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SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 14

TITLE: BUT GOD

TEXT: EPHESIANS 2:4-5

INTRODUCTION: (1) PERHAPS THE TWO GREATEST WORDS IN THE HISTORY OF REDEMPTION ARE THE WORDS “BUT GOD”.

* THE REASON BEING, THESE TWO WORDS INTRODUCE TO US THE ONLY MEANS WHEREBY ONE IS MOVED FROM A POSITION OF CONDEMNATION TO A POSITION OF GRACE.

** THESE TWO WORDS TELL US WHAT GOD HAS DONE, HOW GOD HAS INTERVENED IN WHAT OTHERWISE WAS AN UTTERLY HOPELESS SITUATION.

*** FOR YOU SEE MEN AND WOMEN OUTSIDE OF CHRIST WERE THE OBJECTS OF DIVINE WRATH, BUT GOD HAS MERCY ON THEM.

**** WE WERE DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS, BUT GOD MADE US ALIVE WITH CHRIST.

(2) WE WERE IN BONDAGE TO THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND SATAN, BUT GOD DELIVERED US FROM THAT SLAVERY.

* SO THE ANSWER TO HOW MAN IS DELIVERED FROM HIS STATE OF DEPRAVITY, DEADNESS AND CORRUPTION TO BEING ALIVE IN CHRIST LIES IN TWO SIMPLE BUT PROFOUND WORDS, “BUT GOD”.

** AND THAT’S WHY MARTIN LLOYD JONES SAID IN ONE OF HIS COMMENTARIES ON EPHESIANS, “THESE TWO WORDS, IN AND OF THEMSELVES, IN A SENSE CONTAIN THE WHOLE OF THE GOSPEL.” (END QUOTE)

*** JOHN R. W. STOTT PUTS IT LIKE THIS: “THESE TWO MONOSYLLABLES (BUT GOD) SET AGAINST THE DESPERATE CONDITION OF FALLEN MANKIND THE GRACIOUS INITIATIVE AND SOVEREIGN ACTION OF GOD.

**** WE WERE THE OBJECT OF HIS WRATH, BUT GOD OUT OF THE GREAT LOVE WITH WHICH HE LOVED US HAD MERCY UPON US.

(3) WE WERE DEAD, AND DEAD MEN DO NOT RISE, BUT GOD MADE US ALIVE IN CHRIST.

* WE WERE SLAVES, IN A SITUATION OF DISHONOR AND POWERLESSNESS, BUT GOD HAS RAISED US WITH CHRIST AND SET US AT HIS OWN RIGHT HAND, IN A POSITION OF HONOR AND POWER.

** THUS GOD HAS TAKEN ACTION TO REVERSE OUR CONDITION IN SIN.” (END QUOTE)

*** SO THE WORDS “BUT GOD” SHOW WHAT GOD HAS DONE.

**** AND BELOVED, LET ME CHALLENGE YOU WITH THIS THOUGHT. THE MORE YOU GROW IN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN OF SALVATION, THE MORE THE WORDS “BUT GOD” WILL ENDEAR YOUR HEART.

(4) FOR THE MORE ONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT A HELPLESS, HOPELESS HELLBOUND STATE THEY WERE BORN INTO, THE MORE THEY WILL APPRECIATE GOD’S DIVINE INTERVENTION ON THEIR BEHALF.

* AND FOR EMPHASIS, WHAT WAS OUR STATE? WELL, THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE IS SPIRITUALLY DEAD – “BUT GOD”.

** THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE IS THAT WE ARE UNDER THE BONDAGE OF SATAN AND OUR FLESHLY LUST – “BUT GOD”.

*** THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE IS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE THE CHILDREN OF WRATH – “BUT GOD”.

**** AND THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE IS THAT WE WERE BORN IN A STATE OF CONDEMNATION – “BUT GOD”.

(5) AND “BUT GOD” ARE TWO SWEET, PROFOUND, BIG, HUGE, POWERFUL WORDS!

* AND IN LIGHT OF THAT, GUESS WHAT THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS TODAY?

** YOU’RE RIGHT. “BUT GOD”. AND UNDER THAT TITLE WE’LL LOOK AT TWO THINGS IN EPHESIANS 2:4&5 IN OUR STUDY.

*** NO. 1 THE REASON WHY HE SAVED HIS PEOPLE, V. 4; AND NO. 2 THE RESURRECTION THAT BROUGHT LIFE TO HIS PEOPLE, HIS ELECT, V. 5.

**** SO WE’LL LOOK AT THE REASON AND THE RESURRECTION UNDER THE TITLE OF “BUT GOD”.

(6) AND WITH THOSE TWO POINTS TO HANG YOUR THOUGHTS ON, LOOK AT V. 4 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR FIRST POINT TODAY, THE REASON.

I. THE REASON, (READ V. 4)

A. NOW THE CONJUNCTION BUT INTRODUCES GOD’S ACTIONS TOWARD SINNERS, IN CONTRAST WITH THEIR HOPELESS CONDITION IN VERSES 1-3.

* AND IN THE GREEK TEXT THE WORD GOD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS “BUT”, THUS PLACING IT IN AN EMPHATIC POSITION.

** MEANING: GOD IS THE SUBJECT OF THE WHOLE PASSAGE. THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION IS ON GOD, NOT ON SINFUL MAN AND HIS CONDITION.

*** BELOVED, THE WONDERFUL CHANGE WHICH GOD HAS EFFECTED IS JOYFULLY AND JUBILANTLY SOUNDED FORTH.

**** AND HIS GRACIOUS INITIATIVE AND SOVEREIGN ACTION STANDS IN WONDERFUL CONTRAST WITH THE HOPELESS CONDITION OF FALLEN HUMANITY WHICH HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IN VV. 1-3.

1. MEN AND WOMEN OUTSIDE OF CHRIST WERE THE OBJECTS OF DIVINE WRATH, BUT GOD HAD MERCY ON THEM, MERCY ON BELIEVERS CONTEXTUALLY, THOSE HE CHOSE BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD GOING BACK TO CHAPTER 1 VERSE 4.

* AND A PART OF WHO GOD IS, A PART OF HIS BEING AND CHARACTER IS GOD IS A GOD OF MERCY.

** AND THE GREEK WORD USED HERE FOR MERCY LIT. MEANS: KINDNESS AND GOOD WILL TOWARDS THE MISERABLE AND AFFLICTED, JOINED WITH A DESIRE TO HELP THEM.

*** AND BELIEVER, WE WERE MISERABLE AND AFFLICTED FROM OUR SIN, NOT DESERVING FORGIVENESS OR RECONCILIATION.

**** SO MERCY COMES INTO THE PICTURE, AND MERCY HAS THE SENSE OF FAVOR BEING SHOWN TO THOSE WHO DESERVE THE PRECISE OPPOSITE.

2. SO IF NOTHING BUT A PROPER CODE OF REWARDS AND RETRIBUTION WERE FOLLOWED, SINNERS WOULD RECEIVE GOD’S WRATH, THAT’S WHAT SINNERS DESERVE.

* BUT GOD IN HIS MERCY SAVES SOME SINNERS AND INSTEAD OF CONDEMNING THEM, AS GOD HAS EVERY RIGHT TO DO, HE REACHED OUT AND SAVED HIS PEOPLE, HIS ELECT THROUGH THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST.

** BUT WE DON’T STOP THERE, FOR THERE IS AN ADJECTIVE BEFORE THE WORD MERCY WHICH IS WHAT? RICH!

*** GOD IS RICH IN MERCY. HE IS WEALTHY IN MERCY. HE IS ABOUNDING IN MERCY, HE IS ABUNDANTLY SUPPLIED WITH MERCY IN HIS BEING AND WHO HE IS.

**** AND SOME PEOPLE ARE RICH IN POSSESSIONS OR RICH WITH A LOT OF MONEY AND THEY PRIDE THEMSELVES WITH THESE THINGS.

3. BUT GOD IS RICH IN MERCY. MERCY IS THE RICHES OR WEALTH OF GOD. AND I ASK WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE?

* MERCY IS MY ANSWER HANDS DOWN, WITHOUT QUESTION.

** NOW THE QUESTION COMES UP AT THIS POINT, WHY IS GOD RICH IN MERCY?

*** WELL, THE ANSWER IS IN THE NEXT PHRASE OF V. 4, “BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE”.

**** AND THE WORDS BECAUSE OF OR FOR DEPENDING ON WHICH TRANSLATION YOU HAVE TODAY LIT. MEANS ON ACCOUNT OF, THE GROUND OR REASON BY WHICH SOMETHING IS DONE.

4. SO THE GROUND OR REASON FOR GOD’S RICH MERCY IS HIS GREAT LOVE.

* AND THE ADJECTIVE GREAT IS USED BEFORE LOVE TALKING ABOUT THE MAGNITUDE OF GOD’S LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE.

** IT IS LARGE, IT IS HUGE, IT IS BIG, IT IS GREAT!

*** AND THE GREEK WORD FOR LOVE HERE IS AGAPE AND IT’S VERB FORM AG-AP-AH-O IS USED IN WHAT FOLLOWS IN V. 4, “WITH WHICH HE LOVED US”.

**** AND THIS WORD FOR LOVE HERE HAS TO DO WITH A LOVE THAT IMPELS ONE TO SACRIFICE ONE’S SELF FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE OBJECT LOVED, TO SEEK THE HIGHEST GOOD FOR THE ONE LOVED.

5. AND THIS KIND OF LOVE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WORTHINESS OF THE ONE LOVED. THIS IS LOVE THAT IS UNDESERVED, THE PEOPLE LOVED ARE NOT WORTHY.

* BUT THIS KIND OF LOVE IS A PART OF WHO GOD IS. IT IS ONE OF HIS ATTRIBUTES, READ I JOHN 4:7&8.

** AND BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE, HE WAS MOVED BY IT TO EXTEND MERCY TO SINNERS BY THE DEATH OF HIS SON, READ ROMANS 5:8, I JOHN 4:9&10 AND I JOHN 4:19.

*** AND WE DIDN’T LOVE HIM FIRST NOR WERE WE WORTHY OF THE ACTION OF HIS LOVE, CALVARY, THE CROSS, HAVING HIS SON COME AND BE THE SIN OFFERING FOR THOSE HE SET HIS LOVE ON BEFORE TIME.

**** AND IT WAS WITH THAT KIND OF LOVE THAT HE LOVED US. US CONTEXTUALLY TALKING ABOUT BELIEVERS, AND US THAT WOULD BECOME BELIEVERS.

6. FOR YOU SEE GOD HAS A GENERAL LOVE FOR ALL PEOPLE, BUT HE HAS A SPECIAL GREAT LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE, HIS BELOVED ONES, READ EPHESIANS 5:2 AND EPHESIANS 5:25.

* AND AS WE GO BACK TO V. 4 AND CONSIDER GOD’S GREAT LOVE, WE CAN SAY THAT GOD’S MERCY IS AS RICH AS GOD’S LOVE IS GREAT.

** WE HAVE A GOD WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE.

*** AND WHEN GOD’S GREAT LOVE IS DIRECTED TOWARD SINNERS IN THEIR WRETCHED CONDITION, IT IS CALLED MERCY.

**** GOD’S LOVE IS BROUGHT TOGETHER, CONJOINED, CONNECTED WITH HIS MERCY AS A MOTIVATION FOR THE DIVINE INITIATIVE IN SAVING HIS PEOPLE.

7. SO IN V. 4 WE SEE THE REASON FOR THE TWO WORDS “BUT GOD”, GOD’S RICH MERCY AND HIS GREAT LOVE WITH WHICH HE LOVED BELIEVERS.

* SO GOD’S GREAT LOVE COMMUNICATED IN V. 4, IS TO BE HELD IN COMPARISON TO MANKIND’S GREAT SIN AND DEPRAVITY IN VV. 1-3 “BUT GOD”.

** SO WE SEE THE REASON FOR THE TWO WORDS “BUT GOD” IN V. 4 AND NOW WE’LL MOVE ON TO V. 5 WHERE WE’LL SEE THE RESULT OF THE REASON WHICH IS THE RESURRECTION OF SINNERS FROM THE DEAD. LOOK AT V. 5 PLEASE.

II. THE RESURRECTION, (READ V. 5)

A. NOW THE CONNECTION OF V. 5 TO VERSE 4 IS THIS, GOD WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, ON ACCOUNT OF HIS GREAT LOVE WITH WHICH HE LOVED US, EVEN BEING DEAD IN OUR SIN, HATH MADE US ALIVE.

* AND ABOVE ALL ELSE, A DEAD PERSON NEEDS TO BE MADE ALIVE. AND ACCORDING TO V. 1 WE WERE DEAD TO GOD IN OUR NATURAL UNSAVED STATE.

** AND OUR NEED WAS NOT RESUSCITATION, BUT RESURRECTION. WE LIT. NEEDED TO BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING.

*** WE COULD NOT RESPOND TO GOD AND DID NOT WANT HIM. WE WERE NO MORE ABLE TO HELP OURSELVES SPIRITUALLY THAN A CORPSE IS ABLE TO IMPROVE its CONDITION.

**** AND EVEN WHEN THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED WE ARE NO MORE ABLE TO RESPOND TO IT THAN A CORPSE CAN RESPOND TO A COMMAND TO GET UP, UNLESS GOD SPEAKS THE COMMAND LIKE WITH LAZARUS, WHERE JESUS SAID IN JOHN 11:43 – “LAZARUS, COME FORTH.”

1. AND JOHN 11:44A SAYS: “HE WHO DIED CAME FORTH.”

* AND THAT’S WHAT GOD HAD TO DO FOR US THROUGH THE REGENERATING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TITUS 3:5 SAYS: (READ IT).

** AND BELOVED THE REMEDY FOR SPIRITUAL DEATH IS THE CREATION OF SPIRITUAL LIFE BY THE REGENERATING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

*** AND THE WORD REGENERATION IN TITUS 3:5 HAS TO DO WITH NEW BIRTH, RENEWAL, RECREATION, NEW LIFE.

**** AND IN REFERENCE TO SALVATION REGENERATION REFERS TO THE DIVINE OPERATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEREBY HE CREATES WITHIN THE SPIRITUALLY DEAD, SPIRITUAL LIFE.

2. AND THAT’S WHAT GOD DID, HE MADE US ALIVE. GOD IS THE SUBJECT AND THE MAIN VERB IN MADE ALIVE OR QUICKENED IF YOU HAVE A KJV.

* GOD DID FOR US WHAT WE COULD NOT DO FOR OURSELVES, THERE IS TOTAL INABILITY ON OUR PART TO RESPOND UNTIL GOD QUICKENS OR MAKES US ALIVE.

** COLOSSIANS 2:13 SAYS: “AND WHEN YOU WERE DEAD IN YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS AND THE UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH, HE MADE YOU ALIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM, HAVING FORGIVEN US ALL OUR TRANSGRESSIONS.”

*** AND HE IN COLOSSIANS 2:13 IS SPEAKING OF GOD THE FATHER, HE IS THE SUBJECT AGAIN, AND HE MADE US, BELIEVERS – JEW AND GENTILE, ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST.

**** AND WITH CHRIST HERE APPEARS TO ME TO MEAN IN ASSOCIATION WITH CHRIST, THROUGH OUR IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST IN HIS RESURRECTION.

3. BELIEVERS HAVE COME TO LIFE WITH CHRIST, WHO WAS DEAD AND ROSE AGAIN.

* AND THE SAME POWER THAT RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD IS THE SAME POWER THAT RAISED US FROM THE DEAD.

** SO WE ARE IDENTIFIED WITH CHRIST WHO ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND HIS GREAT WORK, AND IT PUT US IN UNITY WITH CHRIST, AND HOPEFULLY I’LL EXPAND ON THAT TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY.

*** BUT MOVING ON, NOTICE AT THE END OF V. 5 THE WONDERFUL PARENTHESIS IN THE NAS, NKJV AND KJV, AND THE INTERJECTION IN THE NIV, IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED.

**** AND BY GRACE HERE MEANS THAT THERE IS NO CAUSE IN US WHY GOD SHOULD HAVE ACTED AS HE DID.

4. IN GRACE GOD BESTOWED HIS FREE FAVOR, HIS LOVING KINDNESS, HIS GOOD WILL TOWARD UNDESERVING DEAD SINNERS.

* BUT MANKIND THINKS IN AN OPPOSITE WAY. SOME THINK GOD OWES THEM SOMETHING. GOD OWES EVERYONE A CHANGE AND IF HE DOESN’T HE IS UNFAIR.

** BUT AS LONG AS A PERSON THINKS THAT WAY THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND GRACE. GRACE IS GOD’S FAVOR TO THE UTTERLY UNDESERVING.

*** AND WHEREAS MERCY PITIES, GRACE PARDONS. IT SAVES ALL THE WAY, DELIVERING PEOPLE FROM THE GREATEST WOE, EVERLASTING DAMNATION AND BESTOWING UPON THEM THE GREATEST BLESSING – EVERLASTING LIFE.

5. AND BEING SAVED BY GRACE IS THE OPPOSITE OF BEING SAVED BY MERIT OR WORKS OR SOMETHING YOU COULD DO.

* GRACE CLEARLY INDICATES THAT THE GROUND OF OUR SALVATION LIES NOT IN US, BUT IN GOD.

** AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THE RICHES OF GOD’S GRACE ARE THE ULTIMATE CAUSE OF OUR SALVATION, OUR REDEMPTION, OUR JUSTIFICATION, READ EPHESIANS 1:7 AND ROMANS 3:24.

*** AND GOD LAVISHED HIS GRACE ON US ACCORDING TO EPHESIANS 1 AND RESCUED US HERE IN EPHESIANS 2:5, BY IT, BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED.

**** SAVED MEANING RESCUED, DELIVERED FROM GOD’S WRATH, RESCUED FROM DESTRUCTION.

6. AND THE VERB SAVED IS IN THE PERFECT TENSE IN THE GREEK DESCRIBING AN ACTION WHICH IS VIEWED AS HAVING BEEN COMPLETED IN THE PAST, ONCE AND FOR ALL.

* IT EXPRESSES A PRESENT PERMANENT STATE AS A RESULT OF A PAST ACTION.

** AND BECAUSE BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN “MADE ALIVE” ALIVE SPIRITUALLY WITH CHRIST, THEY HAVE BEEN AND ARE SAVED, RESCUED FROM GOD’S HOLY WRATH.

AND AS I START TO WRAP UP THIS WONDERFUL TEXT AND MAKE APPLICATION OF IT (1) LET ME SAY, IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE RICHES OF GOD’S MERCY, THE GREATNESS OF HIS LOVE AND THE AMAZING CHARACTER OF HIS GRACE, THAT GOD MADE US ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST EVEN THOUGH WE WERE DEAD THROUGH OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, OUR SINS.

* AND PAUL IS STACKING WORDS LIKE MERCY, LOVE AND GRACE IN AN ATTEMPT TO DESCRIBE ADEQUATELY THE REALITY OF THE GOSPEL.

** AND THEN HE USES ADJECTIVES LIKE RICH AND GREAT TO DESCRIBE THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY OF GOD’S MERCY AND LOVE.

*** AND OTHER WORDS HELP US MARVEL AT THE MAGNITUDE OF GOD’S GRACE THAT HE SAVED US BY.

**** AND WHY DID GOD SAVE US? BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE, MERCY AND GRACIOUS. GOD ACTS THIS WAY BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HE IS.

2. AND BELOVED WE CAN ONLY MARVEL AT THE WORDS “BUT GOD” BECAUSE HE IS A GOD OF LOVE, MERCY AND GRACE IN ADDITION TO BEING SOVEREIGN, HOLY AND FULL OF WRATH AGAINST SIN.

* SO I PRAISE GOD TODAY FOR THE TWO WORDS, “BUT GOD”.

** AND MAY I PUT IT QUITE SIMPLY? IF YOU UNDERSTAND THOSE TWO WORDS, THEY WILL SAVE YOUR SOUL.

*** AND IF YOU RECALL THEM AND DAILY LIVE BY THEM, THEY WILL TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE COMPLETELY.

**** FOR INEVITABLY WE WANT TO SERVE THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN SO LOVING, MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS TO US.

3. SO MAY WE BE MOVED TO LET GOD’S GREAT LOVE LEAD US TO A LIFE OF CONSECRATION AND HOLY ACTIVITY FOR HIM.

* FOR THE HYMN WRITER SAID, “LOVE SO AMAZING, SO DIVINE, DEMANDS MY SOUL, MY LIFE, MY ALL.”

** AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS MAY WE PRAISE OUR GREAT GOD TODAY THAT OUR SALVATION IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON OUR ABILITY TO SAVE OURSELVES, BUT UPON GOD’S ABILITY TO SAVE.

*** DEAD IN SINS – BUT GOD!

**** UNDER THE BONDAGE OF SATAN AND FLESHLY LUST – BUT GOD!

4. BY NATURE THE CHILDREN OF WRATH – BUT GOD!

* UNDER THE CONDEMNATION OF SIN – BUT GOD!

** MAY I REPEAT AGAIN POSSIBLY THE TWO GREATEST WORDS IN THE HISTORY OF REDEMPTION, BUT GOD! (LET’S PRAY)