The Testimony Of A Dead Man (Part 3)

July 2, 2019
Dear Visionary Leader:
Mr. Alfred Hitchcock was a phenomenal storyteller and movie producer. In 1964, Mr. Hitchcock produced the movie The Final Escape. The story is about a young man who committed many acts of terrible violence and was placed in prison. In this prison, there was man who had the reasonability of making coffins.

The young man who had committed many acts of violence became good friends with the coffin maker. Between themselves, they devised a sinister plan to get the young man out of prison. They decided that when the next person died in the prison, the coffin maker would make a coffin for him, then, the young man would sneak into the area where the coffin was located and get inside next to the deceased.
Some time passed, and another convict died in prison. The coffin maker quickly made a coffin for him. The young man snuck into the area where the coffin was located. He looked carefully so no one would see him. Then, he hurriedly lifted the lid off the coffin, laid down next to the deceased and quickly pulled the coffin lid back down.
Suddenly, he heard muffled voices. Unable to hear what they were saying, he felt the coffin lift and he began to think, it will not be much longer before he would be free. He felt the coffin make its way down the stairs and heard medal doors of the prison rattle when they were opened. The young man smiled while lying next to the deceased, thinking, “I am on my way home today. It will not be much longer before I am free.”
The backdoor of the hearse was opened, and the coffin was pushed inside. He felt the jolt when the coffin hit the back wall of the hearse. He heard the engine start and knew he was headed toward the nearby cemetery. The nearby cemetery was filled with old grave stones and was in a terrible run down condition.
The prison hearse drove to the nearby cemetery. When the backdoor was opened, the convict in the coffin could hear muffled voices again. Suddenly, the coffin was pulled out of the hearse and was carried to a place to be buried. Once the coffin arrived at correct burial location, it was lowered into the hole in the ground. The coffin hit the bottom of the hole and the young man said to himself, “If they bury me, my friend the coffin maker will dig me up. I am headed home today.”
Then, clots of dirt landed loudly on the lid of the casket. The coffin was covered with dirt and the hole was filled up. The young man, in the coffin began to say out loud, “Hurry! Dig me up!”
A few moments later, he could begin to feel the coolness of the earth creeping into the coffin. In desperation, he reaches into his shirt pocket to pull out a lighter. When he lights the lighter, he sees the face of the coffin maker and realizes he has gone to the grave with the wrong person.
If we go to the grave with the wrong person, we will not be able to get out of the grave. If we go to the grave with Christ in our hearts, we will experience resurrection!
Read The Testimony of A Dead Man (Part 3) In Visionary Coaching Below
We have learned so much about God’s grace and the miracle of salvation. We were dead, depraved and darkened. Yet, Christ raised us up into heavenly places to rest in Him. We have now come to the last testimony aspect of a dead man:
We Need To Realize Our Prospective Glory (Eph. 2:7-10)
Why does God do this? “In the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches in grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.“
Paul writes about the ages to come. He explains the Lord’s purpose for us in eternity. In eternity, we’re going to be a part of a great exhibition, that God has saved us by his grace. God’s purpose is found in the ages to come, that he might show the exceeding riches of his grace.

God wants to display his grace. God’s purpose and God’s plan are linked together. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we learn that God’s plan coincides with God’s purpose. What is his purpose? His purpose in verse seven is to display his grace. In verse eight, Paul says, “for by grace are you saved and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God.”
God says he will not share his glory with another. If you could be saved by good works then you could boast about it. If you’re saved by God’s grace, then you’ve got to give God all of the glory. If you’re saved by grace, then works doesn’t have anything to do with it. If there is a chain of ten thousand links by which you are suspended, and only one link in that chain was made of crepe paper, how safe are you? If one link in the chain of salvation depends upon you, you’ll never make it. God is in the business of getting glory to Himself.
I am grateful to know that God is not keeping score on us to see if we make it. We are not saved by the merit of man, but by the mercy of God; not by the goodness of man, but by the grace of God.
This grace is not only saving grace, but it is sanctifying grace. Some people get the idea because we think that we’re saved by grace that that doesn’t make any difference how we live.
In Ephesians 2:10, states, “We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” We have saving grace, sanctifying grace, and surviving grace.

God’s grace never let’s go of us. I believe in eternal security. How did I get it? I got it by grace. How do I keep it? The grace that saved me is the grace that keeps me. If I got it by works, then if my works fail, I lose it. If I got it by grace, you’re saved by grace, and kept by grace.
We have saving grace, sanctifying grace, surviving grace and sure grace. We have confidence in the grace of God. We know that we are saved and sitting in the Heavenlies.
We are saved by grace through faith. It is grace that saves us and faith just simply reaches up and takes hold of God’s grace. Faith is our hand reaching up and saying I believe it and I want to be saved. When God’s hand of grace meets your hand of faith, that is salvation!
Even the faith we have is a gift of God. None of us out of our depraved, devilish, disobedient, and dead hearts, possess the faith to save us. Where does this faith come from? God puts the faith in our hearts. This is the reason anybody can be saved.
Our text states, “for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Why did God save me? What was God’s plan? What was God’s grace? God created me unto good works, which he hath before ordained that I should walk in them. Why do we do good works? We do good works, not in order to be saved, but because we have been saved. You’re not saved by faith and works but you’re saved by faith that works.
God’s purpose and God’s plan, results in God’s praise.

Again, verse nine, that not of works lest any man should boast; verse seven, in the ages to come he shows the riches of his grace. This is the summation of our spiritual biography: 1) What we were, past guilt; 2) What we are, present grace; and, 3) What we shall be, prospective glory. This is what makes Christianity different from any other religion. Thank God for the grace of God!

Until The Last Person Has Heard,

Dr. James. O. Davis
Founder/President
Global Church Network
Cochair / Global Networking