Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1978
“That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom you also trusted, after you heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation.” Ephesians 1:12,13.
IT appears from the preceding verse that the predestinating purpose of God deals not only with salvation as a whole, but with the details of it—it includes faith as well as salvation which comes of faith. “Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will, that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.” The trust is appointed as well as the justification—the means as well as the end. We are not ordained to be saved apart from faith, but those who are predestinated to eternal life are ordained to receive it through faith in Christ Jesus. What God has joined together let no man put asunder.
Beloved Friends, I would have you notice in this verse the remarkable object which is set before us as the grand design of predestinating Grace. Observe the singular expression of the Apostle—“That we should be to the praise of His glory.” Observe that He does not say, that we should sing to the praise of our glorious God, though we will do that. Nor that we should suffer to His praise, though we would not refuse to do that. Nor that we should work to His praise, though by Grace we will do that—but—“that we should be to the praise of His glory.” The very being of a Believer is to the praise and glory of God! It is written, “Whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” But this is still more comprehensive—you are to be to His glory—your very existence is to praise Him. Your being, which is now turned into well-being, is to glorify the God of Grace! When in the quiet of the garden I have looked upon the lilies standing erect in their marvelous beauty and I have realized our Master’s words, that Solomon in all His glory was not arrayed like one of these, shall I have said to myself, “What do these do to the glory of God?” Quickly my heart has answered, “They exist to show forth the glory of their Creator!” By merely standing where they are, they yield praise to the Lord—their very being is worship! Even those flowers which are born to blush unseen of men do not bloom in vain. They do not waste their sweetness, though they pour it on the desert air, for God is in the lone places and beholds with joy His own handiwork. God is glorified by the being of that which He makes and especially by the being of that which He has a second time created by the power of His Grace, according to His purpose through faith! Is it not enough result of being if we are to His praise?
Beloved, see the importance of that trust which is so constant an item in the purpose of God when He causes us to be to the praise of His glory. Unless we have trusted in Christ, we are not living to the praise of God. But when we have come, by faith, into the place wherein we ought to stand, then is our very being unto the praise of His glory! In Christ our very existence glorifies God and it is faith which consciously places us in Christ. Concerning that trust, or, if you will, for the original bears that translation—that hope which is so essential to the fulfillment of the purpose of God— concerning that trust I am about to speak this morning. May the praise of His glory be promoted by what I am enabled to say!
I. Our first point will be THAT TRUST IN CHRIST IS THE CONSTANT MARK OF THE SAVED. “That we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ, in whom you also trusted.” I care not whether you read it, “trusted,” or, “hoped,” the idea will still be the same. Trust in Christ, or hope in Christ, is the distinguishing token of God’s people.
It was the mark of the Apostles. It was necessary to an Apostle that he should have seen the Lord, for he was to bear personal witness to that which he had seen with his eyes and looked upon and handled. But this alone was not sufficient,
for many saw the Lord and remained in unbelief, enemies of the Cross of Christ. These could not have been Apostles since they did not trust in Jesus. The Apostles were those who, with an inner as well as an outer eye, had seen the Lord and had trusted themselves wholly to Him as their Leader, Master, Teacher and Savior. There were no Apostles worthy to be called Apostles who did not trust in Christ. Truly Judas bore the name, but his Lord said of him, “One of you is a devil.” He who is sent of Christ as His witness, first trusts in Christ.
This was also the mark of the first converts, the chosen from among the Jews. These had the honor to be the elder born—these who first trusted in Christ. Some of them had the advantage of having trusted in Him before His actual advent, for they were looking for the hope of Israel and earnestly expecting the coming of the Messiah. Before our Lord appeared at the waters of Jordan and was pointed out by John the Baptist as, “the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world,” there were hearts that believed in Him and eyes that looked for Him. Still, whether they were Jewish Believers, looking for His advent, or not, this was the mark of their being truly saved—that they trusted in Jesus when He was revealed as the Anointed of the Lord. The best instructed Jew could not find eternal salvation apart from his putting his trust in Jesus Christ the Son of God.