It is by grace you have been saved. [Eph 2a]

Ephesians 2:1-10

Key Verse 1:10

I thank God that we all are called by God to be his children in his grace. In this we are blessed greatly. Yet if we fail to know God's will and purpose on this, we will remain in uncertainty of life. Our life in God will not bear the fruit that God expect from each of our lives. In order to fully appreciate God's purpose,  Paul examines the life of Ephesians before and after Christ.  So in these passages we also explore our lives before Christ as well as after Christ. In this midst, I pray that God may enlighten our spirit to know his profound will for each of us.

1.       You were dead in your transgressions and sins [1-3]

v1. Here Paul is taking to the believers in Ephesus. Here he says that they were dead in their transgression and sins. It is hard to accept but it was the true reality of their lives.  They were like a dead body, a corpus, that has no breath, no sign of life and no meaning and purpose.  They were dead in transgression and sins.  What does this mean?

a.       in transgressions and sins

Transgression is violation of a specific law or rules. When we get to military barracks, there is a notice on the fence; no trespass!  When we go over the fence, who knows, we might be shot to death on the spot or we will be arrested and prosecuted for the violation of the law. Such violation of the law is transgression; then, what is the law? The Ten Commandments  says [Exo 20] ;

 "You shall have no other gods before Me. ; ⁴ "You shall not make for yourself an idol,. ⁵ "You shall not worship them or serve them;  ⁷ "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain,

⁸ "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ¹² "Honor your father and your mother, ¹³ "You shall not murder. ¹⁴ "You shall not commit adultery. ¹⁵ "You shall not steal. ¹⁶ "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ¹⁷ "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; 

As we have seen in these commandments, Ephesians, mostly gentiles in makeup,  violated these laws of God. They served idols, dishonored God's name, did not keep the Sabbath, Also they did not honor our parents; they committed murder, adultery, stealing, and  bore false witness, coveted other's possessions. So according to the law, they were judged and condemned to death.

Then what is sin? Sin is rejection of God and resulting in ungodly life. It is well described in Rom 1:24-25.

Here Paul described sin as the result of rejection of God. The expression of sin appears in two aspects: one is lust and the other is 'depraved mind' i.e. sexual impurities and corrupted mind;

Sexual impurities are all kinds of sexual behaviors outside of marriage including premarital sex as well as lusts in heart,. The extreme end of such expressions is homosexual behavior.

The other is corruption of intellect exchanging truth for a lie[26]; The corruption resulted in reverse value system; truth about God is given away in order to worship and to serve created things: This corrupted mind is called 'depraved'. The expression of such mind is in v 29-31:   every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.

So God cannot accept such people and they will remain in darkness of sin. The eventual outcome is eternal judgment. So it is said that you were in 'dead' in transgression and sins.

b.      Why or how did they come to this?

v22 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,

They followed the way of this world and the way of the ruler of the kingdom of the air.

The way of this world is what the world set its rules according to its own standard and principles that governs the minds of the people.

In this world, here are 7 billions of people on the earth. Among them about 2.3 billion professed to be Christians and the rest are pagans.  Who am I among so many? When I do something, where did I get such idea?

When I was about 17, I came to think about the meaning of life. To myself, I thought that my life must be explained reasonably and purposefully. Yet I could not find one. I saw myself one of those billions of people. At one point of human history, someone thought exactly what I am thinking in all areas of my life. I felt like one of those swarms of locusts. They move about in swarms. Their behavior is controlled by food, weather and wind.. So are human being. I am one of them. What is the struggle that I have to go through if my life will be one of them, fall into statistics.  How does the way of this world affect our lives? It is well revealed in a story below:
One single mother thought that her only teenaged son must grow up to be a lawyer. So in this goal she disciplined her son in the area of language, logic and reasoning. She sacrificed so much money and energy to help her son to do well in school. In order to get in the best university her son must get the best scores in high school. To make sure that her son gets the best score in school exams, she made all out effort to find the best teacher, acquire all information about exams.  Though the son didn't like to be a lawyer, she thought that being a lawyer was the best for her son.  In such seemingly good purpose, she cheated and deceived and threatened others including her son, son's teacher... She was willing to compromise all else in order to achieve this goal including Her integrity and her son's integrity.  Where did she get such idea? Isn't this from the kingdom of the air?

As the air is one body that covers the entire world, so it is spread over entire human races. The basic rules and ideas control all things that are on the earth.  The kingdom of the air spoke to her very powerfully;  You have to make your son a lawyer and then your life will be 'perfect' This is your goal and mission. You are good in this goal and are fully justified to do all things to achieve this goal. Success can justify all means!

Isn't this the way of this world?  Who is the ruler of the kingdom of the air? 'and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. '[2b]

What is the spirit or the main theme of this spirit? it is the spirit that controls the minds of millions of people.  The spirit is against God and declares autonomy. it is based on disobedience. The air that we breath and think and reason in this world are all geared to reject God and accept and honors human mind ; There are many facets of human expression of life. But at the top of the authority is the Satanic forces that leads the whole world astray from God.

·         1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1Jo 5:19 NIV)

Such life is signified by its vanity, meaninglessness and futility; this is the deadness and eventually such life will face eternal judgment. No chance of seeing God's glory or eternal life.

If the Gentile who did not have any ideas or understanding of God did such things, what about the Jews to whom God revealed his truth and his power?

c.       What about Paul or Jews? Were they any different?

3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

Paul was a very stringent Jew.  He knew of God. He sought God with zeal. He made all out effort to keep the law of Moses. But he was not any better than Ephesians.  Why?  He could not control sinful nature in the depth of his heart. Though he tried hard to keep the law of Moses and follow the way of the Lord, in essence he followed the craving of sinful nature in himself. After all, Paul also violated the ten commandments and lived in sin as did Ephesians.
This world speaks to our sinful nature with very positive outlook; sin must not be suppressed; sin is ok and acceptable; it is the part of our nature and must be supported.  So we can discern two things that jointly lead us to death; eternally the way of the world, the kingdom of the air controlled by satanic ideals and forces, internally sinful nature and its cravings.  Like this, the  way of the world and our cravings in sinful nature joined together to lead us to rebel against God.  For all,  the final outcome was the same  and certain; the object of  the wrath of God. 

What can we conclude through this? All, whether Jews or gentiles, whether one who made all out effort to seek good or follow the way of the world or the way of the kingdom of the air, all without exception, fell into death.   What about you? What kind of life did you live before? Can anyone of us say that I was not one of them?  Actually we were all dead in transgression and sins.  It was very pitiful situation. If we were left alone as it was,  we were still breathing that air, keeping the life of living dead. 

2.       in His great mercy God made us alive [4-7]

In this helpless and hopeless situation,  someone must show grace and mercy.  Who could that be other than God Himself?

v4-5 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.

When a man is dead, he cannot offer any thing worthy to others.  But God sent his son Jesus in flesh, leaving all of his glory. This  Son of God paid off all the cost of our sins. While Jesus was paying off on the cross, he was laid on all the punishment, humiliation, contempt and ridicules.   But he was silent and was paying for sinners who brought such humiliation, and contempt. This was the depth of his love and the depth of mercy upon sinners. Jesus was all out to do anything to forgive our sins. God was determined to bring sinners back to him in Christ. In this way he washed out sins and we became unblemished and pure in the eyes of God.

What language can we use anything but love, mercy? This is the love that gave the life of his own son. This is the greatest mercy on our pitiful condition.  So what does it say? It is by grace that you have been saved.  Then whatever we are,  whatever we have in this new life, all are of God's power and God's grace and God's love, God's mercy. Nothing in us, nothing of us, can take that credit. We owe all of our being to him. God did not stop here.

v6 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

Here Paul used the past tense 'raised'.  He was saying to Ephesians that Paul as well as Ephesians were not any more under the power or authority of the world or authority of the kingdom of the air. They had been seated with Christ in heavenly realm.  Here 'realm' is a sphere of influence. Heavenly realm is the sphere of God's  influence.   This is not something yet to happen in the future but is a present reality since God chose Ephesians and Paul to be children of God. The counter part of heavenly realm is what we noted in v2 the way of this world, or the way of the rule of the kingdom of the air. So there is a strong sense that even though they were living in the world, they belonged to heavenly realm, the kingdom of God. They were not part of the kingdoms of the world ; they do not follow the ways of this world or the ways of the rulers of the kingdom of the air. No!

Likewise,  we are already seated in the realm of God with Jesus. In God's realm, there is peace, joy and eternal life , true meaning and purpose. ultimate victory is secured or guaranteed because God is the one that controls. We all are in this realm; the heavenly realm.  How did this happen? It is because God's great mercy and love for us in Christ Jesus.  Then question comes, why did God do show such great love and mercy on us?

3.       The ultimate purpose of God [7-10]

a.       He might show his incomparable riches of his grace in coming ages [7]

Now I like go back to the context and time of Paul and Ephesians.  Actually Paul's life attest that God has moved his life from this world to the heavenly realm. Paul declared that he and Ephesians had been seated with Jesus in heavenly realm. They were living and breathing in heavenly realm. So God was their Lord even then. So he had hope and vision and spirit of God seeing clearly the glories and blessings of this heavenly realm. This is an amazing thing that no one could expected. Why did God do that?

v77 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.

Incomparable riches of God's grace was evident in the life of Paul and then in the lives of Ephesians. Actually Ephesians did not see Jesus at all. But by accepting the message of the Gospel from Paul, they came to believe Jesus.  Their lives also was evidence that God saves sinners in his grace and mercy in Christ.  So God's grace and mercy on those who put trust in Jesus was not just an idea but was proven in the lives of Paul as well as Ephesians.  What God was doing this in order to advertize his will to bless all those who put their trust in Jesus.  Pau's life is the proof of God's grace and mercy on sinners. the lives of Ephesians made also such evidence.  God was speaking not just in words or conveying perfect ideology. God is speaking powerfully that He has given out such blessing in his love and mercy on all sinners and he is even now willing to give such blessing to all that comes to him in faith.   He did it at the beginning of the Gospel. He will show the same grace and mercy for generations to come.  It even came to me after 2000 year after Paul and after Ephesians.

I remember the day when I listened to the message of the Gospel for the first time in my life. His invitation for blessing was so good and so graceful that I opened my mind wide to put my trust in Jesus without any reservation.  When I talked to Boyang, Xiaoxi, Tony, they welcomed God's invitation by faith and God's grace has been with them since.  By His grace in Jesus he saved so many over 2000 years! That grace came to me and has reached to you as well.  Even now God is offering this grace and this mercy to all that seek Jesus by faith.

b.      so that no one can boast [8-9]

 Now we have moved from death to life. We changed our identity from children of the world  to children of God Almighty. We have great blessing and great hope in God's glory.  When we come to know such richness of blessing, we feel superiority to those who  are still under the power of death.  To such mind, Paul gives warning.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Whatever we have and whatever we have become, they are all gift of God. It was free and it was by grace and mercy. So, no one should boast; No one can boast.  When one boast, it is quite clear that they did not receive God's grace and the grace is not at work in his life!.  When one receives a precious and very valuable gift, we owe to that person! We owe our lives to God! The essence of our spirit is God's grace. Why did God recreated us so that the essence of our inner being made of God's grace?

1. What we have become is all God's credit. It is a gift from God.  God may be honored fully and glorified fully as the Lord in and among us. It is obvious that we did not do anything through the fact that we were dead; as dead person cannot do anything.

2. Our salvation may not depend on what we do or don’t do but totally by God’s power and His provision. As we know Israel utterly failed to keep themselves good in the eyes of God. As the result, they were taken captives and dispersed to many other nations. How shaky it might be if our salvation depends on what we do or what we don’t do! But by his amazing grace in His son Jesus, God assured us of our salvation even if we might fail so many times. There is a clear link between how we are created and what we are to do. This is more clearer as we look at the next verse:

c.       so that we may do the work of God [10]

v10. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We are God's workmanship.

Workmanship: there is the Hubble telescope in the space. There is one and only such telescope. To make this, an organization Hubble was created in 1970. Many worked to make this telescope and finally completed in 1990 after 20 years and sent up in orbit. It is so unique and different from any other telescope; It could see the  most visible light image that no one has seen before. It could even see the expansion of the universe. This is the workmanship of hundreds of people over 20 years; one and only of such kind. They put all their energy and knowledge into the Hubble scope because they wanted to look into the millions of galaxies in the bottomless sky.  We are God's workmanship. God pour out his effort, even by letting his beloved son suffer so much for 'dead' sinners.  He wanted to make a master piece, a new creation from a dead body, to do certain thing. What is that certain thing that God wanted his people to do?

It says simply that we are to do good works! Then what is exactly 'good work'? What is the relationship between 'the essence of our new being, grace' has to do with 'good work' that God was thinking of?

a.       It is not the kind of good works that we commonly think of doing.

b.      It is the kind of work pertains to God's character, the only one that is good.

c.       In Matt 5, Jesus upheld the law high above than anyone thought of.

²¹ "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.  
²⁷ "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' ²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
³⁸ "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' ³⁹ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.  (Mat 5:1 NIV)
⁴³ "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies
⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mat 5:1 NIV)

The Sermon on the Mount is a description or demand of the life in God's kingdom. As we have read in these verses, only life-giving- love can do these things that are accepted by God, things that are right and holy. How can that be possible? As we were, it is impossible; but we are recreated as God's workmanship. In this recreation as the master piece of God's work, God embedded his grace in the core of our inner being so that this grace may be the source of power and reason to do the good work.  

1 John 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. (1Jo 4:16 NIV)

The essence of the spirit of God is love; the kind of love that can loves even the enemies! Such love is only possible for those who are born of God's grace! So this is the reason that God created us as his workmanship; the master piece in which God embedded his grace.  So we are born of God's grace and the essence of our being must be in and of God's grace.