Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2in 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.
3All
of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the
cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and
thoughts.
Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But
because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5made
us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it
is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with
Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ
Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the
incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness
to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God—9not by works, so that no one
can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for
us to do.
A poor fellow spent years desperately searching for the meaning of life. He
traveled from country to country seeking out the most famous philosophers,
the most learned theologians, the most gifted novelists and poets and playwrights,
but none could satisfy his insatiable hunger for eternal truth.
Then he heard of a very old and very wise guru living thousands of miles away
on one of the world's highest mountains.
After a long, hazardous journey, he arrived at the mountain's base. Slowly,
painfully, he clawed and scratched his way up the sheer rock mountainside.
Finally, as he hung from the top by his bloodied hands, he cried out, "Oh
wise one, tell me please, what is the secret of life?"
"
My son," the old sage answered profoundly, "Life is a fountain."
The poor fellow was incredulous.
"
A fountain? Life is a fountain?" he asked disbelievingly.
"Oh!” the old man meekly replied, "You mean life isn't a fountain?"
What is the meaning of life?
What does it mean to be alive?
Perhaps it’s a little bit easier coming at those very
heavy questions from the other side—what life is
not?
For instance, being alive is not simply breathing and having one's heart beating
in a regular rhythm. Karen Anne Quinlan and Sue Rodriguez proved that life
is more than basic physical functioning.
Being alive is not simply working and eating and sleeping.
Millions of people go through rather mundane, habitual lives
and feel strongly that something very important is missing.
Being alive is not simply feeling good and having a good
time with the pleasures of this world. Lots of rich and famous
people, who have had whatever pleasure they desired, have
openly declared that they felt empty and hollow inside.
Being alive is not simply surviving through various illnesses
and trials and tribulations and managing to tough it out.
Many, many people face difficult times with survival the
only thing to show for it.
None of these things are really living.
The bottom line is that deep inside us there is a desire
to be alive in a different, more meaningful way than many
of the shallow definitions we often hear quoted.
Life is not a fountain.
It is something more—something deeper and richer.
The Apostle Paul offered a deep and rich answer in our Scripture
lesson this morning. He wrote it out so that the people
in the Church in Ephesus didn't have to scratch and climb
their way up any mountains.
We find his answer in verses 4 & 5:
Eph 2:4?5 (NIV) "But because of his great love for
us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ
even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by
grace you have been saved."
What does it mean to be alive?
Paul declares that life gains its meaning when we are alive
with Christ through God's love, mercy and grace.
Alive with Christ!
Paul had begun this letter to the Ephesians by making the
point that God was all powerful. God was so powerful that
God had raised Christ from the dead. The resurrection of
Jesus showed that God had defeated sin, Satan and death itself.
No evil could ultimately stand up against the Lord God Almighty.
If evil could, it would have kept Jesus dead in the grave.
Paul goes on, in our lesson, to say that God's power and
God's ability to give new life is further offered to His
people—those who are with Christ—with Him now
and with Him for all eternity. This new life of faith and
commitment begins fresh in this lifetime and lasts forever.
In verse 10 Paul explains how we can know we have new life
and what we are to do with our fresh beginning.
Eph 2:10 (NIV) "For we are God's workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do."
How can we know we have new life—that we are truly
alive?
We can know because we are God's workmanship.
In the original Greek there is an emphasis on the possessive—we
are God’s workmanship. God is behind it. God’s
grace guarantees God’s craft.
Further the Greek word for workmanship translates better
as "work of art" or "masterpiece".
When we are in that close, personal relationship with our
Creator—when we accept that we are God’s masterpiece—we
can know that we are truly alive. God's love, care and
valuing of us are meant to touch us deeply and offer us
assurance.
Spiritually we were dead but, out of the old, God crafts
something very special—something
new and beautiful.
Most people who visit the beautiful French Cathedral at
Reims hear the story of the magnificent rose window, which
is the crowning glory of that Church. During World War II,
that rose window was totally shattered. Immediately following
the disaster, the villagers went out from their homes and
painstakingly gathered up all of the bits and pieces, down
to the tiniest little splinter. When the war ended, they
called in highly?skilled artisans who built a new rose window,
using the shattered fragments of the old.
Imagine how special this window is to those who know it
suffered such a fate.
Imagine the dedication of the glass workers and the marvelous
story the villagers joyfully have to tell.
The remnants of our old life are taken by God, whose workmanship
brings about a creation of remarkable worth. We are worthy
because God has cared enough to personally craft us.
It’s
a marvelous story to build a new life on!
With Christ we are alive!
Paul also wrote in verse 10 of what we are to do with our
new life. Having new life is one thing. What we do with
it—our purpose and meaning for
life is another.
Eph 2:10 (NIV) "For we are God's workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do."
Purpose & meaning have to do with our relationship
with God plus our willingness to serve others in God's
name.
To do good works!
This means more than leading a responsible life and being
nice.
A Peanuts cartoon makes the point nicely:
Lucy says to Charlie Brown, "Life is a mystery Charlie
Brown—do you know the answer?"
Charlie Brown responds, "Be kind. Don't smoke. Be
prompt. Smile a lot. Eat sensibly. Avoid cavities and mark
your ballot
carefully. Avoid too much sun. Send overseas packages early.
Love all creatures above and below. Insure your belongings
and try to keep the ball low...."
Before he can get out another platitude, Lucy interrupts: "Hold real still," she
says, "because I am going to hit you a very sharp blow upon the nose!"
The good works God has in mind, that bring purpose and meaning to life, run
much deeper than polite platitudes. Our hint about them comes from the last
section of verse 10:
"to do good works, which God prepared in advance for
us to do."
When we come to God in faith, we have done so in response
to God's call to us. God calls us and we come to Him. New
life begins!
But God continues to call us, over and over again, to be
the person God wants us to be—to grow in the direction
God foresees for us—to do the things God wants us
to do.
God already has our good works in mind.
God already knows how God wants us to serve.
God has already envisioned our times of service and our points
of sacrifice for others.
We need to be sensitive to God’s call.
We need to be responsive to the ministries God has set before
us.
What God has in mind for us, only we can do.
Christian author Rick Warren writes, “You were put
on earth to make a contribution. You weren’t created
just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take
up space. God designed you to make a difference with your
life. While many best-selling books offer advice on how to ‘get’ the
most out of life, that’s not the reason God made
you. You were created to add to life on earth, not just
take from
it. God wants you to give something back.”
The Purpose-Driven Life® p. 227
How wonderful to be so special in God’s plans.
How awesome the task we face to accomplish the goals God has prepared for us.
When our sensitivity to God’s call develops, and
it takes time and experience—when we are in tune with
what God wants us to do for God and others—when we
trust in the gifts and talents God has provided and in God’s
strength and direction—then we can get in a groove
that makes life satisfying beyond our greatest hopes and
dreams.
To know God and to know we are doing what God wants us
to do—that is what life is all about. That’s
what truly provides purpose and meaning in life.
Hearing God's call and responding in faith begins the journey.
Continuing to hear God's calls and responding in service
keeps us on track for abundant life.
And when we have taken those steps we profoundly understand
what Norman Vincent Peale once said:
"The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon,
but that we wait so long to begin it."
(1573)
© The Rev. Dennis Cook, St. Timothy’s Presbyterian
Church, Ajax, ON, Canada
