What God has in Store for Us
Notes
Transcript
a. God does not save lost people - just so we can have a nice time of it here and now:
"If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." (1 Corinthians 15:19, ESV)
b. God does not save lost people, so that one day we can sit around on clouds playing harps and living out an existence of eternal boredom.
He has a number of things planned for us.
Ephesians exposes us to whole series of these:
1. Eph. 1:3 & 4 / To be "holy and blameless before Him."
2. Eph. 1:5 / To be "adopted as sons." FAMILY! with all of its privileges.
3. Eph. 1:6 / To the "praise of His glorious grace." (12 & 14)
4. Eph. 1:10 / To be part of the "uniting all things in Him."
5. Eph. 1:11 / To obtain an "inheritance."
6. Eph. 1:18 / To be "His inheritance."
7. Eph. 3:7-12 / To reveal God's "manifold wisdom" to the angels.
But this is not all. Eph. 2 reveals a purpose God had in mind in saving us that is as mysterious as it is wonderful.
It is unfolded for us in a 3-fold discussion in the first 10 verses of chap. 2.
I. OUR CONDITION OUTSIDE OF CHRIST
II. OUR CONNECTION TO CHRIST
III. THE CLIMAX OF OUR BEING IN CHRIST
So that we gain some perspective by way of contrast - we read first about:
I. OUR CONDITION OUTSIDE OF CHRIST - A non-Christian is in a DIRE place.
There are at least 12 descriptive terms in this chapter - 5 in this 1st section -
a. And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
b. In which you once walked, following the course of this world,
c. Following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
d. Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind,
f. And were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Before one has come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ - we do not need help - we need raised from the dead!
We cannot help ourselves, let alone save ourselves.
There is but on HOPE - The mercy and grace of God in Jesus Christ.
And the nature of being reconciled to God - saved - is summarized here in the following 3 verses - It describes...
II. OUR CONNECTION TO CHRIST
a. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
b. 5 Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—
c. 6 And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Having pity on our sinful condition - MERCY - and LOVING us - because He is love - He gives us salvation by GRACE - as a free gift.
He: Makes us ALIVE in Christ, RAISES US up in Him and seats us WITH Him.
And the reason why He does all of this - i.e...
III. THE CLIMAX OF OUR BEING IN CHRIST
7 SO THAT in the coming ages he might show the..
► "coming ages" - P. T. O'Brien: "The plural "ages" is not simply a stylistic variation of the singular, but a more general conception, implying one age supervening upon another like successive waves of the sea, as far into the future as thought can reach" (Commentary page 173)
► What will come upon us like this endless succession of waves?
THE - "immeasurable riches of his grace"
How IMMEASURABLE His grace is.
How RICH His grace is.
► HOW? "in kindness toward us" By virtue of how KIND He is.
KIND? KIND? What does THAT mean?
KIND = Mercy, Grace, Slow to anger - AFFECTIONATE / Isa. 40:9-11
God is KIND. Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Rom 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
PATIENCE
Kindness in God is the OPPOSITE OF THE SEVERITY OF HIS PERFECT JUDGMENT.
GENTLENESS as opposed to HARSH or SHARP
HOW HE MEANS TO BE USEFUL - A BLESSING
Applied to a house: ORDERLY
Applied to food: HEALTHY & TASTY
Applied to people: WORTHY, HONEST, UPRIGHT, DECENT
Applied to soldiers: BRAVE, RELIABLE, PERFECTLY SUITED FOR THE TASK
Applied to relationships to others: FRIENDLY, GENTLE, MILD, WILLING TO HELP,
We get a slight foretaste of this in 2 Sam. 9:1-13 - Mephibosheth
And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
a. 3 - "Crippled in his feet" - USELESS. Cannot earn a living. Can't fight. etc.
b. 4 - "In the house of Machir" - Living off of charity.
c. 4 - At Lo-debar - In EXILE in the back-woods.
d. From a nationally disgraced family.
But in kindness, David brings Mephibosheth to live in the capital, and eat at the King's table (11) like one of his own sons.
Sum: So that: God's purpose in saving us is...
In the coming ages: As in an endless succession of waves
He might SHOW: He might BE ("show" isn't just - open to our view - but let us experience - demonstrate)
Immeasurably
Lavishly
KIND TOWARD US!
And why does He want to be this good to us forever?
Why does He want us to experience this joy and kindness without limit?
Because - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; 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, that we should walk in them.
Because He loves to give to the unworthy, that which we can never earn or deserve.
Because HE, IS, KIND.
This is His gift
And our life's call is to joyfully respond.