The High Ridge Church of Christ Podcast

The Seal of Salvation

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:50:53 -0500

Eph 1:13-14 "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory."

1) BY FAITH WE HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN CHRIST! 
a) Rom 10:17 "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." 
1) THROUGH BAPTISM INTO CHRIST WE RECEIVE THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT! 
a) John 14:16-17 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." 
b) Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call."

1) THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD'S SEAL OF SALVATION! 
a) A SEAL OF AUTHENTICITY!
b) A SEAL OF OWNERSHIP!
c) A SEAL OF SECURITY!
d) A SEAL OF SUPERNATURAL POWER!

1) THE SEAL IS GOD'S DOWN PAYMENT FOR OUR FUTURE INHERITANCE!

a) Rom 8:9-11 "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."  
b) Rom 8:15-17 "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."  
c) Gal 3:26-29 "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Chosen In Christ

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:02:24 -0500

Eph 1:3-13 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment-to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory."

1) JESUS CHRIST IS GOD’S ETERNAL CHOSEN ONE!
a) Isa 42:1 "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations." 
b) Luke 9:35 "A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." 
c) 1 Peter 2:6 "For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

1) WHEN GOD CHOSE JESUS CHRIST HE CHOSE MANKIND! ELECTION SPEAKS OF GOD’S GRACE AND ETERNAL PURPOSE! 
a) Col 1:16 "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."

1) GOD CHOSE TO GIVE US ALL SPIRITUAL (ETERNAL) BLESSINGS IN CHRIST! 
a) Vs.4 chosen, holy, blameless, Vs.5 adopted, Vs.7 redemption, forgiveness, Vs.8-9 wisdom - know His will, Vs.11 predestined, Vs.13 sealed with Holy Spirit, Vs.14 a glorious inheritance!

1. IN ETERNITY GOD CHOSE JESUS CHRIST TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE MAN AS GOD WOULD HAVE US TO BE!
a) Heb 2:6-9 "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."

1) WILL YOU CHOOSE JESUS CHRIST John 1:11-13 "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."

THE CHURCH & GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:42:11 -0500

1) "The most drastic objection to humanism (ATHEISM) is that it is TOO BAD TO BE TRUE." H. J. BLACKHAM (A leading humanist) 
2) THE WHOLE BIBLE GIVES US THE RECORD OF AN ALL-POWERFUL, LOVING GOD WORKING OUT HIS PURPOSE AND WILL IN ALL CREATION! 
3) THE "BOOK OF EPHESIANS" REVEALS GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE IN THE CHURCH!
a) Eph 1:4-13 "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment-to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory." 
1) GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE INVOLVES THE BLESSING OF REDEMPTION AND THE RECONCILIATION (ATONEMENT) OF MANKIND TO HIS GLORY! 
2) GOD FOREKNEW MAN WOULD SIN AND FOREORDAINED A PLAN TO REDEEM US!
a) Rom 8:28-30 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." 
1) SINNERS WHO ARE REDEEMED THROUGH PENITENT FAITH IN THE -
a) FINISHED WORK OF A FOREORDAINED CROSS OF CHRIST, 
b) CALLED BY A FOREORDAINED GOSPEL, 
c) TO LIVE IN A PREDESTINED HOLY WAY OF LIFE TO ULTIMATE HEAVENLY GLORY, 
d) ARE RIGHTLY CALLED A PREDESTINED, FOREORDAINED PEOPLE! 
e) Eph 3:10-12 "His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." 
1) GOD IS INVITING YOU TO ACCEPT HIS GRACE AND UNITE WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST AND FULFILL HIS DESIRED ETERNAL PURPOSE IN THE CHURCH!

John Swan

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:04:19 -0500

As Danny and Gale enjoy their time in Alaska we are blessed to have one of our elders, John Swan teach todays lesson.

Eric McPherson

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:57:00 -0500

Eric is a counselor at CFS ( Christian Family Services 7955 Big Bend Blvd Webster Groves, MO 63119 MO (314) 968-2216 or IL (618) 397-7678) This is one of the very best things our congregation is a part of. We highly recommend checking out CFS if you need any of their many services, or to volunteer.

So please sit back now and enjoy Eric McPherson’s inspiring lesson!