Made Alive

Ephesians 2:1-10

Introduction

So excited to be in Ephesians. One of my favorite letters.

Samuel Taylor called it “the divinest composition of man”

William Barclay titled it “the Queen of the epistles”

It was John Calvin’s favorite letter.

John Mackay (former president of Princeton Seminary): “To this book I owe my life”

This section of God’s Word will reveal very important truths about God and ourselves.

If we ignore this part of God’s Word today, we are ignoring a problem that is a matter of life and death.

PRAY

Ephesians 2:1-10

2:1 // Are You Alive?

You were dead: “This biblical statement about the ‘deadness’ of non-Christian people raises problems for many because it does not seem to square with the facts of everyday experience. Lots of people who make no Christian profession whatsoever, who even openly reject Jesus Christ, appear to be very much alive. One has the vigorous body of an athlete, another the lively mind of a scholar, a third the vivacious personality of a media celebrity. Are we to say that such people, if Christ has not saved them, are dead? Yes, indeed, we must say this very thing. For where it matters the most (which is neither the body, nor the mind, nor the personality, but the soul) they have no life. And you can tell it. They are blind to the glory of Jesus Christ, and deaf to the voice of the Holy Spirit. They have no real love for God; they have no sensitive awareness of his personal reality; they have no leaping of their spirit towards him in the cry, ‘Abba, Father’; they have no longing for fellowship with his people. They are as unresponsive to him as a corpse. So we should not hesitate to affirm that a life without God (however physically fit and mentally alert the person may be) is a living death, and that those who live it are dead even while they are living. To affirm this paradox is to become aware of the basic tragedy of fallen human existence. It is that people who were created by God and for God are now living without God. Indeed, that was our condition until the Good Shepherd found us.” (John Stott).

Point 1: We were as unresponsive to God as a corpse.

2:2 // How Nonbelievers Walk

Nonbelievers ‘walk’ in sin constantly

Do not walk alone, but follow things

The course of this world

The prince of the power of the air - Satan

John 8:44 - “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him”

Being spiritually dead does not mean spiritually neutral.

2:3 // How Nonbelievers Walk (cont.)

The flesh - “natural inclinations of the whole person to oppose God’s will and his ways”

By nature: children of wrath

If you are not saved, you are headed for destruction. There’s no in between.

Will live your whole life selfishly and then end up in Hell - it was meaningless!

God’s wrath is good; Angry punishment on all the bad stuff that destroys and causes pain

2:4 // But God…

‘But’ introduces God and His mercy

The sinners in verses 1-3 could only anticipate God’s wrath, but with this word ‘but,’ there is a clear change that brings hope

2:5 // God Saved Dead Sinners

Point 2: But, God saves.

The sinner was in a wretched state when God saved him/her.

Was dead, but God made them alive

They could not save themselves!!

God is the one who saves; not us

For the first time ever, they are alive.

The spiritually alive person is not blind to the glory of Jesus Christ, and is not deaf to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. They can have true love for God. They are aware of his personal reality. Their hearts can leap towards Him when they cry, ‘Father!’

John Mackay (former Princeton Seminary President) was saved at age 14 while reading Ephesians: “I saw a new world… Everything was new… I had a new outlook, new experiences, new attitudes to other people. I loved God. Jesus Christ became the center of everything… I had been ‘quickened’; I was really alive.”

Also, they are rescued from their slavery to those three forces; they no longer have to sin!

2:6 // Raised Up and Seated

Spiritually dead -> Spiritually alive, spiritually raised, spiritually seated

Currently in union with Jesus. Intimate relationship.

Being spiritually raised and seated with Jesus is permanent. We will never be dead again!

2:7 // Grace in Kindness

God did all of that to show His grace and kindness

Only by His grace – undeserved kindness

2:8 // By Grace Through Faith

Point 3: By grace we are saved through faith.

Have you answered Jesus’ call? Do you have saving faith?

Three essential aspects of biblical faith:

Notitia: knowing the content of faith; what we believe - the gospel.

Assensus: conviction that the content of our faith is true. (Believe it)

Fiducia: personal trust and reliance.

It’s not enough to just know and believe the content of the Christian faith; even the demons do that (James 2:19).

Faith is only saving if you personally trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

Plane Analogy:

Notitia: Being told about a plane

Assensus: Believing the plane is real

Fiducia: Strapping yourself in and trusting it with your life.

Fiducia seems to involve treasuring Christ.

Have you received Jesus as your greatest treasure? Is He Your Treasured Savior and Treasured Lord?

“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).

Charles Spurgeon: “If you haven’t looked at Christ on the cross, you’ll have to look at Him on the throne–with great trembling. The sacrificial death of Christ will be brought before the eyes of all who refuse to accept His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life… On the day of judgment there is nothing we can do if we have not trusted Christ.” (Spurgeon)

This gives us great reason to evangelize

Remember, the people around us are dead. Children of wrath. But it is through faith that they can be saved.

“For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.’ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim the good news! … so faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ’” (Romans 10:13-15, 17).

On Thursday I was talking with a HS student who hasn’t made up his mind about Jesus. He is currently dead. But he might repent and place his faith in Jesus. If he does, God used our conversation to stir up faith in him and make him alive!

When we evangelize, it is to dead people who do not know God. BUT GOD regenerates!

2:9 // Not by Good Works

How do we not receive the gift?

Being a good person

Going to church

Reading the Bible

Killing our sin

Praying every day

Evangelizing

Being kind

We should do those things. But they will not regenerate you!

It is only the one who recognizes their need for Jesus, who will be born again.

2:10 // Made for Good Works

Good works are not bad.

They will never save any sinner, but they will naturally occur in the life of every believer.

That we should ‘walk’ in them. How are you walking? As a dead person, or as God’s workmanship?

Doesn’t mean you won’t sin. But it does mean you will STRUGGLE with sin. Your sin will disgust you.

Point 4: Living people follow Jesus.

Following Jesus includes walking in obedience to how he has called us

In Conclusion:

All of us were dead.

Many of us are still dead.

We all deserve God’s good and terrifying wrath.

Only those who receive God’s gift of salvation can have true life.

CLOSING PRAYER: - The Great Discovery

Glorious God, I bless you that I know you!

I once lived in the world, but was ignorant of its Creator,

Was partaker of your providence, but did not know the Provider.

I was blind while enjoying such life,

was deaf to the spiritual, with voices all around me,

I understood many things, but had no knowledge of your ways.

I saw the world, but I did not see Jesus.

O happy day! When in your love’s sovereignty you did look on me, and called me by grace! Then did my dead heart begin to beat,

My darkened eye glimmer with light,

My dull ear catch the echo of your voice,

And I turned to you and I found you…

A God ready to hear and willing to save! Before, I did find my heart at war with you, cursing my own spirit.

Then did I fall at your feet and hear the thunder of your law,

‘The soul who sins must die’,

But when grace made me to know you, and to admire a God who hated sin,

Your terrible justice held my will submissive.

My thoughts were as knives cutting my mind.

But then you came to me in silken robes of love,

And I saw the Son dying that I might live!

In that death I found my all!

My soul does sing at the remembrance of that peace;

The gospel melody brought a sound unknown to me before -

It reached my heart - and I lived -

Now never to lose hold on Christ or his old on me.

Grant that I may always weep at the glory of mercy found,

And to tell others as long as I live,

that you are a sin pardoning God,

taking up the irreverent and the ungodly,

And washing them from their deepest stain of sin.

O glorious God; Father, Son, and Spirit,

Thank you for in me giving freely your salvation! I owe all to you.

Amen.