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I was in my late twenties. There were some situations over a few years where I had made bad choices, and other situations that were out of my control. So, for the moment, I focused on areas in my life that needed to change to align with God’s Word and trusting God with the situations.
Around this time, my younger brother got married. My parents, grandma, and I flew from California to Texas for the wedding. At the rehearsal, my brother introduced me to his best friend from college also in Texas. I’d heard about this friend for four years, but we had never met. I didn’t think much of that meeting at the time, but that was about to change.
The next night at the wedding reception, the DJ played Take My Breath Away by Berlin. My brother’s friend grabbed my hand, pulled me up, and said, “I love this song. We have to dance.” We danced, and during that dance, something changed. To this day, I cannot tell you what or why, but we both walked away knowing it was different. We were different. Eight months later, we were married.
Tears well up as I reflect on God’s goodness. When I contemplate my life before that moment, where I may have ended up had I stayed on that path, in that place, and then think of all the blessings of the past twenty-six years with my husband that I never would have even imagined, I am grateful to God for that life-changing moment dancing to a song.
As big as my life-changing moment was and continues to be, it cannot compare to the eternal and truly life-changing truth Paul described to the Ephesians.
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
Last week we concentrated on who we used to be. Our situation was hopeless and helpless. We were “all” dead as Miracle Max from Princess Bride would say. Thankfully, that isn’t the end of our story. God intervened. With two words, we experienced the most powerful, amazing, forever transformation. But God. These two words are throughout Scripture and typically represent a drastic 180º turn of events or way of thinking. Let’s consider a few examples.
And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead…”
Acts 13:29-30 (emphasis added)
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:26 (emphasis added)
But Joseph said to them,… “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
Genesis 50:20 (emphasis added)
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Matthew 19:25-26 (emphasis added)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (emphasis added)
These are just a handful of verses that illustrate but God moments. The last two, along with our verses in Ephesians today, display the overwhelming beauty of the Gospel in the two words but God. Next week, we will approach these verses from our alive standing, but today I want to focus on God. What do we learn about who God is and what He has done?
“being rich in mercy” (vs 4) – God withholds the punishment we have earned and instead poured out His wrath on Jesus in our place. Paul elaborates on God’s mercy by describing it as rich. God’s mercy is “overabounding, without measure, and unlimited” (John MacArthur). God’s mercy is shown throughout Scripture.
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Psalm 103:8 (see also Exodus 34:6; Jonah 4:2)
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit…
Titus 3:5
“the great love with which he has loved us” (vs 4) – Salvation was God’s initiative not ours. He loved us first.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:9-10
“made us alive together with Christ” (vs 5) – God gave us spiritual life (vs 6). Although we will talk more next week about how it relates to us, God giving us spiritual life means He acted when we could not. He did what was impossible with man and brought spiritually dead people to life.
“by grace you have been saved” (vs 5) – grace is God’s unmerited favor (vs 8-9). We deserved or merited God’s wrath and punishment. God gave us grace, what we needed, and which came through Jesus’ obedience and atoning sacrifice. Other religions aren’t based on grace. They are based on law, works, and ritual. Our salvation is not based on any works of our own but upon receiving grace upon grace – saving grace when we could never save ourselves.
God has “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (vs 6) – “raised up” corresponds with being made alive (vs 5) and given spiritual life. Seated indicates our share in Jesus’ triumph. We are in God’s domain now, not Satan’s (Colossians 1:13). The verb is in the aorist tense, meaning the certainty of this promise is spoken of as if it was already fully accomplished.
“immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness” (vs 7) – grace and kindness are further depicted as immeasurable riches. God lavishes us with immeasurable, unmerited favor and kindness. Kindness is God’s compassion through Jesus taking on flesh, suffering, and dying in our place. MacArthur sheds light on God’s kindness: “Through His endless kindness toward us in Christ Jesus the Father glorifies Himself even as He blesses us. From the moment of salvation throughout the ages to come we never stop receiving the graceand kindness of God.”[2]
Paul wrote to the church in Rome: “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4)?
And to Titus Paul wrote: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saves us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy spirit” (Titus 3:4-5).
“it is the gift of God” (vs 8) – there is some debate whether gift applies to grace, faith, or both. Grace is already God’s unmerited favor. That is a gift. In other parts of Scripture, we understand faith is a gift (2 Peter 1:1; Philippians 1:29; Acts 3:16). No matter your understanding, God gives good gifts (James 1:17). We have grace and faith because God is good in blessing us.
“for good works, which God prepared beforehand” (vs 10) – God has already prepared good works for us to do, good works that bring glory to Himself. This is another gift and privilege from God. Each week as my husband and I serve at youth group, I am thankful that God has chosen to use us in youth ministry. He doesn’t have to use us, but He chooses to work good through us. What a blessing that we can be a part of the good God is doing.
One last note. At the beginning of our study, I encouraged you to look for all the “in Him” type phrases as well as the implication. I counted six in our verses today. Paul has emphasized our union with and our dependency on Christ. What a beautiful blessing to be united with Christ.
But God. He has turned our life upside down. When we were hopeless and helpless in our dead state, but God being rich in mercy loved us with a great love. He made us alive together with Christ. He has shown us the immeasurable riches of His grace. He saved us. He raised us and seated us with Christ. He has shown us His kindness. He has given us faith, and He has prepared good works for us to walk in them.
Reflection
1. For each truth of how “but God” is exemplified, write out ways each have been evidenced in your own life. As you write each one, praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He has done.
2. How do the above truths, particularly their eternal impact, change your perspective on a current circumstance or trial?
3. Listen to “His Glory and My Good” by CityAlight and worship God who alone deserves all glory and praise.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 2:1–10.
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