Recalled to Life

Ephesians 2:1-10

Introduction

In A Tale of Two Cities, one of the main characters is Dr. Manette.

He has been stuffed away in a prison and left to die.

In fact, those who love him believe he is dead already.

He believes he is as good as dead.

But through tremendous efforts by those who love him and then, in response, great efforts of his own, he is “recalled to life.”

I believe that is the story of Ephesians 2:1-10.

A people condemned to death, and left to their own efforts certain to die, are visited by one with power who loves them and recalled to life.

The question then becomes one of whether we will continue to sit in our prison and wither and die or whether we will take the hand of our Savior and follow Him to life and freedom.

The Old Walk

You were dead in your sins (Eph. 2:1; Deut. 30:19; Ezek. 18:30-31; 33: 10-11; 37:4-5; Amos 5:4-6, 14; Isa. 55:1-3; Jn. 5:24-25).

The common approach to this passage is to say, “dead men can’t respond and therefore must be acted on by God to even be capable of responding.

But referring to men who choose to rebel against God as dead and calling on them to choose life is the repeated language of all of Scripture.

They are under the sure judgment and condemnation of death and so are called “dead.”

They are like men on death row, “dead men walking.”

According to the course of this world (Eph. 2:2; Jn. 8:31-34).

Many believe that when they reject God, it is to walk according to their own path. But that path is also directed by a spiritual ruler.

There is no true independence. No one marches to the beat of his own drum truly.

How many forms of rebellion turn out to be mere conformity (all of them).

By nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3; 5:6; Lk. 10:6; 1 Sam. 20:31).

The phrase “children of…” or “sons of…” is a VERY common phrase throughout Scripture.

It often means a man characterized by the thing he is a son of (Lk. 10:6).

It can also mean someone under the sentence of something (1 Sam. 20:31).

Here, Paul describes the behavior of the “sons of disobedience” and then says they are under the sentence of wrath (Eph. 5:6).

We formerly walked

We formerly conducted ourselves.

The Intervention

“Because of His great love” (Eph. 2:4; Deut. 7:6-8; 9:4-7).

One of the fundamental things to note in God’s relationship with men is that the specialness all resides on His side and not ours.

He is always the initiator of the relationship and can only be because we are unable to precede His action.

None of the excludes His demands of us. This does not speak to the ongoing nature of the relationship.

It speaks to the initiation and even the continual repair of the relationship.

To suggest that God chooses and then will not judge us because He has chosen is to ignore that history that surrounds those passages.

“Made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:5-6).

Though we were dead, we now live…WITH Christ. Raised WITH, seated WITH.

All of this is participation language.

It is a shift of identity.

The grace is not grace even though you still walk that way.

It is grace to those who are raised with, seated with, walking with Christ.

Without grace, none of that means anything. You are just getting wet. You are just living a better life. But you remain under the sentence of death.

“So that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:7-9; Deut. 8:17).

The whole nature of the relationship SHOULD exclude boasting.

It certainly excludes any legitimate boasting.

But people will boast in the most absurd of circumstances (Deut. 8:17).

Did Israel’s blessings mean they did NOTHING?

The New Walk

“We are His workmanship” (Eph. 5:10; 1 Cor. 15:10).

This carries forward the idea that whatever good we do is the product of our relationship with God.

He gets the credit (1 Cor 15:10).

“Created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 5:10; Isa. 5:1-6; Jn. 15:2).

We are made into a people with a purpose.

If we do not fulfill that purpose, we will not remain His people (Isa 5:1-6; Jn. 15:2).

So the fact that we are created for this does not mean it will happen automatically. We are called to this purpose and we must live out that purpose.

“Which God prepared beforehand” (Eph. 5:10; Ex. 19:5-6; Deut. 4:5-8; Isa. 43:21; Rom. 8:29).

Christians are not called to become something different than what God formerly wanted. We are called to finally become what God always intended His people to be.

God has always wanted a kingdom of priests, a wise and righteous people, a people formed to declare his praise.

In other words, God has always wanted people to look like Him (Rom. 8:29).

Conclusion

Paul begins this passage with humanity walking in death.

Cut off from the life of God.

Swept along by the course of the world.

Enslaved to corrupt desires.

Standing under wrath.

But God…

God has called us back to life.

He hasn’t just made a dead person an alive person.

He has called us to stop walking like dead men and to start walking like men who live.

So, are you walking around like someone who is condemned to death?

Or are you someone who walks like someone who has been raised from the dead? Like THE one who was raised from the dead?

Are you living up to the purpose for which you have been created?