Word of Salvation – Vol.39 No.18 – May 1994
Remember Your Blessings
Sermon by Rev. J. De Boer on Eph.1:18,19a
Readings: Romans 8:28-39 Ephesians 1:15-23
Beloved congregation,
Have you ever stopped to think that the Church is special? The Bible makes it clear that it is. It calls us the ‘bride’ of Christ and the ‘body’ of Christ. Not just an ordinary people; we are the Lord’s covenant people, a ‘chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation’. In the Lord’s eyes we are unique.
And because we have a unique identity, we also have blessings and privileges which the unbelieving world doesn’t share. Sadly, however, we often lose sight of these and our faith suffers. We see this time and again in the Old Testament. God’s people lost sight of who they were and what He had done for them. Humanly speaking, how different things could have been!
Of course, the same can happen to us today. In times of hardship and difficulty, your faith can be sorely tested, and your love for the Lord can grow cold. Perhaps you are not as consistent in your Christian life as you should be; the world has pull on you and your faith has become a very up and down affair. Or you may have become spiritually lazy, and your spiritual life is dull, colourless and boring.
It can happen. The apostle Paul knew this, and if we are honest, we will know it too. His concern in our text is that our faith will not stagnate, but be alive and well. And so he prays that we will have open ‘spiritual eyes’. We need to know the special blessings that are ours as the people of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we can grow in our Christian faith.
Today, may we and our children have our eyes opened to these blessings. And in that way, continue to realise the privilege of belonging to Christ and His Church. Let us focus on the three blessings our text speaks of:
1. Our hope.
2. Our riches.
3. His power in us.
- Our Hope
Our text speaks of ‘the hope to which He has called you’. It is saying that if God has called you, then you have real and lasting hope. To put it another way: If Christ Jesus truly is our Saviour, you have a hope which will last into eternity.
So many in our world today have no hope. You may have met people like that; they have nothing to look forward to in life. God’s people are blessed because even when circumstances are difficult, and times are hard, their hope is secure. In spite of how things may look, and even how you may feel, nothing in all creation can rob you of your Gospel hope.
And what is that hope? That through faith in Christ, your salvation is – and always will be – secure. Paul speaks of this in Romans 8:30, when he speaks of the different steps in the process of salvation. Let us read this verse: ‘And those he predestined he also called; those he called he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.’
Do you see the steps here? When God calls you and brings you to faith, He also justifies you, i.e, He declares that you are ‘not guilty’ of any sin. But that is not the end of the story! He will also glorify you; He will bring you into heaven. It has not happened yet but it is as good as done. That is His promise and that is your hope!
How important it is for your spiritual well-being that you remember this truth. Your salvation is secure. Nothing in all of creation can take that from you. Not the devil; not even your own sin. Christ has paid the price on the cross of Calvary. The work has been done and now we may live in the light of that glorious truth.
Perhaps you are struggling in your Christian life right now. The burden of sin and guilt may be weighing upon you. You may be going through a time of sickness or hardship. Perhaps you are being ridiculed at work or school because of your faith.
Remember the glorious truth of our text! If Christ is truly your Saviour, you have been called by God Himself. And you have hope! The work He has begun, He will bring to completion. Nothing can stop His purpose or change his plans for you. So you don’t need to doubt that your sins are forgiven; nor that God loves you, and cares for you every moment of every day; nor that you will go to heaven when you die.
My brother, my sister: Have you understood that? Do you realise the glorious privilege which is yours as a child of God? These things are true for you.
- Our Riches
The next blessing Paul speaks of is ‘the riches of His glorious inheritance’. What does he mean by that? Well certainly not earthly riches. Here he is reminding us that we have an eternal inheritance in heaven. And one day, we will enjoy the blessing of that. Of course, we still live in the world. And the fullness of heaven is not ours yet. But here he is telling us to take time out, and make a conscious effort, to think about the glory and wonder of that.
One day you are going to live on the new heaven and the new earth. There will be no more sin. Nor will there be any death or mourning crying or pain. Your relationship with the Lord, and with other people, will finally be perfect. If you are on medication, you won’t need it anymore. If you have a walking frame or wheel chair now, you won’t need it then. If you are lonely, or have suffered from a broken relationship, a time is coming when that pain will be gone. Because Christ has promised to make everything new.
That is ‘the riches’ of your inheritance, and that is eternally secure. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation can take it away. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us open our eyes to the wonder of this truth!
Let me ask you a question: When was the last time you stopped and thought about these things? Have you ever done it? It is so important that we make this effort, especially if we are concerned that our faith be alive and well.
Let me give you some reasons why.
(A) That’s what Jesus did. Hebrews 12:2 says: Who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame. That is, He endured the suffering and curse of the cross, because He knew that the glory and majesty of heaven was beyond it. And since He is our role model, this attitude should also be true for us. In the lives we live here in God’s world, we should remember that this world will pass away. And beyond it we have an inheritance which is so beautiful, so glorious, that words cannot describe it.
(B) Also, this encourages us to faithful and obedient Christian living. When you can look ahead in faith, to your inheritance, you will be motivated. There is no greater incentive to work at your faith, than to look ahead to the glory of heaven, and being with Christ. You can remind yourself: I am going there; every day is one closer! And the more you do, the less influence the world will have on you. And the greater will be your desire to walk in the ways of Christ.
(C) It brings us much comfort. We live in a world which is lying under the curse of sin. Paul speaks about it ‘groaning’ under its bondage to sin. We see it when we read the newspapers and watch the TV news. Our world is a hard place for many. There is suffering, sickness, famine, bloodshed and racial tension. But we have an encouragement and incentive to go on: this world is not the end of the story. Beyond it is heaven and the richness of life with Christ.
If you love Him, you are going there. That is your inheritance and that is how you are going to spend eternity. Have you understood that? Do you treasure those riches? May the eyes of your heart be opened to the beauty of this. May the reality of it become more and more real to you. Spend your time, not just thinking about the things of this world. Make that conscious effort to dwell on heaven and the glory of that.
- His Power in Us
Paul caps off our text with a reference to power. Not the power of God in a general sense. But the power He has worked in you, to bring you to faith and keep you in it. It is ‘His great power – for us who believe’. In other words, if you have true, living faith, you are a walking, talking example of the power of God. If you are a believer, you are what you are because of the power of God.
Have you ever stopped to think about that?
You may say: ‘But I don’t really know if that’s true. I can’t remember a time when the power of God came upon me, like it did on Saul on the road to Damascus. Besides, my faith is so weak. How can you talk about the power of God?”
How? Because that is one of the basic truths of the Gospel. The power of sin is so great, that nothing but the almighty power of God can break it. Without that, we are as spiritually dead as Lazarus was in his grave. Not only are we unwilling to believe in Christ, we are unable.
Have you ever asked yourself: ‘Why am I a Christian?’ It is only because of the incomparably great power of God in your heart. Without that, you would never come to faith. The issue here is not whether you have had a certain experience. But whether you have true faith. Is Christ truly your Saviour and Lord? If so, God’s power has been at work in you.
But there is more. We need the power of God, not just to bring us to faith in Christ. But also to keep us going in our Christian lives. And if we did not have that power, we would be lost.
Why is this? Because your Christian life is a spiritual battle. Every true believer is a soldier in that battle against Satan and his armies. And none of us has the strength, in ourselves, to resist him. Think about it. Unless the Lord is on your side, do you honestly think you can resist temptation repeatedly? Or break with sinful, stubborn habits? How else are you going to get out of the rut of being lazy and half-hearted in your faith? We have the power to get ourselves into these situations, but not to get out.
But that is not all. We also need the power of God in a positive sense. Not just in the fight against sin, but also to make us more like Christ. The Gospel calls us not just to break with the old ways. But also to live out our calling as the Lord’s people.
However, you cannot do that in your own strength. You need the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. And that is the blessing of the Gospel; through faith you have it! That is why James can say in 4:7, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. God has not just saved you and then left you to battle through life in your own strength. He has given you His Holy Spirit, so that you may be guided and directed in the ways of Christ. And shaped in His image more and more.
Because He is in your heart, you can work at living for the Lord. The fruit of the Spirit can be real in your life, and by the grace of God, you can become more and more like Christ.
People of God, remember that you are not on your own. You do not have to face life in your own strength. The Lord is with you and His power is in you. Nothing can snatch you out of His hand. The work He has begun in you He will bring to completion. One day you will appear before Him without any spot or wrinkle of sin. Isn’t that what we sing in the doxology from Jude? – ‘Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and present you faultless before the presence of His glory…!”
Congregation, may the eyes of your heart be opened to see these things.
Especially if you are going through a time of hardship and difficulty. And your faith is being sorely tested; or your love for the Lord has grown cold.
May you know the special blessings our text speaks of. God has called you, therefore your salvation is sure. The glory of heaven is waiting for you, and you can look forward to that right now. His almighty power has started its work in you, and it will not stop until you reach your destination – heaven. Now, let us go out and live in the light of that!
AMEN