Remain standing for the reading of God's Word.
I certainly appreciate singing the doxology before I get up to
read the Scriptures because everybody's awake, OK?
But we hopefully we're awake to him.
All right, let's listen to His word.
Found in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 4 through 10.
But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with
which He loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ.
By grace you have been saved, and raised us up with Him, and
seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable
riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that is not
of your doing. It is the gift of God, not a
result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk
in them. This is the word of the Lord.
You may be seated This week. A wonderful, enriching movie has
been released in Dallas, prepared in background by what
is called the Discovery Institute.
It is. It is entitled The Story of
Everything. The story of everything,
everything that science has revealed continues to confound
scientists, Christian, non Christian and other, that there
is a mind behind creation. That all the scientistic
disciplines such as cosmology, biography, chemistry and others
reveal the design in everything, down to the smallest thing that
they can see with an atomic microscope.
Today there is design. One after another these
disciplines have been forced to come to the one conclusion.
There is a designer. Now many will not admit it at
that point because they're blinded, but they can't get away
from it. It's there.
There is no religion or evangelism in this movie.
It is simply the sheer facts of what honest science has
revealed. How do you get around this?
And it leads to this unexplainableness that there is
a design which is the story of everything.
I think there also needs to be a movie called The Story of Grace
that is Behind everything you see.
Grace explains everything that explains the why of creation,
the purpose in its design. Grace reveals everything we need
to know about God. There is grace seen in creation,
the free gift to a plant, the free gift of life to creatures,
the free gift of beings like heavenly beings, angels.
There's grace in humans because we have been amazingly given to
be made in the image of God. There's even grace revealed in
the fall of mankind or mankind, and there's grace shown now in
the history of God's people throughout all of the Old
Testament, through the New Testament, through Israel and
the church. And there's grace still yet in
the future of Jesus Christ Kingdom on earth.
Grace is the goal, which is the glory of God and praise to God,
and it began long before the earth was ever created.
It has been carefully and wisely revealed through God's plan for
mankind. Today's passage is a powerfully
significant passage, and to grasp it again, even as Rob last
week went back through very masterfully, The first chapter,
and I just want to recap it because it puts the whole
context on this foundation of what is going to be revealed in
these verses in chapter 1, is all about the work of the whole
Trinity on our behalf. The Holy Father creates a plan
to bless us with every spiritual blessing that's available for us
in the heavens, designed to make us holy in character and
blameless in action. It is a plan that He started by
predestining us to adoption into His divine family.
And the Holy Son accomplishes this plan by redeeming us and
forgiving us and giving us a future inheritance and what is
yet still to come. And then we're told the Holy
Spirit is the one that actually makes all of this come to pass
because he seals us in these blessings.
Paul then finishes that first chapter with this magnificent
prayer that we would be able to grasp the multitude of the
riches of grace and the power that has been made available to
us for daily use of the riches of grace.
He praises God for the very same resurrected power that raised
Christ from the dead and seated him in the heavenly places.
And he says this is actually the same power that has been done
for us in the same way. When we come to chapter 2, Paul
then turns and asks the very obvious question.
And the question is this How in the world can we be included in
this great and awesome plan that God has set forth?
How can we be included, He says, when we were dead, to all things
spiritual and divine? None of our actions are
blameless. Our sin nature eliminates us
from being holy. We willingly walk like zombies
under the influence of this world and Satan.
We justifiably deserve the grace of God.
Why shouldn't we just be sent to hell?
We have no excuse. There is nothing we can claim
for the proof of mercy, much less the power to receive it.
We're spiritually dead. And that is why I verse 4 is the
incredible turning point in the story of grace.
But God, after all of that, but God.
On earth we're helpless, but by God's grace we're highly
favored. On earth we're incurable, but by
God's grace we're made whole. On earth we are irreparable, but
by God's grace we are restored. All of this because God, who is
rich in mercy, sets aside our sinful deadness and because of
his, as he says, exceedingly great love flows from him.
He has chosen to focus his grace on each one of us.
Amazing. Paul even echoed that in the
book of Romans chapter 5 when he said, But God there it is again,
demonstrates this love, His own love toward us, and that while
we were yet sinners, still in that condition, Christ died for
us. By grace.
God knew we would still be in our sins, and yet He planned for
our hope through Christ again, even when we were dead, He made
us alive. It's staggering to believe that
He loved us in the very same way and did the very same thing for
us that He did for His Son. Notice in chapter 1 Paul said
that he raised Christ from physical death and in this
chapter he raises us from spiritual eternal death.
In chapter 1, Christ is seated at the right hand and of God in
the in heaven, but now he seats us at the banquet table and even
in the throne room itself. Revelation says in heaven we
have been given a place setting. Have you ever been to a banquet
and then searched for your name somewhere?
And if there hadn't been a guide, you have to walk all over
the place, don't you? Oh, there's my name.
I have a place. You have been given a place
setting in heaven that guarantees in advance you will
be there. And so notice in each case what
he says here is that we've been made alive with Christ.
We've been raised in Christ. We have been seated with Christ.
You see, what he's trying to tell us is we are fully and
permanently united to Christ. All of this saves us by grace
alone. This is amazing enough.
And yet now comes a truly a big surprise.
As Paul even says to us, that's not been revealed until now.
And it creates a question that again begs us to answer.
And that is, why has all of this been done for us?
Why has all of this been done for us?
Couple of weeks ago I preached the sermon on the riches of
grace, and I had a little card out there of counting 33 things
in the New Testament that grace has done for us at salvation.
Just at the moment of salvation, these 33 things become true of
you. The moment you yield your life
to Christ, it's all poured out on you more than you can even
imagine. But this verse 7 reveals a
bigger purpose for the grace of God.
It points to a mystery, Paul says, and expands on this in
chapter 3. We'll see in a minute that has
been kept from us until now, at least in this writing.
Verse 7 begins with so that you notice in your reading follow
the the the the very correct grammar that in the English, but
it's following what the what the original language is doing but
God and then you come down to seven so that and then you have
two more for this and for this and next week Sam will open up
to us what that number 10 for is and what it means this so that
is a very unusual word in the original language.
The word is he not, but they call it the Heena phrase because
in the Greek language it means red flag.
Pay attention, this is important.
This is summary. Whenever that phrase is used and
we translate all this stuff that we've just read about what
Christ has done for us and his grace is done for us, He's
saying so that here's its purpose, but it's an unusual
statement. Look what he goes on to say.
He says in this summary purpose statement of what has just been
stated. Paul not only uses it to expand
on it here, but then in the next chapter.
But let's look at these things that this verse opens up for us
so that in the ages to come there's still yet something that
is to be revealed to us. It means in the future Kingdom
of God on earth so that in the ages to come he might show the
surpassing riches of his grace or in this translation in the
immeasurable riches of of his grace.
What he's saying here in the in the kindness of Christ toward
us. Notice that being in the future
that he might show all right, not meaning if, but because
something is set so that he will show something that is
surpassing of great value and it's going to be done in
kindness toward us. Again, as he said, those who are
in Christ. The aim is to exalt grace in the
future. Be more on this in just a
moment, but let's can you fall Paul's thoughts here about what
grace does next? We have the two most famous
verses in all of scripture in the ones that we quote from
Ephesians all the time, verses 8:00 and 9:00.
For by grace you have been saved through faith.
Everyone of you can probably say this without even even looking
at it. By for by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that's not of yourselves.
It's the gift of God, which is His grace.
Not as a result of works that no one may post.
All of God's, the Father's plans for all eternity, or
accomplished by His grace. That alone is the reason for our
salvation. It's not His love that saves us,
but it's His unconditional grace that sets that in motion.
A willing choice that He has made to provide the grace that
saves us. You see, His grace is what moves
His love toward us. It's His grace that enables us
to have faith to receive it. And He is making a huge point in
this little section here about it.
And verse 9 again emphasizes further, we have no basis
ourselves to claim it. There's nothing within us that
can claim it. But then grace enables us to do
a lot of things. I can't wait to hear what Sam's
going to give us next week on that.
But now let me examine what God's plan to do because of His
grace. Three times in these 6 verses,
grace is emphasized, emphasized, emphasized.
It's almost out of place in some places, isn't it?
You don't kind of need it, but there it is.
He keeps pushing that thought toward us.
There's something more that He's wanting us to realize.
So in verse 7, here's the question.
What does it mean that He might show the riches of His grace in
the future? All right?
Why for all eternity has He chosen us to be holy and
blameless? Why has He made us acceptable?
Why has He made us alive from the death we deserve and raised
us up and seated us at a place of honor in the heavenly realm?
The keyword here is show. It gives us a hint at what it
means. It's a very unusual word and it
means to publicly demonstrate or make a point of something.
To publicly demonstrate and make a point of something.
And so here we have the thank that God has got something
planned in eternity future for us that He wants to publicly
before everything in the heavenly realms to demonstrate
and that is his grace. He wants us to see something.
Now if you would, you can, but I'm going to read the whole
passage. It's not long, but in chapter 3,
Paul picks this up and gives us an expanded understanding of
what he's saying here in opening in verse seven of two.
Here's where Paul expands our understand the richness and
purpose of grace me read this to you.
This is chapter 3 verses 8 through 11.
Paul says to me the very least of all the Saints.
Notice the emphasis, this grace, this grace was given to preach
to the to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,
the grace that Christ makes available and to bring to light
what is the administration or the working out of the mystery.
There it is, something we haven't unknown or understood
before, which for ages has been hidden in God.
And He says, who created all things?
It's interesting, He adds, this word created.
He's taking us back to the very beginning of creation itself to
remind us this mystery was set in place back at the beginning
of creation. Here we have another HINA
clause. Why?
So that all right, here's purpose, the manifold wisdom of
God in the words, the many ways he has unfolded or provided his
grace to build his people and his church.
And then he says that it might be made known through the church
too. Now, if you're not looking at
it, I'm glad because I want to ask you this question
rhetorically. Who is it going to be revealed
to? We're in the heavenly places in
the future. Now, who is it going to be
revealed to? Us?
Well, that would be a good a good guess.
The whole world. That would be an even better
guess. But surprise, here's what he
says. It will be revealed through the
Church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly
place. Now think about that for a
moment. God has a plan for grace in the
future to be revealed to the rulers and authorities in the
whole spiritual realm. All right, now whenever that
phrase rulers and authorities is used, as we will read further,
if when we read into Acts chapter 6, verse 12, our
struggle is not against flesh of blood, but it's against rulers
and authorities and principles and spiritual places.
All right, God is doing something quite unique at this
point with grace, both holy angels and unholy angels.
Angels are created beings. We're told that Scripture, I
think it's Psalm one, O 3, speaks when God created the
angels. They are not omniscient, that
they do not know everything. As a matter of fact, we will
speak of what they do not know, but we're told that they are the
messengers and ministers of God's service to the lack, the
holy angels, and that they long to look into what God is doing
on earth. That's what Peter tells us.
The angels long to look into what God is doing on earth.
This passage goes on to say, and This is why I say this is a big
picture, verse 11. This was done in accordance with
the eternal purpose. It's the only place in
Scriptures that's used, that phrase is used which he carried
out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and
confident access through faith in him.
Where's God plan for all eternity to do something for all
eternity? He planned to do something in
eternity past for all of eternity.
Future. One writer put it this way.
God intends to make a grand display of His wondrous grace
before all the angels and Saints in heaven, that all may see the
majesty and the glory of God. This is the part of His eternal
plan for grace. One day you in heaven, the Lord
is going to turn in front of all created beings because He hasn't
pronounced judgment yet on the unholy beings yet.
Alright, He's coming, but he's going to say look at what I did
with that one. Look at what my Grace did for
that one and stand up, Sir. Look at what my Grace, all of
you angels and Saints, look what my grace did for that one.
In the movie series The Chosen, which some people like, some do
not, James the Lesser, not James, the brother of Jesus, is
shown to have a limp. That was a little bit of the
understanding of what the lesser meant.
He had a infirmity, but he was sent out like all of the other
apostles to heal. And he did.
He healed other. And one day he's standing before
Jesus and he says, Lord, why haven't you healed me?
What a question and the Lord says James, you will be healed,
but your your need for healing right now displays my grace And
you see God is doing something amazing.
Angels can see the power of God. They can see his beauty, his
creation of the stars and the universe.
Even job in in the last chapter it says there was a time when
all of the angels saying about the glory of God in creation, it
was before the fall. But the one thing they could not
see was his heart. Only his grace could reveal.
Now this doesn't save the unholy angels, but it will let them
know what they turn their backs on in Christ and to serve Satan.
And Paul adds this amazing statement clarifying this
thought in Colossians. And he says this Colossians
chapter one, one day Christ, who's the head of the body, the
beginning of the first born of the dead, will come himself to
have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good
pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him and through him.
Now listen to this, to reconcile all things to himself, having
made peace through the blood of the cross through him.
I say I make it this, whether things on earth or things in
heaven, see God's grace as a continuing work.
He's ultimately going to make everything reconciled.
And as I said, that isn't save Satan.
They deserve their judgement, but it's the beautiful picture
of all of grace for us. This is the only way that Christ
could dwell in our hearts through faith, the only way that
we will be able to comprehend with all of the Saints the
breadth, the length, the height, and the depth to know the love
of Christ which surpasses our knowledge, so that we might be
filled up to all the fullness of God.
This is the story of everything but God by grace alone.
Let's pray our great and magnificent Father, how
astounded we are, even Paul himself, realizing the
incredible things that have been revealed to him and seeking to
reveal them to us and they're seen and understand alone.
By the power of your Holy Spirit, which your grace is
given us, would you bless us this day with awe, with awe, and
how great and deep and wide for every possible thing your grace
is. And we pray this in Jesus name,
Amen.