THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE ETERNAL
October
26, 1997 am
MF Blume
Ephesians 1:1-3 Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and
to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from
God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Romans 8:1 There is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.
Colossians 2:2-3 That their hearts
might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the
full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of
God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge.
Someone said the best things in life are free.
- That is true.
- But the additional facts
are that, though they are free to us, they cost the Saviour His life!
- And they are not only
free to us, but they are eternal.
- All blessings.
- No condemnation.
- All old past sins gone.
But the best things in life
are only found in one place.
- IN CHRIST.
- Our texts mentioned that
all blessings in heavenly places are in Christ
- No condemnation is in
Christ.
- Being a new creature,
a new beginning, is in Christ.
- All treasures of wisdom
and understanding are in Christ.
Paul said:
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
All blessings in heavenly places
are in Christ.
In fact, the next verse said:
Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before him in love:
We were chosen to IN HIM before
the world, because He decided for all to wind up in Christ.
- Everything will wind up
in the end in two places -either outside Christ or inside Christ.
- Only what is inside Christ
will remain in the end.
- All else will be cast
aside.
- Therefore, since the blessings
of God in heavenly places are only in Christ, and only what is in Christ
will remain forever, we can say THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE ETERNAL.
Let me provide scripture for
you:
Hebrews 12:26-28 Whose voice then shook
the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the
earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth
the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made,
that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving
a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve
God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
YET ONCE MORE
- This means that one more
final time will bring out that which remains.
- God will not do anything
after this as far as working with the world goes.
- ONE MORE TIME, when this
shaking occurs, all that will be left is that which cannot be shaken.
- And then he said we have
a Kingdom which cannot be Shaken.
- If we are IN CHRIST then
we are IN THE KINGDOM and we will remain while all else is removed forever.
I want to be in the only thing
that will be left at the very end of the world!
- Whether it happens in three
years (2000), or after my life is gone, I do not want to perish.
- When all else is forgotten
and fallen away, I want to remain when all else is gone!
- YOU need to make sure
you get hold of Christ and the things of God.
- This world will end one
day and you have a chance to remain for eternity with Jesus.
- And why not be saved and
ready now?
- The best things in life
are free.
- The best things in life
are in Christ.
- And the best things in
life are ETERNAL!
Real love, where we forget one
another's pasts, and overlook faults, is among the true Christians.
- There are people like that
here and in every true church.
- True friends who will
not betray your trust in them, and will do what they can to help you, are
in the true church.
- And the CHURCH is actually
the BODY of Christ.
- So these best things in
life are IN CHRIST.
Jesus said the Spirit of God
in a person is like new wine in wine skins.
- We are the wineskins.
- His Spirit is the new
wine.
- Hebrews 9:14 says His
Spirit is the ETERNAL SPIRIT
- If we want eternal life
we need His Spirit.
The Spirit of God was likened
to new wine in Acts 2:13.
- And therefore the new wine
is the Spirit and the wine bottles are the Church.
1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that
your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which
ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
The Church is the HOUSE OF
GOD
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son
over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and
the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Christ's house is the Church.
1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body
of Christ, and members in particular.
- IN THIS BODY we must UNITE
and fellowship.
- If we want to be in Christ,
we need to recognize that we must love one another.
- God could have chosen
to do this thing any way He wanted.
- After all, He is God!
- Anything imaginable.
- But He chose to have all
in CHRIST and to place all His blessings in heavenly places in there.
- And if we want to be part
of them, and stick around forever, we better learn to unite.
- He allows no division
in His body.
Romans 13:13-14 Let us walk honestly,
as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness,
not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make
not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
- If we want to PUT ON CHRIST,
or GET INTO CHRIST, we had better repent of all our sins of division, and
UNITE in love with God's people.
- The church is the only
thing that will last after this world is gone.
- All the love we need and
seek in life is TRULY in Christ.
- The lost souls of the
world have love, but not THIS love.
- But we must realize that
if we want to enjoy this love, and these blessings, then we have to take
part in it and love the same way.
- For God only allows those
who become part of the BODY of Christ which loves in that manner, to enter
that Body.
- I want to live forever.
- I want eternal life.
- I accepted Jesus' words
as truth.
- When the people were told
to repent, get baptized and receive God's Spirit, after they asked how to
be saved, I want to likewise do that to be saved.
- I want to be in CHRIST!!!
Notice God's overall will:
Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation
of the fulness 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:
Colossians 1:18-19 And he is the head of
the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the
Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
ALL THINGS will wind up IN CHRIST.
- And these alone will remain
forever.
- We must CHOOSE if we will
be in Him or not.
- Its entirely up to you.
- If you want it bad enough,
you will obey whatever Jesus and the apostles said we must do.
Here is the FULLNESS of unity.
- Perfect unity is mentioned.
- We have studied the book
of Ephesians in the last few services and noticed the need for the recognition
of the BODY of Christ and UNITY we need to be in it.
- Ephesians mentions the
blessings in Him, and how He made a way for us to be in Christ.
- Then it says:
Ephesians 4:1-6 I therefore, the prisoner
of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye
are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing
one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace. There is (1) one body, and (2) one Spirit, even as ye
are called in (3) one hope of your calling; (4) One Lord, (5) one faith, (6) one baptism, (7) One God and Father of all,
who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Paul mentions our need to love
one another.
- We want to remain forever,
do we not?
- Paul says this is what
it takes for us to be together in Christ where God chose for the blessings
to be.
- God is forcing us to love
one another.
- And Paul said that PERFECT
UNITY IS FOUND IN CHRIST.
- The Number 7 means PERFECT
and COMPLETE.
- God COMPLETED His work
on the 7th day.
- And there are 7 "one's
" in this text.
- 7 "one's" mean PERFECT
UNITY.
- "One" body
- "One" Spirit
- "One" hope of the calling
- "One" Lord
- "One" Faith
- "One" baptism
- "One" God and father
of all who is above all, and through all and in you all.
1) One body
- Only one place contains
all the blessings.
- The Church is ALL the
true Christians who obey all the bible.
- We must get in there!
2) One Spirit
- 1 Corinthians 12:13 For
by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
3) One hope of our calling
- One goal - Christ be all
in all and we have an inheritance in that (Eph 1:11).
- One thing towards which
God is doing and pointing everything.
4) One Lord
- Not many masters.
- We do not all each do
our own thing.
- We all follow Him.
5) One faith
- We all can only please
God by faith.
- Without faith, impossible
to please Him.
6) One Baptism
- One way to be baptized,
one set of requirements.
- Believe and do it in Jesus'
name.
7) THIS TIES IT ALL UP
- ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL,
WHO IS ABOVE ALL, AND THROUGH ALL AND IN YOU ALL.
PERFECT UNITY
- COMPLETE UNITY
- You must be aware of and
obey all these points of unity.
- And then you will enter
eternity when Jesus comes back.
The Church is where its all
at!!
1 Corinthians 12:6 And there are diversities
of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
ALL IN ALL
1 Corinthians 15:28 And when all things
shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto
him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Ephesians 1:22-23 And hath put all [things]
under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Everything God is doing IS IN
THE CHURCH - BODY OF CHRIST
- ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL,
WHO IS ABOVE ALL, AND THROUGH ALL AND IN YOU ALL.
Isaiah 55:1-3 Ho, every one that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat;
yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do
ye spend money for [that which is] not bread? and your labour for [that which]
satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye [that which is] good,
and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come
unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting
covenant with you, [even] the sure mercies of David.
ALL THIS IS FREE.
- No money or fee.
- You simply repent, get
baptized and He gives you the Holy Ghost!
Its free for all, it's in Christ
and it's eternal!
Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto
you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many
as the Lord our God shall call.