“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 – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:4-6
One of my favorite passages among Paul’s writings is his letter to the churches in Ephesus. I became a Christian at 33 years old and can recall my hopeless life prior to coming to know Jesus. I love this key verse passage (Ephesians 2:1-10) because Paul succinctly describes the impoverished spiritual condition of humanity and the necessity of God’s intervention for salvation. He puts to rest the notion that any version of works-based salvation that man can conjure from his own vain imagination has no salvific merit before God.
Here are a couple of observations I would like to share with you:
Observation #1: The BAD NEWS (Verses 1-3)
The natural state of all human beings leads to eternal condemnation (cf. Rom 3). In other words, before salvation in Jesus:
- We stood as children of wrath before God.
- We were “active” in our rebellion against God, as indicated by Paul’s statement (v2), “…in which you once walked following the course of this world…”
- We were enslaved to sin by Satan, whose power was at work in us (Gal 4:3).
The depth of our depravity blinded us from seeing the light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Cor 4:3-4). Without God, our hearts were not only indifferent to Him but also hostile (Rom 8:5-8), as we rejected God, His Word, and His salvation.
An excellent illustration of our condition is seen in the story of Lazarus (John 11). We are spiritually in a tomb of darkness, bound to sin, unable to free ourselves from our grave clothes of death or make ourselves alive. Much like Lazarus, God must intervene by His own power to make those who are dead alive if we are to be free and live in Him!
Observation #2: The GOOD NEWS (Verses 4-10)
Salvation is given by God alone through Christ alone as a gift; therefore, we can praise Him for the following:
His Righteousness Saves, Not Ours
We have no saving merit before God and contribute nothing to our salvation but our sins. The Bible teaches that our human righteousness is as good as filthy rags in the presence of God. Out of love, God shows us mercy, as Paul’s writings reveal. While we were hopelessly lost in sin, with no redeeming works we could offer, God sent His Son to complete the saving work on our behalf (Rom 5:8). Therefore, no one will stand before Jesus Christ at the final judgment boasting of self-righteousness. Jesus is our only rescue from this eternal predicament.
His Death and Resurrection is a Fountain of Endless Grace
Jesus’ death, resurrection, and His enthronement at the right hand of the Father have made us alive in Christ. His salvific works have granted us union with God (Jn 17:20-21, Col 3:1-4) and enabled us to experience what Paul calls (v7), “…the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus…”
We are therefore saved by faith, not by works! Hallelujah!
Such faith destroys the power of Satan over our lives (Heb 2:14-15). It removes the shackles of sin and opens our eyes to the light of the Gospel and the glory of Jesus Christ! The saints of old often sang, “I was once blind, but now I see!” because salvation is given to us as an inheritance through adoption (Eph 1:5). If salvation is by works, then it is no longer a gift, and there is no place for grace.
Remember, God owes us nothing! We do not want what we have earned (Rom 6:23), but instead, we cry out for mercy, which is what we do not deserve. From this gift flows eternal life in Christ Jesus to us. We do not want to be measured against God’s standard for righteousness, which requires PERFECTION, but instead, we look upon our perfect Savior (1 Pt 1:18-21, cf. Jn 3:14) as our righteousness, where the mercy of God reigns!
He Saved Us For a Purpose
Paul states that we are God’s (v10), “…workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…” Such works are not saving; rather, they reflect the change God has made in our hearts and serve as evidence of salvation.
Therefore, we should take comfort in knowing that God has moved from heaven to save us despite ourselves. We should be reassured that God has loved rebels… He died for lost people. Reading and reflecting on this passage should nourish and heal our hearts. We all once lived in darkness, BUT because of God, we are rescued from eternal damnation. We are now His children of light, reflecting His glory of salvation on the earth.
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D
www.springoflivingwaters.com
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