Series: Accounting [#5]
A SPIRITUAL BAILOUT
Ephesians 2:1-7
Introduction:
Paul began the book of Ephesians with a song of praise; then he continued with a powerful prayer. In our text today, Paul begins to preach a sermon. Paul begins his sermon with a description of what we once were. Paul continues with an analysis of what God did; and then provides an explanation why God did it. We were rescued from sin and death; rescued by love; rescued for life; and rescued with reason.
As we continue in our series, “Accounting”; I want us to talk about what a bailout is in financial terms. While President Obama was in office, he bailed out some large industries; such as the Auto Industry. This discussion is not to find out about your opinion of the bailout; but understand what it is. In financial terms, a bailout is to put money into an industry that is failing. In order to help many people keep their jobs, the government tried to help specific industries.
The purpose of this title is to remind you that without Jesus, you are going to fail. Through Jesus, God has offered to spiritual bail us out of total and eternal destruction. Christians, God has rescued us.
Ephesians 2:1-3 (NIV)
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”
God bailed you out…
1. From death.
Each person is born into the nature of sin. Without salvation through Jesus, you are spiritually dead. Without life through Jesus, you do things opposite of what pleases God. Unsaved people, live unsaved lives. I will probably say this many times today, “It does not shock or bother me when non-Christians live like the devil”. Our text tells us that the devil and his demons are the leaders of evil in this world. What bothers me, is when people who claim to be saved act like the devil. There should be a difference in how we live between Christians and non-Christians.
Romans 3:10-11 (NIV)
“As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.”
The non-Christian is dead, deluded, disobedient, defiled, and doomed.
Ephesians 2:4 (NIV)
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy.”
God bailed you out…
2. By love.
God knew before we were ever created that we were going to sin and that we had no hope. There was no chance for mankind to ever fellowship with God again because of sin. Because God loves us so much, He planned for Jesus to come to the world in the form of man, become sin on the cross, and arise from the dead in victory for the world. God’s motive for doing what He did was a motive built from love. God is rich in mercy and He extends mercy to us at the highest level possible.
Ephesians 2:5 (NIV)
“Made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.”
God bailed you out…
3. For life.
Without Christ, you are spiritually dead. If a person dies without Christ as Savior, they will die a 2nd death; which lasts forever. God offers us salvation through grace. That means, God gives us something we don’t deserve. I pray that when people see me, they see a person who is alive in Christ.
Ephesians 2:6-7 (NIV)
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
God bailed you out…
4. For a purpose.
One of the great rewards of being a Christian is that you will spend eternity with God in Heaven. Unfortunately, many Christians act like this is the only reason we are saved; but that is completely untrue. We are saved to have fellowship with God. We are saved to lift Jesus up to a fallen world that needs a Savior. We are saved to show the riches of God’s grace.
Conclusion:
If God saved us just to go to Heaven, then as soon as you were saved; He would take you to Heaven. Instead, God has given us life. You do not have to wait to die and go to Heaven to have life. As soon as you are saved, you have been resurrected from the spiritually dead.
