160918 Saved? For What?

Ephesians 2:4-10 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not 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, that we should walk in them.

When we looked at verses 1-3 we saw some of what we were saved from. We were saved from being subject to this world system and its ruler — Satan. We were saved from being subject to the passions of our flesh. Most importantly — we are saved from the wrath of God. Many people in the worldwide church today would like to set aside any concept of the wrath of God. If God did not hate sin he would either be delighted in sin or not troubled by it. Such a God would not be worthy of our worship. Sin is hateful and is worthy of being hated! Sin ought not to exist.

In order to be sure of our walk with God day to day we need to understand what we’re talking about when we use the word “sin”. A good definition of sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature. Sin includes overt activity such as stealing or lying or committing murder and also includes attitudes — hidden agendas — such as: coveting, anger or lust (Matthew 5:22-28). Paul lists such attitudes as jealousy, anger, and selfishness (Galatians 5:20). Any failure to conform to the moral law of God not only in action but in attitude is sin. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). And even though we are by nature children of wrath…

Believers should feel no fear of God’s wrath.

Let’s look at Romans 5:10. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

The transaction on the cross whereby Jesus made atonement for our sins occurred while the human race was under the judgment of sin. “While we were enemies” speaks of a time before we came to faith in Christ. It was for our sake that God made Jesus to be sin who knew no sin so that in Him we could become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21 & Galatians 1:4).

Now let’s look at 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

The believers at Thessalonica repented of their idol worship and turned to the living God. They were able to do this because Jesus, God’s only Son, went to the cross for our sins, was raised from the dead, and now, because we believe in Him, this Jesus delivers us from the wrath to come. We should rejoice in the fact that we have been delivered from God’s wrath! We can see from this that God, who we have sinned against, demonstrates His love for us by paying the debt He did not owe and we could not pay. (2 Corinthians 5:21). This proves that…

 God is indeed “Love”. The first little letter that John wrote is all about the fact that God is love! One passage out of many that show this is 1 John 3:16-18.  By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

The only people who should view God as wrathful are those who refuse to believe in Christ as Lord and Savior. Those who have believed in Christ, or better still, believed Christ, should never consider God as anything other than a loving Father! We were born spiritually dead and, apart from Christ Jesus, would remain spiritually dead throughout eternity. We were lost in sin but now we should agree with God that now we are “dead to sin” (Romans 6:11). Now…

We are saved to life. Look with me at Colossians 2:13-14. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Remember, death is ultimate weakness. A person who is dead cannot respond to anything, or take any action. There is not now and never has been Walking Dead! When a person comes to faith in Christ, that faith demonstrates that God has made him alive so that person can then respond to the good news about Jesus. Apart from the life that God gives us we have no spiritual ability to exercise faith.

We should pray for our friends and family members who are unsaved that they will become aware of the sin that so easily controls them. We should pray that God will plant life in them. The Bible calls that “regeneration”. God gives us spiritual life so that we can respond in faith to God’s call to salvation.

When we are saved we are saved from eternal death. At the same time we are enlivened by God so that we can be transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.

When God’s effective grace comes into our life we are made new creatures in His kingdom! From death to life is an instant work of God in us! The consequences of this life He has planted in us is a growing in grace throughout the remainder of our time on earth. Being saved to life is a new birth that enables us to begin growing spiritually. Having been saved…

We are saved and seated. Remember the words in Ephesians 2:6. And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in God’s thoughts we are already raised and seated in heaven. We have been given the privilege of ruling and reigning with Jesus. Our new life is pictured in 1 Peter 3:21-22. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Baptism pictures our death, burial, and resurrection to new life in Christ. It also includes much more! We are saved by Jesus’ death on the cross and we are delivered from a lifetime of bondage. Peter tells us that baptism is an appeal to God to exercise the power with which He raised Jesus from the dead.

We are not physically present in heaven right now. Obviously, we remain here on earth in our bodies. The symbolism here is that Jesus Christ has all the spiritual forces subject to Him and if we are in Him — as we surely are — we share in that same authority by spiritually being seated with him.

Recently I had the responsibility of appearing for jury duty. When we came in we were allowed to choose a seat and fill out a small questionnaire. When the judge entered the courtroom we stood out of respect for the law. When the judge was seated we were allowed to be seated as well. Then a group of jurors were chosen to go into the jury box. Those who were finally chosen sat alongside the judge exercising power to determine the fate of the persons at the defense table. In the same way, we join with Jesus (somehow) in the authority he has in contending against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). When Christ comes again and we rise to meet Him in the air we will rule with Him more completely (1 Corinthians 6:2). In the meantime, so far as God is concerned, we are delivered from the wrath of God and seated with Christ in heaven. Now…

We are saved to be displayed. Let’s look back at Ephesians 2:7. So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. In a very real sense we are “show and tell” for God. Throughout the Bible we are taught to believe that God shows Himself to mankind. All of God’s actions in Egypt and the wilderness with His people was so that “you may know that I am the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 29:6). Again and again God demonstrates His presence to people. He doesn’t show off people for their ego He shows off people for His glory. Now let’s look at Titus 3:4-7. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We are unable to earn favor and our goodness is not sufficient to deliver us. God’s grace means His “unmerited favor”. God does not have to deliver us but He chooses to do so for His own reasons. One of those reasons is to demonstrate His love for us.

The creation is a demonstration of His power and wisdom. The atonement demonstrates His love and justice. Everything in heaven and on earth demonstrates His glory. We are saved in order to demonstrate God’s power over sin and His love for us. We do not deserve life and heaven but God shows us to the world as His people who are called by Him to salvation. Remember…

We are saved by grace. Look with me at Romans 3:22b-25a. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

We are saved by God to be declared innocent of our crimes against Him. We cannot be charged again because the debt has been paid by God’s grace. God’s grace is unmerited favor freely given to those who do not deserve mercy. The consequence of God’s grace in our life is “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). We are saved by grace and…

We are saved through faith. Let’s look at 1 Peter 1:3b-5. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

God’s grace is released in our life by faith. That faith is not something we work up or educate ourselves to. Faith is the ultimate gift of God to a doomed sinner. He has caused us to be born again! He has demonstrated His power through the resurrection of Jesus Christ! He has given us an inheritance that cannot be taken away from us. His grace is protecting our inheritance and His salvation that will be totally known in the end when Christ comes again. In the meantime…

We are saved to serve. Let’s look back at Ephesians 2:10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Many times we use Ephesians 2:8-9 to encourage a person to place their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. In doing so we will usually emphasize the truth that we are not saved by good works. I have come to believe that this overemphasis on what does not save us causes us to forget the result of our salvation. Let’s look at James 2:17. So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Faith that does not result in obedient service to God is not true faith at all and is dead so far as it might be able to deliver us. We are his workmanship for good works. We are saved to serve!

The consequence of our salvation is a life of service and obedience. Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ that is shown by obedience to Him is evidence that we have eternal life. We are commanded to put to death all that is earthly in us. The list of things we are to put aside look like the “Now Showing” board at the movie theater or, the upcoming features list on the television. Paul, writing to the Colossians, reminded them — just as He would so remind us — “In these you too once walked” (Colossians 3:5-10). We should be encouraged that the word of God tells us there is nothing that cannot be forgiven and corrected by God. Have you received God’s grace and exercised faith to believe in Jesus Christ? Today could be your day of salvation!

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.