The news cameras panned across the beautiful coast of Alaska. In the background birds were flying, whales were swimming and baby seals lying on the rocks. Everywhere the cameras focussed was teaming with wildlife.
The news was there to report a tragedy. The ship in the picture was an oil barge spilling millions of gallons of oil off the coast of Alaska. The news reported that all the wildlife just seen on camera would be dead soon.
Things looked normal, but an ecological disaster would mean complete death and destruction for all the wildlife in the area.
In Ephesians 2:1-10 Paul reminds those Christians in Ephesus of another tragedy. As a result of sin, they too were dead, spiritually dead. They may have waled around and looked alive, but they were dead. Why does Paul bring up this painful reminder that we were miserable sinners?
Paul reminds them of this to emphasize the depth of Grace and mercy of God. We all need to remember what happened in our own life to bring about this new life in Christ. The spiritual transformation of a sinner saved by grace.
When you remember where you were you understand the grace of God. You are motivated to serve God. Paul reminds them of their salvation to encourage them to serve God.
We have before and after contrasts:
Your Old Life
You were once in darkness.
You were separate from Christ.
You were excluded from heavenly citizenship.
You were without hope.
Your New Life in Christ
Now you are the light of the world.
Now you are made near to God.
Now you are fellow heavenly citizens.
Now you have Holy Spirit a deposit of your inheritance.
Before your new life in Christ, you were dead. Paul gives the believers in Ephesus a reminder that before their new life in Christ they were dead in trespasses and sins.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 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. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Before Christ you walked in the way of the world. Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mould. Yet, without Christ you walked according to the ways of the world. Worse yet. Paul says you walked according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air.
This is a reminder for the Christians at Ephesus and a reminder to us. The whole contrast to what you were before Christ and what you are with your new life in Christ applies to all of us with new life in Christ. You were formally walked in the ways of Satan.
It should bring us to an attitude of gratitude. Remember where you were before Christ. We are just one beggar telling another beggar where we found bread. Paul makes clear that before you were a Christian you were spiritually dead.
Once we understand Ephesians 2:1-3 and the contrast of what we were to what we are, then no one could rightly say their testimony in coming to Christ is not dramatic. If you are saved, then you were saved from the depths of sin.
You were spiritually dead.
You followed the ways of the world.
You walked in the ways of Satan.
We have a tendency to measure our lives by the standard of others. We may say, I am not as bad as the person living down the street from me. OK, but so what you are just a better spiritually dead person then. All have sinned and fall short of the holiness of God.
God is holy and pure like the snow on the top of the Himalayan mountains. We are like the mud puddle in the dirt road. So, what if your mud puddle is less muddy than someone living down the street. You both need a savior.
Your new life in Christ comes by God’s grace. Paul explains that new life in Christ was not obtained because of merit, not obtained because we deserve it, it is by God’s grace. It is because God is rich in mercy.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 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. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:4-9)
When you understand where you were, spiritually dead, deserving death and hell, then you appreciate the depth of God’s grace. The word study in the New Testament traces the meaning of grace back to undeserved gift. It finds its finest culmination in Paul’s use of the term here.
Imagine you are bankrupt and piled with debt you are unable to repay. Then a rich man comes and bales you out. That is grace. That is an undeserved gift. It is not equal to the grace of God in our new life in Christ, but it is sure an example of an undeserved gift.
My friend Rudy Hernandez wrote in Spanish two times to deposed Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega in his prison cell. Noriega formally had an interest in the occult. After the second letter Noriega become a born-again Christian. Noriega wrote to Rudy, he said, 'I received Jesus Christ as my Savior the 15th of May of 1990.
Noriega received God’s grace. All who have new life in Christ have received an unfathomable undeserved gift. How deep is God’s grace? What depth is the mercy of God? While we were dead, he seated us with Christ in the heavenly places.
We are examples of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:7). We are literally trophies of God’s grace. God showed you such kindness. Our boasting is not in our own works. It is not in what we have done. It is in God’s grace.
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21)
Paul brings home the truth he has been relating to the Ephesians. You are saved by grace through faith. God’s grace is deep enough to extend to anyone. It is by faith in Jesus Christ.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
With your new life in Christ you must give service to God. You have been given a new life in Christ. Now that is not an end in itself. God has prepared work for you to do. Now you must begin serving God.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
Your new life in Christ is not about not doing certain things. You do not lie. You do not walk in the ways of world. If that were the case then the most spiritual people would be the ones buried in the cemetery. They do not do any bad things.
It is not about what you don’t do. It is what you do for Christ. Did you realize that having new life in Christ God has a ministry prepared for you?
In the Christian classic book, Pilgrims Progress, Christian is on a pilgrimage to reach celestial city after he goes through the gate and has new life in Christ. Some may feel they have been through a pilgrimage to reach your new life in Christ. That is only when you begin your pilgrimage. Now you must serve God until your dying day. The day you go to heaven and fully experience your new life in Christ.
Jesus died on the cross for you so you could have new life in Christ. There is a life of service prepare for you. If you forget God’s amazing grace your service to Christ fades. Don’t forget. Remember what God has done for you in your new life in Christ.
