#6 We Believe In God's Grace Series

Hymn before the message: "Amazing Grace"

“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” We love that hymn, and arguably one of the most beloved hymns in all the hymn book. John Newton wrote that hymn and many other. In the late 1700’s. John Newton was a an ordained minister in the Anglican Church and was quite the evangelist. What many do not know about John Newton was that in his younger days he was a slave trader and was a captain of several ships involved in the slave trade. After his conversion, he felt called into the ministry and he was very active in the abolition of the slave trade working with people like William Wilberforce.

Up to the time of his death at age 82 in 1807, the same year the British Parliament abolished the slave trade through-out the British empire, John never ceased marvel at God’s mercy and grace that so dramatically changed his life. Shortly before his death with failing health, eyesight and memory, John Newton was heard to say “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: ‘That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior!’ ” [1]

Paul wrote to the Ephesians about this “Amazing Grace” of God, in one of the best descriptions of God's grace in all of Scripture.

Ephesians 2:1–9

One of my favorite commentators is A.W. Tozer who had minimal education, was quite the prolific writer about the things of God and he was awarded many honorary doctorates. He had this to say about God’s grace: “The first truth is that no one ever was saved, no one is now saved and no one ever will be saved except by grace.” And “The second truth is that grace always comes by Jesus Christ.” [2]

John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

We are saved by God’s grace that only comes through Jesus .

We have to understand the meaning of this word “grace.” In Scripture and it is often translated as favor. For instance, in Genesis 6:8 we read “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (NKJV) and other translations will say Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord” (NASB, NIV, ESV). Grace and favor have similar meanings.

Another word often found when using the word “grace” is the word “mercy.” Both words are complementary but there is an important difference. Speaking in terms of God: God’s mercy towards us is God not giving us what we deserve. We deserve condemnation and eternal punishment. We deserve the wrath of God, but God withholds His wrath. That’s mercy.

God’s grace is giving to us what we don’t deserve. He gives us His salvation and His blessings. That is grace.

Today’s passage explains God amazing grace and His great mercy. But bear with me a minute as I explain some highlights of the Greek in today’s passage.

Verse 1 through 7 is just one sentence in the Greek. Paul is known for writing these long sentences, and they are not run-on sentences connected with the word “and,” but are full of phrases emphasizing what is being said. Let me illustrate. The subject of this long sentence is God in verse 4. The verbs or the action God is performing is: “made alive” in verse 5, “raised up” in verse 6, and “seated” also in verse 6. The object of these actions is “us,” that is you and me.

So to simplify what is being said in verses 1-7: God mad us alive (when we were dead); God raises us up (with Christ); God seated us (with Christ in heaven). Everything else reflects on these actions of God. Keep this in mind as we examine this passage.

The first three verses talks about our deplorable condition prior to God taking action.

Ephesians 2:1–2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

Prior to our salvation, prior to be called by God, we were dead, only we did not know it. We were dead men, and dead women walking. Yes dead spiritual, but being dead spiritual, if unchanged will render us dead eternally. Being dead eternally does not mean a cessation of existence, but it does mean an eternal separation from God in a place of torment.

And we were dead, “in your trespasses and sins.” That word “sins” in the Greek means to miss the mark. We have a sin nature, and on our own, we cannot hit the mark (the standard of holy as defined by God) no matter how hard we try. The word “trespasses” in the Greek means to overstep a boundary. Both these words together indicated intentionality. We not only sinned because its our nature to sin, we intentionally overstepped the boundaries, the limits, broke the rules intentionally, “in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world.” Because we walked with the world. We followed the crowd. We went along with the current culture. And world and our culture is ruled by “according to the prince of the power of the air” which is Satan. The world follows Satan. If you don’t believe me, then you haven’t listen to the news lately.