WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:06.719 A couple weeks ago, I uh brought our oldest child, our daughter Zoe, back to college. 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:12.960 She's at SCAD in Savannah, and it's just fun to see her growing and maturing. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:15.199 And I've been checking in with her the last couple weeks. 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:16.800 She's she's taking a few classes. 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:21.920 She's got uh her favorite class is one of her core major classes in illustration. 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:28.800 She also has an elective and a core class that she's not as excited about, but it fills out your education, right? 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:37.200 As I was studying Ephesians chapter 2 for today's sermon, I realized that's a that's kind of a way of looking at different chapters of the Bible. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:43.920 Some chapters are like electives, they're kind of fun and interesting, and uh, you know, they take us to unexpected places. 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:50.960 There's some core uh core parts of the Bible that it's good for us to know, but but sometimes they can be a grind. 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:54.960 And then there are major chapters, major classes of the Bible. 00:00:55.039 --> 00:01:02.240 And Ephesians chapter 2 is one of these major chapters that delves deep into the theology of salvation. 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:05.680 And I'm excited for us uh to get into that this morning. 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:07.439 In fact, Russ kind of touched on this. 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:21.439 Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of this book of Ephesians, we basically break into this deep theological teaching that Paul is giving to these Ephesian Gentiles and how and why they were saved. 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:27.519 And then chapters 4, 5, and 6, Paul transitions into how does that affect the way we live? 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:36.239 This deep and rich theology, which God wants us to understand, will then affect the way we live our day-to-day life. 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:53.760 Back in chapter 1, he began this letter by praising God for this incredible salvation he had brought to the Ephesians through Jesus' death, resurrection, ascension, and session that he is seated with the Father in the heavenly places. 00:01:54.079 --> 00:02:03.680 And the mystery that's been revealed is that it's not just the sons and daughters of Abraham, but God's salvation has been opened to include the Gentiles. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:13.439 Biblically speaking, there's only two groups of people: there's God's people, the Israelites, the Jews, and the Gentiles, which is everybody else. 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:26.479 And it was kind of a shocking revelation that God's love was so deep and so wide that it was actually meant to encompass all the peoples of the world. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:41.919 And so Paul is writing this letter especially to these Ephesians who were Gentiles, so that they might know and understand the depth of God's love and the depths of the effort that he went through to save them. 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:48.639 And that's the same, most of us are gent, would be considered Gentile Christians. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:54.639 So, let's jump in and see as Paul peels back the layers here for our understanding. 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:56.879 Look at verses one through three. 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:23.680 He says, And you were dead in your 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. 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:34.159 Our first point, Paul is outlining the problem that required salvation, and it's this that apart from Christ, all of humanity is dead in sin. 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:43.680 Paul writes to the Ephesians to remind them this was your spiritual state prior to Christ, and it was stark and desperate. 00:03:43.919 --> 00:04:03.120 First, they were spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins, which means that they followed the course of this world, which means that they followed the prince of the power of the air, who is the spirit that is now at work in the sons and the daughters of disobedience. 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:04.240 And what does that look like? 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:13.120 It looks like living according to the passions of the flesh, and following the desires of the flesh, and a mind corrupted by sin. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:19.519 And all this made them children of wrath, along with the rest of mankind. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:23.759 But this was not unique to the Ephesians or even to the Gentiles. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:31.360 Paul tells them that this is how we all once lived, whether Jew or Gentile. 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:39.439 And in this recitation, what we see is are the three main enemies that the Bible teaches us about as children of God. 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:42.560 That is the world, the flesh, and the devil. 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:48.319 The world is kind of like the common way of thinking, of culture and mankind separated from God. 00:04:48.480 --> 00:05:00.240 The flesh is not really our skin and bone, it's not the flesh, the body is composed of the spirit, but it's it's a way of talking about our fallen human nature that is by nature opposed to God. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:12.240 And Satan, uh, right, the prince of the power of the air, who has rebelled against God and has been ruling over God's good creation since the fall. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:15.600 This was our state apart from Christ. 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:22.480 To be separated from God is to be separated from the source of life, and so being spiritually dead. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:25.279 And it teaches us about the true nature of sin. 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:29.680 Sin is not just error, it's not messing up or making mistakes. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:32.959 Rather, sin, again, is being separated from God. 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:36.560 It's a state of being, separated from life. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:38.160 But there's more. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:50.399 To be apart from Christ is also to be apart from his kingdom, to be part of another kingdom, the kingdom of darkness, led by the prince of the power of the air, Satan. 00:05:50.720 --> 00:06:03.439 This is the one underlying message of the gospel, that Jesus is the rightful king returning to restore God's rightful rule over his good creation. 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:13.839 If you're familiar with the gospel messages, when Jesus came on the scene, he announced his ministry by saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:19.920 And we pray in the Lord's Prayer that God's kingdom would come here on earth as it is in heaven. 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:24.079 That's the same idea that Paul is talking about here. 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:34.879 And Paul will say later in this passage that what this means is that we were all without hope and without God in the world. 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:38.720 Sin is serious and to be taken seriously. 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:42.240 In his book, Gentle and Lowly, Dane Orton says it like this. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:57.279 He said, Christ was not sent to mend wounded people, nor to wake sleepy people, or advise confused people, or inspire bored people, or to spur on lazy people, but to raise dead people. 00:06:58.639 --> 00:07:08.399 This is so important for us to remember because, spiritually speaking, prior to Christ, we didn't feel dead, if you can remember that time. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:18.240 But when we put our faith in Christ, when we heard this gospel message, and we pledged allegiance to King Jesus, Paul says, we were made alive. 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:21.839 We were given the Holy Spirit. 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:30.959 Let's look at verses four through six. 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:42.319 He says, 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. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:50.879 By grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:52.480 But God. 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:57.199 One commentator says these are the two most important words in this whole letter. 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:02.639 And maybe they're the two most important words in the New Testament. 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:14.959 In spite of our state of being spiritually dead, even being children of wrath, God chose to make us alive, together with Christ. 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:23.600 And he raised us up with Christ, and we are seated with Christ at the right hand of God the Father even now. 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:34.320 Now, what Paul's language is teaching us and pointing us to, Lord, is a foundational theological truth called union with Christ. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:39.759 And it is it is the underlying framework for understanding our very salvation. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:46.799 You see, our all of humanity was originally under the headship of Adam, our first father. 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:56.720 When he and Eve rebelled against God, sin entered the world, it corrupted creation, and it also entered the human heart. 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:01.759 And both of our spirit parents became spiritually dead. 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:07.200 And now all who descend from our first parents are dead in sin. 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:21.360 But now, when we hear the great announcement of the good news, the evangel, that King Jesus has come to defeat the Prince of the Power of the air and to free us from slavery to sin. 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:33.279 When we hear that message and we receive it, we assent to it, we put our faith in Jesus and say, Yes, Jesus is my king and my savior. 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:41.440 God takes us, spiritually speaking, out of Adam and places us in Christ. 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:43.919 He unites us with Christ. 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:50.000 And what that means is that whatever happened to Jesus happens to us. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:53.919 And so, Jesus died among the cross. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:54.960 I think we have a slide. 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:56.000 Is it there? 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:57.039 There it is. 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.039 Jesus died on the cross. 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:07.679 And so when we are united to cross, we have died with Christ on the cross, and our sins are paid for. 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:16.480 And just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so we in him are raised to justification of life. 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:26.000 And finally, just as he is seated at the right hand of God, so in him we are seated in the heavenly places. 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:44.879 Now, just like we didn't know or understand that we were spiritually dead prior to Christ, so often today it doesn't feel like we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places, and yet Paul tells us, this is what is true of us in Christ, and it is very good news. 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:50.879 By grace, we have been saved through faith in Christ, through this union with Christ. 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:56.159 And the Bible uses many different metaphors to help us understand what God has done. 00:10:56.320 --> 00:11:04.480 We have moved from the king from darkness to light, from one family to another, from one kingdom to another. 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:07.519 But the question is, how did God do it? 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:09.200 That's point three. 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:11.840 What was the power that saved us? 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:14.639 Paul tells us it came from God alone. 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:16.559 Look at verses eight and nine. 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:19.840 He says, For by grace you have been saved through faith. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:22.159 And this is not your own doing. 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:29.039 It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:36.399 In these few verses, Paul is going to great lengths to communicate this very important point. 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:38.320 How did God save us? 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:41.840 The answer in a word is grace. 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:45.519 And we typically define that word as unmerited favor. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:52.960 It is favor, it is love, it is affection that you have received that you did not merit, you did not earn, you do not deserve. 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:55.279 It is simply a gift. 00:11:56.320 --> 00:11:58.559 That's what Paul is communicating here. 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:08.399 It is given freely by God's choice, not because of anything that we have done to persuade God, to placate God, to earn it from God or to deserve it. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:13.120 So he says it is by grace as opposed to our own doing. 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:14.320 Right? 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:18.559 We are dead, we're dead in our trespasses and sins. 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:23.600 There was nothing that we were able to do, spiritually speaking. 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:41.440 And so just like God breathed life into that hunk of earth that became Adam, so he takes us in our deadness and he breathes recreation life through the Holy Spirit to make us alive again. 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:42.879 Amen? 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:44.639 Hallelujah. 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:46.559 Let's get a little Baptist up in here. 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:47.519 Come on. 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:52.720 But Paul, here he anticipates an objection, right? 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:58.320 But Paul, what, you know, we remember prior to this message, prior to Christ, we did good things. 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:01.360 We helped people, we loved our spouses and our children. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:03.200 And even now we do good things. 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:15.039 Well, Paul says in verse 10, we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which he prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:15.519 Okay. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:21.840 Now, I rarely and never want to critique Bible translation. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:22.240 Right? 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:27.759 We have very reliable English translation from ancient, you know, original language texts. 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:30.000 We have reliable Bible translations. 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:33.759 And I don't like this word workmanship. 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:36.000 Does anybody know what workmanship means? 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:40.320 Every time I read this verse, I'm like, what are you saying? 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:43.519 I've never used the word workmanship in a sentence. 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:48.559 I have never heard another person use the word workmanship in a sentence. 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:51.279 So what is Paul saying? 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:59.840 Well, it comes from this Greek word poema, which is the noun form of the verb uh po'e'o, which means to work. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:03.360 So a poema is the result of my work. 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:09.519 So if you're an artisan, if you're a painter or a sculptor, and you you paint a beautiful picture, that's your poema. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:12.799 It's the result of your work. 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:17.759 And so what Paul is saying is that we are God's work. 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:29.120 When we do good works, we are simply living in the works that God prepared for us to do before eternity past. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:46.799 Now, this gets us to a point that Paul taught uh Paul Russ talked about last week, which is uh this debate or this issue or this uh tension between predestination and, or God's sovereignty and free will. 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:49.519 Now, we're not gonna rehash that this morning. 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:51.360 Go back, listen to his sermon. 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:52.480 There are plenty of books. 00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:54.960 It's an issue worth looking into. 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:56.639 It's fine, especially if you're a college student. 00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:01.279 That's what college is for, to wrestle with this question of predestination or free will. 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:05.759 Um, what we want to focus on this morning is what is Paul getting at? 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:06.879 What's his point? 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:12.080 Why is he addressing this issue of even our good works are God's work? 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:21.200 Paul wants us to know this one thing that our salvation from beginning to end is God's work for us. 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:29.120 It's not a result of anything we have done, it's the result of God's gracious kindness. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:38.720 Literally, a gift, a better gift, even if we cried out to God for mercy, it's a better gift than we even imagined that we needed. 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:41.440 And it came from God. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.799 I love the way Malcolm Guite talks about this verse. 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:47.440 If you don't know Malcolm Geite, you can look him up on YouTube. 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:52.559 He's this old Anglican priest, uh, which is hilarious that he has a YouTube channel. 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:58.399 I think I've uh mentioned it before, but um, I just want this guy to be my granddad. 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:05.600 He uh he's got a big white beard, he looks like a hobbit or Santa Claus or something, and he he quotes a lot of Tolkien and C.S. 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:06.559 Lewis and stuff. 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:08.399 Well, he he and he's a poet. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:10.000 He's he's he's a professional poet. 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:13.759 He's produced multiple books of poetry. 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:20.960 And he he uh he said that we get the English word poem from this Greek word poema. 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:27.279 And so he says we could translate this verse that we are God's poetry. 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:40.799 And I love that sentiment, and I think it it kind of cuts through this this sovereignty free will debate because Paul's point here is that if you are in Christ, if you belong to him, you are his beloved. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:45.679 And not only that, you are the result of his artistic work. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:17:03.840 You are his unique poem that he is writing and sending out into the world that through you people might see the riches of the depth of his love and kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:07.119 Which brings us to our final point. 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:13.200 Uh, the problem, sin, the solution is God's work in us. 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:14.880 The power is from God alone. 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:15.599 What? 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:17.759 Paul gets here to this fourth point. 00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:19.279 Why did God do all this? 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:21.119 And why did he do it in this way? 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:30.480 The reason is that he wanted to reveal a specific aspect of his character to us, to creation, to the heavenly beings. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:33.599 And he gives the reason in verse 4 and verse 7. 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:42.000 In verse 4, he tells us that God was rich in mercy towards us because of the great love with which he loved us. 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:44.240 Why did God save us? 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:46.720 Because he loved us. 00:17:46.960 --> 00:18:00.000 And this is an incredibly important theological point, because it is not the case that God the Father was angry at us and full of wrath, and it and it took the Son to come and change God's mind. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:06.400 No, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit from all eternity put the plan of redemption together. 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:10.480 It was always the heart of the Father to love us. 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:19.279 And it was always in his heart to save us in this way, because he wanted to reveal that love to us. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:25.519 We were created in love, and now in Christ we are recreated in love. 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:30.799 Now in verse 7, Paul gives a second reason for why he saved us this way. 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:40.240 He says, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:47.440 As I studied this passage over the last week, this is the verse that jumped out to me, and I just, I could not get over it. 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:49.440 I couldn't get around it. 00:18:49.839 --> 00:19:02.400 Not only did God did God save us because he loves us, but he saved us specifically in this way, graciously, because he wanted to reveal an aspect of his character to the world around him. 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:04.400 And what did he want to reveal? 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:10.559 The immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness to us. 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:15.119 God is so rich in grace. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:17.599 It is immeasurable. 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:24.799 Scripture tells us that God is holy, that God is just, that God is good. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:27.440 And we should never diminish those things. 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:36.960 But what Paul is telling us in this passage is that there was one thing God wanted to reveal about himself through our salvation. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:45.279 And that that is he is a God of grace, a God of love, God of kindness. 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:53.200 As I read this, it reminded me this old story I read in Philip Yancey's book, What's So Amazing About Grace? 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:54.559 Let me recount it to you. 00:19:54.640 --> 00:20:04.559 He says, during a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:06.720 They began eliminating possibilities. 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:07.920 Was it the incarnation? 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:12.559 Well, other religions had different versions of gods appearing in human form. 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:13.759 Was it the resurrection? 00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:19.039 Again, other religions had accounts of returning from the dead. 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:21.440 The debate went on for some time until C.S. 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:23.119 Lewis wandered into the room. 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:24.880 What is this rumpus about? 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:25.680 He asked. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:32.240 And he heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity's unique contribution among world religions. 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:35.519 Lewis responded, Oh, that's easy. 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:36.960 It's grace. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:40.160 It's grace, beloved. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:45.279 World religions, the religions of the world, they have, they contain much truth. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:21:03.279 But no other religion in the world captures the heart of the one true God, which is that though we fall short, though we introduced sin into the world, though we are the source of the corruption and the evil, yet God loves us still. 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:12.720 And he gave up of himself that we might become again his cherished possession. 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:20.240 And beloved, that is the truth that we rest in, that we are free to rest in God's love. 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:26.880 But we also are free to love out of the rest we have received in Christ. 00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:37.920 Beloved, may we rejoice and celebrate our God who is love and who wanted nothing more than for you to know how much he loves him. 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:39.680 That is his heart toward you. 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:41.200 Loving kindness. 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:45.680 If you have any questions about this sermon, or if you need prayer, I'll be down front after the service. 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:46.559 Please come see me. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:47.839 Let's pray. 00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:51.359 Our Father and our God, we simply rejoice with Paul. 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:55.359 We we are we come to the end of human language. 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:05.839 Simply to celebrate your immeasurable riches and grace toward us in Christ. 00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:10.799 May your name be lifted up, and may we be lifted up in your love. 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:12.079 We pray in Jesus' name. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:12.799 Amen.