Sermon on Ephesians 2vv1-10 Southwood 16 September 2007
By Rev Steve Stewart
Raising The Dead!
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 sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects 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 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 workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. [NIV]
INTRODUCTION
Shortly after Christmas 2000 I watched a BBC2 Horizon documentary entitled called 'Living Forever'. Here are some quotes from that documentary:
NARRATOR: Recently a series of startling discoveries has forced scientists to rethink their theories on ageing...
PROFESSOR LEE SILVER (Geneticist, Princeton University): I...believe that it is theoretically possible to have absolute immortality, barring accidents that cause death. The only question that I have is whether it's going to be in the next decade, the next century or the next millennium...
NARRATOR: A handful of scientists are...aiming to cure all the diseases of old age and...to give us unlimited lifespans...it sounds like science-fiction, but it isn't.
DR WILLIAM HASELTINE (Human Genome Sciences): I think our grandchildren will have the opportunity to extend their life 200/300 years and...I think that we may...see the first immortal human some time in the late part of the century, say 2075/2100.
I stand in awe of the scientific brilliance of these men, and give thanks to God for all the good things achieved by some many scientists in the field of medicine, But when we look at our Ephesians 2 we see that there is a fundamental flaw in these scientists specific quest to live forever. Loof at verse 1 again:
'As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins'
-those without Christ are already dead! And in case we make the mistake of thinking that only applies to the Ephesians Paul is writing to, he then adds in v3
'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.'
And when we take on board that those without Christ are already dead it should give us a new perspective on evangelism: evangelism is not simply about offering people the chance to enjoy life, not just an option for them to try a new lifestyle; evangelism is about raising the dead!
Bad news for those working on human longevity projects, because they are trying to give life to 'dead men walking' -something that needs a miracle, not a scientific breakthrough!
However, as we read on in the passage we come to see that it is also good news for not just those scientists working on human longevity project, but for everyone. Ephesians 2:1-10 is for me one of the greatest passages of all Scripture; it is a fine passage to have in front of us, whether we are telling the gospel to those who do not know Christ, or looking for assurance of our own salvation. For in these few short verses are the why, who, what, how, and when of God plan to save his people:
WHY DOES GOD GIVE US LIFE?
Why? (v4): Why did God choose us, why did he go to the cross for us? Here's the answer in v4 'because of his great love for us'. God saves us not out of obligation or duty or accident but because of his loving character.
Who does God save? Other people? Just good people like mother Theresa? No. Look at the passage: v5 'made us alive...by grace you have been saved'; v6 'raised us up ... seated us with him'; v8 'it is by grace you have been saved'; v10 'we are God's workmanship'.
WHO?
One of the best-selling books written about the Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley was entitled 'The Devil's Disciples'. It's a re-assuring but misleading title, because it gives the idea that there are a different type of people who live under Satan, and then there is the rest of us. But this passage and the rest of Scripture seems to know of no such distinction: look at v2, where is speaks of the...
'sins, 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'
-if we follow the ways of this world, then our ruler is Satan. Just as I am subject to whatever ruler is in power in the UK, I cannot simply 'opt out' -something dramatic and fundamental would have to change: I can't just cry 'diplomatic immunity' if I commit a crime and the police come knocking at my door! If Satan is the prince of this world -which he is in this Age- then we are born under his rule (see eg John 12:31 or John 14:30).
Remember what Christ himself says in Matthew 12:30, 'He who is not with me is against me'! The Bible knows only two camps: Christ's and Satan's: no neutral no man's land of 'nice' but godless people in the middle! Who does God save?: God saves those with Christ, without exception (which is very re-assuring for me) -and those without Christ are dead, without exception (and the love of God within us should then stir us to tell them about Jesus).
WHAT LIFE DOES GOD GIVE US ?
v7 tells us the what of Christian faith: that 'in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace'. People often ask what heaven will be 'like' -this is a hard question to answer, because v7 tells us that what God has in store for us in the coming ages is 'incomparable'; so we can't say it will be like this or like that -there is nothing in this world to compare. What we can say is that it will consist in a perfect restored relationship with God -something so wonderful that there is nothing on earth with which to draw a realistic comparison.
HOW DOES GOD GIVE US LIFE?
And then the how of our faith: The first thing to note is that the how is focused on Christ: whatever God has in store for his people has Christ as its source and heart -not Buddha, or Muhammad, or Marxism, or even being a nice person, but CHRIST!: How are we made alive? v5 'with Christ'; How are we raised up? v6 'with Christ'; how do we sit? v6 'with Christ'; How does God show us his immeasurable riches? v7 'in Christ'; how does create us to be his people? v10 'in Christ'! It is a conviction of mine that one key issue that will dog the church over the coming years is attempts by some quarters to water down the uniqueness of Christ for salvation. Archbishop George Carey was under no illusions about the threat to undermine Christ. This is what he said to the Lambeth conference of Anglican bishops in 1998:
...dialogue, co-operation and friendship with those of other faiths...does not compromise the uniqueness ['specificity'] of the Christian revelation. We hold Jesus Christ as the one Saviour of the world and we invite all to honour him as Lord, for it is a faith given to us to share with all. We are called to be unapologetic about the claims of Christ. That is our message... [and] fundamental to [the way we witness] must be an invitation to consider the claims of Christ.' (Anglicans for Renewal Magazine Vol 77 Summer 1999 p11).
Another part of how we are saved is 'by grace'. You may be familiar with the old and true definition of 'grace': 'Grace' is when God gives us what we don't deserve, and that is the message of v8-9 ' it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no-one can boast. '. What we and all mankind deserves is death -and as I said, without Christ, dead is how we are! Also we must put aside any idea that nice people go to heaven and not so nice people go to hell -it's simply a concept totally alien to Scripture.
What we are told here is that people get to receive God's incomparable riches by grace -not by good works, but by grace: as v8 says 'and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God'.
Our final how is through faith: believing simply that Jesus is the Christ the son of God; that's why Paul can say in v8 'it is by grace you have been saved, through faith'.
WHEN DOES GOD GIVE US LIFE?
And what of the when of our faith? See v7, the immeasurable riches of God's grace are never promised to be given in this life, but in 'the coming ages' -after Christ has returned and we have been raised from the dead with Him. This is why the 'health, wealth and prosperity' Gospel which became popular especially in the US in the 1980s is such un-Biblical nonsense: a foolish message which placed faith in worldly wealth, and left those whom God appeared not to heal or bless financially with unjustified guilt. God's immeasurable, incomparable riches do not look like worldly wealth or success -they are indeed in comparable to anything in this world, and are only promised in the age to come, when Christ returns. We may begin to receive many blessing from God in this life, from family and friends and children to good health and financial security -but the fulness of God's riches is for the age to come, after Jesus returns. As Jesus says in Mark 10:29-30
"no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life."
And those scientists investing millions to make humans immortal through genetics are on a wild goose chase. As Christ said, (Matthew 6:27) 'Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?'. True life in Christ is not just about quantity, but quantity and quality. The myth of the world is that more quantity automatically equals more quality -it's an attitude that dogs our society and communities: more money automatically equals more happiness; longer lifespan equals a better life; a bigger house automatically equals a happier family.
CONCLUSION
Imeasurable riches and eternal life have been on offer from God since the raising of Christ from the dead. They come as a free gift, not by works -or scientific endeavour. We learn from this passage that those without Christ are already dead, and therefore know that evangelism is about raising the dead -evangelism is therefore a miracle ministry.
Those who believe that miracles don't happen in the church any more have, I believe, really missed what evangelism is really about: when we tell people about Jesus Christ, or simply invite them, as David said this morning, to simply 'come and see', then we invite God to perform the miracle of raising them from the dead! And those who insist on other miracles have maybe missed that whenever somebody gives their life to Jesus, there is the miracle of resurrection aslready taking place! And not just to a life of more quantity, but a life of eternal quality, as we are raised together with Christ to be with God and serve him as his chosen people (vv8-10):
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9not by works, so that no-one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
HEADING
Amen.
Rev Steve Stewart © 2007
*Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton, a member of the Hodder Headline Group. All rights reserved. "NIV" is a trade mark of International Bible Society. UK trademark number 1448790.