Death To Life

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Introduction

UP

What is Grace?

How many of you have seen the movie up? Do you guys have a favorite character?

If you haven’t seen the movie, go tell your parents and make them show it to you. It’s funny, but it’s also gonna make you cry. If you don’t cry from watching it, give it a few years and try again.

My favorite character in the movie is Russell. The first time I watched the movie was with my friend who is also named Russel. We watched it together when our families were young in his unfinished living room.

The way Russel and Carl meet is by Russell knocking on Carl’s door and trying to help him so he can earn badges so he can be a full-fledged “Wilderness Explorer.” So he tries to help him cross the street, or his walkway, or whatever. In the end, Carl becomes a kind of father-figure to Russel, and it’s not because Russel earns his badge. It’s because Carl and Russell experienced a lot together and built a friendship or mentorship over their time.

Merit

The reason I bring this up is because I think it’s a good example of what Grace is.

If you’ve been in any kind of club from Awana to the Boy Scouts, or Scouts, or whatever they are now, you know that as you do certain things or complete certain tasks you get badges, or jewels or whatever to progress through the club ranks.

Those kinds of awards are typically called merit badges because you accomplish certain tasks that “merit” a reward.

It is “merited” favor. Because you did something, you receive something.

What is the opposite of “merited” favor?

Grace

The next couple of weeks we’re going to talk about why God’s grace is so extraordinary.

To talk about Grace, we need to talk about Sin.

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 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— 3 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. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, 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 coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result 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, that we should walk in them.

I want you guys to put yourselves in this situation.

Imagine you go to the doctor for a chest pain, it really hurts. He tells you the bad news first. The doctor tells you that you don’t have long to live. You have a serious heart disease from an unhealthy diet and it’s cause cancerous tumors to begin forming in your lungs from the years of chain smoking you weren’t supposed to do. Unless you have major surgery, you’ll be dead in a year.

I’m going to propose three reactions to this. As I’m describing these reactions I want you to write down which patient you are. The first, second or third patient. Don’t look around at anyone elses paper as you write this down.

Patient 1

Ephesians for You Spiritual Diagnosis

“Outrageous!” shrieked the first patient. “How could you criticise me like this! I came in here for some reassuring encouragement and you’ve made me feel terrible. It’s a disgrace!” And he stormed out of the clinic.

Patient 2

Ephesians for You Spiritual Diagnosis

“How dare you! Who do you think you are telling me my heart needs surgery! I’ll find many other doctors to tell me I’m fine—and I’m a lot healthier than some smokers I know. And I feel fine! You’re the most arrogant doctor I’ve ever met.” And he too stomped out of the clinic.

Patient 3

Ephesians for You Spiritual Diagnosis

“Doctor,” he said, “it’s a terrible shock to hear I need surgery. But thank you for telling me the truth. I’m so relieved that there’s good news of an operation to save me—please tell me about it.”

Our Diagnosis

For us, our diagnosis is Ephesians 2:1

Ephesians 2:1 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

We were all born spiritually dead to God. We may have understood who God is, read out bibles, practiced Christian stuff, but until we had a personal relationship with God, understanding the nature of our sin and Christ’s work on the cross, where we believe in Him as the Son of God and repent of our sin, we are spiritually dead.

Prison Guards

What holds us captive in our sins?

The ways of this world.

Ephesians 2:2 ESV

2 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—

What are some of the ways of the world you can think of that hold us captive in our sins?

This is like our culture. Personal autonomy where we get to choose how and what we worship. This is worship that revolves around us and what we want. It’s an old idolatry wrapped in new packaging.

The Devil.

Ephesians 2:2 ESV

2 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—

Satan has held us captive since the fall in the garden.

Ephesians for You The Ruler of the Kingdom of the Air

We need to recognise that our unbelieving relatives and friends remain gripped by this spiritual evil, from which only Christ can deliver them. We mustn’t be naively shocked or bitterly vengeful when an aggressive colleague or religious extremist or government officer is hostile to lovely and law-abiding Christians.

The Flesh.

Ephesians 2:3 ESV

3 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.

Ephesians for You Captive to Our Cravings

This word “flesh” does not mean just our physical body but our whole human nature. These cravings include our desperate appetites for exploitative pornography or selfish luxury as well as our incurably self-indulgent attention-seeking and proud self-glorification.

Children of Wrath

Ephesians for You Children of Wrath

We were, therefore, “by nature deserving of wrath” (v 3) (literally “children of wrath”—God’s punishment is our deserved inheritance). The wrath of God is not just an impersonal consequence, nor vindictive rage; but God’s consistently pure anger towards evil, which means he will fairly punish sin. Paul is not describing any particularly degraded or decadent sector of our society, but all of us—for he says in verse 3: “All of us also lived among them”. Although our genetic make-up, family upbringing and social circumstances determine precisely how we express our sinful nature, we all deserve to face his wrath.

Ephesians for You Children of Wrath

It’s no surprise that God will not allow us into his paradise. The tragedy is that we don’t realise how dreadful life will be without his daily kindness.

Can you see how serious our natural condition was? These verses reveal the humbling truth that I am not naturally a good person. Without God I am spiritually dead, enslaved to worldly cultures, Satan’s influence, and fleshly desires, and should now be facing an eternity of suffering in hell. We all desperately needed a saviour—we were dead by nature.

The good news comes next …

God’s Grace.