All of us were born. If you are reading this right now, then you are alive. At least you are alive in the scientific sense. Some of you may be scientifically alive but totally spiritually dead.
Death to Life: God's Grace in Ephesians 2
When someone is dead; they cannot see or hear, they cannot understand, they can't perform any actions. Let's read what Ephesians 2:1-3 has to say about life and death:
"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."
Paul is talking to the church at Ephesus. He is speaking to believers, reminding them of how spiritually dead they once were. Before belonging to Christ, they walked in the way of the world. Just as those today who don't belong to Jesus also do. At one time this path seemed right to us but, according to Proverbs 14:12, it leads to death. The "prince of the power of the air" that Paul refers to is Satan. We were once Satan's children, not God's (John 8:44).
Our conduct, before becoming a Christian was to follow Satan, and live for ourselves. When we wanted something we pursued it, regardless of the consequences. Our wants were the only thing that truly mattered. We were "children of wrath" destined for judgment without the saving knowledge of Jesus.
Our Path Before Christ: Following the World
In 1 John 3:8, John says that a person who lives in habitual, unrepentant sin quite literally belongs to the Devil. This is how we know we belong to God. We may still struggle with sin, but someone who truly knows God will not remain in that sin without repentance. Repentance isn't just feeling sorry for our sins; it is sorrow that leads to change. We turn from that sin. Our path from death to life leaves us changed. We can't know God and stay the same.
The Turning Point: "But God"
Paul continues in Ephesians 2:4 to say, "But God". If not for God, this would be how we would forever remain. Under judgment, living as Satan would prefer us to live. It is only the mercy and love of God that changes things, that makes the unalive, fully alive. Paul wanted to remind his readers that it was God's grace, not our worthiness, that gave us life. Grace means the undeserved favor of God. Grace is God's gift of salvation to us. It is not earned.
Raised with Christ: Seated in Heavenly Places
Ephesians 2:6 goes on to say that we have become alive and are now raised up with Christ. He says we are raised up and seated in the heavenly places. This means more than just Heaven, it is also an unseen spiritual realm. This is where God and other spiritual beings, like angels and demons, exist. Paul speaks about these heavenly places several times in Ephesians.
The Future Revelation of Grace and Glory
In Ephesians 2:7, Paul speaks of a future where all of God's power and glory will be revealed. His grace towards us is immeasurable and he treats us with the greatest of kindness because of His Son. In Romans 11:22, Paul contrasts this loving kindness of God with his judgment of nonbelievers. We are to show others the same kindness that God has given us (2 Corinthians 6:6), whether they are worthy of it or not.
Grace Through Faith: God’s Transforming Gift
Paul tells us in the next verse that God's grace has saved us through our faith in Jesus. Salvation is an unmerited gift. The greatest one we have ever been given because it is the gift of life! In Ephesians 2:9, Paul teaches that no matter what efforts we have made, or how hard we have sought to be a virtuous person, salvation doesn't come from what we have done. We can't brag about how good we have been. We can't believe that we have earned God's grace. This truth frees us to trust completely in His goodness and not our own.
Do we do good? Of course! But the reason we do it is because we love God. Because we love God we will naturally love others and seek good for them. They will become more important to us than ourselves.
God’s Workmanship: Living as His Poetry
Ephesians 2:10 says we are God's workmanship. In Greek, the word is 'poiēma'. The English word, poem or poetry, comes from it. What does this mean? We are formed by God for a specific purpose. We are God's poetry. Our purpose? Good works! We are God's poem to the world. His love letter written on our hearts to help others see and believe in Him.
The Hope of Salvation: From Death to Life
Paul tells us that without God we have no hope (Ephesians 2:12). Can you imagine a hopeless life? How sad, how lonely, how without purpose one must feel. When a Christian dies, those Christians left behind don't grieve like those "with no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). For those with no hope, death is a door to nowhere. Many describe death as being "dead like a dog". They don't understand that there is judgment on the other side of death's door, unless they know Jesus.
But now things are different for us. We have had our relationship transformed by the blood of Christ. Now we are near, where once we were far from Him. His perfect sacrifice on the cross provides the bridge from death to life for us. As John 14:6 tells us, "Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ Our ultimate hope is in Him alone and with Him in Heaven, where our joy is unspeakable and full of glory.
The Awful Beyond: Faith in the Face of Eternity
From death to life, God's grace in Ephesians 2 is really about the miracle of becoming a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Listen to these words:
"...Faith is a mystery to those who possess it; it is ridiculed by those who have it not. But if possessed it overcomes the world. In Christ all things are ours. There is now for us no awful Beyond of mystery and fear." (What is Faith? by J. Gresham Machen)
Think on your life. Personally, do you live without fear of an awful 'Beyond'? Do you have faith? Is everything yours in Christ? I pray that you would come to know Him if you do not. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
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