Ephesians 2:1-10 (2)

Pastor Jonathan Hansen

Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

Ephesians 2:1–10

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Transcript

Premise:

We were formerly dead in our sins; but God mercifully brought us to life by grace alone, through faith alone to glorify and obey Him.

Opening:

Introduction of the Text:

Reading of the Text:

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in your transgressions and sins,2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,3 among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.4 But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us,5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;9 not of works, so that no one may boast.10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Behold the Word of God. Let’s pray.

Prayer:

Transition:

Review of Paul’s Argument.

1:1-2. From Who? To Who?

Ephesians 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:3-14.

Paul, by the Spirit, is unveiling the mystery of the gospel and the working of the Trinity in the sovereign, salvific election of the saints.

The Father Predestines, The Son Redeems, The Spirit Seals.

1:15-23.

Paul prays that God will reveal the hope of God's calling to salvation and the strength of His might in the Lordship of Christ.

We ought to be amazed that God has opened our hearts to the riches of His grace and the Lordship of Christ.

Transition:

I. Our Former State. v. 1-3

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you were dead in your transgressions and sins,2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,3 among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Explanation:

Dead in Transgressions and Sins.

Walked in Transgressions and Sins.

Walked According to the Course of This World.

Walked According to Satan.

Satan Is At Work in the Sons of Disobedience.

Conducted Ourselves As Sons of Disobedience.

By Conducting Ourselves in the Desires of the Flesh and Mind.

By Nature Children of Wrath.

Argumentation:

A State of Total Inability.

Colossians 2:13-15. 13 And you being dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him, having graciously forgiven us all our transgressions.14 Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us which was hostile to us, He also has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.15 Having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them in Him.

Augustine remarked that “Will is to grace as the horse is to the rider.” -On Free Choices of the Will.

R.C. Sproul clarifies Augustine’s point by contributing to him this phrase. “man is like a horse, and he has one of two riders. Either the horse is ridden by Satan, or it is ridden by God. But the horse doesn’t run on its own steam.”

And we must not lose that this is our natural state. We are “by nature” in this state of total inability. If you would permit me, I would like to read a short section from a sermon given by the great 18th century preacher, George Whitefield. Whitefield stood, likely in an open field like he did on many days, and thundered out, in his booming voice, the following.

“Come, ye dead, Christless, unconverted sinners, come and see the place where they laid the body of the deceased Lazarus; behold him laid out, bound hand and foot with grave-cloaths, locked up and stinking in a dark cave, with a great stone placed on the top of it. View him again and again; go nearer to him; be not afraid; smell him. Ah! How he stinketh. Stop there now, pause a while; and whilst thou art gazing upon the corpse of Lazarus, give me leave to tell thee with great plainness, but greater love, that this dead, bound entombed, stinking carcase, is but a faint representation of thy poor soul in its natural state: for, whether thou believest or not, thy spirit which thou bearest about with thee, sepulchred in flesh and blood, is as literally dead to God, and as truly dead in trespasses and sins, as the body of Lazarus was in the cave. Was he bound hand and foot with grave-cloaths? So art thou bound hand and foot with thy corruptions: and as a stone was laid on the sepulchre, so is there a stone of unbelief upon thy stupid heart. Perhaps thou hast lain in this state, not only four days, but many years, stinking in God’s nostrils. And, what is still more effecting thou art as unable to raise thyself out of this loathsome, dead state, to a life of righteousness and true holiness, as ever Lazarus was to raise himself from the cave in which he lay so long. Thou mayest try the power of thy own boasted free-will, and the force and energy of moral persuasion and rational arguments (which, without all doubt, have their proper place in religion); but all thy efforts, exerted with never so much vigour, will prove quite fruitless and abortive, till that same Jesus, who said ‘Take away the stone’; and cried, ‘Lazarus, come forth’ also quicken you” (quoted in John Gerstner, A Predestination Primer [Winona Lake, Ind.: Alpha, 1979], 20).

The State of All Humanity.

Look at the phrasing of verse 2-3. “the sons of disobedience,3 among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves”

by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

A Hopeless State.

Spurgeon personalized this concept by commented on verse 1 saying, “These were your grave clothes. You were wrapped up in them. Nay, this was your sarcophagus. You were shut up in it, as in a great stone coffin: “Dead in trespasses and sins.”

Transition:

II. The Work of God in Salvation. v. 4-7

Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us,5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Explanation:

But God...

R.C. Sproul says regarding verse four, “If you want to understand Reformed theology, read that verse a thousand times.” The phrase, “but God,” is the hopeful phrase in all of human history and it is the center of the gospel. Our situation is hopeless, but God. We are dead, but God. We are lost and destined to hell, but God. We are rightfully condemned, but God. In those two words is bound all the hope of salvation. No matter how discouraged or broken we are, remember those two words. “But God...”

Being Rich in Mercy.

Spurgeon comments on this concept by saying, “Whatever God has, he has in abundance, but of his mercy we read that he has riches of it; and truly all those riches of mercy he has shown in our case. We cannot but have riches of gratitude for such riches of mercy.” Such simple truth and application. There is no option for us. If we have tasted of the riches of God’s mercy, we WILL have riches of praise for Him. A lack of praise is a lack of tasting the riches of God’s mercy.

Because of His Great Love with which He Loved Us.

Made Us Alive Together With Christ.

By Grace You Have Been Saved.

And Raised Us Up with Him.

And Seated Us With Christ...

In the Heavenly Places...

In Christ.

So That...

He Might Show the Surpassing Riches of His Grace

In Kindness Toward Us

In Christ Jesus.

Argumentation:

Paul is Contrasting Our Inability With God’s Completed Ability.

One commentator says, “Paul first plumbs the depths of pessimism about man, and then rises to the heights of optimism about God.” (Sam Storms)

The same commentator goes on to say, “We must never lose sight of either of these truths. If we neglect God’s saving grace and become obsessed with the depravity of the human soul we will fall into despair and cynicism. If we focus on grace and forget the condition from which we have been and are being delivered we stand in danger of naiveté and presumption.” (Sam Storms)

Monergism. (God is the One Doing the Work.)

God Brings Us to Life.

Transition:

III. Summary of the Gospel. v. 8-10

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;9 not of works, so that no one may boast.10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Explanation:

Salvation is...

By Grace.

Through Faith.

Not of Ourselves.

The Gift of God.

Not of Works.

So That No One May Boast.

Spurgeon again says the truth so simply in yet another point. He says, “We should be sure to boast if we could. We are a boasting people. Man is a poor mass of flesh, and he is largely given to the corruption of pride, He will boast if he can.”

For...

We Are...

His Workmanship.

Created in Christ Jesus.

Created for Good Works.

Which God Prepared Beforehand For us to Walk In.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

Argumentation:

Formerly Walking:

In Trespasses and Sins.

According to the course of the World.

According to Satan.

Currently Walking:

In Good Works God Prepared for Us.

Transition:

Application:

Are You Saved By Grace Alone Through Faith Alone In Christ Alone? Or Are You Trusting in Something Else to Save You?

Walk Like the Living.

The Purpose of God’s Commands.

Not For Justification.

Galatians 2:16. nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Not Evil.

Romans 7:7 a. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be!

Mirror to Reveal Sin.

Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! Rather, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law. For I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

Revealing the Perfection of Christ.

Ceremonial Laws Fulfilled and Passed Away in Christ.

Just Weights and Measures.

Moral Commands.

Obey God in Christ Because You Are Saved.

Closing:

We who are alive in Christ ought to live as those who have been made alive.

Communion:

Closing Doxology:

Closing Benediction:

Ephesians 2:4-10 But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us,5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ⁠—by grace you have been saved⁠—6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;9 not of works, so that no one may boast.10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

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