49-09 God's Measureless Grace Pt 1
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Article “Ways to Live Longer” (web—hundreds of suggestions)
Wear seat belts—accidents a re leading cause of deaths (reduce deaths by 45% serious injuries by 50%)
Quit smoking—linked to heart disease & others
Sleep soundly—good sleep lowers stress and raises mental acuity
Eat fruits, veggies, and fat—monounsaturated fats (peanuts canola olive oils), lower bad cholesterol
exercise routinely—controls weight improves blood pressure and mood.
Get a physical—diseases can be easier to treat sooner than later
Turn off the TV—allows time for family friends, creativity, emotional and physical activities.
Laugh: “best medicine”, reduces stress, fends off disease, elevate brain awareness increases levels of natural pain killing chemicals.
A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Some things you can do to improve your health and quality of life. But there is a world filled with people who would do whatever they can to avoid or postpone the “wages of sin.” In the end, it is all all attempts will fail b/c
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
It is an inescapable reality that all will encounter. But there is the promise of something better.
Eph 1 there is the unfolding of God’s purpose…which is greater than the salvation of men (includes that). God is the creator and sustainer of His creation. By divine providence He is guiding all things according the counsel of His will—that all things may redound to the praise of His glory.
He then permits sin to be manifest in His creation, first in heaven then on earth. A Savior is provided that thru death and resurrection of His Son the depth and degree of God’s love and grace would be declared to mankind as they are called to repentance.
In Eph 2 Paul is going to highlight the remarkable difference b/t the one who is right with God and the one who is hostile (xn & non-xn)—2 types of people in world
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
in the opening vv of ch 2 we are given a contrasting picture of the characteristics of those who have the life and those who do not.
I. The Unbeliever
I. The Unbeliever
Paul begins with the picture of the “natural” man (one devoid of the HS—unchanged in regards to his unregenerate nature). TPaul reveals 4 things true of every unbeliever:
1) Dead (vs 1)
1) Dead (vs 1)
Gk nekros can speak of physical death (separation of spirit from body)
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Here Paul is using it in relation to spiritual death which has been defined as “destitute of a life that recognizes and is devoted to God” Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 4, p. 59). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Every human is born into the condition of being alienated from God. This is the result of Adam’s disobedience in Eden—each one is conceived in sin
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Over the years I’ve had conversations with people who have a different perspective. Many believe that babies are born with a neutral disposition toward God. And how we wish that were true. Babies are so precious and innocent—at least that’s how they are viewed. But this is not Scripture’s revelation.
A person does not become spiritually dead b/c he sins (born neutral and later falls), he is spiritually dead b/c by nature he is sinful. b/c every human is born with a sin nature (inherited from Adam)…each one is born with the spiritual condition of being separated from God (spiritual death).
vs 1 “you were dead...” Remember who Paul is writing to? This is the Xn. It is the one whom God has chosen, adopted, accepted, forgiven. Before God took action to impart spiritual life (vs 5)—their previous, past condition was dead.
And they were dead in trespasses and sins. They were not dead b/c they sinned, but b/c they were “in” sin (indicating the sphere in which they existed). Paul uses both of these terms to express just how comprehensive this condition is. They are not simply inadvertent mistakes but conscious, wilful actions against the God who is holy and righteous.
Before God’s gracious act, all are brought into this world being dead. Now, to what extent does this condition exist in a person? Jonathan Edwards aptly describes what it means to be dead (and what can we do about it?). He said the problem is not with the will itself (though that can be argued), since the will is simply the mind choosing what the minds deems best. The problem he said is with man’s moral nature, which is opposed to God, and with the sinful motives that flow from that corrupt nature. He said the will is always free…we always choose what we judge best in a given situation. but as sinners we always judge wrongly. We think God is undesirable so we always resist Him and reject the gospel—that is until God acts.
We cannot minimize what the Bible teaches about man’s condition.
“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth.
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
This condition has nothing to do with the way he lives but everything to do with the fact that he is dead even though he is living.
If you’ve ever been to a funeral…you know it is impossible for the corpse to respond to stimulus. A person who has died cannot react, hear conversations, has no appetite for food or drink, feels no pain or sensation, cannot smell, hear or see.
Just as the physically dead cannot respond to physical stimulus, those who are spiritually dead cannot (of their own accord) respond to spiritual things. Their faculties (mind, heart, soul, etc) do not function and cannot until God imparts life.
You remember the scene from The Princess Bride when Inigo and Fezzik bring Wesley to Miracle Max. They think Wesley is dead so the bring him to Miracle Max to buy a miracle and he says to them “Well, it just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.”
Paul does not say were mostly dead…but all dead.
In Lk 15 Jesus illustrates this in the parable of the Lost Son (prodigal). The son leaves home, squanders his portion of the inheritance, indulged the lust of the flesh, came to his senses and returned to his father. When his father sees him off in the distance he runs to him and welcomes him and says
for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
The unbeliever is separated from God and his greatest need is to be made alive. Paul reminds believers in Asia Minor that this was their past condition before they put their faith in JC. They were not sick but dead. They didn’t need resuscitation, but resurrection. This is the case for every single person who enters the world.
2. Disobedient (vs 2)
2. Disobedient (vs 2)
Also highlighting their past condition “formerly walked...” This is a general description of the pattern of life of those who are spiritually dead. Spiritual death began with disobedience. Adam & Eve believed the lies of the Satan, they disobeyed God and the result (as God warned) was spiritual death which includes physical death. Since then mankind has lived in disobedience to God and His will.
Forces that Encourage People to Disobedience
Forces that Encourage People to Disobedience
Bible presents 3 forces that encourage humans to live disobediently:
The World: kosmos—is understood to be the world’s system of values, beliefs, attitudes, actions, thoughts—that are in opposition to God. This is the “course of this world.” Believers are called to live our lives apart from the world (Rom 12:1-2) for we are not of this world. The unbeliever is under the power and control of this world and its system.
Satan: “prince…air” Scripture is clear that this world is under the dominion and follows after the leadership of Satan. He is called:
in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
He is the “prince” the idea being one with authority to act. And his realm (power) is the air. Gks thought of this as the space b/t earth and moon but that is not what Paul has in mind but rather the sphere in which the devil operates.
The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
That is his realm, domain. He rules over his emissaries who support his opposition to God—from the air “heavenlies” (6:12).
Not every unbeliever is directly indwelt/possessed by Satan or demons but they are subject to his influence since they share the same nature of disobedience and exist in the same sphere of rebellion as Satan does. Naturally they respond to his leadership and are enslaved (under the power and influence) to this “prince”.
The Flesh (vs 3)
3. Depraved
3. Depraved
Notice that Paul includes himself and everyone (we too all) in this assessment. Every lost sinner lives to please the lust and desires of the flesh. Lust epithumia “passionate longing, craving”. Desires thelema “seeking things with the emotions” (context determines if good or evil). Flesh—not describing the physical part of our humanness but that which is opposed to God. The flesh is not only that which displeases God but it cannot please Him.
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Paul is reminding believers that not only were the dead and disobedient, but they were under the control of the flesh which sets itself against the Spirit of God
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
And it dominated their lives to the extent that each of us came into this world under the condition of depravity. The sin nature pervades the entire person to the degree that there is no inner recess of man that remains untainted by it—thoughts, will, emotions, desires, impulses, perceptions, beliefs—all aspects are corrupted by our condition.
The term used by theologians is total or radical depravity. It does not mean that every person is as evil as they could be. Nor does it suggest the inability to do right (you see in those with relative morality). Depravity only refers to the inability of the sinner to do anything to merit the salvation or gain the approval of God.
Of course sinners are capable of doing good to each other. Jesus recognized that fathers can give good gifts to children (Mt 7:11). When Paul was shipwrecked off the island of Malta the native “showed extraordinary kindness” (Act 28:1-2) yet they remained superstitious pagans. They can and do respond to human need with kindness but that can never merit good will toward God.
4. Doomed
4. Doomed
“by nature children of wrath”
Some people would like to think that everyone is a child of God. Or they like to suppose that God will universally save everyone and give them life. (2 Pt 3:9)
But contrary to what they think, all who have not responded obediently to God by placing faith in the LJC by nature a child of wrath.
Apart from the reconciliation that takes place only thru the resurrected Christ, every person is by nature (by virtue of his sinful, fallen condition)—fully deserving and liable to God’s wrath—that is His active judgment going forth upon all forms of sin and evil.
Hoehner “what a horrible dilemma…unbelievers have a close relationship to God’s wrath rather than to God himself.”
The sentence has already been passed.
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The sinner, by nature has been condemned and justly receives the wrath & judgment of God for his rebellion and inability to measure up to God’s perfect standard.
And Paul makes it clear that everyone is born in this condition—just like the rest. No one is excluded!
This is the picture Paul paints of the unbeliever—dead, disobedient, depraved, doomed. And it’s a pretty dark picture isn’t it? But that is not the end of Paul’s message. Remember this is a sweeping contrast between the unbeliever and the believer. The unbeliever has no life and will spend eternity in that condition.
But that’s not the end of the story. As we will see next week, there are 2 words that give hope—But God
While the dead remain in their condition of separation—we will look next time at what God did bring us alive in Christ. Having looked at the negative side of Paul’s message, next time we will study the good news of God’s measureless grace.