Divine Promises Guaranteed

God works out with God plans nothing to change God's as I determined to set my love upon you bosses who shall separate us from that luck. If God says I don't condemn you is even condemn showing any charge to God's elect.

The fine print.

You may think you covered for any repair or damage or accident, but few guarantees come without conditions. Unless of course you're talking about the guarantee. God has given you. If you are a Christian, it's fully paid for by God himself and it promises to meet your deepest needs. Even in your darkest days.

John MacArthur unpacks that guaranteed today on grace to you.

The title of his study richer than you think. Now the lesson here is John.

There are some fantastic things in God's plan for those that are in crisis. Some promises that God will keep now in use the word promise, you know, maybe some people would be cynical about it because let's face it, we've all known people who made promises, and didn't keep him. And frankly, we've all made promises ourselves and keep them right there is somebody who keeps his promises.

That's God. God cannot lie keeps his promises. Now listen, Paul is telling us in Ephesians 1, verses 3 to 14. This whole passage is one sentence. The longest sentence in the Bible he just pouring out praise and what he is praising God for his this wonderful promise that God has made in Jesus Christ now basically verses 3 to 14.

From a technical viewpoint are divided into three parts and three keywords separate the three parts to this passage. First, the pattern that he used with a plan that uses based on election the second word that uses redemption first selection that's the past part of God choosing then redemption in verse seven we been with me the third word is inheritance. Let's look at verse 11 in whom now watch this, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance.

Now stop right there.

Now we talk about this phrase for the second verse 11.

There are three things I want to see three things the ground of our inheritance. The guarantee of our inheritance and the goal of our inheritance.

First of all is the ground of our heritage. What is the basis for this. Why does God do this and how and and what is it that makes it real. Verse 11. Let's look first two words, in whom this modifies Christ in verse 10 Christ in whom we have obtained an inheritance. Now you say, but to have this happen. Okay look back with me these in chapter 1 to see how let's look at God's side for a minute. How did it happen. Verse 11 it happen from God's side because we were predestinated. According to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will, in fact, there were predestinated as per original. In the Greek it means to mark out the boundaries, God planned mark out the limitation but I want you to notice the second phrase in verse 11 it says who worketh all things after the counsel of his own. Well, this is a fabulous state. The word worketh in the Greek is in or get over which we get energetic or energized or energy, listen to this now what ever God plans God energizes, yet you know. Sorry.

Verse 19 the same ordinary data was used again in verse 19 it talks about the end of the verse. The working of his mighty power. The energizing of his mighty power, which she energizes their universe 20 in Christ when he raised him from the dead, you want to illustration of how powerful he is, that's the one he raised Christ from the dead. That's the kind of energy that's working out as planned. God works out with God plans nothing to change.

God makes plan J's, God's as I determined to set my love upon you bosses who verse Romans eight who shall separate us from that luck anybody.

If God says I don't condemn you.

Paul says is even condemn if God says I hold no charge against you. Romans eight bosses who shall lay any charge to God's elect. The words when God decides something in the plan.

The energizes its accomplishment.

It's a revocable.

What a secure hope. Well from God side you see the ground of our heritage, being in Christ from God side his predestination. He said what about our site runners well verse 12 it says the reason God does it. From his side is that we should be to the praise of what his glory.

See salvation is always presented from God side so that John gets the credit.

See, there's a will goddess when this guy just want a lot of credit. God wants all the glory. We let's face it was the competition right where he is worthy see the reason we don't, we kindly know why does God will this glory and praise. The reason we have trouble with that is because we can't understand the pure and holy right to glory because were sinful and we seek it for the wrong reasons. So, we know that when others seek it. They also seek it for the wrong reasons but no project on God, God seeks it for the right reason. He deserves God wants to be praised and glorified in the way that he can be glorified in praise and salvation is to say it's all of me and none of the I did.

That gives them the glory say what what we do desiderata's who bore the hope on predestinated no waiting for some Zap hope it happens me expert desiderata room full of people shirttails you have elect stand on their back. No see. Because if you looking at one side of a God side his predestination.

But what about the human side of verse 12.

I love this. We should be to the praise of his glory who first and the Greek word is in the Christ. You see the human part of it is that we place our hope in Jesus Christ as a that's the balance that's attention. It's of God were part of it to infect verse 13 says, in whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also afterward ye what believe you see, here's the human part you believe sure from God side it's predestination from our side. It's very exhibit the how could God choose, and we believe and they both exist the same time I don't know. But as I've told you before, the things I don't understand the Bible of the best part because they remind me that God wrote this book. If a man wrote he'd resolve all those God must've written this in the answers in his own mark your summary once I look up to heaven. It says usual will may come as soon as you get into heaven, the backside of the signs is chosen in him before the foundation of the world. Don't worry about how you resolve it. Just know that Scott gets all the credit, but you must respond in faith but got harmonized. It's too big a problem for me. I told you before you try to be figured out you be under the beds in the Greek alphabet, but I just know this. He says you hope to verse 12 pieces you hope to include in the Christ is a definite article V Christ, you put your hope in the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior, and you believe then you trusted when you heard the word and you heard the gospel you seek isn't just predestination. There must be the preaching of the gospel. There must be the hearing of the gospel. There must be the believing of the gospel. There must be the hoping in the Christ of the gospel gospel means good news in Romans says faith comes in. The Greek says faith comes by hearing a message about Jesus Christ. Faith comes by hearing a message about Jesus Christ. You see, and faith is our response to God's elective purpose. The ground of your inheritance will retain this, my friend, God has so many wonderful things for you and from God's part.

He's done his part. He's chosen you before the foundation of the world master plan this inheritance. While he says to you, as we believe we open up the pages of this precious book and we read about the Jesus Christ God in human flesh. He died for you and rose again the Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for your sin and if you simply believe you will confirm God's elective purpose and enter instantly into the promise that is given in God always keeps his promise, she believing is our part.

It's simple thing, you don't have to do spiritual gymnastics not to go through rituals just believe. For with the heart man believe it on to salvation. Righteousness calls as many as received him to them. Given the right to be the sons of God, even to them that what believe on his name in the correct see that's why God hates more than anything else. God hates a system of religion that says you can earn your way to heaven is untrue. I think there are many people who claim the moniker born again who claim to be Christians who are not Christians by biblical definition and consequently while there calling themselves Christians. They manifest characteristics that are not Christian and they confuse the issue. True Christian is one simply who isn't trying to learn is what is he can't by the deeds of the flesh shall nobody ever be justified because it there is only one way that's your faith in Christ, the true Christian simply believe you say well doesn't he do good works. Yes, they are the response to his faith, not the effort of his human merit. Big difference.

So there's two elements.

This ground of our inheritance.

It means being in Christ from God's standpoint predestination from ours. Personal faith because to further leaving the thought of the ground of our inheritance.

Let's go on to the guarantee of our inheritance. The guarantee see the sound so good job. How do we know it's true, how we really know that this is ours.

How do we know that we can nominate him to say well maybe I'll be a Christian. Maybe I'll believe I'm a jump in with both feet. What's the guarantee that this thing is going to work. How I know that I want to jump into this thing reorient my life start living in this kind of away in love with Jesus Christ and serving God and I wake up someday. It's to be empty and I are also want to die, hit the wall in a steel how do I know God knows that you want to know were really guarantee oriented yearly by a car you buy the plants and you want that guarantee will be the security God is a guarantee for because he knows that you need to have that conference. Look at the end of verse 13 just wonderful says this, you were sealed with the holy spirit of promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession stop right there.

I look we have not yet totally been redeemed.

We been redeemed spiritually but we haven't had our physical body redeem Lana Romans eight, you know, the redemption of the body. We haven't yet gone to heaven is what he say we haven't had the fall possession of all of our inheritance. We haven't got the full shoe here yet. You know were not in the father's house in heaven, resetting receipt of the doesn't happen. You say that how I know it's going to happen. What's the guarantee and he says you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise is called the spirit of promise because it is this promise that he is there to see you say, and he is the earnest of the inheritance.

He is the guarantee or that the redemption of the full purchase, possession will happen.

In other words, when you became a Christian God to the wonderful thing in me and everybody he gave you the Holy Spirit if any man have not the spirit of Christ. Romans 89 says he's not a Christian. So if you are Christian you possess the Holy Spirit pauses your body is the temple of the spirit of God. When you became a Christian, God took up residence in your life. That's why the changes taking place. That's why there's something new in your life. The spirit of God is near and he is there not only to empower you not only to fill you for service not only to equip you for ministry not only to function through the gifts of God is given you what is there to guarantee your inheritance, he's there to give you confidence like Romans eight says is as we have the possession of the Holy Spirit and are led by the spirit we know we are the sons of God is, he has a confirming work. The spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God. He is a securing fork. He is a guaranteed shale to me but it will look at the word sealed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise know what is it mean to be sealed. That's invariably doesn't mean like the good housekeeping seal doesn't mean a big long piece of wet tape that you stick on it to seal.

That is in the idea is the seal of authority and will talk about that a minute in those days. Any official document you'd pour the wax on that thing and the king or whoever would stick his ring in it and would sealant to be unbroken. Now the spirit of God is the seal now what does that mean, let me show you for things that the seal of the spirit signifies number one.

The seal used by princes and kings and nobles in the time of the Bible was a sign of security right was a sign of security Michelin illustration that very quickly. Daniel chapter 6 value member.

Good old Daniel. Daniel was told not to pray to God for getting out of trouble and so we pray to God anyway and got a lot of trouble and he threw them in the lion's den and then in verse 16 we read this, then the king Daniel 616 just listened. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel Daniels brought in and they threw them in the den of lions. Okay now the king spoke and said to Daniel thy God whom thou service continually heal deliver the. The king did want put them in there begot Condon of Apollo political games were going on but anyway through many says Bowyer God better get you out of this, believing, you will now watch for 17. A stone was brought. The rolled stone across the front of the lines into the lid of it whatever and laid upon the mouth of the dam.

The stone in the king sealed with his signet.

The signet of his lords, but the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. In other words, when you walked up to that stone and you saw the king seal in the wax or whatever used on that stone nobody, but nobody opened that den why because the king the highest authority in the land had sealed it was secure was not to be opened the signet and the seal was the mark of the king. Ellis only someone higher than the king could break that seat. That was the sign of security.

This is locked by the king don't open another illustration when a very Jesus Christ in the tomb. They roll the stone across one of they do, they sealant with the seal of Rome, which was to say no power can dare to open the seal unless it is a power greater than Rome. It whatever a power greater than Rome broke the seal but it was the sign of security list when you became a Christian, God put his Holy Spirit in you stamped his signet which is the Holy Spirit and said this is secure and no one can ever touch this life, unless he be a higher authority that Almighty God and the reason the seal is the sign of security music you believe that were secure in Christ. Yes, that's what say the spirit is that seal second. The second use of the word seal is is a sign of authenticity, authenticity, now you know some beautiful about that when God gives us his Holy Spirit. It's as if he says this don't mess with this person.

This is an authentic child of the King Negri the only authentic Christian is the one he possesses the Holy Spirit who see with a mark of authenticity, so the seal speaks of security never rebroken authenticity genuine child of God. Third, it's also using the Bible as a sign of a completed transaction and I'll tell you this little story about looking up at you can read a sub Jeremiah 32 Darrell Jeremiah.

What a heartbreaking guy. The Lord says to Jeremiah, the first chapter Jeremiah to be my man Jeremiah freaks all your life you pour out your heart. You wouldn't notice the things I want you say and by the way Jeremiah nobody no time is a religion. Anything you say but go to a brother. You know you gotta be checking annual Darrell Jeremiah went out there any way that any cry and he stood up and he preached and he did all the stuff he was caught again was such a faithful guy and he said about the Byfield by Peter probably got told by piece of property. Jeremiah 32 Jeremiah buys knowing although he did Bible says he sealed the transaction.

You know what the seal means it is a sign of a finished transaction Negri the side of the finished transaction. Beloved, we are not in the process getting saved. See when you put your faith in Jesus Christ. God gave the Holy Spirit and said that is a finished transaction. So it's a mark of security is a mark of authenticity.

It's a mark of the finished transaction last.

It's a mark of authority to sign of authority and is a sense in which was when God gave you the Holy Spirit, he said look world see this guy to this lady. They speak with my authority. Negri so the gift of the Holy Spirit. The spirit of promise guarantees the inheritance. It secures us.

It authenticates us as a genuine delegates to us divine authority symbolizes a finished transaction. Beloved, when God gave the Holy Spirit he gave you to guarantee all the guarantee will ever need that every promise in him is yes, amen and lastly seeing the ground of inheritance in him seen the guarantee of inheritance, the spirit of promise. Now the goal of inheritance.

Why does he do why does God do this the end of verse 14 unto the praise of what is glory.

God wants to be glorified through you. Hey were not Christians for our own glory.

Listen, the day you start to seek to be somebody, the day you start to push yourself up the day you start to set yourself up with some authority to make somebody famous yourself or to be some kind of a hot dog is the day you enter competition with the eternal God, and you know what you lose right there were servants were servants about you but I'm humbled by God's grace. Aren't you what he has done for us, to the praise of his glory.

All I want to do in this world is left of Jesus Christ just lift up Jesus Christ just lift him. So God has done these things for us when we just add one closing thought. Look at verse 14 the beginning of the verse it says the spirit is the earnest of our inheritance until the time of the purchased possession being redeemed was the earnest. This is beautiful. The Greek word is Arab on Arab on means two things. One, it means down payment K down payment now visited God says MacArthur I want to give you all my promises and just so you'll know I'm not one thing, here's the down payment, the Holy Spirit, Negri gave keys into deep now to renege on or ask the big down payment and you know the second thing the word Arab on means. It means in the Greek engagement ring that great little site. While these Chris is always on about pie-in-the-sky going to hell in a meeting with just feel the Bible does talk about that and it says is every a marriage except Christ is the bride groom the church is the bride and using know that.

What is it to come off and I was it because he gave me an engagement ring was a girls when a guy comes up to you and he says barley like you.

Lonnie really love you like to marry King with a grain of salt because of differences I like to marry you and send you a $600 diamond you can believe it thing to do. June make sure is a dime and then you really see there's a commitment. There is a there's an investment, and that's exactly what gotta say, hey I got a promise for you.

I got an inheritance for you, I've got something laid up for you that so incredible and just so you'll know, I'm not kidding. Here's my down payment.

Here's my engagement ring is my spirit of promise and beloved the spirit lives within us to constantly confirm to us that were the sons of God who are in the process of seeing the fulfillment of all the promises of God. My heart is filled praise for one who would be so gracious to such a sinner and it all comes to the praise of his that's John MacArthur, Pastor, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary and the Bible teacher here on grace to you today. John helped give you confidence in the amazing blessings you have in Christ.

It's part of John study richer than you think. Well tomorrow is Thanksgiving day here in the United States and it's my favorite of all the holidays and this year we have a lot to be thankful for.

We can't help but thank God for the work we so vividly see him doing through the support of friends like you are listeners and so John you actually have a few real-life examples of what I know you want to pass along here.

Yeah, this is kinda my favorite time of our little conversations every day. It's the letters that let us know what the Lord's doing through this ministry.

Here's one from Joe for years I have listened to Grace to you on the radio and it was all I had in prison. I was not only in a physical prison for 18 years. But in a spiritual one as well. But Jesus called me purchased me with his blood redeemed me and gave me eternal life and through your ministry. He has given me growth in this new life. Thank you for your faithfulness signed his name Joe Joe, thank you. What a joy and then a letter from Lou your Labor Day message was a huge blessing to me and reminded me how important my attitude toward work is in my service to the Lord and Savior.

I have drifted from where I was in my Christian walk, and I want to rekindle that fervent desire to serve him in all aspects of my life. Keep up the great work will do that, Lou. I'm so glad the Lord use this ministry in your life to rekindle your sanctification and then Samantha sent a letter.

I am a new stay-at-home mom and one of the hardships I found in my new role is been to control my thinking.

I have found it easy to brood and get worked up about things unnecessarily by remedy has been my grace to you app I have listened to hours and hours of messages while doing chores around my house and it is made a world of difference in my attitude and spiritual growth. It is given my mind, something worth dwelling on and I am so thankful. Well thank you Samantha. Yeah, we have to fill our minds with the good things right, think on those things. And the Lord uses those to give us joy in sanctification. So let me remind you that this ministry is made possible through the support of you who listen and these are the kind of lives. These are the folks that are really being transformed by your investment in this ministry we are dependent on God and we are dependent on him moving on your heart and your responding so be confident that the word of God will do mighty things, that is the promise that never returns void. Thank you for standing with us as we convey that truth through all the means that God has laid before us the grace to you right and whether by online sermons or through these broadcasts.

We simply want to bring God's word to God's people. Anyway we can. If you believe in that mission and want to help make a donation when you get in touch today. You can mail your tax-deductible gift to Grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412.

You can also make a single donation or set up a convenient recurring donation through our website Jide TY.org or when you call toll-free 855 grace course giving to your local church comes first. We affirm that, but we're grateful for anything you can give. After that, again to partner with us especially important these last weeks of the year. Call 855 grace or go to Jide TY.org and when you get in touch. Let us know how John's teaching is strengthening you spiritually craft your family is been encouraged by the daily devotionals on Jide TY.org or someone you know is come to faith in Christ. After hearing our broadcast love to hear those stories, so email your feedback, letters at TTY.or drop a note in the mail to Grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412 now for John MacArthur. I'm Phil Johnson remind you to watch grace to you television this Sunday. Check your local listings for channeling times and join us tomorrow as we continue unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace