Let us take our copy of the scriptures and turn to Colossians chapter one. We'll read verses nine through 23 of Colossians one. Let us take heed to the word of the Lord. For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience, joyously giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For he delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things have been created by him and for him. and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church, and he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself might come to have first place in everything. for it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross, through him I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, Yet he has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach, if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard. which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. The word of the Lord. Let's pray together, shall we? Our Heavenly Father, we come to you as the redeemed of Jesus Christ. For he who knew no sin became sin on our behalf that we might become your righteousness in him. And so, Father, as those in union with Christ, the body of Christ, set apart unto you in him, we pray that your word, as it is expounded to us, that we may know something of what it is for Jesus Christ to proclaim his own name here in the midst of his congregation. We recall that on Mount Sinai, when Moses asked to see your glory, Father, you didn't show him your untrammeled brilliance and glory that would consume. But You, Father, showed the glory of Your name. And You proclaimed Your name, Yahweh, unto Him. In loving kindness, in grace, in love, in mercy. All of this we see in full in the face of Christ. And so, Father, we pray that as His sheep, we may hear His voice. And listening to Him, Father, You may give us grace to follow Him as we are. We pray that as we sit together under the ministry of Your infallible Word, as we fellowship together in Your presence, as we seek to encourage one another in the way, We pray that our Lord Jesus Christ may be more and more seen, manifestly to have the preeminence among his people and in our hearts. We pray, Father, that you would watch over your word to perform it, and that we would not go from this place, Father, having been untouched by your truth. But as you promised that your word is sharper than any two-edged sword, that would pierce through to the inner man, even dividing asunder soul and spirit and joints and marrow, and would discern the thoughts and intents of our hearts, and bring forth the rich fruit that apart from Christ we cannot bear. And so may your spirit in abundance work through your sacred scripture, we ask. In Jesus' blessed name, amen. With the title of the sermon this morning, The Kingdom of the Firstborn, Redeemer. We began reading with verse 9, and we shall return to 9 through 11. I assure you, if time permits. But this morning, I would like for us to pick up again with verse 12, where we left off last time. And as we covered quite a number of things there in that text, I would like for us to consider, first of all, in verse 12 itself, the gravity of grace and gratitude. You know, if you look at some forms of the Protestant confessions, especially the Three Forms of Unity, for example, and you look in the Heidelberg Catechism, it's organized after the ideas of guilt, grace, and gratitude. And certainly, I like that idea. But I also like to point out the fact that as we think of a text that would indeed talk about good works, that would talk about the fruit of God's word in us and through us, I'm frequently asked, in fact, more very recently of the connection between faith and work. So often people confuse salvation with works. And we all know that well-worn text in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 through 10, don't we? All of you can quote it, no doubt. For by our own efforts, we are saved through works. And that, all of ourselves, it is our gift to God. All of works, so that we can boast. If you turn it into that, you see, it is a travesty of grace. And in the text before, it talks about our total depravity in Ephesians 2-3. We're born dead in trespasses and sins, as all the rest are as well. Walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit not working, the sons of disobedience. You know the text well. You know what follows it. There's guilt, but you see what follows it was The grace. But God, who's rich in mercy because of the great love with which He loved us, even while you were dead, He made you alive, for by grace you're saved. And He's caused us to sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come, it might be to the glories of His grace, for by grace you're saved. Through faith. The instrumental means. And that, not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." You see, salvation, justification, is all of God's grace through faith. But we cannot leave off verse 10. For, it continues, we are God's worksmanship, created in, or we could even say recreated in Christ Jesus. for good works. And so you see, we must get the connection and the order correct, mustn't we? It's not to say that God has saved us to continue in our sin. It's not to say that God's justified us that there might be no sanctification. It's not that God has called us to himself and saved us in order that we might, as a text that we have open before us, would put it in these terms, that we could remain in the kingdom of darkness or dominion of darkness. But it said there in verse 13, remember, that He rescued, delivered us from the dominion of darkness. The word there, dominion, is the word exousia, authority of darkness. And brought us into, the best translation of the next part, the kingdom of the Son of His love, or the kingdom of His beloved Son. And so this text, in fact this book, or epistle of Colossians, will flesh that out more for us. And so this morning, why do we do that which is glorifying to God out of gratitude for that grace? Because he took us who were helpless, he took us who were dead, he took us who were in bondage to sin, and he's the one who rescued us. And so beginning with verse 12, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of this saints in light. He qualified us, qualified by the Father. In other words, it was His sovereign grace that rescued sinners. By the way, you know, you look in Romans 5, for example, it uses a little different terminology. It says there in Romans chapter 5 that while we were enemies, Christ died for us. So it's not that we were neutral in any way, but it was that we were, like it says in Romans chapter one, we suppress the truth and unrighteousness. It's not we're a blank page or we were indifferent. You see, we are by nature children of wrath apart from the saving work of God. And so the Father is the one who by his grace qualified us to be acceptable before him. You read over and Well, various passages, I don't know why I'm quoting Romans so much, it's just coming to me. But in Romans chapter 3, it's fascinating why God organized salvation to be done this way, where you have the law that demands absolute perfection and a fall that makes that impossible for us to do. And here we are in bondage to sin, and it talks about in us dwells no good thing. And so when we see that there's none righteous, no, not one, Christ is the one who redeemed us and reconciled us and is our propitiation and justifies us and all of these things. And it says why? It says that God might be both just. That means a judge who is holy, who gives justice. Stop for a moment. What do hostile enemies and sinners deserve under justice, according to the law, the full power and fiery torment of hell. And so that God might be both just and justifier. He did it this way, that here's the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form, who's not just the one who's holy, righteous, and good, but the one who met all the righteous requirements in our place as our representative, but also is the one who bore the brunt and the burden of all the death, the curse, the guilt, and everything else that justice would mete out against sinners in our place. substitutionary atonement and there in Colossians 2 14 when we get to that part it says he took that certificate of debt of ordinances and commands that were against us that we broke we've not kept in heart and in word and indeed at any time in our life he nailed that certificate of debt to the cross and says paid in full so when you read here beloved The Father qualified us. Think of all of that and more. He's both just and justifier. He qualified us, furthermore, to inherit You think of Christ and the gospel and everything that's involved. You know, what does it say in John 1, 12, and 13? This is Pop Quoites Day. You all know it. It says, you know, talking about John the Baptist preaching the gospel, he came preaching the kingdom. And it says, as many about Jesus Christ. And it says, as many as received him, to them he gave, now listen, the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God. So born by His Spirit in Christ, we are the ones who are heirs, and as Romans 8 would say, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. He qualified us in Christ and the Gospel. We're set apart by the Spirit. Remember what regeneration does, this idea of being born of the Spirit. Remember in John 3, Nicodemus and Jesus having this confrontation. You know, Nicodemus, we know you're a good man. And Jesus cuts him short. He says, enough of the fluff, you know. Unless you're born unorthon. again or from above, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." There he is, aghast. How can me, being an old man, enter again into my mother's womb? Jesus says, that which is flesh is flesh, and that which is spirit is spirit. I say unto you, unless a man is born anothen, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven. Poor Nicodemus, he was confused. By the way, in his shoes, we would have been too. But then in verse 8, Jesus finishes it up. He says, the wind blows where it will. You don't know where it's coming from or where it's going. So it is of everyone who was born of the Spirit. You know, in the New Testament it talks about regeneration by the Holy Spirit. One way is that we're born anew from above. Anothen means from above. The other one I've even mentioned already in Ephesians 2 and Colossians 3 will have similar wording and things, where the Holy Spirit, it says we were dead in our trespasses and sins. That God the Holy Spirit calls us forth from spiritual death into life. eternal life in Jesus Christ. It's also called a new creation. We're part of that old fallen creation in Adam, but in Jesus Christ the new Adam we're made alive and inherit eternal life. And by the way, were set apart unto him. In verse 12, did you get this again? It says, partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. That word saints there is the idea literally meaning those set apart unto God. In light, you go into 2 Corinthians 4, what does it say about us? Our minds are blinded. by the God of this world. What does it say? That we're in darkness in 1 John. You go through scripture, it has that light and darkness a lot. And the idea of light is a God, like in 1 John 1, it's God's holiness. But it's also God's truth. Blind to it, God by His Spirit takes off the scales and gives us eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to receive. He circumcises the heart. You know, Romans 2 talks about circumcision is not of the flesh. It's of the heart by the Spirit and identifies us, sets us apart as His faith enabled and the light the gospel has, in that regeneration and faith and everything else, we've been brought by the effectual call of God through the gospel into union with Christ. He has qualified us in Christ. Furthermore, as we look at this, remember what this is all starting out with in verse 12, giving thanks. Remember I said gratitude is for grace. Get the gravity of what I've just covered, and that's why I covered a little bit of the detail there, even though I know most of you know all of that and could rehearse it yourself. But get the gravity of that, of the hopelessness and the helplessness of anyone outside of Jesus Christ. God, through his gospel and spirit in Jesus Christ, reaches in and takes hold of the dead and raises them up to life, causes us to be born anew, causes us to be a new creation. All of those things you see. In the Holy Trinity alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, decree in eternity has come brought into time. And so, it starts where? In this text, it talks about Jesus Christ. It describes him in his work of creation. Have you thought of that? He's the firstborn, and we'll deal with that in a moment, of creation. That doesn't mean he was created. The firstborn of creation. By the way, that word, I'll come to that, but it means more often than not, the one who is the heir, almost always the heir, but it's also the idea of origin, source of all things, the archaic as well. And so the Holy Trinity is the one in eternity who brings us this creation and time in our lifespan through conversion all that was declared in eternity past is brought into our life and the experience and he carries us through into the future into eternity all because he took hold of us in Christ. And so the incarnation of Christ in every part of that He did, we are sharers in the benefits of redemption. All of it is a gift. Notice verse 13, He delivered us. Real simple, right? What's the subject of that little sentence? He, God. Delivered, the word there is actually a powerful term that means to rescue. Rescued, what's a direct object? Us. Notice who's the one being acted upon and who's the one that deserves all the credit. God deserves the credit. Now he delivered us, why? As I've already brought up, it is the idea because of our sinfulness. It's, that's my second point really, divine rescue in verses 13 and 14. It's slavery to darkness. Don't misunderstand that, that we're enslaved to darkness. We talked about, as I mentioned, dead and trespasses and sins. It says in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, it says we were all at one time. It says those who are outside of Christ, it says their gospel is veiled to them, they cannot see. And it goes on to talk about in 1 Corinthians 2.14, it says that the things of God, the things of the spirit are foolishness to those who are in the natural state. It's silly, it's preposterous, it's something to be rejected. But God is the one who works through that word to deliver. Remember the Exodus? They were slaves. Israel was enslaved to Egypt. They had the will of their bond, the slave master that they did. They were to please the slave master to avoid being beaten. And everything else that was involved in it, they didn't eat if they didn't produce. And remember the whole thing, you're gonna make it tough for us, the Egyptians say, no straw, but you still have to meet your quota of bricks, et cetera, under a slave master. Turn with me to Romans six real quickly. This talks about our salvation, really, it talks about what we're saved from, and baptism is a picture and symbolizes and demonstrates all of that. Let me just pick up with chapter 6, it says that we're in union with Christ, right? Through faith alone, by the Spirit, and it says there in verse 4, We were buried with him through baptism into death that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Now look at verse six. Okay, so that's what it represents. Everything I was describing in regeneration and in faith and justification and union with Christ and justification, everything else that's described in salvation. But look at verse six, what we're being saved from. Chapter six, verse six of Romans. It says here very clearly, it says that knowing that we're crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Slaves to sin. Look at verse 9, it says that we're under the dominion of death. Or you keep reading here, and you look at the other verses. Look, for example, at verse 15. What then, shall we sin, because we're not under law, but under grace? Certainly not. Why? Back up to 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under law, but under grace. And so as you look at these, and it's all through the passage by the way, notice it's using the words that have to do with authority, words that have to do with power over us, that last word was a word that we get our word Lord from, lordship over us. And so all of these things in Jesus Christ, we've been delivered from that enslavement, delivered from the slavery to darkness, the rule of Christ in light. That's why the kingdom, these saints in light and the kingdom of the beloved Son were bought with an everlasting cost, the blood of Christ. And the guilt and condemnation, as I said, are paid in full. And it says we have the forgiveness in verse 14, the forgiveness of sins. Let me look at verse 14 for a moment. It says, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Remember the Exodus that we were talking about? That's where the word redemption really shows it as a type and a shadow. It shows its greatest illustration. And here in Jesus Christ is a fulfillment of that redemption. As we'll see in this text as we move on, you'll find redemption, though, is of something much bigger than even our salvation from sin on a personal level, from guilt or condemnation on a personal level. The redemption that Jesus wrought was for all of his elect, all his redeemed of all time, But even that is not to plumb the fullness of what he talks about. Here in verse 20, I know I'm skipping, but just to show you what it's describing, it says, and by him to reconcile all things to himself, by him whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross. It'll talk about Christ as creator. He's also the one who is the agent of recreation. And so when we think of recreation that's fallen under the bondage of sin, it says in Romans 8 that the creation groans, waiting for that day of redemption. We look at 2 Peter 3, for example, when Jesus comes. There is a present heavens and earth that are reserved for fire, are consumed with fire, but there's a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. And so you see as Ephesians 1 would say that God would summarize all things in one in Jesus Christ. Redemption setting everything free from the corruption of the curse and the darkness of sin and the dominion of death. And here we see that all of creation in heaven and earth both are reconciled. And that everything that is dealing with justice and grace is brought to its ultimate conclusion in Jesus Christ. And so, beloved, this is what we owe a debt of gratitude for, that we are delivered from it. I was reading something by J.I. Packer in his book, one I think all of you know, or many of you know anyway, Knowing God. And if I may read a little bit from this, it says, It says of God, He owes mercy to none. It is entirely of His grace. Not at all through our own effort that we ourselves have found life. He blesses those in whom He sets His love in a way that humbles us, so that all the glory may go to Him alone. Still He hates the sins of His people. And listen, he uses all kinds of inward and outward pains and griefs to wean our hearts from compromise and disobedience. Still he seeks the fellowship of his people and sends them both sorrows and joys in order to detach our love from other things and to attach it to him instead. Still he teaches the believer to value His promised gifts by making Him wait for them and compelling us to pray persistently for them before He bestows them. And so He deals with us still. His aims and principles of action remain consistent. He does not change at any time. or act out of character. Man's ways we know are pathetically inconsistent, but not God. He works according to his being holy, righteous and good, and also gracious and long-suffering. The Lord we serve. Do you, do I, have a gratitude that's worthy of him." Well, hasten with me, if you would, to verses 15 and 16. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for by him all things were created that are in heaven, that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through him, for Him. He is before all things. In Him all things consist, are whole together. He is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Two times it uses firstborn in the text, doesn't it? He is the firstborn of creation, and He is the firstborn from the dead. Firstborn of creation in that He is the heir. The firstborn heir. And we inherit in Him. But I want you and I to see more clearly here who we're talking about when we're talking about Jesus Christ. He's the firstborn of, in other words, possessive, the creation's firstborn, the heir, in other words, that owns it. But look at the description of him in verse 16. It talks about he is, or 15, he's the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Okay, the image of the invisible God. If we were to look at various texts that talk about he's the image of God, you'd look at the, let's turn to 2 Corinthians 4. In 2 Corinthians 4, verse 4, most of you already alluded to it, and many of you know it by heart. If not, I'll keep quoting it till you do. 4.4, it says, It says that three of our gospels veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing and whose minds the God of his age is blinded and do not believe. Lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. So the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, Hebrews chapter one, verse three, says that Jesus Christ is the express image of God. The fullness of his glory and his being, his nature, his essence, in other words. And so the one who is the image of God, in other words, the one who is the visible representation of the invisible God. Now, before you get the wrong idea, he did not have a start and he has no end. Remember Jesus in John chapter 17 verse 5 in the high priestly prayer. He says, glorify me, Father, with the glory I had with you before the foundation of the world. As it says here, let me read on in verse 6. It talks about, still in 2 Corinthians 4, it talks about this glory of God, that He is the image of God, but read on with verse 6, for it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. We have the knowledge of the glory of God in the face, in the image, in the bold presentation of Jesus Christ. In John chapter 1, you all know the text. It says, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God. The word there, as I shared last time, is face to face or eye to eye with God, co-equality, and the word was God. And it goes on to say, nothing that was created or exists was created apart from him. But then we think of the glory of God and that transcendent, refulgent glory that consumes as a consuming fire. And you look at verse 14 of the same chapter, John 1. It says, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, the Shekinah glory, a Shekinah glory that was in the Holy of Holies. There He is, fullness embodied. But you go on to the 18th verse, same chapter. They're talking about no one has seen God at any time, but the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has proclaimed Him or explained Him, exegeted Him, quite literally. He is the One who reveals the Father. That's what Hebrews 1 especially is driving home. And so when we think of the One who is the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, this one God, eternally existent in three persons. We think of what Jesus said to Philip. You remember what Philip said? You all know 14.6, right? Jesus said, I am the way, right? You know the rest of it. The truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. But then he goes on to say, You know, Philip says, you know, show us the father and it'll be sufficient for us. So he's not getting it. And so in verses nine and 10, Jesus says this, have I been with you so long yet? You have not known me, Philip. He who has seen me has seen the father. So how can you say, show us the father? Verse 10. Do you not believe that I am in? By the way, the wording here in English, it doesn't pop off the page. It's there in English letters, but it's not just a me, you know, the verb. You can have the subject included in the verb a me, I am. But it says, ego a me, the form that's used for the I am that spoke out of the burning bush. He says, In verse 10, I am in the Father and the Father is in me. The words I speak to you do not speak of my own, but the Father who dwells in me does the works. And so in his incarnation here you see the co-union and communion. You find the Spirit, the same thing happens with the Spirit. And so as we go into the Trinity and thinking of that, we call it perichoresis. Or in other words, the mutual indwelling of the three persons of the Godhead and the one essence that is God. This is the one of whom we speak when we're speaking of Jesus Christ. He is as Colossians 2.9, as we return to Colossians, says, He is the fullness of the Godhead. in bodily form. So as we think of him, notice he is creator in this text before us in Colossians 1. It says in verse 16, for in him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible, invisible, whether thrones or dominions, principalities or powers, all things were created through him, now listen to this, and for him. Now wrap your heads around this, or at least tuck it away and study it later this afternoon more. But remember, this is the one who came and became incarnate, who was laid in a manger, in a calstal. This is the one who was rich beyond measure, who for our sakes became poor. This is the one who, as Philippians 2 would say, existed in form as God, and thought it not something to be clinging to, but added to himself the form of a servant too, so that he was fully God and fully man. Why? For the suffering of death, for whom? You and me. And in all these things it describes, this Creator, Lord incarnate, Redeemer, we owe Him a debt of gratitude we can never repay. But our lives are to reflect that we desire to glorify Him. If I may show you something more about this image thing quickly. You're in Colossians with me. Just look over, crossing the other page of my Bible, Colossians 3.10. So Jesus the Christ is the image of the invisible God. It goes on to describe things a little more thoroughly there. And it says, hearing as we think of what's taking place. And it says, let me start with nine. Do not lie to one another since you put off the old man with his deeds. It's talking about all of this in that text. We'll get to it. in union with Christ, but now verse 10, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. Remember, God created mankind in his own image. We don't have time to explore that. We have just a few minutes left. But he created us, male and female, in the image of God. He didn't make us gods. We reflected the righteousness, and the knowledge, and the holiness, and the dominion over creatures, and having a self-awareness, and having the ability to communicate and commune with God, and all of these things. And so as God created us that way in the fall, that was damaged, not erased, but damaged terribly and distorted. I've used the illustration before of a carnival mirror. You know, carnival mirrors, you know, the ones that makes you look real tall and skinny or makes you look real short and fat or makes you look like a waffle iron or something like that. Distortion. It's not a true representation of God. Christ is the fullest expression in human form, too, of God. Why? That we might be rescued from, and this is what redemption's about, too. to remold us in righteousness and holiness in the inside out. And here it talks about in 3.10 that the new man, that is the regenerated, the justified, the one that's in Christ Jesus is being conformed to another image. Let me go back to 2 Corinthians, this time chapter 3. It talks about the new covenant and how all of us is brought to completion or fulfillment in the new covenant and everything that goes on. And it says it's not just by the letter, but by the spirit that this takes place. And then in verses 17 and 18, I fast forward there, it says, now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Remember, redemption is setting us free from the bondage, the authority of darkness and the dominion of death and sin, et cetera. Verse 18, but we all with unveiled faces, it relates it to like Moses on Sinai, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. In other words, the one who is the fullness of the image of God, that we are the ones who are being conformed to his image, and holiness and righteousness. changing the heart, the affections of the heart, and the thoughts, and the reasoning of the mind, and our words, and our actions, and everything conformed to Him. One last comparison, and I'll let you go. In Romans chapter 3, verse 29, it brings together these ideas of conformity to the image of Christ and inheritance. You see in Romans 8 it also says that you and I are groaning within ourselves waiting for that new creation in its fullest expression. So in 8.29 of Romans, 8.29, Remember in 28, all things work together for good, for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose. What's his purpose? Next verse. Verse 29, for whom he foreknew, he also predestined, this is how we end up, how we're ultimately to be, to be conformed to the image of his son. that he might be the firstborn, there's our word, among many brethren. We, beloved, are being conformed, every believer here, by the Spirit through this word, even now, are being conformed more and more and more to the image of Christ. The restoration set free and now the restoration project. unto His glory, by His power, for His name's sake. But who is doing this again? We think of here the fullness of God, who humbled Himself to take on the form of a servant that He might redeem us. that He might reconcile us, that He might conform us to His image. God, as we come to know Him and His Son, changes us and transforms us into the image of Christ. So why, and I didn't get to verses 9 and following it, I wanted to return to, But take all of this and re-read them. Why should we want to grow in the knowledge of Christ? Why should we want to be fruitful under every good work? Why should we want to conform our will unto His? Why should we want to please Him in everything? It's not because we earn anything. It's not because we cause salvation. Nothing can be further from the truth. But it's because we have been saved, every believer has been. And it's because that He that works in us doesn't stop, but He continues until the job is completed in ultimately glorification at the resurrection. But in this life, He's busy transforming us. If I may read just one more thing by Packer. He says about the presence of God and working these things in us, there are no bounds to his presence with us. There are no limits to his knowledge of us. Just as I am never left alone, so I never go unnoticed. Scripture says, O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know my down, sitting down, and my uprising, my actions and movements, that is. You understand my thought from afar off, and you are acquainted with all my ways. That means all my habits, my plans, my aims, and my desires, all of my life. And there's not a word on my tongue, but lo, O Lord, you know it altogether. I can hide my heart and my past and my future plans from men, but I cannot hide anything from God. I can talk in a way that deceives my fellow creatures as to what I really am, but nothing I say or do can deceive God. He sees through all my reserve and pretense. He knows me as I really am, better indeed than I know myself. And so you see, beloved, living becomes an awesome business when you realize that you spend every moment of your life in the sight of and company of an omniscient, omnipresent Redeemer, Lord, who is our Creator. And so the first step in apprehending the greatness of God is to realize how unlimited is His wisdom, how unlimited is His presence, how unlimited is His power, and the greatness of His grace. Why should we bow to His will out of gratitude? for his great grace. May God give us the grace for it. Amen. Let's pray together. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. As Isaiah saw your glory, O Lord, He was completely, as he declared, by the guidance of the Spirit of you, O God, he said, I am undone. For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips. But you, O God, touched his lips and said, your iniquity is forgiven. O righteous Father, that you would save one person in all of humanity would declare your praise and glory. But you are saving From the beginning to the return of Christ, from Adam to when you come riding on the clouds, you're saving people on this earth every day. And we here declare your praise with true hearts of thankfulness and gratitude that you would save sinners of the likes of us. That we who have been dead in trespasses and sins, that we can look at Romans 8 and say, because of your grace, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. not by works of our own, but by faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, nailing our certificate of death to the cross. We praise you and thank you. But if there be anyone here, we ask, O Lord, that this is the day that the Spirit of you, O God, not knowing where the wind comes from or where it is blowing. It blows across the soul of the one who has not known you, but you call them back to life today. Raising them from the dead, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen. I receive the benediction of the Lord. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.