The Church: Saved and Solid
Ephesians 2:1-22
Introduction.
We are continuing our look at the book of Ephesians: the church of Christ.
The church is so vitally important to Christ and to the life of the Christian.
This book expresses just how important the church is.
Last week we talked about the first chapter of Ephesians.
The church is predestined and powerful.
His church as a group is predestined for heaven.
The Head of this church is powerful; it is Christ.
This evening we will look at the second chapter: saved and solid.
Body.
The Church’s Salvation (2:1-10).
Where we were before (1-3).
Here Paul describes what it was like to be in a lost state.
We were dead in trespasses and sins.
We were in service to the devil.
We were simply fulfilling the desires of our flesh.
They may have been idolaters, but they were truly serving themselves.
It is no different today—sinners serve their own sinful selves.
But there’s something better than that, something much greater.
Serving yourself is ultimately vain and empty.
The wisest man ever to have lived made that determination, did he not? “’Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher; ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity’” (Eccl. 1:2). And again, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind” (Eccl. 1:14).
We were by nature children of wrath.
This does not say that we are born sinful, in sin, or with a sinful nature.
By nature: “a mode of feeling and acting which by long habit has become nature” (Thayer).
Instead of being children of wrath, we were adopted as sons (1:5) so we should walk as children of light (5:8).
Where we are now (4-7).
How beautiful is it to once be dead and now be made alive with Christ!
We were raised up together, made to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ!
In any royal court, the place of honor is where one sits, on thrones.
It is royalty that are seated in such places.
So, if we are adopted as sons, if we are to receive a heavenly inheritance, we, the church of Christ, are royalty in the eyes of God!
Peter calls us a royal priesthood in 1 Pet. 2:9.
He places us in such a lofty position, which might make us haughty.
Recall God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
And grace, as it so happens, is how we got there …
How we got there (8-9).
It is by God’s mercy, love, grace, and kindness that we become royalty.
He is rich in mercy (4).
He has great love for us (4).
We are saved by grace (5).
He shows us the exceeding riches of His grace (7).
His kindness is shown toward those who are in Christ Jesus (7).
There are three things we must understand about our salvation: there is God’s part, there is man’s part, and despite this we do not earn it.
Sometimes we downplay God’s part in the plan of salvation in favor of man’s part.
We are often seen as emphasizing what man has to do to be saved.
The truth is, we would never be saved if God had not shown us love, kindness, mercy, and grace—we are wholly dependent upon Him for our salvation.
But that does not negate man’s part—through the faith.
We must respond to His outstretched hand, to either take it or reject it.
Why would He extend His hand to those who don’t care about Him, who live only for themselves and their selfish desires? Because He loves us.
It says in vs. 5-6 that we were made alive together with Christ and raised up together. Col. 2:11-12 uses similar language.
We were raised up together with Christ when we came up out of the waters of baptism—further shown in Rom. 6:3-4.
Baptism doesn’t earn us salvation but grants us access to it.
We do not boast in our baptism, but humbly accept God’s requirements.
What is expected of us now (10).
As Christians, we have been created, nay recreated to another purpose.
We were once in service to our own selfish desires, but now we are created in Christ for good works.
We are expected to live faithfully.
While we are not saved by works, we are expected to do what we were created to do.
As James says, “we are justified by works and not by faith only.”
We are now living for Christ, for a cause greater than ourselves.
As that wise man also wrote, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Eccl. 12:13).
The church is saved, purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 2:47; 20:28).
The Church’s Foundation (2:11-22).
What the foundation is not (11-12).
The foundation is not on works of the Law—including circumcision.
At the time when circumcision was important in serving God, Gentiles had no hope and were without God.
The foundation is not the law of commandments contained in ordinances (15).
It was taken away, abolished, Col. 2:14 says it was nailed to the cross.
The Law of Moses serves to divide Jew and Gentile (14).
The Law is not sin, for it directs us to Christ—our true and solid foundation.
What the foundation is (13-22).
We were once without hope, but in Christ we are brought near (13).
He serves to unite Jew and Gentile, breaking down the middle wall of separation put in place by the Law (or the adherents of the Law) (14).
He makes peace, as Isaiah calls Him the “Prince of Peace” (15; Isa. 9:6).
We are reconciled together, and we may have fellowship with Him (16-17).
We have access to God the Father, through Christ by (in) the Spirit (18).
Recall, we are a royal priesthood, and priests have access to God.
He preached to those who were afar off (Acts 2:39) – we both may have such access for God does not show partiality (Acts 10:34-35).
We are all one in Christ, not foreigners, but naturalized citizens, adopted as sons, predestined for heaven, ready to receive a heavenly inheritance, saved by the grace of God on the foundation of Christ.
Recall the Great Confession (Matt. 16:15-18).
Christ built His church on the foundation that He is the Son of the living God!
Paul reiterates that in 1 Cor. 3:11, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
It is further expounded upon here—it becomes a holy temple in the Lord (21).
Paul later would call this “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).
This temple is the church, whose foundation is the apostles and the prophets with Christ being the chief cornerstone (20).
This shows the solid foundation built by our Lord and His hand-picked apostles.
This is a sure and solid foundation—it is fitted to Christ and we have it. It is called the New Testament!
When we build our local church on the foundation of Scripture which is already fitted to Christ, we become that holy temple in the Lord, the church of Christ.
In this church we have built a place for the Spirit of God to dwell, just like the ark of the covenant in the old tabernacle/temple.
The Spirit of God dwells with us! How? Matter of opinion.
Conclusion.
We, as the Lord’s church, are the apple of His eye.
We are saved, not because we did anything great, but because He did something great.
We are saved on the surest foundation of all: that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Let us act like we belong to Him, like He has placed us to sit with royalty in heaven, like He has created us for good works.
Now let me ask – would you like to have access to the Father?
It can only be done through Christ by the Spirit.
It is by what the Spirit relayed.
And this is through Christ, for no one can come to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).
He has His hand outstretched—He has extended His love, grace, and mercy.
Will you respond with faith, and be baptized tonight?
Will you walk in the good works He has created you for?
Will you come and find meaning beyond serving yourself and serve Him?