WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.839 We're going to be looking at Ephesians chapter 2. You can turn in your Bibles, that passage, 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:15.220 if you like, or you can turn in the Pew Bible, I think it's 1159, or you can just look at the back 00:00:15.220 --> 00:00:19.760 of your bulletin. All right, the text is printed there. It might be the simplest. We're going to 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:27.300 take a look at that, but first we are going to pray. Father, thank you for allowing us to be here. 00:00:27.300 --> 00:00:35.859 May you be pleased with what is preached, and may you be pleased with how we respond 00:00:35.859 --> 00:00:44.840 to the text of your holy word. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who works in us to open our minds and 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:52.460 hearts to both understand and to trust in you. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:00:52.460 --> 00:01:01.700 I think among the first verses that I ever memorized as a kid were Ephesians chapter 2, 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:06.879 verses 8 through 10. You know how it begins right in front of you there, 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:14.040 for by grace you have been saved through faith. It's a great verse. It's a foundational 00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:20.280 verse for those who are saved. We speak about grace, and we sing about grace, 00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:26.159 grace, and we use the word grace for various things, but I'm not sure if we really understand 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:34.120 the gravity of grace, the essence of grace, or the wonder of grace, or the absolute necessity 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:40.439 for grace. I'm not sure that we do understand that. And so I want us to take the time this morning 00:01:40.439 --> 00:01:49.780 to process this passage, and I'm going to attempt to, from the passage, make a case for grace. 00:01:51.179 --> 00:01:56.479 When Paul began to write the book of Ephesians, he started talking about the greatness and glory 00:01:56.479 --> 00:02:02.739 of God, and that can't be overstated, though it's often underappreciated. Paul does his best to 00:02:02.739 --> 00:02:08.879 adequately praise the Father for his multiplied blessings, for his eternal purpose and plan, 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:14.740 and flowing from that, Paul praised the Son for his redemptive work, which included not only the 00:02:14.740 --> 00:02:20.900 forgiveness of sin, but also the unveiling of the mystery of God and the application of his 00:02:20.900 --> 00:02:27.620 inheritance to us. And flowing from that, Paul praised the Holy Spirit for the guarantee of certain 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:34.599 application of all that God had promised for those who he has redeemed. Paul makes it crystal clear 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:43.299 that God did all of that, all of this, to magnify the glory of his grace. As Paul considered this 00:02:43.299 --> 00:02:49.099 awesome God, he wanted more than anything else for the Ephesian believers to know God better. He 00:02:49.099 --> 00:02:55.439 earnestly prayed for them, that they would understand what Paul was saying, that their understanding might 00:02:55.439 --> 00:03:01.659 be open, that they might know this God who saves and who sanctifies and who glorifies. 00:03:01.659 --> 00:03:07.680 This almighty God who has exercised his great power and wonderful grace on their behalf. 00:03:08.780 --> 00:03:15.519 That prayer was actually last week's benediction here at Christ the King Church. All that's from 00:03:15.519 --> 00:03:25.359 chapter one. Now, if there was any way to make the more clear the majesty of God and the necessity of 00:03:25.359 --> 00:03:31.379 God's grace, it would be against the backdrop of the sinfulness of those whom God has determined 00:03:31.379 --> 00:03:40.139 to save. Like stars against the darkness of the sky, so God's glory appears all the more brilliant 00:03:40.139 --> 00:03:48.599 against the darkness of our sinful condition. Chapter two provides such a backdrop because actually it just 00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:55.759 shouts the wonder of God's amazing grace. We can't begin to fathom the concept of grace without really 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:04.139 seeing the real condition of our hearts laid bare before a holy God. And then see that this, what this 00:04:04.139 --> 00:04:12.159 holy God does by grace alone for those who trust him. So in the process of showing God's majesty, 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:20.420 frankly, our portrait's not a very pretty one. It's dark, it's evil, it's perverted, 00:04:20.420 --> 00:04:30.160 it's dead. Not easy to look at. Some will turn away in disgust or worse, denial. Others will make 00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:37.420 every effort to try to freshen up the image, but whitewash and perfume cannot hide the stain nor the 00:04:37.420 --> 00:04:46.100 stench. However, against this dark, this deep darkness will shine the brilliant light of the gospel 00:04:46.100 --> 00:04:52.960 of God's grace. So we can't miss it. We shouldn't miss it. We shouldn't hide from the truth about 00:04:52.960 --> 00:05:00.120 ourselves. But Paul is explaining to us that we can be forever changed by the one who is endued with 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:09.120 all power to make us new and forever acceptable to God. Think about that. Acceptable to God only by grace. 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:15.819 So first the darkness and then the light. Here's the first three verses of the text. 00:05:15.980 --> 00:05:23.780 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of 00:05:23.780 --> 00:05:29.579 this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of 00:05:29.579 --> 00:05:37.500 disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of 00:05:37.500 --> 00:05:43.879 the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. 00:05:44.819 --> 00:05:54.040 Not a good picture. In fact, he is telling us that we are dead and doomed without grace. No grace. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:02.100 We are in that position. So the subject and verb actually of this text, when Paul writes, 00:06:02.100 --> 00:06:09.400 he would flunk English. He just would. I mean, he has run on sentences like you wouldn't believe. 00:06:10.020 --> 00:06:16.260 Actually, the subject and verb of the sentence are not even in the first three verses. Okay. The subject 00:06:16.260 --> 00:06:24.379 and the verb and the object of the verb are in verses four and five. And the subject is God. 00:06:24.379 --> 00:06:33.139 God, the verb is made alive and the object is us. But before we get to the wonderful news about God 00:06:33.139 --> 00:06:39.259 making us alive, we must first wade through the bad news of our condition, which made it necessary 00:06:39.259 --> 00:06:51.480 for God to act upon us by grace. You ever looked in the mirror and either thought maybe and thought this, 00:06:51.480 --> 00:07:01.720 that's not me. Or I don't look like this. This looks terrible. Well, it is you and you are what you see. 00:07:02.040 --> 00:07:10.340 And sometimes it's not that flattering. The picture is this way. It's not pretty. In verses one through 00:07:10.340 --> 00:07:15.879 three, it's hideous. None of those who are in Christ. Now for those of us who are in Christ Jesus, 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:23.420 that's in our past. But for those who are not truly believers, that's your exact portrait. 00:07:24.439 --> 00:07:32.240 Don't close your eyes. Don't look away. We need to see this if we are going to better understand and 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:39.079 appreciate the good news of God's grace. All right, let's start with the first one. We are dead. 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:47.839 That's pretty straightforward. We're dead. No reformation program can bring life into a dead 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:57.339 person. This one is not sick. This one is not mostly dead. This one is dead. No stimulus can be 00:07:57.339 --> 00:08:05.000 applied that will cause the dead person to respond. He's dead. He can't respond. Paul says that we are 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:14.199 dead in our trespasses and sins. We're dead to God. Now to trespass means to slip or fall or to travel 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:19.360 on the wrong road. Most of you, you may not remember the reference, but in Proverbs 14, 12, 00:08:19.579 --> 00:08:25.379 you probably know the verse, there is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof is the way of 00:08:25.379 --> 00:08:34.480 death. To sin means to miss the mark. One of the reasons there's so much confusion about 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:42.060 sin and Christianity is that I don't think we really understand what sin is. We sort of understand 00:08:42.060 --> 00:08:49.460 sins, but we don't understand sin. We can list sins, but missing the mark is the real issue. 00:08:49.980 --> 00:08:57.360 The standard is perfection way up here. And the Bible says that we fall short of the glory of God. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:04.539 We missed the mark. Because we missed the mark, we were unacceptable, shut out from God and condemned 00:09:04.539 --> 00:09:12.440 already because of our sin. We are dead and we are unable to respond to God. Can't do it. 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:19.639 Now I'm aware that from a human perspective, there are some pretty good people in the world. 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:29.620 They're nice. They do nice things. But this isn't a matter of nice. They are dead if they do not know 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:36.080 Jesus. They're dead in their sins. They're dead because they've missed the mark. The degrees of 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:42.080 decay are often different. Some dead people look pretty good. I work in a funeral home. I see dead people 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:51.780 all the time. Some of them look alive dead. And some of them look dead dead. And all of them are dead dead. 00:09:51.940 --> 00:09:57.940 Okay? And I can't say, hey, good morning, rise up and shine. And they don't do anything. 00:09:58.980 --> 00:10:06.379 They're dead. Well, what I see in the physical realm is what's true in the spiritual realm. 00:10:06.379 --> 00:10:12.860 For all who are outside of Jesus, for all who have never experienced the grace of God in Christ Jesus, 00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:21.240 they're dead in their sins. And we were born that way. We were born in sin, spiritually dead. 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:28.779 The whole of unredeemed humanity are the walking dead. Now, not only are we dead, Paul says we're 00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:34.179 dependent. We walk according to the course of this world. We can't get off the road we're on. Have you ever 00:10:34.179 --> 00:10:38.359 been driving somewhere and you can't get off? It's like, are we ever going to get off this? No, 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:41.579 I can't get off this road. I keep going. I'm going the wrong direction. I can't turn around. 00:10:41.939 --> 00:10:46.839 Well, that's the way the world is. We're going in the wrong direction. We can't get off that road. 00:10:47.739 --> 00:10:54.259 We can't. A lot of people think, well, you know, I'm free. I can do whatever I want. I don't want to 00:10:54.259 --> 00:11:00.039 be shackled by God. I'm not going to do any of that. The opposite is true. We're locked into doing 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:05.659 whatever the world is doing. Whatever the world is selling, we're buying. We walk according to the 00:11:05.659 --> 00:11:10.779 prevailing attitude of our age. We're into humanism. We're into materialism. We're into 00:11:10.779 --> 00:11:18.039 self-gratificationism. You know, we're into all that stuff. We're death walkers walking according 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:24.159 to the course of this world, unable to free ourselves from Satan's control over this present 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:32.279 world. We can't change direction. We're also disobedient. Under the power of the evil one, 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:40.860 we disobey God at every turn. Every turn. I've discovered something in life that we don't need 00:11:40.860 --> 00:11:48.439 to be taught to disobey. You notice that? When our kids were small, I didn't have to say, 00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:53.799 you know, honey, this kid just does not seem normal. We're going to have to teach him how to be 00:11:53.799 --> 00:12:02.339 naughty. Didn't have to teach that lesson. We are disobedient people by nature. That's the way we 00:12:02.339 --> 00:12:07.699 are. Paul says that's the way we are. We're dead. We're dependent. We're disobedient. We're also 00:12:07.699 --> 00:12:14.319 depraved. We had all of our manner of life after the lust of the flesh. In our imaginations, as well 00:12:14.319 --> 00:12:21.339 as in our actions, we indulged the flesh, the sinful nature. Now, depravity doesn't mean, doesn't suggest 00:12:21.340 --> 00:12:28.899 that we always behave as bad as we could, but it does say that our core is corrupt and it's impossible 00:12:28.899 --> 00:12:38.860 for us. Don't miss this. It's impossible for us to do anything that would ever merit any positive 00:12:38.860 --> 00:12:46.340 response from God in regard to gaining his favor. Not a thing we can do where God would say, very good. 00:12:46.340 --> 00:12:54.620 If we are dead in our sin, if we are dependent on this world, if we are disobedient to God at every 00:12:54.620 --> 00:13:03.399 turn, we are depraved. We're in deep trouble. In fact, we are doomed. We are by nature, the children 00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:10.780 of wrath. That means that we are subject to the wrath of God. The wrath is described in part in Romans 00:13:10.779 --> 00:13:16.379 chapter 1. It's a good place to look if you want to read about it. Verses 18 to 32. We're without 00:13:16.379 --> 00:13:24.000 excuse and in the direct line of fire for the application of God's wrath to be applied to us 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:33.240 without mercy. Judgment is certain and it will be complete. There will be no appeals, no time off for 00:13:33.240 --> 00:13:42.440 good behavior, no deals, no mercy. Paul paints that picture as dark as he knows how to make it 00:13:42.440 --> 00:13:50.100 and as accurate as he could possibly write. He reminds us that we have not a shred of reason, 00:13:50.460 --> 00:13:57.879 a shred of reason to feel good about ourselves. We are before God. I was trying to run these things 00:13:57.879 --> 00:14:03.460 together. What are we before God outside of Jesus Christ? What are we? Here's what I came up with. 00:14:03.700 --> 00:14:10.340 We are the most vile, sinful, godless, ungrateful, unworthy, unholy, destitute, degraded, depraved mess 00:14:10.340 --> 00:14:17.799 you could ever imagine. That kind of sum it up? That's what he's telling us. Les, please don't tell us 00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:22.419 all these bad things, you know. Well, I'm sorry. That's what we are if we're outside of Jesus. 00:14:22.419 --> 00:14:28.539 That's what he says. We're engulfed in sin. We can never offer anything to God. We're condemned. 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:35.620 There's nothing we can do to alter God's judgment on all of this. However, we're about to be introduced 00:14:35.620 --> 00:14:42.959 to two of the most important words in the Bible. Verse 4. Would you look at that? What does that say? 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:54.620 But God. That's perhaps the most unexpected response, and at the same time, the only possible 00:14:54.620 --> 00:15:01.160 divine response for anything to change in us. And the response is from God, whose righteousness 00:15:01.160 --> 00:15:09.680 has been offended, the one against whom we have all sinned, and whose wrath is ready to be poured out 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:16.519 on us, it is this one who intervenes on our behalf. I'm going to read those couple verses. 00:15:17.439 --> 00:15:28.500 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead 00:15:28.500 --> 00:15:38.279 in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you've been saved, and raised us up with him, 00:15:38.279 --> 00:15:45.819 and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Only when God applies his grace 00:15:45.819 --> 00:16:01.000 does the portrait in the first three verses change to verses 4 to 6. Loved and made alive only by grace. 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:08.259 So what is God like? Well, God is rich in mercy. The word rich carries the idea of abounding, 00:16:08.460 --> 00:16:16.720 loaded up, overflowing. It's by his mercy that he withholds his wrath and judgment. It has nothing to do 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:24.600 with his perspective on us. Think about that. God does not extend his mercy because there's some 00:16:24.600 --> 00:16:34.480 little tiny spark of something in you that he finds good. No. He shows us his mercy because he is a God of 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:44.100 mercy. It has nothing to do with you. His mercy is based only on his character. He extended his mercy. 00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:53.080 He is great in love. How is it possible to describe God's love? We can't. He loved us when we were yet 00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:58.800 sinners. All of the darkness that was described earlier. Against that, he showed his love. 00:17:00.020 --> 00:17:06.220 The Bible says that he abounds in grace. By grace you have been saved. The result of his grace 00:17:06.220 --> 00:17:14.779 is actually a settled condition. Have been saved, as grammarians would say, it's a perfect tense, 00:17:15.299 --> 00:17:22.600 meaning that something happened in the past, it's a done deal, and the results continue forever. 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:34.399 I was saved, I was saved, past tense, and I remain and will remain in that condition all by grace. 00:17:36.179 --> 00:17:42.279 That's what God is like. Merciful, loving, gracious God. 00:17:42.279 --> 00:17:50.579 What has God done? Well, finally we get to the verb in verse 5, he made us alive. Let that sink in for a minute. 00:17:51.460 --> 00:17:56.680 We're dead. He made us alive, if we know Jesus. That's everything. 00:17:56.680 --> 00:18:08.480 We were dead in the state of awful decay, without hope, and he made us alive. All of the past was 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:16.140 reversed in an instantaneous, gracious act by him. There was a day when I was walking in the path of 00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:24.279 verses 1 to 3, and God opened my mind and heart to believe who he is, and he gave me a brand new heart, 00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:33.359 and I became instantaneously different. I don't know if my parents saw it, but it happened. I was changed. 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:39.440 I became a new creation in Christ Jesus. The old was gone, and the new had arrived. 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:47.539 That's what I am in Christ Jesus. Now, I got some ugly still on me, but the idea is that God is working 00:18:47.539 --> 00:18:55.620 to bring some of that into the place where I am positionally in him. That's his grace. That's what 00:18:55.620 --> 00:19:01.380 God has done. What we needed was not some kind of reform or makeover. We needed a resurrection, 00:19:01.940 --> 00:19:08.779 because we were dead, and that's exactly what Jesus does. He raises us up. God raises us up with 00:19:08.779 --> 00:19:15.379 Jesus. Jesus was the model of resurrection, and he was the reason that we could be resurrected, 00:19:15.379 --> 00:19:21.420 because he was the one whose death satisfied God's wrath. Remember, we were children of wrath? 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:34.460 Jesus took all that on himself. The song, once our enemy, now we're seated where? His table. Part of the family. 00:19:34.460 --> 00:19:48.180 God poured out his wrath on Jesus. Jesus didn't make the down payment. Jesus, you sang about it today. 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:57.500 Jesus did what? He paid it all. We have no debt. Jesus rose from the dead and thus guaranteed our own 00:19:57.500 --> 00:20:03.740 resurrection so that Paul could say here that we are made alive in Christ. We've been raised to new life in 00:20:03.740 --> 00:20:12.000 Christ. And that, Zach, is a hallelujah moment, right? That should be our response. Look what he's done. 00:20:12.779 --> 00:20:20.180 Amazing. That's his grace. Though in real time, we haven't yet been raised in position. It's already 00:20:20.180 --> 00:20:27.279 happened. Remember the account of Lazarus? Pastor Mike's going to be speaking in John chapter 11 in a few 00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:35.920 weeks. You know the story. Lazarus, good friend of Jesus, died. Jesus delayed going there for a purpose. 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:42.960 And then four days into all this, Lazarus is in a cave in a tomb, rocks across the front of the tomb. 00:20:43.819 --> 00:20:51.139 And Jesus comes and he has a chat with Martha and then a chat with Mary. He's at the tomb when Mary is 00:20:51.140 --> 00:21:04.600 there and he tells the people to roll away. And in good King James English, Martha says, Lord, he stinketh. 00:21:06.600 --> 00:21:20.320 He did. Dead things decay. That was the situation with Lazarus. Jesus didn't stop there. 00:21:21.140 --> 00:21:31.780 He called out to Lazarus. Lazarus, come forth. Now, what can Lazarus not do? He can't come forth. Why? 00:21:32.300 --> 00:21:39.620 He's dead. He can't come forth. But what happened? He came forth. Why? Because Jesus made him alive. 00:21:39.860 --> 00:21:45.259 What you see physically in that miracle, you also see spiritually in what happens to us. 00:21:45.259 --> 00:21:51.359 We become alive in Christ. Now, what was interesting when he comes out, he had only one thing that needed 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:56.519 to be done. He's still dragging around the grave clothes that he's wrapped in. You know what? Those 00:21:56.519 --> 00:22:03.559 grave clothes still had the stench of death on them. And so what did Jesus say to do? Take them off. 00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:11.160 Let them go. See, we're the same. We're dead in our sins. So Jesus calls us out and he raises us up. 00:22:11.160 --> 00:22:16.340 And here we are out of the tomb. The only thing that holds us back are some things from the past 00:22:16.340 --> 00:22:23.259 that were only present because we were dead. But since we're alive, they are no longer appropriate. 00:22:23.660 --> 00:22:29.580 And in fact, they're a hindrance to our ability to walk and to run. So we get rid of the former stuff 00:22:29.580 --> 00:22:34.180 so that we can be free to live for the glory of God. That's the picture. 00:22:34.180 --> 00:22:40.820 Though here's the rest of, I'm not even going to talk about verses eight through 10. 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:47.539 I'm not going to get to that today. That's okay. But in verses six and seven, he says this. 00:22:48.900 --> 00:22:56.940 And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 00:22:56.940 --> 00:23:05.860 so that in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness 00:23:05.860 --> 00:23:14.960 toward us. So not only we were dead and doomed, and then we were made alive in Christ. Now he says, 00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:21.860 we are seated and displayed and all of that only by grace. We're seated in the heavenly places. What's 00:23:21.859 --> 00:23:29.139 that mean? Well, to be sure, this must be about our position in Christ. We're still here. We're 00:23:29.139 --> 00:23:35.119 living in the world, even though we shouldn't be making an effort not to be of the world. But still, 00:23:35.240 --> 00:23:39.579 Paul makes the point that we are right now seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 00:23:40.579 --> 00:23:44.359 See, the future reality is in view, but there's a present application as well. 00:23:44.979 --> 00:23:51.199 We were at the bottom, dead in sin and condemned forever, but God, in his amazing grace, 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:59.120 raised us up, changed our entire scope of life for eternity. For God, in his amazing grace, 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:05.000 raised us up and did all of this. Everything about our life is now different. In other passages, 00:24:05.220 --> 00:24:11.799 we are told, oh, by the way, where's your citizenship? In heaven. We're told that in the scriptures. 00:24:12.259 --> 00:24:19.259 We're told that our gaze should be on things where? Above. Not on things on the earth. We're told to 00:24:19.259 --> 00:24:26.079 seek after that which is above. We live our lives here, but we're supposed to be laying up treasures 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:32.579 where? In heaven. We, like those who live before us, are to be looking for that city whose builder and 00:24:32.579 --> 00:24:40.099 maker is God. And while we're here, we are longing and looking for that blessed hope, the glorious 00:24:40.099 --> 00:24:46.799 appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus. That's what we're here for. All of our lives are to have a 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:53.659 heavenly perspective. Paul says we are seated, which speaks of completion. When Jesus had completed 00:24:53.659 --> 00:25:00.279 his work of redemption, he rose from the dead, he spent some time on earth, he met with his disciples, 00:25:00.279 --> 00:25:05.019 and then at one point he ascended into heaven. And the scriptures say that when he ascended into heaven, 00:25:05.099 --> 00:25:14.680 he sat down at the right hand of the Father. That means that his work was complete. And when we are 00:25:14.680 --> 00:25:22.880 saved by him and raised by him and lifted into the heavenly places, our mission in that sense is 00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:30.039 complete in regard to our salvation. Like Jesus, we're seated. What a difference from the personal 00:25:30.039 --> 00:25:36.620 portrait in verses one through three. And there's more. We're put on display. 00:25:36.619 --> 00:25:46.019 There's a purpose for this. Whenever you see words like so that or in order that, those are purpose 00:25:46.019 --> 00:25:53.559 clauses. They are conclusions. They are reasons why something has happened. So God has saved us. 00:25:54.279 --> 00:26:01.879 He has raised us. He seated us for a specific purpose. And Paul says that purpose clearly here. 00:26:01.880 --> 00:26:10.540 God's purpose is future and eternal in nature in the ages to come. And once again, it is all about him. 00:26:11.620 --> 00:26:20.200 God did this. He did all of this so that we might be forever a visible testimony to the immeasurable 00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:30.980 riches of his grace. All the people that God has saved, millions of them from every tribe and tongue and 00:26:30.980 --> 00:26:36.960 people and nation, all of them declaring to all the myriads of angels. 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:47.460 What angels don't quite understand and long to know that God is immeasurably rich in grace. 00:26:48.019 --> 00:26:58.160 His kind grace is beyond description. And so when the angelic world in heaven sees the redemptive work 00:26:58.160 --> 00:27:05.160 of God, their response is, wow, look how those guys cleaned up. No, no. Their response is, God is 00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:16.060 gracious. God, wow. Look what God has done. We will be on display as a trophy to the work of God's grace. 00:27:16.320 --> 00:27:18.400 That's what Paul was talking about in Ephesians 1. 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:24.460 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings 00:27:24.460 --> 00:27:31.280 in the heavenly places. And he's all talking about, look what he has done in us that we become the mark 00:27:31.280 --> 00:27:41.120 of his glorious grace for all eternity. Bringing glory to our Savior. Considering from where we came and what 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:48.919 we will be, we ought to never stop thanking God for his grace. May I suggest that we need not wait 00:27:48.919 --> 00:27:59.039 till we get to heaven to do that? That's my case for grace. Without grace, no rescue, no intervention, 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:08.259 no redemption, but God. Now we can use that phrase and we do a lot and it's okay to use it for many, 00:28:08.399 --> 00:28:17.259 many things. But primarily, Paul is saying the but God statement is about a redemption. About God 00:28:17.259 --> 00:28:25.339 pouring out his love, his mercy, his grace upon us that we might know him, that we might have eternal 00:28:25.339 --> 00:28:33.500 life, that we might be the forever testimony of his marvelous grace. I want you to look at the picture. 00:28:34.220 --> 00:28:41.740 Again, don't look away. Right now, if you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior, that picture in 00:28:41.740 --> 00:28:51.000 verses 1 to 3 is you. But he can make it new. Many people believe, I think, in sort of a philosophy, 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:56.640 I'm okay, you're okay. Or maybe, I'm okay, you stink, or something like that. But anyway, it's I'm okay, 00:28:56.700 --> 00:29:06.619 you're okay, generally. But without Christ, we're not okay. We stink with the smell of death. We are dead, 00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:17.140 but he can make us alive. So how does that happen? We ask. We ask. We ask God to change us. 00:29:17.140 --> 00:29:29.460 When he begins to do his work in us, and we ask, it'll happen. He will save us by his grace. 00:29:32.740 --> 00:29:35.740 If you trust him today as your Savior, I'd love to hear about it. 00:29:35.740 --> 00:29:40.200 I would love to rejoice with you in your newfound faith. 00:29:43.460 --> 00:29:51.259 God is a God of grace. Without his grace, we're lost. With it, we're made alive in him. 00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:54.880 I want to tell you a story, and then we'll be done. 00:29:56.319 --> 00:30:02.359 It's a story, a little bit about John Newton. I'll tell you his story right now. 00:30:02.359 --> 00:30:12.659 The ship thrashed around in the North Atlantic storm for over a week. Canvas sails on the ship were ripped, shredded. 00:30:13.699 --> 00:30:18.319 The wood on one side of the boat was splintered. The sailors had little hope of survival. 00:30:18.939 --> 00:30:23.959 They were working the mechanical pumps hour after hour after hour trying to keep the ship afloat. 00:30:23.960 --> 00:30:29.539 On the 11th day of the storm, sailor John Newton was too exhausted to pump. 00:30:30.259 --> 00:30:37.880 And so after doing that for many hours, he was tied to the helm of the ship, trying to hold the ship in its course. 00:30:38.259 --> 00:30:41.860 From about 1 o'clock in the afternoon until midnight, he's tied to the helm. 00:30:42.600 --> 00:30:44.120 This was in 1748. 00:30:45.180 --> 00:30:48.000 While the storm raged, Newton had time to think. 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:54.039 His life seemed to be ruined and wrecked and battered as much as the ship he was trying to steer through the storm. 00:30:55.019 --> 00:30:59.039 Since the age of 11, he'd lived a life at sea. 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:03.660 Sailors were pretty much not noted for their refinement. 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:08.819 But Newton had a reputation for such profanity and coarseness and debauchery 00:31:08.819 --> 00:31:11.400 that he even shocked many of the sailors he was with. 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:14.160 In fact, he was known as the great blasphemer. 00:31:14.160 --> 00:31:24.160 Actually, Newton was raised by a godly mother for a while, but she died when he was six. 00:31:24.980 --> 00:31:29.880 But when she had him home there, she was praying to God that God would make him a minister. 00:31:31.320 --> 00:31:36.420 And she taught him early the Bible, and she taught him songs written by Isaac Watts. 00:31:36.420 --> 00:31:41.420 And in the middle of all the storm, some of those childhood teachings began to come to mind. 00:31:41.420 --> 00:31:48.539 One of them, which is quite interesting, was actually found in Proverbs 1, verses 24-31. 00:31:48.800 --> 00:31:52.660 And that seemed to confirm to Newton that he was without hope, absolutely. 00:31:53.160 --> 00:31:54.120 Let me read a little bit of that. 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:55.920 Proverbs 1. 00:31:56.420 --> 00:31:59.779 Because I have called and you refuse to listen. 00:31:59.860 --> 00:32:00.680 This is God speaking. 00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:03.080 Because I have called and you refuse to listen. 00:32:03.079 --> 00:32:06.919 You have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded. 00:32:07.259 --> 00:32:14.480 Because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity. 00:32:14.579 --> 00:32:16.639 I will mock when terror strikes you. 00:32:16.819 --> 00:32:20.699 When terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, 00:32:21.019 --> 00:32:26.179 when distress and anguish come upon you, then you will call upon me, but I will not answer. 00:32:26.180 --> 00:32:32.820 They will seek me diligently, but will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, 00:32:33.160 --> 00:32:36.900 which have none of my counsel and despise all my reproof. 00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:41.539 Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way and have their fill of their own devices. 00:32:41.640 --> 00:32:45.039 Now, you can imagine when that came to his mind, he figures, I'm done, okay? 00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:51.019 Though he had rejected his mother's teaching and led sailors into unbelief, 00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:57.480 he was convinced at that point that he was beyond hope, beyond saving, even if the scriptures were true. 00:32:58.579 --> 00:33:03.559 But during the storm, Newton's thoughts began to turn to Christ. 00:33:03.980 --> 00:33:08.139 Somehow, in the middle of being tied to the helm, he was able to get a New Testament, 00:33:08.619 --> 00:33:10.599 and he began to read a few verses out of that. 00:33:10.599 --> 00:33:15.179 He found hope in Luke 11, verse 13. 00:33:15.779 --> 00:33:19.279 It may not sound like that initially, but here's the verse. 00:33:19.859 --> 00:33:25.439 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, 00:33:26.219 --> 00:33:30.980 how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? 00:33:30.980 --> 00:33:41.400 Well, that day, at the helm, March 21, 1748, was the day Newton remembered ever after. 00:33:42.180 --> 00:33:42.660 He wrote, 00:33:42.900 --> 00:33:48.059 On that day, the Lord sent from on high and delivered me out of the waters. 00:33:49.400 --> 00:33:57.980 57 years later, as an old man, Newton wrote in his diary on March 21, this time 1805, 00:33:57.980 --> 00:34:08.019 Not well able to write, but I endeavor to observe the return of this day with humiliation, prayer, and praise. 00:34:08.679 --> 00:34:20.400 Only God's amazing grace could take a rude, profane, slave-trading sailor and transform him into a child of God. 00:34:21.139 --> 00:34:25.619 Newton never ceased to stand in awe of God's work in his life. 00:34:25.619 --> 00:34:29.900 Newton left slave-trading and began to think that he had been called to ministry. 00:34:30.299 --> 00:34:36.319 His mother's prayers for her son were answered, and in 1764, at the age of 39, 00:34:36.639 --> 00:34:40.579 John Newton began what would result in 43 years of preaching the gospel. 00:34:41.420 --> 00:34:46.539 He spent his mornings in Bible study, his afternoons visiting parishioners. 00:34:47.199 --> 00:34:52.199 There were regular Sunday morning and afternoon services and meetings for children and young people. 00:34:52.199 --> 00:34:56.019 There were also Tuesday evening prayer meetings, which were always well attended. 00:34:56.619 --> 00:34:58.179 Sunday evening services. 00:34:58.699 --> 00:35:01.039 You'll like this, Zach. 00:35:01.219 --> 00:35:02.500 Sunday evening services. 00:35:03.259 --> 00:35:08.619 Newton often composed a hymn that supported the lessons in Scripture for the evening. 00:35:09.460 --> 00:35:18.000 In 1779, 280 of these were collected and combined with 68 hymns by Newton's friend and parishioner, 00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:25.099 William Cooper, this most famous of hymns was called Faith's Review and Expectation. 00:35:25.179 --> 00:35:25.840 Any of you heard that? 00:35:26.800 --> 00:35:27.659 Oh, yeah, you have. 00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:31.300 We know it today as Amazing Grace. 00:35:33.820 --> 00:35:35.179 Last week we sang that. 00:35:36.460 --> 00:35:40.320 Some of the stanzas, I'm not sure if we sang all these, but it goes like this. 00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:41.840 Amazing Grace. 00:35:42.500 --> 00:35:43.420 You know it. 00:35:44.120 --> 00:35:45.460 How sweet the sound. 00:35:46.180 --> 00:35:48.820 It saved a wretch like me. 00:35:49.380 --> 00:35:51.880 I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind. 00:35:52.620 --> 00:35:53.539 Now I see. 00:35:54.300 --> 00:35:56.280 It was grace that taught my heart to fear. 00:35:56.620 --> 00:35:58.300 In grace my fears relieved. 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:02.220 How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed. 00:36:02.980 --> 00:36:05.840 Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I've already come. 00:36:06.640 --> 00:36:08.900 His grace has brought me safe thus far. 00:36:08.900 --> 00:36:12.240 And grace will lead me home. 00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:16.940 The Lord has promised good to me. 00:36:17.360 --> 00:36:19.500 His word my hope secures. 00:36:20.579 --> 00:36:24.280 He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures. 00:36:24.680 --> 00:36:28.960 Yes, when this flesh and heart may fail, and mortal life shall cease, 00:36:29.180 --> 00:36:32.500 I shall possess within the veil a life of joy and peace. 00:36:32.740 --> 00:36:34.880 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow. 00:36:34.880 --> 00:36:43.619 The sun forbear to shine, but God, who called me here below, will be forever mine. 00:36:43.619 --> 00:36:47.279 Newton lived to be 82 years old. 00:36:47.659 --> 00:36:52.559 He continued to preach, have an active ministry until the last couple of years of his life when his health failed. 00:36:53.319 --> 00:36:56.639 Newton never ceased to be amazed by God's grace. 00:36:56.960 --> 00:36:58.420 And he told his friends, 00:36:59.159 --> 00:37:02.579 My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things. 00:37:02.579 --> 00:37:09.360 I am a great sinner, but that Christ is a great Savior. 00:37:10.360 --> 00:37:12.279 Amazing grace. 00:37:13.420 --> 00:37:23.480 Dear God, thank you for helping us to see how important it is that you save us by grace. 00:37:23.480 --> 00:37:25.619 We had no hope. 00:37:26.099 --> 00:37:27.320 We were lost and dead. 00:37:27.400 --> 00:37:28.460 We couldn't do anything. 00:37:30.240 --> 00:37:34.900 But you, for people gathered here today who belong to you and your family, 00:37:35.619 --> 00:37:38.139 you saved us by grace. 00:37:39.059 --> 00:37:42.380 And may we forever, starting even now, 00:37:43.199 --> 00:37:47.139 may we forever glory in your grace. 00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:53.019 May we forever shout hallelujah to your grace. 00:37:53.019 --> 00:37:58.440 May we understand that we came offering nothing but the filth of our life. 00:37:59.219 --> 00:38:02.699 And you turned it all around by grace. 00:38:03.759 --> 00:38:06.559 Oh, thank you for your grace. 00:38:07.360 --> 00:38:10.820 Thank you for saving me by grace. 00:38:11.920 --> 00:38:19.119 And dear God, may I never, ever, ever forget that amazing grace. 00:38:20.059 --> 00:38:21.400 Don't let me forget it. 00:38:21.400 --> 00:38:25.559 May that be at least among the last things I ever remember. 00:38:26.820 --> 00:38:30.680 By grace, I've been made alive in Jesus. 00:38:31.680 --> 00:38:31.920 Amen.