Grace Greater Than Our Sin (Ephesians 2:1-10)
Have you tried to help a selfish person become more loving?
Have you wished for an angry person to act gently and speak graciously?
Have you sought to break free from an addiction to porn and live in purity?
Selfishness, uncontrolled anger, and addiction to porn may not sound as serious as murder, but these sins have destroyed relationships.
Inconsiderate neighbors have affected our rest, angry fits have caused us hurt, and immorality has laden us with guilt and shame.
Most concerning is the wedge sin drives between us and God who is Holy. When we persist in sin, we are spiritually dead and deserving of God’s wrath.
Hence, we may have tried to arrest these issues on our own. But our experiences tell us how difficult it is to fight sin on human strength. The lack of progress is discouraging and hence many give up and linger in spiritual death. Perhaps you have thrown in the towel and find it pointless in getting right with God. He’s just too holy and we are too sinful.
But the good news that we will studying today is that God’s grace is greater than our sin. God is gracious to us even when we were dead in our sins. God’s grace can raise us to new life and transform us from sinners into saints.
It is my prayer that we will not linger in spiritual death, but experience God’s immeasurable grace and walk in His ways.
You were dead in sin but God shows immeasurable grace. So, walk the path God created for you — do good works.
We shall study Ephesians 2:1-10 in three parts:
You were dead in sin (Eph 2:1-3)
But God shows immeasurable grace (Eph 2:4-9)
So, walk the path God created for you—do good works (Eph 2:10)
You were dead in sin (Eph 2:1-3)
Have you been inside a cathedral or seen pictures of people inside one? To help people experience the greatness of God, the architects of famous cathedrals were intentional in building large, towering structures that are over 30 meters high. An ordinary person would doubtless feel small inside the vast and grand cathedral. Making people feel tiny is not an attempt to hurt people’s feelings, but to help people bask in the greatness of God and worship Him.
Similarly, the apostle Paul begins Ephesians 2 by reminding Christians how doomed we had been as unbelievers so that we would better appreciate the immeasurable riches of God’s grace towards us. For it is only when we realize how ruined we were that we can truly appreciate the salvation we have in Christ.
This is why Paul holds back no punches in reminding us of our original state. He writes in Ephesians 2:1-3, “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.”
All of us were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were not fairly good folks who needed to be enlightened. We were spiritually dead. Like a corpse, we were unable to do even the smallest spiritual good. We were stuck in our ways of ignoring God. We avoided talk about God because we did not want to worship anyone else. We welcomed the influence of the world because it aligned with our desires. That's what Paul means when he says in Ephesians 2:2 that we followed the “course of this world”. We felt affirmed that everyone around us prioritized our own personal happiness. As such we freely gave in to our passions and carried out the desires of the body and the mind. We did whatever we pleased without regard for God or the wellbeing of others. We pursued our own ambition and pleasure.
If we wanted something that was not ours, we would cheat or lie or steal. If we burned with lust, we would act on it without regard for those we would hurt. If we were wronged, we would respond with rage or bide our time to take revenge.
We followed the prince of the power of the air because he affirmed our rebellion against God. This prince is a reference to the devil who is opposed to God and continuously at work in the sons of disobedience. The devil had stirred up rebellion in the hearts of the first man and woman and continues to instigate us to disobey God and live for ourselves. He makes us think that God doesn’t care about our welfare and encourages us to secure our own happiness. He encourages us to give in to whatever longings or impulses we have without regard for the Lord.
Isn’t it shocking to realize that acting on our fleshly passions is a sign that we are disciples of the devil?
This is why Paul says that we were by nature, children of wrath.
Now this phrase doesn’t mean that we are angry people. Rather it stands in contrast to being children of God. Instead of being God’s beloved children who can expect blessings from their Father, Paul says that our sins have incurred the wrath of God. Before our redemption, we were disobedient children deserving of punishment. Our rejection of God incited His holy wrath and we were destined for eternal damnation. We were children deserving of God’s wrath.
Let us pause here for a moment and allow this truth to sink in.
You were dead in sin. You walked according to the devil’s ways, rejecting God and fulfilling every passion of your flesh. You had carried out the desires of your body. You had acted upon the depraved thoughts in your mind. Hence you were by nature, children of wrath, just like the rest of mankind. Hence you were hell bound. Destined for eternal destruction.
If your past sins make you feel really low and lousy, then we are on the right track to appreciate the good news that Paul launches into in Ephesians 2:4-9.
But God shows immeasurable grace (Eph 2:4-9)
The word “but” in Ephesians 2:4 must rank as the most beautiful “but” in the Bible. Since we were dead in our sins, we were incapable of fixing anything. As a dead corpse, we were unable to repair our broken relationship with God. We were unable to escape God’s wrath. Thus, Ephesians 2:4 proclaims the most amazing news that even though we were deserving of God’s wrath, He chose to pour out great mercy upon us.
Mercy is showing compassion and leniency to an offender. Sinners are enemies of God and deserving of His wrath and punishment. But God exercises mercy when he shows compassion and withholds the punishment that sinners deserve.
One of my favorite musicals is Les Misérables. There is a moving scene where Jean Val Jean is caught stealing from the Bishop who had given him refuge. The Bishop had every right to be angry. He had so kindly housed a man who was despised by society and yet had the audacity to steal from him. But instead of anger, the Bishop responded in a shocking manner. He stuffed more precious things in the hands of Jean Val Jean in a moving display of mercy and grace.
But the good that we do is often limited by our own resources and energy.
God’s mercy has no limits.
Hence, Paul does not just highlight God’s mercy, but describes God as being rich in mercy. God’s mercy has no limits. He is not going to run out of mercy. God is so rich in mercy that even the vilest sinner is assured that God will be merciful to all who turn to Him. God is not only going to forgive the first 100 people, but every one who turns to Him. Sometimes, we may look at certain sins and think that a person is underserving of any mercy. But Paul assures us of God’s mercy by grounding it in the great love with which He loved us.
Consider the parable of the Prodigal Son that Jesus told in Luke 15 to communicate the depth of love God has for wayward sinners. Even though the prodigal son deserved to be disowned and forgotten for his act of rebellion, his father longed for his return and waited daily for his wayward son to come to his senses. Because of his great love, the father never gives up on his child. And when he saw his son return in the distance, the father runs to him and embraces him. He celebrates the return of his son with great joy.
Friends, God richly pours out His mercy upon all of us because we are dear to Him. We are His crowning creation. Although God made many creatures, He made us in His image. He designed us to be His image bearers. He desires us to have fellowship with Him. He views us as His beloved children. That’s why His love towards us is so great and steadfast.
Like a parent who would still visit their child on death row, long after everyone else has given up, so God continued to pursue us even when we were dead in our trespasses. God did not stop loving us. He kept calling out to us even when we were busy with living for ourselves. God visited us even when we were locked away in the dungeon of our sins. God never gave up on reconciling us to himself.
If you are not a Christian and you were wondering what made you show up today, I can tell you that it is God who has been pursuing you, and that it is God who has brought you here today. God loves you so much that He wants you to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
Because of God’s great love, He mercifully sent Jesus Christ to bear the punishment that we deserved. Through His death on the cross, Jesus made atonement for our sins. His sacrifice as a sinless man appeased God’s wrath and freed us from judgment.
Now for a criminal to be pardoned is one thing. But life after being released from prison is a whole other thing. It is not easy to get on with life, let alone flourish as an ex-convict.
Hence Paul highlights to us God’s grace in giving us so much more than we deserved. God didn’t just stop at clearing our debt. Ephesians 2:5-6 says that God made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places.
Jesus’ raising of Lazarus in John 11 helps us grasp the significance of the spiritual resurrection Christians receive. When we were dead in our sins, we were like Lazarus’ rotting body. The stench from decaying flesh was so bad that they didn’t have an open casket. Friends who came to mourn and pay their respects wouldn’t see the decaying body. Instead, the body was placed in a cave and sealed with a stone. But when Jesus called Lazarus to come to him, the man who had died came back to life. His burial clothes were removed, and he could immediately enjoy the company of His Saviour.
Isn’t that amazing? Similarly, God does not just wipe our slate clean but graciously offers a new lease of life that is filled with many blessings. He does not just free us from prison but takes us to His house. God gives us a new life with Him. He elevates us with Christ and seats us with Him in the heavenly places.
What Paul means here is that although we are still physically on earth, we have migrated within the spiritual realm. Before we experienced God’s salvation, we lived in the realm of spiritual darkness. But God in His mercy and grace has moved us into His kingdom. Christians have been united with Jesus and hence are with Him in heaven.
Although Christians will physically be with Jesus when we leave this present world, Paul wants us to know that we are already in heaven spiritually because we are able to see things from God’s vantage point. When we consider the way God has acted towards us even when we were dead in our trespasses, we are overwhelmed by the riches of his mercy, depth of love, and amazing grace.
This is in fact the purpose of God’s salvation. Ephesians 2:7 says that through the salvation we receive, God shows the immeasurable riches of His grace. So let us not only enjoy God’s salvation, but celebrate His amazing grace and kindness towards us. This will in turn lead to even greater love and praise of God.
Now it is also important to highlight our Heavenly Father’s desire to share His glory with His Son.
As we consider God’s plan of salvation in Ephesians 2:4-7, we will note that it centers around Jesus Christ.
There’s this popular Netflix series called Cashero where the main character has a superpower that is activated whenever he is holding cash. If he has enough cash, he can be killed and raised to life. But we all know that’s pure fiction. Gold bars and animal sacrifices and cannot raise the dead.
Only the sacrifice of God’s Beloved Son can satisfy the wrath of God and break the curse of sin and death.
Therefore, Ephesians 2:5 states the centrality of Jesus in our salvation. God made us alive by uniting us with Jesus Christ. Our union with Christ is the reason that we enjoy all the benefits and privileges He has. Because God raised Jesus from the dead, so we who were spiritually dead are raised to new life. Because God has seated Jesus at His right hand, so we who are in Christ are seated in the heavenly places.
We literally ride on the coattails of Jesus. Jesus is like our VVIP pass. As long as we are with Jesus, we can go wherever He goes. Because we are on Team Jesus, we enjoy the same access He has to God. Without Jesus, we remain condemned and dead in our sins. But when we are united with Jesus, we enjoy immeasurable blessings.
Friends, have you come to see the centrality of Jesus in God’s plan of salvation?
As Ephesians 2:7 states, God shows the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness through Jesus Christ.
This is why we must be Christ-centered and Christ-exalting. For without Christ, we remain dead in our sins. But through Christ, we are made alive. Because we are in Christ, we have access to the Father and can witness the immeasurable riches of his grace that He has poured out on all His people.
So no matter which church you go to, expect preachers to proclaim Christ. Expect your elders to be Christ-exalting. Expect our church to display Christ.
Sometimes when we are unwell, we may be prescribed a treatment or medication beyond our personal reach. Because of our lack of finances or connections, we have to settle for alternative treatments that are less effective or even suffer in silence.
The antidote to sin is similar. Spiritually dead sinners have no means of obtaining salvation on their own. No amount of money can buy salvation. This is because only Jesus can defeat the devil at the cross and His services are not for sale. Further, Jesus is not under the authority of any human being. He cannot be commanded by any of us. Jesus is God’s Son and will only do that which His Father ordains.
Hence God’s gift of Jesus is a magnificent display of His grace. God has given what none of us can obtain on our own. God has given His beloved Son that none of us deserve.
This is why Paul says in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”. Salvation, from start to finish is a gift. God is the one who initiated the plan of redemption.
And Ephesians 2:1 makes clear that we were not involved in the rescue operation since we were spiritually dead and living in the domain of the devil. God is the one who graciously sent His Son whom none of us could have coerced or appealed to on our own merit. Through Christ, God makes us alive and seats us in the heavenly places. Hence our salvation is 100% a gift of God.
Ephesians 2:9 tells us the response we should have. Because our salvation is not a result of works, we must not boast in ourselves. Boasting is not always negative. Rather, Paul’s concern is that people wrongfully claim credit that rightfully belongs to God.
No Christian should boast that we saved ourselves or were clever enough to invest in Jesus. Rather, we are to boast in God. We are to proclaim God’s immeasurable grace in choosing to redeem us from sin and death. We are to boast in Christ whose sacrifice was sufficient to satisfy the wrath of God. We are to boast in the riches of God’s mercy and the greatness of His love.
God deserves all the credit and praise for gifting us salvation. And as we bask in the immeasurable riches of God’s grace towards us, we should feel loved, comforted, and desirous of praising God.
This leads us to part 3, as recipients of God’s immeasurable grace, walk the path God created—do good works.
So, walk the path God created—do good works (Eph 2:10)
Thus far in Ephesians, there has been an emphasis on praising God. As we consider the riches of God’s mercy, the greatness of His love, and the immeasurable riches of His grace, we cannot help but praise Him! And we most naturally praise God by singing. I am looking forward to singing our response song together.
But praising God extends beyond corporate worship. It extends beyond singing hymns and songs.
We are to praise God by living for Him. Hence in Ephesians 2:10, Paul communicates an important truth — “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
We, who have been saved by God’s grace, have received a new identity. We are no longer sons and daughters of disobedience. We are now God’s workmanship. We belong to Him body and soul. He is our new master. And hence we are to be intent on serving Him. We are to be focused on pleasing Him. In the same way that a potter considers the purpose before fashioning a clay object, so God has created us based on His glorious purpose.
God created us in Christ Jesus for good works which He has prepared beforehand. Although our works do not contribute to our salvation in any way, it would be wrong to conclude that God does not expect us to do good works. Long beforehand, God had determined to create a people for Himself — a holy nation that would do good works for His glory.
God created us to enjoy the riches of His mercy, the greatness of His love and the vastness of His grace so that we would delight in Him and desire to live for Him.
God created us to enjoy the riches of His mercy, the greatness of His love and the vastness of His grace so that we would delight in Him and desire to live for Him.
Did you note the difference between working for one’s salvation versus doing good works in response to being a recipient of God’s grace?
Good works are an expression of the new relationship we have in Christ.
This is why Paul took 9 verses to emphasize the immeasurable riches of God’s grace towards us before addressing our response. If we claim to have been saved by God’s grace, then we must live according to this new identity and reality.
True salvation not only makes us a new creation in Christ, but reorientates our priorities and goals in life. Christians are no longer living in the domain of the devil. We are no longer under the rule of that evil spirit that works in the sons of disobedience.
Therefore, we must not walk according to the flesh. We must stop following the course of this world that is under the influence of the devil. We must resist carrying out the desires of our body and mind that are sinful and displeasing to God. We must not scoff at God’s truths and reject His commands.
Instead, we must embrace our identity as God’s workmanship. As those created in Christ Jesus, we must walk the path God has prepared beforehand. We are to do good works that give praise and glory to our great Redeemer.
So what are some good works that we are to do?
Let me offer three categories of good works. Firstly, good works should please God. Some examples would be:
Seeking to be Holy as God is holy. This involves actively crucifying sin and resisting temptation. Restricting internet access in our bedrooms and filling our minds with God’s truths.
Living out our new identity by displaying the fruit of the Spirit. Instead of responding in anger, we are to exercise self-control, patience and display grace.
Prioritizing God as we make decisions regarding work, family and other matters
Secondly, we should consider good works that build up God’s people. Some examples include:
Spurring one another on in the faith through intentional meets up to read and apply the Bible
Preserving the witness of the body by pursuing the lost and seeking reconciliation.
Serving in ministries that strengthen the witness of God’s church.
Thirdly, 1 Peter 2:12 encourage us to do good works that result in non-believers glorifying God.
Some examples would be:
Being a good neighbour
Responding to the needs of the community, like offering a meal and friendship to those separated from their families and
Opening up our church facilities when the need arises
Friends, what are some good works that God has placed on your heart? What are some needs in the church and neighbourhood that you have identified?
Will you walk the path God created and do the good works that bring Him glory?
Very importantly, always remind yourself of the immeasurable riches of God’s grace as you labor for Him.
May His grace give us the reason, the motivation, and the strength to walk in His ways and do the good works that give Him glory.
I began our sermon highlighting the challenges we experience fighting sins that are destructive and lead to spiritual death. But now that we have studied Ephesians 2:1-10, I pray that you have found great hope in the Lord and are assured that God will not only rescue you but give you a new and better life.
God’s grace is greater than our sin. God’s grace can transform us from sinners into saints. While you were still dead in sin, God shows immeasurable grace. He has made us alive in Jesus, raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places.
So let us not linger in spiritual death, but experience God’s immeasurable grace today and walk in His ways.
Let us pray.