Thankful for Salvations
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Position and Practice: This is basic to Christianity, you must understand who you are in Christ that and that alone is the foundation upon which you operate.
Paul is praying, oh God may they deeply understand who they are, may they get a grip on this incredible reality that they are one with the eternal God through Christ, that all of the blessings of the heavenlies are theirs, that this is the standard of their existence forever and may they live like it, see? That’s what he’s after.
We are to make our POSITION our PRACTICE.
Chapters 1-3 is the Doctrine
Chapter 4-6 is the Duty
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
Paul shared in the first 14 verses the great, deep, rich truths of what is ours in Christ now he prays that we would understand it, he prays that we would get a grip on it.
And people I want you to understand this, Christian growth has nothing to do with your position in Christ, nothing.
When you were saved you were in Christ, how much of your sin was forgiven? All, you received eternal life, you’re made perfect, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to you, God sees you as absolutely perfect and righteous, that’s your position Christian growth has nothing to do with it.
But your practice is where the growth comes. I’ve often said that the Christian life is the process; watch this, of becoming what you are, okay? Becoming what you are.
Constant exhortation without theology just brings people under guilt, it doesn’t motive them.
So the mature Christian understands his privileges, his possessions, checks out his resources, lives consistent with who he is. In fact over in 4:1 Paul says,
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you,” now watch, “that you walk worthy of the vocation to which you are called.” He has spent three chapters, now watch me, three chapters describing the calling and now he says, therefore here is how you live.
Ephesians 1:15–16 (KJV 1900)
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
What caused Paul’s Thankfulness?
This is a prayer of every pastor.
Of course, the wherefore, draws our attention back to the previous section of praise.
We are:
1. Chosen in His Love—v. 5.
2. Predestined in His Purpose—v. 5.
3. Accepted in His Beloved—v. 6.
4. Redeemed by His Blood—v. 7.
5. Sealed by His Spirit—v. 13.
All of this happened because of God’s Grace. vs. 6
We simply heard the word of truth and believed.
Again, the Calvinists believe this gives us to much credit and takes away to much from God’s Sovereignty.
I say it is still all be His Grace and His Love. Trusting and believing is not that great of work.
The Cause of Thankfulness
The Cause of Thankfulness
Paul has been writing about the way of salvation. He has already told us that we are saved by grace.
Salvation is all God’s doing from start to finish. He put us in His plan; He sent His Son to die for us; He called us to Himself; and when we came, he fully cleansed us from all our sins and saved us by His marvelous grace.
Paul wants these saints to know that, while they may not understand everything they have heard thus far, they have understood enough for them to place their faith in Jesus for salvation. So, as he writes to these believers, he offers some words of praise regarding their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Trusting the Savior
Trusting the Savior
Ephesians 1:15 (KJV 1900)
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Is Simple:
Is Simple:
Paul tells them that he has “heard of” their “faith in the Lord Jesus”.
When Paul refers to “faith”, he is not talking about mountain moving faith, or sycamore plucking up faith, he is talking about the simple act of believing the Gospel.
In other words, Paul commends them for having placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. He was glad they were saved.
• Just so we are clear today, and I know that I sound like a broken record, but believing the Gospel is the only means of salvation for any soul.
This is made clear in several passages of Scripture:
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Paul is going to further relate this in the next chapter.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV 1900)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Why do I stress so much about the gospel?
Is Serious:
Is Serious:
Unfortunately, many are not stressing the gospel of Christ.
Paul told the church at Corinth
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (KJV 1900)
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Paul told the church at Rome:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Is Significant:
Is Significant:
See, the GOSPEL is very SIMPLE to receive and SERIOUS enough to be our main and only message and focus, but it is also very SIGNIFICANT.
Ephesians 1:15 (KJV 1900)
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
You have to decide.
You have to understand that Jesus is Lord.
Look back for a moment at
Romans 10:9 (KJV 1900)
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Acts 16:31 (KJV 1900)
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Both of those verses declare the truth that Jesus is Lord. In the Gospels Jesus is called Jesus, Lord or Christ, or various combinations of those titles.
He is called Jesus about 625 times;
Lord about 200 times and Christ about 60 times.
Jesus is only called “Lord Jesus” once in the Gospels in Luke 24:3.
After the Gospels,
Jesus is called “Lord Jesus” some 117 times.
He is called “Jesus Christ” some 119 times.
I want you to see what Peter tried to get the Jews to see in
Acts 2:36 (KJV 1900)
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
The point of all that is this: Jesus is not a buffet! You do not come to Him today and get Him as Savior, and then make Him Lord later. You cannot make Him what He already is. You see, He is Lord whether you bow to His Lordship or not.
No, when you come to Jesus Christ, you must be willing to bow to His Lordship in your life.
I know that most people who come to Jesus for salvation are just coming because they do not want to go to Hell. They are looking for fire insurance. They are looking to get out of the wrath they know they deserve; wrath that has been made clear to them through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.
However, a part of being saved is having a willingness to repent of sin. When a lost sinner comes to Jesus under Holy Ghost conviction, that lost sinner knows that he is in serious spiritual trouble. The Holy Spirit has made the sinfulness of the sinner very clear. The Holy Spirit has brought that lost soul to a place where they are willing to turn from their sins and embrace a new life. They are willing to turn their backs on Satan and yield to Jesus as the Lord of their lives.
• The bottom line is this: You cannot have Jesus as Savior, unless you are willing to have Him as Lord also. You will not understand all that involves at the time, but there will a yielding of yourself to Jesus Christ and His dominion in your life.
As you walk with the Lord, there will be times when you are in complete submission to Him and His will, when you love Him with all your heart. During those times you will acknowledge, appreciate and obey His Lordship in your life. There will be other times when will resist His will for your life. There will be times when your love for Jesus will not be as strong as it is at other times. Just because you are not loving Him and obeying Him as you should does not diminish His Lordship.
He is still Lord whether you are in a place of obedience to Him or not,
Romans 14:9 (KJV 1900)
9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
1 Corinthians 12:3 (KJV 1900)
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
• You cannot have Him as Savior unless you are willing to take Him as Lord! To try and divide Jesus the Savior from Jesus the Lord would be like trying to divide His nature. By His very nature He is both Savior and Lord at the same time. You simply cannot have one without the other.
Is your salvation one of allegiance and obedience?
After commending them for their faith in Jesus, Paul goes on to praise them for the fact that their salvation is real.
How does Paul know that it is real? It is bearing fruit!
Treating the Saints
Treating the Saints
Ephesians 1:15 (KJV 1900)
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Paul tells them that he has heard about their “love unto all the saints”. The Ephesian believers are proving the reality of their profession by the way they are living their lives.
• One of the defining characteristics of the true Christian is the love they have for others. This love is especially true for other Christians.
It Substantiates Our Salvation:
It Substantiates Our Salvation:
Consider the following passages:
1 John 3:14–15 (KJV 1900)
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 4:7–12 (KJV 1900)
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
John 13:34–35 (KJV 1900)
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
• Paul is telling us that love for the brethren is our calling card. If we do not possess genuine love for our fellow saints, we are simply not saved. The characteristics of genuine, spiritual love are found in 1 Cor. 13:1–8. If those characteristics are missing, then we are just a “sounding brass” and “a tinkling cymbal”.
True salvation flows from the heart of the believer out to others. True salvation produces true love in our lives. It produces a love that does more than talks, it acts.
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
• Sadly, the love of the Ephesians did not last forever. Rev. 2:4 tells us they “left their first love”. That is, they allowed their love for Jesus and for others to become cold and lifeless. They were still active in their service of the Lord, but they were no longer serving out of love, they were serving out of habit.
The Lord Jesus warned them that chastisement was coming if they did not repent, Rev. 2:5. Ephesus failed to heed that warning and today, there is no Christian church where that great city used to stand. Their fate stands as a warning to the rest of us. We need to examine our own hearts and look to see if our love for the Lord and for others is as it should be. If it isn’t, we must repent or there will be a price to pay for our disobedience.
We say things like “Well, I love them in the Lord.” This is a telling statement. It signals that our love is not unconditional and perfect, but it indicates that our love for others is based on their treatment of us.
We must learn to love regardless of how we are treated by others.
We must love in spite of injury. We must love without thought for our own feelings or desires. Our love is the greatest indication that we are saved.
It Shows Our Salvation:
It Shows Our Salvation:
• Paul is praising these believers because their profession in Jesus Christ is bearing fruit for His glory in the world. Their faith is real and it manifests itself in works for His glory. There are many people in our world who claim to be saved by the grace of God, but who bear zero fruit for His glory. They bear fruit! But, the fruit they bear is the “unfruitful works of darkness”,
Ephesians 5:11 (KJV 1900)
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
The fruit they bear is really “the works of the flesh”, Gal. 5:19–21.
On the other hand, every person who is truly saved by the grace of God will bear fruit for His glory.
What kind of fruit? They will demonstrate the “fruit of the Spirit”,
Galatians 5:22–23 (KJV 1900)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
They will display works of righteousness, Eph. 2:10; James 2:18.
Jesus put it this way:
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
He also said this:
33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
• A life that has been saved by grace will give clear evidence of the Lord’s presence in that life. A life that has never been converted will also give clear evidence by displaying the works of the flesh.
Listen again to the words of Jesus in Matt. 7:16–23.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Now, look at your life and consider where you stand with Him today.
The Constancy of Thankfulness
The Constancy of Thankfulness
Ephesians 1:16 (KJV 1900)
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Paul’s love for all saints was evident because of Paul’s unceasing or constancy to be thankful and pray.
Thankfulness always leads to Prayer.
Was Paul for real about his constancy?
He commanded the church at Thessalonica to...
17 Pray without ceasing.
strikes us as a great goal, but seems to many to be quite impractical.
How did Paul find time to pray?
Paul was an active missionary—ever on the move, busy planting churches, evangelizing, soulwinning, counseling, training converts, writing letters, and planning new mission enterprises. Often he would put in a full day making tents to raise the funds he needed for his support. There he would sit with the stiff material, already cut out according to pattern, spread out before him. All he had to do was ply the needle—stitch, stitch, stitch—not an occupation calling for a great deal of mental activity. So he prayed! In and out of the cloth went the tentmaker’s needle. In and out of the throne room of the universe went the great ambassador to the Gentiles.
Then, too, Paul could pray during his journeys.
Driven out of Phillipi, he walked to Thessalonica, a 100-mile hike, and he prayed as he walked.
Driven out of Thessalonica, he walked 40 or 50 miles to Berea.
Driven out of Berea, he walked to Athens, a 250-mile hike.
What precious time for prayer! Probably Paul never noticed the distances. His feet were tramping up hill and down dale, but his head was only mechanically noting the sights and sounds along the way because he was in Heaven, busy at the throne.
What an example for us! No time to pray? We could employ countless moments each day if we really cared.
The message to us from this passage seems clear to me. This is a call for us to examine our own lives. We need to look within and see first of all where we stand with the Lord Jesus.
Are you saved?
Have you believed the Gospel of grace?
Is your faith in Jesus and Jesus alone for salvation?
Have you come the Bible way, repenting of your sins and trusting the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for your soul’s salvation?
Is He your Lord?
We need to examine our lives today to see whether or not we are bearing fruit for His glory.
Do you love the brethren?
Do you have a hunger for the things of the Lord?
Do you love His Word, His people, His church?
Do you possess a desire for holiness and a hatred for sin?
Do you love the Lord and allow Him to live through you for His glory? Or, is your life a contradiction?
Do you claim to be one thing while you live another way? That is called hypocrisy! We are all hypocritical from time to time, but true believers will repent of their sins and turn away from them through the Lord’s help. In other words, you will not go on in your sins forever.
Where do you stand with Him today?
Has He spoken to your heart about being saved?
Is He calling you to submit to His Lordship in your life?
Has He put His finger on the fact that there is a lack of love in your life?
Has He shown you that you are bearing the wrong kind of fruit?