The New Life Explained

OCTOBER 16, 2022 STUDY NOTES EPHESIANS 2:4-6 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES THE NEW LIFE EXPLAINED INTRODUCTION In Ephesians 2:1-3 we found that “all” are physically born with the “Need of New Life” We were “all” at one time spiritually dead and needed to be born again spiritually (vs 1) Being spiritually dead we were dominated by Satan and sin (Vs. 2) Because of our trespasses and sins, we deserved to face the wrath of God (Vs. 3) So those who are spiritually dead are helpless, hopeless, and Hell bound But there is a way, there can be a difference, a world of difference, an eternal difference It is called salvation, it is a born-again experience, it is a spiritual birth that gives new life But there is only one way that it can happen, and we find that one way, “But God” Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, “But God” is describing what God has done for those who are described in verses 1-3 The point is that God is the only one who can make the difference Because of God, we can become a child of God, Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, (Jesus) to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Man tries many ways to become a child of God but fails, Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (God is the only way) The emphasis is, God, God only, and none other than God can do what must be done Because of what God has done for us through Jesus, the facts of verses 1-3 are past tense We were in “time past,” before we were saved, like those described in verses 1-3 “But God” begins to explain to us that we have been “Made Alive With Christ” Alive now because God has loved us (vs. 4) and quickened us (vs.5) He has raised us up (vs. 6) Now Paul begins to describe our “New Life” and to tell us how God made such a difference “Who is rich in mercy,” in the first 3 verses we saw the need of lost mankind was God’s mercy Lost sinners are in a spiritual state of separation from God and unable to do anything about it We often talk of those who are in great physical need as those who need to be pitied They need acts of compassion and kindness, they need mercy Those who are dead in trespasses and sins do not deserve pity, compassion, or kindness We have already been told that they deserve the wrath of God (Ephesians 2:3) “Mercy” is God not bestowing upon sinners what they deserve “Mercy” is God withholding His wrath from us “Mercy” is the opposite of God’s wrath it is His underserved kindness bestowed upon us Wrath is what we deserved “mercy” is what we received through the “New Life” God can withhold His wrath a long time because He is “rich in mercy” God has an abundant supply of mercy, more than enough for each of us God is not only rich in mercy, He is also rich in grace, Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; We have the evidence that God is “rich in mercy,” that God is “rich in grace” But why would God bestow the richness of His mercy and grace upon such sinners as us? Because of “his great love,” God’s love is great because God is love, 1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. How great is His love? Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Page 1 of 4 There is a reason why John 3:16 is the most popular verse in all-of the Bible Because of God’s love we can receive His mercy and His grace In mercy, He forgives those who will receive His Son and they will not perish In grace, He will save those who believe in Jesus and give them everlasting life Who did God love? “Wherewith He loved us,” the same ones described in verses 1-3 That is what makes His love so great, He loved “us” who were dead in trespasses and sins He loved “us” when we were in love with the world, Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. He loved “us’ when we loved the things of the world, 1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. He loved “us’ when we were disobeying God and obeying Satan, 1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. He loved “us” when we lived according to the lusts of the flesh, Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. The evidence of His great love for sinners is the cross of Jesus, Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The greatest sacrifice love ever made for others was the cross of Jesus The cross of Jesus provided the greatest benefit love ever gave Paul tells us of three things that the love of God has done for the believer: (1) Made us alive with Christ (2) Raised us up with Christ (3) Seated us in heavenly places in Christ SAVED BY GRACE--Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) We are reminded again of the truth of spiritual death, spiritually separated from God (verses 1-3) The things of the spiritual life were foolishness to us, we saw no value in the spiritual life We were spiritually dead because we had not received Jesus as our Savior, 1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The only way to receive eternal life is to receive Jesus into your life, 1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. When you receive Jesus, you are made alive spiritually, you receive a “New Life” “Hath quickened us together with Christ,” the opposite of “dead in sin” is “alive in Christ” To be alive with Christ is a new spiritual life, Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. The new birth is the heavenly birth, the birth from above and the birth of a “New Life” Jesus told the Samaritan woman that in Him was a well of living water, Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Jesus revealed to the multitude that He was he “bread of life,” Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Jesus told His disciples that He was the life, and no one comes to the Father but by Him, Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. God wants us to know of the life that we did not have because we were spiritually dead in sins We need to understand all that we didn’t have because we were separated from God And He wants us to know the truth of the “New Life” we now have because of Christ in us We must know who we are now because we have been made alive in Christ Page 2 of 4 We must learn of the “New Life” we now have because we are made alive in Christ Paul wants us to give serious thought to what God has done to provide for our salvation The emphasis is upon God’s love, God’ mercy, and God’s grace “By grace ye are saved,” the original language stresses the fact that, “we are saved” We were dead in our sins, but Jesus died for “our sins,” that is the “grace” that saves We did not earn the grace of God, it was freely given to us, that is what “grace” means “Grace” is God freely bestowing upon us what we do not deserve, He “saved” us by grace And when God saved us, He completely saved us, our salvation is secure in-Christ The Bible teaches us that we have been saved, we are saved, and will always be saved Our salvation is a past event, a present experience, and a future hope Our salvation is eternal life, and our spiritual life is already a “Heavenly Life” IN HEAVENLY PLACES--Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: “Together” identifies our present position with Christ, we are already “raised up” Since Christ is alive, we have been made alive in Christ, made alive to live a “New Life” Just as God hath raised up Christ, He has raised us up “together” with Christ As-long as Christ is alive, we will be alive with Him, we are with Christ wherever He is “And made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Where Christ now sits is important, but the question is not where is Christ? The question that needs to be answered is, “Do you know where you are seated?” Paul is telling us with excitement, “We are where He is,” we can live the “New Life” God can now bless us, Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Being in “Heavenly places in Christ Jesus” separates us from the present world system Not that we are out of the world but in “New Life” we are no longer living the ways of the world We are no longer subject to the power of Satan and sin, we can defeat Satan and sin We are no longer under the demonic authority of the power of the air Paul’s prayer for us can now be answered, Jesus can now be revealed to us, Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: Because God is rich in mercy and great in love, we have inherited the riches of glory, Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, It is God’s power of life that works within the believer, Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, It is the same power that resurrected and exalted Jesus, Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Because we are risen with Christ, we can seek those things which are above, Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. We can set our minds upon the things of heaven, that which is eternal, Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (We “were” living worldly, “now” we live heavenly) All because it is true, it is a fact, we are now “Made Alive With Christ,” Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When we were spiritually dead, we were separated from God, we had no “New Life” We are now in the position to fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, 1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. We can hold firm to the faith, Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is Page 3 of 4 passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. We can approach the throne of grace, Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. CONCLUSION Christians are no longer dead spiritual beings, we are spiritually alive in Christ Jesus went through a physical experience in order that we might have a spiritual experience We have been crucified with Christ, Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. We are buried with Christ, Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. The body of Jesus was buried because He had died physically In Christ our old life of sin has experienced death and is buried with Christ We have been raised with Christ, Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. The spiritual resurrection unto “New Life” occurs at the-moment of salvation It is called the “Baptism of the Spirit,” 1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. The picture of the Spirit’s baptism is witnessed in water baptism Because of the physical death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ: Christians have died with Christ, been buried with Christ, and “Made Alive with Christ” If you are now alive in Christ, live like a Christian, you have a “New Life” to live If you are now a child of God, act like a child of God If you are no longer of this world, quit living like the world If you are now dead to sin, quit living in sin If you have been made righteous, live righteous If you have been made holy, live a holy life If you are now the light of the world, start shining for Christ If you are now blessed with all spiritual blessings, be a blessing unto others If you claim to be saved, live the “New Life” that God gave you to live Page 4 of 4