God’s Work For Us

Last week we were in the graveyard. That great graveyard of spiritual death. The abode of everyone without Christ.

We saw the result of sin’s work against us. We saw that apart from Christ, we’re dead, disobedient, depraved and doomed.

But God went to work. This is what we’re going to see this morning. We saw sin’s work against us. This morning we’re going to see God’s work for us in verses 4-9.

Ephesians 2:4–9 NKJV

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Because of sin’s work against us, God went to work for us. It’s all based on the first thought in these verses...

God Loved Us

Ephesians 2:4 NKJV

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

By nature, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). But God would love even if there were no sinners, because love is a part of His very being.

Theologians call love one of God’s attributes. But God has two kinds of attributes: those that He possesses of Himself (intrinsic attributes, such as life, love, holiness), and those by which He relates to His creation, especially to man (relative attributes).

For example, by nature God is truth; but when He relates to man, God’s truth becomes faithfulness. God is by nature holy; and when He relates that holiness to man, it becomes justice.

Love is one of God’s intrinsic attributes, but when this love is related to sinners, it becomes grace and mercy.

God is “rich in mercy” (Eph. 2:4) and in “grace” (Eph. 2:7), and these riches make it possible for sinners to be saved.

It comes as a shock to some people when they discover that we are not saved “by God’s love,” but by God’s mercy and grace.

In His mercy, He does not give us what we do deserve; and in His grace He gives us what we do not deserve.

And all of this is made possible because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. It was at Calvary that God displayed His hatred for sin and His love for sinners (Rom. 5:8; John 3:16).

Romans 5:8 NKJV

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Our ability to be reconciled with God would not be possible without Him first loving us.

Second...

God Gave Us Life

Ephesians 2:5 NKJV

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

This means He made us alive, even when we were dead in sins.

He accomplished this spiritual resurrection by the power of the Spirit, using the Word.

In the four Gospels, it is recorded that Jesus raised three people from the dead: the widow’s son (Luke 7:11–17), Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:49–56), and Lazarus (John 11:41–46).

In each case, He spoke the Word and this gave life. “The Word of God is quick [living] and powerful” (Heb. 4:12). These three physical resurrections are pictures of the spiritual resurrection that comes to the sinner when he hears the Word and believes (John 5:24).

John 5:24 NKJV

24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

But our spiritual resurrection is much greater because it puts us in union with Christ: God “made us alive together with Christ.” As members of His body we are united to Him (Eph. 1:22–23), so that we share His resurrection life and power (Eph. 1:19–20).

Thirdly...

God Exalted Us

Ephesians 2:6 NKJV

6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

We are not raised from the dead and left in the graveyard.

Because we are united to Christ, we have been exalted with Him and we are sharing His throne in the heavenlies.

Our physical position may be on earth, but our spiritual position is “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Like Lazarus, we have been called from the grave to sit with Christ and enjoy His fellowship (John 12:1–2).

John 12:1–2 NKJV

1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.

Like Lazarus, we’ve been given life for a purpose. To be able to fellowship with Jesus.

But it doesn’t stop there. Lastly...

God Keeps Us

Ephesians 2:7–9 NKJV

7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

God’s purpose in our redemption is not simply to rescue us from hell, as great a work as that is.

His ultimate purpose in our salvation is that for all eternity the church might glorify God’s grace (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14).

So, if God has an eternal purpose for us to fulfill, He will keep us for all eternity.

Since we have not been saved by our good works, we cannot be lost by our bad works.

Grace means salvation completely apart from any merit or works on our part. Grace means that God does it all for Jesus’ sake!

Our salvation is the gift of God. (The word that in Eph. 2:8, in the Greek, is neuter; while faith is feminine. Therefore that cannot refer to faith. It refers to the whole experience of salvation, including faith.) Salvation is a gift, not a reward.

Salvation cannot be “of works” because the work of salvation has already been completed on the cross.

This is the work that God does for us, and it is a finished work (John 17:1–4; 19:30).

John 17:1–4 NKJV

1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

John 19:30 NKJV

30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

We can add nothing to it (Heb. 10:1–14); we dare take nothing from it.

When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom, signifying that the way to God was now open. There is no more need for earthly sacrifices.

One sacrifice—the Lamb of God—has finished the great work of salvation. God did it all, and He did it by His grace.

Sin worked against us and God worked for us, but the great work of conversion is but the beginning. We’ll look at that next week.