26.12 Of The Bride: Saved To One Another
Table of Contents
The Text
Romans 8:16-17 (CSB) The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs — heirs of God and coheirs with Christ — if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
The Chapter
As all believers are bound to join themselves to particular churches, when and where they have opportunity so to do; so all that are admitted unto the privileges of a church, are also under the censures and government thereof, according to the rule of Christ.
Psalms 103:1-5 (CSB) My soul, bless the LORD,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
My soul, bless the LORD,
and do not forget all his benefits.
He forgives all your iniquity;
he heals all your diseases.
He redeems your life from the Pit;
he crowns you with faithful love and compassion.
He satisfies you with good things;
your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The Confession
1 Thessalonians 5:14 (CSB) And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
2 Thessalonians 3:6–15 (CSB) Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother or sister who is idle and does not live according to the tradition received from us. For you yourselves know how you should imitate us: We were not idle among you; we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and toiled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us. In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.” For we hear that there are some among you who are idle. They are not busy but busybodies. Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and provide for themselves. But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take note of that person; don’t associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. Yet don’t consider him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
So why church?
I ask this not rhetorically but in a way that demands to be answered by believers only. (Unbelievers are welcome to answer but the church is not for them but for the children of God.)
I ask this question while I personally in the one of the deepest darkest pains of my life as I grieve the dismantling and future closing of the megachurch where I was saved by God. I think of the hundreds of people I know personally and I pray and grieve for them as they are losing their church because their (and my former) pastor fell from grace while he was a pastor.
I ask this question because in my sadness and grief, I have to answer this question myself. Because I have to acknowledge the pain inflicted upon his children by taking his name in vain.
I ask this question because I have to make sense. Why church and what privileges do we have as children of God?
So I turn to God and this is what he says in the 1st chapter of Ephesians, starting in verse 3:
3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.
1. he is our God.
No one gets this privilege. Just those who believe and trust in his his holy Son.
2. To that end, he is our Father.
Romans 8:16-17 (CSB) The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs — heirs of God and coheirs with Christ — if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
3. And because we are in his blessed Son, Jesus Christ, we have every spiritual blessing in heaven.
4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.
4. We have been chosen by the Triune God to live and dwell with him forever. For all the evil, corruption, wickedness, worthless in the world and in my heart, nothing can come between me and my God.
Nothing.
5. We were chosen way before we sinned, even before we were born, before humans were created, before the heavens and earth were created and before space and time were invented by God.
Romans 5:8 (CSB) But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God did not look down upon you on your worst day. God ordained Satan and evil to try to infiltrate his perfect world so for his glory alone, we were to be saved to him by him for him alone forever.
6. We are holy and blameless in love before him.
We are lawbreakers. We have sinned and we will keep sinning against him. Why? Because we are mortal creatures made of dust. But it is the sweetness and loveliness of God that he looks upon us tenderly and mercifully with compassion and full and grace.
We are sinners. That is why God sent his only begotten Son to save us from our sins.
5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6. It is in our wickedness and sin that has cursed us with a destiny that leads into hell and damnation. But look at this: God circumvents and predestines us away from his wrath right into his loving arms.
7. Before time and space, we are adopted into his family. We are not mere associates. We are not attendees. We are not here to take up space or be assigned a number to fill a roster. We are co-heirs with the Son of God who is God who in his perfection has inherited everything:
Hebrews 1:1–2 (CSB) Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.
8. God has saved us because it pleased him.
Not because we are good because we are not. Not because we chose him because dead people cannot choose. We were worthless!
Titus 3:3–7 (CSB) For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
He saw our helpless estate and it pleased God to send his only begotten Son to live and die so that we would die and live to him forever.
6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.
9. Because we have the Christ, we have his glorious grace--he has lavished his grace upon grace upon his revealed Son!
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
Because Christ has died, we have been:
10. Redeemed - We are not in despair but we have glorious hope that we have been saved and will be saved!
11. Forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of his grace
God is many things--he is righteous, just, and holy. And he is wrath. And he is grace, love, merciful, and kind. He is all that.
He does not have to change and compromise to come to us but he sent his Son and his Spirit to change us and bring us to him forever.
8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.
12. We get all of his wisdom and understanding.
Before we were saved, we could not know God. Dead men do not choose. Dead men cannot choose life because they are dead. But it is the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead that raised us from death unto life. When we had life, the Spirit gave us the minds and hearts to truly know and love God.
9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ
13. And it please the Lord to let us in our his grand plan.
It pleased him to save us. It pleased him to rescue us. It pleased him to give us his Son, his Spirit and all things. And it pleased him to reveal to what he did and how he did it.
It pleased him.
10 as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.
14. He will bring everything together in Christ--all things
Because Christ has inherited all things because Christ alone will receive the rewards for his sufferings.
11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will,
15. Because we are in Christ, we are co-heirs with him and thus, we get all things.
12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.
16. Our hope in Christ is our praise to his glory.
13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.
17. Oh guess what? We cannot be lost after we are saved because God is perfect forever and keeps what is his forever.
14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.
18. We have his Son and therefore, we have His Spirit.
All to the praise of his great glory.
What was this plan? What was he bringing together? Why church? We have the benefits--but why this way?
Ephesians 3:8-11 (CSB) This grace was given to me — the least of all the saints — to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The angels, Satan, demons, and devils saw that God had made this wonderful, perfect Creation and made a special Creation--called his imagebearers.
Angels rejoiced. Demons fumed.
But when Satan was able to tricked and tempt and cause man and woman to fall?
Angels gasped. Demons cheered.
Was the Almighty God penetrable? Was there a crack in his perfect? That he made something that he declared very good (for not even the angels heard that when they were created) for this created being to fall and sin and break everything.
How can something be very good be now very evil? Did God lied? Did he make a mistake?
God said, "Watch me."
His idea and his plan: his church.
And it will not be simply, fast, nor easy. And it will take all of God to rescue all of his people to himself.
God will have it his way--the most perfect way.
And that is okay--because he will send his Son filled with the Spirit to pull off the only rescue mission that mattered.
Praise be to God alone.