Calling
A Written compostion of the Heavenly Calling Network Study Group
Chapter
13
What we find out that
the Apostle is going to do, perhaps to emphasize the greatness of this
position that grace has given us, is to ask us to take two look backs
in to the past. Sometimes it is good to look in to the past and
sometimes its bad. It is bad for us if we dwell to much in to the past.
There are some people who are just completely bound by their past. That
is to say they feel they fail the Lord so badly, or they did so many
things in their unconverted days that they can not forget, and they
forget that God has forgotten them. Hebrews 10:17 And their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more. ... Because they are under the
blood. If God says that He can forget, well can't we? Surely we might
think that it should be the other way around. We can easily forget all
our failures but He saying being God, I will never forget them. No, the
marvel is that He forgets. And while we can never look at sin cheaply
because He forgets and can do so righteously because they have been put
away and the penalty born by the Lord Jesus, surely we can forget too.
Yet on the other hand it is good for us to have a little look back in
to the past to look at what you once were. Just you remember what you
were once before saving grace got hold of you. Twice in this chapter 2
he is going to take us back in time past. Ephesians 2:1 And you [hath
he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time
past ... Now the same phrase occurs from another angle. Ephesians 2:11
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past ... What you once were.
It looked at it from two different stand points. Once upon a time, that
is just the meaning of the word. Lets look at this first glimpse into
our past. We won't find anything in there that is very flattering. We
are going to look at it now as God sees it. If we measure standards by
human standards we might be able to say, well before I was saved I
wasn't to bad. I was living a fairly upright life. I was dealing
honestly with my neighbor. Far as I know I wasn't doing anything
terribly bad. Ah, but that is the way we saw things. Now how did the
Holy God see us? This is what chapter 2 is going to tell us. A very
different picture.
Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, ... made alive ... who were
dead in trespasses and sins; ... There is an alternative reading here
which the Greek bares. Giving another aspect of truth and you can keep
both. One is your dead in sins, that is man by nature, spiritually.
Very much a live physically of course. We can have an abundant of
physical life and health. Yet in God's sight, dead. Dead spiritually,
until the saving grace and the quickening power of the Holy Spirit laid
hold of us. But the Greek also reads, dead to trespasses and sin. And
this will be an advance on the great feature of Romans 6:11 Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ... This is for believers. You
reckon yourself to be dead to sin because this old man was crucified
Romans 6:6 ... with [him], .... If that is so Ephesians chapter 2 is
simply taking you from the root, which is Roman chapter 6, sin, in the
singular, to the fruit, individual sins, plural in Ephesians. You know
there is a difference in scripture, this isn't hair splitting. When the
Apostle Paul talks about sin, in the singular, he is dealing with that
root principle that causes all our trouble. That thing which we inherit
from our first parent, Adam, fallen Adam. The old nature, the old
flesh, sin, the old man. The New Testament uses all those terms. It is
there born in everyone of us. And then it comes out in action. It comes
out first of all in thought. Then it comes out in action as sins. And
they can be in all sorts as we know. Both are true.
Man by nature is definitely dead in sins. And man needs the quickening
power of the Holy Spirit. Every time a man or a woman believes savingly
on the Lord Jesus Christ there has been something going on in that
persons heart which the scripture talks about as quickening. Making
alive. It is the work of God the Holy Spirit to give life to dead
people. You read it in John's gospel about the quickening power of the
Son. The quickening power of the Spirit. Don't ever forget the that.
Sometimes we can put so much responsibility on the person that is
hearing the gospel, and of course they have a responsibility, but that
is only part of the story. There is still the quickening power of the
Spirit. Don't ask when one begins and when the other ends because it
can not be said. One is a God will aspect and the other is the human
aspect. And they are blended together in the most wonderful way.
Then, once we are saved, it is for us to realize that this sinful old
nature that God has dealt with and has crucified it with His Son, we've
got to count on it. Reckon ourselves to be dead to sin. You couldn't
contemplate it then reckon yourself dead in sin. That will be awful for
a Christian, the believer. The believer has been delivered from that by
salvation. And by grace. You can look at this first verse then either
looking at what the sinner was before Christ saved him, and what the
saint is now when he reckoned himself to be dead to sin.
Now here is a glance back in to the past. Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time
past ye walked ... Now everybody is walking at this time, day by day,
saved or unsaved. How are they walking? Well, in what sense? ...
according to the course of this world, ... This age literally. The New
Testament doesn't speak very flatteringly about the present age. It
says, this present evil age. Someone may not like that. They may say,
it isn't an evil age. There is plenty of good things that we can see in
this age. Social improvements, and they think we enjoy today that our
ancestors didn't have. The scriptures isn't talking about social
progress. It is looking at it from a spiritual stand point. And from a
spiritual stand point this age is not ruled by Christ. It is ruled by
one who is called the god of this age. And that is the one who comes
next in this verse. ...according to the prince of the power of the air,
... This is a usurper who temporarily has got control. When this
usurper offered the Lord Jesus Christ, in the wilderness at a exceeding
high mountain, saying, look this is all the kingdoms of the world and I
will give those. Well, you might say, there not yours to give Him any
ways. But the Lord didn't challenge that. For the moment satan is the
usurper. A usurper who has got control. And he is called, in the New
Testament, the god of this age. The god who is pulling the strings to a
large extent. When you realize that it might bring vividly before you a
phrase that Paul uses in Colossians. The one who has rescued us from
the authority of darkness. That is a real rescue.
We were by nature in peril. Deadly peril. And saving grace has rescued
us from the authority of darkness. Darkness is that of the usurper. The
usurper is the one who is controlling. This is a tremendous thing. This
takes some believing. Perhaps we have no difficulty if we look on a
person who is living a bad life. You can say, well satan is controlling
that person. But what about the person who is not living a bad life?
What about a person who is living an upright life and yet rejects
Christ? Makes no appeal at all. Can see no beauty in the Lord Jesus
that they shall desire Him. There are plenty of those who our friends.
And yet we look at there lives and they are leading good and upright
lives. Can you say satan is energizing that life? Well, yes.
Definitely. We've got to learn that satan is a religious being. And the
idea that most people have is that this usurper is a monster pushing
them in to the grosses sin, is absolutely false. That doesn't mean to
say that he sees a person in the grosses of sins. This usurper is not
concerned about it in the least. And he is quite willing and happy to
leave them there as long as they don't come to a saving touch with the
Lord Jesus Christ by faith.
We find this usurpers activities in the realm of the mind. In holding
people away from the Lord Jesus. And he is quite willing to allow
people to live upright lives and to do good. To be nice and attractive
as long as they don't feel a need for a savior. As long as they don't
come to Him and say, God be merciful to me, the sinner. They are quite
alright as for as the usurper is concerned. What we've got to learn is
this. Everybody, good, bad, or indifferent before saving grace touches
them are walking according to the course of this age in some way or
another, which is very wide in its variety. They are following there
own desires. And it is quite good from an earthly stand point. But
never the less they don't know Christ. They don't know God. They are
outside of His kingdom. That is one thing.
Here is one that is pulling the strings ... according to the prince of
the power of the air, ... There is no doubt who he is. Satan. Notice
his title, for it is a very unique title. This is one title that we
should want to thing about just a little. ... the prince ... Literally
the authority, the Greek says. ... of the air, ... Why the air? Why not
the authority of the earth? Or the authority of part of heaven? No,
Paul says the prince of the authority to the air. Here we may not fully
understand what is lined in the title. But it does look as though god,
satan, has some authority over aerial regions. What has man done when
he invented the airplane? From man has done from his stand point, done
a very good thing. But it looks as though, from a spiritual stand
point, he has done a very bad thing. For he has gone right in to
satan's domain.
Prophecy shows us quite clearly the working out of things at end time.
The disastrous world state that we see today, and will happen just
prior to the Lord's second coming, could never have been unless man had
done this most disastrous thing. Gone into satan's realm. And he is
finally going to get complete control, for a short period of time.
Simply because he has got power over the air. This is what the Holy
Spirit, through the Apostle, is describing this great enemy of God. The
prince of the authority of the air. Not only that ... the spirit ... he
is called ... that now worketh in the children ... or the sons ... of
disobedience: ... satan is a spirit. A spiritual power. We can know
nothing about him except what the scriptures reveal. What a wonderful
being he must have been when he came from the hand of his maker, before
he sinned. Its hard to imagine satan coming from the hand of God in
this awful state. No, he fell into that from a perfect state, where, as
we read Ezekiel chapter 28, which gives a description of that state
before he fell.
What marvelous language is used, as though he summed up all the beauty
of God's creation. And absolute standard by which everything else that
God had done could be judged. And yet this being, so beautiful, so
wise, fell. Falling because of a very deep spiritual sin, which we have
to watch, and is the parents sin, which is the sin of pride. Wanting to
be more than what he was. He said, I will ascend from the most high. I
will be as God. He coveted God's place. Pride always does that, and the
scriptures has some terrible things to say about pride. God hates it.
If you want to be usable, ask the Lord to deal with anything that can
be summed up as pride. Because that is the thing that makes us
independent of our Saviour. We are so utterly dependent on Him and
pride would keep us independent of Him. And that is a great thing that
we want to avoid. This usurper is now the spirit that works and
energizes the son's of disobedience. Unsaved people. Fancy satan
energizing the unsaved. Don't misunderstand it, they are not conscience
of this. This is unseen and unknown except the scriptures tells us that
it is so. We who believe God's word to be truth don't have any
difficulty with it because God said it. And Don't ask how it takes
place, because it is not known. If you look at your unconverted days
you might understand that you were not conscience of any great force
urging you on to do the things that were contrary to God's will. You
didn't know that. But this tells you that there was that great force
working. It is unfelt by the unsaved. It is an absolute terrible, grim,
reality if this word is to be believed.
Ephesians 2:2 ... the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: ... And the Apostle says, 3 Among whom also we all had
our ... Old English of 1611 ... conversation ... Now it should say,
manner of life. Conversation today means our talking. And the Greek
goes much deeper. The way we live. ... Among whom also we all had our
manner of life in times past in the lusts of our flesh, , ... Nasty
word isn't it. Yet the Greek can bare a good meaning that this word
lust today is a little to strong. It means any strong desire. It can be
strong desire for good. It can be a strong desire for evil. It can mean
lust in the worst sense. But it can also be used in a good sense. When
the Saviour said, Luke 22:15 ... With desire I have desired to eat this
passover with you ... He is using this word. You couldn't say, With
lust I lusted. That would be awful. It can be a strong desire. The
strong desires in our unconverted days may have been, from a human
stand point, possible. Nothing terribly bad about them. But never the
less, behind them was this great spiritual power. The usurper was using
them to keep us away from Christ as our personal Saviour.
The desires of our flesh, our old nature, Ephesians 2:3 ...fulfilling
the desires ... Now we have the word desires but go and look at your
margin. Greek, wills, a different word. Now the wills are a definite
thing. The things that we willed to do. Nobody can live with out will
of course. We've all got our desires and determination, our wills, and
as far as we can we carry them out. But in the unsaved, those wills,
those plans, are activated and shaped by this terrible, evil, spirit
being. ... fulfilling the wills of the flesh and of the mind; and were
by nature the children of wrath, even as others. ... Now Paul says, you
think on that. That is not terribly flattering is it. Well, we have
faced up to it and that is sure because the Lord is our Saviour, and
unless we had faced up to it we would have never felt a need for the
Saviour. It is because God has convinced us of sin that we had a need
of a Saviour. And we have come to Him. And we know that He is our
Saviour. He is borne away our sins. But this is what we once were.
Maybe, when we look back, we never thought that we were as bad as that.
But God's word never exaggerates. This is where all the unsaved are
whether they are goodly, by human standards, or whether they are bad.
It makes no difference. From the king of his throne, down to the beggar
walking on the street, there is not the slightest difference
spiritually. This is what is happening to them all.
Then a wonderful reversal. Ephesians 2:4 But God, ... Aren't you
thankful for Gods buts? Here is the thing that turns it right around.
Was it anything we did? No. Could we have gotten ourselves out of such
a terrible predicament? No. Can the unsaved save themselves from this
prince of the power of the air? No, they can not. But God has sent His
Son to extricate them. That is what this gospel story is about. And we
are never tired of making it known. That is the only hope of a sinner.
Always has been, and always will be. ... But God, who is rich in mercy,
... This ability to feel with us, that is the meaning of the word. He
knows. Mercy. The God of all Mercy. Rich in mercy. ... for his great
love with which he loved us, ... Can you measure God's love for you?
Can you measure what He has done, the gift of His Son for you? You
can't can you. All you say is with Paul, Thanks be to God for His
unspeakable gift. In this very epistle Paul is going to pray in chapter
3, that you may know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. No
wonder it is called His great love. You see, there was nothing in us
that drew out that love. Get that absolutely clear. There was nothing
in any of us that drew out that love. There was no goodness to draw out
that love. No, we were just going the way that verse 2 tells us. But
God, who is love in the fullest sense, and even that we can not fully
travel, because even know we don't completely know what love is. Never
the less, He is all love. And love in scripture is always emphasized by
what it does. Not by just what it is. For His great love, even when we
were dead in sins, while we were enemies, we are told in Romans, Christ
died for us. Yes we were enemies. He has made us alive, quickened us
together with Christ.
Looking at that in the scriptures, because Romans 6:5 gives us the
first stages of this identification with Christ. For if we have been
planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the
likeness] of [his] resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is
crucified ... Or better, was crucified the Greek says. ... with [him],
... Who is the Him? Christ. Our old man was crucified with Christ.
Well, that is what Paul said in Galatians didn't he? Galatians 2:20 I
am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; ... That is the first
thing, for this is old nature, the old man, is crucified with Him. Now
crucifixion is death. So the old nature is put to death with Christ in
God's reckoning.
The next thing we shall need, if we have been crucified with Christ, is
life. Romans 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we
shall also live with him: ... Life after crucifixion. So we are
crucified with Him. Then Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him
... We are raised with Him. So back to Ephesians so that we can take on
this great story.
Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened ... made us
alive ... us together with Christ, ... and then he slips this in to
show that God's saving grace hasn been the means and the cause of this
wonderful work of God. ... (by grace you are saved;) ... That means to
say, not any merit on our part, just wondrous grace. 6 And has raised
us up together, ... When Christ was raised from the dead in God's plan
we were raised with Him. And here is the climax. ... and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ... Now chapter one has
told us, that power, verse 20, which He wrought in Christ when He
raised Him from the dead and set Him, seated Him. Chapter one, a seated
Christ in the heavenly places. Chapter two, a seated church in Him.
This isn't what our experience is. No, it can be that. But this is,
first of all, the way God reckons. What He has done in His own plan and
purpose with each of His redeemed children. He sees them dead with
Christ. He sees them buried with Christ. He sees them quickened with
Christ, made alive. He sees them raised with Christ. He sees them
seated with Christ. So where ever the head is, in God's plan, the body
is to. Literally you are seated on your bed, or your couch, or your
chair reading this book. In God's plan we are seated in the heavenly
places in Christ. Now that is something for faith to grab hold of.
Isn't that wonderful. It tells you this, what ever God plans for His
Son He plans for you. What ever God plans for the Lord Jesus Christ, if
you are in this company, this calling, He plans for you. All things are
yours and you are Christ's. And Christ is God's. Look at the links in
that wonderful chain.
Perhaps we are not thinking half enough of what the Lord Jesus is. And
what He is now. And where He is. Where the scripture has revealed Him
to be. You see, the more we understand that, and more we see of God's
reckoning, we say, oh I see. I went in on the Cross, in God's
reckoning. And from the Cross, the seven stages back to the glory. I am
with Him all the way. And I am only waiting for one more thing which is
one day He is going to be manifested. Then Colossians 3 says, You shall
be manifested with Him in glory. It is the only thing that is yet for
future for this glorious company which is called the church the
fullness of Him that filleth all in all.
It is perfectly true to say that Ephesians 2:6 touches the high
watermark in the whole of scriptures for a redeemed person. You say,
that is a colossal statement. It is a colossal statement. You see,
nobody, can get higher than Christ is. Is there anybody else, is there
any company in the Old Testament ever said to be seated together with
the Lord at His throne above all the glory? Never, you'll never read it
once. There is marvelous blessings for Israel, but they are all earthly
blessings. What He would do for them if they were obedient, blessings
of basket, blessings of stores, blessings on the land, blessings of
their body, and blessings on their homes. All you could call natural
blessings. Wonderful blessings. But they were never said to be blessed
with God in heavenly places far above all. You won't find it anywhere
else. It looks as though God has kept the climax for this church.
Why? That we might not know either. But, chapter 3 of Ephesians tells
you that heavenly beings, called principalities and powers, are
learning through this church. God's building it up, by His manifold
wisdom. Now that is not human beings learning. Heavenly beings are
having an object lesson. And God is calling out every member and
building this church. They are learning something of His manifold
wisdom. They are eagerly watching. In another place we are told that it
is the angel's desire to look into. Fancy heavenly beings wanting to
look into and understand what is going on the earth. The scriptures
says so. And these are heavens nobility. They are the first ones. That
is the meaning of the word principalities. Heavens nobility are
watching your up building and the gathering out those who are chosen in
Christ in Him before the foundation of the world.
Here is a witness going on that sometimes we will have to forget.
Sometimes we may get discouraged in our Christian witness. We are
trying to interest others in these most wonderful riches and there
seams to be very little response on the whole. And we may get
discouraged at times. But isn't it well for us to realize there is
somebody watching, even if human beings are not watching. If they are
not caring, here are heavenly beings that are. It is a witness to them.
A witness to principalities and powers. Hopefully our faith will be
great enough to rise to such a marvelous height. It can only rise as we
believe God is speaking the truth. And wants us to accept what He says
at its face value. If we can do that, my we will be happy people. Paul
said, look at what you once were. Look at where grace has put you. What
a breath. What a length. What a depth. What a height. This being what
chapter 3 of Ephesians pray concerning. You once were that. And now
saving grace not only saved you but it sent you right to the height of
glory with Christ. And the only thing we wait for is to get there
actually. We are now there by faith because God has said and reckoned
it so. We wait to be actually there. And that is what our hope is. We
are waiting for Him to take us there. We could never get there by
ourselves. He has done it all. Ephesians 2:4 ... his great love
wherewith he loved us, ... The riches of His grace. His great mercy.
All these wonderful things that scriptures talk about have been poured
out, abounded toward us. And it has resulted in this glorious position.
Seated together then, in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Now Paul is going to take us on even a bit further. Ephesians 2:7 That
in the ages to come ... Oh my! We've been saved. We've been taken up to
the highest glory where the Son is. You'd think that would be wonderful
enough but it doesn't stop. That is only the beginning. What about the
ages to come as they roll and unfold themselves? What's going to
happen? That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of
his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ... We've
already had the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the
glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. 7
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace; ... The forgiveness of our sins.
The gospel of our salvation has taken place because of the riches of
God's grace. Now then, what can be the exceeding riches of His grace?
Haven't we got so much already that we just can't plant? There are so
wonderful. They are so full. They are so vast. Huge! The ages to come,
when we get to glory, that is what is before us, and as they unfold God
is going to show us this time EXCEEDING riches of grace.
What a thrilling future that we have. Do we think about it enough? Do
we let the wonder and the joy grip our hearts enough. Aren't we often
tied down by our own little miserable existences and our circumstances
day by day that often gets us down. Just these things that are now, are
soon to pass away forever. Here are the things that are going to last
for always. Here is the destiny that is going to be ours by saving
grace. Here are the things that we ought to be enjoying by faith here
and now. What a future that we've got in Christ. exceeding riches of
his grace in his kindness ... That is not accidental. We might have
expected the word love there. But we find the word kindness. Had God
been kind to you? Oh He has. Exceedingly kind. So much so that it seem
extraordinary to bring that word in. You'd expect a stronger word. But
here it isn't so. His wonderful kindness through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved ... This is the most concised
statement of the gospel that we have. It covers everything. For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. ... Grace. That
means to say, No merit on my part, favor. If we haven't quite got what
grace means then we should find out. Romans 11:5 Even so then at this
present time also there is a remnant according to the election of
grace. ... Now the Apostle is going to talk about grace ... 6 And if by
grace, then is it no more of works: ... you can't do anything for this.
... otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is
no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. ... Do you got what he
said? Look, you can't mix the two. You can't mix human works and merit
and grace together. It is very difficult to get men and woman to see
that. That we are saved by grace. That is what the New Testament
teaches us. That means to say that there was no merit in us what so
ever. If there was, or if we had any good works that we could offer to
God it couldn't have been by grace. You must have it one way or the
other. If it good works then God isn't saving you by grace. You've
earned it, congratulations. You merited it. You deserved it. But the
word said you haven't deserved it. Its the opposite. You have caused
God displeasure. You've deserved His anger. You've deserved His wrath.
And instead of that you've got all this piled up blessing. Well that is
grace. Your saved by grace.
It is terribly humbling to be told that there was nothing in us that
merited salvation. Men and women don't like to be told that today. They
like to think that there was just a little bit of good in them that God
could see. But the Apostle Paul had to say concerning himself, a man
who he could describe quite truthfully as touching the law, blameless,
he said in Philippians. Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in
my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: ... It all depends on what
standpoint your are looking at it. Looking at Paul from the stand point
of other men oh he was head and shoulders above them in goodness.
Looking at the standpoint of God's holiness, no good thing. You see, it
depends upon what we are comparing ourselves with. The average man or
woman outside of Christ are simply comparing themselves with themselves
or with somebody else. They are not comparing themselves with God's
standard. If they did, oh how far short they would see they come to the
glory of God. So we are saved by His grace. No merit. No works to offer
Him. Just shear wonder of grace.
... through faith; ... Note scripture does not say that we are saved by
faith. That is quite erroneous. But you say, I thought it did. I
thought we were saved by ... Oh no, not just like that. Faith is the
means which you get your salvation. But faith itself doesn't save you.
What is faith anyway? Faith is just trust. But you can't suspend trust
in mid air. It has to rest on something or somebody. You just can not
say, I have faith, and stop at that. You haven't made a complete
statement. You've got to say, I have faith in something. Or I have
faith in somebody. Saying, I have faith, means nothing. It is
meaningless. So its not faith that saves. It is the object of faith,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Saviour. But your faith makes Him
yours. You appropriate Him by faith. Faith is the channel that brings
Him to you. But He is still the Saviour. Your not saved by faith. You
are saved through faith. And so we are told to believe on the Lord.
Never get confused on that. Your faith won't save you. But Christ can
save you. And that salvation becomes yours the moment that you put your
faith in Him. And trust Him. And take Him in that simple way.
So we are saved by grace and the way that we receive it, is through
faith. That is the means, the channel, that we get it. ... and that not
of yourselves: ... Oh see, knocking all the ground from under our feet.
He is saying, I am not going to even let you produce that. Oh no it is
the gift of God. This grace by faith salvation is a free gift. It is
put this way, Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the ...
free ... gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
... And if it is a free gift, of course you can't work for it. You
might say to yourself, hmmm it doesn't exactly say a free gift. But it
does in the Greek. The word is charisma, which means a favor one
receives without merit or cost. It's paid for by someone else. And it
is translated so in Romans 5:15 and 5:16.
And is rendered so in other English translations for a witness. 1901
American Standard Version For the wages of sin is death; but the free
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1949/1964
Bible in Basic English For the reward of sin is death; but what God
freely gives is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. The Common
Edition: New Testament For the wages of sin is death, but the free
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Hebrew Names
Version of the World English Bible For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord. International
Standard Version For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift
of God is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord. Green's
Literal Translation For the wages of sin is death, but the free
gift of God is everlasting life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Montgomery
New Testament FOR THE POOR WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE FREE
GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS, OUR MASTER. James
Murdock's Translation of the Syriac Peshitta For the wages of sin
is death; but the free gift of God is life eternal, through our Lord
Jesus Messiah. Revised Standard Version For the wages of sin is
death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord. World English Bible For the wages of sin is death, but
the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1912
Weymouth NT For the wages paid by Sin are death; but God's free
gift is the Life of the Ages bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And even in some of the so called easier to read new bibles. New
American Standard bible For the wages of sin is death, but the
free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amplified
bible For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful]
free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ
our Lord. New living translation For the wages of sin is
death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus
our Lord. English standard version For the wages of sin is
death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
You can't earn it, and you can't merit it, that is why it is by grace.
If it is a gift, it is a gift. We don't say when we get a gift, what do
I have to do for this thing you give me? We don't do anything, but just
except it. A gift is a gift. And that is all God is asking men and
women to do concerning His Son. How simple the gospel is from the
sinners standpoint. How complex the gospel is from God's standpoint.
Well it cost Him. There is two sides. For Him it meant giving Himself
in the person of Christ. We may never know what that meant. But for us
it is merely stretching out the hand of faith and taking. Just as
simply as that. A free gift. Saying thank you Lord, I'll take it. You
offer it to me. ... through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: ... Oh what a giver God is. And if we can only get men
and women to be great takers. What blessing will be theirs. But you
can't can you. How difficult it is to get someone just to stretch out
the hand of faith and take Him to their selves. That is all they've got
to do. They can't do anything else. It has all been done. When He said
on the Cross, it is finished, it then is perfected, it is completed,
and you can't add anything to what is finished. You can't add anything
to a perfect good thing. It is either perfect or it isn't. God didn't
say, Now I finished three quarters of salvation for you and you put the
rest to it. No, no, its all been done. Nothing to do. Except to take.
And it is taken by faith, simply, in Christ.
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, ... There it is again. ... lest any man
should boast. ... You can not earn it. But there are thousands of
people today who are trying so desperately to buy there salvation. They
are trying to earn it. They are saying simply, that what was done was
just not good enough. They themselves have to add to it. What a pity
isn't it. The wonder of this truth. God said, you can have it if only
you would just take it through faith. And they spurn that, Oh I'd
rather work for it, and do something for it than take it through faith.
No, we can not do anything. And yet, if God made this very difficult to
obtain, say supposing He appointed that we should all do something in
works that was tremendously difficult. Sure we would all take a shot at
it. The extraordinary part is, it is the freest part of God's salvation
that seems to be the stumbling block with men and women. If He told us
to do something terrible difficult a good many of us would try, at
least. It's like a man who stands on street corner with a truck load of
real paper money, millions of dollars, and trying to sell each one for
a penny that no one would take. There is a snag in it somewhere.
Couldn't be true. And that is what people do think when you teach the
gospel fully. They think that there is a snag in it somewhere. It's too
easy. To wonderful.
Here is the whole thing summed up as concisely as ever words can sum it
up. You've got it all here. Your saved by grace. You receive it through
faith in Christ. And it doesn't come from yourselves. It is God's free
gift. It is not of works. You can't work for it. And this tells us why.
God is letting us into something here. ... lest any man should boast.
... God has so arranged things that when, in the glory, all the
redeemed stand before Him, all there boast will be in Christ. There
will be no boasting of self. If we had a little finger in the pie, well
then there would be that tendency to say, well I've done ... Well yes
He did a lot, but look what I've done as well. God is going to see to
it that this will never be said. Our boasting will only be in Christ.
God forbid that we should glory or boast, as it is in the Greek, saving
the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And lets see to it that we don't
boast any where else. But in Him, and what He has done. Not of works,
lest any man should boast. ...
We must not stop there. For this man is saying, now look. I am not
telling you because you can't obtain your salvation by good living or
works that there is no place for them. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, ... So the man
who is telling you can't earn it by good living or works, that there is
a place for them. ... unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. ... The correct way is to get the right
order. This is what so difficult to convey to men and women. Your not
saved by works. But your saved unto good works. God wants the good
works after salvation. That is what He wants. It is the consequences of
salvation. That flows out of salvation. But to try to bring them as the
cause of salvation is backwards, and impossible. You can't merit it.
You can't work for it. But once you excepted salvation, oh He wants all
the good works you can possibly produce. Because that is like fruit
coming from the root. How can we glorify such a Saviour unless we
produce good works. We can't possibly. So don't say there is no place
for good works. But don't put good works in their wrong place. There is
no place for good works to get to salvation. But there is a good place
for good works after salvation. And they should be there. Anyone who
professes to be saved, and makes a boast of being saved, and has no
marks of good works, well he or she has no evidence they are saved.
There is a place for this good life. There is a place walking in the
spirit. There is a place walking very closely with Christ. But that is
the result of being saved.
... which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. ...
That sounds like something like fate. That sounds like it has all been
fixed. These good works have all been fixed so we walk in them. Like
sort of being pushed in to them. It may sound like that in our English
but it is not true. That is not what the Greek is saying. What it
actually says is this. unto good works God hath before prepared us that
we should walk in them. That's the point. Salvation saves us from sin,
and puts us into the position now to produce the good work. Not that
good works have been marked out from eternity and that your pushed
along whether your willed or not into them. There would be no merit in
that. But salvation prepares so that we can do these good works. What
we couldn't do in God's sight, before we were saved, because we were
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind. Now we can. We have
changed completely. We have a new life. We've got a new power. We've
got a new outlook. All things are passed away. All things have become
new. A new creation. A fresh start. And now we have that wondrous power
working in us. Before it was the power of satan working in us. Now its
the power of Christ. Now we can produce these good works which are the
praise and the glory of His name.
How wonderfully balanced God's truth is isn't it. If you express one
side of it at the expense of the other, you won't get a balance. But
there you see the perfect balance. No works. No merit in regards of
getting salvation. But the works are after to balance out. So nobody
can say, oh I see, I am saved by grace and it doesn't matter how I live
afterwards. I can do what I like. All my sins are forgiven, and I can
do just what I please. But you can't do that. You are saved by grace.
Your sins are forgiven. But now your are expected to walk in good
works. Your expected to reflect the glory of Christ.In the way you
talk. In the way you live. So others may take knowledge of you, that
you have been with Jesus, and learned of Him. So God help us to get an
understanding of this wonderful purpose.