Saved, Part 2

Today on Senate life with JD Greer. Faith is not absence of doubt is choosing to rest the hopes of your salvation on Jesus Christ and what he said he did when he got a and you come to him and say I got a lot of questions out of understand everything, but I am hoping what you said is my salvation and I may not understand holders were to go get to heaven with Jesus you are my hope and my Savior is the instrument of salvation is faith and we're excited to be jumping into God's word does need improvement. We need to be saved a life coach to help us start over.

We need a resurrected Savior to raise us from death day pastor JD teaches us the four things we must understand about salvation to really get a hold of the gifts of grace that's joining in Ephesians chapter 2. Probably the largest audited but God but God.

That's it. John stockholders. The two most significant words ever uttered in the English language like colleges with the force of that hit you for a minute you were helpless but not hopeless because hope wouldn't come from inside of you by your ability to help yourself. Hope is going to come from outside of you. When God in mercy, look at you and bared his mighty arm and began the process of salvation. When you were dead in sin, but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us will talk about those fermenting great love some theologians and Christians talk about salvation so coldly and mechanically like us is this doctoral thing that's been worked out, but our salvation was birthed in the love of Jesus Christ for centers that he didn't want to seek thy restoration. William Robert Coleman is a pastor, lived about 50 years ago. Talk about it in his congregation that was a little girl eight-year-old girl who contracted the disease that the doctors believe are going to be fatal. It was some kind of blood disorder disease and they thought was a killer.

They discovered though that her brother who was two years older than her and had the same disease. The year before and had miraculously recovered the doctor I went to the parents. This all happened superfast as it was progressing really quickly and so we went to the parents of the only chance she's got to live as if she can get a blood transfusion from him is a big at the same blood type and if we get is herb his blood get some of the resistant antibodies or whatever. We think that it might save her life. And so they went to the 10-year-old boy and so would you be willing to give your sister a blood transfusion is that so will, of course, I'll do it in and sold your boy goes in the hospital room where his sister is just barely conscious and Robert Coleman says he watches little boy look at her smile to give her a thumbs up and he lay down on the gurney and the doctor took the IV and put it that the needle into his arm and saw the blood begin to come out and he says when he saw that his face is immediately went.

He blanched any means begin to tremble and he started to cry and the doctor is the doctor how long does it take you Helen is that Helen's attack until I die from house and die. What is a blood transceiver take a little bit, little boy going in there thinking that he was basically going to give his blood to his sister so she could live that kind of love is rare and what God is saying is even even show up for assembly. He's showing for his enemies. When we were still in sin, Christ died for us. He gave his love.

It was mercy, rich in mercy, it's a mercy that honestly you and I would never have shown. I know I know we like to flatter ourselves like well if I were God, I just be more merciful to God not to forgive everybody messes what I do that I'm awesome.

I diverse that, bubble that is not true. Every single time every single time without exception that somebody in the Bible is in a situation where you compare their mercy and God's mercy every single time. Jonah, Abraham, David, God is always way more merciful than the human being every single time or I will have more Luther said the reformer. If I was God in the world. He treated me like it is treated him I would take the bow wretched thing. The pieces severed.

It said like this until the gospel seems too good to be true.

You haven't really understood it. It was mercy a mercy that you and I could barely comprehend, but God the greatest words in all the Bible being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us when we were dead in our sins, he made us alive together with Christ. Once there, you see the P the tenses of those verbs tenses in Ephesians are very very important. We were we. He's not talking about something that's continually happening. He's not talking about your made alive by this gradual religious process for you slowly become a good God-fearing person in your church attendance gets more regularly start to read the Bible and you click customers might not talking about that he's talking about something that Jesus did for you all at once in the past on the cross. Jesus became your sin. He died a sinner's death. He was treated by God, like he was a follower of Satan.

He was treated by God like a son of disobedience.

He was treated like a child of wrath, because he was bearing our sin in our place so that we could be made alive together with him. Sometimes people wanted like why did Jesus have to die for us to be forgiven by a metal gift for your mom forgive you. I will make you like kill your cat you noted to do that. Why would God need Jesus to die in order to be able to forgive us. Why can't I just wipe the slate clean back all right you blow the whistle or by back in the bowl. Everybody in all skate on Sandra. What did he do that if you like this you know say that you borrowed my car and got you wrecked total. You come back to me in your super sorry about its warm options are.

I can make you pay for. If you refuse to pay for me. I don't know maybe I could take you to court if I forgave you what I just agreed to do just made the car at Galway. I haven't just automatically erase the damage if I forgive you for writing my car. What I have done is a basically said that I will absorb the cost that you incurred. Also bit into myself and I'll pay for the damage to the car.

That's what forgiveness is. Forgiveness is absorbing the effects of sin. When Jesus Christ got him across this was God himself saying you send I'll take the effect I'm going to give you mercy. I'm not going to repay you for your sin I am going to absorbed the cost of your sin and I'm going to give you life in its place, which is why, around here we say that you can summarize the gospel in four words Jesus in my place you live the life that I was supposed to live the perfect light and many died the death that had been condemned to die in my place while we say Jesus did not merely die for us.

Jesus died instead of us. Paul continues verse six and then God raised us up with him and seated on easy past tense is he seen it already. He seated us with him in the heavenly places did not will see this one day but has seated us past tense in the heavenly places in God's eyes. I am already seated with Christ at the place of honor around God's throne. I could not be in a higher place in heaven closer to God. The athletic event you see people about the really awesome seat you like to know to get in there. I am already in the greatest place in the world I'm seated in the very best place I could not be in a higher place, modify give $1 billion of the church not operate for four hours every day, none of a visit every country in a mission trip not about when an entire decade never sin could be literally put me in Jesus and see you know what kind of confidence that gives you in life. Listen, I'm sure heaven as Jesus is my say that people sometimes I will like how arrogant is that you think you are. You figure that righteous, no, that's old boy. Jesus was that righteous and he paid my sin debt in its entirety. We traded places and now I'm going to have them on his account, not mine, and by the way already. Already I experienced the benefits of that privilege when I go to God in prayer. I know that God hears me as if I were Jesus, that's why we end our prayers by saying in Jesus name we will put that at the end like a signal to God that were almost 9 that's not what we say in Jesus name of the end of the prayer. What were saying we say that is. I know that I'm gone. I'm praying from his seat on Bay am praying based on his record.

Not my own. Sometimes what happens is when I come to God in prayer. I tend to start thinking that he's going to hear me based on how well I've lived in the how you are such that was about to come in the church and we start praying, if I say sometimes I had an awesome week not to believe sometimes it's been awesome. I'm about everyday share price of three people I unit was super nice.

My wife even when she was a jerk to me. I was really patient with my kids. I just did awesome and I can just feel the pleasure of God all over me on like this under the God in heaven is like man I love being with a guy like I can just ask him anything and he'll be out sure Sherman look at your weaker ego right and then what happens is a drop manner. You have a bad week and bad week is united in holy remote Bible and I deleted by the cries of Micah cut the few people outnumber them. Further, Jesus will know something about him, by car, and then my wife is nice me and I was a jerk to her not take the dog in my dogs never thought that it was as bad and I come in and what you do you sort in the worst time you can light you sorta like she start making promises to God better next week okay insight on what God I need some stuff from you but I want to try to buy my credit will tell you what an awesome week I'm going to have next week and then I want you to answer my prayers. Based on that is both of those are basically saying you'll understand where God is already seated you in the heavenly places. Because when you come to pray you're not praying based on your record, good or bad.

Sit in his seat. Based on his record unity in your phrasing Jesus that what you're saying is, and the reason I expect you to hear this prayer for me is because I fasted for 40 days this this week in the wilderness and resisted Satan to his face and then I have so much faith that I walked on water and then when they crucified me a slick event on the cross as a father forgive them.

They know not what they did. That's why think you should hear me. In Jesus name, amen. Because I am literally praying from his place with his position. I couldn't get higher because his became a West describe the kid sometimes is a report card. You really report on unsecured passport and where you want to go to college and she got good grades you want to go to college.

Imagine you want to get into Harvard University if you had bees in season 750 on a 1600 scale me SATA united in our right. What say that you had the ability somehow the have the smartest person in the world who had ever lives. You gotta appear not to 1600, the SAT, they give Micah 2000 because you finished it in 10 minutes you're so extra point you got a perfect SAT score never missed a single question on any task that you ever take it and that one becomes yours that is the entry that you're going to use to get into Harvard you're going and no questions asked what God says is I may, Jesus sin who knew no sin, so that you could become his righteousness.

So you could expect heaven based on his record and not your birthday. Paul is going to begin his great summary of the gospel versus you should memorize. For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not even have your own doing is the gift of God is not a word so that nobody should boast.

Therefore, things will point out you really quickly.

There are four crucial things we do understand about salvation. You see the basis of it. The instrument a result of it and the confidence comes from ready to go number one. The basis of salvation is grace noticed this by grace you have been sick.

That is passive. You have been saved means is being done to you, you're not saving yourself you not gradually getting better. You have been say and the basis of that was grace. Grace means that it was based on nothing good or meritorious about you. It was a gift of God not a reward for good behavior now because you are less bad or had a good heart, had great potential for me promises to God. It's not even by the way what just it's not even a reward for having faith she on his word. This right here. This, in the Greek language is hard to explain in English but I'm this where it is in the sentencing Greek was a point back to what is the best that it's referring to in this is not of yourself, where it is in the sentence it points to this word saved and it points to that word faith. This is not salvation is not for you and the faith by which you lay hold of salvation is not from you, even the faith itself was a gift of God is like. We've looked at. Throughout this series right Ephesians 1 God is the one that shows you.

God is the one that drew you got is the one that awakened you got is the one that put it in your heart to believe God is the one who gave you the ability to choose God woke you up in the ambulance and just said I'm saving you and let you consent to him. That's basically what the salvation process was is by grace understand that you say menu for salvation. Probably this guy was drowning in a sea of my own sin. Jesus pulled up alongside is that the Coast Guard Jesus only drowning Cindy threw me a life preserver and he pulled me into the boat and rescued me and save me hallelujah that sounds awesome.

It's not the gospel. The gospel is that when Jesus pulled up his costar boat. You were face down, you will ground you were dead and he reached out he picked you up out of the water. He put you in the boat. He breathed into your lungs.

The breath of eternal life and he resurrected you. It is by grace from start to finish. Number two the instrument of salvation is faith.

The instrument of salvation is faith also is by grace we been saved if they notice any descriptions are so confused about this up on it and think faith is like this general religious feeling. That's something to get stronger throughout their life. It's your confidence and help for sure you are that Jesus is true and and that's really not what it is. There, this is really important. Get this faith is the instrument faith is the hand that simply lays hold of Jesus is all that is is to handily hold the best picture of this is in the Old Testament role the best pictures are when we brought a lamb to sacrifice for your sense to bring this lamb.

You take it up to the altar and the priest reported on the altar and then what you do if you take your hand and even reach it out and you would put it on the head of this lamb and you begin to confess your sinfulness and as you confess your sinfulness with your hand in this lamb. The priest would take the knife and cut the throat of the Lamb and the blood would drain out and what will the hand was showing was that your sinfulness was being transferred onto this innocent lamb.

That's faith.

When you become a Christian. Watch all that happens is you reach out to the Lamb of God with the hand of your heart and say I believe that you died for me. I believe that you came for me. I believe there's nothing I can do to save myself and I am transferring the guilt of my sin onto your head and I'm resting in you and Jesus you are my blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. You see people ask questions I out of my faith is strong enough to be say IEEE that Indian testable question is how like I'm edging a tribes person and you got a Harvard PhD aeronautical engineer motion on the tarmac runway transfers and little is never seen a plate there is anything electronic in their booklet to this huge claim and the tribes person has never seen them think life has no concept of how something that they could fly the aeronautical engineer not only knows that he can fly, he could build .40 well, the moment comes for you to get on the plane and because this tribes person has a friend that he trusts the tribesman with all these doubts and with all this confusion gets up on the plane and the smog Harvard PhD stands on the tarmac plane takes off. Now what you have got one tie filled with doubt soaring through the air. You got another guy filled with understanding, standing on the ground to get to the destination, not the guy who knew everything but the God who chose to get on the plane. Faith is not absence of doubt, faith is choosing to rest the hopes of your salvation on Jesus Christ and what he said he did when he died on the cross and you come to him and say I got a lot of questions out of understand everything, but I am hoping in what you said today is my salvation and I may not understand how all this works until I get to heaven.

But Jesus you are my hope when you're my Savior. That's the instrument of salvation is faith. Number three. The result of salvation is good works. The result of salvation's good work for we are his workmanship.

All said for Christ, created in Christ Jesus for good works for good works were not saved by good works, but the faith that saves will always produce good works because when God saves you unites you to Christ and he begins to infuse his power into you. It is inconceivable that you could encounter power of the grace of God in the infusion of the Holy Spirit and not become a person who just does good works everywhere you go. Adding a described like this before and imagine I was late for church and Tom came worship team was done and I'm not here and so like McGivern place more songs and have a prayer time test that I come. Okay, so I can mileage I'm so sorry I'm late believe this. I was now time probably try to get here and as I was getting my car a grand piano fell on my head. It was like like a cartoon like 10 stories out there born about pulling a broken limb on my head. Master me in the ground you know like broken everywhere.

It hurts just short for my car window cleaning up to get to help Annetta fill the road and then I got my card review at limelight.

Your response to me. Liar, liar, because there's no way you get a grand piano dropped on your head and show up here church look like you look you got hit with that kind of force a Grampian from 10 stories look different. You taught different. You want different.

Everything about you. Be different balls. I get that's that's what I mean when talking about the gospel your essay by good works, but a faith that saves will always produce good works with how could you access this kind of power in this kind of grace, and not have it radically transform your life. How could you understand and believe the gospel, and not love Jesus. How could you say you love Jesus and still willfully commit the very things that put him on the cross you want. Let me in the face and tell me all you I love Jesus I believe you sent me for mail and I continue to practice the things that I know. Put him on the cross and send other people to help your say by faith alone with the faith that saves is never alone. It always comes with good works. You not save a good works with your Savior, do good works, number four, never to see the confidence of salvation. That confidence is a will got started. He's going to finish all of this was for we are his workmanship that were designed, created prices for good works, which God prepared beforehand. Prepare before him. He's predestined to be to God is only laid out a good works about the opportunity he told he provided the resources you need to go do those good works.

He's already predestined them all happen so you can confident that what God has chosen you for what it should be a good husband to be good dad there is to get off the drugs, whether it's to have up the order provided all the things that are necessary and you just gotta go walk in it. Here's the other thing alone but here we are his workmanship workmanship are literally in Greek the word Poway not point where we get our word poem.

We are God: we are a poll on the got his writing and God is writing a beautiful poem and poems that I don't and are not beautiful poems. So what what what what Paul is saying to you, you were this thing that God is writing for his glory's beauty and what got started.

He's gonna finish what the owner the place this word right here is used in the Bible is also Genesis 1, talking about creation. That creation was God's workmanship, think about creation for a minute God spoke into the expanse of nothing and he created everything and start the raw materials, nothing, and he spoke light and life into nothingness. When God saves you, he took a righteousness that did not exist and you he took a life that was absent from you, and he spoke it into being and start with raw materials inside are still some good left and I he started with death, and he said I must speak life in righteousness, and the same powers that spoke the universe into existence began to go to work creating righteousness, and you and my friends. The darkness in your soul is no more able to resist the transforming, creating powers of God in the darkness of the world was able to resist the sunrise. He chose you, he purchased you by his blood. He works in you now through his power can start this process, you're not sustaining this process you not looking to you to finish this process.

He committed himself from start to finish, he is going to finish what he started. And you me that all you have to do is yielding yourself Jesus and let him do these things through you. Christianity is often tell you is not about you doing anything for God is about letting Christ do everything through you to see what he's done he's looking you up in the ambulance is walking up in the ambulance is not asking you to help them save you. Will you let him say to see if you'll say yes to him and he's gonna seat you right now in this moment in the heavenly places in Christ and is immediately gonna start processing unit that can never be stopped, not by hell itself. Do you know for sure that you have trusted Christ the Savior. You let him have control of your life you let this rescue process start, if not in right now you can do it by simply reaching the hand of your heart. Often late and on the head of Jesus and say yes I surrender and I believe in you can just say yes and in that very moment, she will forgive your sins, you will put new life in you. You will see join the heavenly places, and he will start a process that not even hell itself offered foundation. Personally, you can do it right now received the gift of salvation for yourself or listening to pastor and author JD Greer.

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