1689 London Baptist Confession (part 24)

Father in heaven, we thank you this morning for the great blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus for the great truths that are contained in your word that you have

Condescended to reveal to us father bless us as we look to your word as we look to this confession of faith

Examine what men have taught over these last? Several centuries about you about your word about salvation father bless each one here.

We pray in Jesus name. Amen Well, we started Talking about adoption.

I read something this week, and I thought this is so True. What do you why is it?

It's gonna sound like I'm taking a bender, but then it probably always sounds like I'm taking a bender Amazing grace sung at funerals why?

customary It's the only religious song a lot of people know right

In times of trouble we want to we want to play that we don't play the Beatles at funerals yet There may come the day for that And I what really got me fascinated was somebody was talking about the

Mormon tabernacle choir singing that song and then they said You know because the

Book of Mormon says that grace Basically fills the gap after all we can do is that amazing grace.

Is that amazing? Depends on how big the gap is.

Well, let's put it this way. The gap is uncoverable in that case, you know

It would be amazing except that our best efforts they think get them pretty close

And I thought what's amazing about grace in Part is part of why we study adoption.

In fact, let's just turn. Let's just start here at Ephesians 1 It's gonna be our reading this morning our congregational reading.

So I'm gonna spoil that for everybody. It's what it's why I'm here It's why you're here because you want to be in the cutting edge of 1680.

Oh, well, yeah, that's cutting edge This is amazing grace

When Paul says in chapter 1 of Ephesians verse 3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord. Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places

Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him listen in love he predestined us for adoption as Sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious grace

With which he has blessed us in the Beloved When we think about grace an amazing grace, this is amazing grace because it's something that we don't deserve when we think about Adoption I don't know about you, but I get kind of choked up when

I think about adoption and The reason is because it's so great to see

Children who didn't have a home who now have one right and here's the picture of Spiritual adoption what

God does for us? He takes really excellent people the best of the best and he chooses them and he says, you know

Like first -round draft picks. Those are the ones I want for me, right? Isn't that what amazing grace is all about amazing grace?

How sweet the sound that saved a great person like me God Chose wisely

Well, God did choose wisely right what do we just read he chose us in Christ He had to place us in Christ Otherwise he wouldn't have chosen us at all because we looked down the corridors of time if he did anything else and he saw that We were going to be good do good obey

We'd have to have another Bible we'd have to have one where men aren't fallen where men aren't wretches as the song writer says

What's great about adoption? What's great about grace? Is that God sees people who are?

basically homeless bums You know when we see little pathetic street urchins and we want to take them home

That's what God does in his mercy in his compassion he sees us and he chooses us listen to what

John Murray said about adoption When God adopts men and women into his family, he ensures that not only may they have

That not only may they have the rights and privileges of his sons and daughters, but also the nature or disposition consonant with such a status in other words

They're going to get that disposition eventually This he does by Regeneration he renews them after his image in knowledge righteousness and holiness

God doesn't leave us those hopeless helpless urchins on the street having

You know he cleans us up He feeds us he closes. He gives us everything

God never has in his family those who are alien to its atmosphere and spirit and station

Regeneration is the prerequisite of adoption It is the same spirit who regenerates us who is also sent into the hearts of the adopted crying

Abba father But adoption itself is not simply regeneration nor is it the spirit of adoption the one is prerequisite the other it's

Consequent in other words one must be regenerated and then one is

Adopted into the family of God He says here eventually

This is Murray again He says adoption as the term clearly implies is an act of transfer from an alien family

Right we talked about this. We were children of Darkness children of who followed

Satan we could say that we were in Satan's family He says into the family of God himself

This is surely the apex the highest point of grace and privilege We would not dare to conceive of such a grace far less to claim it apart from God's own revelation and assurance

It staggers imagination because of its amazing condescension and love

The spirit alone could be the seal of it in our hearts What makes a grace amazing is that God owes us nothing he sees us as what we are

Pathetic and needy and yet he condescends to love us and to transform us

The great truth of God's fatherhood and of the sonship which God bestows upon men is One that belongs to the application of redemption

In other words we are Redeemed by God and therefore we are adopted It is true and respect of all men no more than our

I'm reading that wrong there anyway We are called we are regenerated we are justified and we are adopted by him

It is the marvel of such grace that constrained the Apostle John to exclaim Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God us first John 3 1

It is amazing It is amazing to think that We who are by nature children of wrath that we are by nature sinners by nature and inclination sinners

That we should be called his children And it's not just a matter as we'll see this morning of just being called being nominally his children

He transforms us into his children. That's what we're gonna look at next is sanctification, but we're not there yet Listen, let's go ahead and look at first John 3

I think I'll look at that for a moment Even though I just read that would somebody read

Let's read verses 1 to 3 1st John 3 verses 1 to 3. Thank you. And so what do we see from that?

I mean we're talking about adoption, right? so when it says

What kind of love the father has given us that we should be called the children of God and so we are We are his children, right?

And what does that mean? According to these verses here, what does it mean that we are

God's children? There are a couple of trues contained herein.

I Really do think we need an espresso bar. Okay What trues are in these verses with regard to being

God's children? Yeah, Joni, okay.

We are going to be like Christ, right? Gary Okay. So if we're going to be like Christ, what does that portend for us?

In this life, what does that mean is going to happen to us? We're going to mature. We're going to be sanctified

Okay Yeah, we're going to be purified cleansed, right? Okay, let's move on here

This is Waldron I think He says that God the Father is not only the specific agent in the act of adoption.

In other words. He's the one who adopts us He also constitutes those who believe in Jesus name his own children he

Makes us his own children. He calls us in own children He makes us his children Could anything disclose the marvel of adoption or certify the security of its tenure and privilege more effectively?

Than the fact that God the Father himself on account of whom all things Are on account of whom are all things everything exists and through whom are all things

Who made the captain of salvation perfect through sufferings? Become by deed the grace of grace the father of the many sins who he will bring to glory in other words

Our security is in God not in our own actions Now let's go get to the easy stuff let's talk about the blessings that are ours

Just How to describe them firstly in in terms of adoption it is unique Listen to what

Chad Van Dicks horn says he says the happiness we find in family is different than that found in a courtroom or doctor's office

Those blessed with good parents can imagine the qualitative difference between leaving the judge in a courtroom without fear.

In other words Being excused from the courtroom and not having to worry about facing charges anymore and going home to a father the difference between leaving that courtroom and Being able to leave that courtroom and going to a father with great joy going home to your dad

There is nothing like being a child of God enjoying all the liberties and privileges of God's own family

What a freedom it is to be able to address God as our father even though he is in heaven and we are on earth

What a privilege it is to have brothers and sisters in every corner of the globe What an honor to even have the power to be joint heirs with God's own son now it is quite one thing

Even as the Bible says and as Van Dicks horn says to be to think of ourselves as God's children

But it's another thing to think not only have we been adopted in but now all of a sudden we have a big family, right?

We have throughout the entire planet Brothers and sisters with whom we can identify why because they've undergone the same adoption

Just like us they were estranged from God. They were strangers from God, but now they've been brought close.

Why? Because of his grace we identify when you walk into a church wherever it is anywhere on the planet and You start to hear the word being read

Prayers being prayed songs being sung words being said that you're just like I Identify with this.

How do you feel? Does it matter what color the people are? Does it matter what language they're speaking as long as you can understand or get a translation?

I? Mean if I go, you know it Was it this year? I think it was this year when

I was at Shepherds Conference typically after I After I'm up at Shepherds Conference, I'd go visit my stepmom and my family up up in Bakersfield and so I went to church up there and There was a great

I don't know it was just it was just how could

I say it it was basically a Mess that Sunday morning

I walked in and they're just moving everything around like I thought there must be some construction or something going on What it happened is right before the service an entire busload from of Korean Folks had showed up outside the church to come to church

So 60 of them get off the bus well, I think the church holds probably about 300 and their typical attendance is let's say 270 and now all of a sudden they've got 60 more people

So they're like how do we squeeze these people in so they're dragging chairs in from all over the building and just kind of wedging men

But there was just a You know a real sense of fellowship even though you know, they came from a different country

They spoke a different language everything else It just it didn't matter why because we all understand the grace of God that has brought us into the same family

Let's look at Romans 8 17

Talking about the uniqueness of it when we are Adopted by God made

His children and now we're adopted we have all these brothers and sisters all over the planet Let's look at Romans 8 17 if somebody would read that please

Romans 8 17 Okay, so adopted by the father Brothers and sisters all over the planet and this says we are fellow heirs with Christ What does that mean?

What does it mean to be an heir with Christ? Okay, we're partakers of his inheritance.

And what is his inheritance? Everything right all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places.

I mean, it's an amazing Privilege when we think basically we are spiritually what bankrupt

I? Mean, however, you want to phrase it if you look at the people at skid row and just think okay spiritually that was me before salvation and Now, you know,

I've gone from that to I'm a fellow heir with Christ as He's seated in the heavenlies and he has all these blessing.

I I'm a fellow heir with him pretty incredible to contemplate even as as I was reading earlier and I skipped over it.

I mean the truth is that we Have no idea how blessed we are all the things that are ours

They're really mind -boggling and if we spent more time focused on that less time worrying about The things that don't matter we'd be a lot better off And It says provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Now. Does that mean that I? You know, I think about The Roman Catholic doctrine of suffering basically that Mother Teresa used to and you know withhold medication and stuff like that for the people in in Calcutta why so that they would suffer?

Because there was glory and suffering. Is that the kind of suffering that's in mind here? And what if you don't what if you don't feel like you're suffering?

Okay It could be that you're not living out your faith, right? I mean, I think there are

You know, are there Christians in this world that or people who claim Christ? Who never suffer because they really don't

What well, what well, let's just put it this way. What does it mean to suffer with Christ? Is it talking about physical suffering and the answers?

not necessarily What does it mean to suffer with Christ? Okay, so I I think this is certainly true, right?

You might you might have some isolation from family members, right what did

Jesus say if You don't hate your father and mother sister brother. You're not worthy of me, right?

So if there's not if there's not some Difficulty between you and the unbelieving world

Well, why is that it might be because there's no difference between you and the unbelieving world

That would be a problem because that would be an indication that you're not saved do people do unbelievers typically respect and Honor the fact that you love the

Lord Jesus Christ sometimes but sometimes not

Bob and I were talking and it's interesting how people respond when they find out that you're in seminary, right?

I mean as soon as the people that I used to work with found out I was in seminary It was like honestly, it was like I had become in their minds some kind of priest

You know so like I I should have had a confession booth at work because you know people want to come in and either tell me their

Problems or you know when they were in the midst of doing what they would typically do, you know talking about things in Rather gruff a gruff manner.

They would look at me all of a sudden say oh, sorry You know like I I've I'm in the presence of the

Holy I need to I need to watch my language But There's a very real sense in which people just they they they will mock faith, right?

I mean I also got called You know a Puritan because I dared to uphold some standards of the department

I worked for Because it was the right thing to do I There's just a real there is a mocking of faith that will go on because they don't get it

You know so in your own family in the workplace at school wherever you are

There's because they don't view the world the same way you do They're living in a material world and they are material girls, you know,

I mean, this is this is just how they this is how they live So what does it mean to suffer with him?

It means to be willing to suffer. Absolutely You know whether or not you physically suffer whether or not you emotionally suffer

It just means being willing to identify with him and And take whatever comes your way

But believers also when we're talking about the uniqueness of being adopted. We are God's children in every sense.

Let's look at 2nd Corinthians 6 2nd Corinthians 6 verses 17 and 18

And this is you know a favorite

Passage when it talks about right before this I think just talking about Separation spiritual separation.

We like to apply it to Marriage but I think it applies to a lot more than that.

I mean, I don't think you ought to be in Business if you can help it with unbelievers either because Everything just basically devolves eventually do

To this but look would somebody read 2nd Corinthians 6 verses 17 18 you shall be sons and daughters

To me. I mean there is a call to separation here, right?

And and I mean again, it's the same thing What does it mean not to touch you any any unclean thing? Well, I don't know.

I Mean if you take that literally don't go into the restroom, you know Make sure you wear rubber gloves all the time.

You don't want to touch anything, you know, that's unclean Is that what it's talking about? Yes, absolutely spiritual purity.

So we ought to be Spiritually pure and I will be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to me

Says the Lord Almighty, you know when we talk about Is there a sense in which every created person every human being is a son or daughter of God?

Yes How is that because we are all image bearers? But is everybody, you know when we say well, we're all children of God, is that true?

It's kind of like you have to throw an asterisk on it Don't you? Because if we read this and we say this about every single person

Verse 18 and I will be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to me says the Lord Almighty Is every single person a son or daughter of?

God in in that sense. No because they're not all adopted as we read earlier

What has to happen to you before you are adopted by God you must be Regenerated you must be justified all these things must be true of you

Like what Vin Dix horn says, that's why I bothered to type it up. Listen to this He says the psalmist reminds us that when we are pathetic

The father pities the children who fear him. Let's look at Psalm 103 verses 10 to 14

And I think this is just so good because what the doctrine of adoption ought to do is it ought to remind us of how great the truths of the gospel are how wonderful it is to be a child of God because we don't deserve it and If again,

I think if we just reflect on these things, they'll give us a new a better outlook on life

When we think of all the blessings that are ours that we don't deserve Of course, how many blessings do we deserve?

Now that I think about that the answer is none so Psalm 103 verses 10 to 14 and what somebody read that please?

Yeah, go ahead. He knows our frame Thank you, Dan he knows our

Limitations he knows our weaknesses he knows

Everything about us when we know things about people. What do we tend to do when we know their inner secrets?

You Know what's one of the big things that goes on in schools these days or on social media people are

Bullied they're pushed around they're mocked. They're scorned God knows more than we could ever know of somebody else

Yeah, what does it say there? It says he shows compassion

To those who fear him to those who view him rightly to those who respect him to those who honor him Because he knows us he knows who we are he doesn't you know what you're never going to hear

Well, you won't hear anything from God, but what you'll never read from God is buck up You know just just be

Can't you do better? He knows what our weaknesses are. He's going to strengthen us.

He's going to More than anything here remove our transgressions from us he does that in Christ What he's not going to do is be less than a compassionate father to us

He has pity as compassion upon us

We are as children in every sense we Can expect his compassion we also get his protection.

Let's look at Proverbs 14 26 Proverbs 14 26 just what does it mean to be adopted?

What does it mean to be his child? Proverbs 14 26 and with somebody read that place Go ahead

Carmen a refuge How many of you when you were growing up? Did you think about your house being a refuge a safe place?

I? Mean if you did good for you, I didn't always think of my house that way remember one time

I Was probably gonna get beat up by somebody and I and I ran home

I felt pretty refuged then you know but a sanctuary a safe harbor his children will have a refuge protection

It's a blessing to know that God also provides for us familiar words from Matthew 6 in the

Sermon on the Mount and Think about this week, you know people want to apply these kind of things broadly to the you know to Believers and unbelievers, but they're the promises of God are not to unbelievers.

They're to believers to his children Listen to Matthew 6 verses 30 to 32 But if God so closed the grass of the of the field which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown in the oven

Will he not much more clothed you oh you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear?

For the Gentiles seek after these things and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all God provides for his children

He's not going to leave you starving or naked or Thirsty God also cares for your children or for his children.

Let's look at first Peter chapter 5 Talking about the blessings that are ours in adoption and we'll get to sanctification here in a moment

But one more here God cares for his children First Peter 5 verses 6 and 7 and would somebody read that please one more 2 verse 7

Okay, you know I'm anxious. I'm concerned. I'm worried.

I once was in the company of somebody who was a charismatic and Claiming all these things and just said she was able to do so why because she was a child of the king is

There truth in that Well, there's truth that all believers are children of the king, right?

But I don't know that we ought to be claiming material things because we're a child of the king What we can do is this

Cast all of our anxieties all our worries our concerns. You know are you anxious?

Cast your cares on Christ cast your cares on God why because he cares for you

What better blessing is there to know that God knows he's mindful that we're but dust

He has saved us from his his wrath, right? I mean sometimes I think we forget about that.

What do we save from? Yes our sins? Yes, the penalty of our sins But the penalty from our sins comes from God, so we're saved from the wrath of God, right?

He's done all these things for us, and then we think well I'm anxious about this.

I don't know what to do about that. I'm concerned about something else Says right here.

God cares for you. You are his child. Why do you not say Lord? I don't know what to do about this

I'm concerned about this. I'm worried about this. I am Casting I am throwing

I am tossing I am placing all my anxieties all my cares all my concerns on you because I know that you care for me

After he's granted us every spiritual blessing after he's put us in Christ after he's granted us everything and said that we will be his child forever

Why would we carry concerns and worries and troubles around with us? Why would we?

Now it's easy to say oh, I just threw those cares and concerns on the Lord But isn't it true that we can go to him in prayer that we could ask for these things

And then we can what should we trust him or should we think? He's not gonna do anything about that It is kind of an amazing thing to think about this the greatest problem.

We have in life from the moment. We're born is That hell is awaiting us when we die

Right is that true or not? And yet God removes that in Christ Jesus He takes that away from us

And then we think that we have to worry about other things and that he's not gonna take care of those things If he is granted of salvation won't he also grant us other good things?

Won't he also address our other concerns in life. We are children of the king

We need to think like that and act like that and pray like that Thoughts or questions and it may not be in our time and that's exactly right

Well, it may not be in our time, but you know, I I like to give this example I'll just never forget, you know, because I would go to church

While I was in seminary, I would go to church after working at night And I'd go in the morning and I'd be a little hopped up on coffee and You know on Easter Sunday, we we were there one morning and they have the earliest service

I think started like 730 or something. Maybe eight o 'clock. I don't remember.

I mean, you know, it was a long time ago And sitting there and you know

Pastor John got there and he started his His service his service now, you know, there's got to be a lot of unbelievers and a lot of casual people on Easter morning and he says

He says, you know an Easter Sunday, it's good to remember What's really important he says

Let me just tell you about your greatest enemy He goes, you know who that is, and I'm thinking he's gonna say it's yourself.

It's this it's that it's the other thing And he goes on for a little while and he says your greatest enemy is

God And You know if you're not in Christ Jesus God is your concern and I decided well, that's a good way to get people, you know scared in the morning

But yeah, if he's and if he's granted us that if he's going to the stay of execution as it were

Not just a stay but a permanent pardon, right? Will he not deal with lesser things and absolutely true good point

Okay Enough about all this adoption stuff. Let's talk about sanctification

Sanctification, what does it mean to be sanctified? What does the Bible talk about when it or what does it mean when it says something is?

sanctified Gary Okay on a personal level.

We're conformed to the image of Christ, right? More so every day Lord willing Yeah, well, did you read that somewhere?

Yeah It's okay Something is set apart for God's use right?

Everybody okay with that definition because I'm okay with that definition and the other one too this is what the

London Confession of Faith says they who are united to Christ effectually called and regenerated

Have having a new heart right born again and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection are

Farther sanctified really and personally through the same virtue by his word and spirit dwelling in them the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed and The several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified and they are more and more

Quickened and strengthened in all saving graces to the practice of all true holiness

Without which no man shall see the Lord now, what does all that mean? Well, if you raise your hand,

I was gonna say well, come on up here and explain it The it basically says what that we are sanctified

And that we are wholly sanctified in Christ that were made holy but that the work of sanctification

By God through his word and spirit is a Process which will not be

Finished in this lifetime. Ultimately, it's not going to be finished until we get to heaven, but listen to even what it says there

That our remaining sin nature, I'll just put it that way is more and more weakened and mortified in other words it's more and more put to death and We are made

Stronger in all saving graces to the practice of all true holiness. In other words.

God is Transforming us from what we were Into what we will be he's conforming us into the image of his son.

I Just you know I use abbreviations sometimes and my abbreviation made me laugh because I just put

Van Dyck's horn as VDH Then Dicks horn page 177 when God begins a work

He is faithful in completing it One of the miraculous works that God does is to effectually call and revitalize those who are spiritually dead he gives them a new heart a

New spirit. In fact, it is not too much to say that he gives them a new life

Paul called it regeneration Let's look at Titus 3 verses 3 to 5

And we're just going to Basically start all this this morning and then finish up next week

Titus 3 verses 3 to 5 and would somebody read those please? Okay, now the accent really here is on the last part of that with regeneration or I'm sorry with sanctification, but it is interesting right to read that The beginning part where he says for we ourselves now you could read that you could think well

Is he talking in the royal? We you know where he just really means I was is this a personal testimony and The answer is if you look at other scriptures and certainly it's not an accident that uses we there

This is the condition of all human beings Unsafe human beings foolish disobedient led astray slaves to various passions and pleasures

Passing our days and mouths and envy hated by others and hating one another That's what they do.

And so we ought not to be like that anymore This is not how This is not how we are to be this is this is his whole point here you've been saved he saved us not on the basis of works and Then he doesn't leave us in there he washes us

After regenerating us and we're being renewed by the Holy Spirit Van Dix horn says this he says

Christians are really impersonally set apart right Gary said that sanctified and Made holy

Paul calls this being built up every Christian needs this because the inheritance God has set aside for us is

Only for those who are sanctified and you say well, I don't feel very sanctified

What does that mean? I don't feel very holy You know, so what should we say then get your holy on put on your holy jacket.

It's more than a feeling I knew she was gonna get some Boston in here. Let's look at Acts 20 32

Acts 20 32, is it a matter of feeling?

Well, you know what? I mean are there times where we feel more or less sanctified? I think there are What are the times where we are feeling less sanctified?

It's usually after the Patriots lose a game. Thank you.

Thank you What what is it makes you feel less Sanctified sin, and that's why

I and it's why sanctification is Important and it's important to think of it as a process, you know, it's it

If we're always walking backwards in our sanctification if we're always Having that sense that we're less and less sanctified.

Sometimes it's helpful to do Even what my dear wife says, you know how

I feel about my salvation is not always that important What I need to do is take stock of my life and think okay, where am

I now? Where was I? Five years ago. Where was I ten years ago? Where you know has the

Lord moved me forward and if the answer that is consistently no, then I have reason to worry about my salvation

But what I could do is be so focused on the fact that I just failed in the moment Well, I ought not to I absolutely should repent absolutely should feel bad about whatever it is that I've done

But I can't think to myself. Well, then if I could do that, I Well, I can't even say that It's okay to question our salvation

I think it's okay to examine yourself and see if you're even in the faith But I think we also need to keep in mind that sanctification is a process and that sometimes we're going to stumble

But look at acts 2032 who has that? Everybody has it. The question is will anybody read it acts 2032 go ahead

Well, Will's just getting a gold star this morning Now this is an amazing thing that Paul's writing here or he's what he's saying to the

Ephesian elders actually Luke's writing it, but he recorded it

Paul says and now I commend you to God into the word of his grace, which is What would you think that would be?

Okay Directing them to their justification. Okay Christ or the scriptures. I like the idea of scriptures, right?

The word of his I commend you to God Into the word of his grace. Well, what is the word of his grace the gospel, right?

Which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among those. I mean

The Word of God is powerful. We talk about being active and sharp and all these things

But look what it says there. It says it's able to build you up We might even say to edify you to sanctify you to give you and to give you the inheritance among all

Those who are sanctified Van Dixon and we'll close with this. He says it is important to remember that Sanctification is

God's work because Christians sometimes Summarize salvation as if one part of it is progress or one part of its progress is to be credited to God and one part to us now

There's gonna be a little Almost said conflagration

Is there a little conflagration that means war by the way in case you were wondering There might be a little hoo -ha a little what's the word

I'm looking for Not really conflict it's Tension.

Yeah. Well, there might be a little tension here because people say well isn't sanctification You know, isn't that something that we work out and well, yeah

But I think we're gonna see that it's all on the power of God and that's what we need to focus on right if God You know if God began a good work and here was

Sven Dick Dick's horns points if God begins a good work Will he finish it? Is he able to finish it?

Will he do it? And the answer is yes Once he starts salvation, will he complete it?

Is he you know, does he? Cause us to be born again and then leave us to work out our own salvation to find our own way, you know to to Sanctify ourselves and the answer is no

But we need to close. Let's close in prayer father. Thank you for this morning. Thank you for the great truth of adoption

So we think about it It is Utterly Mind -blowing it is mind -boggling it is

It is amazing to think that you would condescend to set your affection upon us that you would take us who were strangers who were your enemies who hated you and To pull us in and to adopt us into your family and to grant us everything in Christ Jesus to make us joint heirs with him

Only you could have that power and exercise that power and take those who

Were once objects of your wrath and turn us into your dealer dear children Father we ask that you would bless us even as we look next week into sanctification and just pray that you would

Strengthen us in our inner man that we might be putting off sin and putting on righteousness

Through your word by your spirit that we would even even as we talked about this morning in terms of adoption

That we would remember who we are cast our cares upon you cease worrying and Embrace the fact that we are your children in Jesus name.