Christ and he is the head.
[00:15:16] And so there is this aspect in which we are there in heaven.
[00:15:21] And here, this gives us more insight.
[00:15:24] But when we were born again, there is this spiritual sense in which we have already been raised up and made to sit in heavenly places.
[00:15:34] The language here says, he hath and hath raised us up together, not looking to the future, something that has not yet been done, but something that's already been done.
[00:15:44] He hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
[00:15:49] This should make you excited.
[00:15:51] In heavenly places.
[00:15:53] Sit together in Christ Jesus in heavenly places.
[00:15:56] Well, what's so important about heavenly places so far in the book of Ephesians?
[00:16:00] Remember chapter 1, verse 3.
[00:16:02] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings.
[00:16:08] Where?
[00:16:10] In heavenly places.
[00:16:12] That's verse 3 of chapter 1.
[00:16:13] Now, verse 6 of chapter 2.
[00:16:15] and he hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
[00:16:22] Does that not tell us that we are now in possession of those spiritual blessings?
[00:16:27] Praise God.
[00:16:28] And we are in him far above all principality and power and might and dominion every name that's named.
[00:16:34] Praise God.
[00:16:35] This is something that's already been done for us.
[00:16:38] Amazing.
[00:16:39] That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus for all eternity in the future.
[00:16:49] Now notice verses 8 through 10, the mechanics of salvation.
[00:16:52] How are we saved?
[00:16:53] For by grace are you saved.
[00:16:55] That is unmerited favor.
[00:16:57] God does it.
[00:16:58] He doesn't have to do it.
[00:17:00] He didn't earn it.
[00:17:01] He does it because of his grace, his love, his grace.
[00:17:05] For by grace are we saved through faith.
[00:17:11] And that not of yourselves.
[00:17:12] It is the gift of God.
[00:17:14] So some people would try to say, well, you know, again, I worked up enough faith.
[00:17:18] You know, God has grace, and once I get enough faith and work it up and really become a super Christian, then I can get saved and take a hold of that grace.
[00:17:25] The whole thing is of God.
[00:17:28] God turns the light on.
[00:17:30] In thy light shall we see light.
[00:17:33] God opens our heart and opens our mind and opens our ears so that we might hear his voice.
[00:17:39] Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God.
[00:17:42] but a dead man doesn't hear.
[00:17:44] Christ opens up the hearing.
[00:17:46] Christ opens up.
[00:17:47] He gives us life.
[00:17:49] Notice the quickening, the life, comes before salvation.
[00:17:53] You see that?
[00:17:54] In order for us to receive salvation, we have to be made alive.
[00:17:59] God opens up our minds and heart.
[00:18:02] Yes, He does it through the Word.
[00:18:03] He does it through His Spirit, the effectual calling.
[00:18:06] He's working on us.
[00:18:07] But it's all to His glory.
[00:18:09] By his grace, he allows us to understand.
[00:18:12] Why is it that other intelligent people, Brother Ron tells us about his brother who's very intelligent, very intelligent, got all kind of degrees, but he can't seem to understand the gospel for nothing.
[00:18:24] Ron doesn't seem to have as many degrees, but he's on the front row all the time.
[00:18:31] Is the guy not smart?
[00:18:33] He's very smart.
[00:18:35] Then why can't he get it?
[00:18:37] God has to give it to him.
[00:18:38] And so, when he does, that is grace.
[00:18:45] It is the gift of God.
[00:18:47] Yes, salvation and even the faith that is worked in us is a gift, and that faith grows in us.
[00:18:55] Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God, and we do believe.
[00:18:59] So it says in verse 8, For grace, by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
[00:19:06] Notice, not of works, lest any man should boast.
[00:19:10] We cannot work our way to heaven.
[00:19:12] Works do not get us saved, at least not our works.
[00:19:16] There is one sense in which good works get us saved.
[00:19:19] The finished work of Jesus Christ had to be done on the cross.
[00:19:23] Someone had to finish the Old Testament.
[00:19:25] That's why Christ says on the cross, it is finished.
[00:19:28] We are saved by the finished works of Christ, the perfect works of Christ.
[00:19:33] He alone was able to work those works because he alone was born without sin.
[00:19:38] He alone did not have a human father.
[00:19:41] He alone was virgin born.
[00:19:42] He alone did not have the sin of Adam and Eve pass upon him.
[00:19:46] So he alone was the spotless lamb of God from before the foundation of the earth.
[00:19:51] He alone in all the history of humanity was one who was qualified from birth to potentially be the spotless, sinless savior, the Passover lamb without blemish or spot, the atoning, the day of atonement, the goat
[00:20:07] that was killed had to be perfect also the scapegoat, Christ fulfills all of these, he alone could he alone was without sin all of us were by nature the children of wrath, he was by nature
[00:20:19] a child of God the only begotten son of God and so he did do the works and he fulfilled the Old Testament, we haven't all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God
[00:20:31] Romans 3.23. So then how are we saved? By his finished work. But we have to believe on him.
[00:20:37] We have to trust in him. And if we do not, we do not receive. And so it says, not of works, lest any man should boast. We've said before, we are not saved by faith plus works. But we are
[00:20:51] saved by a faith that works. That's what James says, right? Faith without works is dead. And so that's why it says in the next verse, verse 10, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus
[00:21:10] unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. So we are saved by grace through faith. We're born again. His Holy Spirit, the earnest of the inheritance, is now inside of us. He enables us now to do works that are well pleased in his sight, and the good works
[00:21:32] that we do are works of thanksgiving, works of praise, works of love and they are acceptable in his sight because we are now made acceptable, accepted in the beloved.
[00:21:44] You see, before someone is born again, can someone who's not born again do anything good in God's eyes?
[00:21:53] That's a hard thing, isn't it?
[00:21:55] They can't do anything good.
[00:21:57] So now wait a minute, Pastor Joseph.
[00:21:59] Doesn't Bill Gates give billions of dollars here and billions of dollars there?
[00:22:03] I don't know that he claims to be a born-again Christian.
[00:22:07] We judge the heart, which we cannot see, by the actions that we can see.
[00:22:15] God judges the actions that we see by the heart that he alone can see.
[00:22:22] And if the heart is not right in doing this for the glory of God and for his praise, it is not accepted as a good work.
[00:22:31] Now, for us to do good works, we can only do them once we're born again.
[00:22:36] So obviously we can't do them to get born again.
[00:22:39] They are not the cause of salvation, but the product of salvation.
[00:22:44] They are the fruit of salvation.
[00:22:46] You see?
[00:22:48] However, there was one who did good works to bring salvation, and that is Christ, for he alone could.
[00:22:56] The Old Testament had to be fulfilled before the New Testament could be written, which we are reading now, and partakers of, written with the ink.
[00:23:05] This is the New Testament written in my blood.
[00:23:13] So, verse 10, for we are his workmanship, creating Christ Jesus, unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
[00:23:22] Wherefore, remember, now he's going to go into this section from verse 11 all the way up to verse 18, talking now about the fact that, see, the Ephesians, this is a church in Turkey.
[00:23:37] These are Gentiles.
[00:23:39] They were not included in the Old Testament covenant.
[00:23:44] And so now he's going to revisit this idea of the mystery that we talked about last night, which is that the Gentiles and the Jews are saved one way through Christ, which was an amazing and a new thing at this time.
[00:23:58] He's going to talk about this and the importance of this over these next several verses, beginning in verse 11.
[00:24:07] Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who were called uncircumcision by that which is the circumcision, the Jews and the flesh made by hands, that at that time ye were without Christ,
[00:24:21] being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope without God in the world.
[00:24:31] But now, now in Christ Jesus, Ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh, or close, or near by the blood of Christ.
[00:24:40] Notice verse 14.
[00:24:42] For he, Christ, is our peace, who hath made both one.
[00:24:46] What both?
[00:24:49] Jew and Gentile, Christ has made one.
[00:24:55] Have you ever heard people teach, well, the Jews have a certain way of salvation, the Gentiles have a certain way of salvation?
[00:25:01] That's not what Paul teaches.
[00:25:03] That's not what the Bible teaches.
[00:25:05] Notice again, again, verse 14, For he is our peace, who hath made both one, Jew and Gentile, one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.
[00:25:21] A reference in the temple in the days of Paul and Christ, there was this wall of partition to keep the Gentiles out.
[00:25:30] There was supposed to be a court of the Gentiles that they could pray in, but it sounds like it was generally a den of thieves.
[00:25:35] But Christ broke it down, and now Jew and Gentile come together in the church of two become one man.
[00:25:44] He repeats this many times.
[00:25:46] Many times it's going to be repeated in different ways.
[00:25:48] Notice verse 15, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain, that's two, right?
[00:26:00] one new man, so making peace.
[00:26:04] So in verse 14, to become one.
[00:26:08] In verse 15, to become one new man.
[00:26:12] Verse 16, that he might reconcile both, that is Jew and Gentile, unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh.
[00:26:28] Remember, shalom, shalom to the Jewish brethren.
[00:26:31] But now shalom is now extended to anyone who will believe.
[00:26:38] He preached peace not only to his Jewish brethren, but ultimately to every creature.
[00:26:45] Beginning in Jerusalem, Judea, then Samaria, and then the other ends of the earth.
[00:26:51] Verse 18, for through him, beautiful passage of the Trinity.
[00:26:56] here in verse 18. Many places in Ephesians where you see the Trinity in one verse. Here's another one, verse 18. For through him, through Christ, we both, Jew and Gentile, have access by one Spirit,
[00:27:07] the Holy Spirit, unto the Father. There's Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in one verse.
[00:27:13] All working for Jew and Gentile now in one body, the church. Verse 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.
[00:27:26] Praise the Lord.
[00:27:28] So we are no longer foreigners, Gentiles, but we are fellow citizens with the saints.
[00:27:38] And we are.
[00:27:39] We are fellow citizens with the Jews.
[00:27:42] We are saints.
[00:27:43] We are one people in Christ, the church.
[00:27:46] And this is the last few verses of the chapter emphasize this, beginning in verse 19 again.
[00:27:51] Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.
[00:27:59] Now the metaphor is changing to a house.
[00:28:02] Notice in verse 20, And you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
[00:28:13] Remember, the cornerstone is very important in building.
[00:28:16] Cornerstone laid first, right?
[00:28:18] Everything else is supposed to be in line, both this way and that way and this way with the cornerstone, which is Christ.
[00:28:26] And then the foundation, the New Testament, the apostles and the prophets.
[00:28:31] This is the foundation of this house that's being built.
[00:28:34] What's the house?
[00:28:35] Us.
[00:28:38] Notice, in whom all the building, verse 21, fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord.
[00:28:49] Now the metaphor is no longer house, but specifically temple.
[00:28:52] in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
[00:29:02] Praise the Lord.
[00:29:03] Now, I want us to understand the importance of this picture.
[00:29:09] First of all, salvation.
[00:29:11] I want to ask you, are you truly saved?
[00:29:14] You say, well, I think so, Pastor Joseph.
[00:29:16] We are saved by grace through faith, not of works.
[00:29:19] If someone were to knock on your door tonight and say, let me ask you a question, God forbid, if you were to die tonight, are you absolutely certain, without any doubt, that you would immediately go to heaven?
[00:29:30] Now, don't answer me now, but what would you say?
[00:29:34] If your answer is anything like, well, I hope so, I believe in Jesus, and I think I'm good enough, then the answer is, you're probably not saved, because you're not good enough.
[00:29:49] You never will be good enough.
[00:29:51] I'm not good enough.
[00:29:53] Saul and Paul was not good enough.
[00:29:56] None was good enough.
[00:29:57] And that's why Christ had to come.
[00:30:00] Salvation is by grace, not by being good enough.
[00:30:03] And we should be sure because Jesus paid it all.
[00:30:07] All to him I owe.
[00:30:08] Sin hath left a crimson stain.
[00:30:10] He washed it white as snow.
[00:30:11] And so we are saved by grace, through faith, right?
[00:30:16] And that not of yourselves.
[00:30:18] It's the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
[00:30:22] Now here's the thing.
[00:30:22] Have we truly believed?
[00:30:23] If we have truly believed and truly trusted in Christ, we know that we are saved, we give him the praise, and we know that we have that eternal inheritance that we were talking about last night.
[00:30:35] And that should enthrall us, that should excite us.
[00:30:38] We have the earnest of the Spirit.
[00:30:40] We have the Erebon, the engagement ring.
[00:30:42] We are going to be married mystically to Christ himself at the second coming and the marriage supper of the Lamb.
[00:30:49] And these things should fill us with joy and anticipation.
[00:30:54] But the question is for many people, well, I'm just not sure if I really believed or not.
[00:31:02] Well, just remember, does your life look a lot like everybody else in the world?
[00:31:07] If someone looked at your life and then looked at the life of many other people in the world who are not Christians, would they be able just by looking at your actions to see a great difference?
[00:31:21] If not, that might be evidence that you're not born again because we have this picture here in Ephesians 2 in the first few verses, walking after the course of this world in the lust of the flesh, verse 3,
[00:31:36] fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind.
[00:31:39] But if your works show forth that you love the Lord, that should encourage you.
[00:31:46] We're not saved by works, but those works are fruits or should be fruits that God has before ordained that we should walk unto if we are saved.
[00:31:57] Now, for the rest of the message, I want to focus on this last part of the chapter then.
[00:32:03] If we're truly born again, then we have become God's people, just as much as the Jews were God's people.
[00:32:12] And he reiterates time and time again, the Jew and the Gentile are now one.
[00:32:16] The middle wall of partition is taken away.
[00:32:18] Twain has made one new man.
[00:32:20] He uses different metaphors.
[00:32:22] He talks about two becoming one, two becoming one body.
[00:32:26] He talks about us being fellow citizens of the household of God, verse 19.
[00:32:32] And then from verse 20 to the end of the chapter, verse 22, there is this picture of us being the temple of God.
[00:32:40] This is something special.
[00:32:41] The temple of God was very important in the Old Testament.
[00:32:44] After all, the tabernacle or the temple was the only place that God allowed sacrifice to be made that would be accepted.
[00:32:50] And so the temple was extremely important.
[00:32:52] Remember, Jesus said when he came and he was speaking one day to those scribes and Pharisees and others, as he was right by the temple, he said, destroy this temple, destroy this temple, in three days I'll raise it up again.
[00:33:06] And what was he talking about?
[00:33:08] His body, right?
[00:33:11] So there was a temple physically there when Jesus was there, but he was the temple of God.
[00:33:18] After all, the temple when Jesus' day didn't even have the Ark of the Covenant.
[00:33:21] That was taken away in 586 B.C.
[00:33:24] He's the temple of God because in him was the fullness of God.
[00:33:28] In him was the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
[00:33:31] This is God come and tabernacle among man.
[00:33:34] Emmanuel, God with us.
[00:33:36] He is the temple of God.
[00:33:38] How powerful, how amazing, how wonderful the very presence of God in the person of Jesus Christ.
[00:33:45] And I want you to understand that the Bible is saying that's you if you're born again.
[00:33:50] Wow.
[00:33:52] When Christ is on earth, He is the temple of God.
[00:33:55] But now according to the Bible, the church is the temple of God.
[00:34:00] Now in the New Testament, we have three aspects in which the church is the temple of God.
[00:34:06] One we find in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, I believe it's verse 19, you as an individual born-again Christian are the temple of God because the Holy Spirit resides inside of you.
[00:34:19] And then we find in chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians, that the local church is called the temple of God.
[00:34:28] And now here in Ephesians, I think the very last verse of the chapter references the church at Ephesus being the temple of God.
[00:34:38] But the previous two verses, the entire true church, the invisible church, everyone who is born again in heaven and earth are the temple of God.
[00:34:50] That's what it says here in the verse 20 and 21.
[00:34:53] and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord.
[00:35:05] To illustrate this, let's turn, if you would, to 1 Peter.
[00:35:08] 1 Peter chapter 2.
[00:35:11] It puts it together very well for us.
[00:35:13] 1 Peter chapter 2, beginning in verse 1.
[00:35:17] Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.
[00:35:28] If so be, you have tasted that the Lord is gracious to whom coming as unto a living stone.
[00:35:35] Who's being called a living stone here?
[00:35:39] What was that?
[00:35:41] Did y'all drink coffee yet?
[00:35:43] To whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious.
[00:35:51] This living stone in verse 4 is Jesus.
[00:35:56] Verse 5, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
[00:36:15] That verse 5 is very important.
[00:36:17] Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, verse 6, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
[00:36:25] Who's that cornerstone?
[00:36:28] Verse 7.
[00:36:28] Unto you, therefore, which believe, he is precious.
[00:36:31] But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.
[00:36:39] And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed.
[00:36:47] But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
[00:37:03] Wherein, which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
[00:37:12] Praise God.
[00:37:13] Look at verse 5 again.
[00:37:14] you also are living stones, you are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices accessible to God by Jesus Christ.
[00:37:25] So we've been born again by grace, through faith, not of ourselves, not of works as any man should boast, unto good works.
[00:37:33] For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus, which we were before ordained unto these good works.
[00:37:41] And what are these good works?
[00:37:42] Well, we can talk about the fruit of the Spirit and all of these things.
[00:37:46] But we as Christians now have an occupation.
[00:37:49] Our occupation is to serve in the temple.
[00:37:54] Where's the temple?
[00:37:56] Well, I can see some of you that have been doing a lot of work in the church lately and say, I work in the church about every day.
[00:38:02] Praise God for each and every one of you.
[00:38:04] But remember, the temple here, we talked about it.
[00:38:07] There's three aspects.
[00:38:08] One, the individual believer.
[00:38:09] Two, the local church.
[00:38:10] And three, the aspect in view here, the entire true church of God.
[00:38:15] We are the temple of God.
[00:38:16] What does a temple have in it?
[00:38:20] Who works in the temple?
[00:38:23] And what do they do, the priests?
[00:38:26] Interesting, okay.
[00:38:28] And so according to this passage, 1 Peter 2, verse 5, ye also are living stones built up as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
[00:38:40] And so we, as New Testament believers, we are now priests.
[00:38:45] There is a priesthood in the New Testament.
[00:38:47] Every true born-again believer is a priest, a royal priest.
[00:38:50] A priest, how?
[00:38:52] Well, a priest to offer up sacrifices.
[00:38:55] Wait a minute, I thought all the sacrifices start with Jesus Christ.
[00:38:58] Yes, physical and blood sacrifices are done, but there are spiritual sacrifices that need to be offered up now.
[00:39:04] What kind?
[00:39:05] Remember Romans 12, verse 1, And I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a what?
[00:39:13] A living sacrifice.
[00:39:15] How's that for a spiritual sacrifice?
[00:39:17] Our whole life is to be a sacrifice unto God.
[00:39:20] And that word present is what they would do with an animal.
[00:39:24] They present the animal to be slain and present it unto the Lord as an offering.
[00:39:29] So we in the New Testament are priests.
[00:39:32] We are to offer spiritual sacrifices where?
[00:39:37] In the temple.
[00:39:38] And where's the temple?
[00:39:40] We are the temple.
[00:39:43] Isn't this the work of the Old Testament?
[00:39:46] Yes, but it continues on in the New Testament.
[00:39:49] Not physical sacrifices, but living sacrifices.
[00:39:53] Sacrifices that are spiritual unto the glory of God.
[00:39:58] Notice Jesus is the cornerstone, and he's the cornerstone.
[00:40:02] Remember we mentioned earlier, why are intelligent people not saved?
[00:40:08] Well, we don't get saved by being intelligent.
[00:40:12] God has to do it.
[00:40:14] Notice, what did the intelligentsia, if you will, the Pharisees and the scribes and whatnot, what did they do with Jesus?
[00:40:22] Did most of them accept him with open arms?
[00:40:26] They knew the word of God very well, at least outwardly, but somehow they could not receive him.
[00:40:32] And that's what it says here in this passage in 1 Peter.
[00:40:35] It says, wherefore as it is written, actually verse 4, to whom coming, that's to Jesus, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious.
[00:40:47] He was not accepted by men.
[00:40:49] Again, verse 6, wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect and precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
[00:41:01] Notice in verse 7, unto you therefore which believe he is precious, But unto them which be disobedient, remember disobedient, remember that word, remember the prince of the power of the air, it says the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
[00:41:19] that's in our passage Ephesians 2.
[00:41:21] But those who be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed or rejected, the same is made the head of the corner.
[00:41:29] And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed.
[00:41:40] There is this story about the temple being built in the days of Solomon.
[00:41:47] It seems to be a very well-attested story, though it's in Jewish tradition.
[00:41:52] There was a stone.
[00:41:53] All of the stones were pre-cut off-site.
[00:41:57] And when they came to build the temple, there was not supposed to be the sound of any hammer or chisel in the temple.
[00:42:02] and these stones were just placed together.
[00:42:06] Well, as they did this, there was one stone that was sort of weird shape and they didn't know where it went.
[00:42:13] So they set it aside and did these other stones.
[00:42:17] And as they got to the end of the temple, there's this kind of keystone.
[00:42:22] Those of you from Pennsylvania know about the keystone state, right?
[00:42:28] They're missing this top part.
[00:42:31] They can't find it.
[00:42:33] And they were scratching their heads, and finally someone says, remember that stone that we kept trying to fit in different places, and we couldn't find it, and finally we just threw it to the side?
[00:42:45] Let's go find it.
[00:42:46] Well, they had to go look, and there's a bunch of weeds grown over it and everything.
[00:42:51] They get that stone, they pull it out, fits perfect, and completes the whole building.
[00:43:01] That's the picture of Christ.
[00:43:03] the stone that the builders rejected has become the chief of the corner.
[00:43:13] Christ is both the foundation of our faith and our salvation and he is also the end point and the goal.
[00:43:22] And we are part of the household of God by grace through faith in him.
[00:43:31] This last section of Ephesians 2 let me just repeat it before we end.
[00:43:36] It says in verse 18, For through him, that is Christ, we both have access.
[00:43:42] We both have access by one spirit unto the Father.
[00:43:45] Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone,
[00:44:00] in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye are also built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
[00:44:15] And that's what I want to close on.
[00:44:17] Notice that language.
[00:44:19] In whom ye also.
[00:44:21] He's talking to the church at Ephesus.
[00:44:23] But here it could be applied to the church cornerstone.
[00:44:27] In whom ye also.
[00:44:29] So you got the church universal is a temple of God, but also the local church.
[00:44:35] in whom ye also, cornerstone, are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.
[00:44:45] I want to end by asking you, is God here?
[00:44:55] This is supposed to be the habitation of God through the Spirit.
[00:45:01] Well, just remember, each one of us is called a temple of God.
[00:45:05] If we're truly born again, we bring Him, in a sense, with us.
[00:45:09] And then the true church all over is the habitation of God.
[00:45:15] But the local church is called to be a habitation of God.
[00:45:17] And remember the tabernacle of the temple.
[00:45:20] Everything had to be clean.
[00:45:21] Everything had to be holy.
[00:45:22] Everything had to be set apart.
[00:45:25] And so let us remember that when we come into church.
[00:45:28] Let us sanctify our thoughts.
[00:45:30] Let us sanctify our speech.
[00:45:32] Let us prepare our hearts.
[00:45:34] That our hearts might be habitations of the living God.
[00:45:38] that if we truly have been saved by grace through faith and that is faith in the finished work of Christ who was God, who loved us and gave himself for us that his spirit may come and dwell inside of us
[00:45:52] forever and ever.
[00:45:54] It says in John chapter 1 that Christ came and tabernacled amongst us.
[00:45:59] Now after Pentecost, those of us who are believers, he tabernacles in us, in our very hearts.
[00:46:06] and as we gather together in faith, if we are truly born again, His presence should be here.
[00:46:13] Where two or more gather together in my name, I'm there in the midst.
[00:46:17] God's presence should be here through the power of the Holy Spirit and we should be entering into His house.
[00:46:26] We should be so desirous.
[00:46:28] People say, I just want to see God.
[00:46:30] I just want to hear from God.
[00:46:32] I wish God would give me a dream or I wish God would give me a sign.
[00:46:36] I just wish I could hear something about this particular need that I have from God.
[00:46:42] Well, I hope so too.
[00:46:45] Will I see you at church?
[00:46:46] Oh, no, I'm sorry.
[00:46:47] I have places to go.
[00:46:48] I'll get to church sometime.
[00:46:53] What's that say?
[00:46:53] Looking for love in all the wrong places.
[00:46:55] That's a song, right?
[00:46:57] Looking for God in all the wrong places.
[00:47:00] There is a wholesale, how should I say it?
[00:47:04] A great rejection of the local church in America today.
[00:47:10] I go wherever I feel.
[00:47:12] I go here, I go there, I go nowhere.
[00:47:14] It's just being God.
[00:47:15] Wherever I go, I take God with me.
[00:47:17] Well, there is an aspect which is true, but the biblical aspect is also the local church specifically.
[00:47:25] These epistles aren't written to Ron or to John or to David.
[00:47:30] They're written to local churches.
[00:47:32] And that's very important.
[00:47:34] In our local church, there's hundreds in the area.
[00:47:37] But it's very important.
[00:47:38] Each true church of God is called to be a habitation of God by the Spirit.
[00:47:45] And so I want to encourage you.
[00:47:47] Have you been born again?
[00:47:49] If so, the Spirit is here inside of each and every one of you.
[00:47:53] But as we come together, do we come in the unity of the Spirit?
[00:47:57] Do we come in faith?
[00:47:59] Do we come praying and believing that this will be a habitation of God by the Spirit for His glory?
[00:48:05] May it be so.
[00:48:07] In Ephesians chapter 3, we're going to talk a little bit more about that.
[00:48:12] But in the meantime, I want to leave you with this thought.
[00:48:16] Jesus Christ came, and when he came to earth, he was the body of Christ, him alone.
[00:48:23] He says, unless a corn of wheat dies and falls into the ground, it abides alone.
[00:48:31] But if it dies and falls into the ground, it brings forth much fruit.
[00:48:37] When you take a seed, what would it be?
[00:48:41] A tomato seed from a tomato, and you put it in the ground, and when it springs up, what kind of plant is going to come up?
[00:48:50] Christ was talking about himself.
[00:48:53] God sows him into the earth, if you will.
[00:48:57] He is the first fruits from the dead.
[00:48:59] And all of us who are born again are the rest of the crop.
[00:49:03] And the rest of the crop has the same spiritual DNA, if you will, as the firstfruits.
[00:49:11] We have been born again by Christ, through Christ, in Christ, by His Spirit that is now within us.
[00:49:20] And daily we are being conformed more and more to the image of Christ until the day that we see Him we will be like Him.
[00:49:28] But all of that was only possible by Christ first doing the work that we couldn't, keeping the Old Testament law, taking the punishment we deserve, death on the cross, He was made a curse for us.
[00:49:42] For it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth upon a tree, so that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through faith.
[00:49:50] He that knew no sin became sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.
[00:50:00] Salvation, grace, faith, righteousness, holiness, peace, a habitation of God through the Spirit.
[00:50:11] May all of that be the very attributes of this church for the glory of God.
[00:50:18] May his presence be welcomed, may his presence be manifest, and may he get the glory, honor, and praise here in his temple with his saints and children that he bought each and every one of you
[00:50:33] with the blood of his Son, Christ Jesus, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, in whom each and every one of you who are truly believers were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world
[00:50:47] so that in the ages to come, Ephesians 2, verse 7, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness towards us through Jesus Christ.
[00:51:02] What's heaven going to be like?
[00:51:04] I don't know.
[00:51:04] It might be kind of boring up there.
[00:51:06] Pastor Joseph just playing that old harp and nothing to do.
[00:51:09] It's just going to get boring.
[00:51:12] Here's a picture of heaven that in the ages to come, God might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.
[00:51:26] Heaven's going to be about God.
[00:51:28] But part of that is God delighting to show us grace and mercy and kindness and love through all eternity, through His Son, Christ Jesus, in whose name we should now pray.
[00:51:44] Amen.
[00:51:45] Dear Heavenly Father, we do praise You and worship You and marvel at Your grace and thank You for this great salvation.
[00:51:52] Lord, we cannot hardly begin to understand, but we ask that You help us, even as the Apostle Paul, that the eyes of our understanding might be enlightened to know the hope of this calling, the riches of the glory of the inheritance
[00:52:07] in the saints through Christ Jesus, and that exceeding greatness of that power to us who believe according to the power that you used in raising Jesus from the dead, saving us by your grace, giving us faith to believe and trust,
[00:52:23] making us very priests of your temple, Lord God, even calling us your temple, a place where sacrifice is made acceptable by the blood of your Son, Jesus Christ.
[00:52:35] Help us, Lord, I pray, to be faithful priests, faithful sacrifices and a holy sanctified temple, please it in your sight, in which you are pleased to dwell and manifest your glory and it's in this that we give
[00:52:54] you praise and thanks, in Jesus' name.
[00:52:57] Amen.