<TITLE>08. Par 26-28</TITLE>L-26 Now, we're going to speak tonight on a subject here found in, over in the book of Ephesians, which is a very treacherous thing. And it's not at all sent to--to the unbeliever; it's dedicated, this is, completely to the believer.
And now, I will read from the 3rd verse, just a portion of the 1st chapter, of the 1st chapter of Ephesians.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us acceptable in the beloved.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, and forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Now, a beautiful reading, and now, I may not, it's only without the grace of the Holy Spirit to make you understand what I see here, and applying it to the Pentecostal church.
But if you'll notice in the 1st verse of here:
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints... (not to the outside world. This Book is sent to the saints. And the saint, the word "saint" comes from a "sanctified, or sainted person.")... to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful (i-n) in Christ Jesus:
See who it's sent to? Not to the outsider, but to the saints that are in Ephesus.
Now, if you'll notice in the Book of Corinthians... Oh, what a time Paul had with these Corinthians. They were all seeking after different blessings, and spiritual gifts. And Paul had to speak to them as to children. But when he come to the--the Ephesian church, he speaks to them in a different way. The--the church of Ephesus, they are a solid Gospel church.

L-27 Now, he's speaking here of what God did for us before the foundation of the world. Now, I realize that I'm talking to both Calvinists and Arminians. And I'm a Calvinists as long as Calvin stays in the Bible, then after that, I'm an Arminian. I believe in--in the grace of God to keep the believer. But I believe the believer has to have enough grace of God to stay with God.
I believe in security of the Church. I believe the Church--the Church hath security. And if you're in the Church, you're secured with the Church as long as you are in the Church. Stay in. Don't be wondering around, tossed about by everything. Stay in Christ Jesus.
And God has foreordained that the Church should appear before Him holy, blameless, without spot or wrinkle. No matter whether you make it or I make it, God's going to have a Church without spot or blemish. I trust that we'll all be there. But we each have to seek out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

L-28 But if we'd only go back to find out when God made His first man, He made man in His Own image. And God is a Spirit, so He had to make spirit-man.
Now, the Word is used here in the 5th verse of "predestination," Predestinated, it's not a very good word for an evangelist or a minister to use, because it kinda confuses people when you say "predestinate." Predestination speaks--looks back to foreknowledge; foreknowledge looks to destination. Predestination goes back to foreknowledge; foreknowledge goes to destination.
In other words God didn't say, "Now, I'll make this man be this, and I'll make this man to be that." But in order to be God, He had to know the end from the beginning. So in order to foreknowledge that He knew, He could say, "This would happen, and that would happen," because He was God and knowed where everything would be placed. And therefore, He could ordain certain things for certain ages. You believe that? That--that's truly Scripture.


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