24-1215p - Saved by Faith, Part 2, Scott Reynolds
Bible Reader: Tom Freed

These Sermon Notes by Scott Reynolds

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Saved by Faith, Part 2

Summary of Transcript (0:04 - xx:xx)

Scripture Reading

Bible Reader: (0:04 - 0:xx), Tom Freed
Ephesians 1:3-14 (ESV)

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, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Sermon Notes

Preacher: Scott Reynolds

Part 1 Summary

  • Why is Faith necessary for salvation, why can’t we walk by sight?

    • Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

      • Conviction (ie a firmly held belief) of things unseen

    • We need faith when we have limited experiential knowledge. ie lacking knowledge that we have experienced.

  • There are two realms, the Spiritual Realm (where God lives) and the Physical Realm (where we live)

    • God made angels spirits and they reside in the spiritual realm (Hebrews 1:7)

    • The Spiritual Realm is invisible to us in the Physical Realm:

      • "No one has seen God at any time…​" (1 John 4:12)

      • God told Moses, …​“you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20), see also 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Timothy 6:16; 2 Corinthians 4:18; 1 John 4:20

      • On occasion God has opened someone’s eyes to the Spiritual Realm, (Balaam, Numbers 22:31-33; and Elisha’s servant, 2 Kings 6:15-17)

    • The Spiritual Realm is deliberately hidden from the Physical Realm

      • Paul knew of inexpressible words heard in Paradise that a man is not permitted to speak. (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) Certain information in the Spiritual Realm is not permitted in the physical Realm.

    • Limiting information to one realm and from another has a dividing effect of making one realm one where the residents "walk by sight" and the other where they "walk by faith."

  • Why are there two Realms?

    • We surmised it had something to do with God’s plan of salvation (since the saved are saved by grace through faith - ie faith is an integral [or necessary to make a whole complete - an essential] part of salvation)

    • As such the two Realms were planned before the beginning before time began.

    • The plan involves salvation, this implies God would…​

      • Create beings that are sentient (able to perceive & feel things) & conscious (aware of and responding to one’s surroundings)

      • Give His creation the ability of choice. To choose to accept, follow, & worship Him or reject Him

      • Giving a choice implies some would accept & some would reject God from BOTH realms

        • What is planned for rejection?

        • Are the lost from both realms treated the same?

        • What is your expectation? That they are treated the same?

    • We noted that Jude 1:6 & 2 Peter 2:4 tell us in effect that redemption was not planned nor is it offered to angels. And Hebrews 2:14-18 lets us know that Jesus came to help humans and not angels.

    • Rejection of God by humanity involves a certain amount of ignorance since we have not actually experienced God. Perhaps this is why Jesus prayed as He was dying on the cross, "Father, forgive them for the know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

So, we live in the realm of faith. And, it is because we humans must walk by faith that we are even offered salvation…​ We are saved by faith. That’s how I see it, what do you think?

So tonight let’s get back to God’s planning before creation

  • So from what we have so far let’s do a little reverse engineering.

  • God created two realms, a Spiritual one that walks by sight and a physical/natural one that walks by faith

  • God offers redemption to those who walk by faith, but redemption is not offered to those who walk by sight.

The Spiritual Realm is created first

  • The angels (sons of God) witnessed the creation of the physical/natural world (Job 38:4-7)

    Job 38:4-7 (ESV)

    “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.
    5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
    Or who stretched the line upon it?
    6 On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone,
    7 when the morning stars sang together
    and all the sons of God shouted for joy?)

    • In God’s plan it was necessary to create angels first and for them to witness the creation of physical universe

    • In being created 1st they experience God and the Spiritual Realm

    • This is a lot like Adam being created first and experience existence as the only human (Something no other human has experience, the closest ones to him would be Noah and the seven with him after the flood)

    • There is no reason to think that they were not created on the 1st day of creation.

      • Nehemiah 9:6 tells of God creating "heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their host"

      • Genesis 1:1 says in the beginning God created the "heavens", plural. It is likely the angels were created on the 1st day before the creation of the universe.

      • They were created completely & immediately functional.

      • There is no indication scripturally that that they were created prior to the 1st.

      • I surmise that "time" begins when God begins creating, therefore, the angels have not experienced existence without time.

      • Only God (Jesus included) has experienced that.

    • Angels are limited. They are eternal in one direction. They had a beginning (which is finite, ie not eternal) but they have (like our soul & spirit) no end (eternal)

    • Angels witnessed the rest of the 1st day and the other five full days of creation

    • Angel’s witnessed the 7th day when God rested from creating. What was that like. What did the angels witness? Did God actually need to rest? Or was He establishing a pattern for man much like Jesus does when, though he had no sin, is baptized "to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15)

So, Why is it that God wanted angels to experience existence before He creation of the physical and experience & observe the actual creation of the whole physical realm?

  • This was a deliberate action, part of the plan. Because He did it, I assume that it was necessary.

Creation is completed on day 6 and God rests on the 7th

Genesis 1:31 (ESV)

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

From this proclamation I assume that neither angels or man has yet fallen. There is NO sin. Everything is Beautiful!

The Anointed Guardian Cherub

  • Somewhere between the creation and the time that Eve is tempted and Adam & Eve sin, Satan falls.

  • From Ezekiel 28:11-19 it appears that Satan was the anointed guardian cherub of Eden.

  • Was he fallen before he tempted Eve or is his successful lie that tempted Eve his rebellious act that ushers in the fall of Adam and Eve?

    Ezekiel 28:11-19 (ESV)

    Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me:
    12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over
    the king of Tyre, and say to him,
    Thus says the Lord GOD:
    “You were the signet of perfection,
    full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
    13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
    every precious stone was your covering,
    sardius, topaz, and diamond,
    beryl, onyx, and jasper,
    sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;
    and crafted in gold were your settings
    and your engravings.
    On the day that you were created
    they were prepared.
    14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.
    I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;
    in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
    15 You were blameless in your ways
    from the day you were created,
    till unrighteousness was found in you.
    16 In the abundance of your trade
    you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;
    so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,
    and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,
    from the midst of the stones of fire.
    17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;
    you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
    I cast you to the ground;
    I exposed you before kings,
    to feast their eyes on you.
    18 By the multitude of your iniquities,
    in the unrighteousness of your trade
    you profaned your sanctuaries;
    so I brought fire out from your midst;
    it consumed you,
    and I turned you to ashes on the earth
    in the sight of all who saw you.
    19 All who know you among the peoples
    are appalled at you;
    you have come to a dreadful end
    and shall be no more forever.”

    Now

    We are extending the invitation to anyone who is subject to it. Come as we stand and sing.