Sermon in a Sentence: Jesus gives us new lives to live.
Paul sets out his teaching in three steps: what we were, what God did, and who we are.
Verses 1-3 remind us of what we were then.
We were dead in our trespasses and sins (v.1)—not almost dead, not partially dead, not sort of dead. We had zero righteousness, zero holiness, zero knowledge of what it means to know God, and zero ability to choose for God.
We were dominated by “the prince of the power of the air” (v.2a)—Satan controlled us and our actions. Everything we did was dictated by the powers of this age: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
We were disobedient just like everyone else who is “in Adam” (v.2b)—we might know what God wanted us to do—whether through a knowledge of his law or through conscience—but we did the opposite.
We were doomed to experience God’s wrath (v.3)—we were on a one-way conveyor belt to hell, where we would experience the full wrath of God for all eternity.
Isn’t that a lovely existence? Don’t you want to stay right there forever? But here’s the problem: we didn’t know there was anything better. Dead, dominated, disobedient, and doomed was the only existence we knew. But there’s good news.
Verses 4-7 remind us of what God did.
Verse 4 begins with these words: “But God . . .” With those two words, the entire direction of our lives changed. We were headed for disaster, an eternity separated from God, but God stepped in and changed everything.
In 1:15-23, Paul talked about the great new power that raised Jesus from the dead, seated him at God’s right hand, and put everything under his feet (1:19-22). Now Paul tells us that God did the same thing for us—he made us alive with Jesus, he raised us with Jesus, and he seated us at God’s right hand with Jesus.
Why did God do it? Because of the great love with which he loved us (v.4). To what end did he do it? To show the surpassing riches of his grace (v.7). What’s the result? We talked about it last week: we were born again to a living hope (1 Pet 1:3).
Verses 8-10 remind us of who we are now.
We know verses 8-9 very well, but we sometimes stop there. If we do, we miss Paul’s point entirely. What’s Paul saying? He’s saying that it’s not about our works; it’s about God’s works. In fact, 2:10 says it pretty strongly: “His work we are.”
But there’s more. God made you alive, raised you, and seated you with Christ in heaven, so that you could make a difference on earth—so that you could walk in the good works he has “pre-prepared” for you.
We now have new lives to live, and we should live them according to the plan God has prepared for us and in the manner God expects of us.
You see, Jesus gives us new lives to live. We were dead, dominated, disobedient, and doomed.
But God made us alive with Christ, raised us with Christ, and seated us with Christ in the heavenlies. So, now, we have new lives to live. If you have been made alive, raised, and seated with Christ, what are the good works in which you should be walking?
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