THE LIFE OF THE CHRISTIAN BELIEVER

B. THE BELIEVER’S CONVERSION: THE WORK OF GOD’S MERCY

-- { Ephesians 2:4-7 }  ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ⁵ even when we were dead through our trespasses, 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 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  -- NRSV

Breath Prayer For The Week (A "breath prayer" is a brief sentence or simple phrase that can be repeated often to Jesus in one breath.)

Lord, thank you for your mercy.

Dear Friend, grace and peace be unto you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ.  Amen.

The most astonishing interruption in human history is the word “but” in this passage from St. Paul.  As we saw last week, humankind was dead to God in transgressions and sins – but – now Paul shares that God is rich in mercy.  Paul explains how God has intervened in the destiny of humankind.  He has interrupted the doom of death and judgment.  God has had mercy on us!

First, God has made us alive with Christ (2:4-5)  “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.”

Some Bible translations us the word “quickened” to describe what happens here.  We are made alive.  We were dead to God but God gives us new life.  There are three things to note.

1. Why has God made us alive?  Because this is His very nature.  God does not have a nature that is distant, disinterested, unconcerned, vengeful, and fearful.

2. When did God make us alive in Him?  When we were actually dead to Him because of sin.

3. How did God make us alive?  By making us alive together with Jesus, the Christ, in our Baptism and faith.  Only Jesus brings a person forth from their dead relationship with God.  We are given a new birth in our Baptism and grow to trust Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  This is all an act of God alone upon our lives – that amazing grace.

Second, God has raised us up with Christ (2:6a)  “And God raised us up with Christ…”

What does this mean?  It means that God raised Jesus up to heaven for three reasons.  Because…

1. Jesus lived a sinless and perfect life.  God loved humankind and wanted to save them but there was a problem.  Humankind had already sinned and separated themselves from God.  The only hope was that humankind could somehow live a perfect life again, which was impossible on their own.  Someone was needed to step in for humankind and solve this problem.  Jesus did!  He lived a sinless life for all of us.  He took our place and lived for us, thus making it possible for us to again be seen as perfect in God’s sight.  Now everyone who trusts Jesus is covered by Him with His perfection.  Because of Jesus’ selfless act of saving us in this way He deserves to live eternally with God.

2. Jesus died for humankind.  God loved humankind and wanted to save them but He had a problem.  The problem of sin that separated us from God brought the penalty of physical and eternal death.  Therefore, the Ideal and Perfect Jesus came to die in our place, taking all the wrath of God upon Himself.  Jesus chose to bear the penalty of our sin.  Because of His selfless act, not deserving to die, He deserved to live with God forever.

3. Jesus was raised up from the dead.  What Jesus did for us is sealed and proven by His rising from the dead.  The resurrection was God’s final approval of what He did and now anyone who trust in Jesus has the same promise of resurrection.  

The person who trusts Jesus as their Savior and Lord, God counts that person as being together with Christ in His righteousness, death, and resurrection.  

Third, God has made us sit in heavenly places – in Christ (2:6b)  “…and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,…”

The work of God’s mercy is to sit us in heavenly places with Jesus.  In other words our mind needs to be on Jesus.

1. “Heavenly realms” should read “in the heavenlies.”  The believer is said to be in Christ.  Certainly to have one’s mind in Christ is to be in a new realm.  The believer is heavenly minded so that he can be of some earthly good.

2. The believer’s salvation is an accomplished fact.  

Fourth, God had one great purpose: to show us the riches of His grace in the ages to come (2:7)  “…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.”

Paul says that God’s one great purpose is to show the riches of His love and grace toward humankind demonstrated in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

God has done so much for us through Jesus that it will take an eternity to comprehend.

“ages” (aiosin) literally means in the ages that are coming one upon another, that roll in one upon another.  This is an eternity of ages.  

Paul says that God is going to be eternally glorified by us for His grace and kindness to us.  In fact all of His creation will celebrate His amazing mercy - His amazing mercy through His Son, Jesus, the Savior of all humankind.

Heavenly Father, what mercy You have shown us.  In our helplessness You came to us.  You gave Your Son to solve our problem of separation from You.  And that meant the cross.  Thank You for Your mercy.