By Grace
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As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2 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 at work in those who are disobedient.
3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
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51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Just had our wedding Anniversary. We went out for a meal, it was very low key. If I’m honest I’m not a great celebrator of any occasion where there is a duty to give gifts. I like gifts that are not about duty, not earned, unexpected, for no reason gifts, the undeserved gifts, just because you’re struggling gifts, an exam coming up, an illness, a sadness and you get a surprise gift or card, those are the ones that melt you, the ones you can never repay because they’re nothing to do with duty, they’re all about loving caring friendships and you're touched by them but you can't repay them.
Grace is the greatest undeserved, unexpected, for no-reason gift we could ever hope for. Grace is greater than being on the King's honours list, we are adopted into God’s family - grace is to be dead and made alive (Ephesians 2:1) - grace is to be transformed from being seen as sinful in the eyes of God (Ephesians 2:5) into being clean (righteous).
In Ephesians 2, Paul explains the incredible change that has happened in each believer – the miracle of salvation. He uses a familiar ‘Before & After’ format. Once you were like that, but now you’re like this. Such a dramatic change has taken place in the Ephesian church and in us.
1. Before Christ (Eph 2:1-3);
2. AD Anno Domini - Life in Christ (Eph 2:4-7)
3. By Grace (Eph 2:4-7);
Before Christ
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 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 at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. Ephesians 2:1-3
Here Paul is speaking about all of us (v3) B.C. ‘dead in your transgressions and sins’ the reality of people without God. Notice, three things from v1-3
(a) People are dead through sins. Sin is not so much about wrongdoing but being self-centred. We are spiritually dead. How sad it is that we are made by God for rel’n with God but many choose to live without God. Even in churches people can appear to be spiritually alive but the soul is dead. Ungrateful for the mercy of God, unresponsive to the beauty of JC, unmoved by HS. People can claim to be ‘spiritual’ but in truth they are Spiritually Dead.
(b) Enslaved, v2a by the ways of the world. Today, the ‘ways of the world’ BC has a stronghold on our minds. Phones, computers, laptops/tablets, TV, media, fashion, celebrity culture. The devil is the ruler of kingdom of the air (v2b). What does that mean? Ruler speaks of ‘authority’ to control his subjects. ‘Kingdom of the air.’ Air is everywhere. It’s in your bedroom. It’s in your kitchen. It’s in the TV. It’s on the sports field. It’s at the cinema - It’s all around you when you’re flicking through reels & reels – porn and pranks and preachers. Air is everywhere, our powerful enemy is everywhere, it’s spiritual warfare.
We should tremble. The deceiver says “you can manage your life.” But we are enslaved, ‘gratifying the cravings of our flesh’, because of our fallen selfish nature. Under the influence of the enemy – within (our flesh) and outside influence of secularism. That is what we are like BC, God's disobedient ones.
(c) Deserving of Wrath of God (v3). (a) dead, b)enslaved, c) condemned… and there is nothing we can do about it: that’s what it’s like BC.
If we are dead we need to be made alive. If we are slaves we need to be set free. If we are under wrath of God, we need mercy. That is how it is BC, it’s our predicament and we are helpless.
Let us move from BC to AD. Let’s see what God has done for us, in giving us this new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
2. A.D. Anno Domini - Life in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-7)
BUT GOD
Ephesians 2:4. Get these two words in your heads, ‘But God,’ only these two words can address our dilemma and our BC condition.
Let us have a round of Blankety Blank!
We were dead but God…. [Blank] We were slaves But God…. [Blank] We were condemned but God…. [blank]
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.”
God made us alive. Eph 2:4,5
This is Not like a Dr. offering the dying person medicine to revive them just swallow it and live. A dead person cannot swallow! We were dead BUT GOD in Christ made you alive! Ephesians 2:5,6 But God…made us alive with Christ. 6….And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.’ Note the progression from verse 5 to 6. Made us alive speaks of ‘Resurrection’ v5 , raised us up - speaks of ascension v6 seated (past tense) with Christ speaks of ‘accession’ v6b . God raised us up and sat us with JC in the heavenly realm. Not physically but legally seated. Like the union of man and woman in marriage – Christ's wealth is ours. In my marriage to Jennie - she got my house i got her car loan. We are one with Christ - he was raised from the dead so have we been. Exalted in heaven so have we, ‘seated us with him.’ Though we are still on earth we live and worship in the heavenly realm. A.D. that is who he is that is who we are Christ in us. God delights in you like he delights in Jesus.
Being a Christian is more than believing in JC , more than sound doctrine, more than worshipping Christ our Lord. The fundamental truth is that we are in Christ (NIV says ‘with Christ’). United. Joined. Related, all that belongs to Jesus is ours.
But God (Eph 2:4) transformed us from BC what we were to AD what we are now – 2v5 to be ‘made alive’ needs a life giver that is our God.
BC Eph 2:1-3 is followed by AD Eph 2:4 But God because of his great love for us. Friends don’t minimise the greatness of your salvation. You didn’t turn over a new leaf, you didn’t get fed up with your life, you didn’t decide that there must be more to life than this, that’s not salvation. You were dead, But God made you alive. Some diminish their salvation by emphasising what they went on to do for God, charities, church leaders, worship leaders, made a name for their selves. How can you minimise your salvation in this way? Ephesians 2:10 says we were created in Christ, created means - out of nothing - to do good works, we are God’s workmanship – BUT GOD did that for us.
3. By Grace.
Finally, fundamentally how did this happen? Two more words BY GRACE v5,v8
Grace is a word we use all the time but Jesus never used it. John 1:17 ‘For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ’ (NKJV). Jesus [said he was the bread of heaven, essential for our daily life] and he explained Grace by telling stories : A father longing for the return of the prodigal (grace) A lost sheep carried home across the shepherd's shoulders, a banquet thrown open to all the people not normally invited, workers paid a full days wage after an hours labour (pictures of his grace).
Nothing we can boast about, nothing we have merited, nothing earned, it, we didn’t deserve it. BY GRACE. 2 words. v8 saved by grace
Eph 2:4,7 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
NB Words which explain how: mercy & Love (v4) & Kindness v7 Mercy is for the guilty – we were like that. Mercy. Objects of wrath, that’s us - love triumphs over wrath. Grace rescues us from what we deserve. Grace expressed in his kindness to us. Grace is undeserved favour. We the result of his mercy, love, grace and kindness.
BY GRACE –No room for boasting. Should be uncomfortable with pride.
Were enslaved and now freed, were guilty and received mercy. BY GRACE.
I am the type who deserves divine tellings off and punishments of penance, a naughty step but when I come back to Jesus with sin and shame …I find he has spread a banquet for me and embraces me and says ‘Welcome home.’
“Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more … no amount of crusading on behalf of righteous causes. And GRACE means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less – no amount of racism or pride or porn or adultery….Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can love” Philip Yancey
If you think you can’t change or you’ve messed up too many times ..please respond to this amazing grace. Amazing Grace that saved a wretch like me, like John newton, like Russel Brand. It is by God’s grace you are saved, God makes the moves, God makes it happen if only you will accept his offer. God’s grace includes the strength to cope with whatever it takes to follow him.
This epistle was read out in the church in Ephesus - they had Religion, philosophy, sexual promiscuity. The Temple of Artemis (orgies Up Pompeii style) offered nothing to make them spiritually alive, to free them from being held in the grip of the world and the cravings of the flesh. Does that sound familiar? Sounds a bit like the predicament we have today. What is the answer, But God….By grace are you saved through faith….. it is a gift of God.
