Ephesians 2.1-10
A few weeks ago we passed Easter, and the story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ never ceases to affect me. It always cuts me to the very core that Jesus chose the way of the cross – to suffer and to die for me. The story doesn’t shy away from the brutality – it’s bloody and it’s dark. Easter Saturday is solemn as we wait to hear how the story ends. And so comes Easter Sunday morning. Jesus is risen! Praise the Lord.
At the Alpha course this week we were discussing the resurrection of Jesus, looking at some of the evidence together and were thinking how we can know Jesus is God by the fact that he rose from the dead, as he had said he would. And whilst that is true, it’s missing a crucial part of the resurrection story. It’s missing where you and I fit into this picture. What does the resurrection – and later ascension – of Jesus mean to us? This passage tells us that we’re actually caught up in the middle of this drama.
But as with Easter, before we rush to the exciting resurrection morning we need to examine what happened before then. Paul doesn’t hold back as he describes our previous life – before knowing Jesus as Lord. Verses 1-3 says we were disobedient, following the course of this world and on the road to condemnation. Paul even goes so far as to say we were dead. Through our trespasses and sins, all the things we had done wrong, we were dead.
Undeserving and hopeless. Dead.
But God. In verse 4 everything changes, as God steps into the picture. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy…made us alive together with Christ … and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.’ As Jesus was raised from the dead, so were we. As Jesus ascended into heaven, so we were seated with him.
Did you note the contrast? Not only have we gone from death to life, but more than that, we have been seated with him in the heavenly places. We are now in Christ and with him in the heavenly places. No longer children of wrath but showered with grace upon grace.
But what is grace?
It’s one of those ‘Christian words’ that I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand. Sometimes I write a little note in my journal when I’m extra grateful trying to define grace. Like ‘grace is when your friends have made you dinner as you come home after a busy working day’ or ‘grace is to laugh so hard you get a stomach ache’ or ‘grace is the sky painted so beautifully tonight I felt like crying’. Do you know that feeling?
But the Bible tells us this is not the way to define grace. Grace is defined by God’s actions. And it’s painted in vivid colours in this passage. How did God show his grace? He brought us from death to life. By grace you have been saved.
Grace is also knowing it’s not because of anything we have done, but because of who God is. Paul underlines this point twice so that we don’t miss it – it’s not because of anything we are, but because God is rich in mercy. It’s not the result of our own works – it’s God’s gift. We were dead through our trespasses, but God loved us so much that he made us alive together with Christ.
This grace confronts my pride, where I want to be able to do everything on my own, I need to realise that my salvation is 100% the work of God’s grace. I was dead – God made me alive in Christ. Perhaps I need to stop and marvel at that fact more often.
And this grace calls me to action. The last verse of today’s passage hints at a big plan at work all along – where God has good works planned for us all to work his good purposes.
We are to expect grace to be at work in us, and we are to expect grace to be worked out through us – to extend that same grace in whatever way we can to others.
How can you see God’s grace at work in you and through you today? That is the resurrection life.
Let’s pray.
Lord, we thank you that you have saved us. That you have brought us from death to life. We are so thankful. Thank you that we are free to live and work for your glory today. Help us to understand your grace and help us to live it out. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.