Practically all Christians understand we are saved by grace, but what exactly does grace save us from? 

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:1-10 NKJV 

Grace saves us from death. This is our justification. Last week we saw that justification is “me in Jesus.” I was in Jesus when He lived a perfect life and I am saved by His life (Romans5:10) as well as by his death. This is my title to heaven. In Ephesians 2:1-10 we see that grace also saves us from the power of sin and gives us good works. This is our sanctification, which is “Jesus in me.” This my deliverance from the power of sin and my fitness for heaven. 

Last week we talked about being in Christ when He was crucified. See Galatians 2:20. We were in Christ when He lived a perfect life. See Romans 5:10. Now in Ephesians 2:6 we see we are already sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 

and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:6 NKJV

The story goes of a pastor who was changing trains at a station near Washington D.C. While between trains he met a man who tried to hand him some religious literature. The pastor smelled alcohol on the man’s breath and asked him about it. The man conceded that he was an active alcoholic, but that it was okay because Jesus had already gotten the victory over sin so he did not have to.

The pastor asked the man, “So Jesus died so you don’t have to?”

“Right!” The man replied.

“And Jesus overcame so you don’t have to overcome?” the pastor asked.

“Right!” The man replied.

To which the pastor also said, “Then do you know what else Jesus did for you? He went up to heaven so you don’t have to.”

The pastor was sharing with the man that if Jesus died and overcame so we don’t have to die to self and overcome, then Jesus also went to heaven so we don’t have to go to heaven. The pastor was sharing that the reality of grace is that Jesus died so that we can also die to self. See Romans 6:3-7 and Galatians 2:20. Jesus also overcame sin so we also may overcome. See Revelation 3:21. Jesus also went to heaven so we can also go to heaven. See John 14:1-3. Everything Jesus did He did it so by His grace we can do it too. 

Grace does way more than just save us from death. 

Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, Romans 1:5 NKJV

In Romans 1:5 grace gives us obedience. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV

In Ephesians 2:8-10 grace gives us good works. 

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, Titus 2:11-12 NKJV

In Titus 2:11-12 grace helps us live righteous and godly lives right here and now. 

Jude warned us,

I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4 NLT

In the very same book where Paul tells us we are saved by grace Paul also tells us,

For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Ephesians 5:5 NKJV

Sometimes when people have a hard time believing that victory over sinful addictions is possible, they get accused of wanting cheap grace, and wanting to continue in sin. I don’t believe this is the case. I believe these fallen ones (and that would be all of us!) feel awful about breaking their Father’s heart by giving in to sinful addictions. To such a  one I would say,

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17 NKJV

God does not and never will despise a broken and contrite heart, no matter how many times sin has broken that heart before. But while Jesus continues to forgive us every time our hearts are broken because we have broken our Father’s heart, His grace also gives us the power to stop breaking hearts. In Genesis 44:18-34, Judah explains to Joseph that he had already broken his father’s heart before, and he was now prepared to die a slave in a foreign land before he would break his father’s heart again. Grace gave Judah the victory over breaking his father’s heart, and grace can give us the victory over breaking our Father’s heart. 

Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephesians 2:5-6 NKJV

Grace gives us all the forgiveness we will ever need. Grace gives us all the power we will ever need to overcome sin. Don’t give up. by grace you are already sitting in heavenly places with Jesus. 

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Paul has celebrated the exaltation of Jesus, who now sits with the Father on the throne of the cosmos. Having defined the position of Christ in relationship to the Father (“seated … at his right hand in the heavenly places” Ephesians 1:20, ESV), Paul turns to the relationship of Jesus to “the powers.” As coregent with the Father, Jesus is “far above” them all (Ephesians 1:21).

Compare Paul’s mentioning of evil, spiritual powers in Ephesians 1:21, Ephesians 2:2, and Ephesians 6:12. Why do you think Paul is so interested in these powers?

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Acts 19:11-20, with its story of the seven sons of Sceva, illustrates that Ephesus at the time of Paul was a center for the magic arts. “The overriding characteristic of the practice of magic throughout the Hellenistic world was the cognizance of a spirit world exercising influence over virtually every aspect of life. The goal of the magician was to discern the helpful spirits from the harmful ones and learn the distinct operations and the relative strengths and authority of the spirits. Through this knowledge, means could be constructed (with spoken or written formulas, amulets, etc.) for the manipulation of the spirits in the interest of the individual person. With the proper formula, a spirit-induced sickness could be cured, [or] a chariot race could be won.” — Clinton E. Arnold, Power and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians, p. 18.

The interest in naming deities and powers in spells was a feature of religious life in Ephesus (see Acts 19:13), and among some even today. Paul wishes to make clear the relationship between Christ and “the powers”: The exalted Jesus is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (Ephesians 1:21, ESV).

Just to be sure that his audience understands that there is no power outside of the sovereignty of Jesus, he adds an allusion to the practice of gathering up the names of deities in spells: “and above every name that is named” (Ephesians 1:21, ESV). Turning from the dimension of space to that of time, Paul stresses the unlimited chronology of Jesus’ exalted rule. His rule over all powers applies “not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21, ESV).

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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