The Grace and Glory of God’s Workmanship (Ephesians 2:4-10)

Father in Heaven, we are so thankful for all that you have

given us this day. Holy Spirit, we're so thankful

for the work that you have done and will do.

Even now, as we open Your word, we pray, Holy Spirit, that you

would transform us, that You would press the truth of this

Holy Word so deep into us, teaching us, rebuking us,

correcting us, and training us in righteousness, that even as

we who are in Christ exit this sanctuary today, a watching

world would know that there's something different.

It would be your fruits in and through us in a world that's

dark, Your people radiant because of Christ.

We pray this in your holy name, Jesus, Amen.

You would remain standing for the reading of God's Word.

The passage I'm reading from today is the same text we were

in last week. So if you were not here, I spent

the majority of time focusing on the first few verses of our

passage. And today we're going to pick up

where I left off last week, looking at what it means to be

seated with Christ in the heavenlies.

I'm going to begin in chapter 2, verse four, and read through

verse 10. But God, being rich in mercy,

because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we

were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with

Christ. By grace you have been saved and

raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the

heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He

might show the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness

toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved

through faith, and this is not your own doing.

It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one

may boast. For we are His workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared

beforehand, that we should walk in them.

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Please be seated for a moment. I want you to reflect upon the

very best seat that you have ever set in a concert, a

sporting event, a banquet. The very best seat that you have

ever set in. Where was it?

When was it? Who were you with?

I've had the privilege of sitting in some amazing places,

start finish line of the Indy 505 or 6 years in a row when I

lived in Saint Louis. I have been in remarkable places

at concerts and sporting events, usually because of someone I

knew. Maybe the best seat my wife and

I've ever been given was for a concert that I did not want to

go to. This concert here in Dallas, one

show scheduled ended up needing 3, each one selling out very

quickly. And we were there in the

corporate sponsors box, not in a normal seat in the stadium, but

in a La Z Boy leather recliner. It was wonderful.

About two hours into the three hours show, I suddenly felt the

tap in the back of my head and it is my wife who is so

embarrassed that I had somehow fallen asleep in the midst of

this concert. She then looked at me and said

you don't deserve this seat and she was right.

And I knew immediately that will preach.

We are not living, most of us as Christians in the reality of

what Paul is saying here. Part of it's because when we

begin our discipleship in a way that is not really biblical, not

saturated in Scripture, it's hard to unwind what begins to

happen to us. Being in the Bible Belt, what

the culture says a Christian is, what a disciple of Christ is,

often looks different than what the Word of God itself says.

It's not so far different, but it's different enough.

In fact, I would say one of Satan's favorite words is the

Word almost. It's almost true.

It's almost right. There's things people who

proclaim Christ, say that they think are biblical, that are not

even in the Bible. Most of us, when we come to

saving faith, we're told all about grace, all about the free

gift of God's forgiveness, then coming to save the sinner's

prayer, receiving Christ. We're then told a whole list of

things that we've got to start doing.

Yes, if we're truly in Christ, our life does change.

We are no longer dead, but made alive.

As I preached last week, remember, we weren't spiritually

sick. We weren't a little bit immoral.

We were spiritually dead. There was no way we could have a

thought or affection or a pure desire for Christ apart from him

resurrecting us. And He did.

He made us alive in Christ. Justification is a legal term

that speaks of an act where we because of what Christ has done

to us and His righteousness imputed to us, we are seen as

forgiven and free in Christ. It's a remarkable gift to know

that this is God's free grace. He pardons our sin, accepts us

as righteousness in His sight, based not on our self but on

Jesus Christ. But for many of us, our

discipleship didn't look like the way Paul was discipling the

people of Ephesus. He is going to get to the

specific ways God's people should live in the world.

He's going to speak about relationships like marriage,

parenting. He is going to talk about what

it means to walk in the life that we now have in Christ in

very specific ways. But before he gets to the

behavior, he is telling this young church that he planted

that what you must understand is what's changed about your

identity, about who you are. And he says three things.

He speaks of us. I've already mentioned being

made alive in Christ. That has to do with

resurrection. Lazarus come out.

Just like Lazarus who is dead physically, we are dead

spiritually. And by his grace, the Lord says

rise, come out. And if that's you, you are one

with Christ. He then speaks in verse 6 about

how we're raised up with him there.

He's referencing the ascension. And then he says, and this is

where we're going to start today and seated us with him in the

heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now this is really important.

Each of those actions is in the heiress.

That means it's past tense. What Paul is saying to the

Saints and Ephesus and the word St. doesn't mean a super highly

committed Christian. All Christians are Saints.

That's what God's Word teaches us.

And So what he's saying about these Saints is that you have

already been made alive, resurrected, you have already

ascended. You are already right now

sitting with Jesus in the heavenly places in Christ, the

best seat forever, forever. But it doesn't start when we

die. It starts when we have been

given new life in Christ. If you're in Jesus, you are

right now sitting with him in the heavenlies.

Now this word heavenly is translated into the ESV.

Heavenly places is unique to Paul and unique to this letter.

Paul uses it at the beginning of the letter in chapter 1, verse

three. He says blessed be the God and

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ

with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

He's going to use that same phrase again in verse 20 of

chapter 1 when he speaks of the immeasurable greatness of

Christ's power toward us who believe according to the working

of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised

him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the

heavenly places. He uses it as we've just read in

chapter 2, verse 6, and then near the end of his letter is

Paul is teaching about spiritual warfare.

He speaks of how we are in a battle, and the verse that he

uses in chapter 6, verse 12 says this.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the

rulers, against the authorities, against those cosmic powers,

over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of

evil in the heavenly places. So This is why it matters what

Paul is teaching the people of Ephesus, those who are in

Christ, the Saints, is that because of who they are in

Christ, their union, because they are seated with Jeezy

Jesus, they have all the authority because of who we are

in Christ. This is really important.

Most of us are not living in the reality of this truth in our

daily walk. Let me ask you a question.

Does this reality you being seated in the heavenly places

with Christ, does it inform the way you think about every day,

every meeting of every day? Does your small group Bible

study spend a lot of time talking about what it means to

be seated with Christ now, not just one day after we die?

So much of our discipleship is not focused on that.

Instead, it's focused on our behaviors.

Did you look at this? Did you not look at this?

How are you thinking about the ways in which you give?

All these things matter, but it must come out of the identity of

who we are. So what does this mean to be

seated with Christ? Well, first let's talk about

what it was for Christ in the book of Hebrews, chapter 1.

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

The author of that book, really the preacher of that sermon,

Speaking of Jesus, says this. He is the radiance of the glory

of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he that's Jesus

upholds the universe by the word of his power after making

purification for our sins. That means his life, his death,

his resurrection, his reign after making purification for

our sins. He that's Jesus, sat down at the

right hand of the majesty on high, having become as much

superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more

excellent than theirs. And then later in the chapter

verse 13, the author, the preacher says, and to which of

the angels has he ever said, Sit at my right hand until I make

your enemies a footstool for your feet.

OK, This is the 6th Sunday of Easter.

On Easter Sunday I preached the last words that are recorded by

Matthew and the Gospel according to Matthew.

And that is when Jesus says to them, All authority in heaven

and on earth has been given to me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them

in the name of the Father and the Son, teaching them to obey

all. I've come into you.

Then what does he say? The last words of Matthew's

Gospel. And surely I will be with you

always to the end of the age. How can that be?

How can it be? They watch as Acts records it.

Jesus move into the sky as he has sinned.

How can he ascend to this throne to sit at the right hand of the

Father and yet still be present with us?

It has to do with the reality of the Holy Spirit.

But what does it mean that he's seated there?

First, He's in a realm of glory, the greatest realm of glory.

He is returned to that place. Second, the fact that he is

seated signifies victory. It symbolizes what he said on

the cross. It is finished.

I have conquered our great enemy, sin, Satan, and death.

Sitting symbolizes that great victory, that there in this

realm of glory, he sits. He rests, but he's not finished

with his reigning there on that throne.

As he rest, he also reigns. He reigns because everything in

heaven and on earth is under him.

And he waits until the Father says return.

And when he returns, he's not coming as an infant in a cradle.

He's coming as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And when he comes, every knee will bow and tongue confess that

Jesus Christ is Lord. Now here's what's utterly

astonishing. If you are in Jesus Christ, you

are seated with Him right now. You are resting in Him in the

realm of glory. You, because He is in you and

you are in him, are reigning with Him, who is the one who has

authority over all. This is why Paul emphasizes and

laborers this new identity. You and I have an earthly zip

code. You have an earthly address.

But for those who are in Christ, this is not our home.

Our home is already in the heavenly places, and we already

are sitting with Jesus in Jesus. What might that do to our small

groups? What might they do to our daily

devotions if we remember where we are and who we are in?

This is mysterious. And because it's mysterious,

it's our temptation to ignore it.

And when we ignore it, we do so to our peril.

Because this is true of who we are.

Tim Jeffers. This week a friend elder in our

church came across as old Scottish Presbyterian from the

19th century named Robert Smith Candlisch.

He wrote and preached on this particular phrase.

Sitting with Jesus seated in the heavenlies.

Listen to what he says. Sitting with Christ at the right

hand of the majesty on high, that's the Father.

Sitting with Christ at the right hand of the majesty on high.

You, that's whoever's in Christ. You sit very near the Father.

Not one day you will sit near the Father.

Right now, brother, sister in Christ, you're sitting in Christ

near the Father, close beside him, as it were, under the very

I with which he regards Christ, with the very embrace in which

he clasped his Son to his bosom. And you sit above all else but

God. All outward things you may

command to be your servants in the Lord.

I don't think much of our discipleship centers on this

reality. We run to the back half of the

letter of Ephesians, missing the reality of what he's saying at

the front and what's at the front and what's at the back.

Both matter, but getting them in the right order is most

important. If you're in Jesus, this is now

and forever the best seat. If you're in Christ Jesus, this

is now and forever the best seat.

The best seats require planning. Best seats require payment.

Best seats require person. Every time I receive great

seats, there was some plan towards those.

Or every time I've provided great seats, like later today,

it's because planning took place, a reservation was made.

Confidence that the reservation will be kept as part of the

plan, payment is made. Somebody purchased those tickets

for me. It's somebody of influence,

somebody of power that got me into that suite that enabled me

to sleep like a baby for a little while.

But here's what we don't think about enough.

The plan for you, sister, brother in Christ.

The plan for me, your brother in Christ.

The plan for the Saints at Ephesus for every Christian of

all time. That plan was written before all

creation. Your name was in the reservation

book. If you're in Christ, that is how

far back your testimony goes. Meditate on that.

Since the love, even in the mystery, the plan was made.

That plan included payment, and the payment of that seat was the

very blood, the very life of the man that we're seated with in

that seat. Do you see how Paul phrased it,

verse 6, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in

the heavenly places in Christ Jesus?

He was the payment. He was the person, a person so

meek and humble, yet no one more powerful.

All authority in heaven on earth has been given to me.

But here's the question, why was this such a burden to Paul?

Why did he start here and stay here for some time?

And what does it mean for my life today?

Let me quote Candlush again, answering the question.

Where are the heavenlies? Is that just some place far

away, that periodically I will take things to the Lord and

receive from Him? No.

Wherever a believer is, there are the heavenlies in his

closet, his family, his shop, his office, for in the mall he

has in his inmost soul what is the essence of the heavenlies.

It's your union with Jesus. And So what that means

practically, and I can't get more practical to this, is that

when you are seated in the conference room or in the

classroom or in the corner, when you are on a job interview or a

second date, when you are in carpool or in the waiting room

or even at the DMV, When you are on the bench in the Pew or on

the hot seat, Christian St. you are seated in the heavenlies.

And if we believe that's true, it changes everything about the

way we see our day, the appointments we have, the

errands we run, the dreams we pursue.

If you're not in Christ, then you're not in that seat.

You're still on your own throne, seeking to rule your own world.

And all that I'm preaching this morning, all that's been

promised to you is not yet yours.

And if you never turn to Christ, if you never rest and receive

Him alone for salvation, you will remain on your throne for

all eternity, separated from Him.

Listen carefully, how do we receive this seat?

How do we receive this salvation?

Paul's very clear to labor throughout all of his letters

about the grace of God. In verse 7, he seems to

interrupt his thoughts, even speaking about the grace of God,

moving into verses 8 and 9 saying for by grace you have

been saved through faith, and this not of your own doing.

It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no man

may boast, no one may boast. Now this is important.

You know this doctrine because we preach it all the time.

But like me, we are constantly tempted to smuggle something of

our own flesh into that reality. I'm not as bad as them.

I'm doing pretty good. I know more dead authors than

they do. I am more zealous than them.

Friends, you and I have the same thing in common.

There's nothing we bring. Not one work, not one thought,

not one discipline, not one idea.

We're in a moment. We're going to sing naked.

Come to thee for dress nothing in my hand.

I bring you sing that, I sing that.

And yet I'm so tempted still to be smuggling something of

myself, and there's nothing, no works.

Now this is important. At this point many people begin

to confuse the gospel. Some of them say I've come to

face and because works don't matter, I can live any way I

want. If that's how you are living, I

want you to hear this clearly. You should have very little

confidence that you're in the seat.

You should have very little confidence that you're saved

because when someone is saved, they went from being dead to now

suddenly being resurrected to life.

And it doesn't just happen that forgiveness is all it's about.

The new life. And the person begins to take

deep roots. The desire for Christ begins to

grow. And suddenly your love for the

Word of God, your love for the things of God, your desire to

worship God begins to swell in your heart and mind.

None of it by you, none of it by your works.

You can't boast. All because of His love and

mercy and even the gift of faith that He gets us.

We are saved by grace, by faith alone, but never by a faith that

is alone. And that's why verse 10 must be

coupled with eight and nine. It says this.

For we are His workmanship, created in Jesus for good works

which God prepared before him that we should walk in them.

Look at that verse again. This is to those Saints, those

who are in Christ. It's to Christians, for we are

his workmanship. The word for workmanship in the

Greek is poema. It means poem.

It is a general term for a work of art.

Here's what that means. Richard Phillips says God's

highest masterpiece is his spiritual transformation of the

man or woman long dead in sin. That's all of us who God raised

from spiritual death and now is saved to do good works in his

name. The good works that we do in His

name are not what save us. They do not earn our salvation

because salvation is by grace through faith alone.

We who have been resurrected, we who have been ascended, we who

are right now sitting with Jesus next to God the Father on high

in Christ, we want to live for him.

We want no part of our life to not look like He desires for it

to look. We're changed and we're being

changed. That's sanctification.

Sanctification is not an act like justification A1 time

reality. It is a work of God's free grace

whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God

and are enabled more and more to die into sin and live under

righteousness. So friend, let me ask you a few

questions. Are you in that seat?

Do you know what it means to trust in Christ alone for

salvation? Do you desire to be holy because

of who Christ is? Do you desire to live according

to His Word? If the answer is yes, that

transformational work is at play, praise God.

Some of you today might be here and you're being honest about a

particular struggle. You might even say I struggle to

desire God. Well, let me ask you to take it

a level lower as you hear what I'm preaching, as you hear what

Paul wrote, is anything stirring in you?

Is there a part of you that's saying I desire to desire those

things and take them to the Lord and ask him for the grace to

meet that prayer? And I trust that he will.

Poema poem, a general term for a work of art.

Sinclair Ferguson says this and as I say this, I want you to

think about the people who are in Christ all around you.

Listen to what he says. The Church Triumphant is an art

gallery where God displays reflections of his glory.

It is a Portrait Gallery in which the family likeness is

seen in countless different individuals who together display

His infinite glory. But here's the key.

If you're in Christ, you are being molded by Him like clay in

the hands of the Potter to do good works that will bring him

glory. You who are in Christ, seated

with Him in the heavenlies, are left here now like me on earth,

to live for His glory, displaying His glorious work

through us. These works that He's called

you, these works that He's called me to do, these works

were written by Him also before all creation.

That's mind blowing. But I want you to hear one final

thing. While we are the Master's

masterpiece, His work in and through us, we are not to be

seated on a shelf. We are not to be hung on a wall.

We are to live in the reality of that identity everywhere we go.

And the righteousness of Christ, the radiance of Christ shines

from us all by his grace, all for his glory.

Last thing, sometimes you might feel like God is distant.

These two pictures are being seated right now with Christ in

the heavenlies and the picture of us being clay in the hands of

the masterful artworker. We couldn't be closer.

He has you for all who are in Christ.

This is who you are today if you're here, but you don't know

him. Oh, I pray that you recognize

that maybe why you're here was so that you could hear this

truth and surrender your life to Christ today.

Father, thank you so much for your word.

In just a few verses, Paul unveils a reality that is so

hard for us to believe and understand.

But through the working of your spirits, you give us those eyes.

You give us those ears and most significantly, you give us a

heart that now beats for you. I pray that you would bless us

even as we sing with voice full the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

Please stand.