Ambushed by Goodness, Part 2

Paul is referring here to a brand new birth, a new beginning. See you had one birth was physical as you need. Now, by means of the Holy Spirit to experience a second birth which is spiritual. That transaction will you understand the gospel and say Lord I want you to say me is the moment of that new birth that Genesis in your life, salvation, God offers through Christ is an amazing gift that frees from the guilt and the way God delivers the salvation you as described in God's word is grace. But God's grace comes to you in sudden and surprising ways. It's as if God ambushes you with his grace today on wisdom from the heart. Stephen data concludes a message. He began last time he's looking at the grace and goodness of God this lesson from the series called remarkable Christianity is called ambushed by goodness to remarkable Christianity, which happens to be the genuine item delivers the truth of this remarkable redemption it's paid in full by Jesus Christ himself, with no help from us.

No help from us.

Paul writes the same progression to the Ephesian church, he says, among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. God there it is again.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved. That's how he saved us can't begin to tell you how thrilling it is the clarify the gospel.

Certainly, from this pulpit but in individual meetings and just this past week to meet with a couple in their mid to late 60s and attending a greenhouse class of incoming since this past Christmas suite. He said to me as we met in my office. He said you know I wasn't raised in a church that talked about the gospel and in certain never use the word saved, he said, but I hear that a lot around here and that he so to speak, my interest, he set up and going back to the New Testament, and he says I'm seeing that word saved all over the place. I explained what the word meant gospel of Christ alone would redeem us. He bowed his head and prayed in his own words, Lord Jesus, I am asking you right now to save 68 years old to reflect Christianity does not give any of us room to gloat, but God has given us all eternity to be grateful whenever remarkable Redeemer.

Secondly, we have been given a remarkable redemption.

Thirdly, we are under a remarkable reconstruction. Notice the middle part of verse five, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

So that being justified by his grace and continues on, let's stop you just unpack that particular part of his sentence by the washing of regeneration, there are those who would say that the ordinance of baptism saves or sort like the last thing you not really saved until you do that, they spilled a lot, Inc. over the fact that you can't become a Christian until you been baptized that our sister Aaron was not completely saved, it wasn't really fully ratified until she was as my son said don't under the water well all you have to do is read the phrase and noticed the agent doing the baptizing would you notice that, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the college pastor away, to say the senior pastor. No, not even close. Who is doing the action who's doing the baptizing. The Holy Spirit is the agent which means this is a reference to an internal spiritual cleansing of the heart, pictured externally after the fact by water baptism that God takes for a moment the argument of those who believe in baptismal regeneration that is yet to be baptized to be saved and I'll take one portion of their argument, which I agree with that in the mind of the apostles and in the early church was no such thing as a non-baptized believer one followed the other. They couldn't even conceive of such a thing. Why would anybody follow Jesus Christ and not want identify through the ordinance. He instituted which pictures identification with his death, burial and resurrection. So this is why I get nervous in front of people. I understand that I like public speaking understand that I want to be seen on my hair all wet and a 5000 people to understand what water gets up my nose or something, but if they forget to bring me back down this in the physical demonstration of of Washington, which illustrates the internal act of cleansing is wonderful.

Let's not back the physical into the spiritual and redefine regeneration because if we do, we have added something we do for God in order to be saved and we were just told it isn't anything we could do. Not the best thing we could do saves us effective you have to be baptized in order to be saved, you're actually going to have to depend on somebody to baptize you, which means not your depending on another human being would be then show up.

The word Paul uses here for washing is not bad to so that to which means to immerse but lutes Ron it's a reference to a bath that's spiritual internal bath and we use it for an external bath, the kind you take on Saturday night.

Whether you needed or not right. That's how vile we are. We don't need a little washing. We don't need him to take our heart, just maybe, spot clean here and there. We need the entire thing entirely clan.

They tell vile and sinful. We are the Holy Spirit gave us the whole bath with means. I remember when my son and his twin brother were about four years of age we live in a house that had a real wood burning fireplace in stone fireplace in the outback behind the house about to 2 feet from ground the back of the chimney was a little iron door open that and you could shovel the ashes out rather conveniently. It was now summertime and I hadn't cleaned it up from the winter while our twin sons found that little gate what you think they did. They considered it an open door from God. What they did. They through action to the air, they threw it all over each other. They covered each other with the ashes and my wife said honey would you call the boys for supper and I said sure. I stepped out on the deck and I saw aliens from outer space, big eyes looking up at me, you know, under layers of spirit covered from head to toe and I would like it. I call boys and Marty got Marcy getting about to commence.

I wanted her to see the kids doing something I had not put them up to that was important. She walked out his use of goodness. When we going to do giving them away, but she wouldn't go for that.

I'm sure I 70 take her out and got the garden hose and I literally closed them down had them take off their clothes all the way down to their Batman underwear and mean it was just just soaked good.

They thought it was great by the way, is this a good day or what, but I wasn't about to let them in the house nor with their mother until they were perfectly clean. The idea here, the other that the only other time this word washing appears in the New Testament. The only other time is by the apostle Paul when he refers to the bathing of the water of the word in the Bible are just spot clean us we we need a total reconstruction. This is the spiritual truth of a deep cleansing in the Holy Spirit is the agent whose effectively by means of the truth of the word hosing us down. There are three other words I want to point out quickly that are important to his argument here is, he refers to the genuine item. The word regeneration. The word renewing a renewal and the word justified or justification regeneration renewal justification. We talked for a moment about regeneration in early means to have another birth. From this we get the idea. What Jesus Christ was saying in John three when he said you must be what born again the word is a compound word pollen for again and the Genesis.

Genesis the book of Genesis and when is the book of beginnings, it means beginning beginning again. Another beginning close referring here to a brand new birth, a new beginning. You see, you've had one birth I was physical. Paul says you need now by means of the Holy Spirit to experience a second birth which is spiritual.

That transaction where you understand the gospel and say Lord I want you to save me is the moment of that new birth that Genesis in your life.

So to get into heaven born twice and you life has invaded you either at conception, which I believe is the beginning of life or at spiritual conception by means of the spirit of God. No wonder Satan then has counterfeited this idea going all the way back in the Old Testament days.

The counterfeit of the idea of animal sacrifice of atonement and in the meaning of good works and he's he's he's at counterfeited the idea of spiritual death and spiritual resurrection long before Paul delivered the fuller and final declaration of the gospel that all the Old Testament look forward to and we look forward to. That is the sufficient act of Christ on the cross for our redemption. The heart of man energized by the deceiver is blinded. Her mind gives them not gets kernels of truth to study the mystery religions and you'll see them. For instance, one Mr. religion required their followers to go to a ceremony where they dug a pit to represent a symbolic grave and over the pit they placed beams in the lattice type fashion they they put that the novice there in the pit and then they kill the bull collected the blood and they dripped the blood through the lattice down onto the head of this individual. And then after they were finished they move the lattice when they brought the person he came up out visit were the grave and they considered him newly born resurrected and they even gave him a glass of milk to signify that he was now a babe sound familiar. The Stoics would use the word regeneration to refer to the planet.

They believe that the planet every 3000 years would be completely burned. The Mayans were the first to come up with the idea of the prediction of the end of the world.

All of these all these mystery religions and cults illustrated recent got a new birth a new birth of the planet, a new birth of people whenever an and in the street to meet with the apostle Paul said in second 73 seven. They are constantly learning their their circling their gathering kernels of truth, but they are never able there never able to come to the knowledge of the truth and get the full picture. God alone created the heavens and the earth.

God alone brings about the new Genesis in your life, as he will the new earth and the new heaven.

For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 116 if any man be in Christ he is a new creature segment is 570 listen. Regeneration is not turning over a new leaf. It is the birth of a by means of the Holy Spirit to all who come by faith in Christ alone. Now Paul refers to another key word here uses one and I want to focus on. This is the word renewal. He says we also are renewed. Verse five by the Holy Spirit that only is the regeneration there is renewal. Here's the difference, regeneration or rebirth as a moment in time renewal is a lifetime regeneration is like a once-in-a-lifetime bath renewal.

It is like a daily shower. Paul writes to the Corinthians, the inward man is being renewed day by day, Paul uses the same word again in Romans chapter 12 verse two rewrites do not be conformed to this world only pressure you into its mold to do it every day to try instead be transformed by here is renewing of your mind that is your mind and surrenders to the truth of the word. It's it's under reconstruction, so to speak. Justification is the third word appointment. Another keyword notice universe five by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, verse six to be poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior service to the being justified by his grace stop there were regenerated, renewed and justified by the wailing on just a brief rabbit trail here to tell you that this one sentence from the apostle Paul gives us a wonderful text on the Trinity. If anyone asks you for text revealing the activity.

The Trinity is a great gift God our Savior, no verse four any of the Holy Spirit, verse five, and now verse six. You have Jesus Christ you also haven't have a wonderful text on the quality of the sun with the father equally divine. Paul refers to God as our Savior, God the father.

Verse four.

Any refers to Jesus Christ as our Savior for six if God the father is our Savior, or is it Jesus Christ our Savior while you're out or were told the agent involved in the active regeneration of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit in our Savior once they have the answer.

All three is yes, yes, salvation is the perfect work of cooperation between God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit back to the idea of justification. It's that part of the transaction over new birth were God, the judge declares us righteous because the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to our account. It is in infused over time Roman Catholic theology.

It is imputed at one the account of Jesus Christ is fully sufficient in his once for all sacrifice to pay for the record of sins we've committed against him. It's as if, then, in this world, which is a legal word that God the father is a judge's got his gallon on cattle in his hand. He sees all of the evidence of our sin presented to him. He brings his gavel down and suddenly there's no more record of any sin to our account. It's more than just simply being freed. It's having your penalty erased from your biography record of your record infected spotless meals for this.

What several years ago I was driving on the Speedway in the freeway in another city.

I was going 6 miles an hour faster than I thought I was. I was riding a borrowed vehicle. The wheels were larger than the original factory wheels and the calibration was often that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Actually, actually did have it calibrated because I was mystifying and then truly not. That was 6 miles over, but the point is, instead of going 70 miles an hour. I was going 76 miles an hour, which is really bad because I just entered the Township where the speed limit dropped from 65 to 55 and I know you're thinking, what were you doing doing.

71. That's that's a part of my illustrations or quit interrupting okay. Obviously, I was in trouble and think I was pulled over, going 21 miles over the speed limit. So I decided to go back to court and pay the fine. Hopefully keep my insurance from skyrocketing and I stood in line at the courtroom. This little town was interesting was the classroom and and the judge's bench was a folding table and had stacks of files sit in front of him and an assistant in was wearing a robe or anything and that he was the judge and so I stood in line there with all all the other a race car drivers who did show nothing, and he eventually called my name asked me if I was in the driving that fasten and had a calibrated so the right thing. Anyway, as he said well he just scribbled something say anything to me.

Just writing. They looked up to me and he said to do your big favor will thank you sir didn't know what he meant and and II would learn later it was up a prayer for judgment and keep it off my my record. I prepared the fine treaty was right and handed it to me and he said I am I'm doing you a big favor I consider word other than again said thank you sir I paper and walked to the edge of classroom open the door and was about to walk and he hollered after me. I am doing you a big favor me tell you something doing me a big favor was wonderful thing, but doing me a big favor and declaring me righteous are two different things.

You don't get in your mind doesn't going to be big favor just got you were probably some kind a loophole prayer for judgment or whatever you can do that once every seven years of exceeded my limit and I know that for sure that's what I can tell you, but that's how we got does see. In order for the judge to actually justify me he would have said you committed a crime.

Yes or to take this police report, no erasure name and I want to write my name in your place, then I'll pay the fine and I'll add the penalty to my record and I'll pay the insurance and you can have my spotless driving record because I've never broken the law. That's how Paul finds this doctoral concept eroded to the Colossians. This way, listen when you were dead in your transgressions.

I like the way he says that thing with this week. Your dead your dead your deep trouble. He got the judge made you alive together with him having this forgiven us all our transgressions.

We got that. He goes on having sold out. The certificate of dad's consisting of decrees against us. That is your criminal history and he has taken it out of the way how having nailed it to the cross, God switch the names on the rap sheet. Christ's name was written on top of the volume of all your sins and mine. Jesus Christ becomes the condemned criminal. He pays the eternal find, being eternal son and he attributes to us his perfect record rights are name on top of that, because he never broke the law that is justification. He took our vileness and gave us his virtue.

He took our perversion and attributed to us his purity. He took our record of sin and gave us his record of sinlessness. We have been ambushed by the grace of God. That's not all. Paul has one more thing to say the very end.

Not only do we have a never remarkable Redeemer, a remarkable road of redemption were under a remarkable reconstruction. Fourthly, he tells us we been promised a remarkable reward.

Paul writes here in verse seven, so that being justified, we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life, and if you're an older believer going yeah yeah I know that with the second. We have been made Royal errors.

This errors tense indicates its hours in Fulton now bestowed upon us when we were saved but yet we will fully experience it. One day, so right now you might be walking around the earth feeling like a peasant, your king or queen, you have been made in error already. It's yours. It'll just be given to you in the coming kingdom. So think of it this way, we are not only citizens of the coming kingdom of God. We are co-owners of more than we can imagine a close with this, the poet wrote I once was lost in darkest night get thought I knew the way to send the promise joy in life and led me to the grave.

If I had no hope that you would rebel to your will, and if you had not loved me first, I would refuse use. But as I ran my hell bound race in different to the cost you looked upon my helpless state and led me to the cross and I beheld your love displaying you suffered in my place for the wrath reserved for me.

Now all I know is race hello all, I have is Christ, hallelujah Jesus is when we get there. The more I study the word. I'm under the impression we spend the first few years. Just saying. As I was.

Can you believe it, you're telling the truth all the work here. Are we in a pinch ourselves to be like we didn't see coming, not liking like I hope that this look at the grace and goodness of God has encouraged today. This is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi. Stephen entitled today's message ambushed by goodness. This lesson comes from the series remarkable Christianity.

That series is available as a set of CDs.

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