- Jan 18, 2019
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Eph 2: 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
If you are worried about your salvation, hear the good news of Epistle to the Ephesians 2:1–10.
Paul does not begin by telling us to try harder. He does not say, “You were struggling and needed improvement.” He says something far more radical: “You were dead.” Not weak. Not confused. Not mostly alive with a few bad habits. Dead in trespasses and sins.
Dead people do not debate techniques for self-resuscitation.
And yet look at us. We argue about baptism — dunking vs. pouring vs. sprinkling — as though the precise amount of water determines eternal life. We debate holy days, music styles, food, and drink, as though heaven is secured by liturgical precision or dietary discipline. We divide over beverages, calendars, and worship formats as if Christ were waiting for us to get the details right before He decides to save us.
But Ephesians says we were spiritually lifeless. We “walked according to the course of this world.” We were enslaved to desires. We were, by nature, children of wrath. That means salvation was never about fine-tuning our religious behavior. It was about resurrection.
Then comes the hinge of hope: “But God…”
“But God, being rich in mercy…”
“But God… because of the great love with which He loved us…”
When we were dead, He made us alive together with Christ.
Notice the direction of movement. We were not reaching up. We were being raised. We were not negotiating terms. We were being rescued. Grace is not God helping the willing; it is God awakening the dead.
And why did He make us alive?
The text gives the reasons:
None of those reasons are:
“Because we were baptized correctly.”
“Because we kept the right day.”
“Because we avoided the wrong beverage.”
“Because our music passed inspection.”
Salvation is by grace, through faith — and even that is called “the gift of God.” Not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
If you are anxious about your salvation, look away from yourself. Look to the One who raises the dead. Your hope is not in the strength of your grip on Him, but in the strength of His mercy toward you.
The good news is not that you have finally gotten serious enough.
The good news is that God is rich in mercy.
And He makes the dead alive.
If you are worried about your salvation, hear the good news of Epistle to the Ephesians 2:1–10.
Paul does not begin by telling us to try harder. He does not say, “You were struggling and needed improvement.” He says something far more radical: “You were dead.” Not weak. Not confused. Not mostly alive with a few bad habits. Dead in trespasses and sins.
Dead people do not debate techniques for self-resuscitation.
And yet look at us. We argue about baptism — dunking vs. pouring vs. sprinkling — as though the precise amount of water determines eternal life. We debate holy days, music styles, food, and drink, as though heaven is secured by liturgical precision or dietary discipline. We divide over beverages, calendars, and worship formats as if Christ were waiting for us to get the details right before He decides to save us.
But Ephesians says we were spiritually lifeless. We “walked according to the course of this world.” We were enslaved to desires. We were, by nature, children of wrath. That means salvation was never about fine-tuning our religious behavior. It was about resurrection.
Then comes the hinge of hope: “But God…”
“But God, being rich in mercy…”
“But God… because of the great love with which He loved us…”
When we were dead, He made us alive together with Christ.
Notice the direction of movement. We were not reaching up. We were being raised. We were not negotiating terms. We were being rescued. Grace is not God helping the willing; it is God awakening the dead.
And why did He make us alive?
The text gives the reasons:
- Because He is rich in mercy.
- Because of His great love.
- To show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
- So that we might walk in the good works He prepared beforehand — not to earn life, but because we now have life.
None of those reasons are:
“Because we were baptized correctly.”
“Because we kept the right day.”
“Because we avoided the wrong beverage.”
“Because our music passed inspection.”
Salvation is by grace, through faith — and even that is called “the gift of God.” Not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
If you are anxious about your salvation, look away from yourself. Look to the One who raises the dead. Your hope is not in the strength of your grip on Him, but in the strength of His mercy toward you.
The good news is not that you have finally gotten serious enough.
The good news is that God is rich in mercy.
And He makes the dead alive.
