EPHESIANS: LIVING IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR HIGH CALLING

Part I: Our High Calling In Christ, Ephesians 1:1-3:21

E. God's Salvation Of Men From Satanic Works To God's Works

(Ephesians 2:1-10)

I. Introduction

A. The believer's high calling of God in Christ is an astounding calling when considering how vast was God's work in acquiring lost men under Satan's influence to save them unto God's performing works through them.

B. That picture is provided in Ephesians 2:1-10, what should cause us believers not only to be grateful to the Lord, but to want to live worthy of the wonderfully high calling we have of God in Christ (as follows):

II. God's Salvation Of Men From Satanic Works To God's Works, Ephesians 2:1-10.

A. In Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul told how believers in Christ prior to salvation actually performed Satanic works:

1. Before salvation, Paul's readers were spiritually dead in transgressions and sins, the "plural of these two nouns" signifying "people's repetitious involvement in sin," Eph. 2:1; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 622.

2. As such, Paul's readers had followed the ways of the world, yielding to the world's peer pressure, "the satanically organized system that hates and opposes all that is godly (cf. John 15:18, 23)," Ibid.; Eph. 2:2a.

3. In effect, they had followed the ruler of the kingdom of the air, Satan, for he is the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4) and controls the whole world system (1 John 5:19) so that in their lost state, Paul's readers were under the power of Satan and followed his lead in opposition to God, Ephesians 2:2b; Ibid.

4. Paul's readers, when unsaved, thus followed the "spirit," that is, the impersonal force or atmosphere of the world system that is controlled and directed by Satan, Ephesians 2:2c; Ibid.

5. Thus, Paul's readers once lived in the passions of the sinful nature, fulfilling the lusts of the body and the mind that aligned with Satan's will so that they were objects of God's wrath, Eph. 2:3; Ibid., p. 622-623.

B. Yet, in great grace, God wonderfully saved believers from Satan's domain into His own domain, Eph. 2:4-9:

1. The Apostle Paul emphasized God's gracious intervention by placing the word for "God" immediately after the word rendered "but," making "God" emphatic as the subject of the all-important salvation that reversed the condemned pre-salvation status of his readers, Ephesians 2:4a; Ibid.

2. God's richness in mercy due to His infinite love for these believers in their pre-salvation state, though they were dead in their tresspasses and sins, did He by grace through faith make alive together with Christ, raising them with Christ in His resurrection and seating them in the heavens in Jesus Christ, Eph. 2:4b-6.

3. In the ages of eternity to come, God thus planned to display the infinite riches of His grace in His kindness toward those who put their faith in Christ, Ephesians 2:7.

4. Paul explained that this transition occurred by God's unmerited favor apart from man's meritorious works:

a. It was by God's grace, His unmerited favor exercised through faith, that Paul's readers were saved, v. 8a.

b. This was not of their doing, but it was the gift of God apart from human works, Ephesians 2:8b-9a.

c. Such a transition occurred so that no sinful man might boast of achieving his own salvation, Eph. 2:9b.

C. In the end, God Himself actually performs good works through those who believe in Christ Jesus, Eph. 2:10:

1. Paul explained that instead of those who trusted in Christ performing works unto salvation, they themselves were actually the poiema, the "work of art or a masterpiece" that differs from the word "works" (ergon) used of man's works back in Ephesians 2:9a; Ephesians 2:10a; Ibid., p. 624.

2. As God's "work of art or masterpiece," God has prepared in advance the works that we as believers in Christ are to do that we should "walk in them," Ephesians 2:10b. "This does not mean doing a work for God; instead, it is God's performing His work in and through believers (cf. Phil. 2:13)," Ibid.

D. In summary, though Paul's readers at one time were under the influence, control and dominion of Satan to perform works of great wickedness in alignment with Satan's world system, through God's great grace through faith in Christ, God marvelously saved them, identifying them with Christ in His death, resurrection and glorification in heaven not only to be eternal trophies of God's infinite grace, but also that God Himself might will and do the good works He has ordained for them to do, that God might work through them! The believer has moved from performing Satan's works to seeing God work His works through him in infinite grace!

Lesson: The great transition from performing Satanically fueled works to seeing God Himself work His works through us as believers all through the grace of God is a transition that will glorify God throughout eternity!

Application: May we believers marvel at God's transition regarding our works and live worthy of our great calling!