Good morning, and there we go. Merry Christmas.
I'm very excited to be gathered with you all to consider the Advent theme of love.
! It is a joy for me to be filling the pulpit today.
Those of you who know me well know that I am a big Christmas enthusiast.
I celebrate Christmas from about March until about mid-January.
I really appreciate all the themes that personify Advent truths in the winter season
and some of the traditions we participate in.
I think that if we're going to celebrate Advent,
it is helpful to let our festivities be responsive to what we are celebrating.
This can amplify our meditations.
For instance, the trees outside are barren,
but there is an evergreen inside the house that never dies.
The winter seems to linger as we anticipate the second coming of the spring.
In the meantime, it is cold outside, but there is a warmth around the hearth of Christ.
And as the world anticipated God giving us the gift of Christ,
we simulate an anticipation of gift-giving on Christmas Day.
Our physical experience can complement our spiritual experience
to increase our enjoyment and recognition of Christ's Advent,
but none of these are to be over-spiritualized or taken as authoritative.
Celebrating Christmas has really waxed and waned over throughout history,
so we ought to be cautious that we aren't giving into traditionalism this season.
But Scripture does not prescribe these modern cultural rituals
and ever explicitly makes these connections.
But nonetheless, with the right heart posture,
celebrating Christ's Advent can be done well.
With that said, it is the last sermon before our Christmas Eve service,
and we are considering God's love.
In light of Christ's incarnation,
what makes this gift of Jesus such a preeminent act of love?
It is not simply that there was a miraculous conception.
The conception of Jesus is really significant
because it displays the power of God over all living things.
But there is a much grander reality here that puts God's love on display.
To understand and experience the act of love I'm talking about,
we are going to consider Ephesians 2 today.
As Reformed Baptists, most of us are familiar with Ephesians 1.
Ephesians 1 is a beautiful and a glorious scripture
on how our sovereign God predestined those who would be recipients
of spiritual riches in Christ.
And this is termed the unconditional election doctrine
from Calvin's doctrines of grace, or TULIP.
But in the second half of the chapter,
Paul prays that the Spirit will open the eyes of their hearts
to see the immeasurable greatness of his power toward believers.
And then Paul goes on to reveal a bit of this mystery in chapter 2
as he shows us how or why it is so immeasurably great.
So before we get into our text,
I want to present a framework in thinking through
the kind of love that God has for his people
and the immeasurable power God employs because of his great love.
We often think of love as a transaction.
When we love someone or something,
it is because the object of our love is attractive to us,
even though we make sacrifices for the things we love.
It is still selfish to some extent.
There is a reciprocal benefit to ourselves.
We love watching childhood Christmas movies
because they make us feel nostalgic.
They're fun.
We love eating honey-baked ham
because it makes our taste buds happy and our bellies full.
There is a desirable quality about the objects of our love.
God's love is unique and mysterious
in that he has a completely selfless love for his people.
He is not in it for personal gain.
And furthermore, our love for one another is limited in power.
God's love is unique in its outward focus,
but it is also the greatest love fathomable
because it satisfies the greatest need of the ones he loves
at the greatest cost to himself.
We may have love for others and meet some practical needs,
but we are limited in what we can offer.
Within Ephesians 2,
we are going to see this principle drawn out to the greatest extent.
Christ overwhelmingly fills the greatest need
to those who deserve it the least
at the greatest cost to himself.
All right, so our main text today is Ephesians 2, 1 through 10.
And we're going to be breaking this down in three chunks.
The first being verses 1 through 3,
the unloveliness of man.
And then verse 4, the love of God.
And then verses 5 through 10,
loved in Christ.
Okay, so let's start with Ephesians,
or with verses 1 through 3.
Paul just described in chapter 1
his prayer and encouragement for the Ephesians
and concluded with a beautiful doxology
of the supremacy of Christ.
And then he says this,
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
in which you once walked,
following the course of this world,
following the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that is now at work
in the sons of disobedience,
among whom we all once lived
in the passions of our flesh,
carrying out the desires of the body
and the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath,
like the rest of mankind.
In these first three verses,
we see our first point,
the unloveliness of man.
Paul emphasized God's unconditional election
in chapter 1.
Now he's describing the total depravity
of mankind.
And when you consider these doctrines together,
they not only make logical sense,
but through them,
you see just how emphatic
the love of God is.
We can't fully understand
God's total loving power
until you understand man's depravity.
And again,
that is really what I hope to do today,
is to draw out the gravity
of God's provision in Christ.
So Paul is starting to justify that claim
he made in chapter 1,
verse 19,
about God's immeasurable greatness
of his power toward us who believe.
So verse 1 depicts the spiritual state
of the natural man as dead.
And you are dead in the trespasses and sins.
In the scriptures,
there are many ways God describes
our spiritual status without Christ.
We are blind,
deaf,
sick,
slaves,
strangers,
alienated,
but here we are dead.
The natural man,
the person without the spirit of God
is dead.
Holy night speaks of a sin and error pining,
but Paul says it's not just that we are pining
or withering away,
we are already dead.
I and a number of you
have had the misfortune of witnessing death.
Some of you have been pallbearers,
some work in the ER,
some have experienced tragic life events firsthand,
but most of us
have not had to experience death this intimately.
Our society today attempts to white glove
the reality of death.
We make softer terms for it,
like passing away or no longer with us.
We have hospitals and crematories,
morgues and other institutions now
that handle the dirty work for us.
We visit a dying person at the hospital
and say our final goodbyes,
and then a week later,
we have an urn of ashes.
We never really have to interact directly with death.
In Paul's day,
they did not have these conveniences.
Most people were much more familiar with death.
When this text says dead,
I'm sure many of the Ephesians
could recall a personal example
of seeing or even handling
the body of a dead person.
People died at home
and the family had to wield a shovel
and dig a hole
and place that body in that hole.
Paul is setting up this analogy
between physical death
and the spiritual state of mankind
to help capture the severity
of our condition.
Physically, there's nothing
that a dead person can do
to resuscitate themselves.
They are hopeless in and of themselves.
If someone stops breathing
or their heart stops pumping,
they require another person
to perform CPR
or hookup in AED.
The spiritually dead person
is likewise cold and animate
and with no ability to revive itself.
Obviously, our bodies are alive,
so this death is a spiritual one.
We are dead to righteousness,
and therefore,
we are dead to a good standing
with our Heavenly Father.
Because we cannot fulfill
the righteous requirement of the law,
we find ourselves condemned
before a holy God.
Romans 2.13 says,
For it is not the hearers of the law
who are righteous before God,
but the doers of the law
will be justified.
So in order to be justified,
we must be doers of righteousness.
Unfortunately, in Romans 3,
the author explains that
there is none righteous,
no, not one.
So we are dead to righteousness.
This means that we don't perform
some righteous things.
It means we can't do
any righteous deeds
apart from Christ.
And while we may perform
some morally good acts,
Romans tells us that
anything not done in faith
is sin.
It is not righteous.
The deeds of our flesh
are not done
for the right reason.
They are not done in faith
for the glory of God.
If we are not justified before God,
then judgment is due
because of our trespasses and sin.
This judgment means
we will be forever separated
from God in eternity.
In and of ourselves,
we can do nothing
to gain favor with God.
So we are not physically dead
and somehow we can walk.
So what does this look like
to be dead men walking?
For starters,
in verse 2,
it says that we do have
a spirit at work within us,
but it is not of God.
It is a dark force within
and around us
that causes us
to wander about
seeking to indulge
the passions of our flesh,
somewhat like spiritual zombies.
Our natural kingdom
under the influence
of the prince
of the power of the air
is in the atmosphere
of carnality.
As long as the prince
has his way,
we will follow him
to death.
A path disguised
by the gratification
of our flesh
until the nails
are driven
into our spiritual coffins.
David Guzik says this,
a dead man
feels comfortable
in his coffin.
In the same way,
when we were spiritually dead,
we felt comfortable
in trespasses
and sins.
Satan is the great deceiver.
He will use every resource
the Lord permits him to use
to try and entice our flesh.
He will often try
to make you feel justified
and satisfied
in your sin.
So be cautious
that you are not putting
your hope in your own works
because it can feel good
to get rewards
from the world
and success in your affairs.
This is a false hope.
Satan will put this
imaginary carrot
before your eyes
until you find yourself
in eternal ruin,
away from the presence
of the Lord
and away from the glory
of his might.
Without Christ,
this is our fate.
We are enslaved to sin.
We follow and submit
to the prince
of the power of the air.
We reject God
for who he is,
the real king.
The underwhelming title
given to the person
in this state
is a son of disobedience
and child of wrath.
We have inherited
disobedience
from our first parents.
Like our first mother,
Eve,
who saw that the tree
was a delight to the eyes
and desired to make one wise,
she took of it and ate.
God promised that
the day we ate of it,
we would surely die.
That death,
promised in Genesis,
was both a promise
of physical death
and spiritual death.
On that day,
they were separated from God
because of their
unrighteous disobedience
and they would no longer
live forever.
Death now has spread
to all men
because all sinned.
We would not
nor could not
choose otherwise.
It is who we are
naturally from birth.
We follow Satan
just like our parents.
As birds fly,
man's natural condition
is sinful.
We were naturally
enslaved to sin,
following Satan
and participating
in his works.
We declared ourselves
to be gods
by ignoring the Lord's decrees
and obeying our own will
and the will of the devil.
This is a spiritual corruption
which demands
spiritual justice,
which is what
the children of wrath
will get as their inheritance.
The willful transgressions
that we commit
merit the judgment of God
because it is breaking
of God's law
of which the Lord
will execute his wrath.
Verse 3 goes on
to tell us
that this is our life.
We lived
in the passions
of our flesh.
We loved it.
It was our passion.
We're not only
by nature
in this condition
but it is a willing pursuit
of gratifying
our fleshly desires.
It is eerie
how common,
accepted,
and subtle
that sin can be.
But don't be deceived.
The sin we possess
is ugly and nasty.
It's rebellious,
deceiving,
and it's morally wrong.
It causes children
to lie to their parents.
It causes brothers
to bully their sisters
or for sisters
to steal from their brothers.
It causes husbands
to be disloyal
to their wives,
whether in person
or virtually.
It causes wives
to envy other marriages.
It causes fathers
to abdicate their duty
as spiritual leader
of the home.
And for mothers
to complain
about those little souls
that the Lord
has entrusted them
to steward.
Roommates bicker
over who does
or doesn't do the dishes.
People murder
and steal.
Body, image, anxiety,
pride,
and physical performance.
Trusting that money
will satisfy us.
Complaining about
our circumstances.
All envy,
boasting,
pride, addiction,
disorder,
hate, deceit.
It is all because
of our condition
of sin.
And furthermore,
the stain of sin
runs deep.
We carry out
the comprehensive
desires of both
body and mind.
Our sin nature
is not simply
outward in action.
It also takes place
in our mind.
For instance,
everyone who hates
his brother
is a murderer.
And everyone
who looks at a woman
with lustful intent
has already committed
adultery with her.
We are not just
partially depraved
in our bodies.
We are totally
depraved throughout
in body and mind.
Even though our sin
may be less outwardly
harming when it is
concealed inside the mind,
God sees
and he knows
the inward thoughts.
Those inward sins
also merit
the due sentence
of law-breaking.
We all once
lived like the rest
of mankind
denotes that
all humankind
starts this way.
Physically alive,
spiritually dead,
we are overall
unlovely
and without the ability
to revive ourselves
spiritually.
We are unrighteous
and desperately need
to be justified.
We are at enmity
with God
and desperately need
to be reconciled.
We are dead
and desperately need
to live.
So this is the first half
of considering
the severity
of God's love
in Christ
by understanding
the severity
of our need
for him.
We will suffer
the eternal
and just punishment
of God
as lawbreakers.
We miss out
on the joy
and honor
of knowing God
personally
as Abba Father.
We have a very
great need
to alter this outcome.
It is a matter
of eternal life
and death.
So throughout
verses 1 through 3,
we may have
a faint hope
in our hearts
as Paul speaks
in the past tense,
but it is overall
gloomy and discouraging
as we are reminded
of our depravity.
Our heads start
to drop
in defeat
until
verse 4.
In verse 4,
we will see
our second point,
the love of God
burst onto the scene.
It reads,
but God,
being rich
in mercy
because
of the great love
with which
he loved us.
On a clean
and sharp break
into verse 4,
we have a reason
to lift our heads.
Our ear catches
a slight burst
of hope
in that three-letter
conjunction,
but.
We are like
the rest of mankind,
except.
Like the first
blooms
in springtime,
we anticipate
a coming turn
of events.
The winter
is coming
to a close
and a new day
is dawning.
But what?
The noun
following the
conjunction
backs up
and reaffirms
the hope
we start to sense.
The noun
is God.
The unfailing,
promise-keeping,
truth-telling,
life-giving being
who has power
and authority
over all things
has something
to interject.
This God
is the one
who does not
disappoint
as the things
of this earth
disappoints.
He is not like
the Christmas Eve
dinner that fills
us for a time
and then we
hunger again.
He is not our
fading youth
that allows us
to be productive
and sharp
for a while.
He is not
uncertain like
a house that
has potential
to burn down
or flood.
He is not like
our earthly parents
or our best friend
or our spouse
that will fail us
at times.
He will not
desert those
whom he loves.
He says
that he is with us
always to the
end of the age
and God has
no higher name
to which he can
swear by so when
he gives a promise
it's good as done.
He can create
something from
nothing.
He is from
eternity past
and will be
until eternity
future.
He never grows
weary or hungry.
Time and space
do not affect him.
If we are to have
hope in anyone
to rescue us
from our grave
spiritual condition
it is the great
I am.
So we have
here
but God
has something
perhaps
change this
reality
and outcome
of her depravity
from verses
1 through 3
but what is it?
It is his
agape love
being rich in
mercy
because
of his
great love
with which
he loved us.
This is
a significant
word here
because the word
for love
is different
from the other
words translated
to love in the
Bible.
I'm sure a lot
of you are
familiar with that.
It is not
eros
which is
marital love
it is not
philia
brotherly love
and it is not
storge
familial love
it is not
based on
affection
or feelings
as you might
love eating
gingerbread
cookies
and watching
Home Alone 2
it is also
not based on
obligation
like paying
a debt
it is a
sacrificial
and committed
and confirmed
love that says
despite your
unloveliness
I love you
true agape
love
doesn't say
to the beggar
go and
be warmed
it actually
ensures
the good
outcome
of its
object
it is an
authentic
sympathy
that will
achieve the
well-being
of its
recipient
or die
trying
additionally
this mercy
that God
bestows on
his people
has to be
based on
God's
love
it is
because
of the
great love
with which
he loved
us
whatever
this exchange
is
or whatever
it is going
to be
it makes
no sense
in and of
itself
there is
not going
to be
any
economical
benefit
for God
in this
deal
and he
is the
one
initiating
it
for instance
if I
purchase
a red
rider
air rifle
for $100
that is
a fair
trade
money
for a
gun
it doesn't
take love
to make
that purely
economical
transaction
now if I
gift that
red rider
to my
son
for free
this requires
an amount
of love
to be present
because I
get no
economical
return
from it
because I
love my
son I
give him
this free
gift
and this
may even
be less
than free
because I'm
risking a
trip to the
ER if he
shoots his
eye out
because we
bring nothing
to the
bargaining table
indeed we
cannot
there has to
be an
amount of
love
mercy
and grace
on God's
part
this is an
unfair trade
and it should
cause us to
stand in
awe at the
mystery of
God's love
this rich
mercy that
is lavished
upon us
has to be
founded on
his own
attribute of
love because
it makes no
sense otherwise
this is the
unique kind of
love that God
has in fact
scripture says
that God
is this
kind of
love
the attribute
of loving
your enemy
is not
natural to
man
it is
foreign to
anything that
man could
have conceived
it originates
from God
he is the
source
God is not
just loving
but God
is love
look at
chapter 3
really quick
chapter 3
and verse 14
to kind of
explain this
a little bit
more
Paul says
for this
reason I
bow my
knees before
the father
from whom
every family
in heaven
and on earth
is named
that according
to the riches
of his glory
he may grant
you to be
strengthened with
power through
his spirit
in your inner
being so
that Christ
may dwell
in your
hearts
through faith
Christ
dwelling in
your hearts
through faith
that you
being rooted
and grounded
in agape
may have
strength to
comprehend with
all the saints
what is the
breadth and
length and
height and
depth and
to know the
agape of
Christ
that surpasses
knowledge that
you may be
filled with
all the fullness
of God
so what does
it mean that
we can know
the love of
Christ and
yet it
surpasses
knowledge
what means
without
Christ
it is
unfathomable
to know
this kind
of love
it comes
from above
when the
love of
Christ dwells
in your
heart through
faith
then you
are rooted
and grounded
in that
agape
and it
gives you
the strength
to comprehend
the dimensional
and measurable
love of God
it is otherwise
foreign to
man
God
loved
us
God is the
subject
acting
on the
direct
object
Paul
tells us
that he
has
bestowed
his
love
on us
this
love
is
something
tangible
and
effectual
he has
an abundance
of mercy
that he
somehow
has imparted
to us
in love
we know
that we
need
rich
mercy
because
we
by nature
are so
spiritually
poor
this verse
is so
powerful
it comes
upon
a midnight
clear
like the
angels
to the
shepherds
in Luke
2
the
bleak
reality
of
ourselves
from
verses
1-3
are dark
and cold
like the
night
but all
of a
sudden
the
angels
appeared
to the
shepherds
and the
glory
of the
Lord
shone
around
them
they
haven't
even
relayed
what
the
good
news
is
yet
but
it
invoked
a
deep
response
from
within
the
shepherds
verse
4
is
the
burst
of
light
emanating
from
the
glory
of
God
that
stirs
a
deep
expectant
heart
response
within
us
it's
the
great
turning
point
in
our
salvation
story
as it
was
in
human
history
because
it
speaks
of
a
great
power
we
offer
nothing
but
God
offers
rich
mercy
because
of
his
great
love
but
God
has
loved
us
with
his
agape
love
now
the
ears
of
our
heart
are
fully
engaged
as we
continue
to
read
we
can't
help
but
continue
to know
how
God
has
loved
us
and
what
the
conclusion
of
that
love
might
be
the
conclusion
given
in
5
through
10
which
is
our
third
and
final
point
being
loved
in
Christ
will
overwhelmingly
resolve
all the
problems
presented
in
verses
1
through
3
so
hark
the
herald
Paul
here
from
verse
5
even
when
we
were
dead
in
our
trespasses
God
made
us
alive
together
with
Christ
by
grace
you
have
been
saved
and
raised
us
up
with
him
and
seated
us
with
him
in
the
heavenly
places
in
Christ
Jesus
so
that
in
the
coming
ages
he
might
show
the
immeasurable
riches
of his
grace
and
kindness
toward
us
in
Christ
Jesus
for
by
grace
you
have
been
saved
through
faith
and
this
is
not
your
own
doing
it
is
the
gift
of
God
not
a
result
of
works
that
no
one
may
boast
for
we
are
his
workmanship
created
in
Christ
Jesus
for
good
works
which
God
prepared
beforehand
that
we
should
walk
in
them
oh
tidings
of
comfort
and
joy
by
grace
alone
through
faith
alone
in
Christ
alone
in
glory
to
God
in
the
highest
alone
this
sweet
news
is not
explicit
about
what
Christ
did
to
save
us
but
the
rest
of
Ephesians
is a
little
more
descriptive
chapter
1
verse
says
that
we
have
redemption
through
his
blood
and
then
in
chapter
2
verse
13
we
have
been
brought
near
by
the
blood
of
Christ
and
again
chapter
5
verse
2
Christ
loved
us
and
gave
himself
up
for
us
a
fragrant
offering
and
sacrifice
to
God
and
then
verse
!
25
chapter
5
Christ
loved
God
removes
our
sin
from
our
identity
as far
as the
east
is
from
the
west
it
is
immeasurable
his
agape
love
is
bestowed
on
us
in
Christ
this
illuminates
how
the
love
of
God
spans
that
eternal
gulf
in
between
our
natural
standing
and
our
current
standing
we
see
more
clearly
that
this
grace
is
immeasurable
the
ultimate
gift
paid
at
the
ultimate
cost
purchased
by
him
who
had
the
least
obligation
to
pay
it
Christ
Jesus
humbly
born
as a
baby
in
a
manger
so
that
he
might
give
his
life
as
a
ransom
for
many
God
the
father
sacrificed
this
only
begotten
son
Christ
that
we
would
be
reconciled
to
him
he
poured
!
his
mercy
so
that
is
how
Christ
procured
the
gifts
we
see
in
5
through
10
and
interwoven
throughout
the
description
of
the
gifts
which
meet
the
eternal
needs
we
have
presented
in
1
through
3
is a
theme
of
grace
and
humility
this
humility
is the
natural
and
right
response
we
ought
to
have
because
our
greatest
need
being
saved
from
eternity
in
hell
and
to
a
right
standing
with
God
has
been
met
it
is
the
greatest
gift
we
could
ever
wish
for
and
has
been
granted
and
what
did
we
do
to
deserve
this
nothing
we
were
dead
in
our
trespasses
and
sins
meaning
we
could
not
merit
any
gift
from
God
but
God
made
us
alive
it
was
a
complete
and
gracious
act
of
God
verse
five
answers
verse
one
you
are
dead
but
because
of
God's
love
we're
made
alive
remember
that
it
requires
someone
outside
of
ourselves
to
resuscitate
or revive
our
souls
Christ
is
the
AED
that
shocks
us
into
life
we
were
the
ones
being
saved
we
did
not
and
could
not
save
ourselves
some
of
you
have
heard
preachers
speak
of
God's
plea
for
the
sinner
to
come
answer
the
door
of
salvation
that
God
is
knocking
on
if
only
we
would
let
him
in
we
could
be
saved
it
depends
on
you
there
ain't
nobody
coming
to
the
door
there's
a
dead
man
inside
God
needs
to
kick
down
the
door
and
perform
a
spiritual
!
miracle
God
is
not
so
weak
in
power
that
he
depends
on
our
permission
we
were
dead
there's
no
permission
to
give
to
him
there's
no
heartbeat
no
blood
pumping
no
lungs
breathing
we
needed
a
miracle
and
that
is
exactly
what
God
has
done
the
great
physician
has
risen
the
dead
to
life
through
faith
in
Christ
he
surgically
!
removed
the
heart
of
stone
and
gave
us
a
heart
of
flesh
!
grace
you
have
been
saved
through
faith
and
this
is
not
your
own
doing
not
as
a
result
of
anything
we
did
or
didn't
do
we
aren't
so
lovely
and
honorable
that
God
ought
to
do
this
there
was
nothing
about
us
that
God
thought
you
know
they
have
been
so
good
I'll
give
them
a
second
chance
no
we
were
dead
by
grace
you
have
been
saved
Paul
repeats
that
twice
here
no
one
may
boast
because
it
was
a
complete
act
of
God
when
we
try
to
claim
credit
for
our
salvation
we
are
attempting
to rob
God
of
his
glory
and
bringing
the
dead
to
life
it
would
be
like
waking
up
in
a
hospital
after
a
fatal
car
accident
and
telling
everyone
how
you
installed
your
own
IVs
and
stitched
together
your
wounds
and
performed
!
spinal
surgery
to
yourself
I
don't
think
Adam
and
Eve
after
eating
the
fruit
we
deserve
much
worse
than
coal
in
our
stocking
we
ran
from
God
our
iniquities
had
made
a
separation
between
us
and
God
and
our
sins
had
hidden
his
face
from
us
so
that
he
does
not
hear
but
God
being
rich
in
mercy
because
of
the
great
love
with
which
he
loved
us
made
us
alive
together
with
Christ
praise
the
Lord
so
we
have
Christ
Jesus
after
our
Lord
was
sacrificed
he
did
not
stay
down
he
alone
holds
power
over
death
because
he
alone
is
the
almighty
he
is
the
one
who
creates
life
death
had
nothing
to
hold
against
Christ
to
bind
him
in
the
grave
there's
no
justified
accusation
against
him
he
was
the
perfect
and
righteous
son
of
man
therefore
he
was
able
to
be
raised
from
the
tomb
in
his
death
he
consumed
the
wrath
of
God
we
deserved
and
buried
it
in
that
grave
never
to
be
awakened
again
then
he
ascended
to
the
right
hand
of
the
father
his
seat
now
is
there
in
the
heavenly
places
and
when
we
are
found
in
him
his
identity
becomes
our
identity
our
kingdom
that we
reside
in
is
now
in
the
heavenly
places
we
don't
sit
in
the
seat
of
scoffers
we
sit
around
the
royal
table
of
the
messiah
this
is
in
contrast
to
the
course
of
this
world
where
the
figurehead
is
the
prince
of
the
power
we
now
have
new
identities
because
we
are
of
a
different
people
a
holy
nation
we're
a
royal
priesthood
a
people
for
his
own
possession
now
in
Christ
we
are
alive
to
righteousness
you
however
are
not
in
the
flesh
!
but
in
the
spirit
if
in
fact
the
spirit
of
God
dwells
in
you
anyone
who
does
not
have
the
spirit
of
Christ
does
not
belong
to
him
but
if
Christ
is
in
you
although
the
body
is
dead
because
of
sin
the
spirit
is
life
because
of
righteousness
if
the
spirit
of
him
who
raised
Jesus
from
the
dead
dwells
in
you
he
who
raised
Christ
Jesus
from
the
dead
will
also
give
life
to
your
mortal
bodies
through
his
spirit
who
dwells
in
you
converted
born
again
Christians
are
alive
in
the
righteousness
of
Christ
and
that
same
power
that
rose
Christ
from
the
grave
has
given
you
life
we
are
now
dead
to
sin
and
alive
to
righteousness
seated
with
Christ
in
the
heavenly
places
this
seat
comes
with
great
privileges
it
is
in
contrast
to
living
in
the
passions
of
our
flesh
!
which
ultimately
leave
us
dissatisfied
and
broken
we
are
seated
in
the
heavenly
places
so
that
in
the
coming
ages
throughout
the
throughout
every
age
going
forward
throughout
the
ages
God
shows
us
the
immeasurable
riches
of
his
grace
and
kindness
toward
us
in
Christ
Jesus
we
have
boldness
and
confident
access
to
God
through
our
faith
in
Christ
when
we
now
sin
we
have
a
mediator
as
we
repent
of
our
sins
we
are
forgiven
because
Christ
intercedes
for
us
this
is
an
immeasurable
kindness
furthermore
he
always
lends
his
ear
to
his
children
and
he
comforts
them
he
is
always
with
us
our
trials
and
sufferings
work
to
sanctify
us
for
God's
glory
and
our
good
the
world
no
longer
has
to
be
feared
because
Christ
has
overcome
the
world
if
we
are
to
live
we
live
for
Christ
if
we
are
to
die
death
is
gain
neither
death
nor
life
nor
angels
nor
rulers
nor
things
present
nor
things
to
come
nor
powers
nor
height
nor
death
nor
anything
else
in
all
creation
will
be
able
to
separate
us
from
the
love
of
God
in
Christ
Jesus
our
Lord
we
are
not
called
to
comfort
but
rather
faithfulness
as
we
obey
the
Lord
we
may
be
persecuted
and
we
may
be
disciplined
!
knowing
the
compassion
the
comfort
the
security
and
the
rest
found
in
our
sovereign
powerful
loving
God
and
we
get
to
experience
the
immeasurable
riches
of
his
grace
day
after
day
throughout
the
ages
so
those
are
many
of
the
privileges
of
being
seated
in
the
heavenly
places
but
we
have
also
been
recreated
no
longer
are
we
sons
of
disobedience
or
children
of
wrath
our
new
inheritance
is
the
throne
of
Christ
we
are
created
in
Christ
Jesus
we
are
his
workmanship
now
as
such
we
walk
in
newness
of
life
we
get
to
walk
in
the
path
of
the
righteous
the
good
works
that
we
do
as
a
result
of
being
saved
are
good
and
they
are
a
joy
it
is
not
burdensome
but
delightful
because
it
is
ultimately
for
our
good
God
doesn't
prescribe
these
good
works
because
he
is
insecure
and
just
needs
someone
to
obey
him
these
works
are
for
our
good
they
protect
us
from
spiritual
harm
we
are
given
to
spiritual
anger
depression
and loneliness
and all
sorts
of terrible
things
but
the
new
works
we
are
created
for
bear
comfort
and
joy
God
are
however
expected
of
God
children
we
are
not
saved
by
them
by
our
good
works
don't
be
mistaken
but
being
saved
we
will
do
good
works
it
is
the
spiritual
litmus
test
God
prepares
these
good
works
beforehand
that
we
should
walk
in
them
when
a
king
was
introduced
someone
used
to
go
before
him
and
rolled
out
the
royal
carpet
that
he
should
walk
down
that
path
God
likewise
has
prepared
us
a
path
to
walk
it
is
the
path
of
good
works
that
we
should
walk
in
them
the
end
of
this
path
is
the
presence
of
the
Lord
one
day
we
will
no
longer
see
in
a
mirror
dimly
lit
but
we
will
stand
face
to
face
with
God
there
will
be
no
need
for
a
sun
to
shine
because
he
himself
will
be
our
light
what
a
day
that
will
be
it's
all
because
Christ
came
and
accomplished
the
task
what
was
started
in
the
little
town
of
Bethlehem
will
end
in
a
glorious
new
Jerusalem
with
city
walls
of
Jasper
and
streets
of
gold
where
our
Savior
will
be
with
us
so
why
is
our
advent
of
Christ
such
a
preeminent
act
of
love
it
was
not
just
a
miraculous
conception
our
Savior
was
born
God
took
on
flesh
to
rescue
people
who
were
dead
he
ransomed
captive
Israel
enslaved
to sin
enemies
of
God
dead
in
our
trespasses
and
sins
God
came
to
us
to
save
us
he
had
to
come
to
earth
in
order
to
fulfill
the
requirement
of
righteousness
so that
in
him
we
could
be
justified
because
of
the
great
love
with
which
he
loved
us
he
paid
the
ultimate
price
for
people
who
deserved
it
the
least
to
gift
us
the
utmost
valuable
riches
by
grace
you
have
been
saved
by
grace
you
have
been
given
life
everlasting
God
loved
us
and
gave
us
every
spiritual
blessing
in
the
heavenly
places
my
only
application
to
this
is to
praise
God
in
humility
beholding
the
mystery
of
his
love
that
he
bestowed
on
dead
sinners
in
Christ
I'm
going to
end by
reading the lyrics
of
joyful joyful
we
adore
thee
I
hope
it
rings
anew
for
you
as
you
might
sing
it
this
season
joyful
we
adore
you
God
of
glory
Lord
of
love
hearts
unfold
like
flowers
before
you
opening
to
the
sun
above
melt
the
clouds
of
sin
and
sadness
drive
the
dark
of
doubt
away
giver
of
immortal
gladness
fill
us
with
the
light
of
day
all
your
works
with
joy
surround
you
earth
and
heaven
reflect
your
rays
stars
and
angels
sing
around
you
center
of
unbroken
praise
field
and
forest
veil
and
mountain
flowery
meadow
flashing
sea
chanting
bird
and
flowing
fountain
praising
you
eternally
always
giving
and
forgiving
ever
blessing
ever
blessed
wellspring
of the
joy
of
living
ocean
depth
of
happy
rest
loving
father
christ
our
brother
let
your
light
upon
us
shine
teach
us
how
to
love
each
other
let
us
lift
us
to
the
joy
divine
mortals
join
the
mighty
chorus
which
the
morning
stars
began
god's
own
love
is
reigning
over
us
join
the
people
hand
in
hand
ever
singing
march
we
onward
victors
in the
midst
of
strife
joyful
music
leads
us
sunward
in the
triumph
song
of
life
let's
pray