From “Children of Wrath” to become a “Child of the King!”

"The saved are singled out not by their own merits, but by the grace of the Mediator" [1] (Martin Luther).

February 4, 2022

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)."

Ephesians 2:4-5

Yesterday – “Believers love God’s Word obediently!”

 

Today:

Sadly, reading Paul’s words in the first three verses of Ephesians chapter 2 gives an accurate picture of our history.  We were all dead, not only weak or sick but dead in our trespasses and sins (v. 1).  We all walked, following Satan.  We were thoroughly disobedient.  We lived like the rest of the children of disobedience, for this is the way of the world (v. 2).  We were driven by our bodies and minds’ sinful passions and desires.  Like all the rest of humanity, we were the children of wrath, awaiting God’s judgment!

The following words change everything, at least for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.

 

“But God, who is rich in mercy.”
Here, in contrast with that first awful paragraph, “but God.”  God can make all things different for a sinner, for He provides us with salvation through His Son.

Rich in mercy – God’s abundant mercy, which characterizes Him throughout the Bible (Exodus 34:6–7), is epitomized by His willingness not to punish “children of wrath” but instead to save believers through His grace (Ephesians 2:5)” [2] (FSB).

The fact that God is “rich in mercy” means that He can withhold what punishment we deserve from us (the children of wrath).  He does this by His love and kindness.

“In the New Testament [“mercy,” eleos] means “undeserved kindness” toward sinners.  Thus God, who is rich in exhibiting this undeserved kindness, acts on behalf of sinners because of His great love for us” [3] (BKC).

 

“For His great love wherewith he loved us.”
Not just “love” but “His great love!”  He sacrificed Himself for those who were sinners, unlovely, and rebels against Him.

For His great love…. For the sake of, in order to satisfy His love” [4] (Vincent).

“Some warp the idea of God’s great mercy and love into something that justifies our pride.  Some imagine that God loves us because we are so lovable.  Instead, God’s love is so great that it extends even to the unlovely – to the children of wrath mentioned in the previous verse [v.  3]” [5] (Guzik – EWC).

If we could make ourselves “lovable” and presentable to God, then His love, grace, and mercy would not be necessary.

The ancient verb love “…means “to seek the highest good in the one loved.”  Since sinners are spiritually dead toward God, they have nothing to commend them to God.  This is why Paul described this love as being “great” [6] (BKC).

Until Jesus came, this kind of sacrificial love that only had the one being loved in its focus was unheard of in the world.

“God’s love has done three things [for believers]:
(a) made us alive with Christ,
(b) “raised us up with Christ” (2:6),
and (c) “seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (v. 6)” [7] (BKC).

 

“Even when we were dead in sins.”
When did God in His mercy begin loving us?  Remarkably, while we were still dead and unlovable, dead in our sins!  There was nothing good in us and not anything that we could do to bring salvation to ourselves.

“God is fully aware of the unbelievers’ state.  It was clearly described in Ephesians 2:1–3 and is repeated here: even when we were dead in transgressions (cf. v. 1)” [8] (BKC).

“This is the requirement for being saved.  You must first be dead, dead to every attempt to justify yourself before God.  He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me… has passed from death into life (John 5:24)” [9] (Guzik – EWC).

 

“Hath quickened us.”
This is a beautiful truth; God has made believers alive in Him!  We were undeserving of this new life in Him.  This is all about what He did for us.  We could do nothing to save ourselves.

“This act of God in making the unregenerate alive is an act of grace: it is by grace you have been saved” [10] (BKC).

 

“Together with Christ.”
Believers, we are alive together with Christ!

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17).

“Because believers have been “made alive” spiritually with Christ, they have been and are saved” [11] (BKC).

 

“(by grace ye are saved).”
And this, too, is amazing.  Why would God, who is perfectly holy and completely sinless, want to save wretched sinners like you and me?  I don’t have the words to explain it, but I’m mighty thankful for His grace!

by grace – The basis of salvation is grace—God’s undeserved generosity toward people.  God demonstrated His grace through Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection” [12] (FSB).

Dear believers, if you are “born again” and “saved by His grace,” then –

“Ye are in a saved state.”  Not merely “ye are being saved,” but ye “are passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).  Salvation is to the Christian not a thing to be waited for hereafter but already realized (1 John 3:14)” [13] (JFB).

 

Real love is sacrificial, focuses on the unlovely,
and does not look for anything in return.

 

Quote:  Dear believers, we have been saved (past) from the penalty of sin.  We are being saved (present) from the power of sin.  And we will be saved (future) from the presence of sin when we are forever with our Lord!  “Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!”

 

 

 

[1] Luther’s quote downloaded: February 4, 2022.  From: https://quotestats.com/topic/quotes-about-saved-by-grace/.
[2] FSB, John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Eph 2:4–5.
[3] BKC, Harold W. Hoehner, “Ephesians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed.  J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 623.
[4] Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 3 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 375–376.
[5] EWC – David Guzik.  Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[6] BKC, ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] EWC, ibid.
[10] BKC, ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] FSB, ibid.
[13] JFB, Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 345.