Ephesians Chapter 2
“Amazing Grace”
Grace – unmerited favor – receiving something we don’t deserve – what God freely does for us that we are unable to do for ourselves. It’s exciting to spend a few minutes with you talking about the ‘good news’ of Chapter 2 of Ephesians….God’s Amazing Grace. When I was asked to teach a Sunday School class, or two, this summer, without giving much thought, I said ‘sure.’ Several months later I was asked if I would teach Chapter 2 in the book of Ephesians…and that’s when fear and panic set in…you see, this is out of my comfort zone….and that brings me to my first objective…
I have but 2 objectives in this class:
· To encourage and challenge us to move out of our comfort zone in our walk with Jesus.
· To see the greatness and goodness of God as demonstrated by His love for us and His grace and mercy in Christ Jesus.
As we look at these words from Ephesians, we can only conclude that God is good. His unfailing love for us is seen in the sacrifice of His son, Jesus. I hope as we come to understand His gifts of grace and salvation that we will be moved by the Holy Spirit to obedience to Christ.
Whether you have not made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, or whether you have been walking with Jesus for 50 plus years, I want to encourage and challenge you to take the next step in your walk with Jesus. Whether that means accepting Jesus for the first time, or picking up the Bible and reading it on a daily basis, joining a small group Bible study, or leading one, teaching Sunday School, or sharing your faith with a neighbor. Let’s move forward together in our faith.
If you haven’t asked Jesus into your heart, He says He is standing at the door knocking and if you hear Him, open the door and He will come in (Rev 3:20)…He promises to come into your heart and to your life. Jesus says ‘ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened’ (Mt. 7:7)…if you haven’t already, trust in Jesus…believe He is who he says He is and ask him into your heart to be your lord and savior. As all of us move out of our comfort zones together, I hope you find comfort and encouragement, as I do, in these words from Paul:
· 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NIV) When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
As divine providence would have it, chapter 2 of Ephesians is my favorite chapter in Ephesians and one of the great chapters in all the Bible. To me, it shows man’s true nature without God, Dead in Sin, and it speaks to the very nature of God in His power, mercy, goodness, and love. I don’t think I can adequately describe what is truly happening in this chapter – I am only reminded of the conclusion Job draws in his final conversation with God when he finally ‘gets it’ and realizes God’s greatness. Job says this: “…Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”(Job 42:3)
We worship a Holy God, a Father, who would sacrifice His own son for sinners like us. When I think of my own children, it is hard for me to understand a love like that. Truly amazing grace, where God freely does for us what we could not do for ourselves.
I want to go ahead and drive a stake into the very heart of chapter 2, the heart of Ephesians, and, I believe, the very heart of the Gospel message.
· Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
First, I want to give you a homework assignment for the next lesson. Memorize these three verses and meditate on them. These are some of the great truths and promises of the Bible and I encourage you to plant these words in your heart.
In verse 8, see God’s 3 gifts to us: the gift of grace and the gift of faith, which leads to the third gift, our gift of salvation.
In verse 9, by God’s design, we are reminded that we cannot work or earn our way to heaven. Thus, our salvation is totally dependent on God for His glory. There is no room for us to boast: Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians of the prophet Jeremiah’s words: “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (Jer 9:24)
Verse 10 is interesting in that it ties the tension of grace and works together. Look at three things with me:
· We are God’s workmanship, created by God, in His image.
· We are created “in Christ Jesus” to do good works. We will speak of this ‘mystical union’ of what it is for believers to be ‘In Christ’ later, but you can see plainly we are created by God to do ‘good works’.
· These good works are created in advance by God for us to do. That idea is a little hard to get my mind around, so anytime I’m a little stuck theologically, I go to my ‘go to’ people, Hallie or Cate. In this case it was my 11 year old Cate, who was available. I told her I understand how God created Adam out of dust and how he knit us in our mothers womb, and I can understand how he has prepared good works for us to do in advance, but my question is: ‘how do I know what these good works are?’ Cate said simply: “The Bible.” Two simple words, one great Truth.
I thought of Romans 12:2. How can we know God’s will for our lives? How can we know what ‘good works’ he wants us to do?
· Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
In order to know God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will and to be able to test and approve it, there are two steps:
· Do not conform to the pattern of the world
· Be transformed into the image of Jesus by the renewing of your mind.
And two ways to do this are through Bible study and prayer.
Paul writes:
· Romans 8:29 (NIV) For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Don’t be conformed to the world, because we have been called to conform ourselves to the likeness of Jesus. Rather, become a follower, and disciple of Jesus, a brother and sister in Christ.
Theologians call the process of becoming more like Jesus sanctification and, although on this earth we will all stumble in many ways (Jm 3:2), there will come a day when we will see Jesus face to face and at this point we will become like Christ. That is glorification.
As we think about these words in Ephesians 2:8-10, there are three things I would like us to see:
· the greatness of God as we think of the gifts of grace and faith that lead to our salvation
· how God’s greatness is magnified in that we cannot earn or work our way to salvation
· how our creator has not only created us, but created good works, in advance, for us to do
As we think about this passage, I hope we will be convicted by the Holy Spirit to live out the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and ..let our lights shine before men, so that when they see our good deeds, our Father in heaven will be praised (Matthew 5:16).
My hope is that our love of God will be reflected in our obedience to His Word. The apostle John writes:
· 1 John 5:3 (NIV) This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome
Before we pickup at the beginning of chapter 2 to see the buildup to these three great verses, I want to back track briefly to chapter 1 and look at just one verse. As a reminder, let’s see who is writing this letter and to whom it is written:
· Ephesians 1:1 I, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus
What do we see here? Paul is the writer and identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ (one who has seen and knows Jesus personally). Paul identifies his writing as God’s will, and he identifies his audience as the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ. If you have a genuine, saving faith, these words from Paul are written directly for you, as well…”the faithful in Christ Jesus.”
Dead in Sin
The doctor walks in and says to you: “I have some good news and I have some bad news.” You say, “Give me the bad news, doc.” Before he opens his mouth, your mind is racing: You’re thinking, I don’t even feel sick… I’m certainly not as sick as those other guys I saw up and down the hall…will the doctor say I’ve only got a year to live…three months to live. Then the doctor speaks and the verdict is in – anybody know the verdict?: he says, “Your’re dead.” It’s not that we are merely sick, but that we are actually dead – game over – and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.
This is what the Reformed Theologians refer to as Total Depravity… man's natural condition apart from any grace exerted by God to restrain or transform man. If you would like to read more about Reformed Theology and the Five Points of Calvinism check out John Piper’s website (desiringgod.org). Piper is a Baptist minister in Minneapolis and is a great writer. Type in TULIP in the search box, and you can find a well written paper entitled: “What We Believe about the 5 Points of Calvinism.
Let me take a brief detour into a little reformed theology. TULIP summarizes the 5 points of Calvinism:
Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints
We won’t get too bogged down here, but I did want to mention a couple of things. Last week I was talking with Hallie, my oldest, she is 14, about our recent sermon on Total Depravity. She said she didn’t remember much about it…something about being doomed in sin. I asked her if she would like to spend a few minutes talking about TULIP, and she said ‘not really.’ I said ‘what would you like to talk about,’ and she said ‘getting a cell phone.’ I told her I would make a deal with her that if she would spend 20 minutes with me discussing TULIP and summarize for me at the end, I would talk to her about a cell phone. I think the deal is biblical along the line of rewards.
Anyway, we spoke for a few minutes, she took notes, and then summarized this way: We are doomed in sin and God reaches down and saves us by His grace. Because he is God, he may choose who he wants to save based on nothing we have done. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross satisfies the sins of those God has chosen. These elect will keep the faith until the end. And there you have it….reformed theology…easy enough for a 14 year old.
I enjoy reading the commentaries of the old church fathers. John Calvin’s ‘Institutes’…I like reading about Martin Luther, St. Augustine, or some of the great writers and teachers of today…I like R.C. Sproul or John Piper. But ultimately there is only one commentator that matters – GOD…The Great I AM. His commentary, the Bible, is our only source of truth. The Bible best explains the Bible.
Whether you like to go deep in theology and doctrine or prefer the simplicity of the Gospel, I have two cautions:
1. For those of you heavy into theology and doctrine, myself included, that is good. But be careful not to miss the forest for the trees. The message of the Gospel is made for children to understand and is summed up in John 3:16 which can be summarized further in these five words: God loves us. Jesus saves. Be about sharing that good news.
2.For those of you who are satisfied with the simplicity of the Gospel, myself included, the encouragement is to dig a little deeper and grow in your knowledge of Jesus. Move from spiritual milk to solid food as the scripture encourages us to do. Know the difference between sound and unsound doctrine. Paul writes:
· 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NIV) For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Sound theology and doctrine is a good thing, just don’t forget the simplicity of the gospel: Jesus Christ and Him crucified!
Before God enters the picture we are dead in sin, doomed to God’s justice and wrath. Paul puts it this way:
· Romans 3:10 (NIV) As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one”;
· Romans 5:12 (NIV) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned
King David put it this way:
· Ps. 51:5 (NIV) Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me
So “what’s the good news, doc?” The doctor responds: Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Dead in Sin - Alive in Christ
And that is the Good News of Ephesians Chapter 2!...let’s jump in.
· Ephesians 2:1-3 (NIV) As for you (the faithful), you were (past tense) dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now (present tense) at work in those who are disobedient (the opposite of obedience-to which we are called). All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were (past tense) by nature objects of wrath.
Look at verse 3 and see that at one time we were grouped with ‘the rest’ of the disobedient and we were ‘by nature objects of wrath.’
Objects of Wrath.
Have you ever wondered what Solomon meant when he wrote: “The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prv. 9:10) Certainly he meant a reverential awe. But, I think, it is much more. When we see God plainly for who he is: His sovereign power, His justice along with His mercy and goodness, we find a deeper appreciation. In view of who we are, doomed sinners with no hope without God, we see what God's grace has spared us – His wrath!
We get a glimpse of the wrath of a just God throughout the Bible. Here is a passage in Revelation where the people were begging for the mountain to fall on top of them to spare them from God’s wrath:
· Revelation 6:16-17 (NIV) They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
‘Who can stand’ is the question. The answer starts with……
“But God”
· Ephesians 2:4-7 (NASB) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions (Dead in Sin), 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 ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
“But God”. Two powerful words. You see these words throughout the Bible…But God… The power of an Almighty God. Sometimes a majesty too great to understand. Paul draws from Isaiah and Job:
· Romans 11:34-36 (NIV) "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?" "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
How will we escape the jaws of death and the mouth of Hell? How do we avoid the Wrath of God? Paul writes.
· Romans 10:9 (NIV) … if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus by the grace of God. Here we see a gracious and merciful God reach down and save us out of the pit. God Almighty, El Shadai brings us out of darkness into His wonderful light. We were lost, but now found, once blind, but now see – we come face to face with God’s amazing grace.
In 1 Peter we are told:
· 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Let’s peel back these verses 4 through 7 of Ephesians chapter 2. We see the richness of God’s mercy and His great love for us. Even while dead in our transgressions, the scripture says “…even while we were still sinners – Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). God has made us alive together with Christ. This verse touches again on the mystical union with Christ. Jesus was raised up on the cross and raised to life on the 3rd day. In the same way, God raises us to life by the blood and sacrifice of His son. We have been raised up to be with Jesus in Heaven.
Paul also speaks of a future grace to come.
· Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We’ve come full circle to see again God’s great gifts to us.
We worship one triune God who by His hand has saved us by grace alone, through faith alone. We can not accomplish enough works to earn our way to heaven, but God has saved us for His Glory. The creator of the universe not only created us, but prepared, in advance, work we can do for His kingdom and His glory. Let’s move out of our comfort zone today and look for opportunities in obedience to the Christ.
I hope we have been encouraged and challenged to move out of our comfort zone in our walk with Jesus as we learn of God’s greatness in the power of His word…I hope His word has renewed within us the desire to know Jesus more deeply and to share His salvation message with others.
Let’s conclude with these promises from Jesus:
· Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
The message of Jesus is simple: “Follow me”…”Come to me and I’ll give you rest”…"Learn from me and you’ll find rest for your souls"… "His yoke is easy and His burden is light."
And from Isaiah…In chapter 6 when he became overwhelmed with God’s majesty he said "woe is me...I am undone"….then God asked a question: "Whom shall I send?" and Isaiah responded: "Send me"…I hope we will respond in the same way…."put me in the game"…"suit me up" for, indeed, we have available the full armor of God
Next week we will pick up with verse 11. And, because of God’s Amazing Grace to us, we now have access to the Amazing Peace only found in Jesus Christ. We’ll also touch on this mystical relationship of being ‘In Christ.’