Let us not grow weary in the work of love Send the light, oh send the light Let us gather fuels for a crown above Send the light, oh send the light Send the light, the blessed gospel light Let it shine from shore to shore Singing life, the blessing gospel light, let it shine forevermore. Amen. Praise the Lord. That'll lift you up. Praise God. Praise the Lord for each of you. Well, it's good to have everyone here. It truly is a small world. Never thought I'd walk in today and there'd be people from Clarksville here. Praise the Lord for that. Glad to see you all. It's been a long time. I may remember y'all. It's just been a while since we've been here, now eight years. Ephesians chapter one, verse one. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted into beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in christ and whom you also trusted after that you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation and also after that you believe you were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance and to the redemption of the purchased possession and to the praise of his glory alright so come back with me Brother Gene left us off. It's in the first chapter of the book of Ephesians, Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus. Now last week the lesson was true joy, an eternal gift. True joy we saw as an eternal gift. So we saw, and let's turn there for a minute, John chapter 15. Let's take a little look at what we looked at last week. John Chapter 15. Alright, John Chapter 15. And we're going to look this morning just for a moment, just to bring us up to date, if you will, in our study. Maybe create a little bit of a baseline for our thoughts of today. True joy is an eternal gift. Now in John Chapter 15 and verse 11, and in my Bible these letters are read, so I pay special attention to them because they are the words of God the Son. These things have I spoken unto you, the Lord says in verse 11, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. When we read that, we realize that he's saying the reason that I have spoken unto you these things, in other words, his word, the reason he's spoken his word unto us, the purpose of Jesus' words are what? or that my joy might remain in you." His joy. His joy. His joy is an eternal joy. Even though in the garden he sweated as if it were drops of blood, because he was anticipating what was coming to the physical body that he was in. Though he was God, he was a man and he was all man. Yet Isaiah says it, for the joy pleased God to bruise him. And it was for the joy, the Bible tells us, that was set before Him that He endured the cross. See, He knew what was going to happen and He came anyway, didn't He? The purpose of His words is that His joy might remain in us. We looked at that word remain there, minyo, and it literally means to stay put in a given place. Sometimes we have a hard time separating our happiness experiencing things that please us in this flesh and in everyday life with our joy. But we looked at the fact that happiness is different than this joy that God gives. This joy that God gives, this joy remains, or mino, it stays in the given place where God has put it. In other words, no matter what your circumstances are that you're going through that affect the way you feel inside, or your happiness, as we call it. In Romans 8, Paul tells us there's nothing that can touch the love of God that has sent this joy into your heart. You see that? And this joy, in Nehemiah chapter 8, in verse 10, the joy of the Lord is your strength. So when we go through these circumstances that affect our happiness, We all do it. We all have problems that we feel like we just can't seem to solve. We don't know what to do about it. It causes us to worry. We're not supposed to worry. Why? Because we're standing on the rock of our salvation. Because we're in Him. We're depending on Him. But this old flesh causes us to worry, doesn't it? It'll cause us to get depressed sometimes. And that affects our happiness. But I want you to see, as we saw last week, that your joy is something that is settled. It's settled. It's something that God has put within you as He saves your soul. He put in you the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit of God. You became a living creature where before you were dead spiritually or separated from God. inherited from the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. But this joy, you see, this joy, even in weakness, it's strong, it's settled, it's not going to leave, no matter what our circumstances are. Happiness is an emotion. Joy is a certainty in our heart of knowing who God is. How do we know Him? Because He has revealed Himself to us, you see. It's a saving knowledge. This is a knowledge with power from God. God is in control. Our spiritual and eternal life solely depends on what He has already accomplished for us. A lot of people worry that they're going to lose this position that they've been put in by God. And this is a position in Christ, right? Absolutely. Let me tell you, we don't have that fear. We don't have that fear because our confidence is not in our performance in our everyday life. It matters. We care. We want to be like Him. We know from the confidence of this life that dwells within us, the Holy Spirit witnesses with our spirit, right, that we're His and that we're in Jesus Christ. As we go through these weaknesses because of our confidence in Him, because of the foundation of the truth that's been revealed to us in our heart that we stand on and rely on, because of that, that's when we're strong. In our weakness, we're strong because we're in Christ Jesus. Our dependence for eternal life is on Him and what He has done, not 99.99%, but 100%. on what he has done. So, true joy is an eternal gift. Now, what about true love? True love is an eternal gift. We have it for each other, and we don't even understand that sometimes. But you see, the love that comes from God, it's an agape love. It's an eternal, unshakable love. Our natural love is shakable, isn't it? It is. Circumstances can change the way we feel about each other. humanly speaking, but the love that comes from the joy that's in us for each other, that's not shakable. It's not. It's an eternal gift. Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1 in verse 3. And this begins an explanation, and Brother Gene read it, of the redemption by Christ. These 14 verses Verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Now we can't get a grip on that because these little finite minds don't comprehend what's going on with God for us. But He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Where? In Christ. We always need to remember that we are in Christ. When God sees you now, you know, the Bible says that He has put your sin as far as east is from the west. Get to my direction right here. They never come back then, do they? No. No. And it's dependent on what Jesus Christ did on the cross in Christ. Now, verse 4. Let's go on into this explanation of this redemption by Christ. And it comes from true love and eternal gift. And this love is from God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Verse 4. According as. According as. In other words, this is how it happened. He's blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in His Son, Jesus Christ. according as He has chosen us in Him, in Jesus Christ, from the foundation of the world. Wow. I didn't choose Him. No, I did not. Not only did I not choose Him, I didn't have the ability, I didn't have the connection, I didn't have the strength I didn't have the power, I didn't have the authority, but God holds that authority, see. He chose me. Now, to me sometimes it seems ridiculous because I know who I am. Why won't He choose me? But if we dwell much on that we'll see because of my weakness, see. To show that it's Him. It's Him that brings the message. It's Him that saves the soul. It's Him that loved us before we ever did anything good or bad. And He chose us to be in His Son, Jesus Christ, all to His glory. According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. in love. This love that he has for us, again the Bible calls it an agape love, it's just a different love, it's a special love that we can't really connect with. We can't really understand even how Abraham would take a knife and slay the gift that God had given him that he had waited for until his old age, his son. So how in the world can we conceive how God will give his only begotten son for sinful wretches such as we are. L-O-V-E. Because he loved you anyway. He's always known you. He's always loved you. He's had a perfect time in your life to reveal himself to you. He didn't start loving you then. He's always protected you. He's always had a hedge around you. Why? Because he had a purpose for your life. He has a purpose for your life here today. God the Father has chosen us in Jesus, His Son. Now, let's take a look at a word. According as He hath chosen us in, in Him. Well, the word in means in, right? It does. And it's funny, it's actually spelled en in the Greek. Well, you know, transliteration for us to see it. But it's a primary supposition, this word in. And it denotes a fixed position in place, state, or time. A fixed position in a place, in a state, in a time. I want us to see that before the foundation of the world, you have been placed in a particular place. You have been placed there in a particular state. You're redeemed. You have a new nature now. You're a new person. All things are new. Old things have passed away, but all things are new. You've been placed there by God, your Creator. Do you see the confidence that that builds in the child of God? See, it takes it all off of me, doesn't it? The confidence that I have is not in me at all. None. It's all in Him. He has placed me in this position, in this place. And this place is in His Son. See, when He looks upon me, I started to say that a while ago, when He looks on you, He doesn't see the sinner that you are. He doesn't, because you're in Christ. It's just like the taking of the firstborn in the land of Egypt. The blood was seen. over the doorpost or in front of the dwelling place of God's people. That's what God sees. He sees us covered in the blood of Jesus Christ because He put us there, see? He placed us there. What kind of love is that? It's an incredible love, isn't it? And it's eternal, see? What God does, He does eternally. When He breathed the breath of life into Adam, Adam became a living soul. That means he's always going to be somewhere. He's somewhere today. He's with the Lord today and evermore will be. According as he has chosen us in him, verse 4, in Ephesians chapter 1, before the foundation of the world. You know, that's important. Not only did he choose us to save us, but he predestined us in Christ Jesus. And He also slew His Son for our sake before the foundation of the world. He's the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. The Bible tells us that. You see, it was always in God's plan. Could God have done things differently? Of course, if He wanted to. He could have kept Satan out of the Garden of Eden. So why did He do all this? And I can sum it up in a very short phrase, for the praise of His Son Jesus Christ, that His glory would be seen and known and lived. Turn with me now over to the fifth chapter of the book of Ephesians. Still in the book of Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 5. Now, in Ephesians chapter 5, we know we have the instructions for marriage. Paul is talking to the church at Ephesus there. He has been teaching them to walk as children of light. I'll just read this part, why not? Verse 22, Ephesians 5, 22 says, Wife, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, So let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Whoa, wait a minute. We just talked about this incredible love that he has for us. We really ought to love our wives, ain't we? That's an incredible love, an eternal, unshakable love that he has for us. And he gave himself for it. Why? Verse 26, that He might sanctify and cleanse it. See, that's what He's done. He sanctified us. He sanctified us from the world we live in. Set us apart. He set us apart from the person we used to be. We're a new person now. He sanctified us. All in His plan, see. All driven by the love that He has for us. That He might, verse 26, sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the Word. Praise God. He is the Word, isn't He? This book is alive now. It was just black words on white pages before, wasn't it? Now it's alive to me. Why? Because this life that I have, that He's given me, this Spirit that dwells within me desires it and needs it. It's nourishment. It strengthens me. It encourages me. It teaches me. It leads me. It corrects me. It clenches us, see. It clenches us in our walk. I'm always reminded how the Lord washed the disciples' feet. And that was a common practice in that day. Why? Because they walked dirt street with sandals on. And it really applies to our walk, our daily walk in this life. Not just one step in front of the other. But what we base our thoughts on. what we base our desires on, what we base the direction that we take every day. From the time we get up, what are we thinking about? What encourages, what do we desire? What do we want for others in that day? As we walk every day in this life, seeing like the dust on the street collects up on us, doesn't it? It really does. It does every day. We're in a falling world. But we're able to wash that sin off. Now it has no dominion over us. It doesn't have power over us. But you see, it's cleansed. Talking about the church now, that's us. The bride of Christ. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved his bride and gave himself for it. Came down from heaven from his position on high to the point of a servant and washed the disciples' feet, all driven by His love for us, that He might sanctify us and cleanse us with the washing of the water by the Word. How is this Word applied to our minds and hearts? Well, I read it a lot way before God ever saved me, but it never was applied to my heart. You see, God does that application, doesn't he? God applies it. That's how and why we can depend on him. He's the faithful servant. He did his father's will, and he gave himself for us that he might set us apart and cleanse us with the washing of the water by the word wine that he might present it to himself a glorious church." Now notice this, a glorious church, not having a spot, not having a wrinkle, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. You see, that's something that God accomplished in you. that God would see you without spot and without blemish. Because without God, we're covered with spots and blemishes, aren't we? That's sin. But Jesus is the Lamb of God with no spot and no blemish. I believe when God covered Adam and Eve's nakedness with the coats of skins, I believe that that came from a lamb without spot and without blemish. a perfect lamb. Why? Because God chose it to represent His Son. None of the blood from the bulls and goats and lambs all through the Old Testament, none of them paid for one sin, but they represented the perfect Lamb of God whose blood did pay for my sin and for your sin. You see, He loves us to this point that He would give His life for us and please God on your behalf. What a wonderful Savior. All power in heaven and earth has been given to Him, not only to save you, but to work out His plan for you in this life that's eternal. This is short, this life we're in now, it's short. The older I get, the more I realize that's the case. It's getting shorter and shorter, isn't it? Oh, but I'm an eternal creature in God. has bought a position for me in Jesus Christ, and He's gonna prepare a place for me to dwell with Him through all of eternity. I said that when we come together and look into His Word and seek Him, it's a little taste of what's to come. It's a little taste of heaven. God is so great, I think we're gonna spend forever learning about Him and how vast His love for us really is. and how far He will go to take care of us. We're His, we're in His hand. Now turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 18. I love this chapter. For as much as you know that you were not redeemed, that's what we've been reading about this morning, redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by the tradition from your fathers, No, but you were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. Jesus is the anointed one of God to perform this, to please God on your behalf, you see. That's what Christ means. He's the anointed one of God. You have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Why? Because He knew no sin. The only body ever that knew no sin. The only blood ever qualified to please God. for you. But with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. No sin, see? No sin. Spotless. Let's see if we can find 1 John chapter 3. 1 John chapter 3 verse 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. That's the goal this morning of the message. For you to behold. Stop. Look. Think. Notice. Realize. Come to grips with the fact. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons and daughters of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not. Why? Because the world knew him not. Verse 2, Beloved now are we the sons of God. Now. That's an important word, isn't it? Now that God has sent His Son to live a perfect life that we, none of us, could do. Now that God was pleased to bruise Him for us. Now that He's hung on the cross with our sins. He had none of His own, but God turned away from Him. because of us, because of our sin. Now that he was buried, and according to the Scriptures, rose again the third day, fully accomplishing what God had sent him to do. That angel came down. His holiness was so bright. that probably the best soldiers, the most fierce soldiers they could conjure up to watch that stone, that if it didn't get rolled away, fell down as dead men. You see, they represented God the Father who released His Son. Why? Because He had paid the complete price. Not part of it. And we have to finish the rest. No. He completely satisfied God. Now, beloved, now, 1 John 3, 2, Are we the sons of God? And it does not yet appear what we shall be. We know we're going to have a new body. What about that new body? Well, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him. He's pure and holy. No spot, no blemish. He's going to glow from the holiness. If the angels glowed, the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration glowed. Even Moses, when he came down from the Mount Sinai, being in the presence of the hundred parts of God, glowed. We're going to glow, brothers and sisters, because we're going to have no spot, no blemish in the eyes of God. But we're going to be pure. Oh, beloved, now are we the sons of God. And it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know there's that confidence. We know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him. as he is. You see, we couldn't look upon him now. Moses couldn't look upon God. It would have burned him up. But then, we're going to look upon him. We're going to see him just as he is. And praise God, we're going to be like him. And every man that has this confidence in him, this hope, this insurance ingrained in him, And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself. Remember that we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Every man that has this hope in him, this life, this Spirit of God in him, this new person purifies himself even as he is pure. You see, that new man that dwells within you, that loves God, and seeks Him. He is pure. He's not sinning. It's the flesh that sins. It's the flesh that desires to sin. It's like oil and water. You can shake them up together, but then they separate, don't they? Because of the different natures. God is a great Savior, isn't He? He has a love that we really can't comprehend, but we know it because we have it. We can lean and depend on Him every day. From the very beginning, you wake up in the morning, your thought process, we can depend on Him for it. We really can. When we pray to Him, we ask Him, Oh Lord, come into my mind. We ask Him, plant Your Word in my mind that I might follow You. That's what we're doing. See, as He told the fisherman, He said, follow me. Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. He's already been here and lived a perfect life. He's already paved the road for us. And we have His perfect example to follow, don't we? I realize this morning that He loves you with a love that is unshakable. That He has given you a joy in the confidence that you have in this love. Let me say that again. He is giving you a joy in the confidence that you have that He loves you. It's unshakable. Oh, don't let the circumstances of this life affect your joy. Truly, it can't. But don't think that it does. I am extremely happy that you were here today. Extremely happy that God met with us, and I knew He was going to. because he's the faithful.