Please take out your copy of God's Word. Turn with me to the book of Ephesians, chapter 1.
I ask also at the same time that you take out the handout that was given to you on the way in.
I hope it was that we managed to pull that off.
If not, it's okay. That won't be detrimental to your study.
The intention there is to give you a summary statement for the sermon today
that you might mark it up, take a pen out and write, write additional notes.
I would encourage you to take the text that I provided for you,
not because I don't want you to have a copy of God's Word open in front of you.
I don't want to remove things from their context.
It's not what we're trying to accomplish by handing this printed out to you,
but I want you to be able to mark on it.
I want you to have the same translation that I'm using, which is the ESV,
which is not an inspired translation.
It's just a good one.
It's okay if you have another, but this way you'll have those words there in front of you.
If you're new to our fellowship, we typically do verse-by-verse exposition,
and we have been as of late working through the book of Acts.
This has been the great labor in front of us.
We are on the cusp of starting chapter 11,
but because we have just started as a church another church,
we've multiplied into two congregations.
Christ Family Church has become Christ Family Church Dahlonega.
Welcome.
And Christ Family Church Oakwood meeting really kind of flowery branch,
but we're calling it CFC Oakwood,
and they're meeting this morning even now.
And we thought it would be good to take some time to focus and refocus,
make sure that we're all on the same page,
and we're all moving forward together into this next year.
Just as a precursor to this,
I really don't enjoy topical preaching.
I enjoy preaching.
I enjoy teaching things systematically,
or having you at least understand things systematically.
But it is a real work,
because we come to a topic like gospel identity.
Who are we in Christ?
And there is so much to say.
Even just listening to the three songs that we've sung,
there's different things I'm going,
oh, we could talk about that,
and we could talk about it.
And my head is starting to rewrite the sermon that I've already written.
So I'll do my best this morning.
We're going to look at Ephesians 1, verses 3-14.
And I know for some of you, that really gets you excited.
Ephesians 1.
We are not going to look at it in every bit of detail.
And if that dramatically disappoints you,
then I would suggest you care a bit too much about soteriology.
Possibly.
But before I read it,
let me start by reading to you the summary statement for this morning
about our gospel identity,
which reads as follows,
By grace alone, through faith alone,
in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone,
we are justified before God,
forgiven and adopted by Him.
This gospel identity is our great motivation for worship.
Now Ephesians 1, the word of the Lord,
beginning in verse 3.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and blameless before Him.
In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of His will,
to the praise of His glorious grace,
with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace,
which He lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight,
making known to us the mystery of His will,
according to His purpose,
which He set forth in Christ
as a plan for the fullness of time
to unite all things in Him,
things in heaven and things on earth.
In Him we have obtained an inheritance,
having been predestined according to the purpose of Him
who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
so that we who were the first to hope in Christ
might be to the praise of His glory.
In Him you also,
when you heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation,
and believed in Him,
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
who is the guarantee of our inheritance
until we acquire possession of it,
to the praise of His glory.
Beloved, this is God's word to us.
It was written for His glory and for our good.
We would all do well to listen to it
in order to believe its promises
and obey its commands.
Now, before I break down the summary statement,
I want to just take a few moments to look at verse 3.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
And you see this word root here being blessed.
Blessed, blessed, and blessing.
And I want to just point out to us very quickly
that just in verse 3,
we note that there is a blesser,
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You will note that I read that word,
blessed.
I say blessed be.
Not blessed be, but blessed be.
And then when we get to who has blessed,
we tend to read that differently.
And the reason for that
is because they are not the same Greek word.
It's important to note this.
The Greek word here translated,
blessed be,
is eulogio,
which means blessed one or praised one.
We get the word eulogy from this Greek word.
A word of commendation.
Typically, you think of a eulogy
being preached at a funeral.
All of the praise that's given to the person
that has passed.
All of the reasons that we love this person
and the reasons that we will miss this person.
Here, Paul is not communicating
that God needs our blessing,
but that He is already the blessed one.
He is worthy of praise.
He is worthy of honor.
And He is the blesser.
He has blessed us in Christ.
So who are those who are blessed?
Here meaning joyful, enriched.
Those who are in Christ.
Those who have believed in Christ
are blessed by God.
Apart from faith in Christ,
a person is in a grievous state.
Romans 3.23-26 reads,
All have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God.
There's no one exempt from this.
Everybody in the world
is the condition of man.
Apart from Christ,
all have sinned.
They all fall short.
They all fail to measure up
to the holiness required of God
on our behalf to be pleasing before Him.
And this puts us in this grievous state
because God hates sin.
And because God hates sinners,
they are an affront to His character.
The person who is in the state of sin
openly and willingly rejects God as king.
Good king.
Given to us a good word
and we disregard it.
And we have it as our own.
It's a saying that God hates sin
but loves the sinner.
And that's so true in part,
but it's not completely true.
Let me show you why.
Psalm 11.5 says,
The Lord tests the righteous,
but His soul hates the wicked
and the one who loves violence.
The person who has not placed their faith in Christ
is in a grievous state
because the wrath of God
is being stored up for them.
Beloved, we must understand this.
I hear on a regular basis
about people who come and visit
and why they won't come back.
And some of you might find yourselves
in that place this morning.
One of my favorite complaints
is that I don't make people
feel good about themselves.
building up your self-esteem.
Be damned if you'll be damned.
Care about your souls.
This is a weighty thing that we do.
Considering the truth of God
and what it means for our lives
matters.
Doctrine matters.
The truth opened up to you.
This is why I say every Sunday,
this is God's Word to us.
You would do well to listen to it.
Believe His promises.
Obey His commands.
You must understand
that God hates sin.
And God hates sinners.
He will punish sinners.
But the wonderful truth of the Gospel
is that at the same time,
God loves sinners.
Praise Him.
I was loved by God
and saved by God
as a sinner.
So the statement,
God hates sin but loves the sinner
is partially true.
It should say,
God hates sin and hates the sinner
and loves the sinner.
And it's a difficult thing
for us to comprehend that
because we're not God.
God.
And we fail so often
to understand God
by His revealed Word
because we want to put ourselves
in His shoe.
How dare we?
We can't possibly understand
how it is that God
can both hate and love
at the very same time,
but He does.
And there's a beautiful picture
of this.
The great high point of redemption,
the cross of Christ.
where He loves us
as He hates us.
He pours out His wrath
on Jesus.
The hatred towards us.
Jesus takes us.
Propitiation.
He takes on our sin
and He pours His wrath
out on it.
It's a great loving act
on His part.
Verse 24.
Romans 3.
And are justified
by His grace as a gift
through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus,
whom God put forward
as a propitiation,
a blood sacrifice replacement
to be received by faith.
This was to show
God's righteousness,
God's perfection,
because in His divine forbearance,
He had passed over
former sins.
It was to show His righteousness
at the present time
so that He might be just
punishing sin in Christ
and the justifier
of the one who has faith
in Jesus.
If you have believed in Christ,
you are saved by God
from God to God.
God is the blesser.
Those who have placed faith
in Christ are the blessed.
What is the blessing?
Paul here writes
that we're blessed
with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places.
And there's much
that could be said
at this point.
But the idea of it being
a spiritual blessing
speaks not to the extent
of the blessing
or the particular outworking
of the blessing.
Paul's not here
talking about spiritual
gifting in its entirety.
What he's speaking to
is the source
of the blessing.
It comes from God Himself.
We are blessed spiritually
because God is Spirit
and has given us blessing.
Not only that,
but He's given us
every spiritual blessing.
We have all the power
that we need
to love as we should,
to have peace and joy,
to find contentment,
to be obedient in all things,
etc., etc., etc.
And He has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places
which refers to the domain
of God.
Not just future blessing,
although future blessing
is included in this,
but present blessing now
as those of us
who have placed faith in Christ
are part of God's kingdom.
If you have believed in Christ,
you are blessed in Christ
with a new identity.
A gospel identity.
which I have summarized
with a portion of today's
summary statement,
the middle portion of it,
we are justified before God,
forgiven,
and adopted by Him.
And I'll speak at length
to the portion
of the summary statement,
but let's take the statement
in its written order
and ask the question first,
what is the cause
of our gospel identity?
If you have placed faith
in the personal work
of Jesus Christ,
you are justified before God,
forgiven and adopted by Him,
but what is the cause
of this gospel identity?
The first part of our statement,
by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in the personal work
of Jesus Christ alone.
Beloved, we undoubtedly
must believe in Christ.
I like the clarification.
You have heard me
or you will hear me
if you stick around,
in the person and work
of Jesus Christ.
I think my head's tallied
at least a dozen times.
I've said it already
this morning.
In the person
and the work,
to believe that Jesus
is who He said He was,
that He is the Son of God,
and that He lived
a perfect life,
that He died a sinner's death,
that He was raised
on the third day,
that He's ascended
and seated with the Father.
We must believe these things.
When we say we must believe
in Christ,
it means that we believe
all of those things.
It doesn't mean
that we believe
that Jesus was a good teacher,
but that He was the Son of God.
That we place our faith in Him
for the remediation of our sin.
Not just that we believe
that He could be our buddy.
There's specifics about
what we must believe
about Christ
to be saved by Him.
But undoubtedly,
we must believe.
Paul writes in Romans 10.9,
if you confess with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart
that God raised Him
from the dead work,
you will be saved.
Our text this morning
confirms this.
You can look at verse 12
and verse 13.
I underline these
with squiggly marks
on my page.
So that we who were the first
to what?
Hope in Christ.
There's a work on our part.
We hoped in Christ.
In verse 13,
in Him you also,
when you heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation,
and believed in Him.
So something happens.
Something takes place
in our conversion.
We place faith
in the person and work
of Jesus Christ.
So you could say
that our faith is the cause
of our gospel identity.
That would be accurate.
Our faith is the cause
of our gospel identity,
but what is the cause
of our faith?
What made dead people
who were bent against
the worship of God
suddenly decide
to worship God?
Our text this morning
speaks to this.
I don't intend at this moment
to make a complex
soteriological argument.
If you don't know
what soteriology is,
that's probably okay.
It's the study
of the doctrines
of salvation.
I hope you're familiar
with the doctrines
of salvation though.
I don't care to work out
all the intricacies
of such doctrines,
precious though they are,
but for the sake
of your understanding
of your gospel identity.
If you've placed faith
in Christ,
person and work,
you need to see
that God is the cause
of your faith.
It's very important
to see the way
in which God brings
things about faith
in the life
of a believer.
I don't want
to get into
a debate about this.
These doctrines
are taught to you
to give you
a pillow
to rest your head on
and I want to show you
why.
Note with me
some phrases
and some verses
in our text.
I put these in parentheses
if you're marking
yours up.
verse 4,
He,
being God,
chose us
in Him,
being Jesus Christ,
when?
Before the foundation
of the world.
Don't make this
too complex, beloved.
Paul's not trying
to pull some
semantical tricks
on us here.
Read it as it reads.
It's the doctrine
of the clarity
of Scripture.
He chose us in Him
before the foundation
of the world.
Before all of this
came to be,
before original sin,
there was a plan
in place.
Christ was always
plan A.
Never a plan B.
And God chose us
in Christ
before the foundation
of the world.
Very last part
of verse 4
and verse 5.
I don't understand
why the numbers
fall this way.
In love,
He predestined
us
according
to the purpose
of His will.
Again,
according to His purpose
in verse 9.
Verse 11.
Having been
predestined
according
to the purpose
of Him
who works
all things
according
to the counsel
of His will.
It's very difficult
to get around this.
And I know
that for some of you,
your brains
are racing out
implications.
Stop.
Calm down
for a minute
and look at
what Paul's
trying to
communicate to us.
He's simply
trying to say
that our faith
was brought about
by God.
Why is that
going to be important?
I'll tell you
momentarily.
Don't get away
from this.
The word
predestined
is such a scary
word this day.
But I'll tell you
what it means.
In Greek,
it means
decided beforehand
or predetermined.
Paul's statement
in verse 4
so beautifully
defines the word
for us.
Chose us in Him
before the foundation
of the world.
Predetermined.
Decided beforehand
that we would
believe in Christ.
So what is the cause
of our gospel identity?
Ultimately,
God.
Specifically,
God's grace to us.
In His loving kindness,
He brought about
faith in us.
If you look just
a little further on
in Ephesians 2,
beginning in verse 8,
Paul says,
For by grace
you have been saved
through faith.
And this is not
your own doing.
Paul's referring here
to the faith,
not to the grace.
And this is not
your own doing.
It is the gift
of God.
Not a result
of works.
Why?
So that no one
may boast.
Oh, proud me,
I have faith.
Oh, poor pitiful me,
I would not have faith
apart from Christ.
Oh, Christ
is to be praised.
Why is this doctrine
important to your
understanding
of your gospel identity?
It's important
because your identity
is secure.
It was wrought
by God.
He brought it about
and He will not
change His mind.
God made you
and He will keep you.
Numbers 23, 19.
God is not man
that He should lie
or of son of man
that He should change
His mind.
Has He said
and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken
and will He not
fulfill it?
Paul says in Romans 8,
verse 29 and 30,
for those whom He foredo,
He also predestined
to be conformed
to the image of a son
in order that He might
be the firstborn
or preeminent
among many brothers.
And those whom He predestined,
He also called.
And those whom He called,
He also justified.
And those whom He justified,
He also glorified.
Future tense,
one day we will be made
entirely perfect
and be in His presence
forever.
So who has brought about
this gospel identity
that we're speaking about today?
It's God, beloved.
You may not know this,
but I call you beloved.
I'm hoping that I'm referring
to everyone in the room.
When I say beloved,
I'm referring to Christians.
Jesus calls His own Son,
God calls His own Son,
Jesus, beloved.
And that's a title
passed on to us,
loved in Christ.
Adopted sons and daughters
of the Most High.
So what is our gospel identity?
Again, here we are,
middle of the phrase,
we are justified before God,
forgiven and adopted by Him.
We are justified before God.
To be justified before God
means to be declared righteous
before God as our judge.
It's a courtroom term.
Standing before a judge
and the judge not only
dismisses our offense,
our sin has been forgiven,
but also declares us perfect.
There's two sides to justification.
Right?
Verse 4 says that we should be holy
and blameless before Him.
If you are in Christ,
if you have believed in Him,
you stand before God justified.
And there's really not another great word
for this word.
Two sides of the coin.
Debt canceled
and a deposit has been made.
Christ took your sin.
The debt has been canceled.
Christ gave you His righteousness.
You're seen as perfect before God.
We are justified, beloved.
Important, important doctrine
to understand who we are.
We've been forgiven.
Verse 7,
in Him we have redemption
through His blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses.
We have been adopted.
Verse 5,
He predestined us for adoption
as sons through Jesus Christ.
And ladies,
it's okay that Paul is using this terminology
because culturally,
you want to be a son.
Sons got inheritance.
Sons took over the Father's place.
Women at this time
had very little rights to inheritance.
Very little.
They needed to marry into family
to have those things.
So, to call you a son of God
is not a gender offense
in this way.
We've been adopted as sons
through Jesus Christ.
And I fear in my own mind
and sometimes then
in your minds
that here as we
hold high God
and we present Him
as sovereign King,
as ruler,
as creator and sustainer,
which He is,
all of those things
that we sometimes forget
to call Him Father.
And as we talk about Christ
as the prophet,
priest,
and king,
supreme in all things,
we forget to call Him
friend.
Our relationship is
deep and intimate
with the Lord of the universe.
And this is an astounding reality.
J.I. Packer,
in his work entitled
Knowing God,
which you should read,
wrote the following,
that justification
by which we mean
God's forgiveness
of the past
together with His acceptance
for the future
is the primary
and fundamental blessing
of the gospel
is not in question.
Justification
is the primary blessing
because it meets
our primary spiritual need.
We all stand by nature
under God's judgment.
His law condemns us.
Guilt gnaws at us,
making us restless,
miserable,
and in our lucid moments
afraid.
We have no peace
in ourselves
because we have no peace
with our Maker.
So we need the forgiveness
of our sins
and assurance
of a restored relationship
with God
more than we need
anything else
in the world.
And this,
the gospel offers us
before it offers us
anything else.
But contrast this now
with adoption.
Adoption is a family idea
conceived in terms of love,
and viewing God
as Father.
In adoption,
God takes us
into His family
and fellowship.
He establishes us
as His children
and heirs.
Closeness,
affection,
and generosity
are at the heart
of the relationship.
To be right with the God,
the judge,
is a great thing.
But to be loved
and cared for by God,
the Father,
is greater.
this is who we are
in Christ.
Accepted by God
and drawn into
a familial relationship
with Him.
And beloved,
this is based
in His work
before the foundation
of the world
that we might have faith
and believe
in the personal work
of Jesus Christ.
I hope that even
if that's a strange doctrine
to you,
that you could see
the beauty of it.
I hope to say,
I can rest in that.
That in the midst
of all of the best
that I am,
I am God's
in Christ.
That's our gospel identity.
That's what He's done
on our behalf.
And it should rightly
have some effect
in our lives.
If you are Christ's,
you don't have the option
from to be merely
your Savior
and not also
your Lord.
He said,
those who love me
keep my commandments.
It becomes the natural
response
of the heart
that's been turned
to God in Christ
to follow Him.
To be His disciples.
And far too long,
we've had presented
in America
a complacent Christianity
that says,
it's just okay
that you show up
and you consume.
We're just happy
you're here.
We're happy you're here
because we want you
to be engaged
in obedience
to Christ
in the world.
It's good for the world
and it's good for you.
How dare we not
press obedience
on the people of God?
How dare we not
show them
the great joy
that's found in Christ
and obedience
to Him?
We won't be doing
that here anymore.
You're either
going to get caught up
in the mission of God
because you're His
or you're going to get
really uncomfortable
around here.
What is
the effect
of our gospel
identity?
Last sentence
of our summary statement.
This gospel identity
is our great motivation
for worship.
Because of what God
has done for us
in Christ,
we worship Him.
I am not simply
referring to
congregational singing.
I appreciate it.
It's been said a few times
already this morning.
It's a poor nomenclature
that we call
singing in church
worship.
It is worship,
but it's not all
that worship is.
I think that some people
begin to think
that that's the extent
of it all.
It's a type of worship.
Musical worship.
But worship,
beloved,
is all that we do.
It extends into
every aspect
of our lives.
It is sharing
the gospel.
It is showing up
on Sunday morning
and singing songs.
It is listening
to sermons preached.
It is preaching sermons.
But it is also
washing dishes
and changing diapers
and vacuuming floors.
All of those things
in life
are done
to the honor
and glory
of God.
This is also
worshipped.
Your purpose
as a justified,
redeemed,
and adopted person
is to live
as a holy person
in all things
to the praise of God.
God.
I say to my sons,
those of you
who don't know me,
I have three sons now.
I have a six-year-old,
a four-year-old,
and an almost
four-month-old.
So to the older two,
I say,
boys,
my sons
obey their father.
Are you acting
like my sons
right now?
And they go,
well, you are my sons,
aren't you?
My sons
obey their father.
And when they're
punished,
when I discipline them,
I get a spanking
and they're sent
off to their room
to lay in their bed.
We reconcile afterward
and I always say,
you're my son
and I love you
and that's why
I want you to
obey.
Your father is good
and he cares about you.
He is concerned.
And let me tell you
that I fail
so often at this,
but God never fails
to give us good
and right
and proper commandment
for us
to live
and flourish
under his
rule.
You hear me say
to the kids
on Sunday mornings,
I love you,
which is why
I want to remind you
that God loves you,
which is why
he gave you
parents that love you,
which is why
you should
obey them.
We glorify God
when we act
in appropriate response
to who we are
in Christ.
We bring him
great honor.
Not that he needs it
bestowed upon him,
but we show him
for who he actually is
when we live
in accordance
with what he's
done for us
in Christ.
Note this
in our text.
Ephesians 1,
verse 6,
you'll see the phrase.
I did a big scribbly
circle around these
phrases.
To the praise
of his glorious grace.
Verse 12,
to the praise
of his glory.
Verse 14,
to the praise
of his glory.
There are two types
of magnification.
This is a classic
John Piper.
Type of magnification
that a microscope does
where it makes something
very, very tiny.
It looks bigger
than it is.
Many people think
of glory in that way.
Glorifying God
in that way.
This is not the case
at all.
The type of magnifying
we do
is making something
that's huge
and massive
and far off
and distant
look much more
like it actually is.
And in obedience
we do this.
We magnify God
in that way.
We show him
to be king
and ruler
in our hearts.
In Matthew 7,
verses 17 and 18,
Jesus says,
So,
every healthy tree
bears good fruit.
But the diseased tree
bears bad fruit.
Good trees bear good fruit.
Bad trees bear
bad fruit.
Verse 18,
A healthy tree
cannot bear bad fruit
nor can a diseased tree
bear good fruit.
We are changed
by God
from a bad tree
only producing evil
to a good tree.
This reality
is the doctrine
of regeneration.
This is the new birth.
We're not the same
anymore.
We're made new.
We're not changed
in degree.
We don't encounter Christ
and we're made
a little better.
We're changed
in kind.
Subliminally,
!
Subtly,
maybe not so much.
The church has a new logo.
The astute amongst you
have noticed this.
We had a bunch of trees
before.
It's a single tree now.
Mostly Facebook
and Instagram
that's forcing everything
into circles and squares
is causing this.
But,
when you see this logo,
I want you to think
good tree.
Who am I
in Christ?
In Christ,
I'm a good tree.
What do good trees do?
Good trees produce
good fruit.
On the front of your bulletin,
you'll see a
Spurgeon
quote.
I do this
because I want to
connect you to history.
I want to connect you
to the church
that existed before.
These are
blessed brothers.
We stand on their shoulders.
They have so much wisdom.
And Spurgeon says things
so much better than I do.
He wrote,
God works in man
a change so great
that no reformation
can even so much
as thoroughly imitate it.
So,
no change a man can do
can even imitate
the change that God
brings about in a man.
It is an entire change.
A change of the will
of the being
of the desires
of the hates
of the disliking
and of the likings.
In every respect,
the man becomes new
when divine grace
enters into his heart.
Our gospel identity
produces obedience,
but we do not become
perfectly obedient,
do we?
Oh, I wish we did.
We do not become
perfectly obedient.
And I think we can
muse about the why
of that at length.
I think one of the
primary reasons for it
is that we still have
our flesh
and we carry that around.
And I have to tell you
that for me,
I sympathize deeply
with lost people
because I see
the vileness
of my sin.
I step back
into my old self-functioning
and I remember
how miserable
I was before Christ.
My heart goes out
to people who don't
know him
because I still
need him.
There's a concept,
a biblical concept,
first systematized
by Augustine
called the fourfold
state of man.
I think we have a slide
for this.
It was later made popular
in a book entitled
Human Nature
in Its Fourfold State
by a man named
Thomas Boston.
He was a 17th century
Scottish pastor
and theologian.
So this is a biblical concept.
It's taught in the scriptures.
I'm going to show it
to you in Latin.
And not again,
I'm not doing this.
I don't quote people
and do this
because I want you
to think that I'm smart
because I'm not.
I steal everything
that I present to you.
There's nothing new
under the sun.
I'm just a mockingbird.
For me,
Latin helps me
remember things.
And that may not be
the case for you,
but getting phrases
in my mind in Latin
helps me remember things.
But in addition to that,
I want you to be comfortable
in some respect with Latin
because if you read
the guys you should be reading,
the old dead guys,
they do this a lot.
They just throw Latin phrases
into the mix of things.
And you need to know
that it's Latin
and you need to try
to start figuring out
what these things mean.
With no explanation,
they'll just use a Latin phrase
and keep on going.
So I want you to get
comfortable around Latin.
So you're going to see it
a bit more
in our meetings together.
But the fourfold state of man
is a biblical concept,
systematic theology here
being brought together.
The very first state
is the state of innocence.
This is the pre-fall state.
Only two people ever lived
in the pre-fall state,
the state of innocence,
Adam and Eve.
And in that state,
they had
passe non pecare,
et passe pecare.
Right?
The power
not to sin,
passe non pecare,
and
et the power to sin,
passe pecare.
They had both.
They could do either.
And we see that picture.
Genesis chapter 2
into the beginning
of Genesis chapter 3.
They commanded not to eat
of a tree.
And what did they do?
They eat of the tree.
They didn't have to eat of the tree.
They had the power
to do either.
Passe non pecare,
et passe pecare.
And they immediately,
and all that have followed them
at birth,
enter into
what's secondly called
the state of nature.
The state of nature.
The post-fall,
pre-conversion state.
If you are not in Christ
this morning,
if you know people
who are not in Christ,
this is where they function.
And in this state,
people only have
the power
to sin.
Passe pecare.
Even things that we would deem
as good activity
are not rightly motivated
by faith
through the glory of God
and therefore
they're sin.
Passe pecare.
Thirdly,
you have the state of grace.
The converted state.
If you're in Christ,
this is where we find ourselves.
Gospel identity
is what we're talking about.
So this is where we land
in the third state,
the state of grace.
And we once again
return to
the nature
of the state of innocence.
Passe non pecare
et passe pecare.
We have the power
not to sin.
Praise God
by the work of the Spirit.
We're made new.
We have the power
not to sin.
And
we have the power
to sin.
We still choose
to be disobedient.
And then fourthly,
and praise God
for the fourth,
the eternal state,
the glorified state,
when we will
only have power
not to sin.
Passe non pecare.
We long for that day.
Passe non pecare
is the truth.
So,
we find that living
as a holy person
for the praise of God
in the state of grace
takes effort.
Our salvation is monergistic.
It's a work of God.
God works.
We're saved.
Our sanctification,
the process of becoming
like Christ,
is a synergistic process.
We work
and God works.
Wonderful proof text for this
is Philippians 2,
12 and 13.
Paul writes,
Therefore, my beloved,
as you have always obeyed,
so now,
not only as in my presence,
but much more in my absence,
work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling.
Verse 13,
for
this is the reason
for the fear and trembling,
for
it is God who works in you
both to will
and to work
for His good pleasure.
So,
you work,
God
works.
And too often, beloved,
those who
hold dear
the sovereignty of God,
those who understand
our need
of grace
become complacent
and lazy
as if we're waiting
to be compelled
to obedience,
animated,
I should even say
to obedience.
I hear so much
from you.
This is what I want to do.
I really desire to do.
But then you don't do it.
If the desire is genuine,
you will go.
You will do the thing
that you said
you would do.
I think sometimes
you desire me to think
that you desire to do
the things you're supposed to do.
we will be obedient
and it takes effort
on our part.
It takes work
on our part.
Our sanctification,
biblically,
biblical sanctification
is progressive.
We've got a slide
for this one as well.
You've heard me say this before.
You can see it in picture now
because it's
going to astound you.
I know, right?
Yay for visuals.
You need to see, right?
Moving towards holiness, right?
Away from unrighteousness,
towards righteousness.
Looking more like Christ.
Across time,
we progress.
We still sin, right?
There's downward spikes
in this.
But we keep working
our way upward
by the grace of God
toward Christ's likeness.
longing one day
for glorification
where we will be
made perfect,
complete.
That process will be over.
Progressive sanctification.
And there are a lot
of erroneous views
on sanctification.
I don't have time
for it today,
but there are popular
erroneous views.
Methodism
is a dangerous one.
If you grew up
a Methodist,
you may not even think
this way.
You may think
the proper biblical way
about sanctification,
but many Methodists
have a skewed version.
Wesleyan sanctification
is not biblical sanctification.
Tezik sanctification
is another one
you need to watch out for.
And both of them
suggest that we have
spikes in our life
where we suddenly
become holy.
And then we live
that existence out.
I've never talked
to a Methodist,
for example,
that's ever said that
to me
and ever seemed
to believe that.
I've heard a tale
of some older Methodists
that have claimed
to be perfect
for decades.
They've reached
that point.
that point of perfection
and they've moved on
from there.
All the offense
to the Gospel
that that is.
Sanctification is
progressive
and it's synergistic.
And we're going
to begin talking
as a church
about four areas
of sanctification.
Four areas
of good fruit bearing
if you prefer.
Four areas
of Christian living.
and we're going
to talk about those
in the next four weeks.
I want it to be a thing
that you're talking
about together.
You can structure
all of your Christian
meetings around
these things
to be sure
that this activity
is happening
in one another's lives.
These things
are disciplines
of grace to us.
They're things
we must work at
and lean into.
They're places
that we experience Christ.
We're so motivated
and our joy
when we get to be
caught up
in His work
in the world.
They matter.
And there's different
ways to structure this
but we're going to
structure it
in the following way.
Number one,
conviction.
Those of you who are
members and got
the member health survey,
this has been subtly
getting interjected as well.
We asked you questions
based on these four
different areas
and we'll be talking
about some of the results
of that survey
in the coming weeks.
Conviction.
What do we believe
to be true
about God,
about ourselves,
about Christ?
How well do we know
the scripture
and how does that
turn us to prayer?
My suggestion is
that if we have
proper convictions
we will pray a lot
and we'll pray properly.
So conviction.
Second,
community.
We've been given
to a community.
We've been saved
certainly as individuals
but we've been saved
as a people.
Community is a grace
to us.
Young people,
college students,
freshmen up here
don't neglect this grace.
Too many college students
have gone asunder
as a result.
A thirdly,
character.
Who are we supposed
to be both in private
and in public
as a result?
What are the things
that characterize
the Christian?
And fourthly,
commission.
We cannot say
that we're disciples
of Jesus Christ
if we're not on
the mission of Christ,
the redemption
of His people
in the world.
And so we're going
to be pressing
at these things.
We're going to be
ramping up the expectations
on members
and just kind of
trying to draw
those of you
who aren't members
into what we're doing.
And we'll be talking
about these things
at length
in these four areas.
I really hope
in a year
you are just
sick and tired
of hearing about
the four C's
but that it's changed
the way you live
by grace.
What is happening
when we sin
is a failure
to remember
who we are?
Beloved,
it always goes
back to identity.
You have failed
to believe
in the moment
that you sin
the wondrous truth
of the Gospel.
You have forgotten
who you are.
My sons forget
that they're my sons
when they're disobedient.
The Gospel-centered Christian,
the person who's
recognizing
who they are in Christ,
is humble
before God.
I am failing you
if you leave this place
feeling good about yourself.
I don't want you
to feel good about yourself
but I want you
to feel good about Christ
and then who you are in Him.
Don't walk out of here
with your head hung low
but recognize
who you once were
and who you still tend to be
and praise God
for what He's done for you
in Christ.
The Gospel-centered Christian
is humble before God,
recognize that they
could do no good thing
to gain God's favor,
is motivated
by their Gospel identity
to obedience.
In their failures,
they repent quickly,
confess to the Lord
and get back into the race,
straining for what lies ahead.
The Gospel-centered Christian
boasts only in the cross
of Jesus Christ.
Paul says,
Galatians 6.14,
but far be it from me
to boast except in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ
by which the world
has been crucified to me
and I to the world.
Gospel-centered Christianity,
right?
Recognizing our identity
and working as a result
out of that.
And as so many Christian doctrines
are this way,
there's a tight rope
to walk on
and we try to get
right down the middle,
but there's always
two ways to fall off.
And I want to just expose you
to those two ways
and I want to ask you
to consider
if you fall into these,
which one you fall into.
You do at times.
I'm assured.
The first
is the self-loving Christian.
Self-loving Christians.
Self-loving Christians
find themselves justified
by their obedience.
Find themselves justified
by works.
They're self-righteous.
They're always good enough.
They view God
as loving them
just as they are.
They view God
as properly loving them
as if He's saying,
why wouldn't I love you?
You're doing so good.
These people always have
an outward trapping
of having it put together.
Never question
their own motivations
for why they do
the things that they do.
They believe that they deserve
God's grace,
which is an oxymoron.
The other side
of that tightrope
to fall off of
and just knowing our church
most of us
find ourselves here
is the self-hating Christian.
Self-hating Christian
knows that they will
never be justified
by their obedience.
So,
they try to be justified
by their penance.
They know they can't ever
do enough work.
They get that doctrine right.
But rather than placing
their identity in Christ
and His righteousness,
they seek to
beat themselves up
over their sin.
not true repentance,
but just penance.
Walking around
with a head hung low,
not remembering
that they've been
forgiven and adopted.
They stand before God
justified in Christ.
Self-hating Christians
are never good enough.
They view God
as unable
to love someone
as wretched
as them.
There's two ways
to fall off
rather than coming
back to the center
saying that we're
to be humble before Him.
No good
in and of myself.
Nothing I could do
to earn God's favor,
but praise be to God
that in Christ
He has loved me.
He has justified me.
He has forgiven me.
He has adopted me.
I am His.
This is His work.
And I fail
to live for Him
as I ought,
but praise the Lord,
my sins were wiped away
the cross of Calvary.
What a motivation
to act
and to move
and to want to honor Him
with the way that I live.
Confession
for the gospel-centered
Christian
goes quickly.
We repent,
we turn from sin,
and we move.
Oh, again.
Oh, this thing
that keeps coming up
in my heart.
This thing that doesn't belong
is not as it ought to be.
Lord, I confess,
this is an offense to You.
I know that,
and I hate it.
Help me to put it to death.
Help me to live righteously
for You,
and then we go.
We act.
We do.
We're obedient.
So it comes back
to how we walk,
what we understand,
by grace alone
through faith alone.
In the person and work
of Jesus Christ alone,
we are justified
before God.
Forgiven
and adopted by Him.
This gospel identity
is our great motivation
for worship,
and I look forward
to bringing out
the implications
of the way
that carries out
in our lives
over the next four weeks.
Let's pray together.