The Mercies of God Prequel
Notes
Transcript
In October 2011 Gordon (94) and Norma (90) Yeager married 72 years died in the hospital holding hands one hour apart.
The couple was hospitalized after a car accident just outside of Marshalltown, Iowa. They were given a shared room in the ICU where they held hands in adjacent beds.
At 3:38 pm Gordon's breathing stopped. Though he was no longer alive, his heart monitor continued to register a beat.
The nurse told Gordon and Norma's son, Dennis Yeager, that the monitor was beeping "because they're holding hands, and [Norma's heart beat] is going through them," Dennis recalled in an interview with Des Moines' KCCI news station. "Her heart was beating through him."
Gordon and Norma illustrate what happens to us in salvation. Our hearts we dead, no life, no rythmn of life showing on our EKG, DEAD! And then a nail pierced hand reached out took hold of our hand and our heart began beating. Sign of life showed began to manifest themselves. Paul says it this way . . .
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 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.
This act of love, according to verse 10, creates a certain type of person for a specific purpose.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
It creates a certain type of person (Christian) notice the verse says “created in Christ Jesus” for the purpose of good works. What are these good works? They are something we are to “walk in” and “prepared beforehand.”
I believe “walk in” is an expression of lifestyle
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
Paul shows us in Romans 8:29 what good works have been “prepared beforehand”.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Conformity to the image of his Son is often called sanctification. This means growth in Christlikeness or as some call it holiness.
For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground.
Becoming holy is the definition of sanctification. It is that process which takes place during the second phase of our salvation. Remember, we are saved from sins penalty, justification. We are being saved from sins power, sanctificaiton. We will be saved from sins presences, glorification.
Sanctify is a noun. It is our state of being. It is our position. It is that which has been declared about us. This call to be holy is more than attainable it is assured.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Let us not fall prey to those who preach a holiness that is more than what is possible on earth. Or to those who preach a holiness that is less possible.
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
The process of holiness is much that picture in Beauty and the Beast where Belle kisses the Beast and he begins that metamorphisis from beast to man. Salvation is where God kisses us, he starts the process of making us human again. Man in his fallen condition inhumane. Remember, we are created in God’s likeness, yet that likeness has been marred by sin. Paul says the following about our bodies in heaven
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
We will be fully human for the first time. Jesus took on human flesh to show us what it looked like to be fully human. He gave us an sneak peak of coming attraction.
Calvin Gardner Taylor said; when we get to heaven we shall be so much like Jesus that the angels will ask each other; which one is Jesus.
It only took a few second for the Beast to be transformed in Christianity it is our entire life. Just as the Beast was assured of this change so are we.
Sanctified is a verb. It is our state of becoming. It is where God bends us away from sinfulness to sinning less. Not sinless perfection that says there is more holiness avaiable than God has provided. Nor am I speaking of a lisences to sin for God has provided more.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Though we have been given a new heart and the Spirit we still possess the remanence of our fall nature. That nature given to us at birth, passed down from our first parents and it is this remanence that causes our conflict. Sin has bent our desires in the wrong direction. They have been bent inward not upward. Our Father gives us a new heart and the Spirit to encourage and empower us towards holiness.
Our sin problem is a desire problem.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Our God given desires have been bent inward instead of Godward. In sanctification God is bending our desires away from the inhumane to true humanity. We have taught over the years that transformation comes from dwelling not doing. Beholding changes our behavior. Beholding bends us upwards. Beholding God’s beauty bends towards Christlikeness.
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
Our desires will not be bent by will power but Word power.
Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.
They will not be bent by trying harder but by treasuring more.
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
They will not be bent by more duty but more delighting.
In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
They will not be bent by your strength but your supplication.
Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.
True believer do not be discouraged. God is at work!
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Paul’s is teaching us that sanctification is the working out of what God has worked in.
Are you working out ( meditating - delighting - obeying) what God has worked in?
Discouraged Christian, encourage yourself with these two thoughts. He has predestined your sanctification - he is working out His will to bring you to total sanctification (glorification). He has prayed and is praying for its completion.
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.