0:00

Now, Christ ascends as the one

0:02

who has crushed the head of

0:04

the serpent and all of the

0:07

minions of hell. And so

0:09

Paul is speaking of

0:11

this ultimate triumph of

0:13

Christ our King, who

0:15

in his ascension distributes

0:17

according to his measure

0:19

the tribute that he

0:21

has received, the gifts

0:24

that he has won he

0:26

now passes on to his

0:28

people. When

0:35

God saves us, why do we continue to

0:37

live our lives on earth instead of immediately

0:39

being taken to heaven? Well,

0:42

according to Paul, in Ephesians 4.12,

0:44

the saints, that's you and I,

0:46

are to be about the work

0:48

of ministry. That looks

0:50

different for each of us, but thankfully

0:52

God graciously enables us for that calling.

0:56

This is the Sunday edition of Renewing

0:58

Your Mind, and each week we feature

1:00

the preaching and teaching ministry of R.C.

1:02

Sproul. I referenced Ephesians

1:05

4, and Dr. Sproul

1:07

will be teaching from chapter 4 today

1:09

and will conclude our time in Ephesians

1:11

next Sunday. So don't forget,

1:14

if you'd like to study this

1:16

wonderful epistle of Paul line by

1:18

line with Dr. Sproul, you can

1:20

request his brand new expositional commentary

1:22

on Ephesians when you give a

1:24

gift of any amount at renewingyourmind.org.

1:27

And remember that this offer ends at midnight.

1:30

You and I, if we're Christians, have

1:32

been called to the work of ministry,

1:35

but what is this grace that's been given

1:37

to you to enable you in this calling?

1:40

Here's Dr. Sproul in Ephesians chapter

1:42

4. We're

1:46

going to continue with our study of

1:48

Paul's letter to the

1:50

Ephesians, and we're

1:53

in the fourth chapter, and I

1:55

will be reading beginning at verse

1:57

7, and I'll read

1:59

through verse 8. Verse 16, and

2:02

I'd ask you to please stand for the reading of the Word

2:04

of God. But

2:08

to each one of us, grace

2:10

was given according

2:12

to the measure of Christ's gift.

2:16

Therefore, he says, when he ascended on high,

2:18

he led

2:20

captivity captive and

2:23

gave gifts to men. Now

2:26

this he ascended. What

2:29

does it mean but that he also first

2:31

descended into the lower parts of the earth?

2:35

He who descended is also the one who

2:37

ascended far above all the heavens, that

2:40

he might fill all things.

2:44

And he himself gave some

2:46

to be apostles, some prophets,

2:49

some evangelists, some pastors and

2:51

teachers for the

2:53

equipping of the saints for the work of

2:55

ministry, for the edifying

2:57

of the body of Christ, till

3:00

we all come to the unity of the faith and of

3:02

the knowledge of the Son of God, to

3:05

a perfect man, to the

3:07

measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

3:10

that we should no longer be children, tossed

3:13

to and fro and carried about with every

3:16

wind of doctrine by the

3:18

trickery of men in the cunning craftiness

3:20

of deceitful plotting.

3:23

Not speaking the truth in love may

3:27

grow up in all things into him who is

3:29

the head, Christ, from

3:32

whom the whole body joined and knit together

3:35

by what every joint supplies according to

3:37

the effect of working by

3:40

which every part does its share, causes

3:43

growth of the body for the edifying

3:45

of itself in love. And

3:48

in this portion of the letter,

3:51

the apostle is continuing

3:53

his explanation of

3:55

the nature, the function, and the

3:58

mission of the Church. Church as

4:00

the Body of Christ. Will.

4:02

Just now heard the apostolic word

4:05

may we embrace. It was the

4:07

full authority that it carries. Please

4:09

be seated. Paul.

4:13

Begins this session.

4:16

Or. This section of the a person. With

4:19

these words. But.

4:21

To each one of us. Grace

4:25

was given. According

4:27

to the major. Of

4:30

Christ's Guest. Like

4:32

to take just a moment to. Explain

4:35

a little bit about the very concept

4:37

that central to this portion of the

4:40

tax. Namely, the

4:42

concept of grace. The

4:44

Greek word car us from

4:47

which state English word charismatics

4:49

comes. Is. Used to

4:51

and then translated by

4:54

the English word grace.

4:56

and it refers to

4:58

a particular type of

5:00

grace. Grace by definition,

5:03

Is something that God

5:05

bestows on people that

5:07

can't possibly be earned

5:10

or merited by any

5:12

saying that we do.

5:14

In that regard, grace

5:17

is similar to mercy

5:19

and is distinguished from

5:21

justice. Justice is something

5:24

we do earn. Justices.

5:26

Something we do deserve. And

5:28

at the heart of the

5:31

gospel we are delivered from

5:33

that which we would deserve,

5:35

namely the just judgment of

5:37

Got. So Graces

5:39

often defined simply as on

5:42

earned or on merited favor.

5:45

And characteristically, we distinguish

5:48

among different kinds of

5:50

divine grace. The most

5:52

common distinction we here

5:55

is that distinction that

5:57

we use between what.

6:00

Call special Grace and

6:02

then for a call

6:04

Com and Grace. Special.

6:07

Grace usually refers in

6:09

the first instance. To.

6:12

Saving Grace. That.

6:14

Is a grace or a

6:16

mercy Or a guess that

6:19

God gives only to believers?

6:21

Saving grace is not poured

6:23

out in the hearts and

6:25

souls of unbelievers. In fact,

6:28

it is saving grace that

6:30

brings the believers to face

6:32

and to salvation. But.

6:34

Apart from that special

6:36

kind of saving grace

6:38

got also poor Sod

6:40

Grace. And mercy and

6:43

an abundance of gifts and

6:45

blessings. To all

6:47

mankind. Our. Lord teachers

6:49

that three rain falls upon

6:52

the exhaust. as well as

6:54

on the on. That

6:56

the fact that the unbelievers

6:59

feel the bears crops because

7:01

of the rain that nurtures

7:03

the see This. Is

7:06

not something that is deserved

7:08

by the pagan former, but

7:10

is an experience of God's.

7:13

Blessing. That comes from grace. But.

7:15

Com and Grace is not

7:17

refers merely. To. Those benefits

7:20

and blessings that God gave

7:22

us to unbelievers, but also

7:24

the com and gives of

7:26

grace. That. He be so

7:29

upon believers as well. As

7:31

a christian. I have been

7:33

a recipient of God Saving Grace.

7:36

Is. Special grace in that

7:38

regard, but also. The.

7:40

Rain helps my grass to

7:42

grow and the blessings a

7:44

pours out on all mankind

7:47

also are enjoyed by believers.

7:49

They're not just simply given

7:51

to unbelievers. This morning. I

7:54

want to my doctor for a

7:56

routine checkup. And. While we

7:58

were there. The got my

8:00

fall out and he looked at some

8:02

pass. Am. Our eyes and

8:05

cat scans of my lungs and

8:07

that sort of thing and he

8:09

showed me these pictures. And

8:11

it was an astonishing saying

8:13

to see. How advance

8:16

modern medical technology is.

8:18

And of course. I

8:21

was receiving the benefit of

8:23

that modern technology, and the

8:26

Pagan receives benefit from that

8:28

as well. But. That

8:30

is another aspect or

8:32

dimension of. Com.

8:34

And Grace know some people. Deny.

8:38

Com and Grace on the grounds

8:40

that on the first place. For.

8:42

Every blessing. That.

8:45

The and Believer receives

8:47

in this world. Though.

8:49

It is Graces. At

8:51

the outset. In the

8:54

final analysis becomes. A

8:57

curse. Word. Becomes a

9:00

judgment because every time we

9:02

receive any gift from the

9:04

hands of God for which

9:06

we are not graceful. Then

9:09

that blessing. Ends

9:11

and Tragedy. Because.

9:13

Are in gratitude for having received

9:15

those benefits while we're on this

9:18

earth and said a leading us

9:20

to. Appreciate and rejoice

9:22

in Thanksgiving to God We become

9:25

to harden in our hearts and

9:27

in our in gratitude And so

9:29

that is held against us in

9:31

the final judgment. We. Can

9:34

speculate and terms of the

9:36

calculus of danger involved in

9:38

such com and benefits and

9:40

blessings that God guests. Because

9:42

one of the most important

9:44

elements of what we call

9:46

com and grace is God's.

9:49

Restraint. Of sin.

9:52

if god were not to

9:55

restrain us from our sin

9:57

we would be acting ends

10:00

far more wicked ways

10:02

than we characteristically do.

10:05

One of the worst judgments that God can

10:07

bestow upon somebody is to

10:10

give them over to their

10:12

sinful inclinations and remove

10:15

the restraints. I

10:17

think that's what happened to Pharaoh in

10:20

the Old Testament. God didn't have to

10:22

create any fresh evil in

10:24

the heart of Pharaoh to make him worser

10:27

and worser. All he

10:29

had to do was to remove the restraints

10:32

and let him have his head as

10:34

it were. Now if

10:37

on the one hand God gives me common

10:40

grace such as sunshine and good health

10:42

and all of that, and that redounds

10:44

to my judgment because my ingratitude, I

10:46

don't know what the

10:49

proportionality is between that

10:51

judgment and the lesser judgment

10:54

that I would have received or

10:56

I would receive because he's restrained me from

10:58

evil. Do you see what I'm saying? It

11:00

could be that because of his common grace,

11:03

my hell, which

11:06

has been increased by heaping up wrath

11:08

or my ingratitude to his common benefits,

11:10

may still be not as bad as

11:13

it would have been had he not

11:15

restrained me from even more evil.

11:17

But that's kind of asking like how many

11:19

angels can dance on the head of a

11:21

pin, although we know the answer to

11:24

that. If they're Presbyterians,

11:26

quite a few. If they're Baptists, none at

11:28

all. Now

11:35

there's still another kind of

11:38

special grace in

11:41

addition to saving grace. And

11:44

this is the third type of grace I'm going

11:46

to speak about tonight. And it's

11:48

principally the subject of

11:50

the main portion of the text

11:52

that I've just read. And

11:55

that's the grace that we can call the

11:58

enabling grace of God. Hi.

12:01

Shirley. One God saves us

12:03

was is Saving Grace was

12:05

the initial work of regeneration

12:07

by which we are brought

12:10

to face and the justification.

12:12

Not only does he save

12:14

us but then he adds

12:17

to that saving grace. Further

12:19

gifts that strengthen our christian

12:21

experience are christian, walk and

12:23

unable sauce to be involved

12:26

in carrying out the ministry

12:28

that has been entrusted to

12:30

the church. And that

12:33

ministry is that which is interested

12:35

not only to the pastor's of

12:37

the church or the shepherds of

12:40

the flock but to the whole

12:42

flock. and as as this enabling

12:45

gray citizen view here where Paul

12:47

says to each one of us.

12:51

Not. Just to the pastor's not your so the

12:53

apostles not just to. Blue

12:56

Testament Prophets but to every

12:58

believer to the rank and

13:00

file Christian. This

13:02

special grace. Is

13:05

not merely offered. But.

13:07

It is given. To.

13:09

Us. And. It is

13:11

given according. To. A

13:14

certain metric. And.

13:16

That metrics is a

13:18

mazer that is determined

13:20

by Christ himself. Here

13:23

the Apostle says it

13:25

has given according. To

13:28

the major. Of

13:30

Christ's Just. And

13:33

Harry speaking. Of

13:35

deaths. That are

13:37

given to the church. And

13:40

to believers. According to

13:42

the major of Christ. Elsewhere.

13:45

When Paul talks about enabling

13:47

gifts for ministry, he speaks

13:49

of what he calls the

13:51

gifts of the spirit. And

13:54

we sake of the gifts

13:56

that are given. By.

13:59

God are given. There was principally.

14:01

By. The third person of

14:04

the trinity, God the Holy

14:06

Spirit. But there's no conflict

14:09

here because remember that Jesus

14:11

told his disciples before his

14:13

departure from this world that

14:16

it was necessary for him

14:18

to go away in order

14:21

that this second para cleats

14:23

a Holy spirit. Could.

14:25

Be sense upon that search.

14:28

In order to empower the church,

14:31

To fulfill the great commission.

14:33

So. Though the spirit on the

14:35

one hand is the immediate operator

14:38

and bestow the gifts they are

14:40

given under the direction of the

14:42

second person of the trinity who

14:45

according to his major as it

14:47

worth. Sends. The

14:49

spirit to just us and

14:51

to enable us for ministry.

14:54

And even that is under

14:57

the father's directive automatically. And

14:59

so the gifting of every

15:01

believer is a twin as

15:03

Terry and. Work. Of

15:06

God. But. Now he speaks of

15:08

it. According to the

15:10

major of Christ gifts. And

15:13

therefore he says. When.

15:15

He ascended on high. He

15:18

led captivity captive. And

15:21

gave gifts. Two.

15:23

Men: Now.

15:26

At this point the Apostle. Is

15:29

quoting. Was. A

15:31

minor adjustments. And

15:33

important Old Testament taxed.

15:35

He's quoting from Som

15:37

Sixty Eight and for

15:39

us to understand. What?

15:42

His reference is less take a

15:44

moment place to go Back to

15:46

the song. And to look

15:48

at some Sixty eight, I'm not going

15:50

to read the whole song because it's

15:53

rather lengthy. The.

15:56

Beginning adverse seventeen. Of

15:59

Song sixty. We read these

16:01

words. And. This, by the

16:03

way, is a glorious passage and

16:05

the Old Testament. The.

16:08

Chariots Of God. Or

16:11

twenty thousand. Even.

16:14

Thousands of thousands to remember when

16:16

Eliza was a dose and and

16:19

the enemies of Israel has set

16:21

a trap to destroy him. And

16:24

his servant looked out the window at

16:26

he saw the enemies. Serious to the

16:28

east and serious to the west. Curious

16:31

of the north, serious to the south

16:33

that he says or lysa what are

16:35

we gonna do and I'll I said

16:37

relax relax those that are with us.

16:40

Or more than those who are against us.

16:45

And. The servant was all but not

16:47

only puzzled, but I think. He.

16:49

Can sense some annoyance Were.

16:52

Saying. To his master, I don't

16:54

think you understand this. Open your eyes

16:56

look out there and seats our surrounded.

16:58

Nowhere to go. And

17:01

then. Eliza praise

17:03

saying oh lord. Open.

17:06

His eyes. That

17:08

he may see. As.

17:10

He saw myriads

17:12

and myriads of

17:14

chariots, angels. Round.

17:17

And about allies. Are

17:21

eyes do not see. The

17:24

Heavenly Realm. They.

17:26

Say is or ordinarily hidden

17:29

from our view. But

17:32

not only as God

17:34

in his majesty occupying

17:36

the heavenly places. But.

17:38

He has at his

17:40

disposal what the scriptures

17:42

frequently referred to as

17:44

the Heavenly Host. And

17:47

when the Bible speaks of, the Heavenly Host

17:49

is not speaking about somebody who's the embassy

17:51

in a party. But

17:54

rather the Heavenly Host

17:56

refers to a ward

17:58

of military. Three hours.

18:02

The. Heavenly Host or that

18:04

myriads of angels who accompanies

18:06

a judgment Chariot of God.

18:09

Remember again. One Alija was

18:11

taken up into heaven and

18:14

departed from a Lysa and

18:16

L. Isis and my father,

18:19

my father. Behold the Chariots

18:21

of Fire. And. It

18:24

is those chariots of fire that

18:26

are in view here in the

18:28

song. The chariots of

18:30

God Or twenty thousand. Thousands.

18:34

Of thousands. The

18:36

Lord is among them. As.

18:39

It sinai. In

18:41

The Holy Place. You.

18:43

Have ascended on high, And.

18:47

You have led the captivity

18:49

captives. And have

18:51

received gifts from among men.

18:54

Even. From the rebellious that

18:57

the Lord God might dwell

18:59

their blessed be the Lord

19:01

who daily loads us with

19:03

benefits the God of our

19:05

salvation. The. God. Of.

19:08

Our salvation. Not. Here,

19:10

the Somme, Us. Is. Celebrating the

19:12

vision. Of. God. Ascending.

19:15

To Mount Sinai. To

19:18

Jerusalem as the saying

19:20

of Israel. In

19:22

a posture of victory over

19:25

the enemies of the people

19:27

of God. And

19:29

he's leading. All.

19:31

Of these captives that he

19:34

has conquered in his warfare

19:36

and behalf of his people.

19:39

And so the ruling

19:41

and reigning King of

19:43

Israel monster Earthly Zion.

19:46

Followed by. All

19:48

of these captains who

19:51

have been defeated by

19:53

his goodness and in

19:55

this image, he's receiving

19:57

tribute. From.

20:00

kept us. That's

20:02

the little change that Paul

20:04

users. When. He refers back

20:07

to that and really speaks about

20:09

Christ. Dispensing.

20:12

The mazer of gifts he

20:14

says when he ascended on

20:16

high. He led captivity

20:18

kept of and Daves gifts

20:21

to man. Not.

20:23

Characteristically an Old Testament

20:25

days when the victorious

20:27

king one his battle

20:29

and led his captors.

20:32

He. Would take tribute from his

20:34

captivity, would receive gifts from men,

20:37

but then he would distribute those

20:39

gifts as large as. For.

20:41

His people. And

20:43

Sir Paul just skip to the

20:46

point here of Christ receiving the

20:48

gifts of those me as conquered

20:50

and Macys analogy here was God's

20:52

victory in the Old Testament now

20:55

cries in his ascension. When

20:58

he goes to heaven. He

21:00

doesn't just ascend the Jerusalem, but he

21:02

ascends to the right hand of God.

21:05

And he ascends. As.

21:07

The victor. He

21:09

ascends as the one who has crossed

21:12

the head of the serpent. And

21:14

all of the millions of help.

21:17

Those. Powers and principalities

21:19

not early on Earth, but

21:22

in Heaven are part of

21:24

the entourage that Christ leads.

21:27

As his captors. He

21:30

has defeated. Everyone on

21:32

Earth and all of the

21:34

wicked forces. In the

21:36

high places as well.

21:39

As are now Paul. Is.

21:42

Speaking of this autumn

21:44

and triumphs, Of Christ

21:46

of are saying. Who

21:48

in his ascension? Distributes,

21:52

According to his major. The.

21:55

Tribute that he has received.

21:57

The gifts that he has

21:59

one. He. Now passes

22:01

on. To. His

22:03

people. Now.

22:06

Paul goes on to explain

22:09

further this whole concept of

22:11

the Ascension of Christ. Now

22:14

this he says. He

22:16

ascended. What?

22:18

Does it mean. But

22:21

that he also first descended into

22:23

the lower parts of the earth.

22:26

He had descended is also

22:28

the one who ascended far

22:30

above all the heavens. That.

22:33

He might fill all things.

22:36

Now. There a question. About. This

22:38

tax. Service: A

22:40

contrast the Paul gives between

22:42

the ascension of Jesus and

22:45

his decency. Now.

22:47

Remember that one is New Testament

22:49

speaks about Christ us ending. It

22:52

is not merely saying that he goes

22:54

up to heaven. As

22:58

much as a he. Was. Elevated.

23:02

Because. It says and drawn

23:04

No One. A sense to

23:06

have an. Accept he

23:08

as descended from heaven. And.

23:11

We know that a knock at

23:13

the Old Testament was translated I

23:16

mentioned a few moments ago the

23:18

reason they departure of Alija who

23:20

ascended into heaven. But. In

23:22

that sense, they merely went up there. But.

23:25

When Went refers in the New

23:27

Testament to the Ascension of Jesus,

23:30

it is not simply referring to

23:32

is going up to Heaven but

23:34

rather to is going to a

23:36

particular place in heaven. For

23:39

a particular reason. And

23:42

name is he is is. To.

23:45

The Right Hand of God.

23:48

He is ascending. He's going up, not

23:50

just to be in heaven. But

23:53

to rule from heaven. He.

23:56

As ascending. to

23:58

sit at the right hand to

24:00

receive the Father's authority as

24:04

the King of kings and

24:06

of the Lord of lords. He is

24:08

ascending to his coronation

24:12

and enthronement as

24:14

our King. Elijah

24:17

went up, but Elijah

24:19

didn't get seated at the right hand of God.

24:22

Enoch was not called the King of the

24:24

kings or the Lord of the lords.

24:26

The only one who receives

24:29

that kind of

24:31

enthronement in heaven is

24:33

the one who first descended

24:35

from heaven. We

24:44

do serve the risen and ascended

24:46

Lord. Don't we long for

24:48

his return. That

24:50

was R.C. Sproul on this Sunday

24:52

edition of Renewing Your Mind, teaching

24:55

in Ephesians chapter 4. And he'll

24:57

conclude this section and our time

24:59

in this epistle next Sunday. Dr.

25:02

Sproul taught on Ephesians at St.

25:04

Andrew's Chapel in Sanford, Florida and

25:06

also for Ligonier Ministries. And it

25:09

was this exposition and teaching that

25:11

led to his brand new commentary

25:13

on Ephesians. It's recently

25:15

been released and you can secure

25:17

a hardcover edition for your library

25:19

when you give a donation of

25:22

any amount at renewingyourmind.org. And if

25:24

you have been building your R.C.

25:26

Sproul commentary collection Sundays on Renewing

25:28

Your Mind, this is one you

25:30

won't want to miss. Request

25:32

yours and help spread the trusted teaching

25:35

of Renewing Your Mind and Ligonier Ministries

25:37

when you give a donation of any

25:39

amount today at renewingyourmind.org. Next

25:41

time R.C. Sproul

25:47

will conclude this section and this series

25:49

in Ephesians. So I look forward to

25:51

you joining us next Sunday here on

25:54

Renewing Your Mind.