7 Outcomes of The Gospel (Part 2) - Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Ephesians Series)

Ephesians chapter two beginning in verse four. But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace, you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. This is the word of the Lord. Bow your heads with me, please.

Father, we are humbled by just reading these verses alone. We are filled. We are reminded. We are stirred. But, Lord, we just pray that you would give us a deeper understanding of these wonderful truths, and we ask that any scattered mind would be realigned.

Any wandering heart would be sobered, and we just ask, lord, that your voice would be heard. We're praying that you would lead us. We thank you that you are the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. That, lord, you are always with us. You will never leave us nor forsake us.

And, Father, we just pray that you would lead us, lead us as we are wandering in this journey in the wilderness. Lead us to the promised land, to the fulfillment, to the fullness of what you have for us in this life. And we ask, Lord, that we would take us a closer step this Sunday into that reality. Be with us, Lord. Visit us.

This is your service. This is your time. We do not put a schedule. We ask that you would take us where you want us to go. We wait for you.

May the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, oh lord, our rock and redeemer. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Ephesians chapter two.

If you were here with us last time we met in this specific chapter, we talked about the outcomes of the gospel, and there is just way too many for us to gather all those things into one service. But for the sake of reminder, the gospel delivered you from the influence of this world. The gospel set you free from the authority of Satan. The gospel saved you from the power of the flesh. The gospel allowed you and I to experience the expression of God's love.

And if that were not enough, we are presented with three other wonderful outcomes, consequences, realities that come from one who put their faith and trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Would you turn your attention with me to verse six? Verse four is the turning point in Paul's statements. The verses before that he talks about who we were and what we were delivered from and the turning point was but God. But God being rich in mercy.

And then he goes to verse six to explain from this moment on the present reality, what we are brought into, and what we will be brought into. And verse six is probably one of the most profound and deep outcomes. Very intense when you sit on it and you meditate and you try to chew on what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us. It tells us the fifth outcome of the gospel in this chapter, and it is that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. He raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places.

Now what makes that so profound is that he's speaking in a specific tense. He's not saying that we are to be raised or we are to be seated. He's speaking as though it already happened. Meaning, you and I are raised and you and I are seated with Christ in heavenly places in this moment. We can close the surface on that right there and just go for a week to try to meditate on what that means.

Now it is true that there is a bodily resurrection that will take place one day in which we will be taken up and meet with him face to face. But what Paul is saying here is that this is a positional truth. Think about it this way. Christ is the head of the church, is he not? And what does that make us?

The body. And when Christ the head was raised, is the head separate from the body? The body comes with him. And so we, the church, because we are in him, hidden in him, the things that happen to Christ as a result happen to us because our union with him. And so it's telling us here that we are seated right now because he is seated in the heavenly places at this moment.

Now this seems like a very complex idea, and guess what? It is. Welcome to the club. It it's not very simple to understand. But there is one thing we have to understand that this is this is not a statement just to generate happy thoughts.

Oh, we're seated with Christ in heavenly places. That is more than just that. There are implications of this reality for us today. There are certain things that that happen in our lives because of the fact that we are associated and in union with him in heavenly places positionally. So what happens to us because we are seated with Christ?

How does that affect my day to day life? Well remember, go to chapter one verse 20. Very similar wording here when it talks about Jesus. He's talking about the power, the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, and that power is the same power in verse 20 of chapter one that he worked in Christ. When he raised him up from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.

Sounds familiar. But what happened to Christ when he was ascended and seated? Verse 21. Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in the age this age, but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

So we know what happened to Jesus when he was raised and when he was seated at the right hand. Everything was under his authority. Everything is under his feet. So then when we put those two together, we have to ask the natural question. Does that mean that happened to you and me?

If we are raised with him and seated with him, does that mean everything's under our feet? Does that mean that all authority has been given to us and that we are head above the church? Is that what it means? There's one little detail that makes all the difference. Is that though Jesus was, yes, raised and seated, he was raised and seated to a specific place, and that place is at the right hand of the father.

When you and I are raised and seated with him, we were not raised to the right hand of the father. Notice, we are seated with him, not seated in his place. We are with him, not him. So we can't say that we are at the right hand of the father, that is uniquely given to Jesus Christ, but we can say that we are with him in heavenly places. And those have still parallel truths and major alter alterations in our lives, major implications to our lives.

What is the first one if we were to say, I'm seated with Christ? Well, there is a measure of authority that is given to the believer. If you remember, God has delivered us from the power of Satan in this age over his influence, over his lies, over his deception. But he didn't just set you and I free and then let us loose. No.

He elevated us and equipped us in Christ. That's what happened. And so the main point we have to understand from this is that you have to see yourself as a threat to the kingdom of darkness. Why? Because Satan sees you as a threat to the kingdom of darkness.

Do you remember when Jesus sent out the 72 to go and to preach the gospel, to heal the sick, and to cast out devils, and they came back and they said, Jesus, even the demons are subject to us in your name. And Jesus replied and said, I saw Satan fall down like lightning from heaven. And he says this powerful verse here in Luke ten seventeen to 19. Verse 19 specifically, behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. So he says, yeah, these demons are subject to you in my name and I saw Satan fall down from heaven.

In other words, he's saying it's it's his authority is over. He doesn't have any more authority. And he came down like lightning. Side note, if you have pride God brings you down real quick, real quick. And he was saying something indirectly to the disciples, Be very careful about this talking about what you've done for me because it can get real bad real quick.

I saw Satan fall down like lightning. His authority is removed. And now this authority, this powerful authority, this unusual authority is given over to you over all the powers of darkness. Now think about that. What a wonderful truth.

Satan falls down from heaven, loses his authority. You and I in Christ are elevated to heavenly places and we receive authority. And so what is this authority? It's a it's a given authority to dismantle, derail, and destroy the works of Satan in this lifetime. It's not an authority be very careful with the seated in Christ thing.

It's not an authority to command things to happen at your will. It's not an authority for you to just do what you want because you have this in Christ. No. It's a specific authority that's that's targeted towards raging war against Satan because of our union in Jesus Christ and the resources that have been given to us because of him. You have authority.

I have authority. If that's not true, what happens to Romans sixteen twenty? What does Paul say? He says, The God of peace will soon crush Satan under whose feet? Your feet.

To the believers, to the church. So the church has somewhat of a role to play in destroying the works of Satan in this lifetime. That's a powerful truth. Why are you afraid of Satan? You should you should have no fear.

You are essentially because you are seated in Christ, you're looking down on him. He's looking up to you. And what he what can he do? The only thing he can do is mask this truth from you so that you don't realize that you are actually seated in heavenly places with Christ. He lost that.

You gained that by grace. Walk in that truth. Walk in that confidence. Now it doesn't mean that we're independent from God. It doesn't mean that we don't seek God in prayers or wait on him.

No. It just means we have now an authority and a confidence to walk out and do what God's called us to do, and Satan knows it. Do you? Do you? Well, we have to know it because this word tells us so.

We don't just receive a heavenly authority because we're seated with Christ, but we receive a heavenly access. In Colossians three one to two, it says, if then you've been raised with Christ. Have you been raised with Christ? Yes. He's saying, you're raised with Christ, believers.

If then you've been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. So let's just stop there. You've been raised with Christ. Absolutely. Amen.

So you have to do something. What? Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. In other words, there is something, more than one thing, that is available to us because of the fact that we are seated with Jesus. I like to think of it this way.

Because I am seated with Christ, there are things now available to me at my disposal. These things are given to us because of our elevation in him. He's reminding the believers because of their union in Christ, they have the ability to receive certain experiences and they should seek after those things. That is a major, major, major application for us. Because just because we are seated and these things are available does not mean you will receive it.

So I can go to a buffet this afternoon, sit in front of those trays of food, I'm seated there and not experience the nutrients nor the delight of those food items because I've never reached out for them and put it on my plate and ate it. I know that's a very simple illustration but this is what it's saying here. Because you've been raised, because you have now this access by grace, seek the things that are above. Go after those things in heavenly places. So the natural question again is what are those things?

Oh, that's what makes reading the Bible fun. Because when you read the new covenant, when you read all of scripture and you see the promises that are given to us, what has been granted because of our seat in heaven with Christ, you you have to ask yourself, am I seeking these things? James three tells us that there is a wisdom from above, a wisdom from above that we should seek after. Luke eleven thirteen talks about the Holy Spirit that be that can be given to us, and God is eager to give it to us. What are the things in heavenly places?

Take this word and travel through it. Journey through it and see the things that are available to you. He says very specifically, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. And I'm with them. So Lord, I need your power.

I need your purity. I need your perspective. Here's the greatest part, I want your presence. Seek the things that are above where Christ is. Where is Christ?

He's with God the Father. I want your presence, God. You've elevated me to heavenly places. May I know a little bit of heaven now. May I taste of you now.

May I walk with you in close proximity now. Lord, I want this, God. You've given me access because you have brought me up and raised me up and seated me with you. So are you seeking anything in heavenly places? Are you seeking earthly things?

I refuse to run this life and to walk day by day seeking after things that will not matter and end up being spiritually bankrupt when we've been brought to a place and I've been given access to so much. Now if that doesn't convict us, the next verse should in verse two of Colossians three. Set your mind on things above and not on things of the earth. Set your mind on things above. So not only am I to seek these things, I'm I'm supposed to think about these things.

I'm supposed to meditate upon heavenly places. Here's a very childlike question. Do you dream about these things? Do you ever just drive on your way to work and wonder about heavenly places thinking about what it's like to be with the Lord, thinking about the things that are awaiting for us, that are veiled in scripture? He he commands us to think about these things.

Why? Because you're a citizen of heaven now. And that is the the mystical aspect of Christianity that though we are here and though, yes, we are citizens of America or citizens of wherever you're from and you're walking in this life and you have different things that you have to do and different responsibilities, you are still from another realm. You you're from another world. You're going somewhere after this.

And this is why coming to church is so important. You're reminded of that week by week. Oh yeah, yeah, I'm not from here. You know, when you ever go on vacation or you ever travel, whether it's for a weekend or for a week, I don't know what rules you have but here are the rules that I apply to my life. Two simple rules.

Number one, travel light. No need to bring too much, travel light. Don't overpack. Travel light. And number two, make most of the opportunity of where you're going.

Why? Because it's temporary. And so wherever you go or I go, we have to understand and you know this where whether it's vacation or you're visiting a friend or family, you're like, I'm not staying here for long. And that's especially comforting if you don't like where you're going. I'm not staying here for long.

And so you have a different mindset wherever you are. I used to travel with somebody when we used to go to different conferences and different things, meetings, and this person would literally not sleep on these trips. And they would he would remind me going to these places, we are making the most out of this trip. And so what does that mean? Waking up early, going to bed late.

And I just I just wanna sleep in a little bit, please. But no. He had this understanding, we're not here for too long. We don't have that much time. This is not our permanent dwelling, brother.

Let's have some fun. Let's enjoy this time. Let's do what we need to do. Let's accomplish some things. What a perfect example of how we should live this life.

Travel light and make most of the opportunity. Not in the sense of goofing around and being stupid. No, but for the gospel, for the kingdom. Why? Because this is not your home.

This is not your permanent dwelling. You know what the truth is about so many Christians though? Is that they travel not like they're camping and building and establishing and they fail to realize that one day a trumpet sound is coming and you're going somewhere. He's trying to say because you're seated in heavenly places, live like it. You're not of this world so walk like it.

And how does that work? Seek those things that are above and think of those things that are above. Walk with that mentality that I am in heaven positionally with Christ, and I'm gonna meet him there one day. Heavenly authority, heavenly access. But here's the main point that the apostle Paul makes as he continues from verse six to verse seven, a heavenly identity.

What is the main reason that we are seated in heavenly places? Verse seven tells us. So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable greatness, riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. So that he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace. One of the main reasons why you and I are currently sitting in heavenly places is that for all time until eternity, we will forever be the display of the goodness of God.

This is profound. Who are we being displayed to though? Turn to Ephesians three ten, and it gives us a little insight. Ephesians three ten. So that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to who?

The rulers and authorities in heavenly places. We'll leave that for the chapter three segment when we come to that, but it still gives us an insight. Now when we look at the stars, when we look at the mountains, when we look at the roaring seas, when we look at all these different the variety of creatures of land and sky, we are faced with the depths of the overwhelming power of the living God. When we examine human anatomy, when we study the universe being built up in a body of systems, when we pay attention to the fine tune details day by day, we are faced with the depths of the overwhelming wisdom of the living God. But when angels and heavenly creatures look at us, Rebels and enemies of God that have been turned into children of God, seated by him in heavenly places, they are faced with the overwhelming depths of the mercy and grace of God.

You and I, because we are seated in heavenly places, are for eternity trophies of his grace. And for all eternity, these beings will look upon us and wonder how a holy and a righteous God could redeem enemies of who he is and his commands, and not only save them but elevate them to sit with him. And it will cause them to wonder. It will it will bring them to amazement as it is now. You know, angels do sing in eternity.

They sing in heaven. They sing beautifully. They sing wonderfully. They sing truths of who God is. But there is one song that angels will never be able to sing from experience.

They will never be able to sing a song of redemption because they've never been redeemed. That belongs to you and me alone, And you and I can sing about how his blood redeems and how his holy spirit has been given and how we have been loved though we were sinners. And we can sing that feeling it, knowing it, experiencing it. These celestial beings will never be able to understand what that's like. And so you and I have been elevated to heavenly places to be a display of the grace of God, not just in this lifetime, but for all ages, for eternity on end.

And there's a perfect picture of this in the Old Testament, second Samuel nine with David. David says, is there anyone among the house of Saul whom I can show the kindness of God to? And somebody says, yes, there is somebody, son of Jonathan named Mephibosheth. And he says, bring him to me. Mephibosheth comes, and he looks at him and says, listen.

I'm gonna show you kindness for Jonathan's sake. And so you're gonna eat at my table day by day. You're gonna live in my courts, and I'm gonna bring you to this place. And he responds, how could I receive this as a dead dead dog that I am? And it tells us there that Mephibosheth was crippled in both of his feet.

He was unable to walk. He was disabled. Mephibosheth is you and me. Like Saul and David, we were enemies of God. Mephibosheth's condition is a picture of the human condition, fundamentally broken and disabled, not walking in the fullness of God.

Mephibosheth, in fact, it tells us how he became crippled. At five years of age in second Samuel, it tells us that somebody dropped him and he became crippled. It was due to a, hint hint, a fall that he was who he was. And you and I are broken. You and I are unable to walk.

You and I are crippled in this life because of the fall of of Adam and Eve. But Mephibosheth's life has forever been altered not because of what he's done, not because of what he's presented to David, but because of another person's life, because of Jonathan's life. Jonathan's goodness and Jonathan's kindness, it was bestowed upon him. And it was completely credit to Jonathan. And David brings him into the royal courts, lets him sit with him and eat with him at the table, a picture of communion.

And I couldn't help but think and imagine what would other people think day by day as they saw Mephibosheth, the son, a grandson of Saul, crippled, sitting by David. He was a trophy of grace. He was a reflection. And and and people look at Mephibosheth, they wouldn't say, oh, Mephibosheth was such a good man. No.

They would look at David and his kindness towards him. That's true of you and me. When people look at me, when the celestial beings look at us, they don't see us. They see the kindness of the king, the goodness of the king. That despite our ancestors, despite our human condition, despite our fallenness, he picks us up and says, I'm gonna make something out of you.

I'm gonna have communion with you. When people watch it, they will stand in amazement of how good I am. We are seated in heavenly places. What a glorious truth. But the sixth one is in verse eight.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of work so that no one may boast. The sixth outcome of the gospel is that there is an inward rest for the soul. There is an inward rest for the soul. My deliverance from the influence of this world, from the power of Satan of the flesh, my experience of God's love, and the fact that I have a seat in heavenly places is not because you or I did anything to get there.

I did not work my way out of Satan's grip. I did not attain a level of righteousness to reserve a seat in heaven. No. No. No.

No. No. It is due to one thing, the gracious gift of God Almighty. That's what this is telling us. So we have to understand that this is purely by grace.

We can hear this over and over and we need to be reminded. Somebody asked a pastor once, why do you preach the gospel every single week? And he responded very clearly. He says, because you forget every single week. Christmas is coming up, and people are gonna express their love to one another by giving gifts underneath these trees.

But God already gave his gift, and it wasn't under a tree. It was nailed on a tree. It's a gift. You receive it. So what about the law?

What about the law? Romans three nineteen to 20 tells us what the law done has done. Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be stalked, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by the works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes what? The knowledge of sin.

The purpose, the central purpose of the law is to show you and me that we couldn't keep the law and that we are in need of grace. Oh, don't tune out the gospel right now because you've heard it so many times. Because of the law, it's a schoolmaster. It teaches us. It shows us.

You cannot fulfill me. So what? Jesus fulfills the law. He perfects the law and He receives the penalty of the law. And as we receive that by faith, two things happen.

Two things happen amongst many things. In this verse, two things happen. Number one, boasting is eliminated. And number two, rest is activated. Let me say that again.

When we receive the gospel by faith, two things happen. Boasting, eliminated. Rest, activated. Where is boasting? There is none.

Far be it for me to boast except in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul said. But secondly, rest. There's this inward rest in the grace of God. You should read this and say, yes. It's by grace.

The soul is at ease. There is a serenity. There is a peace. There is a stillness. There's a calmness that I don't have to wake up and wonder if I'm going to heaven one day and the next if I'm not.

Think back with me about Jesus being seated again. To be seated, especially with this, reflects two things. One, completion, and two, rest. When Jesus sat at the right hand of the father, there was completion and there was rest. Rewind.

Let's go back to the tabernacle. Let's go back to what God has established in the old covenant as a system for sin to be covered, for people to worship God. He gives fine tune details of a place, and he gives fine tune details of furniture that's supposed to be placed in this tabernacle. And each piece had a prophetic symbol, yes, but also a practical implication of how to approach God and how to make sacrifices for sin. And if somebody did something, they would come and do this.

And for the whole nation, they would do this once a year. Think about it for a moment. God gave specific instructions because there were specific things that needed to be required and done. But you wanna notice one thing with me is that there was one piece of furniture that was never mentioned nor instructed to be created, a chair. There is not one place to sit in the tabernacle.

Not one. Why? Because the work of the priest never finished. They were always at work. They always shed blood.

Year after year, they would come. Sin was never fully atoned for, so they could not rest. They were always on their feet. But in the new covenant, when our high priest Jesus Christ came and he shed his blood, it proved to be of infinite value and thus resulting in being satisfied for all eternity. And because of his finished work, he sits at the right hand of God showing it is finished, it's complete, and I rest in my work.

Why aren't you resting in his work then? He rested from his work, meaning you and I have to rest in his work. What do I mean by rest? Sleeping in? No.

By rest. By rest. We have to understand that I have an inward assurance that my salvation is settled. By rest, I mean that you don't have to wake up once again wondering if you're saved one day and the next not because you just had a bad day. By rest, I mean that death is not a fearful event, but has been rephrased to falling asleep.

By rest, I mean that the father sees you hidden in Christ and his righteousness has been accounted to you, that you have been hidden in Christ. When he looks at you, he sees Jesus. Sometimes we think of these Old Testament not Old Testament. We think of these old school saints that have done much for Christ. And some of them have had a rough past, but some of these revivalists that we admire were actually religious people that got saved.

Think of John Wesley. He did a lot before he was saved. He thought he was doing a lot. He was a missionary. He was rigorous in his discipline and fasting and all these different things, but one moment, one little moment changed his life forever as he was on a boat and he was with these Moravian people, these Moravian missionaries.

And one day as they're out in sea, waves are crashing, water is filling, there's a storm, and all the Englishmen were absolutely terrified including John Wesley. Terrified, screaming, holding off for dear life. But in the midst of all that chaos, there's this family of Moravian missionaries, man, woman, and child, and they're singing. They're singing. And as he's watching them, he had no idea why they were not afraid.

And that totally messed up his sense of assurance and salvation. And as he approached and as he inquired this family, he thought to himself maybe they're just simple minded and they don't realize what's happening. But as he inquired, he realized that they were not fearful of death one bit. Why should we be afraid? We're going home.

Why should we be afraid? Christ's righteousness has been accounted to me. I can stand before God. Not too long after that, he really got saved. He really, really got saved.

Because before that, he acknowledged and he knew that he was working for his salvation. There's this salvation. There's this rest, and it manifests in your life. You and I should never feel a sense of condemnation from god. Do we feel conviction?

Yes. Do we repent? Yes. Do we make mistakes and yes. But if you and I question about our salvation, we have not fully rested in this truth right here.

He's seated. You sit in your heart and rest in his work. Not one work that you and I do for Christ should ever be motivated by, I hope you'll like this, in the sense that I hope he'll really give me a point in heaven. Yes. We work for war rewards.

Yes. We do different things, but I'm talking about salvation right now. There's this inward rest that is given to us. That is the sixth outcome of the gospel. And here's the seventh, that there is a tailor made calling for you in this life.

For we are his workmanship, verse 10, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. For we are his workmanship. That word workmanship is only used one other time in the New Testament. It's in Romans one twenty. In Romans one twenty, it talks about how god's invisible attributes, his eternal power, and his divine nature has been made known in and through the things that have been made.

But God's eternal power, his divine nature, and his invisible attributes have also been known to some level when he transformed your life in Christ. You are his workmanship. You are his masterpiece. When somebody becomes a new creature in Christ, it is something that God has created with. His power and his abilities.

And so when the earth was without form and void and filled with darkness over the face of the deep. God's power was made manifest when he commanded, let there be light. But that same power that same power is manifested and displayed when he looked at your life. Void, empty, chaotic, dark. And one day he commanded, let there be life, and life came into you.

Life was infused into you, and every faculty of your being has been transformed by his power. And this new life, this new you is not formless or empty or void. This new life has been given to you because you now have a new purpose. Oh, this is glorious. A new purpose.

This masterpiece that you are of God's salvation work in you did something. It gave you a new nature. And it says here that we've been created, we've been made into this masterpiece for good works. It's a continuing work in progress. Yes.

There is an aspect in which you do get saved, and that alone is a miracle, and that alone is a display of his goodness and his power, but it's a continuous work in progress that the masterpiece is being created in a way, so to speak, through your life. Think of God as a painter. Think of God as a writer, and he's taking your life, and he's doing something with your life now. He's doing something through your days now. He's doing something in this season.

It's just a chapter in the story. It's just a stroke on the canvas. It's just a line in the poem. That's your life. And it says here that there are works, and those works display the masterpiece that He is working in and through you.

And these are the works that we are to embrace. Not the works back in verse nine as a result to salvation. We don't try to work to gain something or gain salvation. We work from it. We work from that place of salvation.

That's what he's saying right here. And we know this truth, but we need to be reminded of this truth, that we have good works. And I believe we can categorize those good works in two ways. Number one, generally the Scriptures give believers the things they ought to do. James criticizes the faith of the people because they don't have faith with works.

We are saved by faith alone but that faith is never alone. That faith is displayed through works. Now this is very dangerous because somebody can say, Okay, to make sure that I can prove that I'm saved, I'm gonna show some works. I gotta show everybody. I gotta show a pastor.

I gotta show leaders. I gotta show my fellow brethren that I'm saved. So here we go. I'm gonna do some work. I'm gonna go out today.

I'm gonna go feed the homeless. I'm gonna go to church early, clean up. Yes. I have to prove that I'm saved. Hold up.

That is not the masterpiece. That is not the work that God has done. It's effortless. It's a result of your new nature. Like a tree doesn't force itself, an apple tree doesn't force itself to make apples, an orange tree doesn't press itself to make oranges.

It just does because that's its new nature. Do you see how salvation is nothing less than a miracle? How can we divorce the truth of saving faith and life transformation with verses like this? Because people go to verses like this. Oh, by grace, by grace.

Hey! Read verse 10. Something happens through that faith. You're transformed by that faith through grace. This is something that is visible in your life.

It's not hidden in the chambers of your brain. No. You can see it. You can know it through your own life. There's something new.

Now I have these desires to serve the kingdom of God. Now I have these longings to be in the house of God. Now I'm pulled towards sharing my faith. Now I wanna be hospitable. Now I wanna cheerfully give.

Now I yes. Is the flesh there to fight it? Of course. It's not a perfectly thing that that that comes out that, oh, I just never sin again and just good works ooze out of me. No.

This new nature is still fighting the old nature. But one thing is true, there is something about that new nature that's evident. Where did this come from? That's the spirit of God in you, friend. And there's a battle going on.

So what happens? We have these general commands. And Titus two tells us that he saved us that he might redeem unto himself a peculiar people, zealous for good works. Zealous for good works. That there's this desire to serve.

There's a desire to make things happen for God. And that's just a part of the new the reprogramming of your heart, the rewiring of your soul. But there is another understanding of these works. Yes. They're general for all believers, but there is also a specific tailor made calling on your life that God prepared before even your salvation.

Wrap that one around your mind. That God has something specific for you. And the that truth is proven by verses like Acts twenty twenty four. But I count of my life of no value nor as precious to myself. If only I may finish my course and the ministry that I have received from the Lord Jesus to testify of the gospel of the grace of God.

I'll dare to say this, that the the main reason that you and I are living right now is to fulfill that calling. The reason why you and I were not raptured when we got saved is because you have something to do in this life. Me? Yes. You.

Specific? Absolutely. Paul in prison now think of this mentality. He says, for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Now just stop there.

His motto of life again, he says in Acts twenty twenty four, he says it again in Philippians one. He says, for me to live my job, marriage, yeah, that's great. No. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is way better. So if I'm to remain in the flesh, he says, that means what?

Fruitful labor for me. As long as God prolongs my life, if I'm getting out of here in this prison alive, that means I still have some things to do. If you wake up tomorrow morning, if you didn't die in your sleep, guess what? You still have something to accomplish for the kingdom of God. Yet which shall I choose?

Look at the way he's talking. Yet which shall I choose? I want to meet somebody like the apostle Paul. Which shall I choose? I cannot tell.

I'm hard pressed between the two. To depart and be with Christ is far better, but it is more necessary that I remain on your account. He's like, it's because of you that I gotta stay. But for me, oh, I would love to depart and be with Christ. Oh, I would love to have the veil completely removed.

I would love to not see through mirror dimly. I wanna see face to face. But as long as I'm here, I got something to do. Why? Because you have good works prepared beforehand that you should what?

Walk in them. So there are two important truths about these works. This will set us all free. Number one, no boasting. The same way you and I cannot boast in our salvation because it is a gift of God is the same reason why we cannot boast in our good works because they've been prepared by God.

You catch that? These works have been set up by God. You have specific assignments in this life, a specific calling to fulfill, a specific corner of God's vineyard to work on. And guess what? He prepared it beforehand so how can you boast in it when you're even doing it?

He set it up for you. It's not based on your ingenuity. It's not based on your cleverness. It's not based on your no no no no. He literally set it up and all you have to do is just walk in them.

So when you're doing something for Christ, and maybe you're doing something for Christ now, God set that up for you beforehand and you're literally just walking what he already established for you. So how can you boast in your good works? I'm just doing what God called me to do. That's Luke seventeen ten. He says this.

Jesus says something so crucial. He says, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, we are unworthy servants. We have only done what was our duty. So in the same way, whenever you're commanded to do something and you do it, you know what your response should be when somebody says that was awesome. You're a servant of God, aren't you?

Since we're only servants, we're just doing what God told us to do. This is just our duty. God set it up for us, and he's telling us to do it. I didn't make this up. He prepared it beforehand.

This gift, oh, you thought I developed it? Yes. We have to steward our gifts, but he deposited this within me. And so boasting, not just in our salvation, but even in our good works for God is eliminated because he set it up for us. And here's a crucial one too because there's a lot of sovereignty of God in this.

There's a lot of God being in control of this and rightfully so. He is in control. He is sovereign. Don't get me wrong. But just because he set them up beforehand doesn't mean that you will walk in them.

You have to walk in them. He's not gonna pick up your leg and walk for you, nor is he gonna give these good works on a silver platter and say, here's your good works. Oh, no. No. Thanks.

I'm busy. No. No. No. Here's your good works.

No. No. I'm busy. Uh-huh. No.

He's not gonna do that. You have to walk in them. I have to walk in them. I have to know what God's will is for my life. You and I need to seek God, what those works are beforehand.

You and I should eagerly desire with heartfelt prayer and fasting to say, Lord, what is my assignment in this life? Lead me. Guide me. Be that pillar of cloud by day. Be that pillar of fire by night.

I need to go where you want me to go. And so just like those things that are above that we are to seek because we're in heavenly places, they're not automatic. They're available but not accessed unless we move forward. And these good works are no different. We have to say, God what is your plan for my life?

We have to ask the questions Apostle Paul asked when he met with Christ. Two questions. We know this. Who are you, Lord? Was the first one.

That's the first question every believer has to ask. Who are you, Lord? I wanna know you. I wanna know you. I wanna experience you.

I wanna walk in greater truths, reveal your word to me. I want intimacy. And the second question he asked is, what shall I do, Lord? What is it that you have for my life specifically? And guess what?

If he prepared them beforehand, do you think he's gonna veil it from you? Do you think God thought about your life before you were born, before you were even saved? He says, I can't wait for this person to come into Christ, for me to unveil what I have for them. He takes pleasure in working in and through you. You think you seek not?

He's gonna say, no. No. Because it is through these good works that he becomes glorified. Because what? These seven outcomes come to a full circle.

The genius of the Holy Spirit. When we think about the first outcome of the gospel, it says that you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked in the course of this world. But now as he concludes his thought, we're not walking in the course of the world. We're walking in the good works he had prepared beforehand. The spirit of the power of this age, the prince of the power of this age was working and is working in the sons of disobedience.

Now it's the spirit of God who works in and through you. Full circle. You and I are seated in heavenly places. You and I should and must testify to this rest inwardly that our salvation is totally based and finished by Jesus Christ. And And you and I have a tailor made calling in this life that we are to discover and seek after and walk in.

And how do you know you're finished on this earth once again when he calls you home? Seven outcomes of the gospel. How glorious is this gospel? What a mighty god we serve. Oh, if you ever think that is this this is just about you getting out of hell, you have a fraction of it.

You have a fraction of it. You've deliver been delivered from so much more, and you've been saved for so much more. And the gospel itself needs to be heard and preached to ourselves. Take this text. Take these outcomes.

Rehearse them over your life. Apply them to your life. When Satan lies about it, you remind him. You're seated above him. He's under your feet.

I knew somebody that actually wrote that underneath his shoe. He wrote Satan underneath his shoe. I don't know what it was like when he went to guest houses and they saw it, but he walked in that confidence. Satan's underneath my feet. You and I can wake up tomorrow morning and wipe the crust off our eyes and say, okay, God.

You still have something for me to do. And there shouldn't be a day where you and I are shaken by guilt or motivated to do something to try to appease God because Jesus is sitting. You should sit inwardly as well. It's finished. Rest in him.

Now what do we do? We worship because he's worthy of it. Bow our heads.