By Grace through Faith (Eph 2)

INTRODUCTION

If you have your Bible with you, please turn it to Ephesians 2.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been working through a series dealing with the New Birth—what’s sometimes referred to as regeneration or the new creation, or a spiritual resurrection, or if you’re reading the Puritans or the King James Version, being quickened. It’s moving from spiritual death to spiritual life and we’ve talked at length about what exactly that means, how it works out, and we’ve gotten bits of implications concerning the new birth in our lives as Christians sort of interwoven into the sermons that we’ve heard.

With that said, we could fill books with what we know of the new birth—many have tried; and so, there are still truths concerning the new birth that we ought to consider as we continue reflecting on regeneration as a church.

This morning, we’re continuing our meditation or reflection on regeneration with a letter written by Paul to the church in Ephesus, but before we read our text, let me give you some context.

Paul labored in Ephesus for multiple years, in fact, he planted the church in Ephesus. Early in the letter, Paul actually gives thanks for their faith and for their love of other believers; which is exceptionally notable because their condemnation in Revelation is that they had lost their first love, which I’d argue concerns their faith, but that’s a different discussion.

The church in Ephesus was in many ways like the modern church today—and probably the greatest similarity between their church and the modern church was that their church was in a society that was highly pluralistic, meaning multiple religions were practiced in the city of Ephesus. In fact, Ephesus was known for their large temple to Diana (Artemis), which means they were soaked in the Greco-Roman pantheon of gods. Additionally, witchcraft was a significant problem with Ephesus being known for being a center of witchcraft in Asia minor. Often those pluralistic concepts infiltrated the church in various ways—much like today, where we see issues concerning New Ageism and Eastern Mysticism infiltrating the modern church in various ways.

The issue of pluralism and syncretism in Ephesus explains part of the reason as to why Paul would spend this letter really just expressing what the Gospel is and emphasizing how salvation can only ever be understood in light of grace given by God to His people.

But really, what Paul says to the Ephesians throughout this letter is in an effort to help them see the extent and the totality of their salvation and the grace that accompanies salvation. I think Charles Hodge explains the purpose of Ephesians well like this: “[The apostle’s purpose] was, 1. To bring them to a just appreciation of the plan of redemption, as a [plan] devised from eternity by God, for the manifestation of the glory of his grace. 2. To make them sensible of the greatness of the blessing which they enjoyed in being partakers of its benefits. [and] 3. To lead them to enter into the spirit of the gospel as a system which ignored the distinction between Jews and Gentiles, and united all the members of the church in one living body destined to be brought into full conformity to the image of Christ.” (Hodge, Charles. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians. New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, 1858), xvii.)

Keep these purposes in mind as I read Ephesians 2 this morning; please follow along in your Bible.

Ephesians 2 NASB 2020

1 And you were dead in your offenses and sins, 2 in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, 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 ages to come He might show the boundless 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 of yourselves, 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 so that we would walk in them. 11 Therefore remember that previously you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the people of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; 16 and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

As we study through this text together, we’re going to look at it in three parts: (1) Your Previous State—i.e., you were dead in offenses and sins (1-3), (2) Your New State—i.e., you are alive in Christ through His mercy and grace (4-10), and (3) the Implication of Regeneration (11-22). Paul expresses in Ephesians 2 the all-encompassing nature of your regeneration and he shows us the results of what regeneration is in simple but profound ways.

Our goal for this morning is to recognize what God has saved us from, to give thanks for what He has saved us unto, and to consider whether we’re living in light of the truths explained in Ephesians 2.

Prayer for Illumination

Your previous state—dead in offenses and sins (1-3)

Paul starts this passages by simple but firmly stating that “you were dead in your offenses and sins,” and we can pause there because we could a whole day dealing with this concept contrasting it to what the world teaches. Let’s think through this.

The world around us often believes in a concept coined by John Locke called the tabula rasa, which means that man when he is born is born with a blank slate and that everything a person knows is a result of what happens throughout their life.

That concept then extends itself to the realm of morality—and so, the typical thought is that at birth all are born morally neutral, but that’s not what Scripture actually teaches.

Rather, Scripture teaches that since the fall, mankind has been born morally depraved—well all mankind, except Jesus Himself, who was born without our sin nature.

This concept, what we typically call total depravity stems from the belief that through Adam all die—Paul explains this to the church in Corinth in 1 Cor 15:21-22, “For by a man [meaning Adam] came death, by a man [meaning Christ] came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”

Of course, a cursory survey of all Scripture shows this point—consider the radical corruption of man even in Genesis 3—when Adam and Eve sin, their immediate response is fear and hiding, which is really the result of their affections changing; consider how they attempt to rationalize their own sin.

Jeremiah says that the heart is desperately wicked above all things.

Isaiah shows us that even the best of humanities moral achievements are stained by the corruption of sin.

I often think of David’s own confession of original sin in Ps 51, which ties in confession concerning his sin with Bathsheba—David says in v. 5, “behold, I was brought forth in guilt, and in sin my mother conceived me.” — He isn’t saying that his mother committed a sin; he’s reiterating the concept of original sin—that in Adam, all die.

And yet, David’s response in Ps 51 is to cry out to the Lord for cleansing, for salvation, for life.

The world around us claims that mankind is born with a blank slate and mankind is generally good, but the Bible teaches the opposite.

Mankind isn’t born with a blank slate, we’re born bent towards sin and mankind isn’t generally good, we’re generally wicked.

And that’s the same concept that Paul appeals to in v. 1,

You were dead in your offenses and sins.

Of course, it does help if we consider the word dead (1)—it might sound silly to do so, but when you consider the extent of what we mean by dead, you get a better picture of what Jesus has accomplished for you.

We know from Genesis 3, that the consequence of sin is death itself.

We see God telling Adam and Eve that if they eat of the tree, they will surely die; when the curse is pronounced, the idea is that all creation is now cursed including mankind and part of the curse is that they will return as dust to the ground—they will surely die.

But the curse of sin doesn’t result in just a physical death for Adam and Eve and really all mankind—there’s a very real spiritual death that occurs as part of the sin that’s passed from Adam to all mankind.

While physical death is a part of the consequence for sin, it’s the spiritual death that we’re primarily concerned about when we’re discussing issues of salvation, regeneration, the new birth.

And the concept of the spiritual death that sin causes is all throughout Scripture.

It’s not just in Genesis 3 or Ephesians 2.

The very idea of the sacrificial system throughout the OT is built on the concept of a spiritual death as the result of sin that needs atonement.

Of course, the concept of blood needed for the atoning of sin is in Passover, which connects us to Jesus’ atoning of us as the Lamb.

All throughout Scripture, the resounding truth is that we are spiritually dead prior to regeneration and the reality is that dead things cannot atone for themselves—and that’s the point right?

Prior to regeneration, we are absolutely unable to give ourselves new life because we’re dead; and dead things can’t bring life.

But, in Ephesians 2, the point is that the people who he’s speaking to aren’t dead anymore—notice the word were, it’s past tense.

Paul says that they were dead and in their deadness, they “walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (2)

Prior to regeneration, you were just like everyone else who was and is dead in their sins and offenses.

You were walking according to the world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience—let’s be very clear with what’s being said here—prior to regeneration, you were in absolute opposition to the LORD and you were an enemy of God. Just like everyone else because we’re not born neutral—we’re born warped towards sin.

And, in a spiritual sense, we’re not born alive, we’re born dead.

This is the universal condition of all mankind born under Adam

And Paul affirms this truth with a simple idea throughout vv. 1-3.

That prior to regeneration, you were dead in sin, you walked according to the world, according to the prince of the power of the air, according to the spirit that is working in the sons of disobedience, just as the rest.

Or, in other words, you weren’t unique in your spiritual deadness prior to regeneration, you were just like everyone else.

Which, again, pushes against everything that the world teaches in a way that rubs against the typical sentimentalities of mankind.

But the spiritual deadness that we’re in prior to regeneration and the absolute need for God to regenerate us, is what makes the next part of the text so glorious.

Transition: In vv. 1-3, Paul shows us our need. He makes it abundantly clear at the onset that you were not in a good state or status of life prior to being regenerated—you were absolutely dead. But the next two words found after v. 3 and into v. 4 make the difference—God did not and does not leave His people in a state of death. Look at vv. 4-7 with me.

You were dead, Ephesians 2:4 “4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, 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 ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Your new state—alive in Christ through his mercy and grace (4-10)

Despite our sinful state, God steps in to save His people (4-7)

Why did God step in? It wasn’t because of us, it wasn’t because He owed us or as the result of our work or even as a result of some form of foreknowledge.

God steps into redemptive history to regenerate, to redeem, to save His people purely because of the great love with which He loved us

Which highlights the truth that this is all of grace and not of our own volition or work.

How do we know, because according to v. 5, God made us alive while we were still dead in our wrongdoings.

While still spiritually dead, God stepped in—consider the order of how this panned out.

There are plenty today who believe that God only saves after a person has some sort of response to the Gospel, but that’s not what Ephesians 2 says.

In v. 5, we’re told that we were still dead in our wrongdoings when God, because of His great love, made us alive—dead men can’t regenerate themselves.

And we see that pattern throughout Scripture, don’t we? If you just go back one page in Ephesians 1, you see the statement from Paul that God chose us in him before the foundation of the world.

Romans 9 talks about this truth by pointing out that God chose Jacob rather than Esau prior to their birth.

Jesus tells the disciples in John 15, that they didn’t choose Him, He chose them and appointed them.

And you see this in the OT—God chose Abram while he was still in Ur and initiating a covenant relationship with him.

God chose the nation of Israel, which really wasn’t a powerful nation despite their repeated sins against him.

And we could continue with various examples of how this all plays out, but the idea is clear.

God regenerates His people based on His choice and while we could argue all day about how that all works out, we really ought to just give thanks for the gift that God has given us in regenerating us.

In our deadness, God responded in love and He decided to be merciful towards us.

Not of any work of us—He chose to regenerate, to save His people.

And Ephesians 2 argues that the the purpose of all this is to show His boundless riches of grace in kindness toward us in Jesus Christ.

Additionally, as those who have been regenerated, we’ve been given a new state of life, which is given to God’s people as a gift—look at vv. 8-10 Ephesians 2:8–10 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, 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 so that we would walk in them.”

This change from death to life is purely of grace through faith (8-9)

You did not and could not earn this gift—you didn’t purchase it for yourself, you didn’t take it for yourself.

It is a gift given to you because of the love that God has for His people.

If you did earn it yourself, you could boast.

But this gift isn’t the result of works.

It’s simply the result of a gift given by God to His people

Again, consider the order of how this all plays out—because God initiates our regeneration, our salvation, our glorification, it’s very clearly not a transactional process where we cooperate with God for our salvation—rather, our salvation is monergistic.

God performs the work of regeneration to bring spiritually dead people to life. Because God does this work for us as a gift, it’s not based on us potentially agreeing to being regenerated, it’s based on God’s choosing of His people.

The faith that we then exhibit as Christians is a matter of gracious gift given to us from the Lord—i.e., God regenerates our spiritually dead selves and then grants us faith to believe through His Spirit.

And since God is the initiator, the enabler, and the giver—there is no possible way for any of us to boast.

God saves His people who were absolutely spiritually dead prior to His regenerating work—there is no ifs, ands, or buts; there are no exceptions.

Shai Linne, in his song Election explains it well (and if you like hip hop or rap, you might want to look up the song), but he says:

Some people say that we were drowning in the ocean

Barely floating until God threw us the rope then

Our free will helped us as we groped

Our faith is the hand that grabbed the rope and God put us back on the boat.

He then continues that train of thinking with his response to what some people say and the illustration that he uses is exactly what Ephesians 2 argues:

No! Without apology, I deny that analogy

[The] reality [is] we were dead at the bottom of the sea

I was a swollen corpse with [no more hope]

Until . . . the Lord dove from the shore to the ocean floor

[We were corpses and we smelt like it]

. . . and [God] brought [us] out, not [in] an act of [our] volition

[He] breathed [new] life into [our] lungs.

It is absolutely and totally a work of God given to His people as a gift.

And, by the way, I find it notable that part of the reasoning for this regenerating work in us is for us to walk in the good works that God had prepared us for beforehand as His workmanship—we see this in v. 10, Ephesians 2:10 “10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

This was planned from before the beginning of the universe

This was planned by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in their eternal covenant

And we’re blessed because God has called us to fulfill what really is our purpose as a new creation in Jesus Christ.

Transition: Now, I wanted to stop here for today’s sermon, but the more I considered the truths that are in vv. 11-22 and their tie to vv. 1-10, I couldn’t help but bring those truths in as well for this morning, let’s re-read those verses and I’ll make a few quick notes that bring all this full circle.

IMPLICATIONS OF REGENERATION (11-22)

Ephesians 2:11–22 NASB 2020

11 Therefore remember that previously you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the people of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; 16 and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

The last twelve verses of ch 2 give us some significant implications of Regeneration—and those implications are worth unpacking briefly before we talk about application this morning (11-22)

Paul confronts certain issues between Jew and Gentile believers, which really ought not surprise us because there were regularly problems between the Jewish and Gentile believers—whether it’s from Judaizers or whatever else it could be—Jew and Gentile believers regularly sparred with one another. Paul confronts that issue in this section by reminding the Gentiles of where they were prior to God regenerating them. (11-16)

Paul states that Gentiles need to remember that they were also separated from Christ prior to their regeneration, they were excluded from the people of Israel and they were strangers to the covenants.

Christ, however, has brought near all who were far away by His blood—because He is our peace, who brought believers from inside and outside of ethnic Israel into one body and broke down the barrier between mankind and God.

Jesus established peace by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law . . . so that in Himself He might make the two separate people groups into one person.

Meaning, there is no separation between Jew and Gentile believers—we’re one unified body of believers tied to the same vine, the same tree, the same God through Jesus Christ.

In the case of Paul’s letter to Ephesus, the union of all believers into one body of Christ is why there ought to be peace between Jews and Gentiles.

Regardless of ethnicity, they have been given peace to the Father through Jesus Christ who has abolished the hostility between us and God through His death on the cross.

i.e., Jesus proclaimed peace to those far and near—both to Gentiles and to Jews (17-19)

And Paul emphasizes that this was the plan of God even prior to the NT by pointing out Isaiah’s use of that same idea—that He preached peace to you were far away, and peace to those who were near.

This peace is specifically for access in one Spirit to the Father and it makes us fellow citizens and members of God’s household.

It’s a fairly significant implication of the New Birth isn’t it?

Through the regenerating work of God in His people, He grants us peace that makes us members of God’s household and citizens of His Kingdom.

We’re no longer strangers and foreigners to the LORD, but we do need to realize that we’ve been moved from one kingdom to another—from a kingdom ruled by the prince of the power of the air; from the kingdom in which all who are spiritually dead are in from birth—to the Kingdom of the God through whom you now have peace with by virtue of your union with Christ.

It reminds me of Augustine’s City of God in which he encourages believers to recognize that while we live in an earthly kingdom, we’re really citizens of a far greater Kingdom.

And that happened as a result of God regenerating us as His people.

Additionally, in God’s doing of all this, we become the temple of our Lord in which He dwells (20-22)

Again, it’s a fairly significant implication of the New birth—as saints who are part of God’s household and members of God’s Kingdom, we’re altogether being built into a temple with the apostles and prophets being the foundation and Christ as the cornerstone that holds it all together.

We as God’s people—regardless of ethnicity—are growing into a holy temple for the Lord in which He dwells in the Spirit.

Think of the Samaritan woman who points out the argument between the Jews and the Samaritans about where God ought to be worshiped and Jesus makes a profound statement that there is coming a day in which the worship of God won’t be centered around a physical location, but all God’s people will worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Well, why is that? Because God’s people by virtue of their union with Jesus Christ are the temple through which He dwells.

Think of all the significant implications of regeneration that Paul points out in Ephesians 2:

That we are now one body of believers

Who have peace with God through Jesus who reconciles us to Himself of His own accord

We’re now members of God’s household through adoption as sons

And we are a people who have been made into the dwelling place of God—God’s people are His temple; and He is with us.

Transition: And that’s exactly where our application steps in for this morning. There are three ideas that drive the application for this morning—(1) you need to recognize what God has saved you from, (2) you ought to give thanks for what God has saved you unto, and (3) we need to live accordingly.

APPLICATION

First, recognize what God has saved you from

And I don’t mean this merely in terms of just saving you from hell, but really

That’s often where people’s minds immediately turn to, but there’s more to this than just being saved from hell.

Yes, Jesus saves you from hell

But Paul reminds us that God saves His people from a condition:

He saved us from spiritual death

He saved us from slavery to sin and the way of the world

He saved us from following the prince of the power of the air

He saved us from living according to the desires of the flesh

He saved us from separation from God, from being strangers of the covenant—without hope and without God in this life and the next.

Every description that Paul gives us in vv. 1-10 was true of us apart from Christ—we weren’t merely people headed in a bad direction; we were absolutely dead. We didn’t merely lack information, we lacked life.

The clearer you understand what it is that Jesus saved you from, the more amazing His grace becomes—those who think that they were maybe just a little sick will never marvel at a resurrection; those who thought they were mostly good, will never understand the greatness of God’s mercy and grace.

You need to keep a clear understanding of what Jesus has saved you from; because understanding this, helps you understand just how good and gracious God has been for you.

Second, give thanks for what God has saved you unto

Paul doesn’t stop by saying that Jesus forgave your sins

That’s an element of salvation, but there’s more to it than just the forgiveness of sins.

He tells us what God has made us as people who He has redeemed.

He made us alive together with Christ

He seated us with Christ as fellow heirs

He calls us Christ’s workmanship

He prepared good work for us to walk in

He brought us near to the Father

He made us fellow citizens in His Kingdom as saints

He made us members of His household

And He is building us up into a temple with the prophets and apostles as the foundation and with Jesus as the cornerstone.

Brothers and sisters, what God does through our regeneration, which leads into our salvation, sanctification, and glorification is far more than merely forgive us of our sins.

It is being united to Christ and all who belong to Him

It is adoption into God’s family as a son; as an heir

It is citizenship in a heavenly Kingdom far greater than any mere earthly or human kingdom

And really, it’s becoming part of the dwelling place of God—as His temple.

There is no better way to respond to these truth than simply by being grateful; and giving thanks is easier when you have a fuller understanding of what Jesus has saved you from and what He has saved you unto

And, of course, lastly—considering the truths of what He has saved us from and saved us unto ought to change the way that we then live—so finally, Live as someone who has been reconciled and given peace—live as the temple

Paul doesn’t end Ephesians 2 with abstract theology—rather, he shows us how our theology of regeneration and salvation changes our entire identity.

We’re no longer enemies of God who are opposed to Him—we have peace with God who has given us peace through His Son.

We’re no longer strangers and foreigners, but we’re sons and daughters who belong to God’s household and are citizens of His Kingdom.

We’re no longer dead and lost in sin, we’re being built into the temple that God dwells within—meaning, He is always with us.

And yet, many of us live as if we’re still spiritually dead, as people who still belong to the Kingdom of Darkness

And I’m not even talking about willfully sinning while claiming to love the Lord—though we ought not live sinfully while claiming to love the Lord.

I’m talking about living in light of your identity as one who has been regenerated and redeemed.

Thus, when you struggle with sin, don’t respond to your struggle as if you’re still an enemy of the Lord. You have peace with God through Jesus Christ—run to your Father in repentance because He has already reconciled with you.

When you’re tempted to isolate yourself from other believers—remember that you are being built into the temple of the living God, which joins you to His body—be part of His body.

When you’re discouraged, remember that your standing with God isn’t based on how you feel, but what Christ has already accomplished.

You have been brought from death to life—live accordingly.

Pastoral Prayer

Give thanks that God has regenerated His people

Praise Him for what He has saved us from and saved us unto

Ask for help living accordingly