Ephesians 1 Hymn

Ephesians 1:3-14 hymn – “IN HIM”

Tune: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (#53 Trinity Hymnal)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Je-sus Christ,

who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing

in the heav’n-lies,

he has chos-en us in him

before the world and its founding

Chosen that we should be holy and blameless before him

In love predestined to be made sons through Jesus the Christ,

done of his will,

to praise his glorious grace,

with which in the Beloved us blessed.

In him we have our redemption through his blood, forgiven

forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the rich grace,

lavished on us,

in all wisdom and insight

revealing his will and his purpose,

He makes known to us the my-stery of his revealed will,

according to his purpose, which in Jesus Christ set forth

in fullest time,

uniting all things in him,

things in the heaven and the earth.

In him we’ve gained an inheritance, which was predestined

done by the plan of him who works in all things counsel by,

things to his will,

so we’re the first to have hope

in Christ and might praise his glory.

In him we also trusted when we heard the word of truth

the gospel of our salvation, and be-liev-ed in him,

sealed with promise

The Spirit who guarantees

Inheritance ‘til we possess it.

PDF Available Here

"ACCORDING TO HIS GREAT MERCY" HYMN

1 PETER 1:3-9 "ACCORDING TO HIS GREAT MERCY"

to the tune “Love Divine All Loves Excelling” or BEECHER

Blessed be the God and Father

Of our Lord our Jesus Christ!

According to his great mercy,

He has given us new birth

To a living hope in Jesus

Through his rising from the dead,

To an inheritance unfading,

can not perish, undefiled

That inheritance in heaven

Kept for us who by this faith

Are now guarded by God’s power

For salvation ready then

In the last time to be made known

That we might rejoice a while

Though we may a time be tested

By some grievous varied trials.

In these trials we are tested

That our faith’s proved genuine

Faith more precious than of gold

That perishes refined by fire

That our faith may produce praises

Glory, honor in the sight

Of the revelation of Him

Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ.

Though we have not seen him, love him.

Though we do not see him now,

We believe in Him rejoicing

Filled with glory and with joy

That is inexpressible.

When that day we reach our goal

Gaining the outcome of our faith,

The salvation of our souls.

PDF Available here.

GOD IS FAIR

Have you heard a question like this before, “How can you say that God is fair when He sends Hitler to hell but also sends someone who has done a lot less to hell as well?” Maybe you have heard some other form of the question regarding God’s fairness. I was recently asked a question similar to the one about by a member of our Sunday School. He was not asking the question about himself, but of someone he knew. This was someone who struggled with the God’s fairness, among other issues. As I briefly thought about it for a moment, I formed a short response to the fairness of God. God is indeed fair, and here is how.

STANDARD OF HOLINESS

God is the one who establishes the standard of holiness for all of mankind. Regardless of race, sex, or geography, it is God’s holy standard that all are and will be judged by. He holds everyone to the same exact standard – perfect obedience. More over God states that standard. He has plainly published it. Not only has He given it in the Law and the Scriptures, but He has written it on the heart. Paul speaks of that in the opening chapter of his epistle to the Romans.

Romans 1:18-20 (ESV)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. [19] For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. [20] For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Everyone has a sense of right and wrong, and everyone has the evidence that God is real and true. But man suppresses that truth. They think they are without blame. They are actually without excuse.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

God is also fair because He states the problem as well. He has declared in His word the consequences of violating His holy standard.

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

For the wages of sin is death,

One might we say that this warning does not go out to everyone, but only to those who heard His word. That is correct. But the same passage from Paul in Romans points out not only that each person has a sense of God’s standard, but also a sense of guilt. They may suppress it, but it still remains deep down.

SOLVES THE PROBLEM

Here is where the fairness of God comes into play in a big way. When people say that God is unfair to punish, they are not looking so much at God’s right to execute justice, but His cruelty in doing so. The charge that God is not fair is that charge that God is cruel, mean, and uncaring. This would be a fair charge IF God did not actually provide a solution to the sin problem.

John 3:16 (ESV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

God solves the problem. God in His infinite wisdom, knowledge, and sovereignty knows that all “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). He Himself became the solution. If you want fair, fair would be for God to leave us in our sin and guilt. That is fair. When people say they want God to be fair, what they usually want is not fairness, but for God to look the other way. They want God to be “cool” about it. They want God to not take sin so seriously. They want God to lighten up. That is unfair of anyone who demands of God to go against His character and His established standards. Yet still God maintains His fairness, not by doing away with the righteous requirements of the Law, but by fulfilling them in and of Himself. He took the sentence of death and separation from Him, that we rightly deserve upon Himself. God takes sin seriously.

To me, that is beyond fair.

PETER'S PRAISE - SUNRISE SERMON MESSAGE

1 Peter 1:3-9 (ESV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, [7] so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [8] Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, [9] obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

I find Peter’s words here both stirring and convicting. Stirring because this is obviously not the Peter we encounter before the death and resurrection of His friend and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no hint of fear. There is none of the doubt. There is none of the wavering present here. There is only an explosion of praise and thanksgiving coming from the heart of Peter. What is the reason? The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and its resulting blessings. Look at this language. These are the words of a man whose hearts is filled with praise. The heart of a man who has been captured and transformed by the love and grace of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. This is a man who sees the importance and beauty of the resurrection. This is the Peter that Luke says in Luke 24:12 “ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.” The marvel has not been lost by Peter. He intends for his readers to catch the same sense of marvel, the same sense of awe and wonder. The same sense of praise to God for what He has done, for what He continues to do, and what He will do for us in the “last time.”

I also find Peter’s words here convicting. I do not find in myself much of the time that same passion. Maybe it is because I was not the close personal associate of Jesus that Peter was. I did not walk or eat with Jesus. I did not hear his voice. I did not see him cry. I did not watch Him suffer. I did not see the empty tomb with my own eyes. I did not see the risen Christ. I was not personally restored to by Jesus Himself after a mighty betrayal. I did not watch Him ascend to the father. I could use all of these excuses and more for the flatness I often find in my soul regarding Christ’s work on my behalf. But they are not valid excuses.

Even though there is much that is not the same about Peter’s experience and mine, or ours. There is much that is the same. We are all born again to that same living hope because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We all have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us. We all are being guarded by God's power through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. We all will be tested by various trials that should result in the tested genuineness of faith to the praise and glory and honor of our Lord Jesus Christ both now and at His revelation at His coming.

We also have something that Peter did not. [8] Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. This is our testimony. This is who we are. We have not seen Him, yet we are to love Him. We have not seen Him, yet we are called to believe and rejoice. We are to rejoice with joy that is inexpressible. Do we long to have that kind of joy? The absence of that joy and love can not be because we did not have the same relationship that Peter had. Peter is saying these words to those who have not seen Him. Maybe it is because we lost a sense of the importance and value of what Christ has done for us. Maybe we have lost a sense of the depth of our sin from which Christ has rescued us. Maybe it is because we have not bothered to know Christ as we ought. Maybe we have not meditated on His death and resurrection.

But that is the great reason we celebrate Easter. If we have not spent sufficient time meditating on the wonders of the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, this time of year calls us back. If we have not spent sufficient time thinking on His death, resurrection and its benefits to us, this time of year calls us back. This time of year gives us pause to drown out the noise of the world that steals our joy. This time of year gives us occasion to renew our love for the one who loved us first.

But if we are looking for some great emotional reaction as a test of the genuineness of our faith, we are missing the point. Yes, reflecting on what Christ has accomplished for us may at times move us to great passion. But if we rely on emotional reactions to Christ’s death and resurrection to sustain us or as an indication of our love for Christ, we are deceiving ourselves with things that fade away. We are called to something deeper and more lasting. We are called to joy and love that expresses itself with our very lives. We are called to rejoicing in Christ when life itself gives us no cause for rejoicing. Our eyes may be filled with tears due to the crushing weight of life, or the trials that come our way, but in our hearts we have the “Blessed Assurance that Jesus is Mine. O what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation. Purchased of God. Born of His spirit. Washing in His blood. This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior. All the day long.” That is joy that does not fade with the testing. That is peace that is not tossed about by the ebb and flow of life. That is faith that is steadfast, faithful, obedient, tested, and sure. That is faith that results in praise, glory, and honor. It may not be a loud joy. But it will take “blessed assurance” and the unshakeable knowledge that whatever comes my way no one take away the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. That is joy and hope.

KING OF ISRAEL! SON OF GOD!

Matthew’s account of the crucifixion points out two key charges against Jesus that put Him on the cross. These reasons were key to the Roman and Jewish leaders. Those reasons – “Son of God” and “King of Israel.” Interestingly enough, these are some of the same reasons that our Lord God put His son on the cross. The key difference is how they regarded these claims – true or false.

KING OF ISRAEL!

Let’s begin by looking at Jesus as King of Israel. Some form of the phrase appears 4 times in Matthew 27.

Matthew 27:11 (ESV)

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You have said so."

Matthew 27:27-31 (ESV)

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. [28] And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, [29] and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" [30] And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. [31] And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

Matthew 27:37 (ESV)

And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."

Matthew 27:41-42 (ESV)

So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, [42] "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

This is the charge that the Jewish leaders used to get the Romans to crucify Him. Jesus was being portrayed as a rebel and threat to Rome.

Of course it is clear they though that the charge was true, but it had no basis in fact.

Look at how they mocked him. A crown of thorns on his head. The mockery on the cross while He was dying to save a people for Himself.

But the charge against Jesus is true, because it is based on the facts. The Jews and Romans did not understand the nature of the kingdom of this king.

John 18:36 (ESV)

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."

Jesus purpose was not to be a political king over a geographic kingdom. Jesus purpose was to be King over all of God’s chosen people regardless of geography or ethnicity. King of True Spiritual Israel forever.

The one who died on our behalf reigns even now over His people. His death allowed Him to take His throne.

Matthew 26:64 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Ephes. 1:20 (ESV)

that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

Rev. 5:7 (ESV)

And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

Jesus Christ right now reigns over His people and over His church.

SON OF GOD

Jesus also died because He was and is the Son of God.

This was a blasphemous claim, if it is not true. Three times some form of this phrase appears in Matthew 27

Matthew 27:40 (ESV)

and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."

Matthew 27:43 (ESV)

He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.' "

Matthew 27:54 (ESV)

When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

While the authorities view this claim as doubtful, we would hear the clear testimony of Scripture know otherwise.

Jesus was in fact crucified because He is the Son of God. It was a necessity. Only one who was God Himself could make such a sufficient and efficient sacrifice. One one who was infinitely holy, perfectly obedient, and yet in the flesh of man could make the sacrifice required.

Son of Man. Surely He was! Surely He is!

The Son of God making us sons of God.

Galatians 3:26 (ESV)

for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

Galatians 4:4-6 (ESV)

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. [6] And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

Hebrews 2:10 (ESV)

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

We have much privilege because of Christ' death on our behalf. We are made sons of God. We are made citizens of the Kingdom of God. But more importantly, we are made clean, forgiven, and right with God because the Son of God, King of Israel took the wrath of God on our behalf.

Of course this is not the end. If Christ is only crucified there is much left undone. But as Paul Harvey would say "That is the rest of the story." The story to be told and celebrated on Easter Sunday.

Has the Notion of Sin Been Lost

This is from the USA Today.

The Physical Death of Jesus

This is an article from the medical perspective on the death of Jesus. Take a look.

Thank you R. Scott Clark for bringing this to our attention.

Howard

Maunday Thursday Meditation

This is from Kim Riddlebarger on the Riddleblog.

Moses Was High on Mt. Sinai

Yes, we no longer need to keep the law. Moses was wasted when he received the law.

The Church of Frank Sinatra

Another great post on the reason we need creeds and confessions.

LEGALISM KILLS

Check out this great blog entry on legalism.

Book Review: In Christ Alone

In Christ Alone by Sinclair Ferguson

(2007, Reformation Trust)

I read In Christ Alone by Sinclair Ferguson and loved every page of it. Each chapter is filled with meat. This book is not a book about Christ. It is not a book about the Holy Spirit. It is not a book about soteriology. It is not a book about the Christian life. It is a book about all of these and more. Ferguson takes the reader through the various facets of what it means to live the gospel centered life, as he calls it. The book consists of 50 chapters of around five pages in length. He has broken down the book into six sections entitled: “The Word Became Flesh,” “The Heart of the Matter,” “The Spirit of Christ,” “The Privileges of Grace,” “A Life of Wisdom”, and “Faithful to the End.”

As is usually the case with Ferguson, his theology is spot-on. What makes this book special to me is how he has taken solid theology cut it into small chunks, so that while you are not swallowing much at one time you are still being substantially fed. It is also a well balanced meal. It is nice to pick up a book where you can read a little bit and get so much.

To me, this quote toward the end of the book summarizes what Ferguson intends the reader to get from reading the book.

“The way in which we maintain ‘the expulsive power of a new affection’ is the same way as the way we first discovered it. Only when grace is still amazing – when we return to Christ and the cross where God’s love for us was demonstrated to us (Romans 5:8) – does it retain its power over us. Only as we retain a sense of our own profound sinfulness can retain a sense of the graciousness of God.” (p. 225)

This is a book for every Christian to read who wants to know his Lord better and how to serve his Lord better.