EPHESIANS 2:1-10 “THE GREAT RESCUE” Mark Kolbe

INTRODUCTION

After the conclusion of the Battle of Bataan against Japan in World War II, thousands of American troops surrendered to the enemy. Those who survived the subsequent Bataan Death March were sent to a prison camp in Cabanatuan, Philippines. Eventually the Japanese moved most of prisoners elsewhere, but they left just over 500 American and other Allied POWs and civilians in the prison. Facing brutal conditions including disease, torture, and malnourishment, the prisoners feared they would be executed by their captors before General MacArthur and the American forces could rescue them. In late January 1945, a plan was developed by leaders of the US Sixth Army and the Filipino army to send a small force of soldiers to rescue the prisoners. A group of over 100 Rangers and scouts and 200 Filipino guerrillas traveled 30 miles behind Japanese lines to reach the camp. The soldiers carried out the surprise attack during the night, using a P-61 Black Widow plane as a distraction. Hundreds of Japanese troops were killed in the 30-minute coordinated attack; but the Americans only lost two soldiers. After their rescue, the prisoners revealed the atrocities that took place at the hands of their captors during the death march and at the prison camp. This information led to an increased urgency to end the war with Japan as soon as possible. An interesting side story to this event is that the rescuers had a difficult time getting many of the prisoners to leave with them during the raid. Due to mental anguish that they suffered and because it was difficult to see, many were convinced that the raid was a trick being used by the Japanese to provide an excuse for executing the prisoners. As a result, many of the prisoners had to be forcefully removed from the camp by the soldiers.

The Bible contains the story of another dramatic rescue. This rescue was performed by Jesus Christ and was an attempt to save the entirely of mankind. Unfortunately, not everyone has chosen to follow Jesus and walk out of the prison they are in. Today’s passage deals tells us about a group of people who were rescued by Jesus and the dramatic change that occurred in their lives.

THE WALKING DEAD

1 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.

Paul begins chapter two describing the condition of the Ephesian Gentiles before they became believers in Jesus Christ. He reminds them that they were dead, yet at the same time says they were able to walk. For some of you that may evoke an image of the zombies in the TV series, “The Walking Dead”. Or maybe it sounds similar to a case where someone has gone to the doctor for a routine checkup only to find out that they have just a few weeks to live due to a previously undetected cancer. Here, Paul is saying that prior to trusting Christ as savior, the Ephesian Gentiles were physically alive, but spiritually dead, condemned to eternal separation from the one who created them.

What was the reason they were in this condition? Paul says it was because they were trespassers and sinners against God. Notice that Paul assigns them these labels even though at the time, they were unaware of who Jesus was. In other words, they were guilty and without excuse based upon the knowledge they did have. In fact, no one can justify their behavior, nor defend themselves against God’s judgement by claiming they were ignorant about God. Paul makes this especially clear in Romans 1:18-21. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth [m]in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident [n]within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not [o]honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. In other words, although someone may not know the technical details about Jesus Christ, everyone knows enough to be qualified as guilty.

We are all guilty of sin and trespass in a couple different ways. First, guilt was imputed upon us or qualified us as guilty merely because of our association with Adam and Eve. In Romans 5 (v 12, 15, 18-19) Paul says that we inherited their sin. We inherit a lot of things that we had no choice in receiving. I have a larger nose because my father had a larger nose. Inheriting sin and having its guilt imputed on us is also like a sports team that was kicked out of tournament or had to forfeit victories because of the actions of one player. Or, think back a couple years ago when we found out we were “exposed” to someone who tested positive for Covid. It didn’t matter whether we had Covid, we still had to quarantine and separate ourselves from other people. The fact that every person has a sinful nature is most clearly proven in children. Parents spend a lot of time teaching kids how to be good, but they never have to teach them to be bad. Bad behavior tends to be more natural for us than good behavior.

We are also guilty before God in that every one of us also choses to trespass and sin against God personally and willingly. We are not only imperfect, but sometimes downright evil. Several different terms are used in the Bible to describe human behavior. In Ephesians 2:1, Paul uses the terms trespasses and sins. The word trespass comes from the Greek word paraptoma, and it means to cross a line that we should not. When we trespass, we are being rebels against God. The word sin comes from the Greek word hamartia, and it means to miss the mark. Any attempt we make to be good like God will always fail, we can never hit the bullseye. These Gentile people were spiritually dead because they were both rebels and failures.

They were living in trespasses and sins, unaware of the magnitude of their guilt, and content living that way. This is a philosophy of life that is generally true of people from all times and in all places. It’s the “way” or “course” of the world. Many people spend most of their years on earth living only to gratify their senses, not being fully aware of how deficient our thoughts and actions are when measured against the holiness of God. Some people are largely ignorant of this, and others frankly just don’t care.

Being ignorant of or wrong about something can be quite costly. Most people know that they should invest some portion of their hard-earned money. By investing, people can make additional money that they can use in the future, without much real effort. There are lots of ways to invest your money – savings accounts, CD’s, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and gold for example. Further, the amount of risk and return on your money varies greatly between these different methods. If you are going to invest, you better not be ignorant of what you are investing in, because you will likely lose out. For example, if you are of the belief that the only way to save money is in a savings account, you will lose out. An individual who invested $8,000 in a savings account back in 1980 would have about $75,000 in that account today. However, if that person had invested $8,000 across the 500 companies in the Standard and Poor’s index in 1980, it would be worth about $950,000 today. In other words, making the decision to put that money in a savings account would have “cost” the person $875,000.

While living in trespass and sin is described as the way of the world, Paul says that this way is being promoted by the “prince of the power of the air” - Satan himself. Satan is a prince of this world because God has allowed him to have dominion over it (Luke 4:6, 1 John 5:19). Paul’s use of the word “air” may refer to the invisible realm above the earth where Satan and his demons move and exist. This is how he describes it later in Ephesians 6:12, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” While this evil realm called the “air” could be an actual place, it could also just be a way to refer to this world in general since the air is all around us. So, at one time these Gentiles were living in Satan’s domain (Matthew 4:8–9, John 12:31) not yet having the saving knowledge of Jesus. They were lost and condemned, and Satan was doing everything he could to keep them that way.

CONDEMNED TO JUDGEMENT

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.

Even though Paul was a Jewish believer in Christ, writing to Gentile believers in Christ he points out that one thing he had in common with them is that he was also a trespasser and sinner. At one time he also let his mind and body govern his actions. In verse 1 Paul had merely said those who don’t believe in Christ were spiritually dead, but in verse 3 he uses a phrase that describes their fate in a more fearful way, “children of wrath”. Sinning and trespassing bring consequences. When Adam and Eve sinned, a previously perfect world was turned into one that included pain, suffering, and death. But another consequence of sin is punishment. People have a sin nature and God cannot let that exist forever, it must be dealt with. God is going to destroy sin so that it doesn’t continue to destroy us.

You may think, “That’s not fair! I didn’t ask to be born into this world and all its pain and suffering. I don’t deserve punishment for something I don’t have control over.” However, verse 4 reveals that God has also provided the remedy for the situation that we were born into.

MADE ALIVE

4 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, 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 surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

While on one side of the coin we were born into this world as sinners doomed to punishment, without any real effort on our part, on the opposite side of the coin is the saving work of Christ, in which we can receive the benefit of His payment for sin, even though we didn’t do anything to deserve it. Just as sin is imputed on us, so is the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). And, even though we still commit personal sin, Christ’s righteousness still gets applied to us.

Think about the word “generosity” for a moment. Within the definition of that word is the need for there to be a giver and a receiver. Generosity doesn’t exist without both. If a friend of yours pointed at another person and described him as generous you would naturally wonder what the person gave and who the recipient was. God’s mercy and love are two things we often read about and believe about Him. Those things have always been and always will be true of God. However, the truthfulness of those attributes are made apparent because He created us. Without people to love, the phrase “God is love” doesn’t have the same effect. Similarly, it is due to the existence of sin, that the need for God’s mercy becomes known.

Notice that in verse 4, Paul says that God is more than generous, He is rich in mercy and love. The word “rich”, lets us know that we don’t have to worry about God running out of those things. He never has to check the balance of mercy and love in His account to see if He has enough to give. He goes above and beyond to make those things available to us.

Imagine that you wanted to give a good gift to someone. So, you found out what they liked or needed, then you did research to find and purchase the highest quality version of that item. Finally, you offered your special gift to them. However, instead of gratitude, the person responded with no thanks and handed it back. You’d be disappointed and hurt wouldn’t you? But what if the following year, you tried to do even better, and giving the another great gift, only to have them turned it down again. There is a good chance you’d look for someone else to give gifts to in the future. But God is a different kind of gift giver. Even after you or I reject God several times, when we finally turn to Him in repentance, we don’t have to wonder whether the gifts of love and mercy are still available to use. God never re-nigs on His gift or offer of salvation. No matter how many times a person may turn God down, God continually offers the gift. That’s rich!

The availability of God’s love and mercy has nothing to do with us and everything to do with God. We are the beneficiaries of those things and there is nothing we can do to make ourselves more worthy of them. We never have to come up with creative ways to obtain His love and mercy. That truth is such a contrast with what it was like when we were dating. Think back to age 17. In preparation for your date, you would wash and brush your hair. Girls would put on makeup and perfume. Boys would put on cologne. You’d put a great deal of thought into what clothes you’d wear. On the date you’d be on your best behavior, being polite, and choosing your words carefully. All of this was done to become more appealing and increase our odds of being “liked”.

But when it comes to God, there is nothing we can do, nor need to do, to make it “easier” for God to love us. His love and mercy are all about Him and what He does.

Just like Jesus was raised from the dead physically, we are raised from the dead spiritually due to God’s love, mercy and grace. God has taken us out of the coffin and made alive. Not only can we experience God’s abundance now, but we can look forward to a perfect home where we can reside with Jesus forever.

GRACE LEADS TO CHANGE

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, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

When it comes to being saved and being granted entrance into heaven, there tends to be three primary beliefs for how that occurs. The most common belief is that a person’s performance on earth is the primary factor for whether God will accept them. Under this philosophy, people think that they can do enough good things to be worthy of God’s gifts, and conversely that there are certain behaviors they need to avoid so that they don’t become unworthy. Verses 8 and 9 clearly contradict this belief. Paul uses the word grace to let us know God is giving us something we do not deserve. God’s grace is all about Him and has nothing to do with our performance. The belief that our level of righteousness can somehow impress God is a huge insult to who God is.

Another belief that has gained more popularity recently is that people don’t have any responsibility at all in their salvation. Not only can people behave however they want, but they can believe whatever they want. In other words, these people believe God is going to save everyone regardless of their actions and beliefs. However, this belief ignores a key phrase found in verse 8, we are saved, “through faith”. Faith is making a conscious decision about the truthfulness of something based upon evidence, and living that out. This means we can’t just have any belief, it must be the proper belief. More specifically, we need to have faith that Jesus’ death and resurrection is what qualifies us to be saved. This belief is the conduit by which God’s grace is delivered to us. Rather than picturing the recipients of salvation as the entire world having God’s grace just dumped on their heads, we should picture it as individuals who willingly choose to take a drink of water from a hose. Pastor David Guzik describes God’s grace as the water and faith in Jesus as the hose. Each person does have a responsibility, they must answer the question – who do you believe Jesus is?

Verse 10 lets us know that when we were created, God had a plan for showing us His love, mercy and grace, and to bring us from spiritual death to life. However, we were also fearfully (created being should fear creator and potential for judgement) and wonderfully made as individual creations by God for a specific purpose. That purpose was for our lives to bring forth good things.

A phrase we often hear from both the Christian community and non-Christian community is that “God loves me just as I am.” While that may be technically true, often what that person is really hoping is that God will merely overlook whatever weakness, desires, tendencies or sin they have. That is not what the Bible says. We are God’s “workmanship”, which means that God doesn’t just save us from punishment, but His desire is for us to become something better. The Greek word for workmanship is “poiema”. This is where we get our word for poem or poetry. Our lives are supposed to become like a beautifully crafted poem. This world says, “be who you are” or “God made you that way”. But the Bible says that God loves us so much that He wants us to be transformed.

SO WHAT

Help raise the dead. The phrase, “dead man walking” is often used in U.S. prisons and in movies like, “The Green Mile” from 1999, to describe condemned prisoners being walked to the place of execution. Someone without Christ is a dead man walking. They are physically alive, but spiritually dead. Unless they are made alive by Christ, the physical life they currently have is the best it will ever be for them - it will get worse from here. The fact that we live alongside spiritually dead people helps explain why we see such craziness and evil in our world. There are walking dead people living next to us, and there are walking dead people running governments in this world. As believers we aren’t going to alter the course of this world that Satan currently has under his thumb. However, there are some individuals who can still be saved. May the Holy Spirit use us to tactfully make people aware of the condition they are in and tell them about the saving grace of Jesus.

Live like you are alive. Does the way your live provide prove that you are thankful for the rich blessings of love, mercy, and grace that God has given you? Believers in Christ should be joyful, grateful people, and we should be consistent, Godly examples for the dead men walking around us.

Do better. Don’t just be a “work”, but be a work in progress. Becoming a believer in Christ shouldn’t be the final chapter in anyone’s life. During the remainder of our lives on this earth we should examine ourselves so that we recognize the ways that we aren’t displaying Christlike qualities and then to allow God to change us for the better, extending God’s goodness to others around us.

EPHESIANS 2:1-10 “THE GREAT RESCUE” Mark Kolbe

Vs 1-2)

· People who don’t know Jesus as Savior are spiritually dead due to their trespasses and sins.

· We inherit and commit trespasses and sins.

· Trespassing is crossing a line we shouldn’t. Sinning is missing the mark of perfection.

Vs 3)

· Everyone has a sin nature.

· Those not saved by Jesus will be recipients of His wrath.

Vs 4-7)

· God’s great love and mercy provided the only way for spiritually dead people to be brought back to life so that they can live with Jesus forever.

Vs 8-9)

· We are not saved through good things we do or bad things we avoid, but by having faith that Jesus is the only way to be saved.

Vs 10)

· God made each person with a purpose. The lives of the ones saved by Jesus should be marked by good works.

SO WHAT

· Help raise the dead. Ephesians 5:20

· Live like you are alive. Matthew 5:15-16, Philippians 4:4

· Do better. Hebrews 6:1, 2 Peter 1:5-8