1999 Sovereign Grace Bible Conference Rio Rico

Date: 11-20-99

Ephesians 2:1-10

When it comes to theology there is only one way to get it right. One must begin at the beginning by understanding the Depravity of Man. If he does not he will be a theological cripple the rest of his life. A person ignorant of his condition as a sinner, even if he is saved, will never have a proper view of God’s greatness, mercy, love, or power. He or she will never be able to sing "Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me," and understand or feel what Mr. Newton understood and felt when he wrote the hymn. The person who does not understand his own depravity will not glorify God in his thoughts, speech, or prayers, as he should. For what he says, thinks, and believes, about himself and God, will be unbiblical.

The text assigned to me today reveals the truth about the condition we were in before our salvation and how it is we have come to be Christians today. I’ll read through the text with brief comments and then we will come back to study it as thoroughly as time will allow.

(Ephesians 2:1-10 NASB) And you (Christians) were dead (separate from God) in your trespasses and sins, {2} in which you formerly walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working IN the sons of disobedience. (Before you were saved you were carried away with the rest of the world into a life of sinfulness. The motivating force behind your former lifestyle and way of thinking was, at least in part, the devil himself, the prince of the power of the air. We, who are now saved, were no different than the sinners we lived with.) {3} Among them we too (even the apostles) all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, (That is, we put forth a daily effort to please ourselves instead of God.) and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. (This phrase takes our thoughts to the origin of sin and, therefore, to our first representative, Adam. In the moment Adam and Eve sinned they were the entire human race. Therefore, when they sinned all mankind sinned. Like it or not they acted on our behalf and in them we all sinned. As their children we have inherited their sin nature by which nature we are driven to sin ourselves. Therefore, we, deserve the wrath of God as opposed to His mercy. This is why all unbelievers are called the, "Children of wrath.") {4} But God, (He does not say, "But men finally came to their senses." Rather, the author says, "But God." God intervened to save His people who were helplessly enslaved to sin, self, and the devil.) But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, {5} even when we were dead in our transgressions, (He) made us alive together with Christ (Here is the answer to why God has saved His people from their sin. He was not motivated by the goodness He saw in them, for there was none to see. He was not motivated by the potential He saw in man. For without His intervention and daily restraint man would only get worse. He was not motivated by His discovery of future faith in some but not in others. For none seek God and none will believe. God’s motivation was found in Himself. He loved us, therefore, He made us alive together with Christ.) (by grace you have been saved), {6} and raised us up with Him, (When God chooses to save a sinner He must first raise him from his state of spiritual death. This raising up is the rebirth which is effected by God alone without the sinners permission or knowledge. He does not seek the permission of the dead before He gives them life. God raised us up with Christ . .) and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, (What a wonderful truth! Where Christ is we are also. We are in Him, therefore, we are, seated with Him in heavenly places. Verse seven tells us why God has gone to all this trouble.) {7} in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Once again we discover that it is all about God, not us. He intends to glorify Himself and one of the ways He does this is by doing the impossible. He saves un-savable sinners by supplying to them all things necessary for salvation. He does this without regard to them, without their permission, help, or cooperation. He does so in order to reveal His amazing grace, mercy, and love. He does this so that men and angels will praise and worship Him for eternity. The writer continues . .) {8} For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; {9} not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Human boasting is contrary to the overall purpose of God in seeking glory for Himself. He will not share His glory with anyone. Therefore, He has designed a salvation which makes it impossible for anyone but Him to take credit.) {10} For we are His workmanship, (And His alone) created (we are something made from nothing by God . .) in Christ Jesus for good works, (The Christian is to and will engage in good works, works of love for God and man. He will do this because he is a new creation in Christ. These works are the fruit or result of the Holy Spirit living in the believer. If these good works are not present then salvation has not taken place. For . . ) . . . God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." This is the text and the lesson in a nutshell.

Lets return now to verse one and look more carefully at this subject of human depravity. (Ephesians 2:1-3 NASB) "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, {2} in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. {3} Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest."

To be joined to God by faith in Jesus Christ is to be spiritually alive forever. To be separate from God because of unbelief is to be spiritually dead. Sinners are without the life of God because the sin of unbelief separates them from Him, they are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. If a sinner physically dies while spiritually dead he will experience the second death which is irrecoverable and eternal separation from God in hell. Paul says to these gentile Christians that before they were saved they were dead to God, separate from Him, due nothing but His eternal wrath. The sinner is not just separate from God and O.K., he is looking at spending eternity in hell with the devil and his angels!

Lets look at some of the characteristics of those dead in trespasses and sins. Well start by comparing spiritual death with physical death. When a person dies physically he is totally unable to communicate with the living. He cannot walk or talk with the living and, if they speak to him, he cannot understand them, he is totally disabled, he is dead. If you place his hand in a flame he will not respond, he is dead. Death has not invaded part of his body but all of it. He is dead from head to toe. Death is the constitutional reality of those who have died. It is who they are and they cannot be anything else but "the dead."

The spiritually dead are in a similar condition. Just as the physically dead are separate from us, the spiritually dead are separate from God. They cannot and do not wish to communicate with Him. If they hear His word, His law, they will not, and cannot respond, they are dead, totally dead to God.

The phrase "Total Depravity" refers to this spiritual death and how that affects us. When we speak of Total Depravity we are not saying that sinners are as bad as they could be but that sin has invaded and affected every aspect of man’s being. There is no part of a him that is not sinful and, therefore, "Dead in trespasses and sins." Our entire being is separate from God, without the life of God. The sinner is so dead that when, by the preaching of the word, you expose him to the fires of hell he doesn’t feel a thing. He is dead. Sin has rendered him/us incapable of responding to the threats and promises of God. The scriptures bear witness to this solemn truth in a familiar passage.

(Romans 3:10-18 NASB) as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; (We are sinners by birth, desire, and practice. There is not a righteous one among us. We are dead to righteousness. Further . . ) {11} THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, (As sinners we are incapable of understanding our problem and need of Christ. An unbeliever may comprehend the Gospel intellectually but he will not and cannot understand its spiritual importance, meaning, and application to him. Therefore . . ) THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; (There are many who call themselves seekers but the Bible tells us that no man has ever or will ever go after God in an acceptable way until He apprehends them and raises them from the dead.) {12} ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, (Which is to say men born only once are opposed to God and prefer to walk away from instead of toward Him. The unbelievers, the unsaved, are most comfortable when defying Him. Sin satisfies their sin nature, they hunger and thirst after sin, not God. And they are not alone . . .) TOGETHER (as a race) THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." (Unbelievers cannot do anything that is truly good in the eyes of God. This is true because "whatsoever is not of faith is sin," (Romans 14:23, Hebrews 11:6). A good deed done by a sinner is sinful before God while the same deed done by a believer is a real righteous act acceptable and pleasing to Him. The difference is faith and motivation. One must first believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior then he must do what he does for the glory of God. That which is done in this way is good in God's eyes. But apart from Christ, apart from faith, there is none who does good not even one. The awful description continues. . . ) {13} "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; {14} "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS"; {15} "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, {16} DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, {17} AND THE PATH OF PEACE HAVE THEY NOT KNOWN." {18} "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES." Unbelievers are not just separate from God and OK, they are dead. Persons born only once, to their natural mothers, have no love for and no fear of God. The cannot and will not seek Him. They can't do anything but sin. They walk according to the course of this world, according to prince of the power of the air.

The meaning of the phrase, "According to the prince of the power of the air," is almost obvious. The phrase speaks of the slavery that sinners are subject to. They are sons and servants of the devil, the prince of this evil world. This is yet another aspect of our depravity. Before we come to faith in Jesus we are slaves to three things, sin, ourselves, and the devil. We are born with a propensity toward and a taste for sin. Further, our evil master, the devil, prods us along. Jesus says he is the father of all the unbelieving even the elect of God before they are converted. Hear the word of the Lord.

(John 8:42-44 NASB) Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. {43} "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you CANNOT HEAR MY WORD. (The dead hear nothing.) {44} "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. (If the devil is your father you want to please him. If God is your father you want to please Him. The children of each are, therefore, quite obvious.) He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies."

We see from this text that, prior to salvation, we were enslaved to our desires which were devilish in accord with the character of our father the devil. We wanted to sin, we wanted to please our father. Another description of this bondage is found in 2 Timothy 2:24-26 NASB. "And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, {25} with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, {26} and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, HAVING BEEN HELD CAPTIVE BY HIM TO DO HIS WILL." Everyone here today who has trusted Christ for salvation was a child of and slave of the devil. All who have not trusted Christ for salvation are still held captive by him to do his will.

All of this explains the phrase "Total Depravity." It adds up to helplessness and hopelessness. The dead cannot help themselves in any way. A slave of the evil one cannot free himself. Sinner’s are "held captive to do his will." It is obvious, is it not, as slaves of sin, self, and the devil, we had no free will as so many would like to believe. Even if the devil was not in the picture fallen man is still not free. His desires are evil, anti-God, and the will is held captive by the desire of man. One wills to do what he wants to do and the sinner does not want to deal with God on His terms. Therefore, he is not free to go to God.

John MacArthur puts it this way, "Unregenerate sinners have no life by which they can respond to spiritual stimuli. No amount of love, beseeching, or spiritual truth can summon a response. People apart from God are the ungrateful dead, spiritual zombies, death-walkers, unable even to understand the gravity of their situation. They are lifeless. They may go through the motions of life, but they do not possess it. They are dead even while they live, (cf. 1 Tim. 5:6)." (End Quote)

The natural question at this point is, "Who then can be saved? The answer was given by our Savior when asked the same question by His disciples, "With men salvation is impossible, but with God all things are possible!" In other words, without divine intervention no man will ever be saved. If salvation were dependant on the exercise of the will, on man deciding to go to God, no man would ever be saved. Likewise, if salvation were dependant on persuasion and reason no man would ever be saved. There is no other possible conclusion, the people described in Ephesians 2:1-3 were un-savable! Yet, they, we, are now saved! How has this great miracle come to pass?

The two words that move us from the bad news to the good are my favorites in all of scripture. Follow with me as I read verses four and five. "But God . . . . . . . . being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, {5} even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)."

Here, brothers and sisters, is the answer to how we have been saved from the wrath to come. Here is the answer as to how we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. In addition we discover what it was that moved God to save us from our sin. The how is found in the two words, "But God." We were dead, damned, children of the devil, deserving God’s wrath, "But God!" But God intervened and now we are saved from the wrath to come. We were dead but God made us alive together with and not apart from Christ. "But God!" That is the answer to how we have been saved. It was impossible left up to us "But God" can do impossible things, therefore, He saved us from our sin.

Why didn’t John Newton write a hymn that spoke of, "Amazing Cooperation?" Or, "Amazing Will Power?" Or, "The amazing, eloquent, persuasive, preacher, that saved a wretch like me?" Why didn’t he include man in his hymn about salvation? Because man is not involved in his salvation, he is dead, lifeless, and impotent to do himself any good whatever. "But God," on the other hand, is mighty to save the un-savable. He is both able and willing to save His people from their sin. By grace, brothers and sisters, you and I have been saved.

Our text tells us that God was not motivated by the goodness that He saw in us, for there is none good not even one. He was not motivated by the potential He saw in us for without His intervention and restraint we would only get worse. He was not motivated by His discovery of future faith in some but not in others. For none seek God and none will believe. No, God was motivated by His love for us in spite of our unloveliness and perfect impotence. "By grace you have been saved!" God’s love for us is an unearned, undeserved love, it is gracious.

Let’s continue with this great text. (Ephesians 2:4-7 NASB) "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, {5} even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), {6} and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, {7} in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

When God chooses to save a sinner He doesn’t come to him pleading for permission and cooperation. He does not solicit the sinner’s help because he is dead in his sins. However, this spiritual death is no obstacle to God. He simply regenerates, or raises from spiritual death the one He has determined save. This raising up is the rebirth which is effected by God alone without the sinners permission or knowledge. This is how we now find ourselves believing in Christ and enjoying this great and wonderful salvation. God raised us up! Having been raised from the dead He gave us the gifts of repentance and faith toward Jesus Christ and we were saved. But the raising, the rebirth, came first. The dead cannot believe. They must be given life, they must be born again. Only then will they see and understand the kingdom of God. Only then will they see and acknowledge their sin. Only then will they see their need of a Savior and run to Him for salvation. It is only when the sinner is raised from the dead that he can repent and trust Christ for salvation.

Not only are we raised from spiritual death to life, which is wonderful in itself, we are joined to Christ so that from the moment we believe we are, "in Him." {6} ". . . and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus," God raised us from spiritual death and joined us to Christ by faith. Now we are in Him. This is a wonderful doctrine. Believers in Jesus are, "in Him." Therefore, in a mystical, unexplainable, way I have done what Christ has done, experienced what Christ has experienced, I am where Christ is, right now. I am in Christ Jesus my Lord! In Him I kept the law. In Him I was crucified. In Him I died. In Him I am risen from the dead or, as our text puts it, I am "raised up." In Him and with Him I am now seated in heaven. What can we say to such truth? How can we say anything at all? Surely we must simply marvel and worship our God for so great a salvation! Saved by grace and seated in heavenly places with Christ. "Amazing Grace indeed!" Hear the great apostle speak of these lofty things.

(Romans 6:3-9 NASB) "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? {4} Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. {5} For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, {6} knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; {7} for he who has died is freed from sin. {8} Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, {9} knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him." What a wonderful truth! Where Christ is we are. We are in Him, therefore, we are seated with Him in heavenly places.

Verse seven of Ephesians two tells us why God has gone to all this trouble. {7} in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Once again we discover that it is all about God. He intends to glorify Himself and one of the ways He does this is by doing the impossible. He saves un-savable sinners by supplying to them life, and all things necessary for salvation. He does this without regard to them, without their permission, help, or cooperation. So that He may put us on display in ages to come. So that all will marvel at the amazing grace and mercy of God while offering up praise to Him alone. Our salvation has to do with God’s intent to reveal and glorify Himself. Consider the following texts.

(1 Timothy 1:12-17 NASB) I (The Apostle Paul) thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; . . {15} It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, AMONG WHOM I AM FOREMOST OF ALL. {16} And yet for this reason I found mercy, IN ORDER THAT IN ME AS THE FOREMOST, JESUS CHRIST MIGHT DEMONSTRATE HIS PERFECT PATIENCE, AS AN EXAMPLE FOR THOSE WHO WOULD BELIEVE IN HIM FOR ETERNAL LIFE. {17} Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:9 And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou was slain, and didst purchase FOR GOD with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 And THOU HAST MADE THEM TO BE a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." 11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain TO RECEIVE POWER AND RICHES AND WISDOM AND MIGHT AND HONOR AND GLORY AND BLESSING." 13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." 14 And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped."

Everything God has done for us in Christ has as its first and most important goal the glorification of God! He has saved us, He has accomplished the impossible . . . {7} in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Every believer is an everlasting memorial to the love, mercy, kindness, power, wisdom, and grace, of Almighty God. But this could not be so if man was the cause of his own salvation. Therefore, the Holy Spirit continues to emphasize the graciousness of our redemption. {8} "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; {9} not as a result of works, that no one should boast."

Human boasting is simply contrary to the overall purpose of God as He seeks glory for Himself. He will not share His glory with anyone. Therefore, He has designed a salvation which makes it impossible for anyone to take credit but Him. We have been saved by grace, therefore, we can only be thankful, never proud. We have been saved by grace, through faith, and that not of ourselves, it was the gift of God. In other words, the whole of salvation has been given to us in spite of us and because of the mercy, love, and grace, of God in Christ.

How one can read anything into this text but sovereign grace is a mystery to me. The language is plain. The faith by which we have believed in Jesus is a gift from God. "That no one should boast." God has designed a gracious, non-meritorious, salvation so that He alone gets the glory. There are many other texts that speak of salvation as being of the Lord alone.

(Philippians 1:29 NASB) "For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, (the faith by which we trust in Jesus for salvation has been given to us by God!) but also to suffer for His sake . ."

(1 Corinthians 4:7 NASB) "For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" The saved have the right to be thankful, not proud. If they must boast let them boast of the blessed Trinity who, together, are responsible for their salvation. To God be the glory!

Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." We cannot see ourselves as sinners or Christ as Savior unless and until God reveals these truths to us.

John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, BUT OF GOD." Man is not born again by the exercise of his will, but of God’s will.

John 6:44 "No one CAN come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 "It is written in the prophets, 'AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.' Everyone who has heard and LEARNED FROM THE FATHER, comes to Me." One must be given ears with which to hear and then he must be taught the truth about himself, God, and His Christ. Then, but only then, will he or she run to the Savior for forgiveness.

James 1:17 "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow. 18 IN THE EXERCISE OF HIS WILL He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures." We are saved by grace! We have no room for boasting.

Verse ten of our text continues pressing home the fact that our salvation is entirely gracious while putting good works in their proper place. (Ephesians 2:10 NASB) "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." We are Christians today because we have been made so by God. We are His workmanship. We have been created in Christ. God has made us out of nothing by His wisdom and power. We are like the clay the potter uses to express his ideas. The clay does not leap out of the ground to seek out the potter and put in its request to be made into a certain kind of pot. Rather it just lays there, dead, without form, function, or desire, until the Potter comes, digs it out of the ground, and mikes it something it was not before. That is what God, through Christ, by the Holy Spirit, has done for us. We have been created in Christ "for good works." We are to live lives of holiness, godliness, obedience, lives of love. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as our selves. By grace and because of faith our deeds of love and obedience are good works in the eyes of God. These good works will be present in the lives of every true child of God for, "God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

There is but one question to ask, (Hebrews 2:3-4 NASB) " . . how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, {4} God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will." There is, beloved, no other name under heaven by which men can be saved. The sinner must trust in Christ to do all that is necessary for his salvation. For he is a dead man and, therefore, cannot save himself. We were among the dead, "But God" has intervened. To Him be the glory forever, Amen!