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My birth father left my birth mother long before I was born. My birth mother gave me up for adoption. As a newborn baby, I could never have survived on my own. My parents chose me. They loved me without me doing anything. They completed the paperwork and the interviews. I couldn’t write or speak. They paid the costs of adoption. I had no money or possession to pay the price. They waited an agonizing month after my birth because they didn’t know blood tests were required for adoption at that time (apparently the tests took much longer than they do now). My parents brought me home. At a month old, I couldn’t have walked, crawled, or called an Uber to get there. They clothed and fed me. I didn’t understand it or appreciate it as a baby, but they gave me a precious gift in making me a part of their family. There was nothing I could have done to earn a place in their family or provide for myself. I am alive today because in love they chose to make me their child and bring me home.
Two weeks ago, we contemplated our “all” dead state apart from Christ. We were dead in our sins, following the ways of the world and Satan, we lived in the passions of our flesh, and were by nature children of wrath (vs 1-3). We were hopeless and helpless. Last week, we weighed the meaning of two beautiful words, “but God.” We walked through the “God is…” and “God does…” truths in verses 4-10. Today we will consider the “but God” impact on our lives from the same verses.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, 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 coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result 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, that we should walk in them.[1]
Ephesians 2:1-10 (emphasis added)
As we work our way through this picture of salvation, it is right and good for us to re-examine the first “God is…” statement in our verses. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us” – God’s abounding mercy and love are the reasons God saved us. They make our salvation possible. As I’m writing this, I thought of an older country song by George Strait, “Check Yes or No.”
Do you love me? Do you wanna be my friend?And if you doWell then don't be afraid to take me by the handIf you want toI think this is how love goesCheck yes or no
We didn’t love God and reach out to see if He might love us back. Check that “yes” box. No, we were in rebellion against God. We were sinners and enemies of God (Romans 5:8, 10). We were dead (vs 1-3, 5). But God in His rich mercy and great love loved us. We are recipients of God’s mercy and love. Paul will later pray that we may comprehend “what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (vs 3:18-19).
We could end today with immersing our minds and hearts in God’s rich mercy and great love that has been poured out on us. Mercy and love that Jesus should suffer and die in our place. Mercy and love that the Father’s wrath was poured out on the Son instead of on us. Mercy, love and grace that we are given Jesus’ righteousness. You may already know this truth, but are you in wonder and awe that you are the recipient of God’s mercy and great love?
Because God is merciful and loves us with a great love, He “made us alive together with Christ – by grace we have been saved” (vs 5). Paul reminds us of our “all” dead state again before he shares the astounding news that God has made us alive together with Christ. The Holy Spirit physically raised Jesus from death to life. Now, the same Spirit brings us from spiritual death to spiritual life, demonstrating our union with Christ.
Lazarus laid dead in a tomb for three days, but Jesus called him out. Jesus brought Lazarus back to physical life. God filled Lazarus’ lungs with breath without CPR. Lazarus walked out of the tomb, and the cloths that wrapped him in death were removed because they had no place on a living person.
We also have a picture of spiritual life in Ezekiel 37. God gives Ezekiel a vision of a valley filled with dry bones representing the spiritual deadness of Israel. We read:
And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord…”
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”[2]
In this prophecy, God promised to assemble the nation of Israel from all the places they had been scattered and give them His Spirit representing true saving faith, spiritual life, spiritual regeneration. He promised to bring Israel from spiritual death (dry bones, in the grave) to spiritual life.
This spiritual life or regeneration is what Paul is speaking of to the Ephesian church. We receive pardon for our sin and new life by the power of the Holy Spirit who seals us (vs 1:13), guarantees our inheritance (vs 1:14), and raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the Father’s right hand (vs 1:19-20). John MacArthur describes spiritual life: “Paul calls it walking in ‘newness of life’ (Rom. 6:4). For the first time we could understand spiritual truth and desire spiritual things. Because we now have God’s nature, we now can seek godly things, “the things above” rather than “the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2).”[3] We will also live with Christ (Romans 6:8). And Paul writes to the Galatian church: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). We are united with Jesus when God makes us alive.
This is all by grace – “by grace you have been saved.” Paul will come back to God’s unmerited favor in verse 8, but he wants to saturate us throughout his letter in the overwhelming truth of God’s grace. R.C. Sproul asked the question of what this letter and the truths in it would look like if grace were removed. God’s amazing grace has saved us. Saved us from His wrath. Saved us from the power and penalty of sin. Saved us from eternal separation from God. Saved us to new life in Christ, every spiritual blessing, an inheritance, Jesus’ righteousness, and eternal life with God. We don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. It’s God’s grace alone.
Not only did God make us alive with Christ, but He has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Christ in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. “Raised up” is another expression of our spiritual life made possible by Jesus’ resurrection. Our salvation is completely dependent on Jesus.
Last week we noted that the aorist verb tense means that “seated” is so certain that it is spoken of as already being accomplished. We know that Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father (vs 1:20). We share in His triumph (vs 1:21-22). We are more than conquerors through Jesus who loves us (Romans 8:37). As co-heirs with Jesus, we will share in His exaltation, privileges, honor, and authority. One way we can currently share in being seated with Christ is through prayer. God, of course, has the final say, but because of Christ, we can come boldly before the throne of grace in worship, lament, confession, and petition.
We are seated in the heavenly places. This is the realm where God reigns. We were in darkness. Now we are in Jesus’ kingdom (Colossians 1:13). We are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). New creations in a new domain.
God has made us alive with Christ, saved us, raised us up with Christ, and seated us with Christ, “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus” (vs 7, emphasis added). Paul gives us the purpose of salvation: we display God’s marvelous grace and kindness for all eternity. God is glorified and we are blessed (vs 1:3), His glory and our good. We are recipients of the immeasurable riches of God’s grace and His kindness toward us forever. What a future to meditate on and look forward to! All we can do is exercise the faith God has graciously given. More on that next week, and in two weeks we will delve a little deeper into regeneration, justification, and four of the five solas.
Reflection
1. How has God show you mercy?
2. List ways you have been loved by God’s great love.
3. What would verses 1-10 look like if God’s grace were removed?
4. You are a display of God’s immeasurable riches of grace and kindness. In what ways do you obstruct the display of God’s grace and kindness? How can you be a brighter display of God’s grace and kindness? Be specific.
5. “Alive” by Big Daddy Weave is based on our verses today. Listen to it or read the lyrics with thanksgiving and awe at what God has done in His rich mercy and great love.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 2:1–10.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eze 37:3–14.
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