Calling
A Written compostion of the Heavenly Calling Network Study Group
Chapter
11
Ephesians 1:9 Having made known
to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he
has purposed in himself: ... Or in Him, as the Greek text reads. A good
example of this is in the 1901 American Standard Version ... making
known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure
which he purposed in him ... or Hebrew Names Version of the World
English Bible ... making known to us the mystery of his will, according
to his good pleasure which he purposed in him ... In Him, referring to
Christ. He's planned or purposed.
Mystery of his will... Mystery of the New Testament could always be
translated by in our modern English as a secret. It doesn't mean now
anything that is puzzling or mysterious. And that is why all the modern
versions translate it secret. That is very important because if you
don't see that you may say, well if it is mysterious I will never
understand it. Well then nor would anyone else. But, it is simply a
secret that God keeps until His wisdom makes it known. And when He has
made it known, we with the Holy Spirit enlightenment, can understand
it. We can receive it. We can believe it. Now why is God's will in this
section of redemption called His secret will? It is a secret of His
will actually. There must be a profound reason. You see, redemption is
only needed because man is a sinner. Go back even further. Sin had gone
in to God's universe before Adam sinned. God's universe had become
stained through the fall of satan. And it had become stained not only
through satan's fall but the scriptures tells us that angels fell with
him. So the heavens weren't clean in His sight. And the whole thing
became infinitely worse when that serpent caused the death and the sin
of our first parents. Because Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all
men, for that all have sinned: ... And have come short of the glory of
God.
But was God taken by surprise? No! Oh we have got a God that knows the
end from the beginning. One of the most remarkable statements
concerning the Lord Jesus is this, that He is likened to the Lamb slain
since the foundation of the world. Long before God's creation came into
being God had in His heart this plan of salvation because He knew it
would be an utter necessity. He could look ahead in His great
foreknowledge and see this tragedy occurring. And so He already
provided in Christ. God wasn't taken by surprise. But, this is the
point, God didn't make that know until the need became apparent.
Because He is the all wise God. God didn't say to Adam before he
sinned, now Adam I have placed you in this garden. I have given certain
instruction that you must keep. Now if you don't keep them you'll be
punished for the wages of sin is death. You will surely die. But don't
worry, I have provide a Savior for you. God didn't say that. That would
have been to make light of sin. He actually done that of course. But He
didn't tell Adam that. They knew nothing about it until they actually
were in this terrible state of being enslaved by sin and death. Then
God in His plan reveals this Savior who is the only one who can abolish
it and put it away righteously. Because He has come in to our human
experience and born it Himself for us.
Redemption comes in to God's secret will. He keeps it a secret until it
becomes a necessity to make it known. That is why, not because it is
less important. But simply because He is the all wise God, He doesn't
reveal before hand certain aspects of truth. There is a right time for
a revelation of truth. Will you try and understand that. It is most
important. The old testament says that there is a set time for every
purpose under heaven. And the Apostle Paul talks about a certain time
that his ministry was made known to him. And a certain time that God
had made known certain facts. In His times He shall show is the only
potentate and so on. In His own peculiar season that is the right time.
We want to note that because God never makes a mistake in revealing
truth. He never does it to early and He never does it to late. He is
always exact. Just the time when it is needed. Just a time when His
wisdom decrees it shall be known. Therefor Keep redemption right where
God puts it in to His secret will.
If you put redemption right in to God's directive will you would see
that you have a tremendous problem. And this is a problem that quite a
number of believers have never faced. Redemption is only needed because
of sin. Un fallen Adam didn't need redeeming did he? He was sinless. If
sin never had come into this world we would have never needed a Savior.
Because we should have been just as God made us. Made in His image,
perfect and sinless. Complete. If you put redemption in to God's
directive will you must put its cause in there as well, which is sin.
And it is very terrible to think that there are some who actually teach
and believe that God willed sin to come in to the world so that He
could redeem. This is their theory, that God willed sin to come in so
at first there would be a barrier and then He would gather all His
redeemed children back to Him in His love and mercy and forgiveness and
that all would have been missing. But that is diabolical. And is
absolutely unscriptural. That is how certain that it is. Now you say
that He has willed sin to come in so that He can show His love and
redeem His children and gather in His children back to Him. Would you
do that to your children then? You love your children? Well then send
them out in to the world and cause them to sin. Make them sin then you
can do the same and gather them back and show them all your love. That
is really horrifying. You wouldn't dream of doing that. But your saying
that the God of righteousness had done it.
This is a thing that you must weigh over in the life of scripture. We
have to be very careful concerning all the things that we hear. Even
about redemption. Lets get it where God puts it. God puts it in to His
secret will. God did not will for sin to come in. And God did not
actively will redemption because there would be no need for it. But He
provided in His foreknowledge and His plan for that contingency. So
that when Adam fell He was not taken by surprise.
Note this good purpose. One of the things that is so good that God has
a revealed plan in scriptures. You know the word purpose is just the
word planned. It might be better if we translated it planned. After
all, when you purpose to do a thing well its the same things as saying
you planned to do a thing. Purposing and planning. Planning is just a
little more modern and brings the truth to our minds perhaps a little
more fully. He had planned in Christ. Now you will never find any part
of God's plan in the scripture that is outside of the Lord Jesus
Christ. For He is the center and He is the only one who can carry it
out. But all to see that God is working out a great plan through the
Lord Jesus Christ and we, sinners by nature, can by redemption and
grace have a share in that plan.
Looking at a chapter that all the children of God love, for it is a
wonderful chapter. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, ... Now note ... to them who
are the called according to [his] purpose. ... Plan. God has a plan.
When He calls the saved its because it is according to the plan that He
has made.
2Timothy 1:8 .......... but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the
gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called
[us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose ... Plan. ...and grace, which was given us in Christ
Jesus ... Never apart from Him. The Lord is right in the center. ...
before the world began, ... Called, given a holy calling because it is
part of His plan. And His grace so to do. This gives us the absolute
assurance that our salvation was no accident. It just had to be because
God in His love and mercy planned it. And that plan scooped down to
take us up, insignificant us. To take us up in to that plan.
Oh how these things ought to fill our hearts with joy. He who had begun
the good work will finish it. Otherwise we shall fall out of the plan.
And that could never be. For that would mean that God's plan would be
spoiled and frustrated if any one of His children were to fail in the
end. There are some that quite sincerely teach that you can be saved
today and lost tomorrow. And it is not for us to criticize other
believers but we should say this, that what they say or we say, must be
tested by God. It is certain that there is a possibility of a believer
losing something but it isn't salvation. What he can lose through
unfaithfulness and slackness and disloyalty, is a prize, or a crown, or
the Lord's pleasure. His commendation. His approval. Yes, we can lose
all that. But salvation? No. Never. John 6:37 All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me; ... That is an exact number. And not a
single one is going to be lost. Every one that has been put in to those
nail pierced loving hands will never slip through. This plan must go
on. And that gives us a grand assurance. It's proceeding according to
the plan in Christ Himself.
He has touched redemption. He has looked back to Calvary. He is going
to take a tremendous sweep and look right into the future to the goal.
Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he
might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in
heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: ... This is the end of the
plan. This is the goal of the plan. What is it? He is going to gather
everything, all things that exist in heaven, and all things which are
on earth, in to Christ. There not there now are they. Oh no. Hebrews
2:8 But now we see not yet all things put under him. But looking ahead
and believing what God has said for the future we know that there is
the crowning day that is coming. And it is not only a crowning day for
this earth. A lot of believers can see that. They can see one day that
there is coming a kingdom on this earth. Other wise a lot of the
scriptures would have be disbelieved. And what we term the Lord's
prayer just wouldn't be true. Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will
be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. ... Is that true? Is it ever
going to be true? Yes. There is a day when the Lord Jesus Christ shall
reign. But He is going to reign in heaven to. All things in heaven are
going to be gathered under His headship.
Some of our English versions doesn't really bring out the meaning of
this word gather. It means to bring again under the headship. To head
up again. Most English versions just render it just to gather up
together in one. This is a question of headship. But there are a few
English versions that use its meaning.
1889 Darby Bible ... for the administration of the fulness of times; to
head up all things in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the
things upon the earth; in him, ...
The Emphatic Diaglott ... for an administration of the fulness of the
seasons, to reduce under one head the things all in the Anointed, the
things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him, ...
Interlinear Greek New Testament ... for the administration of the
fulness of times; to head up all things in the Christ, both the things
in the heavens and the things upon the earth; ...
Green's Literal Translation ... for the administration of the fullness
of the times to head up all things in Christ, both the things in the
heavens, and the things on earth, in Him, ...
When God made satan, if the references of Ezekiel 28 refer to satan in
his un fallen state and apparently they do, that anointed cherub which
summed up in beauty and perfection and all the purposes of God, there
seems to be no being that could fill that except satan before he fell.
That is the sum, perfect in beauty in all the gems. That is to say that
when God made this being he was astounded in perfection. And from that
satan fell. And instead of him being a head, for must have been a head
of something that was lost. Then God refashions the earth and puts Adam
and makes him the head of things on earth. Headship stands in un fallen
Adam. Then Adam goes and falls. And that headship is gone. You see what
happened? All the way through from the beginning God has put a creature
in to the position of headship and every creature failed. Until at last
His blessed Son takes the whole thing up. And when everything comes
under the Headship of Lord Jesus it is safe. And it is not save until
then. In another words, this is something to wonderful, to great for
any created being ever to finally hold. Don't ask why God did it then.
Why did He give it to satan? Why did He give it to Adam? Why is Psalm 8
true? Psalm 8:1 [[To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of
David.]] O LORD our Lord, how excellent [is] thy name in all the earth!
who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babes
and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies,
that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider
thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which
thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and
the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a
little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and
honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all [things] under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea,
and the beasts of the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the
sea, [and whatsoever] passeth through the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD
our Lord, how excellent [is] thy name in all the earth! ...
Dominion. God knew all the time that this man couldn't hold it. We just
don't know. There are something's that scriptures just don't tell us.
So we have to leave it. But we are assured of one thing. God doesn't
make mistakes. He knew what He was doing. And we also know this, that
there will never be a absolute security for the creation of heaven and
earth and the things in it, until it stands in the Headship power of
the Lord Jesus. And this is the plan that will do it. And God is
working for that goal where everything in heaven and earth are gathered
under the Headship of the Lord Jesus. Thank God that is coming.
Ephesians 1: 11 in him in whom also we obtained an inheritance. ...
Then comes this predestination again working for us... being
predestinated according ... Here is the plan ... to the purpose of him
who works all things after the counsel of his own will: ... What a
majestic utterance that is. We are dealing with a God who finally
triumph. Oh, the scriptures raises tremendous problems that we can
never solve. And unfortunately on this point God's children are split
on this next point. Those that believe in the sovereignty of God, His
election, against those who believe in what they term free will. And
you can say that God's children are in that respect in two camps. Some
stress the utter sovereignty of God. Some say yes that is true, but
mans also responsible for he has a free choice. In the scriptures, both
are there. And you will not gain light by shutting your eyes to one or
the other. And this book will not take sides over this topic because
both are in the scriptures. Here in this verse, you have a sovereign
God working all things according to His own plan and His own counsel.
Who is going to withstand Him. And yet, He is not so working it so that
you are just pawns that He is pushing about on a board. Something like
chess. For if God was doing that He couldn't judge anybody. If men and
woman are just pawns on a sheen that He is pushing about then we've got
no responsibility. And yet the scriptures assure us that man are
responsible up to a certain point. That they can reject Christ. And
there is a penalty for rejecting Christ. And there is a possibility of
being condemned. But again, God is working all things after the plan of
His own will. And Humans we are sometimes just to limited to fully
understand this thing. Just like the Apostle said, 1Corinthians 13:12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; ... And this will be like this
until the end of the chapter, till traveling days are done, and we get
to glory and we know fully ... but then shall I know even as also I am
known. ... And we shall understand completely. Until that day this book
is going to let Him have the benefit of the doubt.
That's the point. This book is not going to argue on one side or the
other and will just say that we are dealing with a God that is not
finally going to be defeated. He is a sovereign God. But the same time,
when God made Adam, He didn't just make a pawn. He didn't make Adam
like the Sun, moon, and stars which just has to do what God makes them
do. That is to say that the Sun, moon, and stars are perfect time
keepers. Men can look a hundred years ahead and they can tell you the
date of an eclipse because they know that God's time peace in creation
is perfect and is never a second out. The Sun, moon, and stars can't
help it. There is no question of them trying to disobey God or going
wrong for it can't help it. They are just pawns, for God made them go
like that. But we are not like that. There is a responsibility and this
book doesn't know how far this responsibility goes. The God who has
made him is the only one who knows that. And we are just going to have
to leave that with Him. But we do know in the end with all mans
responsibility the Lord is going to triumph. Yes, He is coming out on
top. So He is working everything toward His own council and according
to His plan.
Now what's this inheritance? We have obtained an inheritance. This
brings us to redemption again. At the end of verse 13 we get that Holy
Spirit of promise. Here is the Holy Ghost. Ephesians 1:14 Which is the
earnest of our inheritance ... Here is the word ... until the
redemption of the purchased possession, ... So if we are very child
like what shall we say. We shall say this. There are two aspects of
redemption in Ephesians 1:3-14. One is what we have already looked at.
The redemption, the shedding of the Lord's precious blood, our
forgiveness, and our setting free from sin. Here is another aspect of
redemption which is alas isn't so clearly seen by God's people. And
have you realized that God has written one book in scriptures which
revolves around this redemption. Oh, its a lovely book. It is an Old
Testament book. It is the book of Ruth. Redemption's there but not this
evangelical aspect. It is about an inheritance that has become lost.
And had to be redeemed and bought back again. And Boaz is a lovely type
of the kinsman redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ buying back the
inheritance that had been lost. God has put it all in picture form for
you.
You see, not only do we need redeeming because we are sinners but
because we are sinners we have lost the inheritance that God has given
us. He's got to buy back that for us as well. He has done both. He has
saved us, forgiven our sins, and is going to present us holy, spotless,
faultless before His throne with exceeding joy. And this inheritance
which we can't claim anymore because we sinned and we lost it. We are
just like Adam turned out of the garden of Eden. Adam lost it by sin
didn't he? If Adam has never been redeemed by Christ he'll never know
it. In just the same way sin has separated us from the inheritance
which the Father had planned. And the same work on Calvary's cross has
made that sure as well. So that is another thing that you can thank the
Lord Jesus for. He saved your from your sins. He redeemed you. And He
has bought back this inheritance. You have obtained an inheritance. The
inheritance, the purchased possession which He has redeemed. The ...
redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory. ...
Where is this inheritance? It is not down here. He has not given us as
a member of His body any part or lot down here. Nothing any where in or
the land. You can not find any earthly inheritance. But you can find a
heavenly one. We have got what one of the epistles tells us.
Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also
wait for a Savior, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah; ... From the Hebrew
Names Version of the World English Bible ... Our home land exists
where? Not on earth but in heaven. That is where it is. This
inheritance is a heavenly inheritance. This inheritance has spiritual
blessings. All spiritual blessings in connection with it showered upon
us. Bless us with every blessing which is spiritual. Because it is a
heavenly inheritance it is all spiritual. You can't name any earthly
blessings that you can take up to heaven. Can you? They wouldn't fit
would they. What earthly blessing can you think of that your going to
take up to glory with you? No, no, you'll leave earthly things behind
and you'll go in to a heavenly dominion. A dominion that is full of
such wonders that eye has not seen or ears heard. No, we will have to
wait till that day when we open our eyes and we see it in actuality for
the first time. When we are there in the glory with Him.
The other aspect which the work of the Lord Jesus has assured for us
because we have obtained this inheritance. He the redeemer. He the
heavenly buyer who has bought it back after we have lost it. And this
plan assures that we shall have it. He is working all things according
to the council of His own will.
Ephesians 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first
trusted in Christ. ... In the margin of your bible you will see Greek,
Hoped. Its not just the word trusted. It's the word hoped and it is
literally before, first hoped in Christ. The 1901 American Standard
Version is a good one to look at to see that this is so, if you don't
have a margin in your bible. ... to the end that we should be unto the
praise of his glory, we who (1) had before hoped in Christ: (1) Or have
) ... A first hope, what does he mean? Lets think for a moment. Lets
think of this word first. Because in English we can use it in two
different ways. We can say first in time. You do a thing first. That is
to say before anything else. Or first in position or dignity. We can
use it either way. And so can the Greek. And both are true here. In
this exalted company they have a position, the highest of all, with the
Lord Jesus Christ above all principalities and powers because He is the
Head and we are His body. And that means to say that what's happen to
Him will happen to us. And it will be first in time as well. That's to
say the next thing that will happen in God's great program is to
complete this church and to take it to glory. It is our hope. Christ,
the hope of glory. It will be a first hope. It will take place before
any other hope. Before Israel is taken up again and finally revealed.
Before any other of the plans that God and are sure and certain. But
this company has the first hope. First in time and first in position.
That's sweeping isn't it. But it's true.
And then we come in this third section to the ministry of the Holy
Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 in whom ... Christ ... you also trusted, after
that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom
also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy Spirit of
promise, ... We must take care for the revised version is better since
the tenses of the Authorized version are not right and any good
translation will point out that its not after. There is no after there.
1901 American Standard Version ... in whom ye also, having heard the
word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom, having also
believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ... Lets
retranslated for you. ...In who you also, when you heard ... you were
sealed actually ... the word of truth, the good tidings of your
salvation, in whom also when you believed, you were sealed with that
Holy Spirit of promise, ... In other words this sealing of the Spirit
takes place on the moment of believing. That is what the Greek makes
clear. Not sometime afterward. You know, there are some dear children
of God who tell you that you ought to have what they call the second
blessing. And this is one of the verses they quote for it. Its no issue
of believing Christ but have you have this after? Here it says after.
But we should be quite sure of course that we are not basing teaching
on a translation that may not be quite accurate. There is no after in
the Greek. Read the revised version and you will find that it is on
believing you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. The moment
you looked on the Lord Jesus. the moment you put your faith in Him,
that very moment, God the Holy Spirit put the seal on the transaction.
That's the meaning. That very moment.
Someone my say, don't you think this growth in grace is spiritual
blessing? Oh yes, most certainly. But you must not go to this first for
it. You must go to another one. We must be accurate in our dealing with
the word of God. We must note exactly what God has said. This sealing,
lets think of it. God is using a figure that we all understand.
Sealing, speaks of a legal transaction. Consummated. You know quite
well that there are certain things that must have a legal document
attached to it. Your deeds to your property and various other things.
And it has to be properly, as we say, signed, sealed, and settled. Its
the natural was to finish a transaction to put the seal on. And of
course, in the past century's when we had real monarchs that is what
used to happen. The king would put his seal upon a document. It wasn't
legal and it wasn't actual until he did it. Using a figure that we all
understand.
When God puts His seal on the transaction it makes it permanent and
complete. And that is another reason to not believe that anybody can be
saved today and lost tomorrow. If God puts His seal, the Holy Spirit,
none of us can break it. It can not be believed for one moment. When He
said the transaction is complete, I put my seal on it, thank God. That
is the end of it. Sealed and we are told later on in Ephesians 4:30 And
grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed... When?...
to the day of redemption. ... And that takes you to the consummation.
The day of redemption is the day that we are presented in glory. It
can't be broken. Being sealed with that day in view, nothing can break
it. Sealed until the day of redemption. Not sealed to we break it! That
is not true. Sealed until that glorious day that will most certainly
come.
That is one aspect of the present work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit, as the Saviour told us, is the other comforter. There are some
who teach that the Holy Spirit isn't a person and that He is just the
power of God. That isn't true. The Greek doesn't say that He will send
it unto you. Him unto you. And the very fact that man can grieve the
Holy Spirit shows that it must be a person. You can't grieve a power,
however great the power is. How can any one grieve electricity or
atomic power. That's none sense. You can only grieve a person. And God
the Holy Spirit is a person. It is God Himself who can be grieved. And
He can be resisted. You read in the scripture of resisting the Holy
Spirit. You can lie to the Holy Spirit. But you can't lie to a power.
You can only lie to a person. But this book might have to deal with
that in a later chapter because some might say that this book teaches
that God dishonoring doctrine of the trinity. There is only one God in
the scriptures. One Lord, One God! Yes, that is certain. That is what
the scriptures says. But, that one God has revealed Himself in these
three different ways as the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
So we are sealed by God Himself. By the Holy Spirit of Promise. Now
note that the scriptures calls Him the other comforter. Another
comforter. The Lord Jesus Christ is a comforter. Yes. The word
comforter is the same that is translated advocate. We have a advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ. It could have been translated, we have a
comforter with the Father. Its the same word in the Greek. So you see,
the Lord Jesus is a comforter. But He says, I am going a way and I'll
send another comforter in my place. And what will He do? Well, He shall
glorify Me. He shall take of the things of Mine and show them unto you.
He shall not speak of Himself. The great function of God the Holy
Spirit is to take all the pertains to the Lord Jesus and to make it
real and precious to the believer. Every where you get a Christ
exalting ministry, where the Lord Jesus Christ is first announced,
where He is up lifted, you have automatically got the ministry of the
Holy Spirit. You must have. He can not be up lifted with out the power
of the Holy Ghost. That is His one great office. And yet there are some
of course who seek to stress the Holy Spirit apart from Christ. Taking
the Holy Spirit by Himself apart from the Lord Jesus is to divorce two
things that scriptures puts together. He shall not speak of Himself. As
some one has put it, He is the retiring member of the Godhead. He
doesn't exalt Himself. But all the time He is exalting He is exalting
the person and the work of Christ. And it is quite impossible for
anyone to get any knowledge of the Lord Jesus apart from the work of
the Holy Spirit. It is His work to quicken. It is His work to save. It
is His work to open up our eyes of understanding. And it is said so in
the first chapter of Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of him: ... The Lord Jesus. This is what God the Holy Spirit
is now doing. He sealed us the moment we were saved. He is constantly
taking the things of Christ and making them plain to us. And don't we
have to go to Him and say, Lord by your Spirit open my eyes that I may
hold wondrous things. Unveil the Lord Jesus to me. And here He will do
it. He has promised us that for that is His office. That is His work.
He is the great remembrancer. John 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is]
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach
you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I
have said unto you. ... Do you forget? Do you read Gods word and forget
some of the things? Go to Him, He has promised to remind you. Do you do
that? You say, Lord remind me of the truth that You have taught me in
the past. We can't hold of it. It is so wonderful. If I have let
anything go Lord please bring it back to my mind. He will. He has
promised to do it.
And not only that Ephesians 1:14 Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, ... Here
is one aspect of the Spirits work, earnest. This word is most
interesting and means to pledge. The Greek word is arrhabon
ar-hrab-ohn'. Or even so, a fore taste. This word was actually used of
an engagement ring in Paul's day. When a young fellow got engaged to a
girl he gives her and engagement ring. What's that? That is a pledge of
their bond between them and their marriage yet to come. And here, the
work of the Holy Spirit, that is a fore taste of the coming glory.
Giving us the earnest, the pledge, of what is sure and certain, the day
of redemption. Lets constantly then go to Him and ask for more fore
taste of the coming glory.
This is also in type and shadow, do remember how it was in the Old
Testament? God redeemed His people by the precious blood of the
passover lamb. Then taken out of bondage and death of Egypt. Leads them
and brought them out. And when they get to the borders what happens?
Well, there was an element of mistrust. They said, lets send the spy's
in to see whether this land really is good or not. Fancy that, after
God telling them of the good land. Land flowing with milk and honey and
they don't believe it. They said, lets send the spy's in. God allowed
them. It wasn't acted on belief and God allowed them to do it. And when
they brought back their report what was it? They said in affect that it
was all that what God has said. And they brought back evidence of that
good land. Numbers 13:23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and
cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare
it between two upon a staff; and [they brought] of the pomegranates,
and of the figs. ... Those grapes that we so luscious and so big as the
scriptures tells us that they had to be carried on a pole between two
men. You have never seen a bunch of grapes like that. It was so heavy.
That was a fore taste of the glory's of the land. Before they got in to
the land God allowed them to taste the fruit. We haven't gone home yet
because we are walking the pilgrim pathway. Its a path way to glory but
we are not in glory yet. But while we are walking it we can have the
equivalent of the grapes of Eshcol. And the Holy Spirit is the one
who's office is to give it to us. He is the earnest. He gives us a fore
taste. The pledge of the coming glory. And as He opens our eyes to see
more of the wonder of this calling and the glory that lies ahead oh its
like giving us a grape almost. He is saying, enjoy that. Your just
seeing more and more. Its true, I am opening your mind as far as it can
bare it, to see what is coming. And if we are growing in grace and
knowledge then that is what we shall know. And God's children that
don't know this has stopped growing. That's the tragedy. That can
happen even with the redeemed child of God. But those who are going on
with Him this is part of the glorious works of His Spirit.
What a ground these verses travel. Going right back to past eternity to
the will of the Father. Look at what He has done for us. Choosing us in
Christ. Planning all this. The work of the Son has made it possible
because we lost it all by our sin. We are utterly un worthy by our
selves. And we have got no claim upon that inheritance that the Father
willed for us. And the Lord Jesus has bought back both by His
redemption. With His precious blood He has born our sins. And at the
same time He has obtained this inheritance for us. The redemption of
the purchased possession. And the Holy Spirit comes along and seals the
transaction so that it can never be lost of broken. And all the time
that we are walking until we are joined in its fullness, the day of
glory, He gives us the fore taste to keep us going. The earnest of our
inheritance. So what do we lack? We lack nothing. Absolutely everything
is covered by this Triune God.