The Riches of His Grace
Ephesians: Rooted and Grounded • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye 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.
Introduction
Introduction
This morning, in our series on Ephesians, we will see a paragraph made up of an explanation for how salvation occurs. The last two weeks, we learned about the blessings of salvation. We see the blessings that are a result of the crucifixion. We also saw the blessings from the resurrection. But what does it take to be saved? Must we do something for salvation? The answers to these questions will be found in our passage today.
Remember, the letter of Paul to the Ephesians, an important epistle in the Bible, has much to say on the subject of what our church should be. Paul will show us the importance of unity, faithful leadership and biblical order in the church. We will see the vital part that their family plays in the life of every Christian. We have seen the blessings of God through His salvation. We will also see the reality of the spiritual warfare around us.
Written by Paul the Apostle, Ephesians is a letter that begins high on a mountain top in chapter one. We see the amazing blessings of the Trinity toward saved man. As we come down the mountain from this great height, we will see more and more practical help for that same saved man. Man needs God’s help. Ephesians shows us several ways that God helps man.
Remember, the central theme of Ephesians is the unity of believers, in Christ, as part of the local church.
In our passage this morning, we see the focus of Paul is turned from the doctrinal and general to the specific and practical. How does one receive salvation? What is the process that we go through that ends with these spiritual blessings given by God in chapter one? We will see these truths in verse 1-10 today.
Declaration
Declaration
Verse 7 of our passage gives us the application for us today. We are to show forth the grace of God in the future ages. This can only be done by those who have received this free gift of grace. Friend, accept the free gift by faith today! Three descriptions are found here for the man that has this grace.
1. Sinful
1. Sinful
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
How were we sinful?
A. Because of Death v. 1
A. Because of Death v. 1
We were spiritually dead. This was not just something that could have happened. It had happened. Mankind, without any influence or change from without, is dead. We see this promise given to Adam in the Garden of Eden,
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Man chose to disobey God. Because of man’s sin, death reigns in mankind. There is no spiritual life in mankind. Before Christ came to redeem, we were without any life or breath spiritually. Trespasses are the failures to meet the standard set by God. Sins are the acts that we choose to do intentionally against the law of God. Everyone is filled with these trespasses and sins. God could not see any without sin in Genesis 6 and the sight is the same today.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,
There is none that doeth good.
The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy:
There is none that doeth good, no, not one.
How were we sinful?
B. Because of Disobedience v. 2
B. Because of Disobedience v. 2
Verses 1 and 2 are addressed to you. Paul is speaking to the reader himself. He includes even Revival Baptist Church in this statement.
We walked in sin.
We existed in a world that is only evil continually. This was a world that is filled fear and hatred. This is a world of darkness and deceit. This is a world that fits the reality of 2024 America. The world is full of this sin.
The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
How did we walk that showed us to be sinful people? What was our manner? Paul says “according to the course of this world”. The word translated “course” may have been a reference to a Greek immortal being who transcended time or history. He was called the Aeon. Paul maybe trying to point out to these converted Gentiles the influence of satan in the world and how sin continues.
Regardless, we know that only God Himself is Eternal. God’s heaven is the only reality that will stand the test of time. As we will see in the next phrase, someone else tries to confuse and usurp the rightful place of God.
We walked according to the course but how else? What was our manner? Paul says “according to the prince of the power of the air”. The prince is a reference to someone of leadership and authority. This power is the ability to rule temporarily that God has allowed satan to exercise in the spiritual realm and throughout this world. We walked in the way of satan. Jesus told the Jewish people,
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
The prince is still working in the “children of disobedience”. Satan is still at work in this world. He is trying even now to prevent the listener from trusting Christ for salvation. The children of disobedience still exist today. These are those who are not just apathetic to the truth. They work actively against God. We worked against God just as Paul did before his conversion. Paul gives the Colossians examples of the characteristics of these children.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
How are we sinful?
C. Because of Desire v. 3
C. Because of Desire v. 3
Verse 3 changes from you to we. Paul says, “I too am a sinful man who was following the way of satan. I too was dead in trespasses and sins. I too walked according to my own desires. I too was in need of something, I knew not what.”
We were conducting ourselves in a certain way. The choices that we made and the paths that we took were not unique by patterned after a sinful mold. We conducted our selves according to desire.
Ill: If you were to think throughout history of the men and women that are considered the “greatest” or most “successful”, what would they have in common? Would it be generosity? Would it be mercy? Would it be selflessness? Perhaps humility?
Likely, the characteristics that we would place next to those termed “great” would be the opposite of those that I just mentioned. We would say that Alexander was great. He was pagan. He was ambitious. He was irresponsible with alcohol.
We would say that Caesar was great. He was violent. He was powerful. He was pagan. Anthony even said that he was ambitious.
Lord Acton had this to say about power and greatness:
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.”
In this exercise we have just done, we can see the continued affects of our desires. We desire power and greatness. Before Christ, we followed desires for something that was not ours. We looked for something that our conscience knows is wrong. The desires that are inside of us and our wishes guided us to evil decisions. James tells us that this is because of our sinful nature inside.
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
We were walking according to our flesh and our mind. The flesh is our physical body that is limited by space, time and sinful nature. Our mind is the will that is damaged and corrupted by the fall. We were under wrath even as the rest of the sinful world. God allowed us to continue in such a state for four thousand years. Then something changed. As we see in a sermon from Acts.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
A saved man was sinful. But now, we are
2. Saved
2. Saved
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
How do we become saved?
A. For mercy v. 4-5
A. For mercy v. 4-5
The topic of our passage today is “But God”. No matter the situation, we can see the truth that God is the difference and God is the solution. God is rich in mercy that makes salvation. Mercy is a reaction that God gives to our sin.
Ill. One of the things that I dislike the most in life is getting splashed in the face. I hate the feeling of being unable to see and understand what is going on.
My wife often will be washing dishes as we talk about our days. If I were to make a snarky comment, I can expect a splash from wet hands in the face. Despite continued reminders, this still happens.
My reaction to being splashed is often defensive. Think about how God should have reacted to sin. God’s reaction should have been defensive. Instead, God reacted with mercy. He reacted with a plan to give up what was Most Important for what should have been least important.
The cause of God’s mercy is His love for us. Again we have this key word of love. Holiness is the foundation of God’s attributes. Love is the foundation of God’s actions. His kindness was not toward those who did not need Him. We desperately needed Him. He responded when we did not know what to ask.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
What have we received though dead in sins? God has given us new life. Spiritual life was what we were without in our sinful state. That new life is the result of His resurrection work as we saw last week.
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
How do we become saved?
B. By grace v. 5-7
B. By grace v. 5-7
Another key word of Ephesians is seen at the end of verse 5. Grace is the way of salvation. We are now recipients of salvation. The death and life of Christ are the causes of our new life in Him.
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Grace is God’s ill-deserved favour toward us that requires our thankfulness. God has given us something that only He could give and we could never earn. What does Paul say that God’s grace can do?
“hath raised us up together” - God has given life again through the Resurrection of Jesus. We have new life through the grace of God.
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.
“made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” - God has allowed us access to spend eternity with Him in Christ.
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
In verse 6-7 we see what God’s grace has done for us. Last week in verses 20-21, we see what God did for Christ. We are part of this because a saved person is “in Christ”.
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Paul writes to the Ephesians that the purpose of the entire plan of redemption is God’s glory. In verse 7, we see that the word “ages” connects our present time with the Messianic period to come. The action of God by His grace will show forth the grace of God for all time.
God shows “kindness”. This is the nature of the grace that we will receive from the time of our salvation till forever. God is giving us grace now and for all time. This is the kindness of our God.
This is the application this morning: We are commanded to show off the grace of God by accepting His salvation! Listen up unsaved man! Listen up believer in Christ! God has made a way of salvation to glorify Himself. Be sure to be a part of those who glorify God rightly! David reminds us,
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,
And ye perish from the way,
When his wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
How do we become saved?
C. Through faith v. 8-9
C. Through faith v. 8-9
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
We were once blind to the truth of the Gospel. We were once without hope of removing the stain of our sin. But God has made it available and clear to us. We see it in this passage today.
We are saved by ill-deserved favour that we choose to believe and trust in. Grace is the means of salvation. We take ahold of this means by the procurement of our faith.
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Faith is the choice to believe in something no matter what may be the result or the cost. God is worthy of our faith. Believe on something that is sure and steadfast. Believe on the Gospel!
Faith is not something that we do. It does not originate in some work that we have accomplished. Salvation is a gift. This is something that has not been paid for by us and could not be. Only Christ could pay what salvation cost.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians Ephesians 2:8–10
Faith, then, brings a man empty to God, that he may be filled with the blessings of Christ.
Why would God make salvation a process that is based on Him alone and not us? Why would He do the work and bear the sacrifice on the cross?
In order that no one can have confidence in himself. Grace leaves us unable to claim that we have done anything in salvation. The Providence of God in salvation is that He gets the glory alone.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
We are sinful. We now can become saved. After salvation, the saved man is
3. Sanctified
3. Sanctified
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We are sanctified,
A. Toward good works
A. Toward good works
God is creating something new in the life of the saved person. This is something unique to the person but patterned on the perfect picture of His Son. Salvation is a re-creation event in the life of a repentant man.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
What is the new creature? She is someone who is able to grow through more grace. He is someone who is faithfully giving the good news of the Gospel to others. She is characterized by the good works commanded by Scripture.
What are good works? Jesus rebuked those who were attempting to stone Him for claiming to be God in John 10. He asks them a question that sheds light on what good works are.
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
Good works are diligent acts of compassion on those in need. Who is in need? Ephesians 2:1 tells us that everyone is in need. We are all dead and need life.
We are sanctified,
B. According to God’s Plan
B. According to God’s Plan
We are no longer in that world of no hope and evil forever from verse one. Now we exist in a world that God is creating through His Spirit’s changes in us. We are walking in good works. This is an God-focused world. This is an other focused world. Our good works are a light into our former world
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
God has prepared a plan of ways that we will show our faith and His grace. These were in the plan of God before He sent His Son. All we need to do is to follow His Plan.
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Walking in good works is the purpose for His new creation in us.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Man is sinful; in fact, he is dead in sin.
Man is fallen. He cannot hope to get out of the pit of sin that he is enveloped by. There is no hope for the world that is consumed by sin.
But God has given us hope. Mankind can find salvation in the sacrifice of His Son. There is grace for the man who cannot ever deserve it.
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Verse 7 gives us the application of the passage today. We are to show forth the grace of God in the future ages. This can only be done by those who have received this free gift of grace. Accept the gift by faith today!
The Gospel is simple. God loves us. We have all sinned. That sin requires a payment that we cannot afford. Christ has given His life to pay for all of the sin of time. Faith is the act of choosing to trust the finished work of Christ.
Ill. Went hunting. Tree stand bottom fell down the tree. Had to call out to Granddaddy to come to get me.
Faith is choosing to trust that God came through for you! Let me assure you that we continues to do so!