Grace & Faith

Germiko Hill

Who Am I? • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Ephesians 2:1–10

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Introduction

Good morning church,

This week was an interesting week for me. It was a week of comparisons. Comparing my own skills, gifts, what I bring to the table in a variety of situations. And you know what when comparison comes into my life it isn’t often in a positive way. It’s comparing myself maybe someone else or a situation because I don’t think I measure up. I don’t think I’ve done enough, that I’m inadequate, that I’m just not good enough. Or it’s looking at the things that I’ve done in my past and I spend time beating myself up for what I’ve done, looking at things that I can’t change at this point. But that’s sometimes the downfall of comparison, dwelling on something and not looking toward the future or even the present for that matter.

We’re continuing this morning in our series Who Am I? Which is a look through the book of Ephesians. We’re looking at how the writer, the apostle Paul, describes for us who we are and who we become when we give our lives, our desires, our hopes over to Jesus. Paul was a man who is an incredible example of what our passage is talking about, in how it shows who he was before he became a Christian and what his life looked like after.

So let’s look at our passage. We’re going to be in which is page XXX in the bibles in the seats. Paul writes “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.* He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.* He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

* 2:2 Greek obeying the commander of the power of the air.

Just before we get into this passage I just want to remind us of the context of this letter that Paul is writing. He’s writing this letter to a group of believers, a church in the city of Ephesus. Paul is currently under house arrest while he’s writing this letter, he has been imprisoned because of his preaching of the gospel. So while he’s sitting in imprisonment he’s sending letters to churches. And in this particular letter to the Ephesians Paul is sending them encouragement and reminding them of Who they are.

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.

Last week we walked through Paul talking about all that they are in Christ, all of the blessings that they obtain because they believe and follow Jesus. And this week we’re going to look at who they were and who they are now in Jesus. And how we can see that in our lives.

So the first thing that our passage points out is Who we were.

Who we were! -

Paul doesn’t sugar coat the reality that the Ephesians faced when he begins this chapter. In the first three verses of Paul reminds the Ephesians of the people they there were before they allowed Jesus to change their lives. He really doesn’t mince words here. He reminds them that there were sinners, they were people who were out for themselves, what they wanted and what desired. He let them know that there were disobedient people who were just like the rest of the world, he says that they were people who were obeying the devil and refusing to obey God. That as a result of their living in this way that they were dead, and this death meaning they were not living for Christ and so would have been separated and detached from God, who we believe is the only true source of life.

In verse 3 Paul makes sure to hit on the point that all of them used to live like this. I’m going to repeat that one more time. He says that all of them used to live like this. , “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard”. His point here is that no one is perfect and everyone has been in this position where they’ve live in sin and allowed their sinful selfish desires to control and direct them. It’s a pointed realization for those in leadership and those who make up the church. , “10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”*

10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”*

“No one is righteous— not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”*

not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”*

11 No one is truly wise;

no one is seeking God.

12 All have turned away;

all have become useless.

No one does good, not a single one.”*

not a single one.”*

* 3:10–12 ; (Greek version).

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.

The bible shares a few reminders of what people are before they’ve given their lives to Jesus:

17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.”

19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.

, “17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.”

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.

when it says, “19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.”

- which we won’t read but it is story after story showing how before Jesus people are lost and are sought after by Jesus.

says, “13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,”

13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,”

We get this view that the condition of people are slaves of sin, lovers of darkness, lost and under the power of darkness. These are definitely not good things.

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.

For those of us who know Jesus this is a place that we once were. And you know sometimes we need that reminder. When I find myself in this space of comparison that I talked about before, I find myself dwelling on who I was before I became a Christian and making it as if that is who I am now. I find myself focusing on and remembering all of the things that I’ve done in the past where I’ve disappointed myself, maybe my family, maybe my wife and most importantly times where I’ve let God down and not lived like I was supposed to.

I think it’s important to occasionally remind ourselves of the people we once were. Not to dwell on it, which is an important distinction. But to remind ourselves of where we’ve come from. That if we believe in Jesus that we were at one time people who craved sin and desired to live a life that was focused on ourselves. Other passages in the bible remind us of this life that we once lived. says, “21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.” We were at one time enemies of God. People who wanted to do what we wanted to do and so those selfish desires resulted in us being separated from God. Charles Spurgeon sums up how we should approach this sin in our lives when he says, “As the salt flavours every drop in the Atlantic, so does sin affect every atom of our nature. It is so sadly there, so abundantly there, that if you cannot detect it, you are deceived.” We ought to remember the people we once were. We all have a story, we all have situations that we face, we all have sin that we have to recognize and respond to. And the reason we remember is that we need to know what we’ve been removed from, where we’ve come from. As we consider our new reality.

21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.” We were at one time enemies of God. People who

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print. that we were at one time enemies of God. People who

The amazing thing is that Paul doesn’t stop here. He reminds them of the people that they were but then he moves on to tell them who they are.

Who we are! -

We see here Paul adding in this amazing word that should cause us excitement. The word is, But. Paul reminds them of where they came from and what they were when he uses this transition word, but, which essentially leaves behind the previous thought. For me this is a reminder that what’s coming next is what is really important, what should be focused on, what should guide us going forward.

You see in verses 4 to 7 Paul goes on to remind the Ephesians of what their life has become. Paul wanted them to know that the people they once were have been replaced. He says that because God loved them so much that even though they deserved death because of their sinfulness God sent Jesus to give them life through his life. Paul says that this is grace, being given something even though we don’t deserve it! Another way to remember grace is using this acronym God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. , “9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”

9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.

Paul reminds them that through Jesus’ death we are no longer dead but are raised and united with Jesus. He shared in our death so that we can share in his resurrection life. And I love how John Piper explains grace because I think he’s sharing the same ideas as Paul when he says, “Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon”. And this is so important when considering grace it isn’t the mere fact that we get a clean slate but that we have an opportunity to really move from death to life, and with God’s help to change how we live, how we approach situations, and how we interact with people.

Have you ever received something even though you didn’t deserve it? Many of us probably have been in a situation where we’ve gotten something pretty amazing when there was no way that we’ve deserved it. I was watching a youtube clip recently where these guys were filming themselves jumping the line in a supermarket only to pay for the groceries of the person who they cut in front of. The reactions of the people before they knew what happened was all over the place. You had people who where like what is going on? There were also people who were upset and started calling out the guys for pushing in front. In all of the situations the result was almost the same. The people where surprised and moved that someone would show them this undeserved kindness. Some were even apologetic for their initial reactions to these guys jumping the line.

Now think of it this way. How would you react if you’ve done something wrong you’ve messed up, but then you receive something that you really didn’t deserve. The reality is that this is the grace that we get through Jesus. That even though we’ve sinned, we’ve messed up, that we’ve done whatever it is that we wanted to do, that God would send Jesus to die for us, because of his great love for us.

This is so that God can point to us as examples of his incredible grace and kindness, that he has given to us, which is demonstrated through Jesus. That is the amazing gift.

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.

Why we are! -

In the last part of this verse Paul goes on to share the reason why these Ephesian believers are able to be who they are. He tells them that they have access to God’s rich mercy because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

And their only contribution in all of this is that they believe. That they’ve placed their hope, trust and futures in Jesus. He tells them rightfully that this isn’t something that they can take credit for, this is a gift from God that they have access to. Paul reminds them the salvation they have is not something that they’ve gotten because of the good things that they’ve done. They cannot earn this salvation on their own merit. The reason for this is so that they cannot say that they’ve been able to save themselves because of the great people they are or because of all the good they’ve done. He tells them that they are God’s masterpiece, God’s workmanship that he created in Jesus so that God’s goodness can be put on display in this world. So that the world will see.

I don’t think we can be reminded enough of the reason for why we believe what we believe and what God provides for us when we are obedient and believe. God gives us a light in this world, he gives his one and only son Jesus to die on a cross for the sins of the world. , tells us “12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

, “17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” When we give our lives to Christ we are new creations we have this newness about us. We begin to have this life that the passage is talking about.

12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

The bible tells us that all we need to do in order to tap into the salvation and the grace that he provides is for us to believe in Jesus. To give our lives to him, to trust in him and he will save us. The bible says in , “17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” When we give our lives to Christ we are new creations we have this newness about us. says, “2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” We begin to have this life that the passage is talking about.

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print. And the bible tells us that all we need to do in order to tap into the salvation and the grace that he provides is for us to believe in Jesus. To give our lives to him, to trust in him and he will save us. The bible says in , “17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” When we give our lives to Christ we are new creations we have this newness about us. We begin to have this life that the passage is talking about. Romans

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.

And the reason for all of this is that they believe. That they’ve placed their hope, trust and futures in Jesus. He tells them rightfully that this isn’t something that they can take credit for, this is a gift from God that they have access to. Paul reminds them the salvation they have is not something that they’ve gotten because of the good things that they’ve done. They cannot earn this salvation on their own merit. The reason for this is so that they cannot say that they’ve been able to save themselves because of the great people that they are.

You see as sinful people we have ourselves in mind. We have a me centred way of thinking. God knows this and so his way of giving us salvation has nothing to do with our abilities. I don’t know about you but when I’m good at something I find it’s easy to slip it into a conversation, to maybe make someone think a little better of me. We sometimes like to tell people about how good we are, to highlight our abilities, to make sure that we stand out. But when it comes to salvation and how we live God makes sure that salvation isn’t something that we can work on ourselves. We cannot earn it, we cannot collect any number of brownie points, we can’t get it because of how much of a nice person we are. God has planned salvation so that only he receives the glory. It is because of God’s grace, his gift to us that we would never deserve, for those who believe are saved.

Spurgeon talks about salvation and describes it pretty well, he says, “I thought Napoleon did a good thing, when, on the day of his coronation, he took his crown, and put it on his own head. Why should he not take the symbol that was his due? And if you get to heaven, one half by grace and one half by works, you will say, ‘Atonement (which refers to the work of Jesus in correcting our situation in relation to God) profited me a little, but integrity profited me much more.” He realizes that as people if salvation was because of us we would naturally gravitate toward giving ourselves the glory.

Paul ends this section with a great reminder that we are God’s masterpiece. Do we realize that we are God’s masterpiece, some of us need to hear that message this morning. I love this quote from a commentary which says, “God saves us not merely to save us from the wrath we rightly deserve, but also to make something beautiful of us.” God through his son Jesus has a great plan for each of us.

Conclusion

As we finish our times together this morning I think the only right way to finish up a message like this is to do two things:

1. To ask that those of you here who have accepted Jesus and allowed him into your life to be continually reminding yourself of this amazing gift that God has give to us. This gift of Jesus that we do not deserve. Keep reminding yourself that this isn’t because of anything that you’ve done but because of the love, mercy and kindness of God.

2. I want to invite those of you who are here today who don’t yet know Jesus to consider him. To consider that this life that we live, with all of its hurts and struggles, is made significantly better through Jesus. He gives life. He gives peace. He gives hope. And all that he’s asking from us is to give up our selfishness and say yes Jesus I believe you are the son of God and that you can save sins. That’s all that he wants from us. Everything else, that we have going on he will sort out. We need to take that first step. I would invite you this morning if this is your new reality, if you’ve said yes to Jesus, tell someone. If you aren’t sure and still have questions. Come talk to Bob or Kim or myself. We would love to talk to you about a life with Jesus. He is the best thing that you could ever say yes to.