What Does God Give Us? Grace
January 22, 2017

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

I. God’s grace gives you life instead of death.

A. Ephesians 2:1 relates the state of our soul before Jesus was given to us as a gift of grace. The apostle Paul writes there, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.” Because of our sins we are separated from God and we are alienated from Him. So God says to us before we are given the gracious gift of Jesus, “You are dead to me. You have no spiritual life in you.” Fortunately, you do not have to stay dead. God can do a miracle for you – a miracle described in vs. 4 and 5.

B. The first two words of verse 4 are some of the most wonderful and the most joyful words in the whole Bible: But God. You were dead. You had no life in you because you were separated from God, the creator of life. But God! But God did not let you stay in that condition. God made you alive together with Christ. Just like Jesus was risen from the dead on Easter Sunday, you too have been raised from the dead with Jesus. Why would God do such a thing? Not because we deserved it or worked for it. Life and salvation are a pure gift of God’s grace.

II. God’s grace gives you mercy instead of wrath.

A. Paul says in vs. 3 that because of our sin we were by nature children of wrath. We deserve to die because of our sin. We are worthy to receive God’s judgment for our sin. Because God is completely holy and good God hates sin. That is who He is. He cannot turn a blind eye toward evil or else He would no longer be good. That does not mean that God hates sinners. John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

B. God then is not only a God of wrath. He is also a God of mercy. This is the focus of Paul’s thought in Ephesians 2:4 when he describes God as being rich in mercy. It is because God is rich in mercy that you can be saved by grace alone. You could never earn the mercy of God by doing all kinds of good works. Micah 7:18: “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.” God is not just love. He delights in steadfast love.

III. God’s grace gives you Christ instead of your works.

A. The message of grace alone is found in vs. 8-9. In these two verses Paul is contrasting a false view of grace with real grace. The false view of grace is called works (vs. 9). It is grace as a can of spiritual Red Bull. It is an empowering that you get from God so that you can finally do better and try harder to please God, do good works and be saved. But if grace as a can of spiritual Red Bull is not real grace what is real grace? Grace is described in vs. 8 as a gift. And this gift is not a can of spiritual Red Bull. Jesus is the gift of grace that God gives us that saves us. Jesus is what we need – not some thing or fuel or force. Notice that Paul mentions the name Christ four times in vs. 5-10. If God in His grace gives you Jesus, then grace alone will save you.

Application:
Jesus is the treasure you need. Jesus alone is the gift of God’s grace that you need to be saved.

Sources:
The letter to the Ephesians
Commentary on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien
“Why the Reformation Still Matters” by Michael Reeves and Tim Chester