Best. Conjunction. Ever.

READ vv. 4-7.

“The biggest but” or the “best but”…but I wasn’t sure that was helpful. This is serious. The most significant reality for your present and eternal existence. Its the difference between life and death.

“The biggest but” or the “best but”…but I wasn’t sure that was helpful.

-Josh made you aware of the bad news last week, and I get to tell you the good news. If this good news is your personal story, then we can celebrate together. If it’s not your story yet, but you still remain in the bad news, I hope you will be unblinded tonight so you can see Christ as more valuable than a life of worshiping yourself and believe him.

-To see the value of this pivot point, we need to revisit the hopeless condition we were in. YOU PERSONALLY—not just someone else. READ vv. 1-3.

-Dead in sin: What is the quality of a corpse? What can a dead body do? This was you spiritually. Keep that in mind.

-You were walking in sin—breaking God’s law was your normal, everyday way of life.

-You were on the same path as this world—the broad path that leads to destruction.

Matthew 7:13 ESV

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

-We were following Satan. Under his influence so that our lives were completely disobedient. Every thought, every action.

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-My passion is…myself. All my desires were Self-absorbed; Self-exalting.

Romans 1:22–25 ESV

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Romans 1:

-Identity=children of wrath. Born of wrath—deserving of wrath ( because we personally were enemies). Both sinners by nature, and by commission/omission (v. 1).

There was zero good news! Not like, “you lost this game, but there’s always next week.” There’s no next week…no positive outlook, no opportunities, no hope. BUT GOD.

A Praiseworthy God

-Rich in Mercy:

-What is mercy? Why did God decide to have mercy on us (after that scathing description of us)?

-A Great Love: All kinds of confusion about what love is in general, and about what God’s love is and does.

-What is love?

-The love of God is complex in its manifestations (election, complacent, benevolent) and is not experienced in the same way by everyone. There is a love of God that everyone experiences--believers and unbelievers alike—common grace and providence. And there is a special love that only those who are brought from death to life experience.

Simple Def.: A sacrificial commitment to the welfare of someone else. We know what love is because God showed us.

1 John 4:10 ESV

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

-This love has nothing to do with our worthiness. READ v.5. It’s a gracious love.

-v. 6 “seated us with him in the heavenly places”?

-“have been saved” already but not yet. Tenses of salvation

-guaranteed by the down payment of the Spirit

-Immeasurable Riches: can’t be measured—like eternity

-According to vv. 4-7, what part do you play in your salvation?

The Darker the Night, the Brighter the Stars

You’re spiritually dead. Already lying in a casket, 6 ft under. Mindless, motionless, lifeless. Your body is well on its way to joining your spirit in death. Every miserable day you have nothing worthwhile to live for or hope in. Everything is meaningless. The violence and tragedy of the world makes it undeniable that something has gone terribly wrong with humanity, but you don’t want to think about it. Instead, you try to distract yourself with all kinds of muses and vices which promise to satisfy you, but the empty is never filled. And you’re not only stuck in this broken machine, but also a willing participant in the decay around you. Every day your eyes get a little dimmer and your breath a little shallower as you get closer to dying than you ever were before, and you would be terrified if you knew what was coming. Every day you take another step toward the cliff where you will fall into permanent darkness where you will weep and suffer in flames of torment forever.

BUT GOD! Reached into your grave and breathed the breath of life into your spirit, giving you hope and joy and purpose, and the ability to love and enjoy him which is what you were made for. Ultimate fulfilment. Rest and Peace. Now your body is well on its way to joining your spirit in life. And you have become obedient from the heart so you can use your body to live to the praise of his glory. Every day, even though your body is wasting away, you are taking another step closer to eternal life, a new glorified body, and the inheritance of God and Heaven and eternal joy you never dreamed was possible.

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20 ESV

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,