Immeasurable Riches

Introduction

A man who had been retired for some time wrote a short poem. It read:

I get up in the morning, and I dust off my wits.

I go out, get the paper, and I read the obits.

If my name is missing, I know I’m not dead.

So I eat a good breakfast and go back to bed.

If he doesn’t get moving and always goes back to bed...he might find his name in those obits sooner than he thinks.

We have all kinds of sayings about not quite dead…things like...I”m still upright and breathing...or...I ain’t keeled over yet.

Groucho Marx is quoted as saying: “I intend to live forever, or die trying.”

Or one of my favorites...Woody Allen said “I don’t fear death, I just don’t want to be around when it happens.”

For the Christian...who understands what the Bible teaches...we know we will all die. In fact...the Christian knows...all of humanity is dead in our trespasses and sins.

Ephesisan 2:1-3 sums it up quite nicely. Ephesians 2:1-3

Ephesians 2:1–3 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.

Ephesians 2:1–3 MSG

It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us.

That should sound very familiar to us. The death we have lived...or still live...when we breathe in the “polluted unbelief of this world” that doesn’t know the first thing about truly being alive...is an ever-present reality in this world.

We often think we are best off...left to our own devices and doing what we want...when we want. But God knows that only leads to our self-destruction.

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2 attempts to share with believers what a new life in Christ is like.

Paul is building upon his argument...that God’s cosmic plan of salvation stated in Ephesians 1:3-14 ...and the power we have as believers...through Jesus’ resurrection found in Eph. 1: 15-23...has a real-life impact for the believers.

Last week we talked about the living power of Christ that is in the believer.

Paul prayed that the believers' eyes and hearts would be opened...so they would know… Ephesians 1:19-20

Ephesians 1:19–20 ESV

...the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead...

That living power (and it’s immesurable greatness) is in every believer.

This week in chapter 2… we see what the power has done.

First and foremost, it has brought the dead unbeliever...to life. Renewed life...a life no longer spent trying to satisfy itself...but a life changed and empowered by grace.

We are dead...when we sin. And when we are dead spiritually...our lives aren’t of much good to anyone...least of all ourselves. Our hearts are cold and selfish...and God takes a back seat...if he’s even on the bus.

But God

But what does it look like when we recieve this living power of God?

Ephesians 2:4–7 ESV

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.”

The 4th century theologian Agustine once wrote:

“Where human misery reaches its limit, there Scripture says, but God, so that grace may be seen to begin where human strength ends.”

John Calvin says something similar when he wrote:

“The expression ‘But God’ is a remarkable commendation of grace, for it shows that there was nothing in us to move Him, but that salvation flowed from His mere mercy.”

20th century pastor and theologian Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones was more succinct:

“These two words, ‘But God,’ in and of themselves ...contain the whole of the gospel.”

You and I were or are dead in trespasses and sins...but God

You and I struggle in this life and have questions we demand answers too...but God

You and I see the results of fallen, sinful humanity on the news every night, and we wonder if there is any hope... Scripture says, “but God”.

God ALWAYS in His word to us...shifts the subject from human failure...to divine action. And when God acts...good things happen...the riches of God’s blessing in Christ flow over us...overflowing our cup with God’s mercy and grace...

In Ephesians 1, this was called God’s immeasurable power given to us...here in Ephesians 2:7-10...he calls it immeasurable riches.

Ephesians 2:7–10 ESV

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 Greek word “Immeasurable” sometimes translated “surpassing”... literally means “to throw beyond the usual mark”. I think of shot-put in the

Olympics. If God were an athlete turning round and round and launching that heavy ball of grace...it would go beyond any human mark...it would go beyond our expectations...everytime.

Closing

God’s immeasurable/surpassing riches of his grace twoard us in Christ Jesus...frames our lives in such a way...that we know...in Chirst...we lack nothing. In fact we not only lack nothing...God’s abundant grace preceeds us and will proceed from us...through the power of the Holy Spirit.

So that God’s grace...is multiplied through his people.

No one can boast about God’s grace...we can only sing praises to God. Like the doxology (song of praise) that made up the first part of Ephesians 1...Paul here calls back on this theme as being the natural outflow of our lives rooted in Christ.

Our lives become songs of praise...with grace overflowing.

Receive God’s immeasurable / unstoppable / life-altering grace today...and live out the good works God has for you to do.

Thanks be to God...AMEN.