God's Salvation is Enough

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 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— 3 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. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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.

NOTE: Even if it does not always use a formal salvific terminology, the Bible introduces on practically every page the theme of salvation (or it’s absence).

Hebrew Word: nasal (“deliver”), palat (“bring to safety”), padah (“redeem”) and malat (“deliverer). The two major terms are ga’al (“redeem,” “buy back,” “vindicate,” or “deliver”) and yasa (“save,” “help in time of distress,” “rescue,” “deliver,” or “set free”).

The word yasa translated sozo (“save”) 138 times.

The Recipients: Identifying those who need to be saved and why they need to be saved.

Personal Needs: Individuals find help and deliverance in the face of very specific problems. Barren women receive the gift of a son. Jacob seeks and receives the blessing of his father. The Psalms pray for deliverance from wicked people, victory for the king, and deliverance from personal enemies.

Groups: The Abraham cycle shows groups of people receiving saving blessings.

What do we mean when we ask someone if the are saved? This is a common question that we ask when doing evangelism within the Church. How do people respond to the question?

Some may say, yes I prayed a prayer to ask Jesus into my heart. However, does this answer the question? Are you saved? Other people might answer, yes I go to Church and try to live my life as good as possible. Does this satisfy the question?

The Bible is full of Salvation stories, from Josephs family escaping near extinction at the hand of a great famine in Egypt to God’s hand of deliverance of the Israelite people out of bondage in Egypt. We see the Bible chalked bull of Salvation stories. At times we see Salvation restricted to a Holy remnant. Other prophetic voices attest to the Lord’s steadfast love for the people as a whole and desire to renew the saving covenant with Israel.

The idea of Salvation for all people makes its first appearance in the book from the prophet Isaiah. The gentile people must turn towards Jerusalem from which their redeemer comes.

The Agents of Salvation: Self-Salvation is not typically a biblical perspective. Deliverance comes through others.

1) Human Deliverers: The just man Abraham intercedes for the people of Sodom. Through him Israel and all humanity will be blessed by God. A Political leader and mystic of sorts, Moses delivers Israel from the Egyptian oppression. The book of Judges Gideon, and Samson. David saves Israel; Kings are given the task of saving the people; the everlasting dynasty promised to David will make him an agent of salvation for his people.

2) God the Savior: Whether or not human deliverers are portrayed, bod’s role is preeminent. Moses may have been the tool that God used to save the people through the red see, however, it was the mighty hand of God. Judges and kings had a task of delivering the Israelites, yet scripture makes it clear that it was God who took the initiative in raising up those deliverers.

The Nature of Salvation: material and national prosperity is prominent. However, it would be wrong to contrast the OT, very earthly Salvation, withe NT, very spiritual and other-worldly Salvation.

1) The Earthly Dimension: Salvation involves being delivered from slavery, separation from one’s true family, and the threat of death. It means victory in battle, the freedom to marry, the gift of descendants, a long life, and the protection needed to enjoy one’s rightful family. In Isaiah’s terms, salvation means Israel enjoying earthly peace with other peoples.

2) The Spiritual Dimension: The other worldly elements involved in the making of the Sinai covenant, the giving of the law, the building of Solomon's temple, the role of the kings, and everything else in Israels long and sorted history. Like the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel the people will be raised to life, brought back from Exile, and given a new beginning. God cleanses the people from their sins, to give them a new heart and spirit.

3) Future Salvation: Hosea proclaimed a renewal that would allow the people to experience a fresh start(Hosea 2:6-7). Isaiah announced the coming of a new Davidic King (Isa.9:2-7), Jeremiah a new covenant that will be written on their hearts (Jer. 31:31-34), Ezekiel a new life for the people (Ezek. 37:1-14), and Isaiah proclaims a new Exodus as God comes to restore His people. (Isa. 40:1-11)

The Mediation of Salvation: Over and over again the Hebrew Scriptures testify to the conviction that God’s saving self-communication was mediated through events that the people experienced, interpreted, remembered, and reenacted. Various episodes effected salvation, above all the Exodus from Egypt. Several covenants, in particular the Sinai Covenant, promised Salvation. Note: it is important that we remember that there were certain points about means, signs, places, and conditions of human deliverance.

1)The Means for Salvation: At a crucial point in the Exodus story, theophanies reveal God’s saving presence. (the burning bush, speaking to Moses out of the rock) There is still a strong earthly dimension to divine deliverance, however, the means of saving God’s people are never to be reduced to mere ordinary military might. God controls the destinies of the nations whose deliverance is not to be found in armies, great heroes, and war horses. Salvation comes through the gift of wisdom. It is mediated through the new covenant written on the human heart.

2) Signs and Places:Visible signs and places are repeatedly given to convey the promise of power of divine salvation. Signs taking on a living form, like the rainbow in the story of the universal covenant after the flood, the three visitors who appeared to Abraham at the noontime siesta, the child in the Immanuel sign, and the food which is provided day by day in the wilderness.

The Temple in Jerusalem above all was seen as the place par excellence for receiving God’s help and blessing. After the Babylonian captivity the prophet Haggai, assisted Zechariah, encouraging the building of the new temple, the place where God will give full and final prosperity to His people.

3) The Conditions for Salvation: On the Human side certain conditions are required. God responds to those who exhibit a trusting faith. He delivers those who fear him and hope in the steadfast love. The Deuteronomic Code stresses the peoples responsibility toward the legally helpless, the object of God’s special concern: “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Micah sums up the appropriate human response to God’s offer and gift of Salvation:

Micah 6:8 ESV

8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Note: Now that we have the context for God’s Salvation plan we come to our text today in Ephesians 2 that speaks about what it means to be saved. Now let’s come back to the question that we have heard asked many times:

“Are You Saved”

Note: Paul’s prayer in Eph. 1:15-23

God call to them, the wealth of His inheritance which awaits them in heaven and above all the surpassing greatness of his power which is available for them all. God has demonstrated his supreme power by raising Christ from the dead and exalting him over all the powers of evil. But God has further demonstrated this by raising and exalting us in Christ, delivering us from the bondage of death and evil.

This whole paragraph is written so that we might know how powerful God’s saving grace is.

Notice that there is no main verb providing the action until verse 5 where He made us alive together in Christ.

Note: The sequence of thought here is clear: ‘Jesus Christ was dead, but God raise and exalted him. And you also were dead, but God raised and exalted you with Christ.’

[I have been asked the question many times “how do I know if someone is saved?” This seems like a simple question, however, many times we make it more difficult that it needs to be.]

BIG IDEA: God’s Salvation is enough when our identity in Him is enough.

Just in case you're unaware, identity theft occurs when someone steals your name and other personal information for fraudulent use. Most of us are dismayed by this new cyber-age crime, and we wouldn't assume that the theft of another person's identity is acceptable behavior. The surprising reality, however, is that Christian's are, by definition, people who have someone else's identity. They're called "Christians" because they've taken the identity of someone else: the Christ. Not only have you been given an identity that you weren't born with or that you didn't earn the right to use, but you're invited to empty the checking account and use all the benefits this identity brings! This is so much better than identity theft—it's an identity gift!

1. A person is never free and independent but always follows someone - Satan or Christ.

*Man by nature of the human condition

v.1-3

Note: Paul is highlighting the devastating results of the fall of the human condition apart from God, we need to be clear that this description is of everybody. This is a Biblical diagnostic print out of fallen man in fallen society everywhere. Paul does begin with the 1st person singular “you” indicating those Gentile readers in Asia Minor, but he quickly in verse 3a switches to “we” therefore, adding himself and his fellow Jews, and concludes in 3b to the rest of mankind.

We Were Dead

The death that Paul refers to here is that of the prodigal Son, ‘This my son was dead’; it is a statement of fact that everybody’s spiritual condition outside of Christ are dead men walking. When someone enters death row in the penitentiary they have a term for these type of inmates, “Dead Men Walking”. They are still alive physically but they are headed towards an eventual execution unless something drastic happens to change their circumstances.

This is the same as the condition of humanity from the fall in the garden of eden. We are dead people walking towards an eventual eternal death unless something miraculous changes in our lives. This is where Jesus enters the picture.

“trespasses and sins”

A trespass is a false step, involving either the crossing of a known boundary or a deviation from the right path. A ‘sin’, however, means rather a missing of the mark, a falling short of a standard. Together the two words cover the positive and negative, or active and passive, aspects of human wrongdoing, saying our sins of commission and of omission.

Sins of Commission: Adam and Eve’s first sin was a sin of commission, they new that God had forbid them to eat the fruit yet they willfully chose to disobey God and eat it anyway. They took action to commit a sinful act.

Sin’s of Omission: Anyone who knows what he should do but fails to do it, sins. (James 4:17) A sin of omission is a sin that is the result of not doing something God’s word teaches us that we should do.

In God’s presence we are both rebels and failures. As a result, we are ‘dead’ or ‘alienated from the life of God’.

Ephesians 4:18 ESV

18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Problem of Deadness in Modern Society

The problem of deadness does not seem to square with the facts of everyday experience. Lot’s of people who have not made a Christian profession whatsoever, who even openly repudiate Jesus Christ, appear to be very much alive. One has the amazing body of an athlete, another the lively mind of a scholar, a third has the personality of a film star. Are we to say that such people, if Christ has not saved them are dead?

They are blind to the glory of Jesus Christ and deaf to the Holy Spirit. They have no love for God whatsoever.

Greg Epstein is the new Humanist Chaplain for Harvard. Here is what he has said in his book “good without God.”

“One of my deepest convictions as a Humanist is that no one person can ever have all the answers. If you ever meet such a person who tells you his or her religion can offer all the answers, run for the hills.”

Epstein concludes that Humanism can offer the sense of community we want and often need in good times and bad - and it teaches us that we can lead good and moral lives without the supernatural, without God.

Note: They are unresponsive to him as a corps. Like dead men walking onto death row.

Narcisse on the night he was buried, he told Angelina, a voodoo priest raised him from the grave. He was beaten with a sisal whip and carried off to a sugar plantation in northern Haiti where, with other zombies, he was forced to work as a slave. Only with the death of the zombie master were they able to escape, and Narcisse eventually returned home.

Legend has it that zombies are the living dead, raised from their graves and animated by malevolent voodoo sorcerers, usually for some evil purpose. Most Haitians believe in zombies, and Narcisse’s claim is not unique.

At about the time he reappeared, in 1980, two women turned up in other villages saying they were zombies. In the same year, in northern Haiti, the local peasants claimed to have found a group of zombies wandering aimlessly in the fields.

But Narcisse’s case was different in one crucial respect; it was documented. His death had been recorded by doctors at the American-directed Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles.

Those who were part of the living dead were enslaved.

We were Enslaved

Note: our former walk has no true freedom, whether we want to admit it or not we were enslaved to the forces of this world which are controlled by the fallen angel himself.

There are three influences that controlled our former life.

1.Our first captivity is to the world.

A society organized without a reference to God, or Secularism in contrast to God’s kingdom which is under his dominion and rule. Following the course of the world experiences political oppression, amoral society, materialistic society, society filled with hunger and poverty, a society filled with racial divisions, people tend to have a mind of their own but surrender to pop culture.

2. Our second captivity is to the Devil

Who is named the prince of the air, the word for air could be translated foggy atmosphere meaning darkness and despair. The spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience is not a personal spirit but the spirit of this world, that controls the hearts and minds of this world.

3. Our third captivity is to the sins of the flesh

Flesh does not mean the fleshy stuff that covers our bones but the fallen state that we exist from the fall. It’s the self-centered nature defined as the desire of the mind and body. Two things to keep in mind, there is nothing wrong with natural bodily desires. Secondly the passions of the flesh include the wrong desires of the mind as well as the body.

The Message of Ephesians b. We Were Enslaved

So then, before Jesus Christ set us free, we were subject to oppressive influences from both within and without. Outside was ‘the world’ (the prevailing secular culture); inside was ‘the flesh’ (our fallen nature twisted with self-centredness); and beyond both, actively working through both, was that evil spirit, the devil, ‘the ruler of the kingdom of darkness’, who held us in captivity

2. If we do not cherish him as Savior we do not have Him as Savior.

All things work together for the good of those who (love) cherish God and are called according to His purpose. Rom. 8:28

What no eye has seen nor ear has heard He has prepared for those who (love) cherish Him. 1 Cor. 2:9

There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who (loved) cherished His appearing. 2 Tim 4:8

If anyone does not (love) cherish the Lord let him be accursed. 1 Cor. 16:22.

Grace be to all who (love) cherish the Lord Jesus Christ for eternity. Ephesians 6:24

If we do not cherish him as Savior, we do not need him as Savior. If we do not know him and our need for him as a Savior it is impossible to cherish him.

Imagine yourself in any tragedy in the world. Captive to a gunman, streaking towards the earth in a crashing jet, frozen for 10 hours in a bank of snow, hovering on the brink off falling into a canyon from a branch on a high above cliff.

Your condition right now in this room is of greater dire importance than any of those tragedies. It is more critically important who you cherish this morning.

No one in the world is going to tell you this. The majority of the world will tell you what Greg Epstein would tell you, I am doing just fine without God. I can find the good apart from God’s love.

*Salvation comes only through God’s Mercy in Christ.

“But God....” One of my favorite words in all of scripture...

These two words are set against the desperate condition of humanity. Are you not eternally thankful that the text say’s “But God.”

Say with me “But God.”

We were the object of his wrath, But God in his great love for us his creations. We were dead men which do not rise.

We were dead in sin But God made us alive.

We were captive to the prince of the air, But God placed us with Christ in the heavenly places.

We were children of wrath deserving death in hell, But God instead of pouring his wrath on us, showed us his immeasurable kindness in Jesus Christ.

Nothing is impossible for God, over and over, again, But God! But God! But God!

(But God …)

Isn’t one of the greatest truths of Christmas the word of the angel to Mary?

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.”And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?”And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you … For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 2:31, 34–35, 37).

“How can I have a baby? I have no husband. I’m a virgin.” That’s right Mary, you can’t. But now learn the most important lesson in the universe: reckon with the reality of God! A virgin can’t produce a baby. BUT GOD can!

We will put verse 3 over against verse 7—we were children of wrath, BUT GOD promises endless kindness.•

We will put verse 2 over against verse 6—we were enslaved to the spirit of this age, BUT GOD freed us to sit with Christ in heaven.•

And we will put verses 1 over against verse 5 and 6—we were dead in sins, BUT GOD made us alive with Christ.

*Kindness in the place of Wrath

Verse 3 reminds us that by nature we were but Children of wrath. Remember last week we went back to the dust from which we came. We were bay nature so rebellious against God that we deserved the full weight of His wrath.

JESUS MERCIFUL WARNINGS OF HELL

Cultural problem: we forget how bad our sins are in the face of God. We forget that Matthew 5:30 Jesus tells us to cut off our sinning hand and throw it into the fire rather than to go with two hands to hell; that all evildoers will be thrown into a furnace of fire( Matthew 13:42); That the goats on his left had will go into eternal punishment where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12); again, and again, he pointed to the fact that it is destined for man to die once and face the judgement (Heb 9:37);

GOD’S MERCIFUL PROMISE

Ephesians 2:7 ESV

7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

God’s settled purpose is to be gracious to those who are in Christ Jesus.

Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989) But God …

he adds the words, “in kindness toward us.” Now ask yourself this question: If there were one person in all the universe the benefits of whose kindness you could choose, who would it be? Would it not be God? You might be able to think of a thousand things that would be kindness to you. But then your imagination would run out. But God’s imagination will never run out.

Why God did it?

God’s mercy . God’s Love . God’s Grace . God’s Kindness.

*So that He might display His Grace in us.

By raising us He displayed the immeasurable riches of his grace towards us. We are all living evidence of the kindness and grace of God.

What should you do in response?

*You should tell someone your grace story.

Note: We are called to display his grace story to the world, so you need to tell someone the immeasurable greatness of God’s love for you.

We are all exhibit “A” of God’s grace and mercy to the world. God’s Salvation becomes enough when your identity in Christ is enough.

3. Any Boasting or bragging should be about Christ not you.

Paul adds two balancing negatives:

First, “this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.”

Second, “not because of works, lest any man should boast.”

“you were saved through faith, and even this faith you were saved by is a gift from God.”

We must never think of Salvation as a transaction between us and God which He contributes grace and we contribute faith.

Remember we were dead and had to be awakened before we could come to the realization that we are dead.

There will be a display in heaven, but it won’t be a display or our self satisfaction rather it will be a display of the incomparable grace, mercy, and kindness of Christ.

Grace: is simply defined by unmerited favor, undeserved benefit.

The Purpose of God: Ephesians Faith and Works

This distinction is significant for this reason: at the heart of the controversy that provoked the Protestant Reformation was the sacrament of penance. We all know the story of Martin Luther and his objection to the way in which indulgences were being sold throughout Germany in an effort to raise funds for Rome. The peasants were being given the idea, because of the unscrupulous behaviour of a man by the name Tetzel, that they could buy forgiveness.

The Purpose of God: Ephesians Faith and Works

This was related to the sacrament of penance. The sacrament of penance is one of the seven sacraments of the Church of Rome, who define it as the ‘special sacrament that is given to the church to aid those who have made shipwreck of their souls’. For Rome, justification takes place through the instrumental cause of baptism. Those baptised receive an infusion of justifying grace into their souls, and they remain in a state of grace, unless or until they commit a mortal sin. A mortal sin is called ‘mortal’ because it has the capacity to kill saving grace.

So, you go to the Church confess your sins to the priest, give some money or indulgences, do some penance or works, and all is good.

We have built a whole Culture around Boasting

This culture has built a whole social network around boasting. We have built a narcissist society that posts pics of ourselves to garner the attention of others to our own self-satisfaction.

Here is the problem, we begin to loose the boasting in Christ alone, and add him to the list of other things we boast in to gain approval for ourselves.

R.C. Sproul

The Purpose of God: Ephesians Faith and Works

The purpose for which we have been chosen is to be conformed to the image of Christ, to be servants of God, to be people of obedience who live lives of godliness and righteousness

Closing

Jeremiah 9:23–24 ESV

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Our Heavenly Father recognizes every dead end we are tempted to follow when we don’t seem to be enough to fill the longings of our hearts, or heal the pain in our stories.

Notice that Jeremiah lists wisdom, strength, and riches, that we all wish we had more of when we feel vulnerable, fearful, and weary.

We are all prone to the list of boasting as long as we say, “I wish I had more of… or if I only had...” (you fill in the blank)

I look forward to the day when I will never complain, compare, or utter a word of envy or covet again.

What if we turned our boasting around and told the Father “I wish I had more of.....”

YOUR WISDOM

YOUR STRENGTH

YOUR RICHES

Lord if only I had more of you, then I would truly know that your Salvation is enough.

Lord your kindness, your mercy, your justice, your righteousness was revealed on earth when you sent your son Jesus who lavished His immeasurable kindness on us.

You satisfied every demand of your justice by your cross.

You have given us the perfect gift to boast in your perfect righteousness.

For so great a Salvation, so great a Savior.

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