God’s Power Through Christ

If you would, please take your Bibles and turn
to the book of Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one, I’ll direct
you more carefully here in a moment to the exact passage. I wonder
sometimes, if we as Christians think of the resurrection as
God’s ultimate triumph. Christ’s resurrection from the
dead is indeed a victory, a great, stupendous victory, one of God’s
greatest miracles. But it is not the end. In a very
real sense, it’s only the beginning. Scripture records an amazing
account of the relationship that developed between the Apostle
Paul and the church in the bustling city of Ephesus. It’s largely
recorded in the book of Acts, chapters 18 through 20. The story
actually begins during Paul’s second missionary journey. God
would take Paul to Europe, establishing churches in Philippi, Thessalonica,
Corinth, But nearing the end of that second
missionary journey, God would bless Paul and his desire to
take the gospel into Ephesus. Acts 18 records a very brief
visit to that city where he and his message of salvation by faith
in Christ were warmly received. By God’s good providence, Paul
would return in the course of his third missionary journey,
recorded in Acts 19. The beginnings were small there
in Ephesus. Acts 19 one tells us that he
simply found some disciples. God’s word had done its work,
and there were those that had heard and believed and begun
to grow in their faith in Christ. This time, Paul would have a
long, rich ministry in that region. Paul describes it elsewhere as
the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing. His
very fruitful stay would last several years. Ultimately, Paul
would again be called and compelled away from Ephesus. But the relationship
between Paul and the Ephesian church had matured significantly. Paul was eventually imprisoned
in Rome, at least once. But Paul’s initial imprisonment
there was more like house arrest. There in Rome, under the powerful
authority of the Roman government, he was granted a measure of freedom
that allowed him to preach and write and receive guests. We know that he wrote multiple
letters from Rome from this so-called imprisonment, which are some
of our favorite books of the Bible. Ephesians, Colossians,
Philippians, Philemon. While Paul’s relationship with
the church in Ephesus was strong, it was very unique. There were
other churches with whom Paul seemed to have a warmer, more
enthusiastic relationship, like the Philippian church. There
were churches about whom Paul was just over the moon, excited
about what God was doing in their midst, the Thessalonian church. And there were churches that
elicited a much greater measure of Paul’s concern, the church
in Galatia. Paul’s relationship with the
church in Ephesus wasn’t like any of those. It was very unique. When all the facts are considered,
the church at Ephesus appears to have been a church that solidified
very quickly and immediately got down to the business of serving
the Lord. It wasn’t a church with a whole
lot of problems, no drama. And that seemingly affected Paul’s
relationship with them. Things between them were almost
businesslike. Matter of fact, but make no mistake,
it was a friendly, passionate relationship. And that relationship
is fully exhibited here in this opening chapter his epistle to
the Ephesians If you’ve turned there this morning Ephesians
chapter 1 You will likely agree This is one of the most profound
chapters in all of Scripture. I Would have you begin just read
along with me if you would as I begin in verse 3 of chapter
1 I Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Just as he chose us
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined
us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself. according to the kind intention
of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which
he freely bestowed on us in the beloved. In him we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according
to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us. In all wisdom
and insight, he made known to us the mystery of his will. according
to his kind intention, which he purposed in him with a view
to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times.
That is the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the
heavens and things upon the earth in him. Also, we have obtained
an inheritance having been predestined according to his purpose, who
works all things after the counsel of his will. to the end, that
we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise
of his glory. In him, you also, after listening
to the message of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,
having also believed, you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit
of promise. who is given as a pledge of our
inheritance with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession
to the praise of the glory of his glory. For this reason, I,
too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which
exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease
giving thanks for you. while making mention of you in
my prayers. That the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom
and of revelation in the knowledge of him. I pray that the eyes
of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is
the hope of his calling. What are the riches of the glory
of his inheritance in the saints? and what is the surpassing greatness
of his power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with
the working of the strength of his might, which he brought about
in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him
at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule and
authority and power and dominion and every name that is named
not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And he put
all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him as head
over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness
of him who fills all in all.” 3-14, the opening section of
chapter 1, unfold before us like an accounting of God’s blessings
bestowed upon believers. Ephesians 1, 3-14 has been called
one of the longest sentences in the Bible, just one long running
thought where Paul is acknowledging all the blessings poured out
upon believers. One pastor likened this section
to a snowball tumbling down a hill, picking up volume as it proceeds. One sentence, over 200 words,
and it is very much a doxology, an exuberant declaration of praise
for that which God has already done and accomplished. It’s the
entire God-wrought process beginning in eternity past with the enduring
results lasting into eternity future. It really could be considered
a song of praise for God’s greatest work, the salvation of sinners. And while Paul’s words here come
off as spontaneous, they are no doubt Spirit-inspired. But verses three through 14,
as good and as rich as they are, are but a portion of this incredible
chapter. In this ensuing section, with
Paul having just completed his doxology, he begins a new section
in verse 15. He looks to build on the thoughts
that he has articulated in these opening words and he calls them
to a deeper understanding of God and his ways. Paul is not
content to merely express or to communicate a doxology. He knows that knowledge is not
only imparted by preaching and books and teaching, but real
knowledge. True, sustaining, profound spiritual
knowledge is ultimately imparted by the Holy Spirit. So Paul bows
his knees before the Heavenly Father and begins to pray that
God himself would teach these believers. And we can learn much
from Paul here. We often hamstring our prayer
efforts. by unnecessarily limiting the
scope of our requests to what we see, to what we think is best
in any given situation. And I would call such physical
prayers, not spiritual prayers. We pray for what we think God
should do without considering what God himself might like to
do. We bind our prayers with our
earthly perspectives. Not Paul. Paul deemed the spiritual
needs of his people as far more important than their physical
needs. And we would do well to imitate his pattern. But mind
you, praying for spiritual needs is much more difficult and challenging
than praying for the simple physical needs that we see and about which
we hear. It requires the application of
a deeper knowledge of God and his ways and his purposes. And it requires a patient observation
and a consideration of our brothers and sisters in Christ, those
for whom we pray. It’s not easy. But it’s infinitely
worthwhile. To emulate Paul in praying for
spiritual needs, we must ponder God’s possible purposes in the
difficulty that he has sovereignly allowed into the person’s life. And that takes effort, a lot
of effort. I want to consider this second
section this morning, beginning in verse 15. Let’s consider Paul’s response
to the incredible overview of God’s work in a believer’s life
as captured in those early verses, verses three through 14. Look
at how Paul transitions in verse 15 to this new section. For this
reason, for this reason, Paul moves to
justify what he is about to say in this second section. And basically
he says that the logical conclusion to all that he had just reviewed
in verses three through 14 is thankfulness. Just note this
simple sentence. Glance down at verses 15 and
16. He begins in verse 15 and completes
his thought in verse 16. In verse 15 he says, I too, As
he begins and then he completes his sentence in verse 16, I too
do not cease giving thanks for you. I do not cease giving thanks
for you. And really, this isn’t so much
a prayer of gratitude for these Christians or for what they had
done. It’s really a prayer of gratitude,
heartfelt thanksgiving for God’s work in their lives. even beginning
in eternity past. This, as he adds in verse 15,
is brought about by his knowledge of their salvation. He had heard
and seen and witnessed, perhaps even leading many of these people
to faith in Christ. Verse 15 says, having heard of
the faith in the Lord Jesus, which exists among you, because
he knows that if they truly have come to believe in Jesus Christ
as Savior, then all of those marvelous graces enumerated in
those opening verses, three through 14, they are blessings that they’ve
already begun to enjoy. Election, predestination, redemption,
revelation, inheritance, The fact that they are sealed by
the Holy Spirit himself, they are enjoying all of those blessings
already. What better response could there
be? But humble, heartfelt gratitude, thanksgiving. And please note,
and this is a really obvious point here, But in verse 16,
Paul’s gratitude, where he calls it there his thanks, it takes
place in the course of his prayers. I do not cease giving thanks
for you while making mention of you in my prayers. He prayed
for other things, we all do. Paul surely bowed his heart in
praise and adoration for God, for who he is, for all that he
had done. He certainly would have engaged
as any sinner saved by grace would in the sanctifying element
of confessional prayer. And he equally, certainly, implored
God in intercessory prayer on behalf of others, but he humbly
remembered God’s abundant kindnesses to his fellow believers by engaging
in genuine thankfulness. It was all prayer, but his prayer
included confession, it included requests, it included praise,
And it absolutely, as he says here, included Thanksgiving.
And so Paul pulls back the curtain, in a sense, of his prayer closet. And he reveals the heart of his
prayer on behalf of the Ephesian church. Although God in reality
had already granted everything pertaining to life and godliness,
as Peter would say it, these believers, as well as all believers,
All believers have an active spiritual need. And Paul identifies
that spiritual need in verse 17. But if you would join me as we
take a running start beginning in verse 16. I do not cease giving
thanks for you while making mention of you in my prayers, that the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of
him. Did you hear that? He just articulated
that they already knew, they’d already come to faith, and yet
he prays that they would come to know him. Paul has already recounted all
the magnificent things that God has done in them and for them,
and Paul still prays that they might be brought to a fuller
knowledge of God, specifically, that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that is the Father of glory, may give you a spirit
of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. Paul acknowledges
and gently points out that there’s still much that they did not
know. And it goes well beyond what
he himself might be able to teach them. These deep things of God
can be communicated only through divine means. God is going to
have to teach you. And so he prays. Only the Heavenly Father can
impart these things. It’s God-given wisdom. It’s divine
revelation for which Paul prays, and if you would glance at verse
18 as well, Paul echoes what he has just said in perhaps more
poetic terms. He says that the eyes of your
heart might be enlightened. Paul had looked upon the Ephesian
church and he saw in them the work of faith, God’s work of
faith in them, active and vital growth. It was ultimately in that church
manifested by one another love. They were ministering to each
other’s needs, but Paul was not content to allow them to plateau,
to rest in whatever level of knowledge and understanding they
currently had. Paul prays for them. Calls them
to an even greater understanding of God and of what what God might
Do on their behalf? He wanted their entire life to
be impacted by their God-given knowledge of spiritual things Paul desired that they would
glimpse and grasp hold of spiritual truths that they never had before
and down deep in their heart and all of this so that Paul
could call them to a deeper walk with Christ, a more fulfilling
walk, a more God-honoring walk, a more fruitful walk. And specifically,
if you glance at verses 18 through 19, Paul makes three requests
of God. And they extend not only into
eternity past, as did the previous list, eternity future, but also
they reside in the present. And we see them in verses 18
through 19. Look at the first, the hope of
his calling. That’s what he wants God to produce
in them. That’s what he wants God to reveal,
the hope of his calling. Well, if they’re believers in
Christ, they’ve already been called. They’ve already answered
the call. God has already beckoned them
in faith to himself. This is the blessing that extends
into eternity past beginning with divine election. He prays
that they would come to know the depth and the magnitude of
the hope into which they’ve been called. Hope is not wishful thinking
like we think of it in our modern understanding of the word. It’s
the settled confidence in their spiritual well-being. that has
been secured by Christ’s finished work on the cross. It’s not the
worldly wishfulness that we think of when we use the word hope. Secondly, not only the hope of
his calling, but Paul prayed that they would come to an understanding
of the spiritual riches that extended into eternity future.
The things that are theirs in Christ’s inheritance. the riches
of the glory of his inheritance. I would have you know, Paul urges,
just how great, how stupendous, how marvelous, how infinitely
vast and immeasurable are your blessings, the riches that you
have as believers in Christ. And then finally, the third thing
for which he asks, He’s asking God to produce these things,
reveal these things, cultivate these things in the hearts and
lives of the believers. He finally prays that they would
come to an understanding of the extent of the present blessings
that they enjoy. the magnitude of God’s power,
the surpassing greatness of his power, as Paul says it. He desires
that God would begin to impart a real understanding of his power,
just how powerful he is. Well, I’d like us to spend the
rest of our time this morning contemplating God’s infinite
power as Paul captures it here. Just one of the three. One of
the three things for which he prayed, not the hope of his calling
for another day, not the riches of his glory for another day. I want to look at his power toward
us who believe. Paul captures it here, seen in
God’s exercise of his power through his son. In his desire for the
Ephesian believers, and us, to see and grasp and know just how
powerful God is, Paul points to one sphere where God’s power
has already been so clearly exercised. The power that God exercised
with regard to his son, our Lord Jesus. Paul zeroes in on it directly
in verse 20. But begin, if you would, in verse
19. Paul’s praying that we would
come to grasp, really know, among other things, hope and riches. And he desires that we would
know God’s power, verse 19, what is the surpassing greatness of
his power toward us who believe. But look at the particular sphere.
At the end of verse 19, Paul identifies this power as being
in accordance with the working of the strength of his might. verse 20, which he brought about
in Christ. When he speaks of working, strength,
and might, he utilizes three different Greek words that all
relate to the exercise of power. Working, strength, might. What
Paul is doing here is just seeking to fully admire the measure of
God’s power. And he accumulates these three
words here in verse 19 for the purpose of articulating God’s
power in action. God is superlatively great in
his might. God has the power to do exactly
as he desires and purposes and designs. It is infinite, unlimited
power. Those of us who have considered
the discipline of kinetics know that in kinetics there are three
similar words that are used to discuss the process of kinetics. Energy, the ability to accomplish
change which enables one to work. Many teens lack this element. Energy, work. Work is force times
distance. If nothing has moved, then no
work has been done. And then power is the rate of
doing work. Well, these three words aren’t
exactly in line with that, but they’re three different words
where Paul is trying to capture and communicate the fullness
of God’s power. So in what ways has God exercised
his power with regard to his son? This is what Paul wants
to declare. This is what Paul wants us to
see. Paul will present to us four
displays of God’s power seen through his work of Christ. God’s power through his son,
these are eternal triumphs. It was not just a point in time
like the resurrection as we think of it, that the resurrection
happened and now it’s over. The father of glory carried these
through for perpetuity. They are eternal. The first one
we see is the father of glory generated Christ’s resurrection. He caused it. In what ways did God exercise
power through his son? The first thing we observe is
that God exhibited his awesome power through Christ, verse 20,
when he raised him from the dead. In his desire for the Ephesian
believers and us to see and grasp and know how powerful God is,
Paul points to one sphere where God’s power has been clearly
exercised. the very reason that we’re here
to celebrate the power that God exercised towards his son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, in the resurrection. The resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ is one of the greatest and most well-known events for
any Christian. The world and its hateful men
have sought for centuries to destroy this core doctrine. They
say that Jesus merely fainted, which is an affront to the power
of God. Jesus was fully dead, and God did miraculously bring
him to life. God, by his power, raised Jesus
from the dead. Christ’s resurrection was an
act of God, a magnificent demonstration of his great might. And this is no surprise to us,
really. More than 50 times in the Old
Testament scriptures, God is referred to as Almighty God. 2 Chronicles 20 verse six captures
it well. Oh Lord, the God of our fathers,
art thou not God in the heavens and art thou not ruler over all
the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in thy hand
so that none can stand against us. Christ’s raising from the
dead, and the tomb is constantly attributed to an accomplishment
of God the Father. Peter, in this verse that we
alluded to earlier today, in his first sermon ever, preaching
to the religious elite that had collaborated in the murder of
Christ, He declared there in Acts 2.23, this man, Jesus Christ,
delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God,
you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put
him to death. And God raised him up again.
In fact, the book of Acts has been called the gospel of the
resurrection because of how often it repeats that great theme.
Like a beautiful chorus, God’s accomplishment in raising Jesus
from the dead is repeated over and over again. Acts 2.32, this
Jesus, God raised up again. Acts 3.26, God raised up his
servant. Acts 3.15, the prince of life,
the one whom God raised from the dead. 410, Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom
you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. Acts 530, the
God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death
by hanging him on a cross. 1040, God raised him up on the
third day. 1330, God raised him up from
the dead. 1332, God has fulfilled this
promise to our children in that he raised up Jesus. Act 17.3,
he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness
through a man whom he has appointed, having furnished proof to all
men by raising him from the dead. One godly pastor put it this
way, we need not wonder. that so much importance is attached
to our Lord’s resurrection. It is the seal and headstone
of the great work of redemption which he came to do. It is the
crowning proof that he has paid the debt which he undertook to
pay on our behalf, won the battle which he sought to deliver us
from hell, and is accepted as our guarantee and substitute
by our Father in heaven. Of course God raised him. Remember
at the outset this morning Where I expressed wonder about whether
we as Christians have a tendency to think of God’s Resurrection
of Christ as the ultimate triumph Christ rose And that’s it That’s
how a lot of us think of the resurrection As if that’s all
there is Christ’s resurrection from the
dead is indeed a victory. It’s one of God’s greatest miracles,
but it’s not the end. As I said before, it’s only the
beginning. Christ’s resurrection from the
dead, I would suggest, is the first of many victories that
will continue throughout all eternity. And Paul declares such
to be true in the remaining verses of this very chapter. There’s
another magnificent display of God’s power that follows on his
work of resurrection. The father of glory not only
generated Christ’s resurrection, but secondly, the father of glory
bestowed Christ’s honor. If you look at verse 20 once
again, we see the working of the strength of his might, which
he brought about in Christ, not only in the fact that he raised
him from the dead, but look at verse 20. We see the working
of the strength of his might which he brought about in Christ
when God seated him at his right hand. He seated him at his right
hand and the heavenly place is far above all rule and authority
and power and dominion and every name that is named not only in
this age but the one to come. This is a familiar illustration
for readers of the New Testament. It’s used over 20 times. The idea of Christ being seated
after his great work of redemption, it suggests completeness and
finality, a finishedness to his work. Just as Jesus said, it
is finished. Now comes the exaltation and
being seated at God’s right hand, seated, being seated next to
God’s right hand. This is throne room language. It is the idea of taking a seat
of honor. Of course, the idea of God’s
right hand is an anthropomorphism. God is a spirit and has no hands
as men do. It’s a poetic way of referring
to a place of honor. To be so seated was to be placed
in the highest place of honor and authority equal to that of
the Father alone. It was not merely symbolic, it
was a place of rule. That Jesus Christ was so seated
beside the Father as a result of his faithfulness in redeeming
fallen humanity is seen in many places in the New Testament.
Jesus himself declared it. Matthew 26, Hereafter you shall
see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power. From his first sermon, which
sermon we just, from which sermon we just heard is recorded in
Acts 2.33, Peter boldly declared that Jesus has been exalted to
the right hand of God. In urging Roman believers to
prayer, Romans 8, 34, Paul explained that in Christ, believers have
an advocate who is at the right hand of God who also intercedes
for us. To the Colossians, Paul said
that the believer’s focus and pursuit must be heaven. Keep seeking the things above,
he said, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. The
writer of Hebrews twice mentions this heavenly throne granted
to Jesus by the Father, Hebrews 1.3, when he had made purification
of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.
Likewise, the apostle Peter himself, 1 Peter 3.22, said of the resurrected
Christ, he is at the right hand of God having gone into heaven.
after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected
to him. And consider the excellence of
this lofty place of honor as Paul describes it here. Look
at how Paul describes it in verse 20, picking up at the end there
of verse 20, seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every
name that is named. Paul reiterates this place as
a place far above all of those things. It is the realm of the
Almighty. His position over all rule and
authority and power and dominion must include all powers, whether
earthly or spiritual. Not only earthly leaders, but
angels in heaven and demons below. All rule. All authority, all
power, all dominion, all earthly rulers, including
the twists and turns of providence over nations and governments
are entirely under Christ’s sovereign control. And this Paul captures under
the phrase, every name that is named. Whether president, or
Caesar, or king, or emperor, or prime minister, or chief,
or czar, or pope, no matter who, Jesus sits in sovereign authority
over them all. Likewise, over the spiritual
realm, no angel ever created, whether elect angel, or fallen
angel, demon, has any authority independent of Christ. Jesus Christ rules over them
all. Charles Spurgeon stated it this
way in articulating this point, his work is done, and he may sit. It is well done,
and he may sit at his right hand. Jesus is placed in the seat of
power, dominion, and dignity, and is to sit there by divine
appointment. He sits because it is safe and
he sits at Jehovah’s right hand because omnipotence waits to
accomplish his will. Therefore, there is no cause
for alarm in this lower world. The sight of Jesus enthroned
in glory is the sure guarantee that all things are moving onward
toward ultimate victory. It didn’t end at the cross. It
didn’t end at the crucifixion. It didn’t end at the resurrection.
God is still winning every day. But there’s still another incredible
exercise of God’s might that he performed through his son,
Jesus. Would you look? This time we glide into verse
22. The father of glory not only
generated Christ’s resurrection and bestowed Christ’s honor,
he established Christ’s authority. Verse 22 says it this way, he
put all things in subjection under his feet. This particular feat of God’s
strength in Christ is of course the logical result of the previous.
There Paul spoke of the honor bestowed on Christ. Here he speaks
of the authority given to him. If Christ had been exalted and
seated in a place of authority, then naturally all things, as
Paul says here, have been subjected to him. Christ is in a position of dominion
and authority over all, over all individuals, over all nations,
over all events. Every possible being, angels,
people, devils, are completely beneath Christ’s sovereign control. what one described the most unbounded
sovereignty. Paul takes this idea here that
he put all things in subjection under his feet from Psalm 86,
which is there spoken of animals subjected to the rule of mankind. But here it’s applied to Christ.
Paul does the same thing in 1 Corinthians 15, also referred to Christ.
He put all things in subjection under his feet. Jesus Christ
is in control. It didn’t end at the resurrection. There’s a fourth. There’s a fourth
mark of God’s amazing power. The Father of glory not only
generated Christ’s resurrection, bestowed Christ’s honor, established
Christ’s authority, fourthly, he granted Christ’s ministry. It didn’t end at the resurrection. Would you look at verse 22 once
again? He gave him as head over all things to the church, which
is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. The final great exercise of God’s
infinite power touches that institution so precious to Christ personally. It’s the church. It’s the institution
for which Christ died. Paul notes here finally that
God in the exertion of his divine strength gave Jesus Christ as
head over all things to the church. The father bestowed a gift. He
gave a gift to Christ in the gift of the church, and he gave
a gift to the church in her head. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ instituted
the church. Breathing life into her, establishing
her. appointing apostles, foundational
leaders, determining her practices and her standards. And he lovingly
rules over her, gifting her and gracing her and guiding her for
his glorious purposes. In Ephesians 5, Paul uses a memorable
illustration, doesn’t he, of this relationship between Christ
and his church. It’s the husband-wife relationship.
And he says there that the husband is the head of the wife as Christ
is the head of the church. The husband is to lovingly lead
his God-given wife, and in so doing, emulate and model Christ’s
love for his bride. Paul uses the same metaphor one
chapter earlier in Ephesians 4. There he speaks of Christ
as the head of the whole body, which causes the growth of the
body. God has given Christ as head
of his church. For her life, for her direction,
for her guidance, he’s an ever-present, loving, and sympathetic friend. God is powerful, not only operative
toward Christ, but also toward us. God wants us to know God’s power, the surpassing greatness of his
power toward us who believe. Would you just glance at chapter
two as we close this morning? He has told us all about God’s
power exhibited towards Christ, but in chapter two, He wants
us to see how this power relates to us. And he has a reminder of some
bad news. Look at verse one, you were dead. Any person, anyone ever born is a walking dead man. He’s dead
in his trespasses and sins. As Paul goes on to say, you were
dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formally 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. That describes who we were. Among them, we all formerly lived
in the lust of our flesh, indulging in the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the
rest. We deserved it. We were justly
condemned by a holy God. And in a very real way, we were
more dead than Christ was in the grave, because we were spiritually
dead. Would you look at verse four?
But God, Isn’t there hope in those words? You were dead, but
God. But God, being rich in mercy
because of his great love with which he loved us, even when
we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive. He resurrected
us. He made us alive together with
Christ. By grace, you have been saved.
Raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places
in Christ Jesus God is trustworthy. God is powerful
God is able to raise the dead and that God is able to bring
dead sinners and to repentance for their sin and to newness
of life. And God could do it this moment.
God could bring you to a hatred for your sin and a desire for
righteousness in an instant. He doesn’t need your help. God
is infinitely powerful. A.W. Pink said of his power,
well, may a saint trust such a God. He is worthy of our implicit
confidence. Nothing is too hard for him.
If God were stinted in might and had a limit to his strength,
we might well despair. But seeing that he is clothed
with omnipotence, no prayer is too hard for him to answer. No
need too great for him to supply. No passion too strong for him
to subdue. No temptation too powerful for
him to deliver. No misery too deep for him to
relieve. This is our God. Let’s go before
him. Our merciful King, we humble
ourselves in your glorious presence, and we thank you and praise you
for those whom you have already resurrected from the dead. Lord, we think of our sin. We look back on it now. We hate
it. We longed in time to be free
and we did not know how, but you came. You brought us to life. You brought us to repentance.
You brought us to faith. Because your almighty God And
Lord, we know that if there are any in this room, that you and
your infinite grace and power could so move even today. And
that’s our prayer. That for any who do not know
the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray that this day you would so powerfully
move on them that they would see that they are such wretched
sinners. But they would also instantly
see what a gracious God you are. and that you’ve already provided
for their salvation by what has been paid for on the cross by
our Lord Jesus. Lord, we plead with you so moved
this morning. It’s in Jesus’ name that we ask,
amen.