Ephesians 2:1-10

INTRODUCTION

A few years ago, my wife and I had the privilege of walking through the halls of the famed Louvre Museum in Paris, France. It was not my first visit, but I was so excited to visit the great collections that lined the walls. For anyone who visits the Louvre, it is imperative that you make time to visit one of the most famous paintings of our day, Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci.

The first time I visited the museum, I was shocked at how big a room is reserved for such a small painting to be displayed in the middle of it. Of course, unlike most of the great works of art hung on the walls, Mona Lisa is hidden behind glass, protected from the elements. Even though I do not believe this painting is the greatest work of art in the museum, it is the most famous.

Art experts estimate that the worth of the painting in today’s market could be around $800 million. Someone recently proposed that France should sell the painting and pocket the $800 million. But an economist did a study and found that nearly 2 million people come to Paris each year, just to see this one painting and that the average tourist spends $1,600 during their stay, meaning that this one painting brings in around $3.3 Billion dollars annually. (https://news.artnet.com/opinion/mona-lisa-sale-1869297)

That is a valuable painting! What would make the painting more valuable? How about if I took out a brush and freshened up the paint? What if I added a more realistic background to the painting, or gave Mona a virtual nose-job? What would happen? Something of tremendous worth would actually become worthless.

As we continue in this series, “Second Chances” and as we look at the new mercy that God gives us each day, today we will look specifically at salvation, something of infinite work, and we will see just like the Mona Lisa, anything we try and add to salvation destroys the value of something of infinite worth.

EXPLANATION

In Ephesians 2, Paul lays out the wonderful doctrine of salvation, by grace, through faith. But before Paul discusses God’s provision of salvation, He spends some time describing our condition before salvation.

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging 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 in order 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 that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1. Our Condition before Salvation
   • Dead. Verse 1 says that you were dead.
     1. Though you were born physically alive, spiritually you were dead. To be dead means that you have no life. You are not spiritually able to respond.
     2. Because of the sin nature which has pervaded all people, you were powerless, unable to discern God’s will, unable to respond.
     3. Verse 1 continues, not only were we dead, we continued to walk in trespasses and sins. We were not just born into sin, we continued in sin.
   • Following the course of the world.
     1. Verse 2 says, “in which you walked (trespasses and sins)according to the course of this world.” It was our pattern. 
     2. We walked in the way of the world. Instead of following the way of the Word we walked according to the world.
   • Following Satan.
     1. Verse 2 continues according to the prince of the power of air…”
     2. This is a reference to Satan. We walked the way of Satan. His values were our values. His passions and purposes were our passions and purposes.
   • Carrying out the desires of the mind and body.
     1. Verse 3 says, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind…”
     2. Simply stated, we were depraved. We saw something we liked, we took it. We thought something would make us feel good, we did it.
     3. There was no consideration for the will or the Word of God. We were our own bosses.
   • Children of wrath.
     1. “And were by nature children of wrath…” We were born bent into a sin-cursed world. As such, we were worthy of the wrath of God.
     2. The wrath of God flows from His justice. God is just and must punish sin.
     3. This is not a pretty picture, but it is an accurate picture. But then an incredible transition takes place.
     4. Verse 4 says, “But God…” It is here the whole issue begins to turn.      Having painted a dark picture of our condition before salvation, Paul now begins to paint a bright picture of God’s provision of salvation.
2. God’s Provision of Salvation
   • Salvation is through God’s Gift.
     1. It is by His mercy.
        • Verse 4 says, “But God being rich in mercy…”
        • We would expect a god to be rich. Rarely has one conceived ouf a poor god. But the One True God is rich.
        • It is true that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. It is true that He owns cattle on a thousand hills. It is true that all the gold, silver, precious stones are His.
        • It is true that the heavens are His footstool. It is true that all that has been made are His. It is true that He is King of the Kingdom that has no boundaries. His streets are lined with gold. His gates are lined with emeralds. He wears a crown of infinite worth. He holds a scepter beyond value.
        • But it is not these riches that Paul speaks of. Paul says that God is “rich in mercy…”
        • You cannot calculate the worth of His mercy. You cannot put a price tag on the mercy He possesses. You cannot quantify the quality of His mercy.
        • God is rich in mercy. Mercy is withholding from someone a punishment they deserve. God overflows with the willingness to withhold from us the punishment we deserve.
        • We were dead, following the course of this world, following Satan, pursuing our own lusts, children of wrath, BUT God is rich in mercy.
     2. It is by His great love.
        • But God is not only rich in mercy, His love is great. Verse 4 continues, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love which he loved us…”
        • God is not just a loving god…He IS love. 
        • In the days of the circuit riders, a minister was out riding one afternoon and came upon a man out working in his field.
        • “Fine day isn’t it?” the minister called out. “It’s fine for you”, the man replied, “All you have to do is ride around on that horse thinking about God all day long, while I have to sweat here in this field and then walk home afterward. I don’t think it is right you should have things so easy while I have to work so hard.”
        • “On the contrary”, the minister answered, “thinking about God is one of the most difficult things you can do.  And to prove it, I’ll give you this horse if you can think about God and nothing else for one minute.”
        • “You’re on,” said the man and immediately he sat down in silence.  Thirty seconds later he looked up at the minister, and said, “Does that include the saddle?” (Richard Fairchild, Not Far from the Kingdom of God.)
        • I share this because God is fully devoted in His love for you! He is never detached, He is never distracted. God is great in love.
     3. “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.”
        • Salvation is by God’s Grace. Mercy is not receiving something you deserve, but grace is receiving something you do not deserve.
        • Grace is a free gift, nothing more, nothing less.
        • Because of God’s mercy, love, and grace, you who were dead have received benefits you do not deserve.
          1. It made you alive.
          2. It raised you up.
          3. It seated you in the heavenly places.
   • Salvation is for God’s Glory.
     1. It displays His worth.
        • Notice verse 6, “And has raised us up with him and seated us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
        • Salvation displays the worth of God. Salvation is for God’s glory, not your own. Salvation displays the riches of His grace and kindness.
        • Verse 8 continues, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”
        • Salvation is God’s work so that whenever someone is saved, God gets the glory. His work displays His worth.
     2. It produces good works.
        • And although we are not saved by good works, we are saved to do good works.
        • Verse 10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
        • No good deed can save you, but the saved should be involved in good deeds, because again, it displays the glory of God.

APPLICATION

1. Consider your past/present condition. Are you dead or alive? Your present condition should determine your next decision.
2. Consider your position. Are you in Christ, or out of Christ? Your position should determine your next action.
3. Consider your purpose. Are you living for your glory or Gods? Your purpose should determine your focus.

CONCLUSION

This sermon can be summarized like this…

You were: Dead, enslaved, under wrath.

But God: showed love, mercy, and grace.

You are: raised, seated, saved.