Sermon Tone Analysis

We are looking this morning at the work of God’s intervention into our hopeless condition.

The condition which Paul describes as dead in our trespasses and sins, walking according to the course of this world which is according to Satan’s leading, sons of disobedience, conducting ourselves in the lust of our flesh, by nature children of wrath.

This intervention is motivated by two things God’s rich mercy and His great love with which He loved us.

God’s mercy is one of His primary attributes that we find in both the Old and New Testaments.

Every person lives under the longsuffering and abundant mercy of God.

So God because of His rich mercy and His great love with which He loved us.

This love is Agape love which is a sacrificial love, a love which is solely concerned with the one to whom it is directed and expects nothing in return.

It is unconditional love.

Agape love is best described in 1 Cor 13:4-7

So God’s great intervention into our hopeless state is motivated by compassion, longsuffering and unconditional love.

And this is seen in that even when we were dead in our trespasses He made us alive.

as in...

So then what does Paul say that God did for us even while we were dead?

Three verbs which Paul adds the prefix “syn” the verbs on their own would mean “made alive”, “raised up” and “made sit” But by adding syn Paul links these actions directly with the work done in Christ.

The prefix syn adds to the meaning of the verbs “together with”

When Paul said in Eph 1:19-20

According to does not mean it is a similar power rather it is the same power, in fact it is that exact same work.

The work of our salvation was accomplished in Christ.

It is therefore only in absolute identification and union with Christ that we are saved.

This is the great difference between belief in Christ and true saving faith.

True saving faith is identification with Christ, partaking in His death burial and resurrection as well as His ascension.

This is the picture of the sacraments.

Baptism pictures the identification in the death burial and resurrection of Christ and communion pictures the unity with the body and blood of Christ.

This is why Paul says in Eph 1:3

Because every blessing we have from God the Father flows from the Father to the Son and we receive these blessings only if we are in Christ.

We are accepted by the Father only because Christ is accepted by the Father we have forgiveness only because in Christ our sins were paid in full.

We have and inheritance only because Christ has an inheritance and we will be glorified only because Christ is glorified.

When we truely identify with Christ a union is made, an inseparable and eternal bond.

So it is in this union that we have salvation and all the blessings of God.

What does this mean for us?

If you are united with Christ you are one with Him.

For the Father to reject you He would be rejecting Christ and he will never reject Christ.

This is why Paul can say in Rom 8:38-39

Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ because nothing can separate Christ from the love of God.

Coming back to our text…

So we have been made alive together with Christ and raised up together with Christ.

Paul speaks of our resurrection here in the past tense because our resurrection although we have not yet seen it, it was accomplished when God raised Christ from the dead.

This is why Paul speaks of our resurrection and the resurrection of Christ as being the same as our resurrection in 1 Cor 15:12-15

So the fact of Christ’s resurrection become the assurance of our resurrection.

Now Paul says something that almost feels blasphemous.

The seat at the right hand of the Father, the seat of all power and authority.

Paul spoke of this in Eph 1:20-22

Christ is seated in heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named and Paul tells us in 2 vs6 that we are seated together with Him.

Here we see just how united we are with Christ.

So much so that we are with Him seated in His throne of power.

What does this mean for us?

If Christ is far above all spiritual, demonic, Satanic powers and dominions then if we are in Christ then they have no power over us.

As we will see in Eph 6 If we have on the armour of God then we are able to stand against all attacks.

Putting on the armour of God is the same as being in Christ.

Why has God who is rich in mercy and because of His great love with which He loved us made us alive together with Christ, raised us up together with Christ and made us to sit together with Christ?

In the Ages to come, that mean now and stretching all the way into eternity God will show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

This is the great gospel.

Those who are without hope are given everything in Christ.

So the only question is “are you in Christ Jesus?” Self and self identity must die and we must be united with Christ by faith.

Our only hope is in Christ.