Subject 19 : The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the EPHESIANS
[Chapter 2-4] Were We Made for The Lord’s Righteous Work? (Ephesians 2:1-10)
(Ephesians 2:1-10)
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
What Kind of Beings Were We in God’s Sight?
Paul said to the Ephesians in today’s Scripture passage that they “were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), and all of us were in the same condition before believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. But our Lord has saved such wretched people like us all at once through His gospel work of the water and the Spirit. He has delivered us from the prince of the power of the air. And He has blessed us to overcome Satan by giving us the gospel of the water and the Spirit and making us believe in it.
Before encountering and believing in this true gospel, we could not stand up to the forces of evil spirits. However, through the baptism Jesus Christ received from John the Baptist, our Lord bore all the sins inherited from our forefathers and blotted them all out. Therefore, all of us who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit have been freed from the power of Satan. Thanks to the infinite grace of God, we have all received the remission of sins once and for all and attained everlasting life through the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
There is a reason why our God has saved us from all our sins, and that is to allow us to live a glorious life together with our God. In other words, by sending Jesus Christ His Son to this earth, God the Father wanted to bless us the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit to live with Him in His Kingdom. And God the Father has fulfilled this will of His through the gospel work of the water and the Spirit carried out by His Son Jesus Christ. The way to achieve this goal was sending Jesus to this earth, making Him bear all our sins once and for all by being baptized by John the Baptist and having Him bear the condemnation of ours sins by being crucified to death. It was our God’s desire to seat us in the Kingdom of Heaven according to this plan of salvation designed for us. God the Father wanted to fulfill this great plan in Jesus Christ His Son.
Indeed, the love of God and His blessings can be received only through faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. It was actually God our Father’s desire to fulfill His plan through His righteousness found in His Son Jesus Christ. And by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, we were able to receive the remission of sins in our lives. In short, God has blessed all of us who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Our Triune God has not only remitted away all our sins, but He has also blessed us to sit in His Kingdom. Given the fact that God has blessed us so much like this to reign in the Kingdom of Heaven and live in all this glory, how could we not believe in Him?
Why has God glorified us the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit so much like this? It is because He wants us to partake in the glory of Heaven. It’s out of His love and mercy that God has bestowed His blessings on all of us. So what we must all realize and believe in here is that our God has not only remitted away all our sins through His Son Jesus Christ, but He will also seat us in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, all of us who believe in the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit must remember that God will infallibly give us His Kingdom.
We Must Remember That We Have Received God’s Glorious Blessings
What meaning would our deliverance from sin have meant if we could not enter and live in the Kingdom of God? It would all be in vain unless we have the unwavering belief that we will all go to the Kingdom of Heaven and live with Jesus Christ. However, we have not only received the remission of all our sins in this world, but we have also been blessed to sit in the Kingdom of Heaven together with Jesus Christ. All of us who now believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit will be seated in the Kingdom of Heaven together with Jesus Christ. This is why God says that we the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are in honor, calling us His “saints.” In other words, God says to all who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, “You are the citizens of Heaven. You are completely sinless. And you are all righteous.”
Is It True That God Has Made Us the Believers in the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit Sit with Him in His Glorious Kingdom?
Yes, it is indeed true that even though we were once dead in our trespasses and sins, God has made us believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit so that we would be blessed to sit in the Kingdom of Heaven. Just how amazing is our God’s grace, and what a wonderful blessing has He bestowed on us? It is out of His infinite love and grace that God has given us such amazing blessings.
Therefore, we should never forget the grace of God in making us His own children and blessing us to live with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven. And accordingly, all of us ought to live the rest of our lives by trusting in the righteousness of God. As we serve the gospel of the water and the Spirit in our lives, God’s work will be completed soon. We can’t help but thank God, for the grace of salvation that we have received from Him is so great.
Do you really appreciate the magnitude of the grace that you have received from God? Just as we should all know where we came from and where we are heading for, we ought to also realize that we have received the perfect remission of our sins to live in God’s grace by encountering and believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Despite this, however, there are some people among us who don’t even realize what kind of blessings they have received from God in their lives, and nothing could be more foolish than this. As we carry on with our lives in this darkening world, all of us must be awake and fully aware of just how blessed we are. You and I ought to realize now that we ourselves have received God’s spiritual blessings in our lives. When we were dead in our trespasses and sins, our Lord was baptized and shed His own blood to save us all. God has made us His holy children through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. And we have now come to realize who we really are. All of us have become God’s very own children through our faith in His righteousness. We will therefore all be seated in the Kingdom of Heaven and live forever with Jesus Christ. So we should realize that we have put on the glory of Heaven.
Although God has saved us all, He does not demand anything else from us but to serve the gospel of the water and the Spirit. All that He wants from us is to live by trusting in His glory. We should therefore cherish deep in our hearts the grace of salvation that God has bestowed on us and live by our faith in His righteousness. It’s absolutely indispensable for all of us to live by our faith in the God’s righteousness until the day the gospel of the water and the Spirit is fully preached on this earth.
Our Savior Jesus Christ will most surely return to this earth to take us away. Having become our Savior by dying for our sins in our place and rising from the dead, our Lord will return to us in God’s time to take us away, and we will then be seated in the Kingdom of Heaven and enjoy all its glory with Jesus Christ. Is there any God-made creature that has received more blessings from God than you and I who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit? No, there is none, for all the dominion of Heaven planned and completed by God is just for us.
For whom do the God-made angels exist then? They exist for the righteous who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. It’s for us the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit that all these angels exist. In fact, everything in this universe, from the flowers in the world to the stars in the heavens, exists for all who have become God’s righteous people. It’s for the righteous that all these creatures exist. So we ought to realize in our lives just how great God’s providence is in giving us such wonderful blessings.
Therefore, if we lead our lives realizing our glorious status, then we will be able to live a more dynamic life. As the righteous, our lives are there for God’s righteous work. Our lives are worthy and glorious. So when we consider the grace God has bestowed on us, our labor is not too burdensome. It is only a matter of course for us to now serve by faith the gospel of the water and the Spirit which our Lord has given to us. Since God has given us this amazing glory, we cannot give up preaching His righteousness at the slightest hardship. When we compare our labor to the grace of salvation God has bestowed on us, what we are doing for Him seems so small in comparison. That is why the Apostle Paul declares, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). We are indeed only too happy to believe in the righteousness of our God.
My fellow believers, if we were to live in this world just practicing wickedness in our hearts and acts, it would not make our hearts content. In contrast, if we lead our lives serving God’s righteousness, then our hearts will be rejoiced for sure. Indeed, we ought to be thankful that we can actually spread God’s righteousness in our lives. When we practice righteousness before God, it’s not only heart-warming to us but also very satisfying. We feel good in our hearts because we are able to do good works before our God. And our hearts are at peace because we follow the righteousness of our God in our lives.
No one in this world, even if he possesses the whole world, can be happier than those who are serving the righteousness of God. Even if one has everything in the whole world, unless he believes in God’s righteousness, he will perish in the end. They cannot help but commit countless sins before God in their lives. Everyone is bound to live contrary to God’s will unless he lives by trusting in the righteousness of God. That is why it’s only you and I, the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, who can carry out God’s work thanks to His grace. So, even though we are weak in our flesh and we have too many shortcomings, we must still carry out God’s work by faith to please Him. We are then compelled to thank God and His servants, for our lives have been renewed and glorified by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
I am sure you know how your life was when you did not know about the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Think about it again. What kind of life did you live before you believed in the gospel of the water and the Spirit? Of course I am not suggesting here that you did nothing but commit the vilest and evilest sins in your past, but I’m sure that in those days, you did in fact do many wicked things that had nothing to do with God’s work.
Indeed, all of us stood against God’s righteousness, though unwittingly, before we understood the righteousness of Jesus Christ. But now that we believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit with our hearts, we can happily practice what is truly good and virtuous. We have all put on God’s grace of salvation to spread these spiritual blessings of Heaven. Even though no sinner can practice anything good in God’s sight, God has now given us the ability to practice real righteousness in our lives. It is indeed our own happiness and a tremendous blessing that we are preaching the righteousness of God in our lives by trusting in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
What would then happen if we failed to carry out God’s righteous work despite this? If we don’t serve God’s righteousness just because it’s too hard for our flesh, what would happen to so many people who still don’t know the way to their salvation? All these people will be lost forever. But our God has given us every capability to carry out His righteous work in our lives. In fact, we can’t help but carry out God’s work in our lives, for we have been transformed into such people who can practice righteousness at every moment of our lives. It’s God Himself who has enabled us to live such a blessed life, and that is why we are all working diligently out of profound gratitude.
In the past, there was nothing I could do in my life but commit sin, but now I know that it’s righteous to lead my life to spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and so I have been devoting all my life to this endeavor. I now know that serving the gospel of the water and the Spirit is my greatest happiness. Even at this very moment, I am preaching the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit to everyone, and this work is bringing the remission of sins and everlasting life to all who accept this gospel Truth. We believe wholeheartedly that there is nothing that gives us greater happiness on this earth than the righteous work God has entrusted to us in our lives. We have no doubt whatsoever that there is no life that’s happier than ours. So our hearts are not content if we don’t do God’s work even for just a single day, and we are compelled to look for it gladly. I hope and pray that you and I will be always looking for the righteous work and quite willing to do anything for God’s righteousness in our lives. We yearn to preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit to not just our own fellow countrymen, but to people all over the world, for this is our joy as the righteous.
Those who still have not accepted God’s righteousness into their hearts, and therefore have not received the remission of sins yet, can actually realize just how much they desire to practice wickedness in their lives. There are many people in this world who want to live the kind of life that no one should ever want to live. When we compare our lives to these people’s lives, we can see just how happy we all are, for we do not do harm to others, but rather, we sacrifice ourselves to save their souls by serving the righteousness of God in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. All this is possible thanks to the abundant grace of God that knows no bounds. And because we all believe in this grace of God, we are living our lives with profound thanksgiving. It is to enable us to live such a blessed and righteous life that God allowed us to be born again in Jesus Christ through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Trusting in this grace of God, all of us should therefore thank Him for His grace at each and every moment of our lives.
Whenever we spend our material possessions in this world, they too must be spent to spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Whatever we do, in other words, we must do everything for the spreading of the gospel. Given the fact that we had all been destined to be condemned for our sins, how wonderful is it that we are now able to participate in God’s righteous work in our lives? In contrast to us, there are so many people on this earth who are living just for their own flesh only to be condemned for their sins. And these people’s lives are full of wickedness. Therefore, for us to avoid ending up like these people, God’s grace and the guidance of His Church are absolutely indispensable to all of us. The guidance of God’s Church is absolutely imperative not only for our souls but also to carry out the righteous work on this earth. Indeed, if we depart from God’s Church, our souls will perish forever. And if our souls perish, then we will perish in our flesh, too.
All of us gathered here, young and old, men and women, and laymen and ministers alike, must realize what a joy it is that God has enabled us to carry out His work. Regardless of the position from which we are serving the Lord, we should never forget our heart-felt gratitude to Him, realize what true happiness is, know how to thank God properly, and live by faith like this. Indeed, we are so happy and joyous that we have been remitted from all our sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and that we have devoted all the days of our remaining lives to the spreading of this gospel to carry out the righteous work.
Is there anyone in this world whose heart is at peace without any sin like you and me? No, of course not! If our hearts are ever troubled, it is only when we are unable to work even more diligently before God to save even more souls. Other than this, there is nothing that worries us in this world. Is there anyone on earth who is happier than us? There is no one on this planet earth who is happier than us the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Can you think of anyone? Think about your own worldly friends and see if you can come up with anyone who is happier than you. I am sure you won’t find anyone. Indeed, there is absolutely no one in this world who is happier than any of us gathered here, for all of us have been born again of water and the Spirit, and therefore we are the happiest people.
We are truly grateful to God from the bottom of our hearts. All of us are truly joyful; by the fact that we can live happily like this until the day the Lord returns to us. We have all been blessed to live for the sake of other souls.
As for me, it’s my heart-felt desire for all our saints to carry out the righteous work united together, break bread together, hold one another and support each other in times of trials, and live like this until we all go to the Lord and see Him face to face. Is this what you also want? That is indeed all our hearts’ desire. So I pray to God to make this dream come true, protect us all, and allow us to live a forever blessed life until we go into His very presence.
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