Sign him up, John. Thank you, Glenn, Nancy, and Matt. We appreciate that. That was good. Real good. Even John was tapping his toes. I want you to know that. Let's turn, please, in our Bibles to Ephesians, chapter 2. Learning secrets seems to be a fascination for most of us. Remember some of the early game shows that were built around that theme? Who can remember I've Got a Secret? Remember that? Oh, how old we are, right? Gary Moore, Henry Morgan, Bess Meyerson, and two others.
I don't remember who they were. Yes? Do you remember To Tell the Truth? That may still be on some of the cables. I don't know. It's amazing what they resurrect on cable these days. What's My Line? Remember that? Was it John Daly? Was that the emcee? People like to find out secrets. I think our media today is really hooked on this.
The media is just kind of tantalized by somebody within the inner circle of power, whether it be political or governmental or corporate, somebody who will give them a secret that they can sell. I was recently with a friend of mine who's in ministry but who has many, many contacts, which he did not name for me. But one of them, he said, is in the inner circle of the White House. I wonder if he is anymore, frankly, but this was a couple of months ago before some recent resignations.
And we were chatting about the United States. He shared a couple of things with me that surprised me, shocked me, in fact. I don't know that it's classified. If I know it, it better not be classified. Did you know that our government, the best experts in our government, expect that Mexico will be a communist nation within five years?
Coupled with that, did you know that right now today the CIA says that there are 15,000 guerrillas in northern Mexico, northern Mexico, south of our border a few miles, from Nicaragua, South Korea, Libya, and Cuba, who are training squads of guerrillas to enter into our borders. They have plans already for all the southern cities as to how they're going to begin bombing in those cities. Now you say, hey, that sounds far-fetched. Well, maybe it is. Maybe it's not.
All of us like to find out secrets, don't we? I read in the paper about one New Year's Eve party Wednesday night that's going to have a palm reader there. I thought, how ingenious. There are some secrets about ourselves that we seek to learn. Indeed, there are some people who spend lifetimes probing questions like, who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?
The text that we have before us tonight in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 4, 5, 6, and 7 bring to our attention some important and suggestive insights regarding who we are and what our future holds, that is, as the children of God.
It says beginning in verse 4, but God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The present position and the future destiny of the believer has been radically altered by the saving activity of God on his behalf. The apostle Paul, after reminding his readers of our past in verses 1 through 3, can no longer contain himself because he wants to get to the good news, and so he pivots on the words, but God. He gives to us a threefold description of God, something about God's person, his plan, his purpose.
This threefold description of God, in turn, unveils something of your present position and your future destiny as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Your past, present, and future are inseparably intertwined with God's eternal plan and purposes. Notice with me first in our text the description of God's person.
There are three words that bring us to this truth, a triad of perfections about our God that are often found together in the New Testament, God's mercy, God's love, and God's grace. That describes the person of God. God's love is the most comprehensive of these three terms. God's love is the fountainhead of his mercy and grace. As you may know, the attributes of God are those words that we use to describe the nature of God. The attributes of God are often divided into two groups.
There are, on the one hand, what are called intrinsic attributes of God. That is, what God is by nature. On the other hand, the relative attributes of God. That is, how he relates to his creatures. For example, one of God's intrinsic attributes is that he is truth. Because he is truth, he relates to his creation in faithfulness. Therefore, faithfulness is said to be a relative attribute. That's how he relates to his creation. One of God's intrinsic attributes is his holiness.
Out of his holiness flows justice, which is the way he relates to his creation, a relative attribute. Likewise, love is an intrinsic attribute of God. It says God is love. He is that by nature. Out of his love flow these relative attributes, his grace and his mercy, by which he relates to us. William Henriksen, who is one of my favorite commentators and whom I will quote tonight a couple of times, describes love as intense concern, deep personal interest, warm attachment, spontaneous tenderness.
I like the way he describes God's love. But in truth, God's love cannot be defined. It cannot even adequately be described. The apostle prays that we by the Spirit might comprehend the love of God, which he confesses we cannot comprehend, we cannot know. God's love is described here as great. God's great love aroused him to love us and to take specific acts to achieve our good and welfare. Now we come to his mercy. Mercy is God's love directed toward sinners in their misery.
Mercy is God's pity, the tender acts of God toward those who are sinful. Here he is described as rich in his mercy. That is, he is overabounding in mercy. He is loaded with it. It is an inexhaustible treasury of tender compassions toward those who are weak and helpless. And then God's grace. Grace is God's love undertaking kind acts toward guilty and undeserving sinners. It is pardon, but more than that. It is pardon plus justification.
It is the removal of our offenses on the one hand, it is the gift of righteousness on the other. On the one hand, he takes us out of Adam. On the other hand, he places us into Christ so that our legal status before God is now one of righteousness. He declares that we are right with him through our faith in Christ. It is the opposite of human works and merit.
Whether we talk about inherent goodness on the part of man, which really does not exist, or strenuous effort on his part, sincere effort to try to impress God, grace is the opposite of all of that. Mercy is when God does not give me what I deserve. Grace is when he gives me what I do not deserve. God's person involves love, mercy, and grace. Let's think for a moment about God's plan. He describes God's plan here, for we have a question to answer.
If God is love, he evidences grace and mercy toward us, how would these perfections about God achieve their aim? How would God use these attributes of his to achieve our good and our welfare? The answer of course is that he planned a way to save us. It is based upon the principle of identification. If you can get a hold of that single principle in this doctrine of salvation, you will have a big handle on what salvation is all about. It is the principle of identification.
You see really as God looks at the human race, he sees only two people. He sees Adam and he sees his blessed son, the Lord Jesus. No other person who has lived, does live, or will live is identified with either Adam or with Christ in God's sight. Salvation is, as I have already stated, when God takes us out of Adam and places us into his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are identified with Christ and no longer with Adam. We are united with Christ, no longer with Adam.
So that it can be said that whatever happened to Jesus has happened to me, to you as a child of God. Now get that in your mind. Whatever has happened to Jesus has happened to you because you are identified with him. Now the apostle points out three aspects of this plan here. He says for example in verse 5, when we come to the main verb in the sentence, he says but God made us alive together with Christ. That's the first thing he points out in God's plan.
We were dead in our trespasses, but God made us alive together with Christ. Notice that, together with Christ. Before our regeneration we were dead. We were without spiritual life, alive physically, but as far as our spirit was concerned we were without life. We were cut off from God. But God regenerated us. He caused us to be born anew by his spirit. He made us alive with Christ. Christ died as a sinless substitute who became sin for us.
He died our death and was raised from the dead to show that his sacrifice was accepted by the Father. Now we who have trusted him were made alive with him when his soul returned to his buried body in the grave. You say I didn't even live then. That's right. In fact you weren't even alive when Christ, or rather God chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world either. You were not alive 2000 years ago when Jesus came alive again in that grave.
But in God's mind, remember God is apart from time, he is eternal. In God's mind when his Son came alive in that grave, you came alive. You were identified with his Son so that you were given life at that point. God says that he not only has made us alive, but in verse 6 it says he raised us up with Christ. It's not that we receive life only, but he has raised us up with Christ. God did not leave us in the graveyard.
He caused us to ascend to the realm of heaven so that our identity today is not with this world, but our citizenship is in heaven from where we look for the Savior to return. Heaven now has become the focus of life. For the child of God, his thoughts, his motives, his prayers, his hopes, his commands, all about him are centered in heaven. All of these things are focused on our homeland because we have been raised up with Christ in the mind of God, in the purpose of God, in the plan of God.
We've been identified with Christ. When he died for us, we died with him. When he was raised from the dead, we were raised with him. When he ascended up on high, we ascended with him. And now the Apostle says in verse 6 again, he has seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ. He has caused you and me to sit down together with Christ on his exalted throne of glory. For the Lord Jesus, that is the place of power and of rule.
And you understand that what Paul is saying here is this, that you and I are identified with Christ where he sits today on that throne of power and of rule. And in Christ we have spiritual power and authority. While our physical position is on earth, our spiritual position is in the heavens. That is our present, beloved. That's our present position. All of these actions which God took in Christ were for our good, for our welfare, out of his love, mercy, and grace.
He caused us to be so united with Christ that it can be said we died with him, we were buried with him, we were raised with him, we were exalted with him, and we have been seated with him in the heavenly places. You say, so what? What does all of that mean? Well, the more that you think about it, the more you meditate on it, the more you ask God to give you a handle on that, the more meaningful it will become.
One who is young in Christ, those concepts that we've just passed through are high and lofty ones. They are seemingly incomprehensible. They almost seem impractical, like though it's just doctrine. But the more one walks with God, the deeper one comes to know the Lord. The more that one draws close to Christ, the more practical these truths become. In the first place, by this union with Christ, we have our own future bodily resurrection guaranteed.
It is absolutely impossible for any child of God to miss the resurrection. As you see positionally in God's mind as he sees us, we've already been raised from the dead. In our lives, as we are living them out in time, we've not even died yet physically, spiritually been raised from the dead, and one day even physically, we will be raised from the grave.
No matter if our bodies are completely disintegrated into dust, God will cause those bodies to be regathered and raised gloriously, like the body of Christ. This union also gives us present spiritual blessings, not just in the future at the resurrection. Right now we have certain spiritual blessings that are ours because of our union with Christ. In the first place, we are no longer slaves to sin. Because we've died with Christ, we have died to sin.
Because we have been raised with Christ, we have been raised to walk in newness of life. So no longer do we have to follow the dictates of sin and the flesh. As we have said before on other occasions, we may by choice do that. But the point is we don't have to anymore because we have been freed from that slavery. We have now been made slaves to God and we are free to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice and the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Right now, presently also, we have power in prayer. Why is it that we pray in Jesus' name? Not just as three words tacked onto the end of a prayer. Why is it that we pray in Jesus' name? Because we are praying in the authority of Christ when we pray in Jesus' name. We are saying, I am taking my position as in union with Christ who is seated on his throne of glory, who is in the place of power and rule. As seated with him, I offer this prayer to you, Father. We also have power for service.
As he is on the throne of glory and as he said, all authority is given to me in heaven and on earth, that's right now. Therefore, you and I right now, because we are identified with him, have all authority in Christ. The new life that Jesus Christ has given us has already begun. But it will be consummated in the future in its fullness. We will not experience that fullness in these bodies. For our bodies as they are cannot contain the fullness of the glory that God is destined us for.
This mortal must put on immortality. This flesh and blood in which we dwell now cannot inherit the kingdom of God. That is why either in the resurrection or at the rapture, which I prefer, being caught up without going through death, when we who are children of God receive our new bodies, we will then experience fully the glory God has called us to know and inherit. Now we cannot, it's impossible, but then we shall know it. Hendrickson has an interesting statement about this.
He says to be sure there is a time factor, not at once do we receive this glory in full measure, but the right to receive it fully has been secured. And the new life has already begun. Even now our life is hid with Christ in God. Our names are inscribed in heaven's register. Our interests are being promoted there. We are being governed by heavenly standards and motivated by heavenly impulses. The blessings of heaven constantly descend upon us. Heaven's grace fills our hearts.
Its power enables us to be more than conquerors. And to heaven our thoughts aspire and our prayers ascend. What is God's plan? What have love, mercy, and grace done for us? Well beloved they have united us to Jesus Christ, resulting in all that we've talked about and more. But we must go on now to a third aspect of God that is described here, and that is God's purpose. Why has God done all of this?
Is it so that he might rescue us from the hell that we deserve, the condemnation and death that is rightly ours? Yes, it is partly that. Has he done all of this to populate his new creation, the new Jerusalem, so that he might have citizens there to worship him? Yes, yes it's partly that. But preeminently and primarily God has done all of these things for us to the praise and the glory of himself. Notice that that's what is said in verse 7.
God has done all of these things described in verses 4, 5, and 6 in order that in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Why has God done what he has done so that he might display himself, demonstrate himself, show himself? You say, well isn't that selfish of God? Isn't that egocentric? No such sinful motive could ever be attributed to God.
For God to desire to reveal himself to his own creatures is not only his prerogative and right, but it is also a gracious act on his part. For God does not have to show us anything of himself. For him to desire to do this, for him to desire to show us the fullness of his glorious grace, my that is a wonderful thing. It is not at all selfish. It is not egocentric. In fact it is for our good that he is doing this. His display involves what it calls here the surpassing riches of his grace.
This is one of those Pauline expressions. Paul is saying here, God desires to show you his grace that has no boundaries. It goes beyond any boundaries that you might set. Do you say God's grace is this big? He says let me tell you it goes beyond that. Do you say it is this high? It goes higher than that. There is an inexhaustible reservoir of kindness which he shows to those who do not deserve it. The same thought is in Romans 5.20 when he says where sin abounds, grace does much more abound.
The same thought is found in Philippians chapter 4 about God's peace when he says that God's peace will surpass our ability to understand it. God's grace is not narrow, God is not stingy. It is not that he has barely enough grace, but his grace is so full, he is so rich and exhaustively wealthy in grace that he is able to embrace both Jew and Gentile. He can reach down to the chiefest of sinners which Paul called himself.
God's grace is so glorious that it changes and enriches every life that it touches. What is the purpose of our salvation? It is that God might manifest this grace. Specifically it says here through kindness toward us. Now that is not defined more specifically than that. Eye is not seen, ear is not heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those that love him.
I don't know what God is going to do, but I know this that God has in store kind acts yet unknown. You and I are going to serve as God's eternal exhibition of his grace. I quote Hendrickson who says, we are God's sparkling jewels. Let me illustrate, he says, a Roman matron when asked, query your jewels, calls her two sons and points to them and says, these are my jewels.
So also throughout eternity, says Hendrickson, the redeemed will be exhibited as the monuments of the marvelous grace of our loving Lord who drew us from destruction's pit and raised us to the heights of heavenly bliss and did all this at such a cost to himself that he spared not his own son. And in such a manner that not a single one of his attributes, not even his justice was eclipsed. When is God going to do this? When is he going to show his exceedingly rich grace toward us in kind acts?
It's in the future, in the ages to come. Notice the ages in the plural, which seems to mean all future times. It may well include the age in which we are now, which is sometimes termed the age of grace, but it doesn't stop there. But the ages unfold in eternity to come, thousands and thousands of ages upon ages. God's grace will still be manifested toward us in kind acts.
To all of his creatures, whatever they are, whoever they are, wherever they are, God is going to continue to display you and me as vessels of mercy and grace. He is going to be able to show and demonstrate what his love, mercy, and grace mean to creatures who have never fallen into sin, who don't know what God's grace, mercy, and love are in experience. They've had no need for that, you see.
These creatures of perfection are going to look at you and me and are going to marvel at the grace of God. That's God's purpose for us. What does your future destiny hold? It's more than your being a museum piece. It's not that God is going to set you on a shelf somewhere and point to you that way.
It is that in our involvement with Christ in his eternal reign and in kind things that God is going to do for us, the other creatures of God's universe, unfallen, will behold and marvel, they will ooh and ah as they see the grace of God poured out in what God does for us. What God is cannot be separated from who you are, where you came from, and where you're going.
God is love, and thus he is provided by grace and mercy, not only a way to escape judgment that we deserve, but he has provided for us a destiny that is unthinkable for creatures like us. God is also holy, thus he will surely judge all sin. That which has not been dealt with at the cross and covered there through the blessed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, that sin which has never been brought to the cross for cleansing, will one day be fully dealt with by a holy God.
Every person, every person will ultimately glorify God, either proclaiming his love, or mercy and grace in heaven, or proving his justice, righteousness, and holiness in hell. But God will be glorified in both, because you see both heaven and hell reveal something of the nature of God. I think the question is this, where are you going to spend eternity? And how is it that you will glorify God?
Will it be that against the heart of God and the desire of God, you will go stubbornly on your way into hell forever? And remember, God does not delight in the death of the wicked, but will you force it, will you go that way in your own stubbornness and sinfulness, and thus glorify God in his justice, his holiness?
Or will you tonight bow the knee and trust the Savior, and come to know his grace, the love, the mercy he desires to pour upon your life, not just in this life, in this world, but in the world to come, in eternity, will you receive that grace tonight? Will you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior? How God's heart desires for you to do that. When you do, then, in eternity to come, you will be in heaven, bringing glory to God for his grace. He's manifested to you. Let's pray.
My friend, what is your future destiny? As much as you understand it tonight, with our heads bowed and eyes closed, I wonder if you can say, yes, I know, not by any goodness of mine, any work of mine, but by the grace of God. I know that because I have placed my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that I am going to be in heaven and will there glorify God for his love, mercy, and grace. I know that that is my destiny. Can you say that tonight?
If you can, my friend, lift your hand as a testimony of your own assurance in your heart. You know that. Amen. Now, if you can't say that, if you don't know for sure, would you tonight settle that matter of your salvation? You have tonight the ability to choose life or death, heaven or hell, grace or justice. Which will it be? Will you pray something like this, Lord Jesus? I confess to you my unworthiness and sin, and I receive you as my Savior. I do here and now open my heart's door.
I ask you to come in and save me. I place my faith entirely and solely upon you for my eternal destiny. Forgive me of my sin and give to me the gift of eternal life. Would you pray that right now? Words to that effect. Is that your heart's attitude? My friend, if it is, would you by the uplifted hand indicate that that's your prayer? Would you say, yes, that tonight is my heart's desire? I want to know that I'm saved. I'm on my way to heaven, and I do tonight make that my heart's prayer.
Is there one here? Father, how we rejoice and bless you for your grace, for the great God that you are, and what that means for us, not only in our present but our future. Thank you that you have revealed to us so much, yet our hearts are tantalized by the prospects of those secret things that you've not told us. Lord, what are those kind acts that you will exhibit toward us by which you will prove and manifest your grace to the rest of your creation?
Our minds are left to wonder, but we bless you and we praise you for it. Thank you for all that you are and all that you've called us to be in your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, tonight we want to give ourselves to you afresh and anew. We confess that we are objects of grace, and we desire that your grace might be manifested in our relationships, in our walk of faith, in our obedience to your word, in the joy that we know, Lord, in every aspect of our being.
May we experience fully the grace that you have for us in our walk in this world. In Jesus' name, amen. I'd like us to close by singing number 524, the words of a Bible teacher of another generation, William R. Newell.