God's Provision for Saving Mankind

Good afternoon, everyone. Pleasant greetings to everyone. We've got a topic today that we want to use as a concluding topic to several other messages we've brought to you on the subject of grace. The subject of grace in the Bible is very paramount and very important to each and every one to really understand what it is that God is doing. I mentioned to you in the first message that I gave to you, the subject in that title was God's grace versus counterfeit grace. And we explored a little bit in the book of Jude, in which it said that there was a warning that went out, and that warning was that we should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered. Why would that be necessary? Because there would be certain individuals who would creep in unawares, but they were ordained. In other words, God has allowed it to happen to test the people, to test the church down through time. And so what we have found is that individuals who have come in and what have they done, they have changed the grace of God into license to do evil, or another way of saying, well, it doesn't really mean this and you can compromise here or compromise there. And so these things become very important for us to be mindful of. There is a difference between God's grace and counterfeit grace. We explored that at that time. We've got these messages on the web for those who might not have heard it all. You can always go back and check them if you need to. The second message we dealt with was how God's grace, this wonderful thing of grace that is spoken of in the Bible, and it is a wonderful thing. Something that you and I should be extremely grateful for, because this is something that if it wasn't there and available to us, we would be in serious trouble, folks. Very serious trouble in light of the Word of God. So we explain how God's grace and God's law must be understood, how they work together. They're not law and grace, it's law and grace. And they work together in a very special way. And you can summarize that by this, that the whole essence of the New Covenant is what? Writing the laws of God in our minds and in our heart. Very important. So the law of God has not been done away. And Jesus said it when He came. He says, think not that I have come to destroy the law. I've come to fulfill it. To bring it into its full perspective and magnify the law so that you can understand why the law of God is so important. And of course, we understand that from a physical point of view in just even man's world. If you're not a law-abiding person, you're a law-breaker, and they put you in jail. If you don't do what man's law says.

And I think it was J. Edgar Hoover years ago said, if people have been taught to respect the law of man, they should have no... or excuse me, the law of God first. He said they would have no problem respecting the law of man. The problem is they don't respect God's law, and now they don't even respect man's law. And we've got serious problems that have developed because of that very situation. Now we come to this third topic, and this is the summation where we're going to put it all together for you. And I hope you find it helpful. It is a very, very important topic, as I say. The subject of grace is very, very important because without it, there would be no future for any human being ever. We're going to read Ephesians. Let's go to the book of Ephesians because here's where we're going to see this very famous Scripture that is referenced time and time again by many individuals. And it is stated in the following manner. This is in Ephesians 2 and beginning in verse 8. This is now written to the Ephesians, and we're going to see the importance of this, how this ties in with the book of Revelation in chapter 2 to the Ephesian church. Now the Apostle Paul was very motivated by all of this because you have to stop and realize where is he coming from? The Apostle Paul was named Saul before conversion, and he was sincere, but he was sincerely wrong. He had been well educated in the things of the Old Testament. He was a prodigy of Gamaliel and all the learnings that went on at that particular time. But there was a difficulty. There was a difficulty. He didn't understand the spirit of the law. He only understood the letter. You know how it finally showed itself where Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian church, Saul was standing there holding some of the garments, consenting to the assassination of the first martyr in the church of God, Stephen. And he was all for that. Then he got papers from the authorities, the Pharisees, and he did what? He went after those Christians because he thought the Christians were just some kind of a weird sect that came along and were literally trying to erode the Judeo-phaic. The truth of the matter is, what he was trying to do was to clear the air to get everyone out of there so that they'd all go back to temple worship. And a lot of the people were turning to Christ. They were turning now to the disciples. And so it was a different Paul, whose name was Saul, in conversion, prior conversion period. Once he went out on that road to Damascus, you know what happened to him. Christ confronted him, stopped him right in his tracks. And when that happened, he did not have a clue as to what really was going on because he said, Lord, who are you? Who are you?

And he says, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. Wow, what a revelation! Suddenly then, the rest of the story of his conversion goes on, and in him, his name has changed to Paul. And Paul becomes one of the strong supporters of the New Testament church. In fact, he felt so terrible about his own personal lack. He said, I'm not worthy to be called an apostle, but I am one who is born on a due season.

And why? Because of the grace of God that was administered to me. God singled him out with his talents and abilities and his capabilities and brought him to a place of sincere repentance. And he was able then to do what? Be so filled with the Spirit of God that he wrote many of these epistles and these books that we read. And we learn about our Christian calling through this man's life as he was changed. And he magnifies now many of the things you read in the Old Testament in the letter and shows how they are fulfilled in the New Testament. Now because of this man, he makes the following statement here in verse 8. He says, for by grace, he defines this term, are you, as an individual, saved how? Through faith. Please notice it didn't say, by grace you are saved, period. It said, by grace you are saved through something. There's a process going on here, and that process is in faith. And what does it go on to say? It says, and not of yourselves. He says it is the gift of God. What? The grace, the faith, even in parts within us, the faith to believe. And he says it is the gift of God. It comes from God, not of works. In other words, there's nothing you can do. Now sometimes people extrapolate that, they rip it out of context and say, see, you say by grace there's nothing you have to do. Let's read on. Let the Word of God tell us what's necessary. It's not of works lest any individual, any man, should boast. In other words, if you're trying to do certain things and you think it's going to earn you salvation, answer, not going to happen. God says it is a gift by from God. It will not come from any effort that you or I or any human being can do. God foresaw this in His great wisdom way back when He designed this great plan of salvation for all the human family. In fact, I've entitled this sermon as follows. I've entitled it in this manner. God's provision for saving sinful mankind. God's provision for saving sinful mankind, salvation by grace. And that is why Jesus was slain from the foundation of the earth. Because when God made mankind and placed Him and then the woman on this earth, He knew they didn't have a chance. They gave them the opportunity. You can choose, you can take from anything, take from the tree of life, but please don't touch that tree of the knowledge of good evil. He didn't say touch, he just said don't do a shot. I think she said touch, but she added that to it. He just says, she must stay away from that tree. It's poison to you. But you know the rest of the story. Now don't anybody think that God was taken, He must have been sleeping or something, and He got taken advantage of.

Oh, I didn't know He was going to do that. Now, God knew exactly what was going to happen because there was a serpent in there named Satan the Devil who beguiled Mother Eve, and of course Adam went along for the ride. He wasn't to see. He should have known better. And so He opened the door and allowed mankind to be exposed to the God of this world, Satan the Devil. And that's where we have been for nearly 6,000 years completing shortly. And we find that the world is getting into a very dangerous state of affairs, as the Bible said. The times of Noah are coming back again. But what He is making known here is that God already had plan, knowing that human beings would fail, that human beings would sin and violate the laws of God. God has written all of this using Israel as a role model, as we mentioned before. Written all these things, not only for our learning, but for all human beings who are willing to read the Bible and listen to what the Bible has to say. There's many false gods, many false ideas running around today. Not everybody believes. So there are lessons mankind is going to have to learn. There are lessons His people, Israel, will have to learn. But we are the end-time remnant of Israel. And there are lessons that the Church of God has got to learn. That's why we have gone through many of the things we've gone through. And people have wondered why. Well, where's God in all this? Where He's always been, on the job, knowing exactly what's going down. He sees the good. He sees the evil. He knows exactly how to work all these details, and especially to those that look to Him and believe what He has to say. He says, it will all work to good to those that are called according to His purpose. Not yours, not mine, not anybody's, but God's purpose. And so notice what He goes on to say. He says, You and I have been created, for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus – there's our role model – unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk or live by these things. In other words, do good things with the talents and the abilities and the blessings God has given to us as men and women. We're not designed by God originally to hurt one another. But when you have a wrong and a false God like the God of this world, Satan the devil, he's underlined mankind extremely well. Because it says, Revelation 12.9, he has deceived the whole world. And deceived person doesn't know he or she is deceived. And once you then find out what the deception is, you're no longer deceived. Most of the people today don't realize how they have been hoodwinked by that spiritual power behind the scene. You and I have been called out of this world so we could stand back and take a look at this and get a true picture of what's going down. So here we are, given this marvelous understanding about grace. And God made this provision available because he wanted to redeem mankind to himself. So how would he do that? He would provide salvation by grace for a sinful human being, a sinful human being, for sinful mankind. Now, why is this important for us to understand? It's because there are many people today that believe all you have to do is believe and you shall receive. They think that grace covers all. For example, from the Standard Manual for Baptist churches, I can't say for others, but this is from the Baptist Church, Chapter 8, Article 4, it states the following. We believe the Scriptures teach that the salvation of sinners is holy by grace. Holy by grace! What did you read? Salvation is God's what? Gift, and it is God's grace through what? Faith. Uh-oh, we've got something that has to be added. There's something we have to do. We have to put faith in.

Hebrews 11, 6. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. If it's impossible to please God, then how in the world can you claim grace from God when you won't put your faith and trust in Him to provide it? Isn't that what it's saying? It's impossible. And God only grants grace to those who believe what He says or trust Him. Wow!

This stuff is dynamite when you really begin to look and expose and study all these ideas that people get tossed to and fro. Well, let's take a look at some of this because one is not saved by grace alone. A lot of people think that is the case, but that is not the case. And I'd like to show you some of the many factors involved in this marvelous gift that God has provided called His salvation. These passages that I'm going to read to you show that there are numerous factors involved. And I want you to jot these things down because if you lift them out of context, you can come up with a distorted picture. When you put them all together like an addition problem, they add up. And what they add up to is what God requires His conditions for His grace to be administered. We cannot just live any old way we want to live and expect God to just say, I'll just blind my eyes to what you do, and that's all right. I still love you, and I'll accept you for what you are. God says, no. Read the book of Revelation and what do you see? That in the future, nobody who sins in even the smallest manner will enter into that eternal kingdom. Only those who live by the commands of God and live in the righteousness of His ways, or as Jesus put it, those that do the will of His Father in heaven. So let's take a look at some. Here are some of the factors involved. Well, I've already mentioned the factor of faith. Let's begin there. Faith is number one. Not just general faith, it is a living faith. It means you live every day with this awareness of your trust and faith in God. Because if you don't trust and have faith in God, then why does God owe anybody anything? He doesn't owe anybody anything. In other words, He's saying, all right, if you don't want to believe me, you can paddle your own canoe. What are you going to do? You're going to sink. Mankind has been sinking for nearly 6,000 years. Talks the talk, but can't walk the walk. That's why Paul could say what he did in Romans 1. The way of peace they know not. They do not know how to. They can sit and yak and talk and listen, talk. We've got to have dialogue, dialogue. But they're all so blessed and selfish and self-centered. They can't figure out how to come up. How can I take advantage of this guy so I can get what I want? And that's how they end up.

Well, we've agreed to disagree. Oh, great, great joy in that. They've agreed to disagree. Then when they can't get what they want, this is war. And that's what mankind does best. He goes to war and has been fighting from time immemorial. And that's the history of mankind. Now what we find is that in faith, let's go, and I'll go back and forth to some of these Scriptures, Romans 5, verse 1. Romans 5, verse 1. I've got to move quickly through this.

We've got much to do here to cover. In Romans 5, verse 1, it says, Therefore being justified by faith. Why does God justify us? Well, we're going to see how all this comes together. That faith is involved. And, of course, the book of James talks about it. That's where the works come in. The works validate your faith. And James goes on the record and says, You say you've got faith without works. You're not doing anything.

You're just kind of believing that everything is done by God. And God says, I'll show you my faith by my works. I will validate you and show you why I keep the Sabbath, why I keep the Holy Days, why I do the things God has commanded. Because that is what the Master desires. And if we are bought with a price, we've got to do what the Master asks. And that's what the Scriptures are written for our learning.

So it says, We are justified by faith. We have, then what? Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ is the go-between. He's the propitiation of our sins and the troubles we've had. He's our high priest that speaks for our behalf. And now, not only with faith, there's something else that has to be repentant. Because God's not going to give His grace unless you are repentant.

So repentant is the second ingredient that is necessary here. Acts 11. Let's go to the book of Acts, chapter 11, verse 18. Acts chapter 11 and verse 18. And here we find another very important ingredient that is given to us. Acts chapter 11 and verse 18. It says, When they heard these tidings, the things that are mentioned in the verses prior. It says, When they heard these particular things, they held their peace and they glorified God. Why? It says, because God has also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. You see, they began to realize the Gentiles, meaning the non-Israelites, the non-Judaic element there in the area where the apostles were working.

The Gentiles had to change their ways because they didn't live according to the commandments of God. They had to learn about them. And so they gave up those things and when they learned, God granted that heartfelt desire by giving them repentance. So repentance plays a very important part. Two elements so far, you've got to have faith, you've got to have repentance, but without the blood of Jesus Christ, you and I are dead. The blood of Jesus Christ had to go forward because it is by that blood, as we find in Romans 5.

Let's go back to the book of Romans, chapter 5, in verse 9 and 10. Romans 5, 9 and 10. For much more then, being now justified by His blood. You see, the blood had to cover past sins, to get rid of all past sins. The idea that some people pronounce is that the blood of Christ covers all sins past, present, future.

I submit to you, repentance and the blood of Christ covers past sins. But you haven't committed any sins yet, present or future. But if you should, what has to be there? The blood of Christ. You have to repent and go and get those sins under the blood of Christ so that becomes part of your past and is not thrown in your face. Because if you're still practicing sin, then you're on a wrong page with God.

So what we learn is that a very important element comes into play and it says here that for that blood, it says, we shall be saved. From what? The wrath. The wrath that comes... Let me read that clearly again so you've got it. Much more than being justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. In other words, Jesus is going to shield us from the wrath of God that comes against those who are contrary to the will of God, who live contrary as transgressors.

And then verse 10, for if we were enemies, and that's what we were in our pre-conversion of the grave, and now we are reconciled to God by the death of His Son, how much more being reconciled we shall be saved by His life. He was resurrected. He didn't stay in the grave. And because He was resurrected, that gives us the wonderful understanding that there is a life after death.

And that life is given by God. And God gives us, then, faith, repentance, and blood from His own Son that has to be understood. And then, of course, I've already mentioned to you works that James 2, verse 24, He emphasizes the importance of those works that you have valid living faith, not just false faith. Because people say they have faith, but faith without works, James says, is dead. So if people say, I have faith, then they say, but God did it all, I don't have to do anything, well, that flies in the face of what the Scripture is telling us.

It's saying there are things that have to be validated, and your faith has to be validated by works. So how do you do that? Well, if God says, keep the commandments, and He says, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, you and I have to keep the Sabbath day and keep it holy. That becomes very important. That's just one. There's the Holy Days and other things that God mentions. Well, then once that begins to become quite evidence, notice 1 Peter 3, verse 21. 1 Peter 3, verse 21.

In 1 Peter 3, verse 21, we are told, for even hereto and where you call, in other words, our calling involves something because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in His steps. In other words, He is saying, in essence, that God has given Jesus as our role model that when we have to face sufferings of any kind, we need to follow the course that Jesus did.

He suffered for us, and we may have to suffer in different ways as well. Something can come mentally, emotionally, physically. It can come many different ways. But the key note that God is telling us is that Jesus Christ, He is the one to whom we are to follow, to follow in His steps.

So if we are to follow in His steps, one of the things that is an absolute progression is Acts 2, verse 38, when Paul was talking on Pentecost. He said, you are going to have to repent and be baptized. And when you are baptized, then you will then receive the Spirit of God.

It is a progressive thing, a step-by-step in this conversion process that brings you to a deeper and a more fuller picture of how God is working in your life. First He calls you, and then He brings you into these areas. It requires faith, it requires repentance, an understanding of the blood of Jesus Christ. I might interject a thought there, just so we realize how important that blood of Christ is. It is called precious blood in Scripture, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. And the reason it is precious is because He stepped in and took the penalty for each and every one of us as human beings.

Every hurt that He experienced was because of what we afflicted upon Him. That's pretty heavy stuff. It's important for us to get our minds on that as we approach the Passover season coming up this next year. And we need to understand, just like a man who might be in combat with his buddy, a good friend, and all of a sudden an enemy throws a hand grenade in the direction, and the buddy pushes him out of the way and he falls on it and he dies.

That has a profound effect upon that soldier who survived. He always remembers the fellow who died in his place. A hand grenade was for him. This other friend pushed him out of the way and took the hit. That's what Jesus Christ did for you, for me, and every human being made in the image of God. He took the hit that was designed for us because we are the ones who sinned. He did not. And that demonstrates greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for his friends. And we are his friends, his brothers and sisters to be.

And God gave that wonderful understanding to us that that's why we become baptized. We listen to Jesus. We follow in his footsteps. We receive the Spirit of God because of baptism. Baptism is critical. It is a very special thing that tells you when you do this that I believe in the death, burial and resurrection of the Son of God. And my faith is in God that as God raised him from the dead, he will also do that for us because I put my trust and confidence. He cannot lie. He is God.

And he will do what he says he's going to do. The sixth thing, the sixth point to keep in, and these are just some very simple things to keep him out. One was faith, two was repentance, three was the blood of Christ, four were works of faith, and the fifth one is baptism. In other words, you have to progress to baptism. Some people argue, yeah, but there are people, will they be in the kingdom of God who have never been baptized?

I can't answer. Maybe that is true. Maybe what about the thief on the cross, they say? Well, the thief on the cross, Jesus said, you will be with me in paradise. But when will that happen? Well, we know there's a plan of God and we know that the second resurrection is going to take care of an awful lot of people who are not called at this time. So here again, God has it all covered. But this next point that we need to keep in mind, Romans 1 and verse 16.

Let's go back to the book of Romans because the Apostle Paul is so filled with this topic and he doesn't want us to forget it. Romans 1 and verse 16. He says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Now what is the gospel of Christ? We know the Bible talks about the kingdom of God and he came preaching that. But the gospel of Christ is involving the kingdom of God.

It involves the commandments of God. It involves everything Jesus taught. Remember what he said to his disciples in Matthew 28? You go and you teach them what? To observe all that I have shown you.

Observe everything that I have shown you from the Scriptures. That's where we glean our wisdom. We were not there. But it's recorded for our learning, Romans 15.4, so that we can glean and understand what they went through. So the gospel, the gospel that is to be preached around the world as a witness and then shall he come. It involves your salvation by grace. It involves the kingdom of God.

It involves the commandments of God. It's all wrapped up in that term gospel. It's not just one little isolated area. It's the whole essence of the life of Jesus Christ. His life was a gospel of teaching. It was a gospel of good news that you and I can be saved by grace through God's wonderful plan that He has purposed. A plan for sinful mankind that cannot save himself from the end result.

All right, then the seventh point to mention here would be in 1 John 4, 2. 1 John 4, 2. It warns us about trying the spirits in verse 1 because of false prophets and the like out there teaching what they do. But verse 2, it says, In other words, Jesus Christ is living His life in us as men and women through a conversion process that involves His Holy Spirit. That's why Philippians talks about that in chapter 2, verses 12 and 13, where it says, Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

It means you've got to work at it. You've got to let God, who works in and through you, accomplish His will. You don't want to frustrate what God wants to do in your life as a man and a woman. So here again, we have people. There are people that believe Jesus was not the son of God. They thought He was just a good teacher, like a Buddha or something like a Krishna or something of that nature.

There are people who don't believe that Christ can actually live His life in you. Well, that's totally contrary to what God says. God can do anything. He's the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Him? And so as a result of that, He is able to do what? Marvelous and wonderful things. So we are to do what? Confess. Confess to God that we believe what He says and we acknowledge that we are the sinful creatures that He reveals we are.

Jeremiah 17.9. You and I don't like to admit it, but we have what? A heart that's deceitful. It plays tricks on us. Now, if you think your heart is not that way, then you better talk to God a little bit more because you see there's a godly person.

There's a person who's striving to be a godly person. And then there's an evil person. You know, we all have a little touch of evil in us, don't we? If we care, if we think we don't, you know, this is why God says you are to pray, Lord, deliver us from the evil one. Lead us not into temptation. Don't put us around anything where something could backfire on us and cause us trouble. But do what? Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one because it's His world.

He controls it. He can be, have you ever heard the old saying? So-and-so has been set up. He sets people up all the time to knock the props out from underneath their conversion. And you and I are told to be on guard. That's what Ephesians 6 says, put your whole armor on. Have that shield of faith ready to shut down those fiery darts because Satan's out there throwing them. And he would want you to just come on back to the world like we heard in the message sermon at.

Come on back. You don't have to give all this. I mean, he even used that tactic on Christ. So you don't have to go to the stake and die for people. Just, hey, fold out and worship me and I'll give it all to you now. Oh, there's a lot more here. The last point that I mentioned here at this point, number eight would be that God gives us grace through faith. So we're talking about faith, repentance, blood, works, baptism, gospel, confession, grace. Those are elements that are all part of this marvelous salvation by grace.

Leave any one of those elements out and you think God is still going to give you grace? I can't see it. You've got to be in compliance with God's command or you're walking contrary. So God's grace through the gospel and its conditions are a marvelous teaching that God gives to us to help us understand it is by the gospel that the kingdom of God redeems mankind as a whole. That's why we pray, I kingdom come. And it provides many spiritual blessings to those of us now. Here actually by God's gracious hand, viewed by God through Christ, we're sitting at the right hand of the heavenly places.

And we're sitting here as physical human beings. Spiritually, God sees us as His Son's reaching to sit at the right hand of Jesus Christ and the Father to be there with God in the heavenlies.

God calls things that are not as though they were because God sees projections down the road that you and I can't see. That's why He is the King of the universe, the Master, the one we follow. God's grace, contrary to what some people might say, is conditional. It is conditional and I've written out some of those who are giving you some of those about the faith, condition of obedient faith, and some of the examples that the Bible records again, Romans 15 and verse 4 for our learning.

For example, were there any conditions given for the fall of the wall of Jericho? And He answered, yes. They had to go around that city a certain amount of times. They had to fulfill the will of God to receive the blessing of God and to gain the victory over the city of Jericho.

Then in 2 Kings chapter 5, you read about a man and you're just suddenly given this man's story. You wonder why. It's Naaman. Now, he was a very high-ranking individual from one of the Gentile nations just north of Jerusalem. And what happened? He came, he had got the word, he heard that, you know, if you go and talk to the prophet down there in Jerusalem, that you can be healed of this leprosy.

He said, well, I haven't been able to get healed anywhere else. It's worth a try. So he goes down there, comes down there on his chariot and his regalia, and he's got his assistant with him.

And he's expecting the prophet to come out and, wow, this is Naaman coming here. You know, he's a high-ranking individual. You read the story, the prophet doesn't even come out. He doesn't even come out to see who's there. So the story goes on to say that he gets all upset, like, well, where is he? Why doesn't he come out to see me? And doesn't he know I'm here? I want to be healed of this leprosy? Make a long story short, he goes and does what? He says, you want to be healed? Go down there to the River Jordan. Dip yourself a couple of times. However, many times he told him to do it. And he was incensed. What? He doesn't even come out to see me. He wants me to go down to this dirty river down here, and he wants me to dip myself in here, and that's going to get rid of my leprosy? He didn't want to do it. He says, aren't there rivers back there in my nation that are... And tug, tug, tug, his servant says, you know, boss, using modern language here, you know, boss, it might just be to your advantage to do what the prophet says. And so he reluctantly gets off his chariot, goes down to the river, dip, dip, dip, comes out, lo and behold, no leprosy, it's gone. Now that was a merciful hand of God, his grace that was bestowed upon that Gentile. And it was done because he followed instructions. He resisted it first. But when you follow God's instructions, do what God says, wonderful things can happen. In John 9, verse 6 and 7, you hear about the healing of a blind man. Again, certain things were mentioned. Those are examples of grace that was received by meeting certain conditions. When we meet those conditions, God blesses us. Otherwise, there's no reason God has to. We can't put a .357 magnum up to God's head and says, you're going to have to do this. I hear people sometimes say, you've got to claim God's promise and you've got to... God, you said this and you're going to do this. Don't they read about walk humbly before the Lord your God? Get off of your arrogant high horse? God can do anything, but boy, God says he resists the proud. He gives grace to the humble. When we walk humbly with God and make our request, no. And be urgent about it. Well, it may be serious. It may not be so serious. God is interested in not only the big things that are going on in our life. He's interested in the little bitty things. There are little things that sometimes frustrate the daylights out of us, don't they? They get under our skin because we're human. So God, God, this thing's driving me nuts. Help me, please. How many times over something silly and God just corrects it and then you look back at yourself and say, well, how is I getting all up in here over this? God works these things out in His love for us. He knows everything about us, our highs and our lows. Now what I'd like to do in the wrap-up of this thing, I've given you the overview. Now I want to show you something. How God, through the Apostle Paul, shows us salvation, God's salvation, by grace through faith as exemplified by the Ephesian people. Now we know Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9. It says, the Ephesians were saved by grace through faith. That's important. So we can determine that from the Scriptures how they were saved. Follow that example and you're on the right course. It involved their salvation. It involves our salvation. Examining them, we can understand how people are saved by grace even today, according to God's laws and commands.

All right, the very first thing we know then is, again, they were saved by grace. And how is that to be done? How are you saved by grace through faith? All right. Ephesians 1, verse 13. Ephesians 1 and verse 13. Here we find Scripture that gives us insight. Ephesians 1 and verse 13. Verse 13, Ephesians 1, it says, In whom you trusted. Notice, you trusted. You trust God. Trust in faith. They almost go, you could almost say, hand in glove. And after, notice, you heard the word of truth. So the very key part of being saved, you've got to be exposed to hear the word of truth. You heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. You see, everybody has got to be saved, or they're in trouble. And this is the gospel of our salvation, in whom after they, you believed, and you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. So they heard the power to save would come in this process. The very thing, number one, in the saving process for God to administer His grace, you've got to hear or be exposed to the word of truth. Jesus put it, John 17, 17, thy word is truth. You've got to be exposed to the word of truth. Romans 1, 16. Romans 1 and verse 16. Romans 1, 16, where we already read this scripture, that I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and then to the Greek. So it's empowering the Spirit of God working with a person and then in a person after baptism. When you're exposed and you hear the word of truth, you begin to realize that in order for you to continue on with the grace of God, you have to do the will of God. And that means you have to believe the truth. You heard the truth. The second point is you have to believe the truth.

If you don't believe it, even though you've heard it, many people have heard it, but they don't believe. You have to believe what you hear. Ephesians 1 and verse 13 is where we already heard that. And they had to hear it in order to believe. And Romans 10, 17 says, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

If we're not exposed to the word of God and we don't hear what the Bible is telling us, we're blindsided. We don't have access to the grace of God. So believing the truth is essential to receiving God's salvation. And what it also does, it reminds us of a very important aspect that is number three.

Number one is you've got to hear the word. Number two, you've got to believe the truth, the word you've heard. Number three, you've got to repent because of the word. Repentance means to change one's mind or purpose. That's always found in the New Testament. And it is very necessary. Notice Luke 17, Luke 17 and verse 3 and 4. Luke 17, verse 3 and 4. Luke 17, verse 3 and 4. Take heed to yourself. If your brother trespasses against you, rebuke him. And if he repent, notice, repent. He's willing to change. It says, forgive him. And then again, if another event comes and he trespasses again and he comes and says, I'm sorry, I repent, you shall forgive him.

In other words, when a person is really trying to overcome a problem and a difficulty, work with that person, help that person, encourage that person. Don't, as we say, put salt in the wounds. Don't make it worse than what it already is. They feel bad. Help them over the hurdle. And in this particular case, repentance from sin. Somebody doing something wrong and they say, well, I'm going to stop that.

That's what you want them to do. Stop what you're doing. Person who is creating a problem for himself, being an alcoholic, drinking too much alcoholic beverage, and what does the Bible say? It says you've got to repent. You've got to change. You've got to get rid of that habit that's causing you to lean on that alcohol. A little bit is all right. Wine that cheers both God and man in the book of Numbers. Drink a little wine for your stomach's sake.

Notice it says a little. It didn't say a whole bottle or a fifth. Just a little. These are things that the Bible guides us with. So you've got to hear the Word of God. You've got to believe the truth of God. You've got to repent. And then that brings us to number four. You were baptized. You were baptized. You made the conviction and you realized that the only way you're going to receive salvation is that you've got to have a penitent heart.

You've got to come to God. And only God, then through full baptism, it washes away all those past sins. See, Satan always wants you to go back. He wants you to remember what you did back then. You don't have to go back there. It's gone. It's gone. What you've got to be concerned about is the now, that you don't mess up now or in the future. One of the things you'll notice about a lot of the examples of the Bible, people started off hot, raring to go in the beginning stages, but then they cooled off as time went on. And that's a warning to the Laodiceans. You're cooling off. You're lukewarm. You're not hot anymore.

I don't like that, Jesus said. And if you keep on with that, He says, I'm going to spue you out of my mouth. That's not where any of us want to end up. So it's telling us you better stay on that straight and narrow course that leads to life. So in order to be saved by grace, one has got to be baptized to have the remission of sin.

And then number five, the final point that you keep in mind, is what is spoken of in Revelation 2 and verse 7. They had to live the Ephesians' faithful lives. You and I are called to live faithful lives to the best of our ability with the help of God's Spirit.

And we have to continually overcome the world and Satan the devil and his monstrous force of dominion, his demons. We are told in 2 Timothy chapter 4, 7 and 8. Let's go to 2 Timothy chapter 4, 7 and 8. He says, I have fought a good fight. This is the Apostle Paul now telling Timothy, the young evangelist, I have fought a good fight.

I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. He said in his fourth, what was he looking forward to? There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day. And what is he going to do? And to not only me, but to them also, that love is appearing.

You see, we're in love with God. That's why we do what we do. You know, God loves us, and He's teaching us how to love Him. And I appreciate that so very much because, you know, when I think about these terms, we came into this world, all of us, we didn't know how to love God. We did just exactly like Job said when he had to go through his little upheaval that's written for our learning. He says, you know, I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.

We've all heard about God, but do we really see Him as He is? The great, the awesome, the dynamic God that He is, and His Son, our wonderful High Priest at His right hand. Our lives depend on our great God to save us. Not only from the bad things that are yet to come in this world, but ultimately from the wrath of God. He hasn't appointed us unto wrath, but unto salvation. And that is a wonderful thing to wrap your mind on because if you think about this world, it gets discouraging very quickly.

And so He makes it very clear here that there is a wonderful blessing coming your way. Revelation 2, verse 10. Revelation 2, verse 10. We're talking now to the Smyrna Church. It tells the Ephesians that it was important for them to get busy and to repent in verse 5 because they got a little bit sloppy in their conversion. And what ended up happening is that they were cooling off. And so He says, it's time to get back to your first love.

You know, everything cools off in time unless you focus your mind on all the wonderful things that brought love together in the first place, like for a husband and wife. You hear these stories about people and they'll call in on talk shows and things and they'll say, well, I don't love Him anymore. I don't love her anymore. I fell out of love. Well, fall back in. Fall back in love is what God is saying.

This world is destroying love between husbands and wives and parents and children, destroying love between nations and people. God loves all people. We used to sing that as a kid, a little child. So, Jesus loves me. This I know. How do I know? Because the Bible tells me so. And it doesn't matter what color you are, who you are, what you are, if you're willing to walk in the ways of God, God's going to give you His grace. And that grace, again, is based on hearing the Gospel, the good news of the coming Kingdom of God and all that's involved with that.

Read the facts of the Gospel as presented by Christ. Repent, be baptized, and then persevere, as we heard in the sermonette. Persevere and endure to the end. For it is by grace, through faith, that you and I, dear brethren, will be saved. And we can say, affirmative, with the Apostle Paul, that when this journey is over, hence, there is a crown of righteousness that waits for us, that God wants to place on our heads, as His sons and daughters, and as brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ, who gave His life for us. And all He asks is that we give our lives in return to Him.