All right, let's be turning to 1 John, chapter 5. 1 John, chapter 5. This morning I want to look at a verse, a simple verse, which, though it's simple, we need the grace of God to hear it and to understand. It's 1 John 5, verse 11. And this is the record that God hath given to us, eternal life, and this life is in His Son. This verse is speaking to us of eternal life given to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to declare five blessed things from this verse. I was into numbering this week, apparently. Five blessed things. First, that life is given by God. Given by God. Second, that this life is given to us. Third, what God gives us is eternal life. And fourth, that this life is given to us in Jesus Christ. And fifth, this is the record. This is the record that God has given to us. So, let's look at this. The first thing that we understand from our text is that God's salvation is full and free. God has given this. He has given. Salvation is the gift of God. Salvation is the gift of God. And what He gives is full salvation. It lacks nothing. It doesn't need or require your hand to be put to it to make it effectual or to finish it or complete it or to make it more perfect or better for you. It is full and complete and finished. God's gift of salvation is full and free. It's free, meaning we cannot purchase it. We cannot purchase it with our works. We cannot trade for it. There's nothing we have that interests God. We cannot bargain with God. I've met several people in my life that claimed everyone can be bargained or negotiated with. No, God cannot be negotiated with. we men of dust and with lips of clay cannot negotiate or bargain or get God to do anything for us. And that's good news when you think about it because You that are ignorant, like me, you that are poor and bankrupt sinners, who have no righteousness, who cannot speak well, who cannot negotiate or bargain with anyone, let alone God, this is good news because God freely, fully gives salvation to his child. He gives salvation freely. Let me give you another scripture, and you can turn there because we're going to just say a few things from this. Romans 6. We're seeing that God gives salvation. It's a gift. Let's see it in Romans 6, verse 23. It's a fairly well-known scripture. Romans 6, 23. Here we're told that the wages of sin is death. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. He's saying eternal life is a gift. Eternal life is a gift. And that's what I want to emphasize to you. Eternal life is a gift given to whom he will by God. And when you read a scripture like Romans 6.23, notice how the Spirit uses contrasts. He shows us contrasting things between death and life. He shows us the contrast between wages and a gift. He shows us what we are and who God is. He shows us contrasts here. In both texts, God tells us that he gives to us eternal life. God's gift is eternal life. Romans 6.23 shows us that what we have earned, what we've garnered with our works, what God owes to us by our works is death. It's death. And this verse further emphasizes the mercy and grace of God for sinners. Mercy being the withholding of something I deserve, some punishment I deserve. Grace being the giving of something that I have not earned or deserved. God is merciful and gracious to his people, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is good news for sinners. God is telling sinners that eternal life, salvation, and inheritance, and eternal inheritance with God is a gift. It's a gift. He does not accept our works. He does not receive our righteousnesses. God's not impressed with the things that you and I do in our flesh. He cannot be bought by the wicked will worshiper who thinks that he can just turn things around and do a few good things and bring it before God and God will be satisfied. God's not satisfied with the works of wicked man. What you and I can give him, he already owns it. There's no dominion that he isn't already the Lord and sovereign of. There's no place that we can go that God doesn't already know and already own and have the rule and the authority over it. And there's nothing that we can give to him that he hasn't first already given to us. And so we have nothing to bargain with God. And so he's not impressed with the self-righteous. He doesn't, there's nothing that we can do that impresses God and that God looks at and says, that's true righteousness there. There's nothing we can do. And this is something that we all must hear and understand that none of us is righteous or good before God. When that man came to our Lord and said, good teacher, and Christ said, there's none good but God. There's none good but God. That's good for us to take to heart. We speak of one another as being good, and we love one another, and we're thankful for the gifts and the works that others do in our midst, but truly, only God alone is good. God is good, and he teaches that in our hearts, to know that he alone is good, and I'm not righteous, God is righteous. He tells us and teaches us in his scriptures that we all come forth dead in trespasses and sins. We're dead in trespasses and sins. We need God to give us life because we can't bring it forth in ourselves. We need Him to give us life. We don't have this life that Christ gives and we don't have the power to give ourselves life. Our good works in the flesh are works of death. They're works of death. Those that were doing works that they thought were good, Paul tells us they're wicked works. Wicked works. Those good works that we think are good and bring to God and say, look what I've done, Lord. He tells us those are wicked works. They're not impressing God. The things that people do that they think and say are their good works with God, the scriptures teach us they're death. They're death. because your trust and confidence is in your works, not in Christ and who he is and what he's accomplished. You're coming to God boldly because of something you've done recently that's good, rather than coming to God boldly in the blood of Christ, trusting and resting only in him alone. And so what the Lord is teaching us is that in Adam, in the garden, We died in Adam. When Adam rebelled against God, we all were in Adam's loins. He's our federal head, and he's our seminal head. We're born of his seed, which is corrupt and defiled. And that's why we come forth sinners, spiritually dead. And that's why our works are works of death in this flesh. We can't please God in the flesh. Isn't that what Paul wrote in Romans 8? They that are in the flesh cannot please God. And the carnal man is enmity against God. The carnal man doesn't like this. He doesn't want to hear that his works are death. He doesn't want to hear that his works don't measure up to the perfection of God and the righteousness of God. It angers him, and it frustrates him, and he doesn't want to hear it. But God is faithful to declare this for our good, so that we would be humbled, and we would say, Lord, well then, how then can I be just? Who do you save? Who can be saved? If I'm wicked, if I'm a sinner, if my works are not good, how then can a sinner be saved? And God is happy to tell you through this gospel word and to bless it to the hearts of his people. So we come forth in Adam, dead in trespasses and sins, and this is the first death. We're already dead in trespasses and sins. Born of Adam, this is the first death so that all we produce are works of death. Works that are not fruitful. Works of death, that's what he said there in Romans 7 verse 4. Verse 4, Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Verse 5, For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law did work on our members to bring forth fruit unto death. unto death. That's what we bring forth in this flesh by the law, by our religion, by our self-righteousness. We bring forth fruit unto death. We need the grace of God. That's why he's telling us this. That's why he's showing us this, that I can't save myself. And in fact, he says the wages of sin is death. Wages is what you earn for your job, for your labors. When you go to work and you put in a hard day's work, you get paid for that. Those are wages. And the Lord tells us your wages for your sin, for your works in the flesh, is death. It's death. And what he's talking about there in that death is eternal death. That's what we inherit by our works in Adam. Eternal death. And the scriptures call that the second death. The second death. Turn over to Revelation 21 verse 8. Just so you see this. The Lord makes a distinction. We come forth spiritually dead. That's the first death. And the wages of our works, the wages of our sin, is the second death, spiritual death. Revelation 21, verse 8. Verse 8, but the fearful, those that are worried about what others think, those that don't want to be put out of the synagogue, those that don't want to be excluded from their friends and others, And so they don't confess Christ to others. But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars. Every time we confess and say, my works are good, and that God receives me for what I've done, we're liars. And we're calling God a liar. And we're saying, I don't believe the Son. I don't believe your salvation in Christ alone. I can do this. I can bring forth something good. We're liars, then, trusting in our own works. they shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. And so by our works, our Lord is telling us, men earn that second death. They earn eternal death. In Adam, we come forth dead in trespasses and sins, we labor and work in sin, and we earn eternal death, eternal spiritual death. And so the Lord is telling us this truth about our sin to make us hear the word of God, to humble us, to shut our mouths from boasting and to say, Lord, then save me. Open my ear, Lord. Help me to hear what you say to the churches. Help me to hear by your grace and your spirit that I may know how it is that you are merciful and gracious and forgiving to sinners. Because Lord, I don't know. I'm trying to do what's good. I'm trying to please you. And you're telling me here that my works in the flesh, all I'm earning are the wages of sin, which is death. which is death. And so it's for our good that God may be gracious to us. Now Christ alone obtained eternal redemption for his church. And God fully and freely gives the gift of eternal life to those whom he's redeemed by the blood of Christ. He does this. If you would have life, Look to the Lord Jesus Christ. Stop looking to what you're doing or not doing. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ, the servant whom the Father has sent to save His people from their sins. He tells you, look to Christ, look to my servant whom I've sent. I've sent him to obtain eternal redemption. And Paul says of Christ, thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. This is the gift. All right, now second. The second thing we see from our text is that God hath given to us, to us. That word us is an important word. All God's people. are a chosen people. They are chosen of God. Chosen by the Father, given to the Son, Jesus Christ, and they are chosen of God to be their bride. Sorry, to be the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. To be His beautiful bride. And our salvation, the bride of Christ, her salvation is conditioned on Christ alone. God doesn't rest the condition of you being the bride of Christ on anything you do or don't do. It rests entirely upon the Lord Jesus Christ. That's good news. Good news for sinners who have nothing. If the Lord left one part of my salvation on me, on something I did, I would be eternally lost forever. and be a partaker of that second death. And so God put no condition on the believer. He rested all her salvation, the Church of God, He rests all her salvation on Jesus Christ alone. That's why He is a good hope, a sure hope, a perfect hope for the sinner. Because nothing depends on you or I. It all depends on Him. on the Lord Jesus Christ. And so God has elected a people by His sovereign choice unto salvation. Let's look at a few verses here. Let's first go to Ephesians chapter 1. We're looking at the us. Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians 1 verse 4-6 And notice this word us which Paul repeats in it, 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, 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 accepted in the beloved." Who's God talking to? He's talking to us. Look at verse 1. Paul tells you who he's writing to. 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. This word that declares what God has done for us is written to the church. the saints, those in whom God manifests His salvation, manifests His power, manifests His glory, manifests Christ in, He does it in His Church, whom He chose before the foundation of the world. They are not known until He manifests it in them. and they believe they confess I'm nothing Lord you're all you've done everything Lord and they come in Christ he reveals he manifests that faith in them drop down in Ephesians 1 to verse 9 having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself. In other words, God doesn't look outside of himself. He doesn't look to see what is this person gonna do in that situation? Are they gonna do the right thing or the wrong thing? God didn't look outside of himself to see what you or I would do. He chooses perfectly entirely within himself. Verse 11, drop down to verse 11, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. So the spirit says to us, what God does is according to his own counsel. It's according to his own will, his own good pleasure. That's who He chose. He doesn't look outside of Himself. He chooses within. He chooses Himself according as it pleases Him, whom He will. Let's look at another one. Let's go to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2. A little further back in your Bible. 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you. We don't thank you for believing, we thank God for your believing. We thank God for giving faith to you. Brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, as opposed to all the others in the city who are not gathered together, who aren't here hearing the word. He says, God chose you. You wanted this salvation. And here's what his purpose for his chosen. It's to manifest salvation in them. It's through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth so that God sent, not only did Christ justify you and obtain your eternal forgiveness, but he sent his spirit to seek you out when you were dead in trespasses and sins and doing dead works and his spirit came and separated you unto this salvation. He sanctified you and brought you unto the sound of the gospel and blessed it to your heart, opened your ear, caused you to hear it, caused you to see your need of salvation, caused you to see the sufficiency of Christ. gave you faith to believe what he's done to believe him to trust him and belief of the truth where unto verse 14 he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ with so many who despise and reject Christ God has a people that he will not lose He draws them to Himself, to the Son, blesses them. He chose them, called them, and blesses them in Christ. Even so, then, at this present time, also there is a remnant according to the election of grace, He says. According to the election of grace. And so election goes hand in hand with salvation by the full free gift of God. It's all by grace. And he loses none whom he chose. He loses none whom Christ redeemed. He blesses them and brings them into salvation. And so to rest salvation upon something that you or I do, To make it dependent upon you or I is to make man the reason that God saves them. And God is clear in his word that it's all according to grace. It's all given in Christ. According to his good pleasure, he gives the salvation to whom he will. He chose a people, and in their appointed hour of grace, they shall hear and believe that word of God. Third, God hath given to us eternal life. Now here's something most glorious and sweet to understand. I know this seems familiar, but just keep your ear tuned in. This is a beautiful thing that our Lord has done, that He that has the Son has eternal life already begun in Him right now. You that have the Son and believe on Christ, you have eternal life, that life of Christ in you right now. Right now, this is the glory of Christ, and it begins here. Right now, it's enjoyed by us here, by faith, even now. Now, there's two ways that we enjoy this communion with our God. First, by faith here, that looks and believes God by faith, and then we shall be with him and see him by sight. We shall see him by sight in glory hereafter. So first, let's look at the life we now have in Christ by faith. Let's see this in 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 3 and 4. In fact, I'll read verse 1. where Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, he's writing to them that have obtained like precious faith with us, with the apostles, through the righteousness of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. He's writing to you that believe. that have obtained, been given this gift of faith to believe Christ. That's who he's writing to. Now verse three, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Does faith pertain unto life and godliness? It sure does, and he's given it. God gives faith to whom he will through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature right now, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. He's done this and given you this life right now so that you're partakers and have escaped the lust that's in the world, having been delivered from it into life with Christ. And Christ himself gives us a comforting word on this also. He said in John 5, 24, verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, listen, but is passed from death unto life. Right now, you that have the Son have already passed from death unto life. You have life in the Lord Jesus Christ right now. Right now, you enjoy this life by the faith which He's given to you. through his spirit. Now, I want you to know this means that the child of God can never spiritually die. You never spiritually die. You never are separated from God. Look over at John 11. John chapter 11, verse 25 and 26. Our Lord speaking to Martha after her brother Lazarus' death. John 11 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, Yet shall he live. And so he's right here speaking of our first death in Adam and our first resurrection by the Spirit when he gives you faith. That's the first resurrection. And when we're made partakers of the second resurrection, that second death has no power on us. We're delivered from it. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, meaning right now, shall never die. That's Christ's words. He says you shall never die. Believest thou this? Do you believe the word of Christ? He says, you that believe me, you've already passed from death unto life and you shall never die. And what he's saying there is the life of Jesus Christ has already begun in the soul of them that believe him. He's regenerated you by his spirit. He's given you a new birth. When we came forth of Adam, we came forth spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. We are born again by the seed of Christ. That spiritual seed, that new man which cannot sin. He does not sin. All he can do is believe, believe, believe the Lord our God. Trust Him. This old man of flesh only doesn't believe. All he is is opposed to the things of God. But that new man in you, He believes. He rests in Christ. He confesses Christ. He boasts in Christ. He trusts Christ always, always, because he lives by the Spirit and the seed of Christ. And so this life begins right now by faith. And second, the second part of this is that our Lord tells us what shall be hereafter. As soon as the life, this life here of faith ends, when we close our eyes to sleep, The wicked, when they close their eyes, they die. But the believer really doesn't die. I mean, we say that in our language here that they've died, but all they do is sleep. All they do is sleep. And those justified by Christ through his death and resurrection, when they close their eyes and sleep, immediately open their eyes to behold the face of their God and Savior. They see their God and Savior. Their faith immediately becomes sight. This is the eternal life because of the life which Christ has given to us. That's our life for you that believe Christ right now. We have this right now. And this is why Paul said, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. I have his life in me. And by faith, looking to him, yeah, things are impossible for me, but with him, all things are possible. There's nothing he can't do. That's why we, We pray and ask the Lord, Lord, please give us a building. We know that with us, it's impossible, but with you, all things are possible. You can do this, Lord. You can call your people and save them and deliver your child out of darkness whenever it pleases you. and you can draw them in and cause them to hear the gospel and be delivered from death. We have this life right now. You shall never lie in darkness. The body lies there in the grave because it's not redeemed yet. It will be raised when Christ comes, but the soul immediately goes to the Lord. Paul said to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. So you never die. You won't be separated from the Lord. You'll be in His presence immediately. Fourth, God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in His Son. We only receive this life through Jesus Christ. We don't come to God any way we please and what suits our fancy and what we think God wants. God tells us exactly what He wants His child to do. Come to Him. in the Lord Jesus Christ, believing Him. To come any other way is to call God a liar and to reject that chief cornerstone that the Father sent, that the Father prizes and says, this, I'll build my church on this man, this stone. This is my son, hear him. Upon him, the temple is raised up, the building is built, the church of God is raised up on Christ. He's the chief cornerstone that the Jews rejected. that you that believe, look to him and glory in him. Men tried to come and find this life through various wicked and corrupt means. When I was a little boy, I remember watching a lot of movies and they always were about finding the fountain of youth. I don't know if you remember that, but they were always about finding the fountain of youth because people thought they could go and either dip themselves in it or drink a cup of the water and it would roll back the years. Those would be 20 years old or something. I don't know how they could control that, but some kind of nonsense like that, or people set out on expeditions trying to find the Garden of Eden, so that they might happen upon the Tree of Life and be able to take that fruit and live forever. Or today they try to find it with technology and science. They try to find it with various religions. They try to gain eternal life by good works, or by their righteousness, or keeping the law of Moses. Everything they do, man will do any and everything but believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Man will do anything but rest in Christ, the salvation of God. And our Lord tells us those are wicked works. Apart from Christ alone, there is no life. John said it plainly in 1 John 5, 12. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. life. It's that simple, that simple. And finally, our Lord says, this is the record. This is the record that God hath given. This is our God's testimony that there is no other name given under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved. That name, the one name is the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, whom the father sent to save his people from their sins. The Father testified to us that Jesus of Nazareth is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the promised seed that should come and redeem his people and reconcile us to holy God, to restore that which was lost in Adam. He came and by his faithful death, he paid the price as the surety of God's people. He paid the whole debt, the wages of sin that we owed, Christ paid them in full. He died our death. He took our place as our substitute to satisfy holy God and to deliver us from the hands of justice. God hath made Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And our Lord has raised, the Father has raised the Son up from the dead never to seek corruption. because in him is eternal life. And this is the message, this is the witness that God has given to the church. This is the witness of the spirit in you, this is the witness of the scriptures, this is the witness of the church who declares this gospel that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. Through Jesus Christ alone is preached and declared the forgiveness of sins. If any man receives him, he has life. God reveals who His children are by giving them faith. And those that believe Him have life. You've passed from death and entered into life right now, believing on Christ. And those who reject Christ, He says they're condemned already because you have not believed on the one whom the Father has sent, the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that you hear His voice, that you hear what the Spirit says to the churches. that He turns your heart from trusting in dead things that cannot save, and shows you the blessedness of Christ, shows you the sufficiency of Christ, and washes you in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Call upon His name. He's merciful and forgiving to all who ask Him, to all who seek Him, because that's what He works in the heart of His child. He gives it to you. He gives it to you freely. It's his gift of salvation. Believe him, trust him. And you that believe him and trust him, you have everlasting life. Amen. All right, let's pray. Our gracious Lord, we thank you for your grace. We thank you, Lord, for your word. Lord, without your Spirit, we cannot hear it. Without your grace, it is of no profit to us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Be gracious to us. Give us your Spirit, Lord, we ask, to look to Christ, to believe on him. to rest in what He has done for us and who He is. Lord, we know that He is Your Son, that He is the Son of God, the Eternal Son of God, who came in the flesh and laid down His life to redeem His people, to deliver them from their sins. Lord, may we be included in that number. Lord, deliver us from death. that we may enter into life in the Lord Jesus Christ even now. Have mercy upon us. Be gracious to us. Lord, may we have this gift that you freely give to all your people. Lord, we ask it. We have nothing of ourselves to give to you. It's in Christ and Christ alone. that this salvation is found. Lord, let us be found in him and washed in his blood. Lord, we thank you for these people whom you've gathered in together to hear this word. Lord, we pray that your spirit be upon each of us, that we would bring forth fruit, some 30, some 60, some 100 fold, according as it pleases you to the glory, the praise and honor of your holy and blessed name. We thank you for This work for this body here, we rejoice in what you've done for us and how you've settled us in the Lord Jesus Christ. Turning us from dead works, turning us from looking at our sin, turning us from looking at things that trouble the flesh, to behold the comfort that you give to your people in the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, you know the sicknesses, the troubles, the sorrows, the struggles that we all have. Minister your grace and peace to the hearts of your people and help us to love one another. It's in the Lord Jesus Christ we pray this, amen. All right, brother. Let's all stand and sing a closing hymn. 514. Marching to Zion. 514. We that love the Lord and let our joys be known Join in a song with sweet accord Join in a song with sweet accord And thus surround the throne And thus surround the throne We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God. But those refuse to sing who never knew our God. But children of the Heavenly King May speak their joys abroad We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God. The hill of Zion yields a thousand sacred streets Before we reach the heavenly fields Before we reach the heavenly fields Or walk the golden streets Or walk the golden streets We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God. And let our songs abound, And every tear be dried. We're marching through Emmanuel's ground, We're marching through Emmanuel's ground, To fairer worlds on high, To fairer worlds on high. We're marching to Zion, a beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God. Thank you.