An Incorruptible Foundation

INTRODUCTION

· Dismiss 1st—5th Graders

· And, as you’re finding Ephesians chapter two in your bibles, I want to remind you to join one of our Life Groups immediately following the service. That’s the whole reason we changed our service time—to get everyone in this big room into a small room for a Life Group. If you haven’t visited a group, we’ll have people with green lanyards in the front lobby who can help you get to a Life Group.

TRANSITION

This morning, we are in week 3 of our 6-week series through the book of Ephesians.

Paul is continuing to lay the incorruptible foundation of the gospel. This letter is divided into two halves—first doctrinal foundation (the “what” of the gospel) followed by doctrinal living (the “how” of the gospel)—how should we live in light of the salvation we have received? And, if we’re going to avoid the “drift” away from the gospel like the Ephesian Christians, unfortunately did, we’ve got to hold fast to the foundation.

Psalm 11:3 (ESV) “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

The worst foundation in architecture is found at in Italy at a tower in the city of Pisa. Now, immediately, you know what I’m talking about. The foundation of the tower there is so bad that no one calls it the “Tower of Pisa.” No! We call it, what? Right! THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA. Kind of like the disciple, Thomas (Doubting Thomas). Anyway, scientists who study the tower report that the 179-foot tower moves about one-twentieth of an inch a year, and is now 17 feet out of plumb.[1] Quite significantly, the word “pisa” means “marshy land,” which gives some clue as to why the tower began to lean even before it was completed. Also—its foundation is only 10 feet deep![2]

What is the incorruptible foundation of the gospel?

The gospel of our salvation—We are saved by God’s grace, through God’s Son, for God’s glory.

In this salvation we have all of the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places—Eternal SECURITY, Eternal RELATIONSHIP, Eternal FORGIVENESS, Eternal INHERITANCE…The HOPE that we have been called to, the UNCONDITIONAL AND ETERNAL LOVE we are received in, and the IMMEASURABLE POWER of God at work in us.

And, here, in Ephesians 2, Paul—like a spiritual doctor—is going to give us the diagnosis of our condition, the prescription for our cure, and the healing that brings change.

Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV) And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

THE DIAGNOSIS OUR CONDITION

(vs. 1-3)

Notice—Paul doesn’t say that we are spiritually “sick” or that we’re spiritually “broken” or “messed up” people.

No. He says that you/me—put your name in the blank—apart from Christ are spiritually DEAD. Y’all, DEAD IS DEAD. There is no such that as partially dead or kinda dead.

Romans 6:23 (ESV) For the wages of sin is death…

We aren’t bad behaving people who need to become better behaving people. The bible is clear—we are DEAD people who need to be raised to life. Our behavior isn’t the problem—that’s the symptom. Paul diagnoses the condition, here, and says that your heart is wicked and you are spiritually dead.

“Spiritual death is a total separation or alienation from God, and the spiritually dead are the enemies of God.” We have no life. We have no capacity for righteousness—what God requires.

But, Paul says that in our spiritually dead state we are WALKING—a way of life…

1) Following the course of this world

2) Following the prince of the power of the air

3) Living in the passions of our flesh and carrying out the desires of the body and the mind

4) Under the wrath of God

Now, let’s be honest—you may not like that diagnosis.

A severe rash prompted a man from a rural area to come to town to be examined by one of my colleagues. After the usual history-taking followed by a series of tests the physician advised the patient that he would have to get rid of the dog that was evidently causing the allergic reaction. As the man was preparing to leave the office, my colleague asked him out of curiosity if he planned to sell the animal or give it away.

“Neither one,” the patient replied. “I’m going to get me one of them second opinions I been reading about. It’s a lot easier to find a doctor than a good bird dog.”[3]

THE PRESCRIPTION FOR OUR CURE

(vs. 4-9)

When the doctor prescribes you medicine, he tells you how much to take, how often to take it, and how long to take it.

Two words and three things about God that change everything.

First, two words—“But God.” Two words that change everything. That first little three letter word “but” is what grammarians call a “coordinating conjunction.” I don’t want to get all English class on you this morning but, according to the Cambridge English dictionary, one of the things a coordinating conjunction does is connect ideas that contrast.

Ideas/realities that contrast. Everything in verses 1-3 are true about you and me apart from Christ/before we get saved…but verse 4…that beautiful word “but” —everything that follows changes everything that came before.

But GOD—God alone. You’re dead. You can’t do anything.

Three things about God…

1) MERCY

• Paul says that God is “rich in mercy.”

• That word, “mercy,” means that we DON’T get what we deserve. We deserve the wrath of God. We deserve separation and alienation from God. We’re sinners!

• But God is RICH in mercy. The last thing we want to show our “enemies” // those who wrong us is mercy.

• But God is RICH…he never runs out of mercy.

2) LOVE

• Paul says that it’s because of God’s “great love” with which he loved us.

• Unconditional, infinite, and eternal.

• Unconditional—even if you never love him back.

• Infinite—No place too far for his love to reach.

• Eternal—he’s loved you from before the world began and will love you through eternity future.

• This kind of love is the only explanation for why God would save his enemies.

3) GRACE

• If “mercy” means that we DON’T get what we DO deserve…“grace” means that we DO get what we DON’T deserve.

The foundation of our salvation is God’s mercy, love, and grace. And, what does God’s mercy, love, and grace do?

A) Makes us alive together with Christ

• What God did to Jesus on Easter morning 2,000 years ago, he does to us the moment of our salvation. The Holy Spirit comes and breathes eternal life into us and raises us from the dead.

B) Seated us with him in the heavenly places

• You’re here physically but spiritually, you are in the heavenly places. What does this mean? You have direct access to God. There is no more separation. It means your citizenship is in heaven!

C) Shows us the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness for all of eternity.

• Here’s that word, “immeasurable” again. We saw it last week in verse 19 when Paul says that he’s praying for the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of the believers to see the “immeasurable greatness of God’s power toward those who believe.”

• Now, he’s saying that God’s immeasurable richness of grace in kindness is being shown to us in the “coming ages.”

• God’s grace and kindness aren’t just one-time events. He turns on the faucet and never shuts it off.

That’s the foundation and the prescription.

Finally, we see…

THE HEALING THAT BRINGS CHANGE

(vs. 10)

Paul says, in conclusion, that while God has raised us from the dead…he has created us for a new purpose. We are changed.

He says, in verse 10, “we are his workmanship.” We are his creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

And, Paul says, that we have been created in Christ Jesus for good works, “which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

While works cannot produce salvation (“not by works,” 2:9), they are the true byproduct of salvation. We are saved entirely by God’s grace through the sacrificial death of Christ. Yet an absence of works resulting from our conversion will constitute proof that conversion has never taken place. In fact, the language here shows purpose: God recreates us in Christ’s image so that we can perform good works. This is a frequent emphasis in Paul’s writings. These good works, coupled with living a godly lifestyle and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23, encompass acts of service to God and others. This God-centered activity was “prepared in advance for us to do.” The Greek says literally that God prepared a path “so that we could walk in it.”

And, this is the application this morning…the “So What?”

Main Point

My greatest needin life is resurrection from the dead. My only hopein life is Jesus. My new direction in life is following Jesus.

CONCLUSION (SO WHAT?)

Recognize Your Need for Spiritual Resurrection Our greatest need is not simply to become better-behaving people but to experience spiritual resurrection. We are not just spiritually sick but spiritually dead apart from Christ. This diagnosis calls us to acknowledge the depth of our sin and our total dependence on God’s grace to bring us from death to life. BE BORN AGAIN.

Rejoice in the Power of "But God" The turning point in the passage comes with the words, "But God." It’s a reminder that God’s rich mercy, great love, and immeasurable grace change everything. No matter how far we’ve strayed or how deeply we’ve sinned, God's intervention brings new life and hope. Rejoice in the fact that God’s grace is freely given, not based on our performance or works but on His love and mercy. Let this truth produce joy and gratitude in your walk with Him.

Walk in the Good Works Prepared for You After being made alive in Christ, we are given a new purpose: to walk in the good works God has prepared for us. This isn’t about earning salvation, but about living out the transformation that God has already worked in us. Seek to live a life that reflects the love, mercy, and grace that you've received, serving others and walking in righteousness. Let the fruit of the Spirit and godly living flow naturally from your renewed life in Christ.