A Three-Fold Cord

You feel secure in your salvation. Listen to Adrian Rogers novels this thing we have whole salvation is a wonderful thing but it is even more great to know that we can be saved and know that were cited that not only can we know that were saved, but we can also know beyond a shadow of a doubt if we are saved, we can never lose our salvation is one of that not only does he save us by his grace he keeps us by his grace and what keeps us with what he binds us to himself with his are threefold: welcome to the line featuring the dynamic lessons in teaching Adrian Rogers as we just heard children of God have the privilege of knowing not only that were say we could never lose that salvation God has saved us by his grace and he keeps us bound to himself with the threefold cord that cannot be broken. Ephesians chapter 1 describes the threefold cord of the holy Trinity of the father the son and the Holy Spirit. If you have your Bible turn there now is Adrian Rogers begins this message threefold cord Ephesians chapter 1 and verse two grace you and peace from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ bless God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he has purpose in himself that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated, according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ in whom he also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that you believe ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession of the praise of his glory. Amen slums in his head highly legal role. He can't stop talking about what we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. As I read that the youth you if you were trying to pay attention, you can keep up.

You can digest that sentence and it is just turn the words after one and then use a well on his listening buddies rattling all words and I can stay up and I can keep up. So what were going to go do is we go to backup. Now we can look at it in three divisions and actually what you have here is a hymn of praise to the Trinity look in verse eight he speaks of God the father and then he says to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein it made us accepted in the beloved very speaking about God the father and then look in verse 12 that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ and there is talk about God the son because he thought about what God the son has done and again he says to the praise of his glory, and then look if you will, in verse 14 he speaks of the Holy Spirit, who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of his glory. So he says. Praise to the father praise to the son, and praise to the holy ghost and you have a hymn of praise to the Trinity and he talks about what God the father has done in our salvation. He talks about what God the son has done in our salvation.

He talks about what God the Spirit has done in our salvation out. First of all, let's see that our salvation has been planned by the fall. RIP has been planned by the father.

Look, if you will, in verse three Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Now this tells us that God the father planned our salvation before he laid the foundations of the world before he slung this planet into space before he scooped out the season heaped up the mountain, slung out the sun, moon and the stars. It was in the mind of God.

Verse four. He had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world you talk about old time religion. Folks, that's old time religion. God is love and love is not content to live alone so we have been shows we been shows in verse five says we have been predestined are predestinated now. A lot of people get bent out of shape by this job not to get bent out of shape by this, you ought to get blessed by your cedar friend that God has chosen you to be safe about pay much attention.

This does not mean that God chose one center above another center, but what it does mean that God had you in his heart and in his mind, before the foundation of the world don't get the idea that some people are predestined to go to hell and some people are predestined to go to heaven don't get that idea if you get that idea dear friend and you think it all through is going to give you some strange thoughts.

Indeed, I believe in a sovereign God who has chosen us, but I also believe there is not a man not a woman not a boy not a girl on planet Earth. The God that wants a guy believe that anybody comes to the Lord Jesus Christ can be safe. No one is chosen to be lost if men are lost, it is because they will not come to Christ make that plane Jesus did not simply die for the elect. He died for the sins of the world first John chapter 2 and verse two he is the propitiation five sands and not for ours only but for the whole world or the sands of the world.

He died for the sins of the whole world and goblins, all people say Scripture first Timothy two verses three and four for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth God wills that everybody be safe I Dan Peter says in second Peter chapter 3 in verse nine, the Lord is not willing that any should bear, but that all a double L should come to repentance. All right, the Holy Spirit of God convicts every man that's what the Holy Spirit does. The Bible says Christ is not like the light of every man that cometh into the world and therefore everybody is invited to come to Jesus.

Now the death of Jesus, therefore, is sufficient for all, but it is only efficient for those who believe God's chosen us.

But God gives everyone an invitation to come to Christ and we can only choose him because he first chose us. Thank God for that. Now, that is, is when he choses when he chose this was before the foundation of the world. Why did he choose us look in verse four according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that, in order that we should be holy and without blame before him and love the greatest miracle in the world is not walking on water, changing water into wine is dear friend taking a hell bound center and transforming him and making him holy and blameless Nellis window to select this before the foundation of the world.

Why did he choose us that we should be holy and blameless. Wherefore, therefore, has he choses will look in verse five it even gets better having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Now the it says here that were chosen before the world and then predestinated to be like the Lord Jesus, I Dan predestination is not saying from eternity that this man will go to heaven and the other man goes to hell.

Predestination says that those who trust the Lord Jesus are going to be like the Lord Jesus. Now predestination teaches me on the authority of the word of God that because he chose me and because I have trusted him. It is settled for ever that I'm going to be like the Lord Jesus Christ and friend that settles the question of my security. I mean, if I am predestinated under the adoption of children. I mean, if I am predestinated to be adopted into the family of God, tell me what to install. What can stand in the way nothing. I am predestinated I been chosen to be like the Lord Jesus.

Now I am predestinated here to the adoption of sons look at that we are spiritually born into the family of God that deals with our position in Christ.

But we are legally adopted into the family of God. And that deals with our privileges in Christ now are we born into the family of God are adopted into the family. God both now we are spiritually born and we are legally adopted into the family of God and therefore because he has done this to the praise of his glory.

Verse six says he has made us accepted in the blood that you think about your salvation you been chosen in the past predestined to the future and accepted in the present is where your you are accepted in the blood. Now is the beloved Jesus when Jesus was baptized by God the father say this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Now why am I accepted before God the father, I am accepted in the below about therefore, how much does God love me you will disagree with this medley. At first, but I want them as God loves you and me and us. He loves us as much as he loves Jesus I let that sink in. Is a pastor that's too hard to take. He couldn't possibly love anything as much as he loves his own son.

Let me give you verse of Scripture. John 17 verse 23 Jesus said I am them thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou has sent me not listen to this and has loved them as thou has loved me. He loves you like.

He's loves his own son, the Lord Jesus a you are accepted in the below. You are a part of the body of Christ and therefore if God loves his son. He certainly loves his son's body and God loves his son's body has to love you because you are the body of Christ we are in all how you phrase the glory of his grace.

Now that's the first core. Your salvation has been planned by God the father before the foundation of the world. But not only has it been planned by God the father, but it has been purchased by God the son now begin to read in verse seven, in whom the love, in whom, in Jesus, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath bounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which it purposed in himself that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated, according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ and then verse 14 he speaks of the earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of his glory and our salvation is been planned by the father and purchased by the sun, purchased by the sun is illicit. We were children. Slaves was a slave of Satan.

He sold his inheritance to Satan. He sold his birthright to Satan but Jesus redeemed us with his blood we have. First of all, been freed by his blood, look in verse seven, in whom we have redemption, that is, he bought his back with his blood, we have come from sinful slaves do saintly silence.

Thank God for the blood but not only are we freed by his blood, wherefore given by his grace. The Bible says according to the riches of his grace.

Now the word forgive means to carry away the carry weight in the Old Testament they had what they called scapegoats you for this. The phrase today a scapegoat. Actually, they had two goats on the day of atonement, the high priest would take one go lay his hands on the head of that go and confess the sins of the people, and then he would lay his hands on the head of the other goat and confess the sins of the people in one goat would be killed and the blood of that one goat would be sprinkled on the mercy seat in the tent of meeting, the tabernacle and then the other goat would be led away into the wilderness and he would be carried far far away and turned loose to be lost forever in the wilderness. What was God showing by that God was showing that our sands redeemed by the blood are carried away, never, never to be brought back again.

Now listen, this is the grace of God that does this, in whom we have forgiveness verse seven says that the Lord given us our sins look we freed by his blood, wherefore given by his grace, but is not finished with us yet we are filled with his wisdom, look in verse eight, wherein he bounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which it purposed himself a post God, the great God of the universe because were saying gives us his mind.

We have an insight into the things of God. God has eternal purpose and we are part of that E eternal purpose that your insider you know what God is doing with only the Saints can understand our existence here on earth everybody else. History is a mystery. Only the Saints know the true now God's plan concerns us, but it centers in Jesus. The only limiting what God is up to look in verse 10 years.

What is the word means that in the dispensation. That means that in the plan of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him know what God is saying is this, that one day in the last glorious age in the dispensation of the fullness of times God is going to bring everything in the harmony at that time the world is going to be free from stress right now were all stressed up and nowhere to go but in the fullness of time, everything is going to harmonize it. According to verse 10 this coming a time when everything is going to be in tune with these people know what the world is coming to is coming to Jesus.

Everything is going to be in tune with Jesus. Now you think about it. If everything is in tune with Jesus that everything will be in tune with one another. All of this is because what the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and God lets us in on that. But not only are we filled with his wisdom. We also fixed with his wealth.

Look, you will now in verse 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory first trusted in Christ.

One day the riches of his grace. What we enjoy now will turn to the riches of his glory. It's absolutely certain idea uses the word predestinated can't be stopped is a threefold cord. He talks about what God the father's they talks about what God the son has with his own blood. And then he talks about what God the Spirit has done.

Now listen our salvation plan by the father purchased by the sun, preserved by the spirit. I want you want to see what Paul is saying here, and God the Holy Spirit is saying. He moves now into the third area praise in this hymn of praise to the Trinity in home after you trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that you believe you are sealed with that Holy Spirit prompts to get strong. Here's the threefold cord that now preserved by the spirit you are CEO with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance. You know what the earnest word earnest means.

It means played your down payment on until the redemption of the purchased possession onto the praise of his glory. Now what does this verse mean what it says here that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

What all this is doing here is now using a legal term and EEs mainly all the way through here. One is talking about the adoption in all of this in the inheritance and all that how we know that all of this is true and how we know is sure well we know is predestined. When it was planned by God the father.

We know it's purchased by God the son, and now we know it is preserved by God. The spirit forgot the spirit becomes the seal and the earnest the pledge the down payment now in Bible times when a seal was put on the document admits everything number one admit there has been a finished transaction number two. It means ownership has been transferred, and number three.

It means the document is secure it ashore and therefore the seal is put upon now close when you and I got saved. It simply means is a finished transaction. Jesus paid it all is a purchased possession of purchased possession okay. It also means that now we belong to him that we are adopted illegally into his family ownership is there and it means because the sealers put their that it is fixed it ashore. I want to understand what you have in Jesus your salvation plan. Father chosen him before the foundation of the world your salvation just by the sun with his own blood in the Bible calls it in verse 14 a purchased possession and then it is preserved by the spirit that he uses another term not only a ceiling but uses in verse 14.

The earnest of the spirit you what this word earnest means. It means a down payment. Now the Holy Spirit that you have in your heart to see you as you and the Christ is also the earnest, the play age that one day our Lord is coming back first purchased possession. Okay, that's what it means, I mean. He's coming for me why he's got so much invested in it. I did put the down payment in my Outlook. Here's a word that I love whole lot of blessed word. This is look at it. Verse 14 which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption, not if, but unto just put a circle around that word until not until the purchased possession and again he says onto the praise of his glory.

He mentions what God the father did and then verse six he says he did it to the praise of his glory. He mentions what God the son bid and then in verse 12 he said to the praise of his glory. Many mentions one God, the spirit does verse 14 he says the praise of his glory and friend of we don't crazy what I'm grateful we are for this great salvation we have in the Lord Jesus let everything that has breath praise the Lord more threefold cord that cannot be broken. What a powerful message about the assurance we can have of our salvation. Today you have questions regarding your faith you're not sure, we'd love to offer you an insightful resource Center website it. Sarah discovered Jesus page you find answers you may need about your faith, we have a response section there as well share your testimony or how this message has made a difference in your life go to LWF.org/radio and click the tab at the top it says Discover Jesus after like to order a copy of today's message.

You can call 1877 love God and mentioned the title a threefold cord or you can order online@lwf.org/radio or write to us at love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183. If you're a Christian, your salvation is found in a threefold cord that cannot be broken if you recognize that you are chosen by God the father figure and fellowship with Jesus Christ and sealed the Holy Spirit. Thank you for studying in God's word and join us next time. For more for me right unless word find.

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