The Journey
Notes
Transcript
Grace through Faith
Grace through Faith
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
The text’s structure is “before and after”; life before Christ is described in vv. 1–3 and vv. 4–10 depict what Christ achieved.
Vs. 1- Trespasses and sins- quite literally the “deliberate breaking of a known law” and “missing the mark.”
What the old confessions call “things done and left undone.” Both produce in persons an internal and spiritual callousness that is life-denying and thus leads to death (which here must be understood both metaphorically and literally).
Vs. 2- “Walk” (periepatēsate) indicates a way of life; it is a Hebraism for a habitual mode of conduct, a “lifestyle” (a thoroughgoing Pauline word; it occurs most frequently in Ephesians).
Vs. 3- It speaks in the tone of inclusive and of past. For all have sinned is ringing true in this passage. We can all come together knowing the commonality of the body. Our testimony is a powerful tool!
Vs. 4-The whole tenor of the text changes at v. 4. From describing the plight of those without Christ, the author moves to the change Christ has made in Christians. (It has been suggested that vv. 4–7 and 10 are fragments of a pre-Pauline hymn of initiation into which vv. 8–9 are inserted as interpretation.)
But God. The initiative is God’s whose motive flows from the divine nature which is mercy (eleei, “compassion” or, more strongly, “pity”) and love (agapēn) (cf. Exod 34:6 or Deut 7:6–9). God did all of this due to his love for us!
God acted out of love for people, not in a “just” response to what their nature and actions deserved.
Jesus, like any good fisherman, first catches the fish; then he cleans them.
Mark Potter
Vs. 5- Even while humans were “dead through … trespasses,” God made them alive “together with Christ” (v. 5). Note again the identification made with the passion of Jesus, since to “make alive together with” (synezōopoiēsen) in the majority of New Testament usages means “to raise.” “Saved” is a perfect passive participle indicating that what has happened continues to be true. What happened to believers is participation in Christ’s once-and-for-all resurrection, which continues in the life of each one who believes.
The picture of a healthy church is preaching of the Gospel, discipling of the members, and baptisms of new believers.
Vs. 8-10- For we are his workmanship. Some translations render the word Masterpiece in the modern language. it is imperative we understand the great price paid and the great blessing in following his plan.
There is no more urgent and critical question in life than that of your personal relationship with God and your eternal salvation.
Billy Graham
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
let Israel now say—
if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
when people rose up against us,
then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth!
We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped!
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.