Unpacking Ephesians 2: Understanding Grace
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June 27, 2024
Unpacking Ephesians 2: Understanding Grace
Grace. We all know it, we’re all grateful for it. The idea of getting what we don’t deserve is the tangible gift of the incredibly merciful Savior that we serve. Ephesians 2 is one of the most important passages for us as Christ followers because Paul so clearly articulates what we’ve done, what we deserve, and what Jesus did instead.
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 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— 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. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
There it is. The ultimate win for humanity: the transformation from our sinful state to our redemption through Jesus, and His sacrifice alone.
Simply put:
1: We were a mess. Living in sin, walking in sin, with no hope or life.
2: God’s love changed EVERYTHING.
3: We truly cannot, and will never be able to do anything to earn it.
4: Now, because of this, we have hope and a future.
Let’s unpack it.
1: We WERE a mess. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 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— 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.” Before Christ, we were slaves to the darkness, following the ways of the enemy. Paul is reminding us that the wages of sin is death. Apart from Christ we cannot live by the spirit, we cannot have an abundant life, and we cannot receive eternal life. Even on our best day, what we have to offer is no better than filthy rags.
2: The sacrifice of God’s son in the form of Jesus changed everything for us. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” BUT GOD! One of the most important phrases we can cling to. Regardless of the lies of the enemy, regardless of worldly circumstances, and regardless of our own actions, God is so much greater! By His grace, we are saved. We are set apart. We can live a life, and live it abundantly.
3: We *really* don’t deserve this. Romans 6 says, “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Before Jesus, before radical transformation, there was a (false) sense of freedom. To do what we please, to live according to the flesh. But the word asks us what fruit we gained. What did it produce in our lives that was good? Eventually, they lead to death. But because of Jesus, by living by the fruits of the spirit, we experience true freedom. Freedom that leads to life, not death!
4: Because of this, we have a deeper purpose. A hope and a future. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” One of the sweetest things about the word of God is that it never leaves us to guess, or blindly go through life. It comes with purpose, action, and steps. Because of sin, we’re dead. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we are saved. Because of God’s perfect design, we’re made for goodness. Because of the word of God, we have a clear idea of what this looks like. We are God’s workmanship (handiwork, masterpiece), which means we were created intentionally, specifically, and with a uniquely beautiful purpose. We’re not meant to just float through life on cruise control. This quote from BibleRef sums it up in a lovely way: “God prepared what He wanted us to do for Him long ago. He has already planned what He wants us to do with our lives. We do not need to copy what someone else has done or is doing. He has a unique plan for each of us to serve Him in this world. This includes certain spiritual gifts and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to lead us in service to Him.”
So, what now?
As we celebrate the grace that was so freely given to us, here’s a few action steps we can take daily to honor it:
1: Extend the same grace that you enjoy everyday. Look at each human as the masterpiece they are, and work to employ grace in all situations.
2: Remember, good works are not what saves us, Jesus alone is. But, God clearly tells us He designed us for good works. So evaluate your own life. Prune the fruit that doesn’t produce good works, and seek Him intentionally to replace them.
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