How Privileged We Are!

-Introduction

-It is true that life brings us many challenges - physical, mental and spiritual.

-Challenges come in all “shapes and sizes” and originate from a variety of sources. 

-Some motivate us.  Some discourage us.  Some alarm us.

-Regardless of the challenges that lie in our paths, let’s never lose sight of the blessings in Christ

  and the privileges afforded us through Him.

            -He is the Rock of Ages - “Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee...”

-We truly are privileged to be living under the Gospel of Christ with our hope in Jesus!

            -To borrow the words from another song, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood

              and righteousness...”  That song goes on to say, “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other

        ground is sinking sand...”

-We have what many, many others longed for.

-Abraham

-John 8:56

      -Some indicate that Abraham must have been given special, additional revelation beyond the

  time of his life on Earth.  Through that special revelation then, he saw Jesus’ day and rejoiced. 

  Coffman is one of those that takes such a view (see Coffman, James Burton, Commentary on

  John, Austin, TX, Firm Foundation Publishing House, 1974, pgs 227-228).  However, this is

  not necessarily the case.

 -Barnes noted the following in regards to the word “rejoiced”:  “This word includes the notion

  of desire as well as rejoicing. It denotes that act when, compelled with strong desire for an

  object, we leap forward toward its attainment with joy; and it expresses:  1. the fact that this

  was an object that filled the heart of Abraham with joy; and 2. that he earnestly desired to see

  it” (Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights

  reserved.)

-Through the promises God made to him - that through His seed all nations would be blessed -

 Abraham longed for that day and rejoiced in view of it.  This seems to be the meaning of

 Jesus’ words.  “Abraham saw it in promise by prophetic vision and rejoiced in the hope of

 the revelation of Christ” (Lipscomb, David, A Commentary on the Gospel By John, Nashville,

 TN, Gospel Advocate Company, 1950, pg 136).

-The point is this:  Abraham longed for something that we now have - The Gospel of Jesus.

-Gal 3:6-9

            -Abraham rejoiced to see Jesus’ day in the fact that the Gospel was preached to him.  How was

              the Gospel preached to Abraham - “In thee shall all the nations be blessed” - A statement that

              was fulfilled in through Jesus.

                        -Gal 3:16

            -Side note:  Those who advocate salvation by faith only, will sometimes refer to this passage

                              and others similar to it (Rom 3) in an attempt to support their teaching.

                        -Yet, the context is not faith only.  Instead, Paul is make a comparison between God’s

              systems of faith under the Law and under the Gospel.

-Notice Gal 3:6 and then look at God’s own explanation in Gen 26:3-5.

            -Note the equivalence of believeth and obeyed as assigned by the scriptures.

-Jas 2:18-24

-Heb 11:8-10

            -Abraham, along with many others, did not receive the promises that we are recipients of.

            -Oh, how privileged we are! 

-The Patriarchs and Prophets

-Heb 11:13, 32-40

            -We’re given these examples of wonderful faith yet we’re told - “And all these...received

              not the promise.”  But, we have.

-When Peter wrote of the wonderful inheritance that awaits God’s faithful children (1 Pet 1), he

  made this observation:

            -1 Pet 1:9-12

            -The prophets, even though they prophesied regarding the blessings we now enjoy, enquired

              and searched diligently for the fullness of the meaning of those things.

                        -We have the fullness of the meaning made available to us.

                        -2 Pet 1:3, Jude 3

-Oh, how privileged we are!

-The Angels

-1 Pet 1:12 - “...which things the angels desire to look into”

-The angels have been spectators.

            -not to indicate that they haven’t played an active and important role in God’s plan - they have

-Lord willing, we’ll address this more in a lesson next week.

-Yet, for this lesson, understand that we have received the things that angels desired to know about.

-Oh, how privileged we are!

-Summary and Invitation

-We have want Abraham longed for.  We have what the prophets enquired about and diligently

  searched for.  We have what the angels wondered about for centuries.

-We have God’s written revelation presented to us in its fullness.  We have the completed plan of

  redemption for mankind at our fingertips.  We live within the blessings of the Gospel of Christ.

-Oh, how privileged we are!

-Now, what are we doing with those privileges that have been afforded to us?

            -Let’s realize our privileges.  Let’s deeply appreciate those privileges.  And, let’s show our

              appreciation through our work for the Lord.

-What about you?  Have you responded to the Gospel of Christ?  If not, believe (John 3:16, 8:24),

  confess your faith (Matt 10:32, Rom 10:9-10), repent of your sins (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 17:30), be

  baptized into Christ (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38)

-If you’ve obeyed the Gospel, have you been showing your appreciation for the privileges afforded

  you?  Have you been living faithfully and working for the Lord?  If not, confess your

  shortcomings, repent of them and pray for God’s forgiveness - 1 John 1:7-9, Acts 8:22-24.

-Always remember - Oh, how privileged we truly are!