The Greatest Gift

1. Introduction

Well I wonder what’s the best gift you’ve ever received? I reckon the answer changes depending on your age and stage of life. When I was 7, my uncle in Germany we used to travel quite a bit to visit the grandparents, well he gifted me a second hand gameboy. It was the best present. Instantly, he became my favourite uncle. Imagine receiving a gameboy with 20 second hand games. That was awesome. Fast forward 14 years, when I was about 21 my parents gifted me this little mazda 323 Astina. It was my aunts. She sold it to us. It was a fun little sports car. I loved getting around in the Astina, it was lots of fun. Unfortunately, the car started having too many issues it wasn’t worth keeping. But now, as a father of 4, let’s just say things have changed in my life. I get excited because my dad gifted me again another 2nd hand petrol lawn mower. I just noticed a pattern of second hand gifts. That’s the one. What a great gift from bunnings. The Victa Classic Cut Mulch Or Catch Petrol Lawn Mower. With life being always on the go with 4 kids I need efficiency. I need to get things done. I need to expend as little time and energy as possible. Petrol is more efficient than the old cable electric lawn mower we had. What a great gift. I kind of look forward to mowing the lawn sad to say. How my life has changed.

What is the best gift you have received? This morning we come to Ephesians 2:1-10 we discover the most precious gift you can receive. it’s the greatest gift. Better than entertainment, better than getting from A to B, better than improving the efficiency of your life. This absolutely free gift comes from God. It’s the same gift that everyone needs. It’s the right gift at the right time all the time. If you don’t have it, you need it now. What is it? It’s the gift of his God’s Son Jesus Christ. It’s the gift of life, to be saved, to be right with God. Look at verses 8 to 9 if there are ever verse to memorize from the Bible it’s these ones

ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

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.

This morning we’re going to unpack why this is the best gift you need. It’s one thing to say it is, it’s another to really understand why.

To set this passage into the bigger context of the letter, Paul has already told us where this whole world is headed. he’s told us the purpose of the letter. Remember chapter 1 verse 10, Through Christ, God “as a plan for the fullness of time, he will unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” This means, everything is coming under the Lordship of Jesus. Everyone will bow to King Jesus. Now or later. it’s just timing. Willingly or unwillingly. there’s no doubt. That’s where the world is headed. So that’s why Paul prayed last week for the Ephesians. He’s thankful for their faith. He wants them all, the church to keep knowing Christ, knowing the hope of the eternity, knowing of God’s immeasurable greatness – the greatness of Christ. Because all things will be united in Christ. That’s where we are going. So if that’s the case, then we need this gift. The gift of God’s Son.

So Paul reminds these Gentile Ephesians. He takes them back to the time when they did not know Christ. in fact this is what we were all like before you received this gift. understand our need: we were dead in sins.

2. Understand that you were dead in sins (2:1-3)

Come to verse 1 with me,

ephesians 2:1

Ephesians 2:1–2 (ESV)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked

Paul’s says to the Gentile Christians in Ephesus, you were dead. That’s what the bible says. We have to change our understanding of that word DEAD then. They weren’t in a coffin or crematorium. They were living and breathing but God says they were dead – dead in transgressions and sins. They were spiritually dead.

Think about flowers. I bought my wife a bunch last month. It was our 7th year anniversary. Now, I don’t know much about flowers, Roses, lillies that’s about it. But I know Joy enjoys them. The vibrant colors, the beautiful aroma, the different varieties. She loves flowers. I have learnt over the years that when you buy flowers, you don’t really want them in full bloom. You want to get your money’s worth. You want to get them before they bloom, or just as they bloom. More time to enjoy them. You most certainly wouldn’t bring dead flowers, who brings wilted, discolored flowers? It’s just unromantic. No one does that. But here’s the thing. Did you know cut flowers are already dead? The moment they are cut they die. They’ve lost their life source. A bunch of flowers looks vibrant, colorful, alive and well but they are dead. Sorry to say it, but it’s all show. They are disconnected from their source of life.

Friends, like the flowers, God says to them you were dead in trespasses and sins. Why were they dead? They had rejected the source of life. God. They had chosen to run lives their own way. This is sin, rejection rebelling against God. And it’s God who gives life. thought Paul writes to them, we know it’s not just them. we were all in the same boat, dead in sin. Now, you might be thinking, what you mean Brian I’m alive and well? But that’s not what God thinks. without this gift, Jesus, We’re like flowers that have been cut. We might be young and fit now, people think I’ve very young. I have been ID’ed for getting cooking wine from Aldi even though I’ve got 3 kids with me. i found that a bit bewildering But I know I’m not the same as I was at 7, at 21. I know it. You just can’t see it but I know. There are things breaking down. Sorry to say, but we’re all heading to our grave one day. God here says without Christ we’re actually already dead.

And notice how do dead people live? It’s an ugly picture. Have a look at verse 2, dead people follow the world, the devil and the flesh. Let’s go from Verse 1 again

ephesians 2:1-3

Ephesians 2:1–3 ESV

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.

Friends, Paul’s saying, you used to follow the ways of the world rather than the ways of God. The world is full of people who hate God. We know this. This is not new. It’s not just the world, it’s a spiritual battle. You Gentile Christians used to follow the ways of Satan – he’s called the prince of the power of the air. Make no mistake he is still ensnaring people. He is active, deceiving people, wanting many to disobey God their maker. And just in case you thought he’s just talking to the Gentile Christians, notice Paul says - we notice the change in pronoun – we all, Jews and Gentiles once lived in the passions of our flesh. Sin is not just out there. In the world, from the Devil, but from here. Our inner desires. He includes all of us. We want to disobey God. We say we are number 1, God is number 2. We don’t want to live for God. Jesus pinpoints this fact. He says, it’s what comes out of us that make us unclean. We’re were unclean. We were sinners

Mark 7:20–23 ESV

And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

If you can’t find yourself in that list you’re not looking hard enough. This is what comes out of our hearts. We need to own it. Now, one of the coping mechanisms we hear from the world is it’s okay, no one is perfect. We’re human. Sin sounds bad but it’ll all work out okay. We want to cope with our failings, our sin. Don’t do that. Why? Because God actually says there’s a consequence to living this way. Understand this. Because of sin, you were by nature children of wrath. Rejecting God means you are under God’s wrath. He is rightly angry. He will judge those who live ignoring him. This judgment is eternity in hell separated from God. This is hard stuff. Don’t live your life not knowing God.

But why do you need to know this? this is hard to hear. Why does Paul tell us this? You won’t understand God’s greatest gift until you see how much you need it. Just like someone with cancer needs a cure, someone on death row needs a pardon – we were dead in sin what do we need? a gift from God – we need life. We need Jesus.

3. God’s greatest gift: We are made alive by grace in Christ (2:4-10)

This is the greatest gift: God has made us alive in Christ. The next two words in verse 4 are so wonderful. It changes everything. But God – two of the most relieving words you’ll find in the Bible. Like downing a cold glass of water after mowing the lawn in 40 degree heat. It’s so good. It’s a great word But because it changes everything. You were dead but death is not all there is, you were condemned but there’s hope. Come to verse 4 there are no sweeter verses

Ephesians 2:4–5 ESV

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—

Why is God’s gift of Jesus the best gift we can receive? It’s the gift of life to dead people. it’s for dead people who deserve judgment. God because of his love, and what a loving God he is, he has gifted us his own son, Jesus Christ. God made us alive together with Christ.

How does this work? Well Jesus lived a sinless life. Jesus lived a life loving God. He was fully obedient to God his Father. He lived a perfect life. So Jesus can deal with our sin. In fact he took on our sin on himself. He paid the price of our sin. Jesus came to die for people like us. He got what we deserved, he died for all of our sins. We got what he deserved, acceptance and love – we can be right with God. It’s amazing. It’s the great exchange. Jesus is the gift of life for those who deserve death.

And it gets better. Notice there, We’re made alive – it’s past tense – Paul’s saying it’s already happened. It’s not he will, or he might, no he has already made us alive. how awesome is that? We are no longer dead. Now. Alive. We are alive, hidden in Christ. More than that God notice is verse 6 the other things that have already happened. God has raised us up with him. He has seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. You thought you are just sitting here at in this building. If you are in Christ, you are already sitting in the realms of the Lord Jesus Christ. One pastor says, what will take place with our bodies when we die is just mere detail, once we grasp that we are already seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. Be assured. We’ve gone from death to life. God has made us alive in Christ. We’re already with him, we’re just waiting for him to return.

Friends, if this is something you want then you need to know how to receive this gift. This is the greatest gift. And yet, so many people get it wrong. They don’t know how to receive it. So many people think if you are good, God will give you the gift of Jesus. Be a good person, then God will take get to heaven. The problem is that God becomes like the mother from the movie Crazy Rich Asians, anyone seen the movie? she’s a very very rich Singaporean mother. she’s not impressed with her son’s fiance. he wants to get married to this Chinese girl from America. but she’s not rich. she’s poor. this mother is not impressed with her. Nothing this girl does is good enough. nothing impresses her. you’re not rich enough, you’re not good enough, you’re not in thes ame league as my son. you don’t think the same, you are not worthy of my son. no matter what she does it’s just not good enough for this mother. You know what I mean? You can see God like this harsh Asian mother. you think nothing you do is ever good enough. When we see God like this, we constantly try to please him. And no matter how hard you try, it’s never good enough. Have I prayed enough? Am I giving enough? Am I nice enough to my neighbor? We start to think about whether God is pleased with us by what we do. And we never know. So we worry, we’re unsure. And the more we think about it, it seems like we just can’t please this God. Is that how you see God?

Friends listen carefully to verses 8 to 9 again. Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

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.

You don’t do anything, it’s not works that saves you. But grace. that’s the key word i want us to stop and think about. Grace. It’s one of those words you hear all the time. It’s not just what we say before dinner. It’s not just when you enjoy someone perform a dance. Grace here means unmerited free gift. God is generous. He gives you something you don’t deserve. It’s a gift. you didn’t earn this gift. That’s the point of a gift.

Nello gave me this ornament a few weeks back after his trip to Tassie. After thinking, what do I do with this? I don’t know what ornaments do. I thought oh I didn’t get him something. I should get him something next year. Why do I think that? why do we think like that? It’s a gift. I didn’t deserve. He was generous. The gift is free for me to enjoy. I don’t need to think about what I need to do to get him something back. if i do, well it becomes a gift for him See The point of the gift is it’s free. Even greater, The gift that God gives us is Jesus. Jesus who died for our sins, who rose to life, taking our sins and punishment, giving us life. It’s all a gift. You don’t do anything to deserve this. You just receive it. And to be sure, you cannot do anything. You were dead in sin. Dead people can’t do anything. Why did God do this? It’s love. God’s great mercy and love. Friends, God’s greatest gift is that he made us alive in Christ because of his love and mercy.

Friends this is the best gift. We’ve gone from being dead in sin. We are now made alive in Christ. What is better than that? Nothing

But so what? What does this mean for you? what are some implications of what we have learnt?

4. Implications

1. Receive this gift

Firstly, receive this gift. If you haven’t received the gift, then you need to know you are in real danger. God is coming back. He will judge those who do not trust in Jesus. Friends, God offers us a free gift but we need to receive it. How do you receive it? You receive it by faith.This means you trust in Jesus. Trust that he lived, died and rose again for your sins. Repent, turn back to God and ask him to forgive you. So many get this wrong. Don’t miss it. Friends, it would be the worse thing for you if you didn’t receive God’s greatest gift. It would be a tragedy if you came to church week after week month after month year after year, but you never received this gift from God. So receive it. trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Receive the greatest gift from God. It will change your life forever.

The second implication is this: use this gift

2. Use this gift

See, once we receive the gift. We have gone from death to life. That we are right with God because of Jesus, we got to use the gift. He has made us alive with Christ. We now belong to King Jesus. So we have a purpose. What is it? It’s to live for him. To do good works. Your new life is for a purpose. So often people receive new life and then keep living the dead one. Their old broken life. If you have received this gift from God, then use it. Enjoy this gift. Don’t leave it in the wrapping, live the life God has given you through christ to do. If you ahead in chapters 4 5 and 6 you will see what this good works looks like. i’m happy for you to do that, jump ahead.

3. Thank God for this gift

Friends, we have gone from death to life. All because of God gift. His son Jesus Christ. All because of his great love and mercy that he would save us. what amazing grace. this means we ought to live thankful lives, don’t we? like in light of everything going on, this is what’s most important. you are right with God by faith. let’s be a church thankful, joyful, not grumpy at everything going on, but ever so thankful that God would send his son to save us, lavish his love on people like us. let’s be thankful.

Friends as I conclude, we’ve seen that God has given us the greatest gift, hasn’t he? We have gone from death because of our sins. But God, because of his mercy and great love has made us alive by grace in Christ. Let’s receive this gift by trusting in Jesus and lets live for him, with thankfulness in our hearts as we wait for him to return. Let’s pray.