March 14, 2021 Text: Ephesians 2:1-10
Dear Friends in Christ,
A teacher was explaining to her class how a thermos works. “You can bring hot soup to school for lunch, and the thermos will keep it hot. The next day you can bring a cold drink to school, and the same thermos will keep it cold.” One doubting but clever little boy asked, “But how does it know?”
Good question. “How does it know?” It also a good question for this morning. How does the community around us know we are Christians? How do you know I am a Christian? Maybe I am in this job for the attention and money!
“HOW DOES IT KNOW?”
If we want to know where we are going, we need to know from where we came. “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked. . . were by nature children of wrath.” (vs. 1-3) That sounds pretty bad…and it is. Under the rule of the world and the devil and alienated from God.
There are no exceptions. Verse 3 says “we all.” Everyone is the same condition by virtue of our human nature. Not a use-friendly introduction to a conversation when on an evangelism call.
Have you ever had a life threatening experience where someone else had to rescue you? You could do nothing to save yourself. That is what God does for us because He is “rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us.” (v. 4)
We had a terrible fate in front of us if the Lord did not intervene. He rescued us from a terrible death. He made us alive when were dead in trespasses (v. 5). At our birth He breathed new life in us and He continues to do the same as He makes us new people in Christ Jesus.
St. Augustine, one of the great church fathers, was once a cultured, civilized, wicked man. One day he was greeted by a former mistress who said, “Hey, Augustine, It is I.” He replied, “But it is no longer I, It is Christ.” After his conversion he was a great Christian theologian. An Aborigine tribe in Australia translates conversion as “given a new heart by God.” Right on target.
It gets even better. “Raised up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Wow. We are part of the resurrection story. God does this for you and I through the cross and the appearance of Jesus three days later.
What prompts you and I to do nice things for others? Why do others do nice things for us? Are our motives always pure? What prompted God? It is important as troubled sinners, and doubting sinners and sinners with guilt and a bad conscience to be reassured that the new life in Christ has nothing to do with us. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (v. 8)
When did God do this for many of us? Before we were old enough to know about it. He acted in us with His grace at our Baptism and He still keeps us in that covenant.
Society wants us to believe that there essential requirements for success – degrees, certificates, natural talent etc. Our going to heaven doesn’t depend on our goodness. It is God’ gift. It is God’s grace. Grace is more than God’s undeserved love for us. It is His undeserved love in action.
How does the world around us know that God has done all these incredible things for and in us? If you were wondering when I would get to our sermon theme, here it is. We are God’s workmanship who have been created in Christ Jesus for good works, and we walk in them. (v. 10)
Through our sanctified life, the things we do and say, the world will know we are His children. The message of salvation by grace stands by itself. God did not save us to sit back and relax, basking in the sunshine of salvation by grace. Spiritual atrophy would quickly result. A long time ago He planned that others should see Christ in us.
Our Christian life is part of God’s purpose. Christ within us. Why are we God’s children? To let the world see and know what the grace of God can do. During this pandemic I have said Christians must be above the fray. The great masterpieces of our Christian faith are not stored away in vaults. They are on display at all times so that people will “see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.”
You know about product placement. Companies work to have their products seen in movies, TV, sporting events, everywhere. We are the sanctified products of God’s gracious plan of salvation, which He puts on display all over the world. Through the Holy Spirit be the best product you can be for Him. St. Paul never forgot the sheer joy and astonishment of his conversion when God surprised him. He was never the same as His life showed what the grace of God truly is. In the same way and through Christ, let the world know what God has done for you. Amen.