Ephesians - 2

Ephesians - 2

Ephesians 2:1-10

Introduction

When a professional sports team wins their respective national championship, each player receives an award of some kind. For the NFL the players receive the Super Bowl ring. For the MLB the players receive their World Series rings. The unique aspect of how these teams hand out these rings is that it is not only the players and coaches who receive them. Every single person who works for the organization in any capacity receives the same ring.

It makes sense for the players and coaches to receive them. They are the ones who have worked so hard to earn it. They put in the countless hours of workouts. They trained during the off-season. They endured grueling practices. They put in the time on the field and conquered the opposing teams to become the best team in the world for that season. Yet, once they win, even the janitors get a ring. The guy who washes the sweat towels gets a ring. Those who did not put in the work get the same prize. Those who do not necessarily deserve the reward receive equal status as champion.

This is an apt description of the manner in which God saves His people. Believers have put in no work. They have not earned any reward from the Lord. They do not deserve any benefit from Him. Yet, God’s people receive the fullness of salvation from Him anyway. He did all the work. He fully accomplished everything necessary to save. And then, out of His grace, He grants the full benefits and privileges to His undeserving people. This is the message of Ephesians 2:1-10.

If, as we said last week, that Ephesians 1:3-14 is the blueprint for salvation, then Ephesians 2:1-10 is the detailed to-do list of how the work of salvation is actually accomplished. The clear emphasis of the text is that God accomplishes the work of salvation without human merit or human input, but works solely through the agency of Jesus Christ. And just as chapter 1 displayed the reality of Union with Christ as the means by which God accomplishes salvation, that same emphasis is continued here. So much so, that the glory of salvation can be defined by the relationship believers have ‘in Christ.’ It is the reality of salvation itself. To be ‘in Christ’ is to be saved.

Ephesians 2:1-10 - And you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,

3 among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

4 But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us,

5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9 not of works, so that no one may boast.

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

This text is a series of dramatic contrasts. He first identifies the bad news that made salvation necessary, and then the good news that God has accomplished salvation. A Christian’s previous condition outside of Christ is described as ‘dead’ but is now contrasted with their having been ‘made alive.’ Their past reality of being under the lordship of Satan is set opposed to now being seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. God’s wrath is set in contrast to His mercy, love, grace, and kindness. Those outside of Christ and those ‘in Christ’ could not be in more starkly opposite realities.

THE BAD NEWS (V. 1-3)

As Paul begins with the bad news, we have to admit that the bad news is worse than we could ever imagine. He opens verse 1 with ‘you were dead in your transgressions and sins.’ Spiritual death is not some vague, mystical theory, but a real condition that real people experience. Last week chapter 1 established that God is the sole initiator of salvation. And that can be challenging to understand and accept. Though it appears we have chosen God and have come to Him on our own, here we see why that is absolutely false. This is why God has to be the initiator, working behind the scenes…you are spiritually dead.

Do you know what dead people do? Nothing! They don’t seek after God. They don’t explore answers to questions. They don’t make decisions. They’re just there. Dead as can be. Author Jared Wilson writes that we mistakenly view salvation like we are out at sea and our boat sinks. There we are floating in the water, struggling with all our might to stay alive, and Jesus comes along with a rescue boat and throws us the life raft and we grab it and are rescued. The problem with that is that is not at all the picture the NT gives us regarding our salvation. We are not struggling with all our might to keep our head above water and reaching out for a life boat. We are a corpse bobbing up and down in the water. We don’t need rescue. We need resurrection.

Don’t miss the critical importance of this. Outside of Christ you are not lost and struggling. You are dead. In your sin, separated from the Giver of Life. For the next couple of verses, Paul explains how this came to be. There are three enemies of your soul that have all combined to execute you. But first, he inserts a word of hope…v. 2 - in which you formerly walked. You used to be this way. You used to be dead in your sin. That ought to perk up our ears. So outside of Christ we are spiritually dead, but apparently it doesn’t have to be that way. There can be victory over those deadly spiritual enemies.

The first enemy is the world. They ‘walked’ (metaphor for lifestyle) v. 2 - according to the course of this world. ‘According to’ or in line with, influenced by, the world. The pattern of our world is in direct opposition to God.

1 John 2:15-16 - 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

This is why we aren’t to love the world, meaning the sinful practices and attitudes of the world. It is in rebellion against God. The world doesn’t love God. The world doesn’t seek after God’s will. The world doesn’t honor God. At best, He is an afterthought, but more likely not thought about at all. That is the air we breathe. And it infects everything about us. How easy it is to simply conform and go right along with the world around us. And doing so, Paul says, will kill you.

The second enemy is Satan. Rest of v. 2 - according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. I know it can sound weird and almost fantastical to say, but outside of Christ, you are serving God’s enemy. He is the ruler of the power of the air…in ancient culture, the air was understood to be the realm of evil spirits. And Satan is the ruler of them all. He is the evil force at work in the world, influencing those who are in disobedience to God. Now, those who live in apathy or disobedience to God would never say they serve Satan. But that is exactly what is happening behind the scenes. They are at war with God, placing them firmly on Satan’s side.

The final enemy is the most insidious of them all. V. 3 - among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh. First off, Christians never get to look down our noses in judgment on a sinful world. Why? Because we used to do the very same things. They are sons of disobedience…but so were we. But did you notice the identity of the final enemy? The ‘lusts of our flesh.’ Or as he continues on in v. 3 - doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Who is your worst enemy? You are!

ILL - In 1908 The London Times asked a number of authors to write on the topic, “What is wrong with the world?” G.K. Chesterton’s answer was the shortest one submitted. He simply wrote:

Dear Sirs,

I am.

Sincerely yours,

G.K. Chesterton

James 1:14 - 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

We don’t get to blame the world for our spiritual condition. We don’t even get to blame Satan for our condition. We can only look in the mirror and answer the question of who is to blame…I am. My own sin. My own desires. My own ego. My own mouth. My own heart. These are my biggest spiritual problems. And because of the sin I myself have produced in my life, my soul is dead.

What is God’s reaction to all this? What do we deserve because of all this? End of v. 3 - and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. The only thing we deserve from God is wrath. And that is true for us all, even as the rest. Our sin has offended a holy God. Our sin has betrayed a loving God. Our sin has separated us from our Creator God. Our soul is dead, not wounded. In need of resurrection, not rescue. That is your state outside of Christ. Dead in their rebellion against God. Only deserving of His wrath…true for every single person who has ever lived. Comprehensive condemnation.

That’s the bad news. And it is really bad! So let’s say that the Bible responds with some good news. Alright, you blew it. V. 1-3 are true and you are in deep weeds with God. But I have some good news. God says you can make it up to Him. So…be good. Be nice to people. Be generous when you can. Don’t cheat on your taxes. Help little old ladies cross the street. Be honest. You owe God a debt, but your good behavior can pay it off.

Would that be good news? No way! That’s worse news. Because how could you ever know you paid it off? What if you really work hard at being good and you dedicate every moment of your life to doing that? Could you die with confidence? Or would you be scared to death? What if you were one good thing short? And let’s not forget that for each day you dedicate to be good, you are still sinning…so as you are attempting to pay off the debt, the interest on your debt keeps accruing. Not a chance at all!

That is not good news. We had to start with the bad news. Otherwise the good news wouldn’t be good. It would just be news. The good news is good precisely because it stands in stark contrast with the bad news. And though the bad news was worse than we could imagine, the good news is better than we could imagine.

ILL - if you go into a jewelry store, you will notice it is filled with spotlights. Brightest store in a mall for sure. That is so the lights will shine through a diamond and make it sparkle. But that really isn’t enough. If you ask to see a diamond ring with just those lights, it really isn’t very impressive. So the jeweler will pull out a black velvet backdrop and set the diamond on it. Oh man! With that black backdrop, the diamond explodes in brilliant sparkle and lights up the room. That is what Paul has just done. He lays out the black backdrop of the bad news so that now the brilliance of the gospel can be on display.

THE GOOD NEWS (V. 4-10)

v. 4 - But God…those two words explode off the page! While we are deserving of nothing but wrath, God intervenes. The One we have offended. The One we have rebelled against in our sin. He Himself steps in and saves the undeserving. v. 4 - But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us. While those outside of Christ are in a state of being dead in sin, God is in a state of being merciful. ‘Rich in mercy.’ Abundant. Generous. Inexhaustible.

Remember, justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is NOT getting what you deserve. If you commit a crime and stand before the judge, you stand guilty. Condemned. Fully deserving of whatever punishment fits the crime. And justice demands that you get what you deserve. This is why people ‘throw themselves on the mercy of the court.’ It is a cry to say, don’t give me what we all know I deserve. We like justice…when someone else wrongs us. But we don’t like it when justice applies to us. And we dare not base our relationship with God on justice. What did verse 3 say you deserve? Wrath. That is justice. You separated from God for all eternity in Hell is what you deserve. It is what everyone deserves.

But God is rich in mercy. Because of His great love for us. And His love is so great for His people, v. 5 - even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. You, outside of Christ, were in death. But God, because He loves you, made you alive. Not struggling in need of rescue, but dead in need of resurrection. And He did this quite without your permission. He did this without your input. You were dead! He made you alive together with Christ. It’s the primary verb/action in this entire text. And it is one Paul invented. Made alive…together with. You were in sin, separated from Life, dead. But God placed you in Union with Christ, the One who is Life. Just as He raised Christ from the dead, He raised you with Him.

v. 6 - and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Look at the three actions of God that He accomplished for you in Christ. He made you alive (regeneration), raised you (resurrection), and seated you (glorification). Because you are in Union with Christ, you are where Christ is. Notice the contrast. Outside of Christ in death, you were at the mercy of the ruler of the power of the air. But now, in Christ, you are above all of that. You’ve been seated with Christ in Heaven, above all evil power.

And why did God do all this saving work? Because you were so awesome and God just had to have you on His team? Because He was obligated? Nope. He saved His people to show His abundant kindness. v. 7 - so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. All are deserving of wrath. All are already condemned. But God…has saved His people to display to the universe He is gracious and kind.

Paul continues to hammer home the fact that you are saved by grace, without your deserving it. Without your earning it. v. 8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not of works, so that no one may boast. By grace…not by you. Through faith…it is your belief in Jesus, your trust in Him that allows you access to that very grace. When God initiates salvation in you, opens your eyes to the truth of the gospel, flips the switch, and you turn to Christ in faith, Boom, saved. Converted. But notice how he continues to highlight the truth that confronts our chief struggle…’this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.’ You did not do this. You cannot take credit for this. The only aspect of your salvation that you contributed was the sin that made it necessary. In fact, the Greek literally reads this not of yourselves, of God is the gift.

Not of works…not because of something you did. Not because of something you would eventually do. All of God. Otherwise, your pride would absolutely cause you to brag. Why am I saved? Oh come on. Of course God would save me, how could He not?! I get why God wouldn’t save that other guy, but me? I’m amazing. I mean, look how godly I am. Look how moral I am. I’m a good person. Listen, a Christian who brags about how Christian they are is an oxymoron…and a moron.

Paul now comes full-circle from where he started, showing the complete transformation that Christ brings. You were dead in your sin. You used to walk according to the world, Satan, your own desires. But God…v. 10 - For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Again, the Greek reads, His workmanship we are. The emphasis is always and only on God as the sole initiator of salvation.

Created…a verb used only of God in the Bible, the creation of something new that never existed before. 2 Corinthians 5:17 - If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Well, guess what? You are in Christ! God has resurrected and recreated you. And just as He predestined your salvation, He predestined your life to be lived afterwards. He recreated for good works, not for works of evil and sin that lead to death. So that we would walk in them…no longer walking in sin and death, but walking in salvation and life. From start to finish, God’s work in your life is God’s work in your life.

Friends, this is the gospel. The Good News of salvation in Christ. You were dead in your sin, but God is rich in mercy and made you alive in Christ. He united you to Christ who gives life, who is Life. And now your soul is alive forever with Him. This is mercy. This is love. This is kindness. This is grace.

Consider Christ. Acknowledge your sin. Turn to Him in faith.