Ephesians 2:4-7

“But God” — Who God is

Paul has painted a vivid picture of the natural state of mankind in the first three verses of our chapter. We are conceived sinners, a slave to our passions, under the dominion of Satan. We are created spiritually dead, “unable to respond to matters relating to God because of our sins .”

But verse four is a turning point and the seat of our hope. It is here that Paul points us to God’s mercy, love, grace and salvation.

“But God” — It is appropriate that he begins to speak of our hope with the two words, “But God.”

C.S. Lewis cautions us to remember that for all his tears, Aslan is not a tame lion.  An old Hebrew saying makes a similar point:  "God is not a kindly old uncle; He is an earthquake."  This is the best news possible when we are struggling with unanswered prayer, for while there is comfort for the present in receiving God's fatherly love, there is also an irresistible hope for the future that is implicit in His omnipotence.  An earthquake can shift things that a kindly old uncle can only smile at.  Sometimes, the lion must roar.

God is an earthquake — Apart from God stepping in and doing something on our behalf, there was no changing the course our life was on from the moment we were conceived. We needed a God event, something only He Himself could do.

But this begs the question doesn’t it (invites an obvious question)? Why would God do anything for those so vile, wicked and steeped in rebellion against Him? We had made our choice in the Garden. We had decided He was found wanting and that we would become our own god in His place.

Why would God ever choose to do anything to alter the just future of such a pathetic and awful creature such as I? The answer is found in Paul’s next words, “who is rich in mercy.”

What God Did

God is rich in mercy — In God, is an abundance of mercy. That word is all we have to indicate the height, depth, width and breadth of God’s mercy. We simply do not have the language or mental capacity to understand how much is contained within Him.

Mercy — “Mercy is an attitude of pity and compassion toward the plight of a helpless victim.”

After General Lee’s surrender, Lincoln spoke to a large crowd from the balcony of the White House. At the end of his speech, Senator Harlan asked, “What shall we do with the rebels?” The vindictive crowd shouted back, “Hang them!” Tad, then 11 yrs old, turned to his father and said, “No, no, Papa. Not hang them. Hang on to them!” “That’s it!” replied Lincoln.

God had mercy — This is exactly what God did with us. He chose to hang onto us rather than hang us. Instead of immediate and eternal death He chose to have compassion and pity toward us.

God looked upon us, saw our helplessness, took pity and showed us compassion. Paul goes on and says God found the motivation, ability and desire to show us this mercy because of the great love He has for us.

Again, this begs the question, WHY?! Why would God love me, why would He love any of us?

Such a question is usually asked from the wrong starting point. We look at ourself and ask, “What is so lovable about me that God would have mercy and save me?” Remember, we were putrid, dead and pathetic! He didn’t find anything lovable in us.

We must start with God if we are to find the reason He chose to love us. We must remember two important things…First, God is perfect. Second, love is not an emotion but right actions and attitudes.

In His perfect love God found it possible to extend an attitude of pity and compassion upon the most unlovable of creatures…those who found their identity in their sin.

God loved us by having an attitude of pity and compassion toward us but this attitude resulted in action. He did something for us. In fact, God did several things for us:

Made us alive — Verse five is really best translated, “Even when we were dead through our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ.” To be made alive means to impart life, regenerated.

We were in death’s grip just as Jesus was for three days in the tomb. And like Jesus rose from physical dead, we too have arisen in Christ from our spiritual death.

In Christ — Our resurrection from the dead is found in Christ but also shared with Him. We have life because He has life and we remain alive because He remains alive. John 14:19

John 14:19 CSB

In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too.

We are the Bride of Christ. He chose us, has joined Himself to us and as a result we have life in Him. Our life, both now and forever in eternity is secure because it is found in Jesus.

Saved us by grace — It is as though Paul is writing these words and overcome by the thought of what he just penned. God’s love is so perfect that He showed us mercy and made us alive in Christ! There is nothing we could do to warrant such pity and compassion. There is nothing found in us deserving of salvation! He simply showed compassion and took pity on us.

During the late 1800s English evangelist Henry Moorhouse made several trips to America to preach. On one of these occasions, he was taking a walk through a poor section of the city when he noticed a small boy coming out of a store with a pitcher of milk. Just then, the boy slipped and fell, breaking the pitcher and spilling the milk all over the sidewalk. Moorhouse rushed to the youngster’s side and found him unhurt but terrified. “My mamma’ll whip me!” he cried. The preacher suggested that they try to put the pitcher back together, but the pieces of glass would not stay together. The boy kept crying. Finally Moorhouse picked up the youngster and carried him to a nearby store where the preacher purchased a new pitcher. Then he returned to the dairy store and had the pitcher washed and filled with milk. With that done, he carried both the boy and the pitcher home. Putting the youngster down on his front porch, Moorhouse handed him the pitcher and asked, “Now will your mama whip you?” A wide smile spread upon his tear-stained face, “Aw, no sir, ‘cause it’s lot better pitcher than we had before.”

We have been quickened, awakened to His revelation and permitted us to see what a mess we were in…and then He sent His Son to save us and give us a better life in Him...it is grace!

Grace — Unmerited favor, God’s kindness extended to us because of His love through mercy and redemption.

God did something and we are saved…it could never come to us by works, goodness, merit or anything we could ever do for ourselves. We could never endear ourselves to Him in any way by any thought, word or deed on our own…no matter how unselfish or great.

Raised Us Up and Seated Us in The Heavens in Christ Jesus — We are, right now at this very moment, enthroned with Christ in the heavens. It is our position, a position fixed and certain both for now and all of eternity. It is a certainty already fixed and determined for us in Christ. It is just as sure as our eternal life in Christ is sure.

Heavens — Blaikie understands the phrase to denote, “places where the privileges of heaven are dispensed, where the air of heaven is breathed, where the fellowship and enjoyment of heaven are known, where an elevation of spirit is experienced as if heaven were begun” Vaughan, C. (2002). Ephesians (p. 50). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

Right now, at this very moment, we sit with Christ, on His throne, at the right hand of the Father. The place of privilege and power. The place where the privileges of heaven are dispensed, air of heaven breathed, the fellowship and enjoyment of heaven are known.

Maybe it is at this moment that I should ask the question, “How’s your prayer life?” Right now, in this very moment, we can close our eyes, and by faith, realize our position in the heavens. We can experience it. We can breathe heaven and fellowship with our God.

By faith we can begin to experience heaven on earth right now. We can know the peace (in the Biblical sense of the word), certainty and privilege of that life if we can but have the faith to enter therein.

Our privilege is to be there but it is with purpose that we do. We are a trophy of grace. We are a living, walking, breathing sermon.

We are a testimony, a display of God’s great love, mercy, grace and salvation. In this age and in all coming ages, for all eternity, we are a trophy. God can point at us and bring glory to Himself in our redemption.

We are permitted a high place in heaven…a great honor to glorify our Lord.

Conclusion

This world and this life can be hard, awful and terror filled. It is an insecure place filled with unwanted surprise and dreaded sureties. There is purpose in our time here. We endure all of life’s hardships so that we might be a part of God’s plans in our generation. So that we might impact eternity and glorify our God in this age. That is what each of us do, we serve and glorify God in our age. Acts 13:36

Acts 13:36 CSB

For David, after serving God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and decayed,

Some men become proud and insolent because they ride a fine horse, wear a feather in their hat or are dressed in a fine suit of clothes. Who does not see the folly of this? If there be any glory in such things, the glory belongs to the horse, the bird and the tailor.

But it is not only in this age that we will glorify our God. We are meant to be trophies of grace in every age to come too.

Participation in the glory of God is something we have a difficult time wrapping our mind around. The privilege and opportunity found therein is just incomprehensible to us because we fail to appreciate what it means to be in the presence of God…to experience His character and power in full measure…and to be a part of making much of Him…actually being a part of the expression of His character and power with our mere existence.

But this is what the Bible says we have the opportunity to do now and forever…participate in the glory and glorification of God!