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SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 3

TITLE: GOD’S MASTER PLAN FOR SALVATION, PART II

TEXT: EPHESIANS 1:4b-6

INTRODUCTION: (1) PEOPLE TODAY ARE GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT IDENTITY, LIFE PURPOSE, SELF-WORTH AND SELF-ACCEPTANCE.

*CONSEQUENTLY THERE ARE A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF BOOKS, ARTICLES, SEMINARS AND SCHEMES THAT ATTEMPT TO FULFILL THOSE LONGINGS.

**BUT BECAUSE GOD AND HIS WORD ARE NOT CONSIDERED IN MOST OF THESE ATTEMPTS, THE ONLY SOURCE FOR FINDING THE TRUTH IS ELIMINATED AND PEOPLE INEVITABLY ARE LED BACK TO THEMSELVES FOR ANSWERS IN A RELATIVISTIC OR POST-MODERN SOCIETY.

***NOW WHEN I SPEAK OF A RELATIVISTIC OR POST-MODERN PHILOSOPHY, I’M SPEAKING OF VIEWS THAT ETHICAL TRUTH DEPENDS ON WHAT WE THINK AND THAT MAN IS THE FINAL AUTHORITY ON TRUTH.

****THE SOURCE OF AUTHORITY FOR THIS KIND OF THINKING ARE OUR REASON, TRADITION, AND OUR OWN EXPERIENCE.

(2) AND THOSE SOURCES OF AUTHORITY ARE USED TO SHAPE A PERSONS BELIEF SYSTEM, WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS RIGHT OR WRONG, WITH THE PREEMINENT AUTHORITY BEING OUR EXPERIENCE.

*SO IN OUR DAY, FOR MANY, EXPERIENCE HAS BECOME THE DOMINATING SOURCE OF AUTHORITY. IN A RELATIVISTIC SOCIETY NO ONE HAS A RIGHT TO TELL ANYONE THAT HE IS WRONG.

** EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO THEIR OWN THING, AND TRUTH IS WHATEVER THEY WANT IT TO BE. THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES, AND EVERYTHING IS RELATIVE.

***WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG FOR YOU IS RELATIVE TO YOUR EXPERIENCE.

****NO LONGER IS THERE AN OUTSIDE SOURCE TO MAN’S EXISTENCE THAT RENDERS THINGS RIGHT AND WRONG.

(3) MAN AND HIS EXPERIENCE NOW IS THE FINAL JUDGE.

* AND THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MAN-CENTERED WORLD AND BELIEF SYSTEM AND A GOD-CENTERED WORLD AND BELIEF SYSTEM.

**THE BIBLE IS NOT THE FINAL AUTHORITY, OUR EXPERIENCE, OUR REASON, OUR TRADITION IS.

***SO THE ONLY SOURCE FOR FINDING IDENTITY, LIFE AND PURPOSE IS IN SELF, AND PEOPLE ARE LED BACK TO THEMSELVES FOR ANSWERS.

****YET THE ONLY WAY A PERSON CAN HAVE A TRUE SENSE OF IDENTITY, PURPOSE AND WORTH TO LIFE IS TO HAVE A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR CREATOR.

(4) AND THE CREATOR REVEALS HIMSELF THROUGH CONSCIENCE, HIS CREATION, AND HIS REVELATION HE HAS GIVEN TO MAN, THE BIBLE, THE FINAL AUTHORITY FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS FOR A CHRISTIAN.

*AND THAT BOOK CALLED THE BIBLE, THE BOOK OF ALL BOOKS, GOD’S BOOK, DECLARES THAT A PERSON WITHOUT CHRIST HAS NO SPIRITUAL VALUE, NO STANDING BEFORE GOD AND NO PURPOSE OR STANDING IN THE WORLD.

**HOWEVER, IN CONTRAST, A CHRISTIAN IS A CHILD OF GOD AND THUS IS A JOINT HEIR WITH CHRIST BY ADOPTION.

***GOD HAS A GREAT PURPOSE THAT HE HAS FOREORDAINED FOR THEIR LIVES. HE HAS BLESSED US IN CHRIST WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING AND WE ARE RIGHT IN JESUS CHRIST.

****SO OUR IDENTITY, LIFE PURPOSE AND WORTH COME THROUGH WHAT GOD HAS ORDAINED FOR US IN CHRIST.

(5) AND IF THAT PERSON HAS NO COMPREHENSION OF THOSE BLESSINGS, THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE POSITION THEY ALREADY HAVE IN THEIR SAVIOR.

*AND TO GIVE SUCH CHRISTIANS THE RIGHT UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR POSITION AND SPIRITUAL POSSESSIONS IS THE FOUNDATIONAL THRUST OF PAUL’S EPHESIAN LETTER.

**FOR IF WE BELONG, PAUL SAYS, WE CAN BE SURE THAT GOD PUT OUR NAME DOWN AS PART OF HIS CHURCH EVEN BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN.

***OUT OF GRACE AND DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY, HE CHOSE EACH ONE OF US AS BELIEVERS TO BELONG TO HIM.

****AND IT WAS NOT BECAUSE WE WERE MORE WORTHY THAN ANYONE ELSE OR MORE DESERVING, BUT SIMPLY BECAUSE GOD WILLED TO CHOOSE US.

(6) SO FOR THE CHRISTIAN, OUR IDENTITY, OUR LIFE PURPOSE AND OUR WORTH IS ALL IN CHRIST AND BECAUSE OF HIS GRACE.

*AND GOD’S WORD IS OUR FINAL AUTHORITY, AND NOT OUR EXPERIENCE, OUR LOGIC, OR OUR TRADITION.

**AND WE SEE GOD AS SOVEREIGN IN EVERYTHING INCLUDING OUR SALVATION.

***AND IN THESE OPENING VERSES IN EPHESIANS PAUL GIVES US A GLIMPSE OF GOD THE FATHER’S SOVEREIGN WORK IN ETERNITY PAST.

****HE LETS US EAVESDROP AS GOD PLANNED TO SAVE US – NOT ONLY LONG BEFORE WE WERE BORN, BUT LONG BEFORE THE EARTH WAS BORN.

(7) NOW SPECIFICALLY TODAY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE FIRST SECTION OF THIS LONG SENTENCE, WHICH CENTERS ON THE FATHER’S WORK AND THE PAST ASPECT OF ELECTION IN GOD’S MASTER PLAN OF SALVATION.

*AND WE ARE CENTERING OUR THOUGHTS ON THE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS THAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST AS WE PRAISE AND EULOGIZE OUR GREAT GOD FOR HIS GREAT WORK OF GRACE IN OUR LIVES.

** AND WE’LL DO THAT TODAY BY LOOKING AT VERSES 4B – 6 AND 3 POINTS.

***NO.1 THE PURPOSE OF OUR ELECTION, V4B, NO. 2 THE PREDESTINATION OF BELIEVERS TO ADOPTION AS SONS, V.5, AND NO.3 THE PRAISE GIVEN TO GOD THE FATHER OF THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE, V.6.

****AND WITH THOSE POINTS TO HANG YOUR THOUGHTS ON, LOOK AT V.4 WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR FIRST POINT TODAY, THE PURPOSE. LOOK AT EPHESIANS 1:4 PLEASE.

I. THE PURPOSE, (READ V.4)

A. NOW LAST WEEK IN OUR STUDY WE LEARNED THAT GOD THE FATHER CHOSE PEOPLE FOR SALVATION BEFORE THE FOUNDATION THE WORLD.

*AND THAT THE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS THAT BELIEVERS HAVE BEGIN WITH AND ARE BASED ON ELECTION.

**GOD IS THE SUBJECT HERE AND BELIEVERS ARE THE OBJECT. GOD DID SOMETHING BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.

***THIS IS GOD’S ACTIVITY, GOD INITIATES THIS, GOD DOES THIS, HE IS THE FIRST CAUSE, THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS ACTION.

****NOW AS WE MOVE ON IN V.4 THERE IS BOTH A PURPOSE AND A RESULT OF GOD’S CHOOSING THOSE WHO ARE TO BE SAVED.

1. THAT WE (BELIEVERS) SHOULD BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM.

*AND PAUL HERE IS TALKING ABOUT OUR POSITION IN CHRIST, WHAT HAPPENS AS A RESULT OF OUR ELECTION.

**AND WHAT HAPPENS? WELL, UNRIGHTEOUS PERSONS AT CONVERSION ARE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY.

***UNWORTHY PEOPLE ARE DECLARED WORTHY. WE ARE SET APART TO GOD AND MADE RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY AND BLAMELESS.

****AND THE WORD BLAMELESS OR WITHOUT BLAME HERE LITERALLY MEANS WITHOUT BLEMISH OR SPOTLESS.

2. AND IN THE SEPTUAGINT, THE GREEK TRANSLATION OF THE O.T., THIS WORD IS USED OF SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS; ONLY THOSE WITHOUT BLEMISH COULD BE OFFERED TO GOD.

*AND WE KNOW IN OUR NATURAL STATE WE HAVE MANY BLEMISHES, BUT THROUGH GOD’S ELECTING GRACE WE ARE MADE RIGHTEOUS, DECLARED RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST.

**GOD’S PURPOSE IN ELECTION IS TO MAKE PEOPLE HOLY – THAT IS CLEANSED FROM ALL SIN AND SEPARATED ENTIRELY TO GOD, FAULTLESS, THAT IS WITHOUT ANY BLEMISH LIKE OUR PERFECT SACRIFICIAL LAMB – CHRIST.

***AND OUR POSITION BEFORE HIM, BEFORE GOD IS HOLY, WE ARE SAINTS, HOLY ONES IN CHRIST.

****AND BECAUSE THAT IS OUR POSITION AND ULTIMATELY WILL BE OUR STATE WHEN WE ARE WITH CHRIST, THAT SHOULD BE OUR PRESENT DESIRE – TO BE HOLY.

3. FOR GENUINE SALVATION LEADS TO SANCTIFICATION. IT LEADS TO HOLY AFFECTIONS, HOLY DESIRES.

*AND WE DON’T ALWAYS YIELD TO THOSE HOLY DESIRES, DO WE? SOMETIMES WE YIELD TO THE FLESH.

**BUT THEY ARE THERE, AND WHEN WE DON’T YIELD TO THOSE HOLY DESIRES AND AFFECTIONS WE GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT.

***AND PRACTICAL PROGRESSIVE SANCTIFICATION WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE LIFE OF A TRUE BELIEVER.

****OUR DESIRE THEN WILL BE TO MATCH UP OUR PRACTICE WITH OUR POSITION. WE WILL HUNGER FOR HOLINESS AND ARE CONVICTED AND MISERABLE WHEN WE ARE NOT.

4. BUT IF THERE IS NO SANCTIFICATION, THERE HAS BEEN NO SALVATION.

*ELECTION TO SALVATION AND ELECTION TO HOLINESS GO TOGETHER. THEY CANNOT BE SEPARATED.

**AND NOTHING LESS THAN THIS BECOMES THE CONSCIOUS GOAL OF THOSE IN WHOSE HEARTS GOD HAS BEGUN TO WORK OUT HIS PLAN OF ETERNAL ELECTION.

***SO THE PURPOSE AND RESULT OF GOD’S CHOOSING THOSE WHO ARE TO BE SAVED IS WE WILL BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS IN OUR POSITION BEFORE HIM AND WILL GROW IN HOLINESS IN OUR PRACTICE.

****WHICH LEADS US TO THE LAST PART OF V.4 AND V.5 AND OUR SECOND POINT TODAY, THE PREDESTINATION. LOOK BACK AT THE ENDO OF V. 4 PLEASE.

II. THE PREDESTINATION, (READ V.4B AND V.5)

A. NOW THERE IS DISAGREEMENT TO WHAT THE TWO WORDS “IN LOVE” MODIFY.

*DO THESE TWO WORDS MODIFY THAT WE SHOULD BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM IN LOVE, THAT “IN LOVE” GOES TOGETHER WITH WHAT IS STATED BEFORE?

**OR DO THE WORDS “IN LOVE” MODIFY WHAT FOLLOWS IN V.5, “IN LOVE HE PREDESTINATED US.”

***WELL, MOST OF THE SCHOLARS I STUDIED IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY COMMUNICATE THAT NATURALLY IN THE FLOW OF THE CONTEXT “IN LOVE” MODIFIES “HE PREDESTINED US.”

***AND I AGREE. THAT’S WHY I HAVE IN MY SECOND POINT HERE CONNECTED THEM TOGETHER.

1. IN OTHER WORDS, THIS PHRASE, “IN LOVE” INTRODUCES GOD’S MOTIVE FOR HIS ELECTION PURPOSE.

*GOD ELECTS THOSE WHO ARE SAVED BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE.

**AND JUST AS GOD CHOSE ISRAEL TO BE HIS SPECIAL PEOPLE ONLY BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE, SO HE ALSO CHOSE THE CHURCH, INDIVIDUALS THAT MAKE UP THE CHURCH BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE.

***DEUTERONOMY 7:7&8 SAYS: “THE LORD DID NOT SET HIS LOVE ON YOU NOR CHOOSE YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE MORE IN NUMBER THAN ANY OF THE PEOPLES, FOR YOU WERE THE FEWEST OF ALL PEOPLES, BUT BECAUSE THE LORD LOVED YOU AND KEPT THE OATH WHICH HE SWORE TO YOUR FOREFATHERS, THE LORD BROUGHT YOU OUT BY A MIGHTY HAND, AND REDEEMED YOU FROM THE HOUSE OF SLAVERY, FROM THE HAND OR PHARAOH KING OF EGYPT.”

****SO THE MOTIVE FOR CHOOSING ISRAEL WAS LOVE, NOTHING FORESEEN IN THEM, SO THE MOTIVE FOR GOD CHOOSING PEOPLE TO BE SAVED IS LOVE.

2. HIS UNMERITED ETERNAL LOVE FOR UNLOVABLE PEOPLE, LOVE WAS THE MOTIVATION.

*SO “IN LOVE” HE PREDESTINED PEOPLE TO ADOPTION AS SONS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST TO HIMSELF.

**AND THE GREEK WORD FOR PREDESTINED IS ON THE SCREEN.

proori,zw proorizo {pro-or-id'-zo}

Meaning: 1) to predetermine, decide beforehand 2) in the NT of God decreeing from eternity 3) to foreordain, appoint beforehand

Usage: AV - predestinate 4, determine before 1, ordain 1; 6

***AND IT LITERALLY MEANS TO PREDETERMINE, TO DECIDE BEFOREHAND, TO DECLARE FROM ETERNITY, TO FOREORDAIN, TO APPOINT BEFOREHAND.

****AND OF ALL THOSE WORDS, TO FOREORDAIN IS PROBABLY THE BEST SYNONYM.

3. SO GOD IN HIS LOVE FOREORDAINED “US”, (BELIEVERS) THOSE WHO HAVE BELIEVED AND WHO WILL BELIEVE AS ADOPTION AS SONS.

*MEANING THAT THE RESULT OF GOD’S ELECTION IS OUR ADOPTION AS SONS.

**GOD LOVINGLY DRAWS SINNERS INTO THE INTIMACY OF HIS OWN FAMILY.

***GOD HAS DECLARED THAT HIS ELECT WILL BE HIS CHILDREN, BECOME A PART OF HIS FAMILY.

****AND WHAT A SPIRITUAL BLESSING. WE GO FROM SINNERS AND REBELS TO SONS BECAUSE OF GOD’S ELECTING LOVE IN WHAT HE FOREORDAINED TO DO.

4. GOD IN HIS LOVE FOREORDAINED THAT WE WOULD BE ADOPTED AS SONS. ELECTION IS IN CHRIST, LEADING TO ADOPTION INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD WITH ALL ITS PRIVILEGES AND BLESSINGS.

*WE BECOME HEIRS OF GOD AND JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST. WE HAVE ALL THE BLESSINGS AND INHERITANCE THAT COME ALONG WITH BEING A CHILD OF GOD, A FULL FLEDGED CHILD.

**FOR YOU SEE THE WORD ADOPTION HERE LITERALLY MEANS, “A PLACING AS A SON”. FOR IN ADOPTION, A CHILD IS BROUGHT INTO A FAMILY AND IS GIVEN THE SAME RIGHTS AS A CHILD WHO IS NATURALLY A PART OF THE FAMILY.

***AND THROUGH OUR ADOPTION, GOD BECOMES OUR FATHER AND WE BECOME A TRUE SON OF HIM.

****ROMANS 8:15 SAYS: “FOR YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SPIRIT OF SLAVERY LEADING TO FEAR AGAIN, BUT YOU HAVE RECEIVED A SPIRIT OF ADOPTION AS SONS BY WHICH WE CRY OUT, “ABBA! FATHER!”

5. AND HUMAN PARENTS CAN ADOPT CHILDREN AND COME TO LOVE THEM EVERY BIT AS MUCH AS THEY LOVE THEIR NATURAL CHILDREN.

*THEY CAN GIVE AN ADOPTED CHILD COMPLETE EQUALITY IN THE FAMILY LIFE, RESOURCES, AND INHERITANCE.

**BUT NO HUMAN PARENT CAN IMPART HIS OWN DISTINCT NATURE TO AN ADOPTED CHILD.

***YET THAT IS WHAT GOD MIRACULOUSLY DOES TO EVERY PERSON WHOM HE HAS ELECTED AND WHO WILL TURN TO CHRIST.

****HE MAKES THEM SONS JUST LIKE HIS DIVINE SON. SO CHRISTIANS NOT ONLY HAVE ALL OF THE SON’S RIGHTS AND BLESSINGS BUT ALL OF THE SON’S NATURE.

6. BECAUSE OF OUR ADOPTION, WE NOW HAVE A NEW NATURE AND THE MIND OF CHRIST TO PLEASE OUR FATHER.

*NOW UNDERSTAND THAT GOD DID NOT FOREORDAIN OUR ADOPTION AS SONS BY ANYTHING FORESEEN IN US OR BY ANYTHING WE COULD DO, BUT AT THE END OF V.5, ACCORDING TO THE KIND INTENTION OF HIS WILL.

**HE DID IT ACCORDING TO HIS GOOD PLEASURE. HE WAS MOTIVATED BY LOVE. YET THERE WAS NOTHING FORESEEN IN US THAT WOULD ATTRACT GOD TO US, THERE IS NO FORESEEN RESPONSE IN US, NO FORESEEN OBEDIENCE.

***HE FOREORDAINED US, HIS ELECT OUT OF LOVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS PLEASURE AND WILL, NO OUR PLEASURE AND WILL.

****AGAIN THIS IS THEOCENTRIC. IT IS GOD-CENTERED, AROUND HIS WILL AND NOT OURS.

7. BELOVED, OUR SALVATION REVOLVES AROUND GOD’S WILL, NOT OURS, HIS INTENTION, NOT OURS, HIS GOOD PLEASURES, NOT OURS.

*NOW THE QUESTION COMES UP AT THIS POINT, WHY DID GOD DO ALL OF THAT FOR US? WHY DID HE WANT US TO BE HIS SONS?

**WELL, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS FOUND IN V.6 WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR THIRD POINT TODAY, THE PRAISE. LOOK AT V. 6 PLEASE.

III. THE PRAISE (READ V. 6)

A. NOW THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF ELECTION TO SALVATION, TO OUR BEING FOREORDAINED TO BECOME ADOPTED SONS IS FOR GOD’S GLORY.

*TO THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY OF GOD.

**GOD CHOSE AND PRE-ORDAINED SALVATION IN ORDER THAT NO HUMAN BEING COULD BOAST OR TAKE GLORY FOR HIMSELF, BUT THAT ALL THE GLORY MIGHT BE HIS! I COR. 1:26-29

***ABOVE ALL ELSE, GOD ELECTS AND SAVES US FOR HIS OWN GLORY!

****BELOVED, IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM, NOT US. IT’S ALL ABOUT HIS GLORY, NOT OURS. IT’S ALL ABOUT HIS WILL, NOT OURS.

1. AND AS PHILIPPIANS 2:13 SAYS: “FOR IT IS GOD WHO IS AT WORK IN YOU, BOTH TO WILL AND TO WORK FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE.”

*II THESSALONIANS 1:11&12 SAYS: “TO THIS END ALSO WE PRAY FOR YOU ALWAYS THAT OUR GOD MAY COUNT YOU WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING, AND FULFILL EVERY DESIRE FOR GOODNESS AND THE WORK OF FAITH WITH POWER; IN ORDER THAT THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS MAY BE GLORIFIED IN YOU, AND YOU IN HIM, ACCORDING TO THE GRACE OF OUR GOD AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.”

**NOW AGAIN IT’S ALL ABOUT GOD’S GLORY AND THIS WILL BE REPEATED IN VV.12&14

***FOR IF YOU LOOK DOWN TO V.12 AT THE END OF IT, IT SAYS: ”TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.”

****AND AS YOU LOOK DOWN TO THE END OF V.14 IT SAY: “TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.”

2. SO IT’S ALL OUT GOD’S GLORY AND GOD’S GRACE, HIS UNMERITED FAVOR, HIS FREE MERCY, HIS GOOD WILL.

*AND THIS GRACE WAS FREELY BESTOWED ON US IN THE BELOVED, AND WHO IS THE BELOVED ONE OF THE FATHER?

**THE ANSWER IS THE SON. READ MATT. 3:16&17.

***SO THE BELOVED ONE IS THE SON, HE IS THE SPECIALLY LOVED ONE, “THE SON OF HIS LOVE,” COLOSSIANS 1:13.

****AND THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF OUR ELECTION IS PRAISE TO OUR GREAT GOD.

3. HIS GLORIOUS GRACE IS EXALTED, THOSE UNDESERVED RICHES IN CHRIST.

*AND THE EMPHASIS HERE IS ON THE BOUNTY OF IT, FOR THE WORDS, WHICH HE FREELY BESTOWED OR FREELY GIVE ARE LITERALLY “BEGRACED”.

**TO THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE WHICH HE GRANTS TO US IS THE LITERAL MEANING HERE. GOD HAS BEGRACED US IN HIS SON.

***TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORIOUS GRACE WHICH HE GRANTS TO US IS THE MEANING HERE.

AND AS I WRAP UP THE TEXT: (1) LET ME SAY THAT SINCE SALVATION IS ALL OF GOD’S GRACE, CHRISTIANS CERTAINLY OUGHT TO PRAISE HIM FOR IT!

*AND BELOVED, THAT IS WHY WE NOW CHOSE TO GIVE OUR GREAT GOD PRAISE FOR HIS WONDERFUL, OUTSTANDING, AMAZING GRACE!

**SALVATION IS NOT PARTLY OF GOD AND PARTLY OF MAN, BUT ENTIRELY OF GOD.

***SO TO GUARANTEE OUR SALVATION, EVERY PROVISION AND EVERY DETAIL OF IT WAS ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE ANY HUMAN BEING WAS EVER BORN OR BEFORE A PLANET WAS FORMED ON WHICH HE COULD BE BORN.

****AND THE ULTIMATE REASON FOR EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS IS THE GLORY OF GOD’S GRACE.

(2) AND THAT IS WHY AS GOD’S CHILDREN, CHRISTIANS SHOULD DO EVERYTHING THEY DO TO THE GLORY OF GOD. READ - I CORINTHIANS 10:31, MATTHEW 5:16, I CORINTHIANS 6:19&20, I PETER 4:16, AND REVELATION 4:11.

*SO WE WERE CREATED FOR GOD’S PLEASURE AND GLORY, THAT’S WHAT WE ARE TO BE DOING.

**THE QUESTION IS, IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE LIVING FOR? FOR YOU SEE, SELFISH LIVING DOESN’T GLORIFY GOD. LIVING FOR ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF CHRIST DOESN’T GLORIFY THE FATHER.

*** BUT CHRISTIANS I REMIND YOU, THAT GOD HAS GRACED US WITH HIS GRACE. WE HAVE A GREAT SALVATION THAT WAS ALL PLANNED OUT AHEAD OF TIME.

****WE HAVE ALL THESE GREAT SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN CHRIST, ELECTION, GRACE, ADOPTION, REDEMPTION, OUR INHERITANCE.

3. AND WITH ALL OF THOSE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS HOW CAN WE NOT LIVE FOR OUR GREAT GOD AND PRAISE HIM?

*HOW CAN WE NOT GIVE HIM OUR ALL? THE PSALMIST SAID IN PSALM 116:12 (READ IT)

**NOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS IN MY ALL.

THESE DOCTRINES WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING SHOULD LEAD TO HUMILITY, PRAISE AND SACRIFICE.

***THESE DOCTRINES SHOULD LEAD TO DOXOLOGY AND THESE DOCTRINES SHOULD LEAD TO DUTY AND FOCUSING ON OUR SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN CHRIST. WE ARE RICH!

****MAY WE LIVE LIKE IT.

        READ ROMANS 12:1 AND PRAY.