Podcast appearances and mentions of james montgomery boice

The letter of Romans strengthened the ancient church, brought reformation to the dark ages, has brought hope for 2000 years, and can change your life!This week Pastor Joel continues Part 2 of his message series in the book of the Bible called Romans, “Bold Faith That Wins”. Are there some ideas in the Bible, such as predestination, you don't want to wrestle with? Over the next several weeks, Joel will be doing just that in one of the most controversial texts in the Bible, Romans chapter 9. What should be our proper disposition? This is a special four part series that will span the year of 2025.LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:• Recommended reading for this series• Ray Stedman; J.I. Packer; James Montgomery Boice; Ben Shapiro; Penn Jillette; Ed & Kathy Litton; Dwight L. Moody• Download the free study guide by visiting and clicking on the button "Download Study Guide"⁠• Find a complete transcript here• Scripture References: Romans 9, verses 1-5; Matthew 7, verses 13-14; Matthew 6; Matthew 25; Acts 23; Aninias & Saul of Tarsus (Paul) Acts 9; James• Find out more about Covenant Church at ⁠covenantexperience.com

On Easter Sunday, we launched our new series From Here On... by looking at the powerful, symbolic encounter between the risen Jesus and His disciples in John 21:1-14. Through this “pageant,” as James Montgomery Boice describes it, we see not only the truth of the resurrection but the renewed purpose and personal relationship it brings. From failure to friendship, from emptiness to abundance, and from distance to invitation—we are reminded that from here on, death is swallowed up in victory, and we are welcomed to the table of grace.For more information about Integrity Church, visit our website, http://liveintegritychurch.org Connect with us on social media throughout the week to stay up to date on events and things happening at Integrity! Instagram: @integrity_church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveintegrity/

The second verse in the 23rd Psalm is a peculiar one for those of us not accustomed to the undeveloped lands of the Bible. When you read of green pastures and quiet waters you most likely think of Goshen County, WY which produces more beef cattle than any other Wyoming county in our state. When I read Psalm 23, I think of the New Jersey Highlands consisting of lots of green and lots of water. But the green pastures that David had in mind was a dry and rocky set of rolling hills with tough grass sparsely scattered throughout. The grass was so sparsely scattered, that if one of the sheep wandered off, he would most likely starve to death if any of the predators in the region didnt find him first, and depending on the season, water was even more difficult to find. Because sheep are the most helpless of animals; they are not just dependent on the shepherd but are in absolute need of a shepherd for survival. Sometime ago there was a story out of Istanbul that reported the death of four sheep. Their shepherds reportedly neglected their flock by leaving the sheep to roam free so that they could eat breakfast. The sheep followed their leader right off a cliff; one by one, four hundred of them fell nearly 50 feet to their deaths. The loss of sheep was estimated to be $74,000. In the ancient world, shepherding was the least respected of occupations and required the full attention of the shepherd all the time. If a family had sheep, the youngest son was expected to serve as a shepherd. Because David was the youngest of eight sons, his job was to shepherd the sheep for his father Jesse. When David wrote this psalm, he wrote from his own experience, and like all other shepherds, David lived with the sheep. To appreciate this Psalm, we need to understand why it is structured the way that it is. There are five images that include the critical role of the shepherd as he leads, guides, and provides for his sheep; each Sunday, we will consider one of the five images we are given. So that you know where we are going, I will list them for you here: Image #1: The Abundant Life (vv. 2-3a) Image #2: The Secure Life (v. 3b) Image #3: The Hard Life (v. 4) Image #4: The Victorious Life (v. 5) Image #5: The Everlasting Life (v. 6) Today we will consider the first image, which is where the Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm is ultimately leading His sheep, and that is the abundant life. What is the Way to the Abundant Life? For a sheep to lie down four things need to happen: They need to be free of fear, friction, flies, and hunger. Phillip Keller spent eight years as a shepherd before he became a pastor, in his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he wrote of what it takes to get sheep to lie down: It is almost impossible for sheep to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear. Because of the social behavior within a flock sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax. Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger.[1] It is only the shepherd who can provide the kind of trust, peace, deliverance, and pasture that the sheep need. Yet, of the five images in this Psalm, David begins with the one about rest. The first thing that we receive from Yahweh as our Shepherd, is rest. How does He provide us with rest? According to the NASB2020, He lets me lie down in green pastures... He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul... The Hebrew word for lets is the Hebrew word rbṣ and most translations translate this word as make. If you are using the NIV, the ESV, or an older version of the NASB, Psalm 23:2 reads something like this: He makes me lie down in green pastures... So which is it? Does Jesus, as our good Shepherd make us lie down or does He, let us lie down in green pastures? The Hebrew word for lets is both causative and imperfect so literally it can be translated, He causes me to lie down in green pastures... So, why does all matter? Our Shepherd removes from His sheep every agitation and threat that would keep us from the kind of rest we were made for and the rest that we need. However, the presence of Jesus in our lives not only causes us to lie down, but He also takes us to quiet waters; in Hebrew, quiet waters is literally waters of rest. Where the quiet waters are, so there is life for all that surrounds those waters, and where there are green pastures and still waters in the dry and rocky climate of a cursed world, there is renewal. What kind of renewal you ask? The kind that restores the soul of the sheep. The Hebrew word used for restores means to turn back or return. The place that the Psalmist is describing is the place where those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5:6) will be filled and refreshed by resting in the Shepherd of the 23rdPsalm. It is Jesus who said, Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28). It is the Lord of the 23rd Psalm who said: I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty (John 6:35). The Good Shepherd said, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). According to Psalm 23, the Christian life begins with rest, and the kind of rest we receive is the abundant life that can only come through Jesus. But what is the abundant life? Is it prosperity in the worlds eyes? Is it the pain free life? What is the abundant life that Jesus came so that we, as His sheep, would have? What Kind of Abundant Life Does the Shepherd Provide? The abundant life is a life rooted in Jesus. The abundant life comes out of the abiding life. So, what is the abiding life you ask? Jesus told us what the abiding life is in John 6:54-56, The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him (John 6:5456). The Greek word for remain is menō. If you are using the ESV or an older version of the NASB, you will see the word abide instead of remain. To remain or abide is to rest in Jesus and to rest in Him is to take up residence in the life of Christ. How does one do that? You do it by taking into your mind, heart, and soul all that Jesus is and all that he taught and commanded us to do. The same Greek word is used in John 15:5, I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. So what does it mean to have the abundant life? Does the abundant life mean that you have a pain free life? If the abundant life means that the Shepherds will for you is to be comfortable with little to no suffering in this life, then what do you do with our Shepherds words to his sheep: In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33b)? The New Living Translation is closer to Jesus point: Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. If the green pastures and quite waters do not include the kind of agitation and trouble that suffering brings, then what do you do with Jesus warning to his disciples: You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all people because of My name. And yet not a hair of your head will perish (Luke 21:1618). If the green pastures and quiet waters that the Jesus leads his people to does not include suffering and even death, then what do you say to the fathers, the mothers, the children, and the friends of the 70 Christians who were taken from their village at 4am on the morning on February 13th of this year by a rebel group with ties to the Islamic State? They were taken by force to a Protestant church where they were slaughtered with machetes and hammers; those 70 Christians were our brothers and sisters in the faith. They heard the call of Jesus and followed Him (see John 10:14-16), yet when their bodies were discovered, each of them was also beheaded. Where are the green pastures and quiet waters of those 70 beheaded Christians from the Congo if the 23rd Psalm is also for them? Those 70 beheaded brothers and sisters are now included among the martyred saints described in Revelation 6:9-11, When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth? And a white robe was given to each of them; and they were told that they were to rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, was completed also. (Rev. 6:911) Those 70 Christians among the masses in heaven who are asking the question: How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth? Notice the answer they received: rest for a little while longer, until the number of your fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who are to be killed even as you have been killed, is complete (v. 11). There will be more who will be massacred, butchered, and slaughtered in the name of the Good Shepherd, but that is not the end of their story! In March another 47 Christians from the Congo were martyred for following Jesus, and to date 287 Christians have been killed for their faith since Christmas of 2024. So, where was their green pasture? Where were the quiet waters for those followers of the Good Shepherd? We are given an answer in Revelation 7:9-17. We are told that right now all 287 of those who died for their faith in the Congo sing, and they are joined with other brothers and sisters who followed the Good Shepherd to their deaths, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages. Today, they shout triumphantly: Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb (Rev. 7:9ff.). But that is not all that we are told, for what they have is infinitely more precious than the comfort and safety we all hope to have in this life. I want to show you something from Revelation 7:13-17 that will help make sense of what is promised to us in the 23rd Psalm: Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from? 14I said to him, My lord, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. 16They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Do you see the answer for where the green pastures and quiet waters are for those who suffer, especially for those who suffer for their faith in the Good Shepherd? God currently shelters the scores of martyred Christians with His presence according to Revelation 7:15, but do you see what verses 16-17 say and how familiar it sounds to Psalm 23? Lets look at these verses again: They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. The reason why these Christians, and every other Christian in heaven no longer hungers or thirsts is because they are in the presence of the Lamb who is their shepherd. The sun no longer beats down on them with its scorching heat because they have been delivered from the wilderness of a cursed world! The Lamb is the spring of water of life, and it is because of the triumph of the Lamb that every tear will be wiped from their eyes. Conclusion Listen, the 70 who were beheaded, those who suffer in this life, and every other Christian who belongs to the Good Shepherd had the green pastures and quiet waters during their life on earth because they had Jesus, and they found that their hunger and thirst for righteousness was satisfied in Him. Although the 70 Christians from the Congo lost their lives, they did not lose what belonged to them, for they have what is promised to every Christian in the 23rd Psalm because they have the Lamb who is their Shepherd. Psalm 23 is not some cute passage for coffee mugs, t-shirts, and memorial cards! It is so much more. If Jesus is your shepherd, you have all that you need in Him. If you have Jesus, then you have the green pastures and quiet waters promised to all whose Lord is their shepherd. My question for you dear friend, is this: Who is the Lamb of God to you? If Jesus is your shepherd, then in what ways are you abiding in Him? How can you expect to experience the kinds of green pastures and quiet waters promised in Psalm 23 if you are not going to Jesus to satisfy the kind of hunger and thirst that only He can satisfy? [1] James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 141: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 209.

The second verse in the 23rd Psalm is a peculiar one for those of us not accustomed to the undeveloped lands of the Bible. When you read of green pastures and quiet waters you most likely think of Goshen County, WY which produces more beef cattle than any other Wyoming county in our state. When I read Psalm 23, I think of the New Jersey Highlands consisting of lots of green and lots of water. But the green pastures that David had in mind was a dry and rocky set of rolling hills with tough grass sparsely scattered throughout. The grass was so sparsely scattered, that if one of the sheep wandered off, he would most likely starve to death if any of the predators in the region didnt find him first, and depending on the season, water was even more difficult to find. Because sheep are the most helpless of animals; they are not just dependent on the shepherd but are in absolute need of a shepherd for survival. Sometime ago there was a story out of Istanbul that reported the death of four sheep. Their shepherds reportedly neglected their flock by leaving the sheep to roam free so that they could eat breakfast. The sheep followed their leader right off a cliff; one by one, four hundred of them fell nearly 50 feet to their deaths. The loss of sheep was estimated to be $74,000. In the ancient world, shepherding was the least respected of occupations and required the full attention of the shepherd all the time. If a family had sheep, the youngest son was expected to serve as a shepherd. Because David was the youngest of eight sons, his job was to shepherd the sheep for his father Jesse. When David wrote this psalm, he wrote from his own experience, and like all other shepherds, David lived with the sheep. To appreciate this Psalm, we need to understand why it is structured the way that it is. There are five images that include the critical role of the shepherd as he leads, guides, and provides for his sheep; each Sunday, we will consider one of the five images we are given. So that you know where we are going, I will list them for you here: Image #1: The Abundant Life (vv. 2-3a) Image #2: The Secure Life (v. 3b) Image #3: The Hard Life (v. 4) Image #4: The Victorious Life (v. 5) Image #5: The Everlasting Life (v. 6) Today we will consider the first image, which is where the Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm is ultimately leading His sheep, and that is the abundant life. What is the Way to the Abundant Life? For a sheep to lie down four things need to happen: They need to be free of fear, friction, flies, and hunger. Phillip Keller spent eight years as a shepherd before he became a pastor, in his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he wrote of what it takes to get sheep to lie down: It is almost impossible for sheep to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear. Because of the social behavior within a flock sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax. Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger.[1] It is only the shepherd who can provide the kind of trust, peace, deliverance, and pasture that the sheep need. Yet, of the five images in this Psalm, David begins with the one about rest. The first thing that we receive from Yahweh as our Shepherd, is rest. How does He provide us with rest? According to the NASB2020, He lets me lie down in green pastures... He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul... The Hebrew word for lets is the Hebrew word rbṣ and most translations translate this word as make. If you are using the NIV, the ESV, or an older version of the NASB, Psalm 23:2 reads something like this: He makes me lie down in green pastures... So which is it? Does Jesus, as our good Shepherd make us lie down or does He, let us lie down in green pastures? The Hebrew word for lets is both causative and imperfect so literally it can be translated, He causes me to lie down in green pastures... So, why does all matter? Our Shepherd removes from His sheep every agitation and threat that would keep us from the kind of rest we were made for and the rest that we need. However, the presence of Jesus in our lives not only causes us to lie down, but He also takes us to quiet waters; in Hebrew, quiet waters is literally waters of rest. Where the quiet waters are, so there is life for all that surrounds those waters, and where there are green pastures and still waters in the dry and rocky climate of a cursed world, there is renewal. What kind of renewal you ask? The kind that restores the soul of the sheep. The Hebrew word used for restores means to turn back or return. The place that the Psalmist is describing is the place where those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5:6) will be filled and refreshed by resting in the Shepherd of the 23rdPsalm. It is Jesus who said, Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28). It is the Lord of the 23rd Psalm who said: I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty (John 6:35). The Good Shepherd said, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). According to Psalm 23, the Christian life begins with rest, and the kind of rest we receive is the abundant life that can only come through Jesus. But what is the abundant life? Is it prosperity in the worlds eyes? Is it the pain free life? What is the abundant life that Jesus came so that we, as His sheep, would have? What Kind of Abundant Life Does the Shepherd Provide? The abundant life is a life rooted in Jesus. The abundant life comes out of the abiding life. So, what is the abiding life you ask? Jesus told us what the abiding life is in John 6:54-56, The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him (John 6:5456). The Greek word for remain is menō. If you are using the ESV or an older version of the NASB, you will see the word abide instead of remain. To remain or abide is to rest in Jesus and to rest in Him is to take up residence in the life of Christ. How does one do that? You do it by taking into your mind, heart, and soul all that Jesus is and all that he taught and commanded us to do. The same Greek word is used in John 15:5, I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. So what does it mean to have the abundant life? Does the abundant life mean that you have a pain free life? If the abundant life means that the Shepherds will for you is to be comfortable with little to no suffering in this life, then what do you do with our Shepherds words to his sheep: In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33b)? The New Living Translation is closer to Jesus point: Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. If the green pastures and quite waters do not include the kind of agitation and trouble that suffering brings, then what do you do with Jesus warning to his disciples: You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all people because of My name. And yet not a hair of your head will perish (Luke 21:1618). If the green pastures and quiet waters that the Jesus leads his people to does not include suffering and even death, then what do you say to the fathers, the mothers, the children, and the friends of the 70 Christians who were taken from their village at 4am on the morning on February 13th of this year by a rebel group with ties to the Islamic State? They were taken by force to a Protestant church where they were slaughtered with machetes and hammers; those 70 Christians were our brothers and sisters in the faith. They heard the call of Jesus and followed Him (see John 10:14-16), yet when their bodies were discovered, each of them was also beheaded. Where are the green pastures and quiet waters of those 70 beheaded Christians from the Congo if the 23rd Psalm is also for them? Those 70 beheaded brothers and sisters are now included among the martyred saints described in Revelation 6:9-11, When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth? And a white robe was given to each of them; and they were told that they were to rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, was completed also. (Rev. 6:911) Those 70 Christians among the masses in heaven who are asking the question: How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth? Notice the answer they received: rest for a little while longer, until the number of your fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who are to be killed even as you have been killed, is complete (v. 11). There will be more who will be massacred, butchered, and slaughtered in the name of the Good Shepherd, but that is not the end of their story! In March another 47 Christians from the Congo were martyred for following Jesus, and to date 287 Christians have been killed for their faith since Christmas of 2024. So, where was their green pasture? Where were the quiet waters for those followers of the Good Shepherd? We are given an answer in Revelation 7:9-17. We are told that right now all 287 of those who died for their faith in the Congo sing, and they are joined with other brothers and sisters who followed the Good Shepherd to their deaths, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages. Today, they shout triumphantly: Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb (Rev. 7:9ff.). But that is not all that we are told, for what they have is infinitely more precious than the comfort and safety we all hope to have in this life. I want to show you something from Revelation 7:13-17 that will help make sense of what is promised to us in the 23rd Psalm: Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from? 14I said to him, My lord, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. 16They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Do you see the answer for where the green pastures and quiet waters are for those who suffer, especially for those who suffer for their faith in the Good Shepherd? God currently shelters the scores of martyred Christians with His presence according to Revelation 7:15, but do you see what verses 16-17 say and how familiar it sounds to Psalm 23? Lets look at these verses again: They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. The reason why these Christians, and every other Christian in heaven no longer hungers or thirsts is because they are in the presence of the Lamb who is their shepherd. The sun no longer beats down on them with its scorching heat because they have been delivered from the wilderness of a cursed world! The Lamb is the spring of water of life, and it is because of the triumph of the Lamb that every tear will be wiped from their eyes. Conclusion Listen, the 70 who were beheaded, those who suffer in this life, and every other Christian who belongs to the Good Shepherd had the green pastures and quiet waters during their life on earth because they had Jesus, and they found that their hunger and thirst for righteousness was satisfied in Him. Although the 70 Christians from the Congo lost their lives, they did not lose what belonged to them, for they have what is promised to every Christian in the 23rd Psalm because they have the Lamb who is their Shepherd. Psalm 23 is not some cute passage for coffee mugs, t-shirts, and memorial cards! It is so much more. If Jesus is your shepherd, you have all that you need in Him. If you have Jesus, then you have the green pastures and quiet waters promised to all whose Lord is their shepherd. My question for you dear friend, is this: Who is the Lamb of God to you? If Jesus is your shepherd, then in what ways are you abiding in Him? How can you expect to experience the kinds of green pastures and quiet waters promised in Psalm 23 if you are not going to Jesus to satisfy the kind of hunger and thirst that only He can satisfy? [1] James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 141: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 209.

This week's episode is a little different, as we bring you a conversation with a great friend of the Banner, Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson, ahead of the release of his latest contribution to the Let's Study series: Let's Study Romans.  We asked him about his own history with the Letter to the Romans, advice for pastors and preachers seeking to teach and preach the book, and what his hopes are as this new volume goes out to readers.   Sign up to the Waitlist for 'Let's Study Romans'   Two hymns by James Montgomery Boice, inspired by Romans 8: Hallelujah! (What can separate my soul...) How Marvelous, How Wise, How Great   Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine Leave us your feedback or a testimony: www.speakpipe.com/magazinepodcast

How does being a Presbyterian differ from other Christian traditions? In this episode, Pastor Jeff Cranston and Tiffany Coker explore the history, beliefs, and denominational differences within Presbyterianism.If you missed the last two episodes on the Presbyterian Church in America, be sure to check them out!Here's What We Discussed:00:55 - The Roots of PresbyterianismThe word Presbyterian comes from the Greek presbuteros, which means elder or leader. The way Presbyterian churches are structured comes from the teachings of John Calvin and John Knox during the Protestant Reformation. A key document that guides Presbyterian beliefs is the Westminster Confession of Faith, written in the 1640s.02:55 - Key Differences Between PCUSA, PCA, and EPCPCUSA (Presbyterian Church USA) – The largest mainline Presbyterian body, known for progressive theology. They ordain women and LGBTQ+ clergy and hold a non-literal approach to Scripture.PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) – Formed in 1973, this denomination takes a conservative stance, emphasizing biblical inerrancy and traditional doctrine.EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian Church) – Founded in 1981, this denomination allows individual congregations some freedom, such as deciding whether to ordain women and engaging with charismatic movements.06:13 - Presbyterian Worship & TheologyPresbyterian church services are usually structured and formal, with a strong focus on Bible teaching. The way they worship has stayed mostly the same for centuries, following traditions from the Reformation.Sacraments: Baptism (infants & believers) and Communion.Governance: Churches are led by elders rather than a single pastor or bishop.Theology: Many Presbyterians follow Reformed theology, including doctrines like God's sovereignty, salvation by grace, and covenant theology.10:01 - Influential Figures in PresbyterianismYou may know some theologians and pastors from Presbyterian backgrounds:R.C. Sproul (Theologian & Ligonier Ministries)Tim Keller (Redeemer Presbyterian Church, NYC)Eugene Peterson (The Message Bible translation)J. Gresham Machen, James Montgomery Boice, B.B. WarfieldWe love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today's episode, email me at pastorjeff@lowcountrycc.orgVisit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranstonRemember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and today's edition of The Bible Study Hour will brighten your way. Stay tuned now to hear the classic Bible teaching of Dr. James Montgomery Boice. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and today's edition of The Bible Study Hour will brighten your way. Stay tuned now to hear the classic Bible teaching of Dr. James Montgomery Boice. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and today's edition of The Bible Study Hour will brighten your way. Stay tuned now to hear the classic Bible teaching of Dr. James Montgomery Boice. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and today's edition of The Bible Study Hour will brighten your way. Stay tuned now to hear the classic Bible teaching of Dr. James Montgomery Boice. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and today's edition of The Bible Study Hour will brighten your way. Stay tuned now to hear the classic Bible teaching of Dr. James Montgomery Boice. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and today's edition of The Bible Study Hour will brighten your way. Stay tuned now to hear the classic Bible teaching of Dr. James Montgomery Boice. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and today's edition of The Bible Study Hour will brighten your way. Stay tuned now to hear the classic Bible teaching of Dr. James Montgomery Boice. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and today's edition of The Bible Study Hour will brighten your way. Stay tuned now to hear the classic Bible teaching of Dr. James Montgomery Boice. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and today's edition of The Bible Study Hour will brighten your way. Stay tuned now to hear the classic Bible teaching of Dr. James Montgomery Boice. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

Your comments are welcome! Send a text my way!Devotionals are valuable growth and inspirational works that bring comfort, spiritual growth, encouragement, hope, and many other positive aids to our walk of faith in Christ - and a times, a surprising salvation story! This episode of 2Days Denarius features a devotional from the book, "To the Glory of God: A 40-Day Devotional on the Book of Romans" by the famous pastor and Bible teacher of yesteryear, James Montgomery Boice. The devotional featured from this book for this episode is titled, "Silence at Last," which tells the story of the conversion of Dr. D James Kennedy, another famous pastor from years past. It is an engaging, personal story that tells how God's providence can reach out and change lives in unexpected times, ways, and means. God still moves today! Think about your salvation as you listen. As for the lost who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, there is clear instruction on this podcast that will teach you how to come to faith in Christ. Material used in this podcast are provided under the educational and commentary provisions of Section 207 of the Fair Use Act of 1976. Theme Song, "Holy Is the Lord" is used by permission of author and performer, Pastor Steve Hereford, of the Changed By Grace Church in Jacksonville FL. His inspirational Scripture song albums are streamed on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, and many other streaming services. Search by name "Steve Hereford" to discover them.Book "To the Glory of God: A 40-Day Devotional on the Book of Romans" is published by Baker (2010) and is available on Amazon in paperback, Apple Books and ChristianBook.com in electronic form. They as excellent to have in one's devotional library!2Days Denarius is a Bible believing teaching ministry devoted to the inerrancy, infallibility, and authority of Scripture as our only rule of faith and practice. It also holds to the doctrinal tenets of the London Baptist confession of 1689. This ministry may be reached at 2daysdenarius@gmail.com

In this episode, Brother Byron begins by reflecting on winter blues, memories of the 1993 blizzard, and the latest twist in his Sword of the Lord newspaper subscription saga. Then he takes a deep dive into the legacy of Donald Grey Barnhouse, a pivotal figure in biblical teaching. What started as a simple purchase of James Montgomery Boice's Romans commentaries led him on a journey of discovery into Barnhouse's profound influence. He shares insights into Barnhouse's role as the founder of The Bible Study Hour and his remarkable 11-year study on the Book of Romans. This fascination led to an exciting book find—Barnhouse's Romans commentary set, which arrived in pristine condition. - Tune in for a thoughtful discussion on faith, books, and the enduring impact of great biblical teaching.

In this episode, Brother Byron offers a recap of the past week, including how winter weather caused disruptions to church services, a late delivery of his Sword of the Lord subscription, and his thoughts on the James Montgomery Boice 4-Volume Romans Commentary set he recently received. He also shares a brief discussion on preacher education and the role of the Holy Spirit in ministry. Tune in for insightful reflections and updates!

Pastor Garrison GreeneTEXT: Genesis 29:1-30BIG IDEA: God secretly & sovereignly guides all things for his aim & our advantage.OUTLINE:1. God's Hidden Hand2. God's Perfect Plans3. God's Grand GoalRESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis by Nahum Sarna; Genesis Commentary by John Calvin; Providence by John Piper; Foundations of the Christian Faith: A Comprehensive and Readable Theology by James Montgomery Boice; Systematic Theology: From Canon to Concept by Stephen Wellum; Approaching the End of God's Grand Design by Jonathan Edwards; Heidelberg Disputation by Martin Luther

Many times we feel inadequate and tense in our understanding of things, and we allow it to determine how and what we will ultimately think. Abraham probably had to deal with one of the greatest times of tension a human being could ever be put through. He was asked to sacrifice his one and only son of promise. Tune into The Bible Study Hour this week as Dr. James Montgomery Boice teaches the Christians of today how to live like the saints of old To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

What did the persons of the Old Testament think of Jesus Christ? Did they actually know him? And if they did, did they really trust him for salvation? Tune in to the Bible Study Hour this week as Dr. James Montgomery Boice teaches us how people from all periods of history are saved. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

Pastor Nate brings the message, "Redemption and Return” from Hosea 3.  James Montgomery Boice called Hosea 3 "the greatest chapter in the Bible because it portrays the greatest story in the Bible."  That story is about Christ's love for the church that comes at a great cost.  It was our redemption price that Jesus paid, and this is illustrated in Hosea's purchase of a woman who had wandered far from him.  

Ephesians 4:11-16 (morning service) Sermon Points: #1 Equippers Equip Christians for Ministry (Eph. 4:11-12)... #2 Gospel Doctrine Unifies and Matures Christians (Eph 4:13-14)... #3 Every Christians is Called to Build Up the Church (Eph. 4:15-16)... James Montgomery Boice on Spiritual Gifts: 1.) We need to learn about them... 2.) We should pray... 3.) Assess our gifts... 4.) Ask yourself... "what do I like" 5.) "What am I good at?" 6.) Seek feedback from others... 7.) Daniel added: "Do something!" Preacher: Daniel Pelichowski

DEVOCIÓN MATUTINA VESPERTINA“SALMOS”Narrado por: Joyce VejarDesde: Arizona, USAUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist Church16 DE AGOSTO SALMO 106:39-45 «Sálvanos, Señor, Dios nuestro; vuelve a reunirnos de entre las naciones, para que demos gracias a tu santo nombre y orgullosos te alabemos» (SAL. 106:47)  En su comentario expositivo basado en el Libro de los Salmos, James Montgomery Boice tiene razón al decir que la historia de la infidelidad de Israel es también la historia de la longanimidad de Dios. «De hecho —dijo él—, es en el contexto de su pecado que la paciencia de Dios se ilumina más plenamente».  «Muchas veces Dios los libró». Sin embargo, ellos continuaron «empeñados en su rebeldía [y] se hundieron en la maldad» (Sal. 106:43). Rebeldes en el Sinaí, tercos en el desierto, y tan idólatras en la tierra que hasta a los hijos sacrificaron a los demonios (vv. 6-39). El pueblo llamado a ser santo terminó hundido en sus pecados. Y Dios se enojó tanto con la nación que Él una vez llamó Su posesión más preciada, que finalmente la repudió de Su presencia, la desterró de su tierra y la entregó a la merced de sus enemigos (Sal. 106:40-42).  Pero por más fuerte que ha sido el castigo de Dios con Israel, paralelamente, la Biblia nos señala que fuerte ha sido también Su paciencia. Por generaciones y generaciones se repetía el ciclo vicioso: Israel se desviaba, Dios los castigaba, Israel clamaba a Dios, Dios los liberaba, e Israel de nuevo se desviaba. En vez de rechazarlos, el corazón de Dios toleró el dolor de sus rebeliones. Y al escuchar el clamor de Su pueblo, dice el salmista, Él vio su angustia, «se acordó del pacto que había hecho con ellos y por su gran amor les tuvo compasión». (Sal. 106:45).  Dios nos permite ver a través de la historia de la infidelidad de Israel la magnitud de Su paciencia y la grandeza de Su amor. Por esta razón el capítulo más oscuro en la historia de la nación es un salmo de alabanza para el pecador penitente (Sal. 106). Por más lejos que estés de tu Dios y por más profundo que estés en tus pecados, el trato de Dios con Israel demuestra que nunca es muy tarde para regresar al Padre. La misericordia de Dios es para siempre porque la paciencia de Dios es infinita. ¡Gloria a Dios! Nuestro Dios verdaderamente es «bondadoso y compasivo, lento para la ira y lleno de amor, cambia de parecer y no castiga» (Joel 2:13).  Además, este salmo de alabanza también es un salmo de esperanza para la restauración espiritual. De la misma manera que Dios espera pacientemente por Israel, Hechos 17:30 dice: «Pues bien, Dios pasó por alto aquellos tiempos de tal ignorancia, pero ahora manda a todos, en todas partes, que se arrepientan».  ¿Cuándo fue la última vez que pediste perdón a Dios por tus pecados? Dios siempre está listo para perdonar, pero es la obstinación del hombre lo que lo acaba por destruir. Dios nunca rechaza el clamor penitente de un pecador (Sal. 51:17). El Salmo 34:18 dice: «El Señor está cerca de los quebrantados de corazón, y salva a los de espíritu abatido». 

I know many of you know my story and how God saved me. Every year at this time I am more mindful of the miracle of Gods mercy, love, and grace upon my life! When God found me, I was so lost! I was not looking for Him, yet He found me! God got my attention on July 12, 1991, after I stepped in front of a big old car in the middle of Business Rt. 1 (aka West Lincoln Hwy.). My graduating class in 1993 was just under 600, the population where I grew up is currently over 70,000, and the hospital I was taken to after I was hit by that big white car currently has 371 beds. So, the fact that a woman from my fathers church who did not know me decided to pull over to pray for me could be viewed as a coincidence, but then to have the wife of the youth director of that same church assigned to my care is too much to ignore! Not to mention that eight months before my accident, my father had his accident that God used to get his attention by having his hand just about cut off, and shortly after receiving major surgery on his hand and recovering at home, two guys from a little church located not far from where I was hit by that big white car visited our little house to tell him about Jesus! At the same time my friends mom at whose home I ate almost all of my meals and spent almost all of my weekends sleeping in their home because my stepmother was so horrible to me while I was growing up, picked up a Bible and started reading it. So regardless of if I was at home or at my friends house, I was unable to escape from hearing about the God of the Bible and how He sent His Son to die for sinners like me! God orchestrated all of that so that on July 14th while confined to my bed with a major concussion in St. Marys Hospital, I was forced to listen to Darrell Adair, the youth director of my fathers little church, tell me about Jesus while my father sat on one side of my bed and Jackie on the other as they prayed for my soul 33 years ago to the day! Four days after Darrells visit, I finally caved and surrendered my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior! So, to say that I am a bit overwhelmed by Gods grace is a bit of an understatement. God knows how my brain works, and it seems to me that ever year there is something new that I have not thought about since God saved my soul. I did not sit down to write my sermon manuscript until this past Friday which was the anniversary of the day I was hit by that big white car! That on the anniversary of one of the most important days of my life, I would be writing my sermon manuscript on Ephesians 5:1-2 is staggering to me! What is even more staggering is that the God I was running from not only chose me before the foundation of the world (1:3-4), but did so out of a great love for this lost sinner: In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace (vv. 5-6). This same God made me alive with Jesus on July 18th in the middle of my living room 33 years ago as a result of His rich mercy, great love, and sufficient grace (2:4-5), it is staggering to me! From everything that you have read, studied, and heard from Ephesians so far, can you blame me for being overwhelmed by Gods undeserved goodness upon my life? Think about it, 33 years ago while Darrell shared the gospel with my younger 16-year-old rebellious self, that He already determined that He would so mold and shape that teenage kid laying in that hospital bed that 33 years later he would stand before his church family finally ready to preach on Ephesians 5:1-2 after 20 years of pastoral ministry! Here is what I want to say very briefly before we get into these two verses so you can fully appreciate them. Ephesians 5:1-2 is inserted to make the point of how you can keep from grieving the Holy Spirit (4:30) and why you ought to reject, the useless deeds of the darkness. You, Christian, are beloved by God and you must never forget that! Imitate God Because He Loves You (v. 1) Tim Keller described this verse in this way: Its like putting a radioactive isotope in the middle of your being, and the rays it sends out will shrink your tumors.[1] Another way to state this verse is this way: Because God cherishes you as His dear child, imitate Him instead of the sinful world. The word for imitate is the Greek word mimētēs from which we get the word mimic. Remember what Paul stated in 4:25-32? Get rid of falsehood, get rid of ungodly anger, get rid of coveting and taking what does not belong to you, and get rid of unwholesome talk. Kill it! Make war with it! Get rid of all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander! Kill it! Make war with it! Be killing sin or it will be killing you! How you get radical about your sin and how you guard yourself against grieving the Holy Spirit is by remembering who you are, a child of a holy God. When you were dead in your sins, you imitated the life of the prince of the power of the air as the spiritually dead (2:1-3), but now you are alive with Christ and have been adopted as a son and as a daughter of the God you stood against. Now you are a beloved child of God. What does it mean to be a child of God? It means that you who were once dead are now alive with Christ (2:4-5), but that is not all that it means! It means that you who were once an enemy of God are now a friend of God, but it means so, so much more according to Romans 5, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (vv. 8-10). But wait, we are not just reconciled to God and saved by the Life of Christ, we are heirs with Christ: So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the fleshfor if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, Abba! Father! (Rom. 8:12-15) To go from death to life is a miracle! To go from an enemy of God to friendship with God is amazing! But to be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus and now stand before Him as a full-fledged and a legitimate child of a holy God is staggering! I am not the only one who thinks this way; the apostle John felt this way and wrote in his epistle: See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1). Or as it is written in Ephesians 1:11-12, In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory. Listen, we were the lost sheep that Jesus left the 99 to find (Luke 15:1-7)! We were the lost coin, that Jesus turns the house upside down to save and all of heaven rejoices over when you were found (Luke 15:8-10)! Christian, you were the prodigal son Jesus described in his parable who wallowed in the sloop and sludge who the Father compassionately runs to embrace and throws a party for and commands all of heaven: Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and lets eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found (Luke 15:22-24). So, as beloved children we are commanded to mimic our heavenly Father. What does that mean? Well, let me tell you what it does not mean: It does not mean to become what God is, for that is impossible. He alone is God and there is none like Him. God is eternal and has always existed; we are creatures made in His image. God is infinitely sovereign and self-sufficient; we are His image-bearing humans who are designed to find our satisfaction in Him. God is all-powerful (Omnipotent), while we are fragile. God is everywhere at once (Omnipresent), while we are finite and limited. God is all-knowing (Omniscient), while we are always learning. God is perfectly holy and is set apart from creation and alone is to be worshiped as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; He is the center of all things while we exist to worship Him. These characteristics that we cannot share with God are known as His incommunicable attributes. God also has characteristics that we can demonstrate in a limited way; these are known as His communicable attributes. Gods communicable attributes include His justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love. There is not one aspect of His character that He needs to improve upon. While we are called to exercise justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love we are forever needing to get better at being just, exercising wisdom, practicing faithfulness, demonstrating mercy, being good, compassionate, forgiving, and loving. Gods justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love are all character traits we are commanded to imitate in a way that sets apart from the rest of the world. for this is what it means to, walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called (4:1). It also includes the, good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). This is what Peter meant when he wrote, As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy. (1 Pet. 1:14-16). More specifically though, it is the love of God that resulted in our forgiveness that we are to mimic as Gods beloved children. Walk in Love Because Jesus Redeemed You (v. 2) Why mimic God in the way that He loves? Well it is the reason why you, Christian, are beloved by God. Your sins cost God the life of His Son on a cross as an, offering and a sacrifice. The bruised and bleeding Christ, His torn flesh, His pierced hands and feet, His brow piercing crown of thorns, and his agonizing screams upon the cross as our curse is a testament to the horror and seriousness of our sin. As James Boice once said, Gods forgiveness is not a mere overlooking of sin, as though he said, Well, boys will be boys (or girls will be girls). Well overlook it for now; just dont let it happen again. God takes sin with such seriousness that he deals with it fully at the cross, and it is on that basisthe death of Jesusthat we can know we are forgiven.[2] I saw a quote from another pastor the other day that said, On the cross, God looked at Christ and saw you. Now, He looks at you and sees Christ.[3] This is why we are able to sing: Come Thou fount of ev'ry blessing Tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise Teach me some melodious sonnet Sung by flaming tongues above Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it Mount of Thy redeeming love[4] What does the love of God look like that we experienced? It is kindness, it is compassion, it is the type of forgiveness that keeps no record of wrongs! Think about what the love of God has done for you! You who were once cursed and condemned, Jesus was condemned by being cursed: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usfor it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a Tree. (Gal. 3:13). The apostle John defined it for us this way: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). Christs death upon the cross for our sins was motivated by His love for us, and when He gave Himself up for us, He did so as an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma that pleased Him. As one commentator said, Jesus sacrifice upon the cross, gave the perfume of grace and glory, the most pleasing aroma of sacrifice ever.[5] To Walk in love, just as Christ also loved is one way to live a life that is pleasing to the One who called us to Himself through His Son. Love is the fuel and fire of worship; it is a love for God and a love for others. It is a love that makes Romans 12:1 possible: Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Amy Carmichael, the famous missionary who spent a lifetime in India and was influential in the outlawing of temple prostitution of children, said of love: One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving.[6] A young woman who was considering the life of a missionary wrote a letter asking Carmaichael what missionary life was like, Carmaichael answered: Missionary life is simply a chance to die. To love, as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us is not to atone for the sins of others but to walk in love in a way that you die to yourself for glory of God and the good of others. It is the kind of love that flows out of the crucified life Paul talked about in Galatians 2:19-20, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. To love as Christ loved us is to give ourselves to others so that Christ may be formed in them (see Gal. 4:19). To love as Christ loved is to walk in a way that serves to give to the One who gave Himself for you. To walk in love is to be devoted to one another (Rom. 12:10), to build up one another (Rom. 14:19; 1 Thes. 5:11), to serve one another (Gal. 5:13), to bear one anothers burdens (Gal. 6:2), to seek the good for one another (1 Thess. 5:15), to live in peace with one another (1 Thes. 5:13), to encourage one another to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24), to confess our sins to one another (Jas. 5:16), to act in humility towards one another (1 Pet. 5:13), to walk in truth together (1 John 3:18), and so many other one anothers! This is why we read in our Bible: We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We love because we are beloved children. We love because, Christ also loved you Now, my dear brothers and sisters, we not only can love God and others, but love is also the evidence we are our indeed the children of God. Amen. [1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013). [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 174. [3] John MacArthur [4] Come Thou Fount [5] Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition: Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman; 2014), p. 121. [6] Ibid.

I know many of you know my story and how God saved me. Every year at this time I am more mindful of the miracle of Gods mercy, love, and grace upon my life! When God found me, I was so lost! I was not looking for Him, yet He found me! God got my attention on July 12, 1991, after I stepped in front of a big old car in the middle of Business Rt. 1 (aka West Lincoln Hwy.). My graduating class in 1993 was just under 600, the population where I grew up is currently over 70,000, and the hospital I was taken to after I was hit by that big white car currently has 371 beds. So, the fact that a woman from my fathers church who did not know me decided to pull over to pray for me could be viewed as a coincidence, but then to have the wife of the youth director of that same church assigned to my care is too much to ignore! Not to mention that eight months before my accident, my father had his accident that God used to get his attention by having his hand just about cut off, and shortly after receiving major surgery on his hand and recovering at home, two guys from a little church located not far from where I was hit by that big white car visited our little house to tell him about Jesus! At the same time my friends mom at whose home I ate almost all of my meals and spent almost all of my weekends sleeping in their home because my stepmother was so horrible to me while I was growing up, picked up a Bible and started reading it. So regardless of if I was at home or at my friends house, I was unable to escape from hearing about the God of the Bible and how He sent His Son to die for sinners like me! God orchestrated all of that so that on July 14th while confined to my bed with a major concussion in St. Marys Hospital, I was forced to listen to Darrell Adair, the youth director of my fathers little church, tell me about Jesus while my father sat on one side of my bed and Jackie on the other as they prayed for my soul 33 years ago to the day! Four days after Darrells visit, I finally caved and surrendered my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior! So, to say that I am a bit overwhelmed by Gods grace is a bit of an understatement. God knows how my brain works, and it seems to me that ever year there is something new that I have not thought about since God saved my soul. I did not sit down to write my sermon manuscript until this past Friday which was the anniversary of the day I was hit by that big white car! That on the anniversary of one of the most important days of my life, I would be writing my sermon manuscript on Ephesians 5:1-2 is staggering to me! What is even more staggering is that the God I was running from not only chose me before the foundation of the world (1:3-4), but did so out of a great love for this lost sinner: In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace (vv. 5-6). This same God made me alive with Jesus on July 18th in the middle of my living room 33 years ago as a result of His rich mercy, great love, and sufficient grace (2:4-5), it is staggering to me! From everything that you have read, studied, and heard from Ephesians so far, can you blame me for being overwhelmed by Gods undeserved goodness upon my life? Think about it, 33 years ago while Darrell shared the gospel with my younger 16-year-old rebellious self, that He already determined that He would so mold and shape that teenage kid laying in that hospital bed that 33 years later he would stand before his church family finally ready to preach on Ephesians 5:1-2 after 20 years of pastoral ministry! Here is what I want to say very briefly before we get into these two verses so you can fully appreciate them. Ephesians 5:1-2 is inserted to make the point of how you can keep from grieving the Holy Spirit (4:30) and why you ought to reject, the useless deeds of the darkness. You, Christian, are beloved by God and you must never forget that! Imitate God Because He Loves You (v. 1) Tim Keller described this verse in this way: Its like putting a radioactive isotope in the middle of your being, and the rays it sends out will shrink your tumors.[1] Another way to state this verse is this way: Because God cherishes you as His dear child, imitate Him instead of the sinful world. The word for imitate is the Greek word mimētēs from which we get the word mimic. Remember what Paul stated in 4:25-32? Get rid of falsehood, get rid of ungodly anger, get rid of coveting and taking what does not belong to you, and get rid of unwholesome talk. Kill it! Make war with it! Get rid of all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander! Kill it! Make war with it! Be killing sin or it will be killing you! How you get radical about your sin and how you guard yourself against grieving the Holy Spirit is by remembering who you are, a child of a holy God. When you were dead in your sins, you imitated the life of the prince of the power of the air as the spiritually dead (2:1-3), but now you are alive with Christ and have been adopted as a son and as a daughter of the God you stood against. Now you are a beloved child of God. What does it mean to be a child of God? It means that you who were once dead are now alive with Christ (2:4-5), but that is not all that it means! It means that you who were once an enemy of God are now a friend of God, but it means so, so much more according to Romans 5, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (vv. 8-10). But wait, we are not just reconciled to God and saved by the Life of Christ, we are heirs with Christ: So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the fleshfor if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, Abba! Father! (Rom. 8:12-15) To go from death to life is a miracle! To go from an enemy of God to friendship with God is amazing! But to be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus and now stand before Him as a full-fledged and a legitimate child of a holy God is staggering! I am not the only one who thinks this way; the apostle John felt this way and wrote in his epistle: See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1). Or as it is written in Ephesians 1:11-12, In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory. Listen, we were the lost sheep that Jesus left the 99 to find (Luke 15:1-7)! We were the lost coin, that Jesus turns the house upside down to save and all of heaven rejoices over when you were found (Luke 15:8-10)! Christian, you were the prodigal son Jesus described in his parable who wallowed in the sloop and sludge who the Father compassionately runs to embrace and throws a party for and commands all of heaven: Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and lets eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found (Luke 15:22-24). So, as beloved children we are commanded to mimic our heavenly Father. What does that mean? Well, let me tell you what it does not mean: It does not mean to become what God is, for that is impossible. He alone is God and there is none like Him. God is eternal and has always existed; we are creatures made in His image. God is infinitely sovereign and self-sufficient; we are His image-bearing humans who are designed to find our satisfaction in Him. God is all-powerful (Omnipotent), while we are fragile. God is everywhere at once (Omnipresent), while we are finite and limited. God is all-knowing (Omniscient), while we are always learning. God is perfectly holy and is set apart from creation and alone is to be worshiped as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; He is the center of all things while we exist to worship Him. These characteristics that we cannot share with God are known as His incommunicable attributes. God also has characteristics that we can demonstrate in a limited way; these are known as His communicable attributes. Gods communicable attributes include His justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love. There is not one aspect of His character that He needs to improve upon. While we are called to exercise justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love we are forever needing to get better at being just, exercising wisdom, practicing faithfulness, demonstrating mercy, being good, compassionate, forgiving, and loving. Gods justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love are all character traits we are commanded to imitate in a way that sets apart from the rest of the world. for this is what it means to, walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called (4:1). It also includes the, good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). This is what Peter meant when he wrote, As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy. (1 Pet. 1:14-16). More specifically though, it is the love of God that resulted in our forgiveness that we are to mimic as Gods beloved children. Walk in Love Because Jesus Redeemed You (v. 2) Why mimic God in the way that He loves? Well it is the reason why you, Christian, are beloved by God. Your sins cost God the life of His Son on a cross as an, offering and a sacrifice. The bruised and bleeding Christ, His torn flesh, His pierced hands and feet, His brow piercing crown of thorns, and his agonizing screams upon the cross as our curse is a testament to the horror and seriousness of our sin. As James Boice once said, Gods forgiveness is not a mere overlooking of sin, as though he said, Well, boys will be boys (or girls will be girls). Well overlook it for now; just dont let it happen again. God takes sin with such seriousness that he deals with it fully at the cross, and it is on that basisthe death of Jesusthat we can know we are forgiven.[2] I saw a quote from another pastor the other day that said, On the cross, God looked at Christ and saw you. Now, He looks at you and sees Christ.[3] This is why we are able to sing: Come Thou fount of ev'ry blessing Tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise Teach me some melodious sonnet Sung by flaming tongues above Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it Mount of Thy redeeming love[4] What does the love of God look like that we experienced? It is kindness, it is compassion, it is the type of forgiveness that keeps no record of wrongs! Think about what the love of God has done for you! You who were once cursed and condemned, Jesus was condemned by being cursed: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usfor it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a Tree. (Gal. 3:13). The apostle John defined it for us this way: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). Christs death upon the cross for our sins was motivated by His love for us, and when He gave Himself up for us, He did so as an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma that pleased Him. As one commentator said, Jesus sacrifice upon the cross, gave the perfume of grace and glory, the most pleasing aroma of sacrifice ever.[5] To Walk in love, just as Christ also loved is one way to live a life that is pleasing to the One who called us to Himself through His Son. Love is the fuel and fire of worship; it is a love for God and a love for others. It is a love that makes Romans 12:1 possible: Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Amy Carmichael, the famous missionary who spent a lifetime in India and was influential in the outlawing of temple prostitution of children, said of love: One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving.[6] A young woman who was considering the life of a missionary wrote a letter asking Carmaichael what missionary life was like, Carmaichael answered: Missionary life is simply a chance to die. To love, as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us is not to atone for the sins of others but to walk in love in a way that you die to yourself for glory of God and the good of others. It is the kind of love that flows out of the crucified life Paul talked about in Galatians 2:19-20, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. To love as Christ loved us is to give ourselves to others so that Christ may be formed in them (see Gal. 4:19). To love as Christ loved is to walk in a way that serves to give to the One who gave Himself for you. To walk in love is to be devoted to one another (Rom. 12:10), to build up one another (Rom. 14:19; 1 Thes. 5:11), to serve one another (Gal. 5:13), to bear one anothers burdens (Gal. 6:2), to seek the good for one another (1 Thess. 5:15), to live in peace with one another (1 Thes. 5:13), to encourage one another to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24), to confess our sins to one another (Jas. 5:16), to act in humility towards one another (1 Pet. 5:13), to walk in truth together (1 John 3:18), and so many other one anothers! This is why we read in our Bible: We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We love because we are beloved children. We love because, Christ also loved you Now, my dear brothers and sisters, we not only can love God and others, but love is also the evidence we are our indeed the children of God. Amen. [1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013). [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 174. [3] John MacArthur [4] Come Thou Fount [5] Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition: Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman; 2014), p. 121. [6] Ibid.

This passage according to James Montgomery Boice, is a must for study if you are a believer and want to really begin to understand our great salvation. Paul very clearly describes for us the condition of fallen man before salvation. According to this passage we are dead , unable to respond or take one step towards God . In other words, we do not cooperate with God to accomplish salvation. God alone, gives life to our spirit so that we can respond to the gospel in faith, which is not a natural but a supernatural faith in the lord Jesus Christ. And then we are born again.

This passage according to James Montgomery Boice, is a must for study if you are a believer and want to really begin to understand our great salvation. Paul very clearly describes for us the condition of fallen man before salvation. According to this passage we are dead , unable to respond or take one step towards God . In other words, we do not cooperate with God to accomplish salvation. God alone, gives life to our spirit so that we can respond to the gospel in faith, which is not a natural but a supernatural faith in the lord Jesus Christ. And then we are born again.

This passage according to James Montgomery Boice, is a must for study if you are a believer and want to really begin to understand our great salvation. Paul very clearly describes for us the condition of fallen man before salvation. According to this passage we are dead , unable to respond or take one step towards God . In other words, we do not cooperate with God to accomplish salvation. God alone, gives life to our spirit so that we can respond to the gospel in faith, which is not a natural but a supernatural faith in the lord Jesus Christ. And then we are born again.

I want to begin our time together this morning by reading four different verses from the Bible followed by a story and then ask a question that I hope to answer in a way that is helpful. So here are the four different verses which are from four different books in the Bible, and from four different authors: Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt. 5:1112) It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22) Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Tim. 3:12) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; (1 Pet. 4:12) Jesus said of anyone who might be thinking about becoming a Christian: If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it (Matt. 16:2425). Some of you are hanging by a thread emotionally, perhaps spiritually, and maybe even physically and you are wondering: Is it worth it? It is my hope that by the end of this sermon, you will be able to answer that question yourself. Remember that Chasing After the World was a Dead End (vv. 17-19) The point of verses 17-19 is not to point the proverbial finger at the gentiles as if to say: Yuck look at those gross Gentile sinners! The point is to remind the Ephesian Christians of what they were once, contrasted with who they are now. Within verse 17 is a command to, no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk. Why? Because it makes no sense! What we read in this verse is not all that different than what Paul wrote in Romans 6:1-4, What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6:14) The Bible never separates belief from action. If you believe something to be true, your behavior will be affected by that belief. What we believe in our minds will inevitably affect how we conduct our lives. Is this not the point that Jesus made in His sermon on the mount? Listen to what Jesus said: Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matt. 7:1314). So, Paul commands his readers: you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk. He then explains what it was that compelled them to walk the way they walked: It was (1) the futility of their minds, (2) being darkened in their understanding, and (3) excluded from the life of God. Notice that the way the unbeliever thinks results in the way that unbeliever acts. The word for futility literally means empty in the Greek. What this means is that the mind of a person without God is a person without a true understanding of what their purpose is, and how can a person have any real sense of purpose if they reject the Creator who created us to know Him? To be without purpose because you are without God, is to have a mind that is darkened; A person without purpose is a person who stumbles through life like the person who stumbles in a pitch-black room without any real sense of direction for how to get out but does an excellent job at running into wall after wall. The person excluded from the life of God is a person who chases after the idols of the world and the heart thinking it might satisfy when all that it does is prove to be empty. According to Paul, people act the way they think, and what a person thinks is always connected to their heart. James Boice put it this way: People act as they think, and the reason they are constantly messing up is that they are vain in their thinking and darkened in their understanding as a consequence of being separated from God.[1] The person who is spiritually dead does not only have a problem with a mind that does not know God, but also has a problem of the heart. If you are excluded from the life of God, then you are spiritually dead. If you are spiritually dead before God, then your heart is hard towards God to the point of stone. The Greek word used for hardness is pōrōsiswhich is also used for marble. To have a stone heart is to have a heart unable to feel or love God because it has grown calloused towards God and what matters to God. In our home in Colorado, we had a granite island. I had the bright idea to do a box jump onto the granite countertop, and against the wisdom and sage advice from my wife to not try it, I ignored her and did it anyway. When I jumped, my toes caught the edge of the granite countertop just enough so that my shins could feel the full force of my weight has I came down; needless to say, it hurt a lot. The heart of the unbeliever is a heart that is unreceptive to the Word of God in the same way the granite countertop was unreceptive to my shins! Our hearts were not only hard towards God but calloused in the sense that instead of running towards God, we chased after anything but God, namely the idols of our hearts. According to verse 19, before Jesus redeemed us, we were like the Gentile pagans in Ephesus who gave, themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But what was true of you Christian, is not true of you today! This is the point Paul is making, and he is encouraging you to not only celebrate your life in Christ, but to live in the reality of who you are in Jesus. Chasing After Jesus is Life (vv. 20-24) Ephesians 4:10 is the equivalent of Ephesians 2:4-5! And you were dead in your offenses and sins. But, God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (2:1, 4-5). In the passage before us today, we whose minds were darkened, without purpose, and had marble like stone hearts have received Jesus Christ and we have never been the same since! We who were dead in our sins, are now alive in Jesus. We whose minds were darkened, have been enlightened by the light of the Gospel! We who were once without purpose because we did not know God, now have found our purpose in Christ! How did this happen? You heard the truth of the gospel and at the same time God supernaturally and miraculously changed your heart. What you experienced is the thing we read about in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants on account of Jesus. For God, who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Cor. 4:36) Christian, you who were once dead in your sins, are now alive in Jesus! You who chased after the idols of your heart thinking that they would satisfy have been found by the One who said: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-38); you have received Him because you heard Him and have been taught in Him (v. 21)! There are three verbs used to describe how it is that you went from being dead in your sins to being alive with Christ in Ephesians 4:20-21. The first verb is learned which comes from the Greek word emathete; literally this verse should read: you learned Christ. So, how do you learn somebody? Well you dont do it by simply collecting some historic facts about that person! In Philippians we get an idea for how we have learned Christ and how we are learning Christ: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-11). The second verb that is used to describe how we have gone from death to life is the word heard which comes from the Greek word ēkousate and it is translated in the NASB the way it should be: you have heard Him. How have you heard Christ? You heard Him through His word; you heard His voice through the good news that He lived the life you could not live and died a death for your sins that you deserved in your place, and on the third day, He conquered the grave through His resurrection. You heard His voice in the way Jesus Himself said you would: My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of the Fathers hand (John 10:27-28). The third verb that is used to describe how we have gone from death to life is the word edidachthēte and is translated you have been taught in Him. You were not taught by Him, but in Him. James Boice wrote of this word that it most likely means that, Jesus is the atmosphere within which the teaching takes place. We might say that Jesus is the school, as well as the teacher and the subject of instruction.[2] Whats the point? The point is that you who were once lost are now found, and even though you may have been a great sinner, Jesus is a great savior. No longer are you futile in your thinking. No longer are you chasing after idols in the dark. The life you once lived is now your former way of life according to Ephesians 4:22, so why would you even want to go back to your old self? Of course you do not want to go back to your old way of life because it is futile, it was purposeless, it was empty of God, it was a drinking from one toilet after the other only to discover that not only were you thirstier than before, but sick too! But now now you have Jesus, and because you have Jesus you have life! You have been made alive by Jesus and He who is, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) has given you purpose. And so now we find ourselves before Ephesians 4:22-24! In regard to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Listen, it is here in these verses that being made alive in Jesus intersects with the relationship we were created for. Listen, there are some Christians from whom all you hear out of their mouths is how you must rid yourself of this and rid yourself of that for the purpose of looking and behaving a certain way, and much of it has to do with how you look and behave on the outside, which is no different than the legalism of the Pharisees Jesus spoke against. There are others from whom all you hear that comes out of their mouths is, Grace this and grace that it doesnt matter how you live because it is all grace. This is also known as antinomianism which is the belief that the Christians is free from having to obey Gods moral law. Neither legalism nor antinomianism is the point of these verses! Conclusion What is the point of Ephesians 4:22-24 then? The point is that we who were once dead in our sins, have experienced the power of God for salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16)! The point is that we were once dead and now we are alive in Jesus (2:1-5). The point is that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). The point is that while we were dead in our sins, the closest thing we could come to discovering our purpose and finding true satisfaction is by drinking from the toilet bowl of the world only to grow sicker! Now that we are alive in Christ, we have purpose in God, and have the ability to delight in the God who made us for Himself! The point of Ephesians 4:22-24 is delight! The point is that we rid ourselves of the old self by chasing after the Jesus who is the light of the world (John 8:12). We rid ourselves of the old self by feasting on Jesus who is the bread of life (John 6:35). We rid ourselves of the old self by discovering in Him our true north as, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). We rid ourselves of the old self and put on the new self by hungering and thirsting after the only One who can satisfy, for it is Jesus who said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). The author of Life and our Redeemer said: If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it (Matt. 16:2425). These are the words that inspired Jim Elliot to pen his famous words: He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Little did he know that sometime later his life would become the catalyst to reach a violent unreached tribe, the Waodani tribe in South America, with the gospel; his death being the catalyst. So, is it worth it? Yes, He is worth it! He is worth it because even if it seems that we have lost it all, in Jesus we have not lost a thing. When all is said and done, all we have is Christ! [1] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 154. [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 161.

I want to begin our time together this morning by reading four different verses from the Bible followed by a story and then ask a question that I hope to answer in a way that is helpful. So here are the four different verses which are from four different books in the Bible, and from four different authors: Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt. 5:1112) It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22) Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Tim. 3:12) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; (1 Pet. 4:12) Jesus said of anyone who might be thinking about becoming a Christian: If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it (Matt. 16:2425). Some of you are hanging by a thread emotionally, perhaps spiritually, and maybe even physically and you are wondering: Is it worth it? It is my hope that by the end of this sermon, you will be able to answer that question yourself. Remember that Chasing After the World was a Dead End (vv. 17-19) The point of verses 17-19 is not to point the proverbial finger at the gentiles as if to say: Yuck look at those gross Gentile sinners! The point is to remind the Ephesian Christians of what they were once, contrasted with who they are now. Within verse 17 is a command to, no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk. Why? Because it makes no sense! What we read in this verse is not all that different than what Paul wrote in Romans 6:1-4, What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6:14) The Bible never separates belief from action. If you believe something to be true, your behavior will be affected by that belief. What we believe in our minds will inevitably affect how we conduct our lives. Is this not the point that Jesus made in His sermon on the mount? Listen to what Jesus said: Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matt. 7:1314). So, Paul commands his readers: you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk. He then explains what it was that compelled them to walk the way they walked: It was (1) the futility of their minds, (2) being darkened in their understanding, and (3) excluded from the life of God. Notice that the way the unbeliever thinks results in the way that unbeliever acts. The word for futility literally means empty in the Greek. What this means is that the mind of a person without God is a person without a true understanding of what their purpose is, and how can a person have any real sense of purpose if they reject the Creator who created us to know Him? To be without purpose because you are without God, is to have a mind that is darkened; A person without purpose is a person who stumbles through life like the person who stumbles in a pitch-black room without any real sense of direction for how to get out but does an excellent job at running into wall after wall. The person excluded from the life of God is a person who chases after the idols of the world and the heart thinking it might satisfy when all that it does is prove to be empty. According to Paul, people act the way they think, and what a person thinks is always connected to their heart. James Boice put it this way: People act as they think, and the reason they are constantly messing up is that they are vain in their thinking and darkened in their understanding as a consequence of being separated from God.[1] The person who is spiritually dead does not only have a problem with a mind that does not know God, but also has a problem of the heart. If you are excluded from the life of God, then you are spiritually dead. If you are spiritually dead before God, then your heart is hard towards God to the point of stone. The Greek word used for hardness is pōrōsiswhich is also used for marble. To have a stone heart is to have a heart unable to feel or love God because it has grown calloused towards God and what matters to God. In our home in Colorado, we had a granite island. I had the bright idea to do a box jump onto the granite countertop, and against the wisdom and sage advice from my wife to not try it, I ignored her and did it anyway. When I jumped, my toes caught the edge of the granite countertop just enough so that my shins could feel the full force of my weight has I came down; needless to say, it hurt a lot. The heart of the unbeliever is a heart that is unreceptive to the Word of God in the same way the granite countertop was unreceptive to my shins! Our hearts were not only hard towards God but calloused in the sense that instead of running towards God, we chased after anything but God, namely the idols of our hearts. According to verse 19, before Jesus redeemed us, we were like the Gentile pagans in Ephesus who gave, themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But what was true of you Christian, is not true of you today! This is the point Paul is making, and he is encouraging you to not only celebrate your life in Christ, but to live in the reality of who you are in Jesus. Chasing After Jesus is Life (vv. 20-24) Ephesians 4:10 is the equivalent of Ephesians 2:4-5! And you were dead in your offenses and sins. But, God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (2:1, 4-5). In the passage before us today, we whose minds were darkened, without purpose, and had marble like stone hearts have received Jesus Christ and we have never been the same since! We who were dead in our sins, are now alive in Jesus. We whose minds were darkened, have been enlightened by the light of the Gospel! We who were once without purpose because we did not know God, now have found our purpose in Christ! How did this happen? You heard the truth of the gospel and at the same time God supernaturally and miraculously changed your heart. What you experienced is the thing we read about in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants on account of Jesus. For God, who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Cor. 4:36) Christian, you who were once dead in your sins, are now alive in Jesus! You who chased after the idols of your heart thinking that they would satisfy have been found by the One who said: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-38); you have received Him because you heard Him and have been taught in Him (v. 21)! There are three verbs used to describe how it is that you went from being dead in your sins to being alive with Christ in Ephesians 4:20-21. The first verb is learned which comes from the Greek word emathete; literally this verse should read: you learned Christ. So, how do you learn somebody? Well you dont do it by simply collecting some historic facts about that person! In Philippians we get an idea for how we have learned Christ and how we are learning Christ: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-11). The second verb that is used to describe how we have gone from death to life is the word heard which comes from the Greek word ēkousate and it is translated in the NASB the way it should be: you have heard Him. How have you heard Christ? You heard Him through His word; you heard His voice through the good news that He lived the life you could not live and died a death for your sins that you deserved in your place, and on the third day, He conquered the grave through His resurrection. You heard His voice in the way Jesus Himself said you would: My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of the Fathers hand (John 10:27-28). The third verb that is used to describe how we have gone from death to life is the word edidachthēte and is translated you have been taught in Him. You were not taught by Him, but in Him. James Boice wrote of this word that it most likely means that, Jesus is the atmosphere within which the teaching takes place. We might say that Jesus is the school, as well as the teacher and the subject of instruction.[2] Whats the point? The point is that you who were once lost are now found, and even though you may have been a great sinner, Jesus is a great savior. No longer are you futile in your thinking. No longer are you chasing after idols in the dark. The life you once lived is now your former way of life according to Ephesians 4:22, so why would you even want to go back to your old self? Of course you do not want to go back to your old way of life because it is futile, it was purposeless, it was empty of God, it was a drinking from one toilet after the other only to discover that not only were you thirstier than before, but sick too! But now now you have Jesus, and because you have Jesus you have life! You have been made alive by Jesus and He who is, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) has given you purpose. And so now we find ourselves before Ephesians 4:22-24! In regard to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Listen, it is here in these verses that being made alive in Jesus intersects with the relationship we were created for. Listen, there are some Christians from whom all you hear out of their mouths is how you must rid yourself of this and rid yourself of that for the purpose of looking and behaving a certain way, and much of it has to do with how you look and behave on the outside, which is no different than the legalism of the Pharisees Jesus spoke against. There are others from whom all you hear that comes out of their mouths is, Grace this and grace that it doesnt matter how you live because it is all grace. This is also known as antinomianism which is the belief that the Christians is free from having to obey Gods moral law. Neither legalism nor antinomianism is the point of these verses! Conclusion What is the point of Ephesians 4:22-24 then? The point is that we who were once dead in our sins, have experienced the power of God for salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16)! The point is that we were once dead and now we are alive in Jesus (2:1-5). The point is that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). The point is that while we were dead in our sins, the closest thing we could come to discovering our purpose and finding true satisfaction is by drinking from the toilet bowl of the world only to grow sicker! Now that we are alive in Christ, we have purpose in God, and have the ability to delight in the God who made us for Himself! The point of Ephesians 4:22-24 is delight! The point is that we rid ourselves of the old self by chasing after the Jesus who is the light of the world (John 8:12). We rid ourselves of the old self by feasting on Jesus who is the bread of life (John 6:35). We rid ourselves of the old self by discovering in Him our true north as, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). We rid ourselves of the old self and put on the new self by hungering and thirsting after the only One who can satisfy, for it is Jesus who said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). The author of Life and our Redeemer said: If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it (Matt. 16:2425). These are the words that inspired Jim Elliot to pen his famous words: He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Little did he know that sometime later his life would become the catalyst to reach a violent unreached tribe, the Waodani tribe in South America, with the gospel; his death being the catalyst. So, is it worth it? Yes, He is worth it! He is worth it because even if it seems that we have lost it all, in Jesus we have not lost a thing. When all is said and done, all we have is Christ! [1] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 154. [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 161.

Susanna Annesley was born on January 20, 1669 and was the youngest of her 25 siblings! Her father was the Rev. Dr. Samuel Annesley and was later referred to as the St. Paul of the Nonconformists who stood against the unbiblical practices of slumbering national church.[1] To give you some sense of the kind of Christian home Susanna was born into, the Annesley home was visited by some of the spiritual giants of their day, such as Richard Baxter, John Owen, and Thomas Manton. Susanna said of her childhood: I will tell you what rule I observed when I was young and too much addicted to childish diversions, which was this never to spend more time in mere recreation in one day than I spent in private religious devotions.[2] It has been said of Susanna that her knowledge of the Bible was superior to that of many of the pastors of her day and her love for and devotion to God was reflected in her time in the Bible and prayer. On November 12, 1688, Susanna married Samuel Wesley who had become an Anglican priest. Together the Wesleys had at least 17 children (some believe they had 19 children), and of those children, only 10 survived infancy; one child was crippled, and another did not learn to speak until he was six years old. If 10 mouths to feed and children to clothe was not enough for both parents, Samuel Wesley was a poor steward and manager of money, not a very good husband to Susanna, and was frequently away from home for long periods. I read that during her lifetime as both a mother and a wife, Susanna was sick often, there was little money for food, and debt plagued their family and household because of Samuels poor management of money. Samuel was once thrown into debtors prison because their debt was so high. Twice the homes they lived in throughout their marriage were destroyed by fire along with much of what they owned. Someone slit their cows udders so they wouldnt have milk, killed their dog, and burned their flax field.[3] Susanna had little time between her duties as a mother, the need to work their gardens, milk their cows, educate their children, and manage their home, all with little help. However, she managed to spend about two hours a day praying because she believed in the God of Ephesians 3:20-21. Because it was nearly impossible to find a quiet place to pray, she used her apron and told her children that when they saw her head covered with her apron, they were not permitted to disturb her because she was praying. Of Samuel and Susannas ten surviving children, God would use John and Charles profoundly to reach the lost and impact the world they lived inmostly due to the foundation of the Word of God laid by their mother and the prayers prayed on their behalf. John Wesley would grow to become a great evangelist whom God used to preach to nearly one million people in his lifetime. Charles would be used by God to write over 9,000 hymns, of which many are still sung in our churches today.[4] One of those hymns is a favorite of mine: And Can It Be, That I Should Gain. Consider three of its five verses: And can it be that I should gainAn interest in the Savior's bloodDied He for me, who caused His painFor me, who Him to death pursued?Amazing love! How can it beThat Thou, my God, should die for me? He left His Father's throne aboveSo free, so infinite His graceEmptied Himself of all but loveAnd bled for Adam's helpless raceTic mercy all, immense and freeFor O my God, it found out me!Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, should die for me? No condemnation now I dreadJesus, and all in Him, is mineAlive in Him, my living HeadAnd clothed in righteousness divineBold I approach the eternal throneAnd claim the crown, through Christ my ownAmazing love! How can it beThat Thou my God, should die for me? Now, like a well-aged, perfectly seasoned steak cooked by a master chef, Ephesians 3:20-21 is before us, and every bit of these two verses is meant to be savored. So, lets savor one of the great doxological statements in the Bible: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. This statement in Ephesians 3:20-21 is in response to what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do in the life of the one He has chosen, redeemed, and secured as His child. Paul has brought us to the threshold of where our understanding and imagination can go, that we who were once dead in our offences and sins (2:1), can know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled to all the fullness of God (3:19). In his sermon on this same passage, James Montgomery Boice wrote in response: This is beyond comprehension; we cannot even begin to imagine how we can be filled with Gods own fullness. We stand on the edge of the infinite. And yet, Paul is still not satisfied. He has prayed that God will do something we cannot even imagine; and now, having exhausted his ability to speak and write along that line, he bursts out in praise to God who, he says, is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (v. 20).[5] So, what are these verses teaching us? What hope do they provide you? I believe that the answer is profound yet simple. God is Working All Things Out for Our Good How is God working all things out for our good and how do we know He is working all things out for our good? Well, let me begin by answering how we know that He is working all things out for our good. For starters, our God can work all things out for our good! Paul begins verse 20 with six simple words: Now to Him who is able. God is able because He is not an idol. The Greek word used for do is poieō, which means to do, make, cause, or appoint. In other words, God is not like the stuff or gods that people worship; He can do what they cannot! He is not made with hands or created through any persons imagination. He is God! The God who is able is He who declares of Himself: Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, My plan will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a distant country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will certainly do it. Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, who are far from righteousness. I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; and My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, and My glory for Israel. (Isaiah 46:913) God alone is able to choose, redeem, and keep any He wills for the purpose of lavishing His rich mercy, great love, and all-sufficient grace upon any that He grants salvation. God chooses, redeems, and keeps because He will accomplish all His good pleasure (Isa. 46:10b). Because God is able, He can do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. God is not like the compromising parent in the grocery store that will offer or give whatever the child wants just so he/she can get the child to shut up. God gives His children what is good for them and what they need. Sometimes what we want lines up with what He knows that we need, but there are times that what we are convinced we need is not what we need at all because it ultimately may not even be good for us. However, if we are surrendering ourselves to Gods will (vv. 14-15), if we are desiring a dependance upon the Holy Spirit (vv. 16-17a), and we are walking in union with Christ (vv. 17-19), then what you think you need will begin to line up with what God knows you need. That is not all though, for the thing you do not know you need to ask for, God knows, and He is, able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think Listen, when your thinking begins to line up with the heart of what God wants for you, you will find yourself asking for the very thing God desires for you. This is what Jesus said would happen if you abide (remain) in Him: If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (John 15:7). When you surrender to the will of God, when you are depending on the promised Holy Spirit to guide you, and when you are taking in the life of Jesus so that His life will be reflected through your life, what you ask or wish for will begin to line up with what God knows you really need, and what you need most is the thing that God has called you into. The power that is working within us, is what made your salvation, redemption, and regeneration possible. It is the power of the Holy Spirit who provides a resurrecting and miracle working power that Jesus promised to each of His follower. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will be our Helper who will be with His people forever (John 14:16-31), will guide His people into all truth (16:5-15), and will empower His people to accomplish Christs mission to redeem the nations (Acts 1:8). The power that was responsible for the creation of the universe and resurrection of Jesus is the same power the indwells every true follower of Jesus to live and walk in the good works God prepared beforehand for His people to walk in (Eph. 2:10). God is Working All Things Out for His Glory Why is God working all things out for our good? Why did He choose you? Why did He redeem you through the blood of the Lamb? Why did He seal and empower you to live a life that honors Him? The answer is in the first five words of verse 21, To Him be the glory. The prophet Isaiah said of the glory of God: For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another (Isa. 48:11). In Romans 11:36, Gods glory is described in His worth: For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or Who has first given to Him, that it would be paid back to him? For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Rom. 11:3436). So, to Him be the glory in what or who, Paul? His answer is three-fold: in the church, in Christ Jesus, and to all generations forever and ever. Why on earth would we think that God would want to do anything through us? Because He is for His glory, and because He is for His glory, He is for your good. What is your good Christian? Your good is that you get God! The greatest and most loving thing God can give you is Himself! For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of armies. (Mal. 1:11) I, I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isa. 43:25) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:36) In light of all that we have discovered and been reminded of throughout our time in Ephesians, maybe you have asked the question: Did God go too far? Did God go too far by choosing me of all people before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4)? Is God the victim of a poor investment because he chose me before the foundation of the world for good works He prepared beforehand? I dont know if you have ever asked questions like these, but if Ephesians 3:20-21 teaches us anything, it is this: God is not limited because He is infinitely sovereign, and because He is infinitely sovereign, He does not invest poorly. He has redeemed you who were once dead and now has made you alive for His glory and your good! And brothers and sisters, He is doing the same thing all over the world. He is being glorified in the Church by what He is doing in the Church and through the Church. He is glorified in and through the redemptive work of Christ who made our salvation possible! He is being glorified and forever will be glorified because of Who He Is! God is He who, is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us for His glory and our good! The more of Him you discover, the more you will trust Him to do what He alone is able to do in His time and according to His good will. I heard someone say it this way: The deeper our understanding of God goes, the more childlike our faith will become. I heard a song written by people I never heard before titled, Christ be All. I must have listened to it a dozen times or more this week because it is so good! There are two verses from that song I believe serve as a suitable way to conclude this sermon; I believe it echoes the spirit of Susanna Wesley and the longing of each of us in this room: How great is God?His grandeur endlessHow frail I come before His throneI am lost in love relentlessThat Christ be all, and I his own May Christ be all, and I be nothingHis glory shines in vessels weakMay Christ be all, and I be nothingThis is my hopeNot I, but Christ in me On golden shores of sure salvationI will run to meet my KingFree from shame and all accusationHe'll give HimselfNothing I'll bringHe'll give HimselfNothing I'll bring [1] Arthur Dicken Thomas, Jr., Knowing Doing: Profiles in Faith (C.S. Lewis Institute; 2003). [2] Ibid. [3] Sharon Glasgow, Susanna Wesleys Prayer Apron (Epworth Villa; May 9, 2019). [4] Ibid. [5] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 113114.

Susanna Annesley was born on January 20, 1669 and was the youngest of her 25 siblings! Her father was the Rev. Dr. Samuel Annesley and was later referred to as the St. Paul of the Nonconformists who stood against the unbiblical practices of slumbering national church.[1] To give you some sense of the kind of Christian home Susanna was born into, the Annesley home was visited by some of the spiritual giants of their day, such as Richard Baxter, John Owen, and Thomas Manton. Susanna said of her childhood: I will tell you what rule I observed when I was young and too much addicted to childish diversions, which was this never to spend more time in mere recreation in one day than I spent in private religious devotions.[2] It has been said of Susanna that her knowledge of the Bible was superior to that of many of the pastors of her day and her love for and devotion to God was reflected in her time in the Bible and prayer. On November 12, 1688, Susanna married Samuel Wesley who had become an Anglican priest. Together the Wesleys had at least 17 children (some believe they had 19 children), and of those children, only 10 survived infancy; one child was crippled, and another did not learn to speak until he was six years old. If 10 mouths to feed and children to clothe was not enough for both parents, Samuel Wesley was a poor steward and manager of money, not a very good husband to Susanna, and was frequently away from home for long periods. I read that during her lifetime as both a mother and a wife, Susanna was sick often, there was little money for food, and debt plagued their family and household because of Samuels poor management of money. Samuel was once thrown into debtors prison because their debt was so high. Twice the homes they lived in throughout their marriage were destroyed by fire along with much of what they owned. Someone slit their cows udders so they wouldnt have milk, killed their dog, and burned their flax field.[3] Susanna had little time between her duties as a mother, the need to work their gardens, milk their cows, educate their children, and manage their home, all with little help. However, she managed to spend about two hours a day praying because she believed in the God of Ephesians 3:20-21. Because it was nearly impossible to find a quiet place to pray, she used her apron and told her children that when they saw her head covered with her apron, they were not permitted to disturb her because she was praying. Of Samuel and Susannas ten surviving children, God would use John and Charles profoundly to reach the lost and impact the world they lived inmostly due to the foundation of the Word of God laid by their mother and the prayers prayed on their behalf. John Wesley would grow to become a great evangelist whom God used to preach to nearly one million people in his lifetime. Charles would be used by God to write over 9,000 hymns, of which many are still sung in our churches today.[4] One of those hymns is a favorite of mine: And Can It Be, That I Should Gain. Consider three of its five verses: And can it be that I should gainAn interest in the Savior's bloodDied He for me, who caused His painFor me, who Him to death pursued?Amazing love! How can it beThat Thou, my God, should die for me? He left His Father's throne aboveSo free, so infinite His graceEmptied Himself of all but loveAnd bled for Adam's helpless raceTic mercy all, immense and freeFor O my God, it found out me!Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, should die for me? No condemnation now I dreadJesus, and all in Him, is mineAlive in Him, my living HeadAnd clothed in righteousness divineBold I approach the eternal throneAnd claim the crown, through Christ my ownAmazing love! How can it beThat Thou my God, should die for me? Now, like a well-aged, perfectly seasoned steak cooked by a master chef, Ephesians 3:20-21 is before us, and every bit of these two verses is meant to be savored. So, lets savor one of the great doxological statements in the Bible: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. This statement in Ephesians 3:20-21 is in response to what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do in the life of the one He has chosen, redeemed, and secured as His child. Paul has brought us to the threshold of where our understanding and imagination can go, that we who were once dead in our offences and sins (2:1), can know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled to all the fullness of God (3:19). In his sermon on this same passage, James Montgomery Boice wrote in response: This is beyond comprehension; we cannot even begin to imagine how we can be filled with Gods own fullness. We stand on the edge of the infinite. And yet, Paul is still not satisfied. He has prayed that God will do something we cannot even imagine; and now, having exhausted his ability to speak and write along that line, he bursts out in praise to God who, he says, is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (v. 20).[5] So, what are these verses teaching us? What hope do they provide you? I believe that the answer is profound yet simple. God is Working All Things Out for Our Good How is God working all things out for our good and how do we know He is working all things out for our good? Well, let me begin by answering how we know that He is working all things out for our good. For starters, our God can work all things out for our good! Paul begins verse 20 with six simple words: Now to Him who is able. God is able because He is not an idol. The Greek word used for do is poieō, which means to do, make, cause, or appoint. In other words, God is not like the stuff or gods that people worship; He can do what they cannot! He is not made with hands or created through any persons imagination. He is God! The God who is able is He who declares of Himself: Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, My plan will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a distant country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will certainly do it. Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, who are far from righteousness. I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; and My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, and My glory for Israel. (Isaiah 46:913) God alone is able to choose, redeem, and keep any He wills for the purpose of lavishing His rich mercy, great love, and all-sufficient grace upon any that He grants salvation. God chooses, redeems, and keeps because He will accomplish all His good pleasure (Isa. 46:10b). Because God is able, He can do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. God is not like the compromising parent in the grocery store that will offer or give whatever the child wants just so he/she can get the child to shut up. God gives His children what is good for them and what they need. Sometimes what we want lines up with what He knows that we need, but there are times that what we are convinced we need is not what we need at all because it ultimately may not even be good for us. However, if we are surrendering ourselves to Gods will (vv. 14-15), if we are desiring a dependance upon the Holy Spirit (vv. 16-17a), and we are walking in union with Christ (vv. 17-19), then what you think you need will begin to line up with what God knows you need. That is not all though, for the thing you do not know you need to ask for, God knows, and He is, able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think Listen, when your thinking begins to line up with the heart of what God wants for you, you will find yourself asking for the very thing God desires for you. This is what Jesus said would happen if you abide (remain) in Him: If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (John 15:7). When you surrender to the will of God, when you are depending on the promised Holy Spirit to guide you, and when you are taking in the life of Jesus so that His life will be reflected through your life, what you ask or wish for will begin to line up with what God knows you really need, and what you need most is the thing that God has called you into. The power that is working within us, is what made your salvation, redemption, and regeneration possible. It is the power of the Holy Spirit who provides a resurrecting and miracle working power that Jesus promised to each of His follower. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will be our Helper who will be with His people forever (John 14:16-31), will guide His people into all truth (16:5-15), and will empower His people to accomplish Christs mission to redeem the nations (Acts 1:8). The power that was responsible for the creation of the universe and resurrection of Jesus is the same power the indwells every true follower of Jesus to live and walk in the good works God prepared beforehand for His people to walk in (Eph. 2:10). God is Working All Things Out for His Glory Why is God working all things out for our good? Why did He choose you? Why did He redeem you through the blood of the Lamb? Why did He seal and empower you to live a life that honors Him? The answer is in the first five words of verse 21, To Him be the glory. The prophet Isaiah said of the glory of God: For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another (Isa. 48:11). In Romans 11:36, Gods glory is described in His worth: For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or Who has first given to Him, that it would be paid back to him? For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Rom. 11:3436). So, to Him be the glory in what or who, Paul? His answer is three-fold: in the church, in Christ Jesus, and to all generations forever and ever. Why on earth would we think that God would want to do anything through us? Because He is for His glory, and because He is for His glory, He is for your good. What is your good Christian? Your good is that you get God! The greatest and most loving thing God can give you is Himself! For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of armies. (Mal. 1:11) I, I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isa. 43:25) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:36) In light of all that we have discovered and been reminded of throughout our time in Ephesians, maybe you have asked the question: Did God go too far? Did God go too far by choosing me of all people before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4)? Is God the victim of a poor investment because he chose me before the foundation of the world for good works He prepared beforehand? I dont know if you have ever asked questions like these, but if Ephesians 3:20-21 teaches us anything, it is this: God is not limited because He is infinitely sovereign, and because He is infinitely sovereign, He does not invest poorly. He has redeemed you who were once dead and now has made you alive for His glory and your good! And brothers and sisters, He is doing the same thing all over the world. He is being glorified in the Church by what He is doing in the Church and through the Church. He is glorified in and through the redemptive work of Christ who made our salvation possible! He is being glorified and forever will be glorified because of Who He Is! God is He who, is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us for His glory and our good! The more of Him you discover, the more you will trust Him to do what He alone is able to do in His time and according to His good will. I heard someone say it this way: The deeper our understanding of God goes, the more childlike our faith will become. I heard a song written by people I never heard before titled, Christ be All. I must have listened to it a dozen times or more this week because it is so good! There are two verses from that song I believe serve as a suitable way to conclude this sermon; I believe it echoes the spirit of Susanna Wesley and the longing of each of us in this room: How great is God?His grandeur endlessHow frail I come before His throneI am lost in love relentlessThat Christ be all, and I his own May Christ be all, and I be nothingHis glory shines in vessels weakMay Christ be all, and I be nothingThis is my hopeNot I, but Christ in me On golden shores of sure salvationI will run to meet my KingFree from shame and all accusationHe'll give HimselfNothing I'll bringHe'll give HimselfNothing I'll bring [1] Arthur Dicken Thomas, Jr., Knowing Doing: Profiles in Faith (C.S. Lewis Institute; 2003). [2] Ibid. [3] Sharon Glasgow, Susanna Wesleys Prayer Apron (Epworth Villa; May 9, 2019). [4] Ibid. [5] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 113114.

In light of our journey in Ephesians so far, what does it mean to be a Christian? If you are a genuine and legitimate Christian, then the following is true of you: God chose you before the foundation of the world for the purpose of becoming holy and blameless (1:4-6). You have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus who died upon a cross for sins you committed, and through His death, the riches of Gods grace has been, is being, and forever will be lavished upon you (1:7-12). You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that God will complete the work He started in you and the promise of a power to enable you to complete the work that He has called you into, related to His mission to redeem creation (1:13-14, 19; 2:10). Because you are a Christian, God treasures you as His inheritance that He will receive out of His great purpose and love for you (1:18-19a). You are secure as a Christian because the One who redeemed you upon the cross, conquered death by walking out of the tomb, is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, and is the King of kings and Lord of lords who is, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come (1:19b-21). As a Christian, your hope rests in a Jesus under whose feet, all things are in subjection because He is head over all things the Groom of the Church (1:21-22). You are a Christian because, like the rest of the world, you were once dead in your sins, and thereby a child of Gods wrath! However, that is no longer who you are because God, whose mercy is rich, love is great, and grace is sufficient, made you alive in Christ Jesus (2:1-4) If you are a Christian, it is not because of anything you have done, but solely by the grace of God through faith exclusively in Christ alone (2:8-9). You, Christian, were redeemed through faith, by grace, because of Christ for, good works, which God prepared beforehand so that you would walk, not in the course of this world, but in good works God saved you for (2:10). Because you are now a Christian, you have been brought near to God and belong to another people group, which is the people of God (2:13-22). Your identity as a Christian is not in how you feel, who you are attracted too, your political affiliation, nationality, or the color of your skin; your identity is now in Jesus as the cornerstone of your life and the Bible as the foundation on which you stand within the community known as the Church (2:19-22). As a Christian, the multifaceted wisdom of God is being made known through you and the people you now belong to, which is the Church of Jesus Christ. Angels marvel over your redemption and demons are terrified over what God is doing through you (3:1-12). You belong to Christ as the Bride of Christ dear Christian! When God sees you, you are now the object of His affection; He is working all things out for His glory and for your good, in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus (3:11), which means that He is for you and not against you (3:1, 13). You, Christian, are being built up into a beautiful templea holy and living temple where the presence of God dwells (2:21-22)! Paul begins verse 14 with, For this reason. For what reason? For the fourteen reasons I just listed and so much more! There is something so important the apostle wanted the Ephesians to know and experience, and it is something that we need to know and experience today. Paul touched on it in his prayer in 1:18-19, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe (Eph. 1:1819a). He again informs these Christians how he is praying for them: that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God. (Eph. 16-19) These two prayers serve as bookends for the first half of Ephesians; it is in these remaining verses in chapter 3 that Paul shows us how it is that we can know the love of Christ, but also experience the width, length, height, and depth of that same love of Christ. Surrender Fully to God (vv. 14-15) There are only four places in the whole New Testament that I am aware of where the Greek word for bend (kamptō) is used. Is Paul describing his physical posture while praying for the Ephesian Christians, or is he describing his overall posture as a Christian? Scholars are torn over what it is exactly that Paul is describing here, but I think it is both because of the first three words of verse 14: For this reason. For all the reasons mentioned from the beginning of this epistle to 3:13, I bend my knees before the Father. It makes even more sense to conclude that Paul is speaking for both his posture in prayer and his posture in life before God the Father because of the other ways he used this same Greek word. It will serve us well to see the other ways he used the word bend because it will also help us understand how we can experience the very thing Paul prays for. Here are the first two ways kamptō is used: For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow (kamptō), of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:910) For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, to me every knee will bow (kamptō), and every tongue will give praise to God. (Rom. 14:11) The fourth place kamptō (bow) is used is in Romans 11:4 when Paul quotes what God said to the prophet Elijah: I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. In the Old Testament book of 1 Kings, Elijah had an encounter with 400 prophets of Baal. The short of it is that the prophets of Baal where utterly humiliated when God miraculously intervened on behalf of Elijah to prove to all who were there that there was only one true God, and it was Yahweh. The king and queen of Israel had made Baal worship the religion of the nation and it had seemed most had turned to Baal (see 1 Kings 18). It wasnt long after Elijah experienced God do the impossible that Jezebel threatened to murder Elijah. Elijah fled and went into hiding within a cave even though he had experienced God do the impossible. It was in the cave that God assured Elijah that even though many of Israels prophets turned to Baal, there were still 7,000 who had not bowed their knee to Baal. In other words, for the 7,000 prophets of Yahweh, there was only one Lord. There is another reason why Paul bends his knees before the Father, and we see it in verse 15; it is the reason why God has both the authority and the right to bless whomever He wishes with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3), chooses whomever He wants before the foundation of the world (1:4-6), redeems those He has chosen through His Son (1:7-12), and seals those whom He treasures (1:13-14). That reason is He is God, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name (v. 15). He has the right and prerogative to do what He will because He alone is God, He alone is the Creator, and He alone is Father to the redeemed! In ancient Israel, it was the father who gave the name to a child. The significance of verse 15 is that although it is true that God holds all the rights of Creator, it is those whom He redeems through Christ that He has given a new name. What is this new name? Listen to Revelation 2:17, The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it. I am not entirely sure what the new name means that the Christian will receive, but I believe the point Paul is making is that the posture of the Christian is a bend of ones knees before the Father in recognition that there is no God like Him and a very keen awareness that because of Jesus Christ, the Christian can claim 1 John 3:1 for himself/herself: See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1). You, Christian, share the mystical union with Jesus that every Christian shares who is now in heaven or presently on earth. We now belong to the people of God as members of that family in heaven and on earth. Depend Deeply Upon the Holy Spirit (v. 16-17a) So Pauls prayer for the Ephesians continues: that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (vv. 16-17a). Do you see the connection between these verses and Pauls statement about his posture before God the Father? If you are Christian, you already have Christ and the evidence that you have Christ is through the sealing of the Holy Spirit that God did when you became a Christian by faith in Christ alone. Let me say it another way: When you believed in Jesus as the only way and means for the salvation of your soul, God sealed you with His Holy Spirit as a guarantee that you now belong to Him as His child and at the same time as proof that you are also His inheritance (see Eph. 1:13-14, 19a). Remember what I said when we looked at Ephesians 1:13-14; I said that when you were sealed by the Holy Spirit, you now have all of the Holy Spirit that you will ever need. The question is whether or not the Holy Spirit has all of your heart. Paul is essentially saying the same thing in Ephesians 3:16-17a. All of the strengthening and power that is available through the Holy Spirit, you already have in you because you, dear Christian, have all of the Holy Spirit that you will ever need. The question is how lined up is your inner self with the Father and the Son? What is the inner self you ask? The inner self is the center of your being, it is the most important part of you spiritually because it affects everything you do outwardly. Let me share with you something from the Bible that may help add clarity to what Paul is talking about here and why what he is saying in these verses is so important from 2 Corinthians 4:16; Paul refers to the inner-self as the inner-person in these verses: Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:1618) So, here is why what Paul is saying is so important for us to understand: The more you depend upon the Father, the more you seek Him, the more of your joy you find in and through Him, the more of you His Spirit will have. You can only do that by knowing Him more and better! The only way you will know God more and better is if you listen to Him through His Word (the Bible) and communicate to Him (through prayer). Listen to me very carefully: Christian, you can know and rightly believe that you have available to you the strength and power of the Holy Spirit you are convinced resides in you because you believe Gods Word to be true! However, you will not experience the strength and power available to you through the Holy Spirit if you are not bending your knees before the Father with your mind, heart, and will. This is the point Paul also makes later in Ephesians 5:18, Do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord. One person said it this way: A person whom the Spirit is working powerfully in is someone who will be changing deeply. When the Spirit of Christ makes himself at home, he constantly renovates our hearts to make us a more appropriate dwelling for the Lord Jesus, because the Lord Jesus is not merely dropping in briefly.[1] But that is not all, brothers and sisters, there is more! Walk in Union Uncompromisingly with Christ (vv. 17-19) So what do I mean by walking in union uncompromisingly with Christ? There is a simple but very full word that sums up verses 17b-19, and the word is Abide. How does the Holy Spirit get more of you? How will God get more of your heart? The answer is, by abiding in Christ. Paul is not saying to the Christians in Ephesus that they do not have all of the love of Jesus; he cant be saying that because of all that he has already said! He already said that if you are a Christian, it is only because of the truth that, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us (Eph. 1:7-8a). Regarding this same love, Paul wrote that God, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (2:5b-7). Christian, you have all of the love of Christ that you will ever need, but are you living in the reality of that love at the very center of your life? How do you do that, you ask? Well I am glad you asked. You do that by, being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. This is what it means to abide (to take up residence in) Christ. Here is what Jesus said about abiding in Him: I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5). Jesus also said, If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). This is what it means to be rooted and grounded in love. What love? The love of God that is ours in Jesus! It is more than just head knowledge that Paul is praying for, he wants these Christians to experience and live in that love in such a way that only the Holy Spirit can make happen. R.C. Sproul said of these verses: We need divine power to have a deeper understanding of the dimensions of the love of Christ.[2] What are the dimensions of the love of Christ? Paul kind of tells us in verse 18, the width and length and height and depth. A comprehension of these four spheres of the love of Christ is to understand and experience, the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (v. 18). What is the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge? It is more than an understanding that as Christians, Christ is seated above us as our Lord and Savior (1:20-22) You, Christian, are seated beside Him (2:6) We rest upon Him (2:20) Christ indwells us (3:17) Jesus fills us (3:19). What is this profound love that belongs to the Christian? I believe the following story is an appropriate way to drive home Pauls point: In the last century, when Napoleons armies opened a prison that had been used by the Spanish Inquisition, they found the remains of a prisoner who had been incarcerated for his faith. The dungeon was underground. The body had long since decayed. Only a chain fastened around an anklebone cried out his confinement. But this prisoner, long since dead, had left a witness. On the wall of his small, dismal cell this faithful soldier of Christ had scratched a rough cross with four words surrounding it in Spanish. Above the cross was the Spanish word for height. Below it was the word for depth. To the left the word width. To the right, the word length. Clearly this prisoner wanted to testify to the surpassing greatness of the love of Christ, perceived even in his suffering[3] [1] Richard Coekin, Ephesians for You (The Good Book Company; 2019), p. 100. [2] R.C. Sproul, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Sanford, FL: Ligonier Ministries; 2023), p. 50. [3] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 111.

In light of our journey in Ephesians so far, what does it mean to be a Christian? If you are a genuine and legitimate Christian, then the following is true of you: God chose you before the foundation of the world for the purpose of becoming holy and blameless (1:4-6). You have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus who died upon a cross for sins you committed, and through His death, the riches of Gods grace has been, is being, and forever will be lavished upon you (1:7-12). You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that God will complete the work He started in you and the promise of a power to enable you to complete the work that He has called you into, related to His mission to redeem creation (1:13-14, 19; 2:10). Because you are a Christian, God treasures you as His inheritance that He will receive out of His great purpose and love for you (1:18-19a). You are secure as a Christian because the One who redeemed you upon the cross, conquered death by walking out of the tomb, is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, and is the King of kings and Lord of lords who is, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come (1:19b-21). As a Christian, your hope rests in a Jesus under whose feet, all things are in subjection because He is head over all things the Groom of the Church (1:21-22). You are a Christian because, like the rest of the world, you were once dead in your sins, and thereby a child of Gods wrath! However, that is no longer who you are because God, whose mercy is rich, love is great, and grace is sufficient, made you alive in Christ Jesus (2:1-4) If you are a Christian, it is not because of anything you have done, but solely by the grace of God through faith exclusively in Christ alone (2:8-9). You, Christian, were redeemed through faith, by grace, because of Christ for, good works, which God prepared beforehand so that you would walk, not in the course of this world, but in good works God saved you for (2:10). Because you are now a Christian, you have been brought near to God and belong to another people group, which is the people of God (2:13-22). Your identity as a Christian is not in how you feel, who you are attracted too, your political affiliation, nationality, or the color of your skin; your identity is now in Jesus as the cornerstone of your life and the Bible as the foundation on which you stand within the community known as the Church (2:19-22). As a Christian, the multifaceted wisdom of God is being made known through you and the people you now belong to, which is the Church of Jesus Christ. Angels marvel over your redemption and demons are terrified over what God is doing through you (3:1-12). You belong to Christ as the Bride of Christ dear Christian! When God sees you, you are now the object of His affection; He is working all things out for His glory and for your good, in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus (3:11), which means that He is for you and not against you (3:1, 13). You, Christian, are being built up into a beautiful templea holy and living temple where the presence of God dwells (2:21-22)! Paul begins verse 14 with, For this reason. For what reason? For the fourteen reasons I just listed and so much more! There is something so important the apostle wanted the Ephesians to know and experience, and it is something that we need to know and experience today. Paul touched on it in his prayer in 1:18-19, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe (Eph. 1:1819a). He again informs these Christians how he is praying for them: that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God. (Eph. 16-19) These two prayers serve as bookends for the first half of Ephesians; it is in these remaining verses in chapter 3 that Paul shows us how it is that we can know the love of Christ, but also experience the width, length, height, and depth of that same love of Christ. Surrender Fully to God (vv. 14-15) There are only four places in the whole New Testament that I am aware of where the Greek word for bend (kamptō) is used. Is Paul describing his physical posture while praying for the Ephesian Christians, or is he describing his overall posture as a Christian? Scholars are torn over what it is exactly that Paul is describing here, but I think it is both because of the first three words of verse 14: For this reason. For all the reasons mentioned from the beginning of this epistle to 3:13, I bend my knees before the Father. It makes even more sense to conclude that Paul is speaking for both his posture in prayer and his posture in life before God the Father because of the other ways he used this same Greek word. It will serve us well to see the other ways he used the word bend because it will also help us understand how we can experience the very thing Paul prays for. Here are the first two ways kamptō is used: For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow (kamptō), of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:910) For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, to me every knee will bow (kamptō), and every tongue will give praise to God. (Rom. 14:11) The fourth place kamptō (bow) is used is in Romans 11:4 when Paul quotes what God said to the prophet Elijah: I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. In the Old Testament book of 1 Kings, Elijah had an encounter with 400 prophets of Baal. The short of it is that the prophets of Baal where utterly humiliated when God miraculously intervened on behalf of Elijah to prove to all who were there that there was only one true God, and it was Yahweh. The king and queen of Israel had made Baal worship the religion of the nation and it had seemed most had turned to Baal (see 1 Kings 18). It wasnt long after Elijah experienced God do the impossible that Jezebel threatened to murder Elijah. Elijah fled and went into hiding within a cave even though he had experienced God do the impossible. It was in the cave that God assured Elijah that even though many of Israels prophets turned to Baal, there were still 7,000 who had not bowed their knee to Baal. In other words, for the 7,000 prophets of Yahweh, there was only one Lord. There is another reason why Paul bends his knees before the Father, and we see it in verse 15; it is the reason why God has both the authority and the right to bless whomever He wishes with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3), chooses whomever He wants before the foundation of the world (1:4-6), redeems those He has chosen through His Son (1:7-12), and seals those whom He treasures (1:13-14). That reason is He is God, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name (v. 15). He has the right and prerogative to do what He will because He alone is God, He alone is the Creator, and He alone is Father to the redeemed! In ancient Israel, it was the father who gave the name to a child. The significance of verse 15 is that although it is true that God holds all the rights of Creator, it is those whom He redeems through Christ that He has given a new name. What is this new name? Listen to Revelation 2:17, The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it. I am not entirely sure what the new name means that the Christian will receive, but I believe the point Paul is making is that the posture of the Christian is a bend of ones knees before the Father in recognition that there is no God like Him and a very keen awareness that because of Jesus Christ, the Christian can claim 1 John 3:1 for himself/herself: See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1). You, Christian, share the mystical union with Jesus that every Christian shares who is now in heaven or presently on earth. We now belong to the people of God as members of that family in heaven and on earth. Depend Deeply Upon the Holy Spirit (v. 16-17a) So Pauls prayer for the Ephesians continues: that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (vv. 16-17a). Do you see the connection between these verses and Pauls statement about his posture before God the Father? If you are Christian, you already have Christ and the evidence that you have Christ is through the sealing of the Holy Spirit that God did when you became a Christian by faith in Christ alone. Let me say it another way: When you believed in Jesus as the only way and means for the salvation of your soul, God sealed you with His Holy Spirit as a guarantee that you now belong to Him as His child and at the same time as proof that you are also His inheritance (see Eph. 1:13-14, 19a). Remember what I said when we looked at Ephesians 1:13-14; I said that when you were sealed by the Holy Spirit, you now have all of the Holy Spirit that you will ever need. The question is whether or not the Holy Spirit has all of your heart. Paul is essentially saying the same thing in Ephesians 3:16-17a. All of the strengthening and power that is available through the Holy Spirit, you already have in you because you, dear Christian, have all of the Holy Spirit that you will ever need. The question is how lined up is your inner self with the Father and the Son? What is the inner self you ask? The inner self is the center of your being, it is the most important part of you spiritually because it affects everything you do outwardly. Let me share with you something from the Bible that may help add clarity to what Paul is talking about here and why what he is saying in these verses is so important from 2 Corinthians 4:16; Paul refers to the inner-self as the inner-person in these verses: Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:1618) So, here is why what Paul is saying is so important for us to understand: The more you depend upon the Father, the more you seek Him, the more of your joy you find in and through Him, the more of you His Spirit will have. You can only do that by knowing Him more and better! The only way you will know God more and better is if you listen to Him through His Word (the Bible) and communicate to Him (through prayer). Listen to me very carefully: Christian, you can know and rightly believe that you have available to you the strength and power of the Holy Spirit you are convinced resides in you because you believe Gods Word to be true! However, you will not experience the strength and power available to you through the Holy Spirit if you are not bending your knees before the Father with your mind, heart, and will. This is the point Paul also makes later in Ephesians 5:18, Do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord. One person said it this way: A person whom the Spirit is working powerfully in is someone who will be changing deeply. When the Spirit of Christ makes himself at home, he constantly renovates our hearts to make us a more appropriate dwelling for the Lord Jesus, because the Lord Jesus is not merely dropping in briefly.[1] But that is not all, brothers and sisters, there is more! Walk in Union Uncompromisingly with Christ (vv. 17-19) So what do I mean by walking in union uncompromisingly with Christ? There is a simple but very full word that sums up verses 17b-19, and the word is Abide. How does the Holy Spirit get more of you? How will God get more of your heart? The answer is, by abiding in Christ. Paul is not saying to the Christians in Ephesus that they do not have all of the love of Jesus; he cant be saying that because of all that he has already said! He already said that if you are a Christian, it is only because of the truth that, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us (Eph. 1:7-8a). Regarding this same love, Paul wrote that God, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (2:5b-7). Christian, you have all of the love of Christ that you will ever need, but are you living in the reality of that love at the very center of your life? How do you do that, you ask? Well I am glad you asked. You do that by, being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. This is what it means to abide (to take up residence in) Christ. Here is what Jesus said about abiding in Him: I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5). Jesus also said, If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). This is what it means to be rooted and grounded in love. What love? The love of God that is ours in Jesus! It is more than just head knowledge that Paul is praying for, he wants these Christians to experience and live in that love in such a way that only the Holy Spirit can make happen. R.C. Sproul said of these verses: We need divine power to have a deeper understanding of the dimensions of the love of Christ.[2] What are the dimensions of the love of Christ? Paul kind of tells us in verse 18, the width and length and height and depth. A comprehension of these four spheres of the love of Christ is to understand and experience, the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (v. 18). What is the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge? It is more than an understanding that as Christians, Christ is seated above us as our Lord and Savior (1:20-22) You, Christian, are seated beside Him (2:6) We rest upon Him (2:20) Christ indwells us (3:17) Jesus fills us (3:19). What is this profound love that belongs to the Christian? I believe the following story is an appropriate way to drive home Pauls point: In the last century, when Napoleons armies opened a prison that had been used by the Spanish Inquisition, they found the remains of a prisoner who had been incarcerated for his faith. The dungeon was underground. The body had long since decayed. Only a chain fastened around an anklebone cried out his confinement. But this prisoner, long since dead, had left a witness. On the wall of his small, dismal cell this faithful soldier of Christ had scratched a rough cross with four words surrounding it in Spanish. Above the cross was the Spanish word for height. Below it was the word for depth. To the left the word width. To the right, the word length. Clearly this prisoner wanted to testify to the surpassing greatness of the love of Christ, perceived even in his suffering[3] [1] Richard Coekin, Ephesians for You (The Good Book Company; 2019), p. 100. [2] R.C. Sproul, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Sanford, FL: Ligonier Ministries; 2023), p. 50. [3] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 111.

Well, we have arrived at Ephesians 2, and the very first thing we are told is that the Christian was once dead. I love the irony in the fact that we are entering Ephesians 2 on the day where all of us are suffering from one less hour of sleep this morning (Daylight Savings Time). So, what I thought I would do before we plunge ourselves into our passage this morning is to first reflect on four of the weirdest ways people have died. For those of you who are still angry that you lost an hour of your sleep, just know that it is a miracle you made it this morning. It is estimated that 450 people die falling out of bed every year. According to statistics, you are twice as likely to die from an angry vending machine than a hungry shark. It is reported that about 24 people die annually from being hit by champagne corks in the face, mostly at weddings. Less people die from poisonous spiders than flying corks from champagne bottles! The weirdest death I learned about was that of Joao Maria de Souza of Brazil, who was killed in 2013 when a cow fell through his roof and crushed him while he slept. Whether it is by falling out of a bed, a falling cow through your roof, or the inevitable and eventual failing of your health, all of us are going to die one day. What does Dead Mean? I do not need to spend a whole lot of time explaining what dead means. The word the apostle Paul used from the original language means exactly what the word dead means. If you are confused as to what the word for dead (nekros) means, it means this: no longer having life. However, why does the apostle Paul use the word dead to describe who or what the Christian used to be? Paul could have said, you were sick in your offenses and sins. He could have chosen the words, handicap, wounded, or he even could have used the same line from The Princess Bride, which was: mostly dead. The difference between dead and mostly dead is that when you are mostly dead, you are slightly alive. Of all the words the apostle could have used, he chose the word, dead. What if Ephesians 2:1-4, stated this instead? And you were mostly dead in your offenses and sins. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were barely alive in our wrongdoings, made us completely alive together with Christ. But that is not how Ephesians 2 begins is it? To understand what Paul means by the word dead we need to go to the place the apostle pulled the word from in the Bible, and that place is found in Genesis. You remember the story; in the beginning, even when, the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1-2). Then, after all but mankind was created, on the sixth day God said, Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness (1:26). God created mankind above and separate from the rest of creation, for unlike the rest of creation, mankind was created in His image: So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth (vv. 27-28). It is from Genesis 2:15-17 that Paul pulls the word dead from to explain what the Christian once was: Then the LordGod took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die. The Hebrew word used for die (מות) in Genesis 2:17 means death, and every other time the word is used, it is used for death. When we come to Genesis 3 and Adam and Even ate the fruit God told them not to eat, they did not physically die in that moment, but what happened next gives us a sense for what it means to be dead in the way Paul describes the Christian used to be. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they were tempted by the words of the serpent who said: You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:4-5). The physical death Adam, Eve, and the rest of creation would eventually experience is that which all living things would now succumb to, but it also included a type of death that was beyond physical. They experienced a death of innocence through shame (v.7), they experienced a death of an intimacy and peace within the relationship their marriage was designed to produce (vv. 16-17), and they experienced a death of the kind of peace (shalom) they were created to experience with God and His creation (vv. 8-15; 4:1-8). The death God warned Adam and Eve about was a spiritual death and it was their sin that vandalized the shalom they enjoyed before their rebellion towards God through their sin against God out of a desire to be like God. This is the kind of death Paul was referring to in Ephesians 2:1 and is the kind of death (nekros) Jesus had in mind when one of His disciples asked to bury his father; Jesus said to his disciple: Follow Me, and let the dead [nekros] bury their own dead [nekros] (Matt. 8:22). What Jesus said to His disciple is to leave the corpse of his father to those who are still dead in their offenses and sinsthis is the kind of death all people are born into before they ever experience a physical death. How Guilty Where You? So, what does it mean to be dead? Paul tells us in the first verse: And you were dead in your offenses and sins. Just so that you are clear, if you are a Christian, you were dead, and your deadness was twofold: in your offenses and sins. Again, Paul is intentional with his word choice here, and instead of using only one word, he uses two. We are dead in our offenses in that we were guilty of overstepping Gods moral boundary. The Greek word Paul used for offense (paraptōmo) can also be translated: offense, wrongdoing, sin, transgress, or to trespass. When I was fourteen years old, my friends and I decided to break into a house we believed was abandoned, to steal copper, and we did it in broad daylight. We thought we were cunning enough to get into the house without being noticed, in spite of the fact that the street the house was on was a very busy road and on the other side of the road, directly across from the house we decided to break into, was a popular Harley Davidson Shop. Well, you probably are not surprised that we did get caught. Within minutes of my one friend finding his way into the house through a window, a big scary man on a Harley demanded that we stand face forward toward the house while 3-4 police cars arrived. The three of us were put in separate police cars after we were interrogated by one of the officers. We knew that we were in big trouble because we trespassed and broke the law. I was also convinced that I was going to be a dead teenager once my father found out what I had done. When Adam and Eve bit into the fruit, what you need to understand and what you must understand is that it was not just a misstep taken, but a deliberate act of cosmic treason to not only be like God, but to dethrone God! What else could have been the motive for Eve and Adam, who was right next to his wife when she bit into the fruit and gave it to him, to take and eat the very thing that God said would bring pervasive death? The temptation was to doubt the goodness of God because of the fruit He forbade them to eat: You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:4-5). The temptation was to believe what Adam and Eve needed was not God but what was forbidden by God! Since Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit, sin, like a terminal disease has found its way into the womb of every woman just as the Psalmist lamented: Behold, I was brought forth in guilt, and in sin my mother conceived me (Ps. 51:5). What does this mean? you ask. It means this: just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned (Rom. 5:12). Or in the words of Cornelius Plantinga: Sin is a plague that spreads by contagion or even by quasimetric reproduction. Its a polluted river that keeps branching and rebranching into tributaries. Its a whole family of fertile and contentious parents, children, and grandchildren.[1] Your deadness in the form of your offenses and sins was not the kind of deadness that leaves what was once alive stiff and inanimate; no, your deadness expressed itself because, you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest (vv. 2-3). You were a dead person walking! You were the spiritual and moral equivalent of George Romeros Night of the Living Dead! Notice how our offenses and sins were manifested: We followed the prince of the power of the air (the devil). We were disobedient. We lived in the lusts of our flesh. We indulged the desire of our flesh and mind. We were children of wrath. According to verse 2, this is the course of this world. The word for course can also be translated age; the point is that we walked according to the spirit of the age because it was our nature to do so. We were spiritually dead and stood before a Holy God as a walking corpse who, according to Romans 3, not only did not seek God (vv. 10-11) but had no fear of Him (v. 18). As the walking dead, we were enemies of the God of the living (see Rom. 5:10). As children of wrath, we stood before God as objects of His just wrath because of our offenses and sins. If you are not a Christian than Ephesians 2:1-3 is still true of you. You are still spiritually dead, and you are still a child of the wrath of an infinitely holy and just God and the place reserved for you, if nothing changes, is a condemnation you will never recover from; the kind of condemnation we are warned about in Revelation 20:11-15, Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyones name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. People are generally okay when it comes to topics such as the love of God, the mercy of God, the grace of God, and even the justice of God. What many struggle with most is the wrath of God. Dr. James Boice said of these verses in Ephesians, The worldly mind does not take Gods wrath seriously because it does not take sin seriously. Yet if sin is as bad as the Bible declares it to be, nothing is more just or reasonable than that the wrath of a holy God should rise against it.[2] If you struggle with just how serious God takes your sin, you need not look any further than the cross of Christ. What is the Remedy for All Your Sin? I will spend an entire sermon unpacking what we see in verses 4-7 next week, but for now, let me show you Ephesians 2:4-5 against the backdrop of verses 1-3. We were dead in our offenses and sins, But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) We followed the prince of the power of the air (the devil), but God We were disobedient, but God We lived in the lusts of our flesh, but God We indulged the desire of our flesh and mind, but God We were children of wrath, but God made us alive with Christ. How did God do it? Obviously, He did it through Jesus, but the reason He did it was threefold: 1) He is rich in mercy, 2) His love is great, and 3) His grace is sufficient. Mercy happens when you do not get the punishment you deserve, and grace is when you get something you did not earn or deserve. If you are Christian, the reason you received Gods mercy and grace is because His love for you was greater than your offenses and sins against Him. Permit me to show you something that I hope will bless you as much as it has blessed me this week. Remember what Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:18-19; he was praying that the eyes of the hearts of those reading his letter would see and know three things: that you would know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. The word Paul used for boundless means, to surpass, to go beyond, to exceed. As you remember from last week, that word is used to stress the kind of power that raised Jesus from the grave and made your salvation possible. That power in conjunction with the richness of Gods mercy, the greatness of God love, and the sufficiency of Gods grace is infinitely greater than all your transgressions and sins. Christian, although you were once a child of Gods just wrath, He has made you a son/daughter because He has done the thing that only He could do, He made you alive with Christ. Romans 5:10-11 is for you Christian: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, he shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. If you are not a Christian, then you need to hear this: the same mercy, love, and grace that has made the Christian alive in Christ is available to you if you would just receive by faith the Jesus who makes Gods mercy, love, and grace possible; there is no sin that is too great for Gods mercy, love, and grace to overcomeand it is still held out to you by a holy God who has every right to consume you by His wrath. [1] Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., Not the Way its Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1995) p. 53. [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 49.

Well, we have arrived at Ephesians 2, and the very first thing we are told is that the Christian was once dead. I love the irony in the fact that we are entering Ephesians 2 on the day where all of us are suffering from one less hour of sleep this morning (Daylight Savings Time). So, what I thought I would do before we plunge ourselves into our passage this morning is to first reflect on four of the weirdest ways people have died. For those of you who are still angry that you lost an hour of your sleep, just know that it is a miracle you made it this morning. It is estimated that 450 people die falling out of bed every year. According to statistics, you are twice as likely to die from an angry vending machine than a hungry shark. It is reported that about 24 people die annually from being hit by champagne corks in the face, mostly at weddings. Less people die from poisonous spiders than flying corks from champagne bottles! The weirdest death I learned about was that of Joao Maria de Souza of Brazil, who was killed in 2013 when a cow fell through his roof and crushed him while he slept. Whether it is by falling out of a bed, a falling cow through your roof, or the inevitable and eventual failing of your health, all of us are going to die one day. What does Dead Mean? I do not need to spend a whole lot of time explaining what dead means. The word the apostle Paul used from the original language means exactly what the word dead means. If you are confused as to what the word for dead (nekros) means, it means this: no longer having life. However, why does the apostle Paul use the word dead to describe who or what the Christian used to be? Paul could have said, you were sick in your offenses and sins. He could have chosen the words, handicap, wounded, or he even could have used the same line from The Princess Bride, which was: mostly dead. The difference between dead and mostly dead is that when you are mostly dead, you are slightly alive. Of all the words the apostle could have used, he chose the word, dead. What if Ephesians 2:1-4, stated this instead? And you were mostly dead in your offenses and sins. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were barely alive in our wrongdoings, made us completely alive together with Christ. But that is not how Ephesians 2 begins is it? To understand what Paul means by the word dead we need to go to the place the apostle pulled the word from in the Bible, and that place is found in Genesis. You remember the story; in the beginning, even when, the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1-2). Then, after all but mankind was created, on the sixth day God said, Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness (1:26). God created mankind above and separate from the rest of creation, for unlike the rest of creation, mankind was created in His image: So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth (vv. 27-28). It is from Genesis 2:15-17 that Paul pulls the word dead from to explain what the Christian once was: Then the LordGod took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die. The Hebrew word used for die (מות) in Genesis 2:17 means death, and every other time the word is used, it is used for death. When we come to Genesis 3 and Adam and Even ate the fruit God told them not to eat, they did not physically die in that moment, but what happened next gives us a sense for what it means to be dead in the way Paul describes the Christian used to be. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they were tempted by the words of the serpent who said: You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:4-5). The physical death Adam, Eve, and the rest of creation would eventually experience is that which all living things would now succumb to, but it also included a type of death that was beyond physical. They experienced a death of innocence through shame (v.7), they experienced a death of an intimacy and peace within the relationship their marriage was designed to produce (vv. 16-17), and they experienced a death of the kind of peace (shalom) they were created to experience with God and His creation (vv. 8-15; 4:1-8). The death God warned Adam and Eve about was a spiritual death and it was their sin that vandalized the shalom they enjoyed before their rebellion towards God through their sin against God out of a desire to be like God. This is the kind of death Paul was referring to in Ephesians 2:1 and is the kind of death (nekros) Jesus had in mind when one of His disciples asked to bury his father; Jesus said to his disciple: Follow Me, and let the dead [nekros] bury their own dead [nekros] (Matt. 8:22). What Jesus said to His disciple is to leave the corpse of his father to those who are still dead in their offenses and sinsthis is the kind of death all people are born into before they ever experience a physical death. How Guilty Where You? So, what does it mean to be dead? Paul tells us in the first verse: And you were dead in your offenses and sins. Just so that you are clear, if you are a Christian, you were dead, and your deadness was twofold: in your offenses and sins. Again, Paul is intentional with his word choice here, and instead of using only one word, he uses two. We are dead in our offenses in that we were guilty of overstepping Gods moral boundary. The Greek word Paul used for offense (paraptōmo) can also be translated: offense, wrongdoing, sin, transgress, or to trespass. When I was fourteen years old, my friends and I decided to break into a house we believed was abandoned, to steal copper, and we did it in broad daylight. We thought we were cunning enough to get into the house without being noticed, in spite of the fact that the street the house was on was a very busy road and on the other side of the road, directly across from the house we decided to break into, was a popular Harley Davidson Shop. Well, you probably are not surprised that we did get caught. Within minutes of my one friend finding his way into the house through a window, a big scary man on a Harley demanded that we stand face forward toward the house while 3-4 police cars arrived. The three of us were put in separate police cars after we were interrogated by one of the officers. We knew that we were in big trouble because we trespassed and broke the law. I was also convinced that I was going to be a dead teenager once my father found out what I had done. When Adam and Eve bit into the fruit, what you need to understand and what you must understand is that it was not just a misstep taken, but a deliberate act of cosmic treason to not only be like God, but to dethrone God! What else could have been the motive for Eve and Adam, who was right next to his wife when she bit into the fruit and gave it to him, to take and eat the very thing that God said would bring pervasive death? The temptation was to doubt the goodness of God because of the fruit He forbade them to eat: You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:4-5). The temptation was to believe what Adam and Eve needed was not God but what was forbidden by God! Since Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit, sin, like a terminal disease has found its way into the womb of every woman just as the Psalmist lamented: Behold, I was brought forth in guilt, and in sin my mother conceived me (Ps. 51:5). What does this mean? you ask. It means this: just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned (Rom. 5:12). Or in the words of Cornelius Plantinga: Sin is a plague that spreads by contagion or even by quasimetric reproduction. Its a polluted river that keeps branching and rebranching into tributaries. Its a whole family of fertile and contentious parents, children, and grandchildren.[1] Your deadness in the form of your offenses and sins was not the kind of deadness that leaves what was once alive stiff and inanimate; no, your deadness expressed itself because, you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest (vv. 2-3). You were a dead person walking! You were the spiritual and moral equivalent of George Romeros Night of the Living Dead! Notice how our offenses and sins were manifested: We followed the prince of the power of the air (the devil). We were disobedient. We lived in the lusts of our flesh. We indulged the desire of our flesh and mind. We were children of wrath. According to verse 2, this is the course of this world. The word for course can also be translated age; the point is that we walked according to the spirit of the age because it was our nature to do so. We were spiritually dead and stood before a Holy God as a walking corpse who, according to Romans 3, not only did not seek God (vv. 10-11) but had no fear of Him (v. 18). As the walking dead, we were enemies of the God of the living (see Rom. 5:10). As children of wrath, we stood before God as objects of His just wrath because of our offenses and sins. If you are not a Christian than Ephesians 2:1-3 is still true of you. You are still spiritually dead, and you are still a child of the wrath of an infinitely holy and just God and the place reserved for you, if nothing changes, is a condemnation you will never recover from; the kind of condemnation we are warned about in Revelation 20:11-15, Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyones name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. People are generally okay when it comes to topics such as the love of God, the mercy of God, the grace of God, and even the justice of God. What many struggle with most is the wrath of God. Dr. James Boice said of these verses in Ephesians, The worldly mind does not take Gods wrath seriously because it does not take sin seriously. Yet if sin is as bad as the Bible declares it to be, nothing is more just or reasonable than that the wrath of a holy God should rise against it.[2] If you struggle with just how serious God takes your sin, you need not look any further than the cross of Christ. What is the Remedy for All Your Sin? I will spend an entire sermon unpacking what we see in verses 4-7 next week, but for now, let me show you Ephesians 2:4-5 against the backdrop of verses 1-3. We were dead in our offenses and sins, But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) We followed the prince of the power of the air (the devil), but God We were disobedient, but God We lived in the lusts of our flesh, but God We indulged the desire of our flesh and mind, but God We were children of wrath, but God made us alive with Christ. How did God do it? Obviously, He did it through Jesus, but the reason He did it was threefold: 1) He is rich in mercy, 2) His love is great, and 3) His grace is sufficient. Mercy happens when you do not get the punishment you deserve, and grace is when you get something you did not earn or deserve. If you are Christian, the reason you received Gods mercy and grace is because His love for you was greater than your offenses and sins against Him. Permit me to show you something that I hope will bless you as much as it has blessed me this week. Remember what Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:18-19; he was praying that the eyes of the hearts of those reading his letter would see and know three things: that you would know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. The word Paul used for boundless means, to surpass, to go beyond, to exceed. As you remember from last week, that word is used to stress the kind of power that raised Jesus from the grave and made your salvation possible. That power in conjunction with the richness of Gods mercy, the greatness of God love, and the sufficiency of Gods grace is infinitely greater than all your transgressions and sins. Christian, although you were once a child of Gods just wrath, He has made you a son/daughter because He has done the thing that only He could do, He made you alive with Christ. Romans 5:10-11 is for you Christian: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, he shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. If you are not a Christian, then you need to hear this: the same mercy, love, and grace that has made the Christian alive in Christ is available to you if you would just receive by faith the Jesus who makes Gods mercy, love, and grace possible; there is no sin that is too great for Gods mercy, love, and grace to overcomeand it is still held out to you by a holy God who has every right to consume you by His wrath. [1] Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., Not the Way its Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1995) p. 53. [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 49.

Two Thursdays ago, my wife and I left our home around 8AM for a doctors appointment in Colorado. Every time I get into our Subaru Outback, I plug my phone into our car so that I can use my maps app and listen to my favorite playlist during my drive, our drive down to Colorado on Thursday was no exception until about 15 minutes into our drive the radio let out a irritating high pitched sound prohibiting me from listening to my newly downloaded navigation voice from one of my favorite movies of all time: Po, from Kung Fu Panda. We have a 2021 Subaru Outback, there was no reason for the audio to have abruptly stop working, but it did. However, nearly an hour later, after stopping for a pit stop, the audio mysteriously was fixed as soon as I started the car to continue our trip to our doctors appointment. After we reached our destination, I immediately google searched on my phone to see if anything weird happened that would cause the audio in our car to do what it did. Here is what popped up in my search: Two outbursts from the sun occurred as widespread cellphone outages were reported throughout the United States on Thursday morning (Feb. 22). I am not sure it is related, but on Sunday we learned that all but four of our brand-new pagers stopped working over the weekend, our live stream audio stopped working properly, and a sim card in one of our Elders phones weirdly got fried.Thats not all, on Monday while checking out from Albertsons, I was told that they were having trouble with their computers. Now, I dont know if any of this is related or if it has anything to do with Solar flares or the mysterious balloon that happened to be floating 43,000 feet above, the mountainous Western United States. Here is what did come to mind though: Our electrical grid is fragile, and it is vulnerable. With all our military might and power as a nation, we are not in control! I dont know what happened on Thursday, but here is what was reported in New Delhi, India just this past Wednesday (2.28.2024) on WION with the news caption: Massive sunspot wider than Earth is now aiming directly at us. Is it cause for worry? Recently, scientists noticed that a hyperactive sunspot, first detected on February 18, is now swelling at a faster rate and is pointed right towards Earth. In 2024, the biggest sunspot named AR3590 first appeared on February 18, on the Suns Earth-facing side. It quickly started swelling into a dark patch, much wider than our planet. On February 21, AR3950 spit out a pair of X-class solar flares, which are known as the most powerful type of solar flare, with magnitudes of X1.7 and X1.8. On February 22, the same sunspot released a massive X6.3 flare, the most powerful solar explosion recorded in over six years. All three flares caused temporary radio blackouts on Earth, but none of them launched coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are clouds of magnetized plasma that can ram into Earth's magnetic shield as they fly through space.[1] We are fragile and we are not in control! You, dear friend, are fragile and have little to say over whether or not you will survive the next 24 hours. Consider that reality against the backdrop of the fragility of your faith and determination to live a life pleasing to the One who made the sun, and billions like it, that has the power to wipe out all of Earths power grid in seconds. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, Let there be light; and there was light (Gen. 1:1-3). Christian, the same God who spoke into existence more than 300 billion suns like ours, is the One of whom we are told in Holy Scripture, has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). This is the God who called you, redeemed you, and sealed you. This is the God who is keeping you because He will receive His inheritance! The question before us and the one that Ephesians 1:19-23 answers for us is this: How can I know that I can rest in the hope of that same Gods calling upon my life; that I can stand on the reality that I am His inheritance because of all that Jesus has done, and experience the greatness of His power through the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit? Let us turn our attention to Ephesians 1:19-23 to find out! The Christians Salvation is Held by Resurrection Power The power Paul described in Ephesians, among other places in his epistles, is a power that enables those of us who are redeemed by Christ to fight against sin, doubt, worry, and any other adversary that threatens to undo those of us who have been called by God, are the inheritance of God, and have been raised to new life by God. To have the eyes of our hearts enlightened in such a way that we know the hope of our calling, the riches of His inheritance, and boundless power toward us who believe, is the kind of knowing involving the mind, heart, and will. After all, Jesus did say that the greatest commandment is, You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (see Matt. 22:35-40). But it is also more than that. James Montgomery Boice said, Christianity is knowledge, yes. But it is also power, power from beginning to end. Without the power of God not one individual would ever become a Christian. The salvation of the soul is a resurrection, the recovery of a person from the dead. Without Gods power not one individual would ever triumph over sin, live a godly life, or come at last to the reward God has for all his own in heaven.[2] The word Paul used for power is the Greek word dynamis, from which we get the word dynamite; it is used over 100 times in the New Testament, Acts 1:8 being one of them. He used it to describe a raw and supernatural power that comes from God. This power is available to the Christian, and it is described as boundless and great. The word Paul used for great is the Greek word megathos, and the word he used for boundless literally means, to surpass, go beyond, to outdo, or to exceed. This is why almost every trustworthy English translation of the Bible reaches for words to capture the kind of power available to the Christian. Here are some of the ways these words are translated: surpassing greatness (NASB 95), incomparably great (NIV), exceeding greatness (KJV), immeasurable greatness (ESV), and incredible greatness (NLT). It is the boundless, surpassing, incomparable, exceeding, immeasurable, and incredible greatness of Gods power that is available to the Christian. Paul then describes that this power, along with the hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance that he wants us to see with the eyes of our hearts, is, in accordance with the working of the strength of His might (v. 19b). The boundless power is working in you Christian, it is producing a strength to resist the devil and your flesh, and the might is what is required for you to persevere to the end without throwing in the towel of your faith in Jesus. Notice how we get this power from what Paul states next: which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and all of it is from the God who, raised Jesus from the dead (v. 20a). In other words, the Power is Gods, and the victory is yours in Jesus. What is it that will keep you when everything seems to have been pulled out from beneath your proverbial feet? What is it that will keep you when nothing you treasured on earth remains within your grasp? Who will be keeping who in your weakest and most fragile moments in life? The Christians Identity is Guarded by a Preeminent Christ So, how is the boundless, surpassing, incomparable, exceeding, immeasurable, and incredible greatness of Gods power available to the Christian? Paul tells us in the next verse: It is a power available to the Christian, which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (v. 20). Before I go any further, you need to understand that what I mean by preeminent is what the Airbus A380 is to a paper airplane. The Airbus A380 can seat between 525 and 853 passengers on its two full-length passenger decks: the Airbus A380 is preeminent to the paper airplane. There is a reason why Paul emphasizes the phrase, In Christ repeatedly in his epistle to the Ephesians. Your identity as one who has been called by God and who is now the inheritance of God, is solely because of the redeeming work of Christ: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us (vv. 7-8). What did our redemption cost? It cost Jesus His life! He was the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 who was, pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed (v. 5). Jesus was crushed because He became our curse: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usfor it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Gal. 3:13). Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. Christian, all of your sin was laid upon Jesus for all of your redemption. Isaiah 53:10 states that, the Lord desired to crush Him, causing Him grief and the reason why God crushed the Son was not only for our redemption, but was to redeem a Bride for His Son! This was always the plan and was never plan B! The Lamb of God was slaughtered because of your sin, was then buried, and was raised! How come Jesus didnt stay dead? In his sermon, the apostle Peter explained: God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power (Acts 2:24). The reason why death had no power over Jesus is because He is the author of life! So, Paul wrote to the Ephesians that all of the blessings that now belong to the Christian are, in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (v. 20). Listen, just as the cross of Christ is the display of Gods immeasurable love for you Christian, the resurrection is the display of a power that no other power manufactured by or through creation can compare not even the power of 300 billion suns have the ability to do what God did, when He raised Jesus from the dead. This is why Isaiah 53 does not end with the Suffering Servants affliction for our sin, but continues with verse 10, But the Lord desired to crush Him, causing Him grief. The Hebrew word for desired (חפץ) can also be translated take pleasure or delight in. This is the way Isaiah 53:10 should be translated: But the Lord delighted to crush Him, causing Him grief. Why? Is it because God the Father is some cosmic child abuser? No! We are told in the last verse why the Father delighted to crush the Son: Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the plunder with the strong, Because He poured out His life unto death, and was counted with wrongdoers; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the wrongdoers (Isa. 53:12). Do you hear Isaiah 53:12 in Ephesians 20-23? Listen to it again! He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Eph. 1:1923) To be clear, Jesus was not exalted because He lacked something before He took on human flesh. There was nothing lacking in Him at all because He is not a part of creation but the agent of creation! This is why Paul wrote to the Colossian Church of Jesus: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16). God the Father exalted the Son at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named (v. 21) not because Jesus wasnt exalted before He took on flesh. God the Father exalted the Son because, He emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Phil. 2:7-8). In other words, God the Son became human to accomplish all that was needed to make the redemption of a sin-cursed and lost humanity possible. Jesus is exalted as our Kinsmen-redeemer! What is a kinsmen-redeemer? He is a person that had to meet three requirements to redeem property lost due to a debt; the three requirements were that he had to be related to the family who suffered the loss because of a debt, he had to be willing to redeem what was lost, and he had to have the means to redeem what was lost. Because of Adam and Eves sin, creation is under a curse and every single human being since Adam, have been born into sin. Jesus took on flesh to become our kinsmen redeemer, and as our Kinsmen Redeemer, God, put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Why did Jesus willingly take on human flesh to become our Kinsmen Redeemer? He did it for a Bride! He did it for His Church! Our sun is capable of producing a flare big enough to completely wipe out all of the earths power grid, and yet 300 billion suns cannot do what God did through His Son for your salvation Christian! The reason why Jesus could say to His disciples, they will put some of you to death. And yet not a hair of your head will perish (Luke 21:16-18). The reason Jesus could promise the Christian: My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Fathers hand. I and the Father are one (John 10:2730). And, the reason Jesus has assured us: I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it (Matt. 16:18), is because of His cross and the empty tomb, Jesus has double headship. What do I mean by double headship? I mean that as Kinsmen Redeemer, Jesus is head over Creation by dominion and He is head over the Church by union. What this means for you, Christian, is that you are His Church, and because you are His Church, you now share in His triumph because He has joined Himself to you as your Groom! What this means Christian is that you are the apple of His eye and not even the power of 300 billion suns can ever change that! Now wrap the eyes of your heart around that! Amen. [1] Riya Teotia, WION: Massive Sunspot wider than Earth is now aiming directly at us. Is it cause for worry (New Delhi, India: WION; February 28, 2024) [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 40.

Two Thursdays ago, my wife and I left our home around 8AM for a doctors appointment in Colorado. Every time I get into our Subaru Outback, I plug my phone into our car so that I can use my maps app and listen to my favorite playlist during my drive, our drive down to Colorado on Thursday was no exception until about 15 minutes into our drive the radio let out a irritating high pitched sound prohibiting me from listening to my newly downloaded navigation voice from one of my favorite movies of all time: Po, from Kung Fu Panda. We have a 2021 Subaru Outback, there was no reason for the audio to have abruptly stop working, but it did. However, nearly an hour later, after stopping for a pit stop, the audio mysteriously was fixed as soon as I started the car to continue our trip to our doctors appointment. After we reached our destination, I immediately google searched on my phone to see if anything weird happened that would cause the audio in our car to do what it did. Here is what popped up in my search: Two outbursts from the sun occurred as widespread cellphone outages were reported throughout the United States on Thursday morning (Feb. 22). I am not sure it is related, but on Sunday we learned that all but four of our brand-new pagers stopped working over the weekend, our live stream audio stopped working properly, and a sim card in one of our Elders phones weirdly got fried.Thats not all, on Monday while checking out from Albertsons, I was told that they were having trouble with their computers. Now, I dont know if any of this is related or if it has anything to do with Solar flares or the mysterious balloon that happened to be floating 43,000 feet above, the mountainous Western United States. Here is what did come to mind though: Our electrical grid is fragile, and it is vulnerable. With all our military might and power as a nation, we are not in control! I dont know what happened on Thursday, but here is what was reported in New Delhi, India just this past Wednesday (2.28.2024) on WION with the news caption: Massive sunspot wider than Earth is now aiming directly at us. Is it cause for worry? Recently, scientists noticed that a hyperactive sunspot, first detected on February 18, is now swelling at a faster rate and is pointed right towards Earth. In 2024, the biggest sunspot named AR3590 first appeared on February 18, on the Suns Earth-facing side. It quickly started swelling into a dark patch, much wider than our planet. On February 21, AR3950 spit out a pair of X-class solar flares, which are known as the most powerful type of solar flare, with magnitudes of X1.7 and X1.8. On February 22, the same sunspot released a massive X6.3 flare, the most powerful solar explosion recorded in over six years. All three flares caused temporary radio blackouts on Earth, but none of them launched coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are clouds of magnetized plasma that can ram into Earth's magnetic shield as they fly through space.[1] We are fragile and we are not in control! You, dear friend, are fragile and have little to say over whether or not you will survive the next 24 hours. Consider that reality against the backdrop of the fragility of your faith and determination to live a life pleasing to the One who made the sun, and billions like it, that has the power to wipe out all of Earths power grid in seconds. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, Let there be light; and there was light (Gen. 1:1-3). Christian, the same God who spoke into existence more than 300 billion suns like ours, is the One of whom we are told in Holy Scripture, has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). This is the God who called you, redeemed you, and sealed you. This is the God who is keeping you because He will receive His inheritance! The question before us and the one that Ephesians 1:19-23 answers for us is this: How can I know that I can rest in the hope of that same Gods calling upon my life; that I can stand on the reality that I am His inheritance because of all that Jesus has done, and experience the greatness of His power through the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit? Let us turn our attention to Ephesians 1:19-23 to find out! The Christians Salvation is Held by Resurrection Power The power Paul described in Ephesians, among other places in his epistles, is a power that enables those of us who are redeemed by Christ to fight against sin, doubt, worry, and any other adversary that threatens to undo those of us who have been called by God, are the inheritance of God, and have been raised to new life by God. To have the eyes of our hearts enlightened in such a way that we know the hope of our calling, the riches of His inheritance, and boundless power toward us who believe, is the kind of knowing involving the mind, heart, and will. After all, Jesus did say that the greatest commandment is, You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (see Matt. 22:35-40). But it is also more than that. James Montgomery Boice said, Christianity is knowledge, yes. But it is also power, power from beginning to end. Without the power of God not one individual would ever become a Christian. The salvation of the soul is a resurrection, the recovery of a person from the dead. Without Gods power not one individual would ever triumph over sin, live a godly life, or come at last to the reward God has for all his own in heaven.[2] The word Paul used for power is the Greek word dynamis, from which we get the word dynamite; it is used over 100 times in the New Testament, Acts 1:8 being one of them. He used it to describe a raw and supernatural power that comes from God. This power is available to the Christian, and it is described as boundless and great. The word Paul used for great is the Greek word megathos, and the word he used for boundless literally means, to surpass, go beyond, to outdo, or to exceed. This is why almost every trustworthy English translation of the Bible reaches for words to capture the kind of power available to the Christian. Here are some of the ways these words are translated: surpassing greatness (NASB 95), incomparably great (NIV), exceeding greatness (KJV), immeasurable greatness (ESV), and incredible greatness (NLT). It is the boundless, surpassing, incomparable, exceeding, immeasurable, and incredible greatness of Gods power that is available to the Christian. Paul then describes that this power, along with the hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance that he wants us to see with the eyes of our hearts, is, in accordance with the working of the strength of His might (v. 19b). The boundless power is working in you Christian, it is producing a strength to resist the devil and your flesh, and the might is what is required for you to persevere to the end without throwing in the towel of your faith in Jesus. Notice how we get this power from what Paul states next: which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and all of it is from the God who, raised Jesus from the dead (v. 20a). In other words, the Power is Gods, and the victory is yours in Jesus. What is it that will keep you when everything seems to have been pulled out from beneath your proverbial feet? What is it that will keep you when nothing you treasured on earth remains within your grasp? Who will be keeping who in your weakest and most fragile moments in life? The Christians Identity is Guarded by a Preeminent Christ So, how is the boundless, surpassing, incomparable, exceeding, immeasurable, and incredible greatness of Gods power available to the Christian? Paul tells us in the next verse: It is a power available to the Christian, which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (v. 20). Before I go any further, you need to understand that what I mean by preeminent is what the Airbus A380 is to a paper airplane. The Airbus A380 can seat between 525 and 853 passengers on its two full-length passenger decks: the Airbus A380 is preeminent to the paper airplane. There is a reason why Paul emphasizes the phrase, In Christ repeatedly in his epistle to the Ephesians. Your identity as one who has been called by God and who is now the inheritance of God, is solely because of the redeeming work of Christ: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us (vv. 7-8). What did our redemption cost? It cost Jesus His life! He was the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 who was, pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed (v. 5). Jesus was crushed because He became our curse: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usfor it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Gal. 3:13). Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. Christian, all of your sin was laid upon Jesus for all of your redemption. Isaiah 53:10 states that, the Lord desired to crush Him, causing Him grief and the reason why God crushed the Son was not only for our redemption, but was to redeem a Bride for His Son! This was always the plan and was never plan B! The Lamb of God was slaughtered because of your sin, was then buried, and was raised! How come Jesus didnt stay dead? In his sermon, the apostle Peter explained: God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power (Acts 2:24). The reason why death had no power over Jesus is because He is the author of life! So, Paul wrote to the Ephesians that all of the blessings that now belong to the Christian are, in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (v. 20). Listen, just as the cross of Christ is the display of Gods immeasurable love for you Christian, the resurrection is the display of a power that no other power manufactured by or through creation can compare not even the power of 300 billion suns have the ability to do what God did, when He raised Jesus from the dead. This is why Isaiah 53 does not end with the Suffering Servants affliction for our sin, but continues with verse 10, But the Lord desired to crush Him, causing Him grief. The Hebrew word for desired (חפץ) can also be translated take pleasure or delight in. This is the way Isaiah 53:10 should be translated: But the Lord delighted to crush Him, causing Him grief. Why? Is it because God the Father is some cosmic child abuser? No! We are told in the last verse why the Father delighted to crush the Son: Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the plunder with the strong, Because He poured out His life unto death, and was counted with wrongdoers; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the wrongdoers (Isa. 53:12). Do you hear Isaiah 53:12 in Ephesians 20-23? Listen to it again! He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Eph. 1:1923) To be clear, Jesus was not exalted because He lacked something before He took on human flesh. There was nothing lacking in Him at all because He is not a part of creation but the agent of creation! This is why Paul wrote to the Colossian Church of Jesus: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16). God the Father exalted the Son at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named (v. 21) not because Jesus wasnt exalted before He took on flesh. God the Father exalted the Son because, He emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Phil. 2:7-8). In other words, God the Son became human to accomplish all that was needed to make the redemption of a sin-cursed and lost humanity possible. Jesus is exalted as our Kinsmen-redeemer! What is a kinsmen-redeemer? He is a person that had to meet three requirements to redeem property lost due to a debt; the three requirements were that he had to be related to the family who suffered the loss because of a debt, he had to be willing to redeem what was lost, and he had to have the means to redeem what was lost. Because of Adam and Eves sin, creation is under a curse and every single human being since Adam, have been born into sin. Jesus took on flesh to become our kinsmen redeemer, and as our Kinsmen Redeemer, God, put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Why did Jesus willingly take on human flesh to become our Kinsmen Redeemer? He did it for a Bride! He did it for His Church! Our sun is capable of producing a flare big enough to completely wipe out all of the earths power grid, and yet 300 billion suns cannot do what God did through His Son for your salvation Christian! The reason why Jesus could say to His disciples, they will put some of you to death. And yet not a hair of your head will perish (Luke 21:16-18). The reason Jesus could promise the Christian: My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Fathers hand. I and the Father are one (John 10:2730). And, the reason Jesus has assured us: I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it (Matt. 16:18), is because of His cross and the empty tomb, Jesus has double headship. What do I mean by double headship? I mean that as Kinsmen Redeemer, Jesus is head over Creation by dominion and He is head over the Church by union. What this means for you, Christian, is that you are His Church, and because you are His Church, you now share in His triumph because He has joined Himself to you as your Groom! What this means Christian is that you are the apple of His eye and not even the power of 300 billion suns can ever change that! Now wrap the eyes of your heart around that! Amen. [1] Riya Teotia, WION: Massive Sunspot wider than Earth is now aiming directly at us. Is it cause for worry (New Delhi, India: WION; February 28, 2024) [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 40.

A football star in high school, Steve sought his identity in sports. Yet all this changed at age 17 when he heard the Gospel preached at a Young Life Camp in the Rockies. Giving his life to Christ, he was soon foisted into leadership to fellow students at Texas Tech. There on a football scholarship, he became active in his school's chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes—then the largest in the country—and was soon asked to preach and teach. Though he dreaded standing before crowds at first, he soon grew passionate about proclaiming the hope of Christ to others.  Sharing his debt to other great preachers in his lifetime, including John MacArthur and James Montgomery Boice, Steve draws attention to two great preachers from the past—Charles Spurgeon and George Whitefield—whose favorite word was, “Come!” His point: while we must rest our evangelistic efforts solely on the sovereignty of God, we must also preach to the lost with urgency. Steve currently serves as the president of OnePassion Ministries, which is dedicated to training men to faithfully exposit the Scriptures, verse-by-verse, with a passion for God and His glory. 

Parents, do you struggle to figure out how to best guide your children and teens through the difficult realities of life in today's world? If you do, you are not alone. Our rapidly changing world can leave our heads spinning. Dr. James Montgomery Boice offers up these words of advice and remedy that I have found to be personally helpful: Study the bible daily. We should discipline our lives to include regular periods of Bible study, just as we discipline ourselves to have regular periods for sleep, eating our meals, and so on. These things are necessary if the body is to be healthy and if good work is to be done. In the same way, we must feed regularly on God's Word if we are to become and remain spiritually strong.” These helpful words from James Boice are a good guideline as we parent in today's world. Only the regular study of God's word can give us the perspective and wisdom we need to raise our kids in the midst of culture's many pressures. Parents, point your kids to God's unchanging word.

In today's world, our kids are encouraged by the cultural narrative to live their lives at the level of their experiences and feelings. If a decision needs to be made or a belief is embraced, those decisions and beliefs should be based solely not on some outside authority, but on the authority of one's own opinions. For the Christian, the only trustworthy authority is God's unchanging Word. In his second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul reminds timothy to embrace the Scriptures, which are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.” Paul continues, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Paul is telling all of us to submit our beliefs and behaviors to trustworthy authority of God's Word. The late James Montgomery Boice says this: “We must evaluate our experiences by the Bible's teaching, rather than the other way around.”

In this bonus episode of White Horse Inn, Michael Horton and Sinclair Ferguson discuss James Montgomery Boice's lasting impact on systematic expository preaching and tackle the modern challenges faced by leaders in the age of social media. Sinclair offers a candid take on the role of pastors versus leaders, as well as the Scottish Reformation, and how to avoid the pitfalls of antinomianism and legalism. (Episode SP015)

In today's world, our kids are encouraged by the cultural narrative to live their lives at the level of their experiences and feelings. If a decision needs to be made or a belief is embraced, those decisions and beliefs should be based solely not on some outside authority, but on the authority of one's own opinions. For the Christian, the only trustworthy authority is God's unchanging Word. In his second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul reminds timothy to embrace the Scriptures, which are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.” Paul continues, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Paul is telling all of us to submit our beliefs and behaviors to trustworthy authority of God's Word. The late James Montgomery Boice says this: “We must evaluate our experiences by the Bible's teaching, rather than the other way around.”

Pastor Garrison GreeneTEXT: Ephesians 5:1BIG IDEA: Become like the God who calls you beloved.OUTLINE:1. You Are Called To Become2. You Are Called BelovedRESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary by Harold Hoehner; Reformed Expository Commentary by Bryan Chapel; Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible: Ephesians by Michel Allen; An Expositional Commentary: Ephesians by James Montgomery Boice; Knowing God by J.I. Packer; Communion With God by John Owen

Dr. Phil Ryken is a theologian, an author and the President of Wheaton College. He received his BA from Wheaton College, a Master of Divinity (1 of only 2 degrees after which you will likely lose money) – from Westminster Theological Seminary and then did a PhD in historical theology at Oxford.He joined the pastoral staff at 10th Presbyterian church in Philly in 1995 and became the SP there in 2000 following the death of James Montgomery Boice in 2000. In February 2010 he became Wheaton's eighth president.He is a member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals - which features his expository preaching on its weekly national radio and internet broadcast, Every Last Word. And he is the author of over fifty books.

Parents, do you struggle to figure out how to best guide your children and teens through the difficult realities of life in today's world? If you do, you are not alone. Our rapidly changing world can leave our heads spinning. Dr. James Montgomery Boice offers up these words of advice and remedy that I have found to be personally helpful: Study the bible daily. We should discipline our lives to include regular periods of Bible study, just as we discipline ourselves to have regular periods for sleep, eating our meals, and so on. These things are necessary if the body is to be healthy and if good work is to be done. In the same way, we must feed regularly on God's Word if we are to become and remain spiritually strong.” These helpful words from James Boice are a good guideline as we parent in today's world. Only the regular study of God's word can give us the perspective and wisdom we need to raise our kids in the midst of culture's many pressures. Parents, point your kids to God's unchanging word.

Pastor Garrison GreeneTEXT: John 1:1-5BIG IDEA: The glorious, saving, and satisfying person of Jesus is truly true God.OUTLINE:1) Is Jesus True God?2) Is Jesus A Creature?3) Is Jesus A Teacher?4) Is This That Important?RESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; The Thrill of Orthodoxy: Rediscovering the Adventure of the Christian Faith by Trevin Wax; Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft & Ronald Tacelli; Foundations of the Christian Faith by James Montgomery Boice; Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: John by Edward Klink III; The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs

Who was one of the great influences on today’s leading theologians and university presidents? James Montgomery Boice. Educated at Princeton Seminary, the late James Montgomery Boice was raised up for a lifetime of preaching at Tenth Presbyterian Church. Yet he also found himself at the epicenter of theological debate. He was committed to the authority of… Download Audio

Our intrepid podcasters set out to answer one of life's most pressing questions: Mello Yello® or Mountain Dew®? This specific gastronomic dilemma should quickly identify today's special guest. Kevin DeYoung's dietary list may read like the kid's menu at Denny's®, but his theological scholarship is unparalleled. The famed pastor, professor, and author once again places his reputation at risk to visit with Spin-Meisters Carl and Todd. Dr. DeYoung is one of the speakers for the 2023 Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology (PCRT) in East Lansing, MI, and Bryn Mawr, PA. On today's episode, Kevin discusses this year's theme—Here We Stand: The Five Solas of the Reformation—as he deftly avoids questions about fine cigars and chicken nuggets. Alliance Publishing is offering copies of the book Our Sovereign God--edited by James Montgomery Boice—for giveaway. Enter here for the opportunity to win one.