R350 The Making of a New Person

God is doing some remarkably new things, and that's Dr. Wilson's topic today: the making of a new person that study the world as we open God's word together. Another were open to pray with you and for you both. Online at tewonline.org and 866-899-WORD 866-899-WORD 9673 Dr. Don Wilton please open your Bibles to Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 2 now friends from time to time people lost your pasta question and some questions that I'm lost from time to time, or all the interesting one of the questions that are being lost is pasta. What frustrates you most of all about being foster of the church first Baptist Church of Bethel wherever. But what frustrates you about being foster of first Baptist Church and I've had to think about and perhaps I would say that the number one thing that frustrates me about being foster the local church is my inability to be able to visit with and minister to every person, every week I find that frustrating because I'm a people person.

I love to be among people love to be in homes and I just love to fellowship and I love to be able to pray with people I find that frustrating and I think that old Fosters would say that you, it's just impossible, but they on the other side people saving foster what do you find most joyful about being foster now I've got no hesitation in telling you that the most joyful thing that I can experience about being a pasta is seeing a person's life changed completely because of the Lord Jesus Christ frames in my ministry. I have seen many a grown man in the grip of alcoholism in the grip of sin come into a direct communion with Jesus Christ and that his life completely turned around. I've seen dads become dads again. I've seen moments become moms again. I've seen what Jesus Christ can do in the family. I spend a good deal of my time counseling with people in varying different circumstances and difficulties and friends.

I'm going to say to you that you can go to counselors ad infinitum. You can take all the prescribed medicine that you want, you can turn over all the new leaves and bright golden new resolutions that you want at these things will certainly have their place but there is nothing that is supremely important than the making of a new person even through the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the apostle Paul put it like this. He said therefore if any man is in Christ Jesus. He is a brand you creation old things a foster wife and behold all things are become new.

Here in Ephesians chapter 2, the apostle Paul in the first 10 verses talks about this very subject. I want to read it for you we we ended off last week in verse 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way not going to stop a couple of times this morning as we read God's word but look at it. Ephesians chapter 2 beginning at verse one. As for you, excuse me, as for you, I say back there. As for you, he's talking to all of us listen to what he says and note the tense of the verb generates remarkable it's only written in the par stance. It's wonderful news. He says as for you, you would did in your transgressions and soon in which you used to live when you follow the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient in the King James version and the original version they use the where there the children of disobedience. It has remarkable remarkable significance because the apostle Paul is going to begin to talk about the very nature and the character of man who is outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to what happens verse three all of us, excuse me, just for a minute it I'm on excuse me, all of us. Everyone did you get that all of us talking head of the church at Ephesus.

He's writing to the believers.

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.

Like the rest we were by nature, the objects of God's raw, but because of his great love for us. God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dating transgressions.

It is by grace you have been saved and God raised us up with Christ and seated us at a big apartment God seated us what in chapter 1 the Bible said that God seated Jesus. Is he trying to tell us something. This is overwhelming.

Is it possible that we could be seated together with Christ. Is it possible that we can share together in his resurrection. Is it possible that we can be quickened and made alive in him. Is it possible that we can be spiritually exalted to be seated with the sun at the right hand of the father. Let's see what the word says verse six and God raised us, you and me up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. In order why why did he do this in order that in the coming I just and we dealing with the coming of age. The Bible has a lot to say about what's going to happen where we going to be, how's it going to happen, who's involved. Well, listen to what Paul says in order that in the coming ages. God might show the incomparable excuse me again incomparable did we hear that word before.

I think we did. If you look over to chapter 1 and verse 19 he says and he is incomparably great power. Now in chapter 2, as he's talking about the making of a new person. He says this in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus, for it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works, so that no one can boast. And then in verse 10 we have an apparent contradiction. He just said, it's not of works now listen to verse 10 for we are created as God's workmanship.

Why, created in Christ Jesus for what purpose to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do by the Lord righties word upon our hearts this morning. I think that we might already have begun to discover the chapter 1 deals with the all embracing scope of God's divine purpose and in chapter 1, it would seem to me, my friends, the that pool takes us back into the councils and chambers of God and what we see is how he purposed from eternity to call out a community redeemed unto and for himself. So what happens in chapter 2 in chapter 2 is be beginning with verse one we discovered that God is actually Crete 18. Ongoing continuous present he is creating this redeemed society that came out of the councils of Almighty God. In fact, I'm going to tell you something very interesting. You know once again that verses one through seven is one long continuous sentence in the Greek text, and if you study it very closely. My friend, you going to discover that the main verb, which is in verse five past quickened or has quickened. That's the main verb of those first seven sentences my friends. It sits right in the middle only comes in verse seven, and as a consequence, I think it would be very safe for us to be able to say that this whole paragraph is a kind of a spiritual biography of someone who has been made new in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you please, businessman, this is the kind of thing that you did on your desk when someone's applying for a job and you put your resume on their desk.

The apostle Paul is putting forth write your resume. The personal biography of one who is being made brand-new in the Lord Jesus Christ and so what is he doing in order to try and describe this newness. He looks at it in three ways.

Number one he looks at what they were.

The first section what they were in verses one through three that I want you to notice in verse one through three, my friends, as Paul tries to describe the new person that is being created in and through the Lord Jesus Christ that he begins to set forth the pre-Christian spite of mankind, and particularly of the church at Ephesus. He talks about what they were and by emphasizing what they were before they gave their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.

He begins to emphasize both the magnitude of the power and mercy of God. He provides a portal if you please, against which the amazing power and grace of God stands out in brilliant relief full-size listen wherever going to understand what it means to be made brand-new in Jesus Christ. You've got to understand the backdrop background you gotta understand what you were in order to know what you have become and the apostle Paul is going to make it very clear. My friends that you can never become unless you are willing to accept what you all and what you were.

You cannot be saved unless you're willing to acknowledge your sin, you cannot be saved, my friends, unless you're willing to accept your fallen condition because the Bible says in Adam all die, but in Christ Jesus will made alive and so he begins to describe this and he does it in three different ways. First of all, in verse one, talking about what they were.

He says they would be. Can you imagine that verse one. As for you, you would bid. Have you ever gone up to somebody and talk to them and said you did not. Clint Eastwood does that, from time to time.

You don't walk up to people to die inside you know your actually do you think your ally but you did what Paul says just that. Can you imagine the audacity looks at these people and he says that I want you to know that what you were is you completely dead. You are lifeless as far as God is concerned and by so doing, he's emphasizing the total alienation from God, and the total helplessness and hopelessness to be able to do anything about it.

I remember when I was a boy in Africa. We used to go swimming in the Callaghan River see AL EDO in the big river in Africa beautiful River and this thing used to flood often like it's just done because of harlequin friend and I mean it was tumultuous and when we were young boys, you know, nine, 10, 11, 12, and so on. We used to go for vacations up in this area and and we would always as little boys. We would go and jump into these two motorists rivers like the Callaghan River and I mean the dirt in the muck and the food from and I mean dead cows and fences and poles and posts in everything else would be just come floating down in sheep and goats and everything else in between, and it would just be rumbling down. We focused right on the list with this was that ocular parking a boy of 10 resist something like that. We didn't think of the dangers you know one day I will never forget. I must've been 10 1112 whenever with my brothers and we had a friend with us.

I remembered jumping and we used to wait for big old log to come by you in a big old tree that had fallen down and being strange Eric comes tumbling down and we jump on that thing and it would have brought your sticking on. We'd ride them cowboy you not. I mean, we dip down that thing and we'd ride. What seemed like four, but I remember one day in particular I went down a whole series of rapid summing there I was going down. I'm sick just having the best time you I mean having a wonderful time. I got down to the bottom of the rapids and what I didn't know was that the power of the water was so strong that it hit the bottom of the river and then it just churned underneath like that and I will never forget being pulled off that blog and being pulled right down to the bottom of that riverbed. What one would think that the swirl of the water would bring you up, but what I didn't know that there was another tree that had been rammed into the bottom of the riverbed just like that and my body came tumbling along and I bought wedged between the tree trunk and the bottom of the riverbed and I can still feel myself so tracting the that there was nothing that I could do and to this day. Even at my ripe old age.

I can still remember the panic that came over me and I can still remember trying to take a breath and going and all I took in was just what I was way underneath folks.

I was beginning to drown. There was no way for me to get out Tuesday. I'll never understand it. But always remember it's suddenly an unbelievable power of water came an extra swirl just came around and when just hit my Thailand and my feet and just popped me out and I went shooting up to the top and my friends and drag me onto the side and my life was saved. Do not pull says Paul says that our condition is no different.

He says it is though the whole world will one graveyard in every gravestone has written upon it. The inscription did through soon. It can be seen in the moral decay. It can be seen in the spiritual blindness.

It can be seen in the indifference to God. Therefore, the apostle Paul is saying here in these opening verses, my friends, that the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is as great as the difference between a living person and a call. Forgive the eruption will be back in just a moment with the rest of the day's message with Dr. Don Wilton, but our prayer is that you would understand. It's not just about this podcast.

This broadcasters radio connection but there also wonderful resources that can help you trust God more find them online@twonline.org is not affect this latest one also has a wonderful video with Ruth Phil Gramm when Jesus comes every eye will see him, even those who crucified Jesus and those who mocked Jesus. Do not be shocked or surprised it lets going on in America today. We had better wake up America. Jesus is coming again this month for your gift of support in The Encouraging Word you will receive Dr. Wilton's powerful and timely message trusting God along with the bonus DVD movie on celebrating Ruth Bell Graham a life marked by the faithfulness of God. Call us at 86682 request trusting God in the bonus DVD movie today for a gift of $20 or more. Thank you for standing with us about today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton here on The Encouraging Word.

There is no semblance of spiritual life, someone who's the Yukon. Please sort of lost as far as God is concerned, you can't be sort of a Christian rather have you ever gone to somebody and said to them, or your Christian life said wealth kind of sort well.

Have you ever given your life to Jesus Christ will now maybe sort of con Bible says there's no such thing is sort of lost in sort of side G the Siebel you lost.

No man can serve two monsters and so the apostle Paul here focuses in on what they were and he says you were dead. Secondly he says you were enslaved to sin and he uses for pictures show to try and illustrate that number one.

He says they were walking and soon this is from verses two and three. He says you are in bondage to sin you all walking inside look at verse two, he says this is the way you used to live when you followed or walked in the way of the world. What was he talking about.

He was talking about the walk of life. He was talking about the manner of livestock. He was talking about the very atmosphere in which they live. They walk in. Soon they did money walk in sin but number two they followed the ways of the world. They followed the ways of the world and the second part of verse two, he said you lived according to the worldly fashion of the day you lived according to the standard of right and wrong that the world dictated upon you they were swept up and they were caught up in the pleasures and the practices of a world without Christ. That's why I'm so proud about teenagers.

Aren't you proud about teenagers, folks. I'm so proud of the lesson. It's not easy for a teenager today added Norman high school Laura boiling Springs or at Spartanburg or whatever they are to be able to stand up and go to a pole and say listen, I'm someone who belongs to Jesus Christ, folks. Let's not give each other that is not easy for a young person that is one of the most difficult things that anybody can do.

The apostle Paul here says not only are they walking in sin not on me all day following the ways of the world in which they are swept up in its pleasures and practices but clearly they are ruled by Satan.

Look at verse two, third part of verse two, he says, and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air he's talking about being on the power and the control of site. Why does he use the word, the kingdom of the year. What if you go to England tonight. You go to can't which is right on the bulge on the east coast of England Landover where you cross over to France on the French side of England. If you haven't been there.

You going to find many old airfields from World War II affect the maps that they brought up their extraordinary you can travel across the coast of France you going to see memorials to incredibly amazing men and women who gave their lives and who fought for the goals we brought many of those people in our congregation today and we honor them. I tell you chokes me up when I see what other people did in order that we can have freedom of the but you know friends in 1940s when they brought in the spitfire. The one thing that Winston Churchill wanted to do more than anything else was to gain the ascendancy of the air.

President Clinton talking about what is going on with Saddam Hussein at the moment and we mustn't forget to pray for our country was saying that the most important thing we can do loss not is to be able to make sure that we brought control of the air, what is the apostle Paul sign the apostle Paul is saying when you are outside of Jesus Christ, you are under the rule of the one who has control of the very air that you pre-you are completely traded by his reading and by his power. The original language he uses the word the children of disobedience. Why because he's pointing to the fact that their very nature and character is one of disobedience. It is in the heart of mankind that there's a fork why he describes it he says you're dead because you're at the mercy of their passion, verse three all people outside of Christ. Our government dictated to by their passions. The word day in verse three the cravings of our sinful nature.

The word there in the original text is the word lasts. It means that you have a bent toward that which is forbidden.

They were dead they were slaving sin but clearly they were the objects. Consequently, of God's anger. That's what Paul says you were. He says you are the, the objects of God's anger. He says in verse 43 like the rest we were by nature, objects of God's anger.

Folks I've had many people say don't preach about the anger of God. You cannot do that as much as we talk about the love of God.

We go to talk about the anger of God.

Why, because lost people live under the dreadful judgment of God.

Why, because God cannot tolerate sin is anger is a permanent and consistent element of these nature. That's what the Bible says. The Bible says it is the reverse side of these holy love. It represents the divine hostility to all that is evil. It is a personal quality without which God could not be fully righteous.

That's what the word teaches the anger of God is the purest representation of the holiness of God.

It is the very essence of these holiness what they were. Now I'm so glad Bolden rebirthing fact I'm going to say to you when I began to study this passage I said you know I'm just going to say a few words by way of introduction about what they were because I don't like that section but you know something Paul doesn't leave it there.

He moves on to the glorious wonderful news. He moves on to the reason for the season. That's right, he moves on to the positive. He talks about what they where he says we need to tell you what you were because if you don't understand what you were.

You never understand what you become. And before you can understand what you become. You going to know what you receive. So we looked at what they were.

What did they receive receive care pole beginning from verse four through six begins to talk about the wealth of divine grace and love that God gives to his children. Manservant God's Roth provide the background against which the brilliance and the greatness of God's love is seen and he does this in several ways. First of all, he says, they were the recipients of divine mercy. Now look at verse four with me again, but because of his great love for us.

God, who is rich in mercy pole gets right down to the heartbeat of the matter. Paul says wait a minute your salvation has nothing to do with anybody outside of God.

We all what we are by the grace of God and God alone is the ultimate and this strange that we undergo when we receive Christ is grounded in God's boundless mercy and love. He says they do.

We are the recipients of God's divine mercy. But secondly he says they were resurrected to now wait a minute, there's something interesting verse five and six with me. Look in your Bibles. God made us alive in Christ. Even though we were dead in our trespasses and in our sins and what pulled us here at this point, beloved friends is he begins to expound if you please on the benefits of those who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and he does it in three ways. He says that their experiences linked to God's divine mercy carry with it three benefits spiritual quickening number one spiritual resurrection number two spiritual exaltation number three.

What an unbelievable study. It is unbelievable that he could've saved us spiritual quickening. We made alive in Christ. Spiritual resurrection we going to fly in Christ.

Spiritual exaltation we going to sit in Christ somebody ever says to me what you get from being a Christian. I'm gonna say living flying and sitting in the list goes on and on. On old starts with a single choice to say yes to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior for getaway closing thoughts from our pastor.

Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now.

Dear God, I know that Iversen and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart in Jesus night, my friend.

I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news. Welcome to the family of God, or perhaps a better phrase for some of you is welcome home. Welcome back to the family and if you believe have been praying with the pastor quietly in your own heart to refocus your life functions and since he was praying seconds ago.

So, Dr. Don would love to put three resources in your hands to help you grow in your faith to reach yourself in God's word to call us right now and ask for your copies at 866899 word 866-899-9673 or connect with us online@twonline.org that's TW online.org.

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