Sermon Title: Leading from Grace Alone
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)

Contributed by Nancy Buschart

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved —Ephesians 2:4-5

Love. Mercy. Grace.

These three form the basis for understanding God’s movement toward us throughout salvation history. The first ten verses of Ephesians unpack these three and their interconnected progression.

First, the context. Paul tells the Ephesians, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (2:1). Dead! Without life and separated from the God of Life because they were followers of, apprentices and disciples of, “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” (2:2). The argument might sound something like: “How dead is dead – because we work hard, we follow a lot of rules, we do good things and help a lot of people, and we say our prayers. We certainly aren’t apprentices of the Enemy of our souls.” But Paul goes on to make the lifelessness of the Ephesians’ souls clear. “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” (2:3).

Paul describes the context saying that the Ephesians were deserving of wrath. Enter Love, Mercy, and Grace. A good definition of mercy is “Not receiving what we deserve.” Grace is “receiving what we don’t deserve.” “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” (2:4-5 NLT).

God created us and he loves his creation. “We are his handiwork” (2:10), his “workmanship” (ESV), “his own master work, a work of art” (AMP). But the cravings of our flesh and our surrender to the “worries of this world, the deceitful of wealth, and the desires for other things” (Mark 4:19) means we are in desperate need of God’s mercy. We need his mercy because of our disobedience to God, because of our resistance to his Way and his Word, and because we are deceived into believing that we can do it ourselves. The argument might sound something like: “I said yes to Jesus. And now I have a good plan in place for a successful, happy, and fulfilled life. My dreams are becoming reality. I honestly don’t need God that much right now.”

God’s love and mercy saved us from the wrath we deserved. It is grace—all grace. We couldn’t earn it and we don’t deserve it. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”(2:8-9 NLT).

Paul described the Ephesians before they believed in Christ—dead in their sins, deserving of wrath, and separated from God. Then Paul described what God has done in raising Christ from the dead and bringing the Ephesians new life because of his love, mercy and grace. Then Paul makes clear how the Ephesians’ new life is to look as they live between their salvation and their heavenly home. This is a message for us also. Because we are God’s masterpiece, “He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (2:10). These good things are things that God planned for us; not things that we ourselves have designed. We first and foremost rejoice, give thanks and find our identity in the love, the mercy and the grace of God. Rooted and grounded in these, we will live a life of service to the glory of God.

Consider—

╬ Although we are more sinful than we want to admit, we are loved more than we can imagine. Do you have your own version of an argument against God’s complete authority over you? Do you truly understand your belovedness? Ask God the Spirit to show you the deepest expression of God’s love for you.

╬ God’s mercy (not giving us what we deserve) and God’s grace (giving us what we don’t deserve) are reasons for rejoicing and an invitation for repentance. Reflect on God’s mercy. Reflect on God’s grace. And give thanks.

╬ Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank you for your love, your mercy, and your grace. Help us to remember these. Help us to live out of the abundance of your salvation through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.