The Purpose of Salvation B

The ultimate end of salvation is the glory of the sun, and the glory of the son calls for his preeminence among all redeemed humanity will see that preeminence and forever and ever and ever glorified.

We have been redeemed. We had been redeemed from before the foundation of the world in preeminence yet with all that you sometimes wonder has God really saved me forever.

While what you think about salvation may change salvation itself does not. Once you're in God's grip. You're always in his grip. John MacArthur helps you focus on that truth in his study, the grip of God today on Grace to you now with the lesson. Here's John we're going through the eighth chapter of Romans Romans 828 to 30 where it says and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose for whom he foreknew he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren and whom he predestined, these he also called and whom he called these he also justified, in whom he justified, these he also glorified.

These three verses present the clearest and most powerful statement of security in all of Scripture they guarantee without deviation.

They guarantee without variation, without exception, that all those who are genuinely saved will answer into final glory in verse 28 starts out clarifying this guarantee by saying we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the true lovers of God's who have come to Christ in faith God causes all things, that is good things and bad things and neutral things all things no matter what they are. We went through the whole long list of those things.

He causes all things to work together for good. And remember we told you the good Paul is referring to his eternal glory. The goodies referring to here is the good referred to in verse 23 as our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body is the good of verse 21. The freedom of the glory of the children of God. The whole prior section is talking about our hope, the glory that is to be revealed in us in verse 18, the redemption of the body, the adoption as sons, the fact that we are going to enter into the freedom of the glory of the children of God that there is yet something ahead of us and that something is eternal glory that is the pledge of verse 28. Now the general truth is this the general truth given by the Holy Spirit is that God causes all things okay. It's what it says and he causes all things to work together for our eternal good are good being eternal glory. Why, because that is his purpose and if God causes that it's going to happen. Why verse 31. If God is for us who in the universe could possibly be against us successfully. No one since God is superior, so we are secure, eternally in the purpose of God. It is the purpose of God to save us eternally. The reason we are confident in our eternal salvation is because that is the plan that is the plan I mean the natural man in first Corinthians 214 can understand the things of God. So we certainly can't save himself. He is really hopeless in making any effort to do that since he is blind and ignorant and willfully rebellious and hopelessly iniquitous. Jesus said in John 843 to those around him.

He said why do you not understand what I'm saying is, because you can't hear my word because you are of your father the devil man as long as you were dead in trespasses and sin as long as you are blind as long as your of your father the devil you can understand the truth. It's not just a matter of you being smart enough to make the right choice has to be a mighty work of God's not of the will of man, it's the will of God.

John 637 I think sums it up so well all that the father gives me shall come to me at that statement somewhere to be locked into every one's mind all that the father gives me shall come to me. In other words, the whole matter of salvation is initiated by the father's will.

All that the father gives me scummy good on verse 44 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him a look at this. Nobody comes in as the father sent me draws him and I will do my best to hang on to him till the end.

That would says no. I will what raise him up at the last day nobody gets lost in the meantime the whole matter of the security of the believer is clearly identified right here they are, by the will of God drawn to Christ who keeps them all and raises them up at the last day back in verse 39 and this is the will of him who sent me that of all that he has given me. I lose none but raise him up on the last day for this is the will of my father that everyone who beholds the son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I myself will raise him up on the last day God's will is that whom he draws Christ receives whom Christ receives he keeps in whom he keeps he raises to eternal glory. That's is what remember that most notable section of the 17th chapter of John. And I remind you of a because it's one of the most magnificent insights into this Jesus was so conscious of his responsibility to hold onto believers that when he was going toward the cross, he realized there was going to be a problem because there was going to be a time on the cross. Remember when he said my God my God why you forsaken me, there's gonna be a time on the cross, when he was going to be spiritually somehow alienated from God and he could not hold on to his own. That was a concern to him so he prays to the father in John 17 and in verse 11.

This is what he said he's anticipating the time on the cross.

I'm no more in the world and yet they themselves are in the world and I come to the holy father, look at this keep them in thy name. You know he's really saying the father father, there's gonna be a time when not to be able to hold onto them.

Would you please take over. During that time and keep them for me. So you see notes go back to Romans chapter 8, you see that the marvelous statement in Romans chapter 8 called according to his purpose unlocks everything that unlocks everything and then verse 29 for whom he foreknew he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son, listen, he didn't predestined you to the beginning of your salvation, but to the end of it, which is to be conformed to the image of his son. When were finally in glory will be like Jesus Christ will talk more about that as we go through this now as we look at these two verses I want to see just two points but I want us to look at the purpose of salvation and the progress of it okay.

The purpose of salvation and the progress of salvation.

There is a clear statement of the purpose of salvation and it's in there in verse 29 he predestined us to become conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. The purpose of salvation.

I hate to track you too much for the purpose of salvation was not primarily for you.

The purpose of salvation was not primarily to deliver you from hell and take you to heaven so you could just sit on the cloud Lockhart have a great old time forever. That's sort of a secondary corollary benefit purpose of salvation was not so you got to heaven and live in some mansion up there is people like to think about in John 14 purpose was not so that you could track your way through the the cubed transparent gold bejeweled city called the new Jerusalem. The purpose of your salvation was not to make you into a perfect person who would live forever in the eternal bliss of heaven and not unmitigated and unending and consummate joy. No purpose of your salvation was so that you could be conformed to the image of his son.

What is it me, will God's plan and salvation was to make the saved like the sun to make the saved like Christ forgiveness of sin. That's a wonderful benefit.

Removal of guilt, the granting of peace and joy and love in all of that all of those are part of the reality of salvation, but the goal is to make you like Jesus Christ and salvation. Listen carefully to be salvation cannot stop short of that or it's not the salvation God planned understood.

It cannot just and with calling that the God just calls and then hopes it cannot end with justification if he justifies, but it never goes beyond that. I just cannot hopes that it gets the glory. No, the plan of God. The purpose of God, the kind intention of his will is that we brought we brought all the way to glory. And then this great phrase conformed to the image of his son. We have been saved and hope it says back in verses 17, 19, 21, and the hope in which we been saved is that some way someday will be like Christ else look at that phrase to become conformed literally means to bring to the same form with this is this is really unimaginable, but this is God's plan. Philippians 320, listen, our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for the Savior Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to this, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory around the world to go do that by the exertion of the power that he has even a subject all things to himself as to how the world is as going to the people asked me if one is question they'll say to me while the word about cremation because house organ of final pieces at the end so that he can give me the glorified body not to worry folks not to worry.

If you're not created just in the grave long enough and will have the same problem because there's disintegration. You see, it's by the same powers. Philippians 3 says it's by the same power that he exerts over everything in the universe. He created the whole universe out of what nothing he is going to grant to us a form like under the glorious body of Jesus Christ. So what is at me world and look like him and be 33 years old and have shoulderlength hair and beard.

No, it's talking about. It's talking about your Holiness, your blamelessness, your righteousness, your spiritual perfection. I don't know all that it means, except to say that you will have a body like unto his glorious body and the only thing we know about his glorious body is what we see in his post-resurrection appearances right he was visible.

It was touchable he could speak he could eat, he could transport himself supernaturally rapidly. He could live in time and space and out of it. He was perfect and sinless and visible only to those to whom he chose to reveal himself, but we're going to be brought into the same form as the resurrection body of Jesus Christ, and in whatever way glorified humanity can be like incarnate deity will be like Christ and it's it's it's a spiritual reality. And yet there will be a glorified body, but the word there conformed to the image. This is interesting images I cone the word icon from it, which is not an icon is a statue is the replica of the word I cone is used in four other verses with a similar reference to Jesus Christ that gritting 3/18 ingredients for four Colossians 115 and Colossians 310 and refers to a purposefully derived likeness not an accidental and when you go about to produce an icon to produce a replica of somebody else is not accidental statue is a replicant and that's exactly what the word conveys. We're going to be in the image of Jesus Christ in that somehow God is going to shape us into a replica of Jesus Christ. We will not be Jesus Christ as a son is not his father, but we will bear the image of Jesus Christ. As in some ways a son is a replica of his father. When God made man made in his image and in his likeness. Genesis 126 but that original image MRG rodeo as it's often called, was defaced and marred by sin, so that that original body had to be discarded in the grave, but there is coming a time and eternal glory. When the intention of God that man would be made in his own image will again be restored. He became one of us that we might become conformed to him. This is an incredible thing. First John three is the familiar premise. Listen verse one see how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, how great is God's love for us this great that we should be called children of God and such. We are for this reason the world doesn't know us, because didn't know him in the world can't recognize children of God didn't even recognize him talking and recognize us. Beloved, I love this verse to now we are children of God.

It is true we are now children of God, but it has not yet appeared as yet what we shall be. This isn't the final image. We know that when he appears, we shall be what like him while the whole plan of salvation is to make us like him inwardly and outwardly in are redeemed and righteous and holy spirit in our glorious, perfect supernatural resurrection body were to be like Christ. We won't be Christ but will be as much like Christ as it is possible for glorified humanity to be like incarnate deity and beloved that is the goal of our salvation. That's what God had in mind before the foundation of the world. That's what God had in mind when he saved us, and that is exactly what is going to happen. Listen to Hebrews 210.

Here it is again. It is Christ, through whom are all things I love this phrase in the middle of verse 10 in bringing many sons to glory.

You see that that again is the point.

The point is, he brings his sons to glory to perfect the author of their salvation.

If Christ doesn't bring many sons to glory. If he doesn't bring us all the way to glory that he is, is not the perfect author of our salvation.

The ultimate purpose than for us is to be glorified. But why does he want this, there's a there's a reason for that. Even there there's a there's a reason or motive behind it back to verse 29 that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Why does one make us like Christ, so that there will be many brethren, among whom Christ will be the firstborn firstborn is the word protonic us and it means the premier one that is not in chronology, it means you, the firstborn was always the most notable child, the one who inherited everything.

The one that the rights and privileges and honors. It's the position of preeminence.

You see, God had a plan and the plan was that there would gather around Christ redeemed humanity made in his image. Who would view him as preeminent, and thus, forever and ever and ever. They would praise and honor and glorify his name. That's why we were saved. Why do we need to be like him, because that allows us not only to praise and honor his name by what we ascribe to him but to reflect that through our likeness, just another way to manifest his preeminence.

See the ultimate goal of the ultimate end of salvation is the glory of the sun, and the glory of the son calls for his preeminence among all redeemed humanity who will see that preeminence in forever and ever and ever glorify the ultimate objective in bringing us to his image is that he may be the most glorious among many who were glorious God wanted holy glorified beings who forever and ever and ever would recognize the majesty and the wonder and the preeminence of his son, just a tremendous concept.

He is the preeminent one among many brethren.

Hebrews 2 says he's not ashamed to call us brothers not marvelous.

We will have an intimate relationship with him, but he will be the chief, he will receive all the praise and all the honor and all the glory. The only glory we will have is that derived from him. The only righteousness we will have is that granted from him. The only beauty and magnificence and are bearing will be because we have his image.

It's an amazing thing. Paul said that God set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through his grace and he called me to this great and that's why Paul would say to the Galatians. I'm not not satisfied until Christ is fully formed and you David said like this. He said II will only be content or satisfied when I awaken by likeness, the central point in the history of redemption is the glory of the sun on display for all eternity before the redeemed saints and angels. He is eternally to be glorified eternally to be exalted. He stands over and above the multitude of the redeemed as their king, priest, prophet and Savior and beloved. That's why even here in this life. For we get there. The object of our life is to glorify Christ as a sly worshiper. Such a priority for us. That's why were not spending our time we come together with foolish thing. And that's why we are doing with trivial things messing around with entertainment and man centered things, but we have been redeemed.

We have been ordained from before the foundation of the world to the end that we would give the preeminence to Christ and that's what we do and until we get to that point we still pursue the goal.

That's Philippians are told that many times.

Philippians 3 a press toward the goal.

What is the goal. The goal is the prize of the upward call with the prize of the upward call Christ likeness. If that's the price of the upward call when I go to glory.

It's the goal in life while I'm here so I pursue Christ likeness here because that's why I was saving the first that's the that's the purpose of salvation, not takes us to the progress of salvation, but I don't have time so will do that next. How does God get us to fulfill this purpose and the progress will go to see in the words for new predestined called justified and glorified will say that next. We thank you father for all that you give to us in the strength of the indwelling spirit for the faithfulness of our great high priest who has been in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Who knows the way of escape, and who intercedes on our behalf, we thank you that nothing can condemn us, for you have declared us just, and there is no higher court.

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, who has already given his life for us.

We thank you that you are bringing through the instrumentation of Jesus Christ.

Many sons to glory, and all that you have chosen. You will call in all that you call will come in all that come Christ receives in all that he receives he keeps in all he keeps.

He raises, we thank you father for the hope of eternal glory and for that glory, we wait till that time when we are made perfect in the purpose for which you called us, the purpose for which you predestined us in the very first place that being we might give the preeminence eternally to Jesus Christ and the perfections of eternal comes to pass, but until that day, may we serve the purpose for which we are being redeemed. Even now, may we exalt Jesus Christ by praise and obedience pray in his great.

Everyone said amen and this is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us.

John is Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary East titled our current study, the grip of God. John, a little more than a month ago we passed a significant milestone.

We didn't say much about it at the time, but we produced our 9000th. Grace to you broadcast and whenever we hit a milestone like that. It reminds me how much is changed in the world since broadcast, number one, but one thing that won't changes are poor commitment to faithfully teaching God's word and giving people tools they can use to study Scripture on their own in one other thing won't changes the Bible's right the word of God is this like the Lord himself the same yesterday today and forever, the word of God endures forever. Not one jot or one tittle shall in any wise pass away, so we're dealing with the timeless, eternal word of God, how wonderful is that there were not try to catch up to new technology with new data. Where were catching up to new technology with the living word of God, which is eternal about that's so wonderful and what that means is that whatever we've done in the past is valid today because the word of God does not change whatever the Bible meant when it was originally written. It still means and will always mean along that line. This might seem like were going in the wrong direction. But in reality it's going to be a fresh and new kind of approach 25 years or so ago we used to put out what were called study guides and they basically took the subjects of the Bible key subjects. The people were interested in and pulled sermons together on those subjects that the little booklets had outlines and study questions and THINK they were really very very popular.

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