The Work of God in Salvation — Eryl Davies

The Father’s Work in Salvation

Will you please turn to Ephesians chapter 1 and we read together the first 14 verses. Ephesians 1 1 to 14. Let's hear the Word of God Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus.

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

Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. That we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself According to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace.

By which he made us accepted in the Beloved in Him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.

Having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure Which he purposed in himself. That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ.

Both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him. In him also we have obtained an inheritance. Being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

That we who first trusted in Christ Should be to the praise of his glory in Him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation. In whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Which is the guarantee of our inheritance? Until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory. Amen, and may God bless that reading of his word to our hearts. Yesterday we began to consider the glory of God in salvation.

And we were concentrating on the words in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 3 to 6. Focusing on the work of God the Father God who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. Some of those blessings identified are that he chose us in Christ in verse 4.

In verse 5 he predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ. And in verse 6 he highly favored us in the beloved and all to the praise of the glory of his grace. The Apostle Paul now makes an important transition from the work of the Father to the work of God the Son in Verse 7 onwards and this is marked by the phrase in him or in whom Which we find at the beginning of verse 7.

It's important not to exaggerate the the difference between verses 3 and 6 and verses 7 to 14. Because the Father Son and Holy Spirit are together in planning accomplishing and applying the work of salvation.

However, there is a difference of emphasis and that emphasis in these verses particularly from verse 7 to 12 are on the work of God the Son. What happens in verse 7 onwards is that the Apostle is telling us in more detail How God the Father's eternal plan? has been carried out and How it will be finally accomplished in and by his son the Lord Jesus.

So we're considering this morning the glory of God the Son in this 7 to 12 the glory of God the Holy Spirit in verses 13 and 14. Now I'm very conscious. I'm going to be very basic this morning. Some of you may be relieved.

But I'm very eager that young Christians Should be able to to follow and understand the text here in verses 7 to 14. And I feel too young and old to to grapple with this text and seek by the Holy Spirit to Understand what God has revealed to us here.

Now the Apostle is praising God because of the way in which God has blessed us in Christ and after having mentioned election predestination He now begins to identify further blessings With which we have been blessed.

So there is in verse 7 redemption and Forgiveness. In verse 9 there is a revelation. And that revelation concerns in verse 10 the restoration which is going to be cosmic and glorious. And I believe what's happening in verses 11 to 14 is that the Lord is giving us Reassurance Reassuring his people of their place in his eternal purpose and inheritance.

Right at the end of verse 14 as at the end of verse 12 and end of verse 6 We are reminded of our responsibility. All that God is doing in Christ and working by the Holy Spirit is to the praise of his glory.

Redemption Through Christ’s Blood

We look then first of all at redemption in verse 7. In him we have redemption Through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. A young man in Germany in 1505 had just achieved his master's degree and He planned to study further.

There are some students who just want to go endlessly studying and studying. His father wanted him to become a successful lawyer. But this young man was Unhappy and he was depressed. And he tells us the reason inwardly he felt dirty sinful.

He felt guilty before a holy and a righteous God. When he thought of dying and facing God in judgment He knew that hell was the only place he deserved to go to. After all Martin Luther thought God is holy.

God hates him. God never relaxes his righteous standards. For these reasons Luther's heart sank the prospect of standing before God as judge. How can I be right with a holy and a righteous God. That was Luther's problem?

And that is our problem. And while walking to university after a brief holiday at home Remember how a dreadful storm broke out. A Thunderbolt fell on the ground so close to him that he was thrown to the ground in fear and desperation.

He cried out for help. His life was spared by God. And then he began to seek earnestly for the answer to his question. How can I a guilty sinner? Be right with a righteous Holy God. Now the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Gives us the answer.

And in God's grace and providence Martin Luther found that answer In the Word of God in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the Apostle is touching on this answer here in verse 7 when he tells us that in him We have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.

Notice again the words carefully in him saves the Apostle that is in Christ and In Christ alone the answer is to be found to our sin problem our estrangement from God. No one else can help us. No priest no church.

No organization. No ritual. No amount of religion. No amount of doing one's best. Can save us? That is what Martin Luther discovered and millions of people like him. But what does Christ have? Paul writes clearly we have Redemption it's a possession.

It's something which as believers they have received. We have redemption. Through his blood the forgiveness of sins. Now redemption is a key word for understanding our Lord's death. It's been described as a dramatic metaphor describing our Lord's death.

The idea includes the picture of slavery. It includes the idea of being released being delivered and being set free on payment of a price a Costly price. And the idea of redemption is embedded deeply in the Old Testament Scripture.

The most famous example is the Exodus when the Jews were slaves in Egypt. They were suffering helplessly in that country. And God promised through Moses I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

In our situation of slavery God acted in his mercy fulfilling his covenant promise exerting his power Freeing his people judging the Egyptians and their gods. No price was paid but the great power of God was exercised on behalf of his people and Israel was redeemed.

In the Old Testament a slave or a prisoner or even an animal could be redeemed on payment of a price. The Roman army had the custom of allowing soldiers they'd captured to be redeemed. They could be set free by the payment of a price the more important the person the higher his status the higher the price.

And the whole process was known as Redemption. Now it's this idea that our Lord Jesus Christ uses to describe his mission on earth. Matthew 20 verse 28. This is what he says the Son of Man came not to be ministered to but to minister to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.

In order to rescue and deliver sinners from the slavery the power the guilt and the punishment of their sin. The Lord Jesus will provide himself as as the ransom. His own life will be laid down on the cross on behalf in the place of sinners and this is why he's come into the world he says.

He came not to be ministered to but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. The Apostle Paul uses a similar picture in Galatians 3 in verse 13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.

How? Well says the Apostle by becoming a curse for us. It was costly. It was expensive for the the Lord Jesus Christ. The curse which belongs to us because of our sin. Fell on the Son of God our mediator.

There's a price to pay. And here in Ephesians 1 and verse 7 the Apostle reminds us of this in him. We have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins. And this phrase through his blood brings us to the very heart of The the Christian gospel.

Oh, I know some of you have questions in your mind. You have doubts. There are things that you can't understand about the gospel. Some of you are wondering. Well, is it really necessary? Why cannot God just forgive sin if people repent and believe?

I've heard people tell me well if someone hurts me or offends me and If they apologize, I just say I forgive you. It's no big deal. Why all this fuss about blood about the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why can't God do the same as we do? In forgiving Sins, and these are important questions. Unless you understand the biblical answer to those questions. You'll never understand the meaning of the cross or the necessity of the cross in God's gracious purpose.

And so these questions and the answers take us to the the heart of the gospel. I Just want to stay here a little while this morning. Let me remind you that God is very different from ourselves. Unlike what many New Ages are telling us.

We are not part of God. They're telling us that the whole universe is God. And as part of that universe we're part of God. We're all divine. We don't need redemption from sin. We don't need forgiveness of sin.

All we need is illumination. We need to understand our innate divinity. We're all part of this great cosmos being of God. Silly people who stand Publicly sometimes on television speak on the radio sometimes.

Certainly in the open air before thousands and thousands of people shouting out. I am God. I am God. I am God. It's blasphemous. The tragedy is they believe it. The Bible says that God is wholly different from ourselves.

He's apart from us. He is transcendent he is distinct from his creation, but he is present in it. He is the creator and his creation is no part of himself. God is the eternal being distinct transcendent.

Wholly other than ourselves. So when we ask our questions, we must begin to realize The vastness of this God and how wholly other than ourselves He really is but we must go even further and remind ourselves that this transcendent God is is holy.

We've heard a great deal about this aspect of God's character already this week. It cannot be emphasized too much. It means that God is spotlessly clean and pure. There's no speck of dirt. There isn't a grain of evil in the nature of God.

His purity is dazzling. It's magnificent. So much so that the angelic beings in heaven veil their faces they crowd in his presence. Holy holy holy is the Lord God of hosts. I say it reverently, but if it were possible To take an x-ray picture of the very being and essence of God you'd see.

Absolute purity. God is holy and we are unlike God in this respect. We're sinners. We have a sinful nature and even as believers the corruption of sin remains within us the the power of sin has been broken.

The guilt of sin has been met in the death of Jesus Christ. The punishment of sin has been paid. But Even in the believer the corruption of sin remains within us. And there can be many dirty questionable areas in our lives.

We've never met a perfectly clean sinless human. I've met people who've claimed to be perfect. I remember as a young student here in Aberystwyth just three months after my conversion paying the visit to South Wales and meeting down there in the south a young couple.

And I was astounded they told me That they were perfect. They were sinless. I was so shocked. I was speechless. And I looked at them. I thought well if that's true, then I can't be a Christian. I'm struggling with Indwelling sin.

I heard a few weeks later that they've separated. They've been quarreling. If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves. The truth is not in us. We've not met a perfect sinless person and yet somehow we are to think of God as Being utterly completely clean and pure.

God is light and In him there is no darkness at all. But not only is God pure He also hates sin. Now unbelievers can be very angry when there is injustice or a violation of human rights perhaps corruption.

Perhaps murder perhaps the abuse of a young child. You can see them sometimes in the street or outside of court Expressing their anger their indignation if only they can get hold of this person who's committed the crimes.

Yet they themselves are sinful. They can be guilty themselves in the immorality adultery stealing deception violence. The hatred towards sin is just partial. Christians on the other hand know what it is to to hate sin more more universally.

Because of the miracle of new birth God has given us a new principle a new nature. We have a new disposition. We hate sin we love God and love righteousness. The times I'm sure you've known such occasions certainly been times when I Felt like vomiting.

After hearing and seeing things Which have been evil and wicked and One's nature just reacts it's sickening you feel angry. God's name is dishonored his laws been broken. Maybe a Satanist someone in the account Who blasphemes the name of God and of Jesus Christ?

Who called Satan God worship Satan as God? It's a sense of indignation that comes in one's heart. They call evil good, but however much we hate sins believers. We Struggle with our own personal sin and indwelling sin and we can fall into sin, but God's hatred of sin is intense.

It's perfect. All sin is offensive to God whoever commits it whatever it is God cannot stand he cannot tolerate sin and the anger and the wrath of God is the the permanent opposition and Reaction of his holy nature to sin he cannot batch react in anger.

He would cease to be God If his holy nature did not respond in in hatred and opposition. To sin it's not a whim on God's part. It's not a decision, which he makes. It's not an occasional mood, which he adopts.

This is his holy nature. And when confronted with sin this perfect clean pure holy nature Reacts this is our God. Luther's question how can I be right? With such a God. I'm a sinner. I'm condemned and this God is is righteous.

The Bible declares Reminds us that God acts consistently. All that God say is all that God does is consistent with his holy nature and His Lord mirrors and expresses his holy nature. The law isn't something arbitrary.

Expresses the beauty the majesty the purity of his being. And God cannot close his eyes to sin. He cannot condone it. See he cannot leave sin unpunished. God maintains it has to ask God. Maintain the standards of his nature and of his law.

But you see as sinners this means so little to us even as Christian men and women. We play fast and loose with sin. We're not sensitive to it. Sin is hateful to God. God cannot it's impossible for him to lower his standards.

Christians do. God can't. God cannot pretend that he has not seen sin. He must punish it. His home holy nature demands it and Luther's problem is our problem. Is there hope. Of course there is. The gospel gives us good news and here we find it in verse 7.

In him in Christ we have redemption. Through his blood. Does it still sound strange you? The blood of Christ. The necessity of death in order to give us forgiveness. Well the Bible declares that the wages of our sin is death.

It's the sentence which God has declared. And the Bible declares without the shedding of blood there is No remission of sins. And the Old Testament helps us to appreciate this. The the blood of the animal sacrifices.

Pictures this God's wrath is is being appeased. Sin has to be punished. The worshippers in the Old Testament taking a sacrificial animal to the priest. The high priest would place his hands on the the head of the animal.

Representing the transfer of their sins to that animal. The animal was then killed its blood presented as an offering to God. And each morning and evening in the temple the unblemished lamb was was offered killed.

The blood was offered at the altar. So what happened in Egypt at the Passover? Before the angel of death came and visited and judged the Egyptians God's people were to to take a lamb. And they're to sprinkle the blood Over the posts and the lintels of their doors and only then would they be safe from death.

They would not be punished. They'd be saved. Because of the blood and all these animal sacrifices in the Old Testament they point forward their tokens. They're signing that that Jesus Christ is coming.

He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He will come and sweep away all the types of the shadows in the Old Testament. God has now provided his own sacrifice the sacrifice of his own son and on the cross.

The Lord Jesus bears the guilt and the punishment of our sins. Our sins are laid on him. It pleased the father to bruise him to lay on him the iniquity of us all. He suffered the just for the unjust. That he might bring us to God.

And the Son of God voluntarily and deliberately Surrenders himself to death and to punishment. His life is given in death. And through his death and the shedding of his blood God's wrath having falled upon him fallen upon him and every All that that wrath unleashed against him instead of us.

God's Lord's been satisfied. The curse has been met the sinner. If he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ Can be pardoned. Peter in his first letter verses 18 19 tells us we've been redeemed not by corruptible things like silver and gold but with the precious blood of Of Christ as of a lamb Without blemish and without spot.

Don't if you've read Beth and Lloyd-Jones's book the memories of Sanfield's. It's a fascinating book and She refers to some of the the converts Under the minister of her husband Lloyd-Jones in in Sanfield's Port Talbot.

One of those characters she describes is Harry Woods and he'd been converted under Lloyd-Jones and He had a tremendous appreciation of the work of Christ and the experience of grace in his life. One day he was walking along the the beach in Aberavon.

And for many years that there had been an old Coal ship which had been wrecked failed to make the docks what one day in a storm. And it broken up on on the beach and for many many years It had just been left there in this particular day.

Harry Woods Stood and stared at the wreck of this old ship as he gazed at it. He thought this is a picture of my own ugly sinful heart my old life. And he wept and wept and wept. He saw his his old life he recalled some of his sins.

He remembered the ways which he had blasphemed the name of Christ. He stayed there obviously a long time. Then he noticed that the the water coming in And slowly covering this old wreck and he was amazed.

Within half an hour or so that the the old wreck was covered. And this was a new picture to him. He could see the precious blood of Christ hiding all his transgressions. He was covered. He was now justified declared righteous.

His sin was not to be seen. God had Remembered them no more. He'd forgotten them. He'd been released from the guilt of the sin. He'd been released from the punishment of his sin as soon as he could he shared with Lloyd-Jones what he'd seen.

And how God had blessed him just Seeing that old picture, but notice how verse 7 goes on to tell us about the forgiveness of sins. Why does Paul mention forgiveness of sins alongside redemption. Most commentaries don't even ask the question.

One or two do. And give us one or two helpful suggestions. But clearly forgiveness and redemption are inseparable. To have redemption involves having forgiveness from God. But I believe it's mentioned because Forgiveness is usually the first thing that we're conscious of that we experience as a result of our deliverance.

As we are released from the guilt of sin. We know that the punishment of our sin has been met by Jesus Christ. We've become aware of forgiveness. Do you recall Spurgeon's conversion? When he was listening to the the old Methodist layman.

Preach on that text from Isaiah 45 look to me and be saved all the ends of the earth. As he ran out of steam towards the end of that short sermon. He he turned to Spurgeon young man. You look very miserable.

You always will be miserable if you don't obey my text. Young man look to Jesus Christ. Look look look he said. You have nothing to do, but to look and live. Spurgeon says immediately he saw the way of salvation.

He trusted Christ and I quote him. I could have jumped from my seat and I could have called out of the wildest of those Methodist brethren who are present. I am forgiven. I am forgiven. I am forgiven says Spurgeon a Monument of grace.

Sinner saved by blood. It's a precious experience as we trust in Christ. We are released from guilt and punishment of sin and We have forgiveness. But perhaps Paul is also reminding us that sin is our major problem again.

It's not economic is not social. It's not domestic or educational. Sin is our major problem and our wrong relationship to God. It's the first time that sin is mentioned in Ephesians. Doesn't occur again until early in chapter 2 and the Apostle Paul is and underlining.

The fact that we need to be rescued and delivered from the power and the guilt and the punishment of sin. Notice to that that the word sin here is in the plural and it means trespassing and deviating from from God's law.

We've all deviated from God's righteous standards. Our problem outside of Jesus Christ is that we are guilty. We owe a vast debt of obedience to God and we are unable to pay it and this phrase therefore the forgiveness of sins.

Reminds us that Christ redeems us. Has redeemed us on the cross. He's paid the debt for our release. He's taken our punishment upon himself and Forgiveness literally means to be released from that which binds and enslaves.

Gather being caught in some bramble and you couldn't Free yourself. Remember as a child being entangled in branches of a tree. Impossible to to to free myself. There's no one around. I had to wait ages For someone to come and and free me.

This is what Christ does. He frees us. He liberates us from from the kingdom of sin and of darkness from our guilt and punishment. He pays the price for our deliverance paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ.

But notice that Paul adds more to this description of the wonders of God's plan of redemption. God redeems and God forgives our sins. According to the riches of his grace. The Apostle loves this word grace and we're going to come across it again this week.

What makes forgiveness mine? Well, it's grace. Grace alone. Why have I been redeemed at such great cost. Because of grace, it's undeserved. Why did the father choose me and adopt me? Because of grace alone.

Have I deserved any of his love? No, it's nothing at all. It's completely undeserved. It's unmerited. It's all of grace. But the Apostle Paul loves this word riches. He uses it several times in this letter.

It's the riches of his grace. God's grace is rich. It's glorious. It's abundant. It's plentiful. It's inexhaustible. Priceless, it's magnificent. It's effective. It's powerful. God has riches and riches of grace and verse 8 emphasizes and amplifies the richness of God's grace again.

Which he made to bound to us in all wisdom and prudence. Bound is another Pauline word which which he loves. Highlights the the super abundance of God's giving just like an overflowing river swollen river flooding the surrounding area.

If you've been to Switzerland and been to the Trammelbach Falls in the heart of Lauterbrunnen Valley near Interlaken in Switzerland You'll know something of the abundance. And the power and noise of the waters there just so dreadful and overwhelming I refused to go in.

When I sent the rest of the family and I stayed outside I was somewhat frightened by it. But by a clever use of tunnels galleries bridges. You can actually see ten glacier fed waterfalls inside the mountain.

This raging Trammelbach alone carries the waters of the gigantic glaciers of mountains like the Eiger and the Jungfrau. We're told that its force pushes down more than 20 ,000 tons of glacial rubble every year and 20 ,000 liters per second.

The noise the power the depth of the water. Abundance. Paul is using this kind of imagery. God's grace has overflowed from heaven into the lives of sinners dirty wicked sinners. He's forgiven them. He's redeemed them.

God's rich grace has flown towards us in all wisdom and understanding. Enabling us to see what he has revealed concerning his purpose. In ablings to understand what he wants us to do and how we to live how we should please him.

Oh Blessed says Paul the the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us. He's chosen us. He's predestined us. He's lavished his grace upon us. He's redeemed us. He's forgiven us. His grace is super abounded towards us.

God’s Revealed Mystery and Cosmic Restoration

Notice then in verse 9 There is a revelation. Here is another major blessing which the Apostle Identifies for us having made known to us the mystery of his will. According to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself Revelation during a long-haul flights to London last autumn I Was comfortably seated.

We'd had a meal and I thought I was going to read a book. Then a passenger approached me. And wanted to talk and one of those talkative passengers and you're nothing about him. I'd never met him before and before long.

He was telling me all about his life in great detail. All about his work his travels. I Knew all the details about his family. He told me some of his problems. He told me his plans for his family and for his work.

When I got off the plane I Felt I knew this man. Now if he hadn't taken the initiative to approach me and tell me about himself. I Would not have known anything about him. He would have remained a complete stranger to me.

Now think of it in relation to God. God is infinite. He is transcendent. He is apart from the universe. He's hidden away and unimaginable splendor. Human reason cannot penetrate the mystery of God's character or his plans.

Paul tells Timothy that God is the blessed the only ruler the king of kings the Lord of Lords. He alone is immortal. He lives in unapproachable light whom no one has seen or can see. The glorious news is that this hidden God Has been pleased to unveil his character.

He's got something of his glory upon creation. The mountains the hills the trees the seas. They speak of the eternity the power of God the Godhood of God. Man instinctively knows there is a God that this God is to be worshipped.

We have a conscience, but God has Unveiled more of himself in the Bible Through the prophets and the Apostles and we have a sufficient revelation of him and his purposes. Concerning salvation concerning the future and he is revealed to us the mystery of his plan to us.

In the Bible you can understand perhaps now the use of this important word mystery in verse 9. Paul uses the the word mystery about 21 times. The end of Romans 16 he describes the gospel as a mystery which has been hid.

But now revealed Colossians 1 29 he says Christ in you the hope of glory. This mystery has now been revealed. Our Lord uses this word mystery in in Matthew 13 to explain why he's teaching parables. Now the Apostle tells us that God having made known to us the mystery of his will.

His plan is beyond our grasp and only if he takes the initiative To make it known to us. Is there any possibility of us knowing about it? Here it is revealed infallibly in the Bible. This is why it's important to read the Bible.

Familiarize self with with the Bible, but this revelation is related in this context to what I'm calling Restoration in verse 10. It's the mystery of his will notice in verse 10. But in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ.

Both which are in heaven and which are on earth In him. I want to stretch your minds just a little more. Think forward to the future. God has a plan. That's what this word dispensation in the authorizing the new King James means.

It's God's plan. It's a plan concerning the future the the fullness of the times or when the times will have reached their fulfillment. God is revealing to us Details concerning the the end of the history of the world the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He'll return personally visibly and in glory. It's a plan in which Christ is absolutely central. Notice in the dispensation the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ is emphasized at the end of verse 10 in him.

Nothing is going to happen apart from Christ. Christ is going to consummate the purposes of God. They're going to be cosmic. It's breathtaking. It's not just personal salvation. But there's going to be a redemption which Will extend to the the world.

In verse 10 it involves all things in heaven. Sinless angels. Those who love and obey God. Believers who've died and all things on earth. Christians still alive, but also the earth itself nature. Waiting for the redemption of the body.

It's an amazing plan. It really is breathtaking. Colossians chapter 1 verses 16 to 19 and the Apostle gives us something of the majesty of Christ. In relation to his his work as creator all things he says were created.

That are in heaven that are on earth visible invisible. Whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. Notice all things were created by him and for him he is before all things. By him all things consist.

The very hands of Christ preserve uphold the universe. If he was to release his grip of the universe the the world would just disintegrate. By him by Christ all things consist. Later in chapter 2 of Colossians verse 10 Paul tells that Christ is the head of all principality and power all angelic creatures supernatural beings those powerful Angelic beings who obey and serve God.

Over all these Christ is the head. In heaven and on earth, but you remember how the Bible tells us that there was sin. And some of those angels fell. Satan his hosts were cast out of heaven. Adam was created in the image of God perfectly and then Eve.

There was perfect harmony. No sin. No violence as husband and wife they were not quarreling. No bad word between them. No cold look. No piercing eyes, which the partner can give which Tells you the story you're in trouble.

No criminals around. No courts no physical abuse of children or women. Eve didn't want a divorce. There's no homosexuality. No drug abuse. No lotteries either. No war no famine. No violent storms. The zone layer was absolutely perfect.

No disease. You didn't need an aspirin. You didn't need a doctor and there was no death. No death. Then there was disaster. The greatest disaster this world has ever known. Sin entered the world. Paul says in Romans 5.

Sin wasn't here before the sin entered by one man Adam a dramatic change takes place. Adam and Eve are now sinners. They're separated from God. They plunge all humanity with them into the condition of guilt and condemnation rebellion and wilderness.

In the subsequent history, we're familiar with violence pride deceit. Lying jealousy selfishness war as part of our human sinful experience. At the fall the curse was placed upon creation. The creation Paul says in Romans 8 20 Was made subject to vanity not willingly.

But by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope. So that our disease is now. This harmony crept into creation. Violent storms troubles decay thorns weeds. Sweat in working the soil. The harmony of the unity was was broken.

The original perfection of God's creation gave way to imperfection the brethren and sisters. There's going to be a huge change. God's eternal purpose is working forward to to a tremendous climax. God has got a cosmic plan.

Here's the mystery which is revealed here. Romans 8 21. Paul tells of the creation itself Will be liberated from its bondage to decay. Not groaning of creation waiting for the redemption of our bodies.

It's an exciting prospect. Christ is going to return personally. He's going to come visibly. Every eye will see him. He's going to come in glory with the angels the archangels. He'll come suddenly. Every knee will bow before and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Unbelievers will hear those dreadful words of the Lord. Jesus depart from me and in body and in soul. Punished in hell eternally. The devil and his evil host thrown into the the lake of fire. The bodies of Christians are going to be raised.