"To the Saints"

Introduction: Today, we begin a new sermons series, and we will be spending the first part of this year walking through the book of Ephesians “Unity in Christ.” This the book’s major theme, knowing who we are as God’s people, united in Christ. We are united in Christ himself, which is one of the first major emphases. Our identity is bound up in what God has done for us. We are also united in Christ as the church, that every believer is part of the church. And that requires us as Christians to realize that we are to be the church.

READ Ephesians 1:1-2

CTS: To the saints of Macedonia, know your identity in Christ and live accordingly.

Background: The city of Ephesus was a large city, a place of strategic importance in the Roman empire. It was also home to one of the wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Artemis. The religious life in Ephesus was such that the citizens worshiped up to fifty different gods and goddesses, and none greater was the god Artemis. She was considered an extremely powerful deity with the ability to compel the passion of a woman toward a man. Statues of the god were filled with fertility symbols. This reminds us that the Christians there were to remind themselves constantly of what they left behind and realize who they are in Christ. The church being who they are in Christ would also shake up the status quo. Let’s read Acts 19:21-35 and see how Paul’s proclamation of the gospel led to some pretty incredible changes, and it caused some be upset about it.

With this in mind, we should be reminded who we are in Christ, what we have been delivered from and who we have been made to be. If we are going to be the church we are called to be, we must really know who we are and how we are to then live in light of who we are. The major direction of this book is our unity in Christ, and the first two verses reveal our identity in Christ and then God’s desire for us to live in the grace and peace he has given us. These two points apply to the two verses and, as you will see, apply to the rest of the letter as well.

I. Know Who You Are (1)

A. The identity of Paul

Who is Paul? Paul, once known by Saul, was a “Pharisee of Pharisees,” one committed to the Jewish religious sect and was committed so much to it that he did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah and used every opportunity to lock up Christians and even watch and stand idly by as Stephen was murdered for his faith. He thought his own actions and works of keeping the Law would bring about God’s favor in his life. What he didn’t know is that he was actually denying God himself. But Jesus in his abundant grace and mercy met Saul on the road to Damascus and asked him “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” It was there that Saul’s eyes were opened to the truth of who Jesus was and he then and there surrendered his life to Jesus, the Messiah.

An apostle: In his address to the church, he affirms what his position is an apostle. The office of Apostle is one found to be the 12 disciples, and then Paul was added to them as “one born out of due time.” Simply put, these apostles were delegated by Christ for the purpose of propagating his message with his authority. They did this in oral and written form for the building up of the church. The early church in Acts 2:42 says that they...

Acts 2:42 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

The apostle’s message is the message of Jesus Christ. God specifically used them to reveal to the church the message that was proclaimed to them and to reveal the Gospel message in its fullest form. What we are left with today is no need for apostles, for now we have in our hands the written down teachings of Jesus, through the message of the apostles, in what we call the New Testament. God inspired these apostles and some of their fellow associates (Luke and Mark). Paul wrote this book under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, therefore, it is authoritative for us today as God’s Word. We would do well to listen to it today.

According to God’s will: What concludes the identity of the writer of this book is that this was according to not the will of Paul. Paul was redeemed and chosen for God’s purposes. God’s will is greater than ours, and it is according to his will that he would be a messenger of the Gospel to encourage the saints at Ephesus. It is the pleasure of Paul to no longer live for his own glory, but for the glory of the One who saved him and called him. “It is the doing of God’s will that gives God pleasure and glory.” - Hoehner. It is to them that he writes this authoritative words of encouragement and exhortation.

B. The identity of the church

Saints: The recipients of this letter are those in Ephesus, whom we have done some background on. We are reminded that these people have been set free from the bondage of sin and false worship. They are no longer identified as sons of disobedience, but are now made saints. Some might have some hesitation to call someone a saint. I think we often have this image of a catholic saint that attained that status by living the most devout and holy life they could. But sainthood cannot be attained by human effort. No one is a saint by what they do. They are saints by what God does. The basic idea of a saint is one that is consecrated to God or to God’s service. One author I read this week said this about what it means to be a saint.

“Believers had the position of saints and thus were to act saintly. They obtained this position because they had appropriated Christ’s work to their lives rather than gained it by acting saintly.” - Hoehner

Here is what we must remember and realize. Your position in Christ is that of a saint. Yes, I know the I’m just a “sinner saved by grace.” It’s not a bad phrase. As a matter of fact, in the right way, it shows the gospel. But I think often, we can use that phrase to try to justify our sin as believers. Oh, this is just the way I am. Thank God for grace! Yes, thank God for grace! But we are not identified anymore as sinners. We are identified as saints. And not because we are good in any way. Only because of our faith in Christ and His righteousness given to us are we considered saints. He does all the work. He makes us saints. But then that causes us to be faithful, to believe in Him. That is our identity as believers. He isn’t writing to lost people. He is writing to remind God’s people who they are and how they are to live in light of this wonderful truth. The Gospel changes us and identifies us as saints. Be who you are...

In Christ Jesus: And the locality of our sainthood, where our identity is found is in Christ Jesus. What is so incredible about this is that through faith in Jesus, you are now in Jesus. Your identity is bound up in the goodness, mercy, love, and grace of King Jesus. Your righteousness. Your life. Your purpose. Everything as a believer is secured in Jesus. Whatever Jesus has is now yours. You are adopted as sons and daughters according to His purpose. You are alive in Christ. You are in His body, the church. He is your head. You are part of the temple He is building, that He is the cornerstone of. This is who you are. You are the church. The church is every believer that has put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation as Lord. You are in Jesus. And now today, we gather today as a local expression of that universal church that we all belong to. We are the visual of the truth of who we are. You are united in Christ, God’s people, the church. You have received the gracious gift of salvation according to God’s mercy and love toward sinners like us, and He has made us his own people, his own possession.

1 Peter 2:9–11 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

So we are to live in light of this wonderful truth, that we have received this grace and peace from our God.

II. Live Accordingly (2)

Paul, after his introductions and identifying the letter to his recipients, then gives his standard greeting. This standard greeting is modeled to the typical ones of the day, but Paul has taken it and given it theological purpose. He wants to greet them, but to also remind them to be blessed to live in the grace and peace offered by God.

A. Grace is the cause

First, he desires the saints, the church, to receive and rest in the grace of God. Grace is that incredible word in the Bible that we will spend some time unpacking later in Ephesians 2. What does it mean? It means “the undeserved and unmerited favor of God.” We often speak of people that are very gracious. What we normally mean by that is that the person is very kind and giving, often when its undeserved or unmerited in any way. Grace truly is exemplified in God himself, in the his perfect plan of salvation that he has brought forth from eternity and enacted to us in the Son Jesus Christ, and where the Holy Spirit regenerates us and makes us alive in Him by faith. It is truly the gospel in one word. Jesus’ sacrificial death forgives us of sins we did, paid the penalty we deserved for it, and in turn gives us his righteousness. This was undeserved, and this is how are saved according to later in the book in Eph 2:8-9.

We are then enabled by grace to live in light of this glorious truth. The Gospel doesn’t stop at justification, our salvation. Our salvation continues on to this day, where God is graciously enabling us in the Holy Spirit to make us more like His Son Jesus. This is called sanctification. It is God removing sin in our lives, increasing our affections for Him, and building us together as a church body. Your sanctification is done by God, but it is also an act on your part of surrendering to his means of sanctification. You can’t be sanctified unless you allow Him to transform you by the things He has set aside for you to make you more like Jesus. The Bible. Prayer. Fasting. The Local Church. Evangelism. Discipleship. All the things that we are commanded to do, as we will find out in chapters 4-6 of this book is enabled by grace, is not how we earn God’s favor. Those that truly believe have it already. Those that truly believe will then live in light of who they are. They will live accordingly. Grace transforms you and doesn’t leave you the same. You were once a sinner, but you don’t stay that way. You are a saint. You are being built up into a temple with other believers to glorify King Jesus with your life. That is your overarching purpose as the church, as God’s people.

Your salvation is defined by grace. So is your life until you see Jesus.

Titus 2:14 ESV

14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

1 Peter 2:11 ESV

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

B. Peace is the effect

Paul also desires that the church would be blessed in peace. That peace is not some pie-in-the-sky beauty pageant “I want peace on earth” answer that they all give. It isn’t even some grown-up Christmas wish. Peace is possible yet only found in God himself. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. Why? Because He has made us at peace with God. Once enemies of God because of our sins, He has taken away the sin that sets us against God himself and restores our relationship to a holy God.

Peace is given to us as God’s people. In a time where everything seems to be falling apart, like when sickness rages around us, when politics is just a big mess of turmoil and division, when darkness seems to grow all around us, when we struggle with how to live in light of the world we live in, when sin besets us, the peace we have won’t be accomplished by any human being in this world, no matter how much they claim they can make everything right. No one will be able to bring about the utopian society that so many people seem to promise in our government. No, peace only comes from God himself.

We can live in peace knowing that we are secure in Christ, that He is with us through all of the turmoil around us. When the going gets tough, when the job is lost, when the love one passes away unexpectedly, when sickness overwhelms, when it seems like our minds our lost, and in the darkest moments of our life, we can know this. Jesus is with us, he has made us at peace with God, and we can rest in knowing we are his children. Our relationship with Jesus guides us through the toughest moments of life. That’s why we need to treasure what He says, know His Word. That’s why we must pray, and cry out to Him at all times. That’s why we trust His ways our better than our ways, when we don’t understand why we are going through what we experiencing. Because we remember this truth...

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 ESV

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

We live accordingly, trusting in Jesus, and living like we do. We show the world what it truly means to be at peace. Your testimony in how you live in light of the struggles is how God can witness His glories to the lost around you and to your fellow brothers and sisters. We live at peace with one another, even when its hard to do so. The church should be a lighthouse of unity, where we forgive one another when we sin against each other, where we unite around this Gospel peace in a world of turmoil. We are to be the church that lives in the peace of God so graciously given to us. Grace is the cause, peace is the effect. Living in grace of God gives us a peace that surpasses all understanding.

C. Founded in relationship

And to close out these two verses, we see one other incredible truth. This grace and truth that Paul is desiring the church to be blessed with is from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to pay attention to one word. Our. And I think we sometimes forget this or maybe we have never realized it before. God is ours. Not in ownership in any way. We don’t dictate God. But He is our Father. Jesus is our Lord. This grace and truth is founded in a God who is in relationship with his sons and daughters. You can call on God as your Father. You can call on Jesus as your Savior and Lord. We are his, and by virtue of this, God is ours.

You have a God who cares for you. Loves you so much that he adopted you as sons and daughters, to be a part of his family, his people, the church. And one other aspect of this is that we are all fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. And I know we use those terms sometimes in our churches. Hey brother. Hey sister. But next time you say, as you leave today, would you see your fellow church members as sons and daughters of the king, and we are a family. As frustrated as we might get with one another, we are family because one incredible truth. We have been given grace by God, through Jesus Christ. And we are now at peace with him, and adopted into an inheritance of eternal life, that is unfading. We inherit God himself. He is ours.

And those that are here today, if you have never trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are not at peace with God. You are still sinners before God. Yet God is showing you His grace today, the Gospel. You can know Him today. You can become a saint of God. How? By repenting of your sin and believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, believing in who He is and what He has done.

Conclusion: To the saints at Macedonia, grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us rest in our identity in Christ as saints redeemed by the gracious work of Jesus for us. And then let us live accordingly, living in the grace shown towards us, showing that grace to the world and others, and living in the peace of God that comes from that incredible grace.

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