June 25, 2017
Morning Service

We are continuing our study of the letter of encouragement Paul wrote to the Ephesian church.  He affirmed them by saying he hears of their faith and love in his travels.  He reminds them that they have been chosen by God to be adopted into His family.  He prays for them to know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance, and His exceeding greatness of His power.  When we come to grips with these things our perspective on life will be changed forever.  This life is not heaven, there is something waiting on us that far exceeds anything we can enjoy here.  Trust, believe, and know that Jesus has gone away to prepare a place for you and will return as He promised and take you there.  As we begin chapter 2 Paul describes us before and after we know and accept these truths to be true.

Ephesians 2:1-3  And He has made you alive, who were once dead in trespasses and sins,  (2)  in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience;  (3)  among whom we also had our way of life in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

·         This is not a good place to be (lost), but we were all there at some time.  Paul told the Roman church this:

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

·         These two verses reaffirm the message Paul is speaking here to us.  We have all strayed and followed that spirit of disobedience, the lust of our flesh, and the desires of our thoughts and were once children of wrath.  Notice this is much more of a spiritual state than a physical one.  When our mind and heart are focused on these worldly things then our actions will naturally follow.  This puts us in a place that is separated from the favor of God and will ultimately lead to our paying the price for our sin, the second death.  It is these unforgiven sins that will lead to our destruction (wages of sin is death).  But God has another plan for us if we accept this glorious “gift of God” which is eternal life.

Ephesians 2:4-7  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us  (5)  (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),  (6)  and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  (7)  so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

·         This is a great explanation of God’s love, mercy, and grace towards us.  All three of these things are offered to us in and through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is only through Jesus our Savior that we are cleansed of our sins and accepted into God’s family which places us in line for the glorious inheritance He has planned for us.

·         Notice as well that He loved us while we were still in our sins.  To come to God we don’t have to get our life in order, be financially set, get our credit score above 700, lose 15 pounds or even wash our dirty laundry.  Come to Him first, and then He will do the changing in your life. He will make all things new!

 Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.

·         This is a verse we should all try to memorize.  Our salvation is a gift; we cannot earn it or pay for it ourselves.  Jesus paid the price in full upon the cross; never doubt that fact.  If we could earn our salvation then we would have something to brag and boast about and the work of the cross would be meaningless.  Or we would constantly be worrying and wondering if we are doing enough and doing it the right way.

·          Jesus has set us free from the bondage of the OT legalism and allows us to follow our heart.  This new covenant we are under is not full of rules and regulations, but its foundation is love.  Loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and loving others as Christ loved us.  Give God your heart, and then follow it.  Salvation comes through the grace (unmerited favor) of God through faith in Jesus.  Jesus is the key to it all.

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no other One; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

·         This is not a popular verse among our culture today that wants everyone to be included no matter their beliefs. That is simply not true.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.”

·         That doesn’t take a college degree to understand that does it?  God through His grace and mercy has created the perfect solution to our sin problem.  Jesus paid the full price for our sins and we simply have to accept that gift.  By doing this we place ourselves totally in God’s hands allow Him to change us into something that He can work with.  But how is He doing all this?

 

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

·         We cannot earn our salvation, but good works will come because of our salvation.  We are “created in Christ Jesus to good works.”  He has a work ordained for you to do in His kingdom.  When we arise out of the waters of baptism to walk in the newness of life, it is no longer the world and the prince of this world that controls our hearts and minds but it is God.  We are changed from the inside out to become beacons of light in this dark and dying world reflecting the glory of our Heavenly Father.  He will change us to be like Him. 

·         Remember how Peter and the other apostles’ lives were dramatically changed when they accepted the offer of Jesus to “Follow Me.”  The same will be true for you and me.  Paul tells us here that we are God’s own creation, His workmanship.  Some versions translate that word as masterpiece.  Think of that, you are created just as you are to be part of something that is so glorious and beautiful that words escape me from describing it.  You are created for a purpose.  You have value to God.  You are His masterpiece created for good works.  I do not want to let Him down!

 

Where are you in your walk with Christ this morning?  Are you seeking Him to lead you into the good works He has prepared for you?  Are you letting Him change you or do you find yourself too busy with the things of this world to allow God to control your heart?

 

If you are just testing the waters of God’s grace by sticking in your toe or wading in maybe ankle deep, you are missing the whole point.  He wants all of you, not just enough to get by but He wants it all.  Is He first on your list of priorities?  Quit wading in the waters of His grace and dive in head first.  Let God change you into the masterpiece He has in mind.