Ephesians 2:1-10 “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 flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 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. 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. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
The pastors at our church began a Sunday sermon series through the book of Ephesians, and the other week came to this passage (above) which made such a profound impact on my understanding of the Gospel of salvation.
Pastor Kyle stated that everybody thinks of themselves as a “good” person. In Matthew 19:17 Jesus said to the rich young Ruler, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” Obviously, it depends on your definition of “good”. Both Psalm 34:14 and Psalm 37:27 instruct us all, “Depart from evil and do good.” The Greek word here is “agathos” and the 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines “good” as: Having moral qualities best adapted to its design and use, or the qualities which God's law requires; virtuous; pious; religious; applied to persons, and opposed to bad, vicious, wicked, evil. Conformable to the moral law; virtuous. Creator God defines what is good and evil; not us.
Genesis 1:31 tells us, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” God’s creation was pleasant (to the higher nature), excellent (of its kind), and right ; it was all good … until sin and death entered the world in the Garden of Eden through Eve and Adam which corrupted everything. Galatians 5:19-21 expounds, “Now the works of the sinful flesh nature of fallen mankind are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery [drug abuse], hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” We are more than bad, we are dead in your transgressions and sins against a just and holy God. Before Christ we were all spiritually dead with no way to save ourselves.
Romans 3:10-18, 23 explains that with the nature man: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We all desperately need a Savior.
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” 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. 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains, “For He [Father God] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The bad news is the worst reality ever of wrath and eternal damnation due to our sin, but the “Good News” is the best reality ever of redemption, forgiveness, regeneration, restoration, transformation and eternal life due to Jesus Christ – the Savior of the world. That’s the Gospel! It's the gift of God. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Let’s be God’s godly people; that is good.
In Christ, Brian
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