Thank you, Brett, and thank you, Ogden family, for your ministry to us this evening in song. If you didn't already receive an outline sheet, the ushers are coming by, and they'll be happy to provide one for you as you open your Bible with me, please, to the book of Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 2, Ephesians chapter 2. We noted as we began our study of the book of Ephesians that Ephesians chapter 1 contains the longest sentence in the Bible. one of the longest sentences in all of ancient writings. Ephesians chapter two is another of the Apostle Paul's grand sentences, and while there can be some confusion about that, with regard to reading it in the English language, in the original language, this is a run-on sentence, almost like no other except for Ephesians chapter one. But Ephesians chapter two this evening, we're gonna be looking at Ephesians chapter two. H.A. Ironside, in his commentary on the book of Ephesians, introduces this particular text by sharing the story of an incident that happened to him as a traveling speaker. He found himself in Los Angeles, there in Los Angeles. He got a ride with what was called at that time the inter-urban car, a peculiar car or bus of the day, and getting on the bus or the car at that time, there was a rather strange-looking woman that he looked across the bus and saw, and she came toward him wearing, as he described it, a dress that looked like it was woven together by people who were wearing bandanas, all bandanas, a long dress. And the woman immediately sat down, and she said to Dr. Ironside, would you like me to tell your fortune? Well, pulling back a little bit, she said, cross my palm with a quarter, and I'll tell you your past and your present and your future. Taken aback just a bit by the lady's request, Dr. Ironside said, are you sure you can tell me all of my past, my present, and my future? Oh, yes, she said, but first, that will be a quarter. Dr. Ironside looked at her and smiled and said, I don't really need to pay you a quarter. I already have been given my past, my present, and my future. Oh, she said, you have. He said, yes, in fact, I have it in a book. A book, she said. That's interesting, I've never heard of that. He pulled out his New Testament. At that time, he said in his writings that she got a little bit nervous. And he said, let me tell you what this tells me about my past. And he began by reading Ephesians chapter two, verse one. And you, hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins, when in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind, or by nature, the children of wrath, even as others. The woman at that time said, I don't need to hear any more. I don't need to hear any more. He grabbed her by the arm. And he said, now you realize I'm not charging you a quarter. So let me tell you what my future is, or my present is, rather. So he began to read in verse four. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he hath loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace he saved and hath raised us up together and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And then he said, at that point, she wanted to run away. And knowing that he was holding her arm rather firmly, he didn't want to be arrested for assault. And he said to her, but you really need to hear my future. And as she was getting up to leave, he continued to read rather loudly that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus, for by grace he is saved through faith. that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. As the lady was making her exit from the vehicle that they were on, she said rather loudly, I took the wrong man, I took the wrong man. She was not happy with what he read, but all of us should be very happy with what we read. Ephesians chapter two, verses one to 10, provides every believer's past, present, and future in a single sentence. And it's a sentence that's filled with grace. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 7 reminds us that we read of His exceeding riches of grace. And in verse 8, for by grace are you saved through faith. You see, the Christian faith is unlike any other. Every other religion in the world encourages the followers of that religion to do and do and do. But the Christian faith is about grace. We are rich in grace. That's why we sing about it so often. Perhaps the favorite song of all time, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. What an exhilarating song to be able to sing wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin. What a blessing and soothing to sing grace, tis a charming sound, harmonious to the ear. How blessed to be able to sing grace, grace, God's grace. Our hymnals are filled with songs of grace because our Bibles are filled with themes of God's grace. This passage tells us we're saved by grace. 2 Peter 3 and verse 8 says, we grow in grace. Hebrews 4 and verse 16 invites us to the throne of grace. And the Bible reminds us in Colossians 3 and verse 16, we sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. Theologians describe God's grace as the unmerited favor of God that's bestowed upon lost sinners. What's grace? It's that unmerited favor of God that's bestowed on the lost. Christianity is very uniquely, very wonderfully a message, a religion of the availability of the grace of God to the undeserving. So as we look at the passage, this evening, we discover that the Spirit of God presents every believer's biography in 10 verses that declare his wonderful grace. Years ago, I found myself with a family that I loved, praying for the salvation of Jimmy George. We prayed and we prayed and we prayed for Jimmy, and a special service was conducted. Not long after that special service, Jimmy came into my office and he said, Pastor Phelps, I wanna tell you something. I said, go ahead. He said, I trusted Jesus Christ as my savior at the special service that you hosted recently. I said, that's wonderful. Then he said, I wanna show you something that I found in my Bible. I said, what's that, Jimmy? He opened to Ephesians chapter two and he read the 10 verses that we're about to look at. And he pointed at it, he said, this is me, this is me. Truth is, it's every believer's biography. We look at our past, we look at our present, we look at our future in this text. And as we look at our past, we discover that he pitied our condition, that God pitied our condition. We, after all, according to verse one, were dead. Verse two says we were walking according to the lust of the world. Verse three says we were bound by the lust of the flesh. Now, there are those who study biblical numerology, I think sometimes to their own hurt. But those who study biblical numerology make much of the number five. The number five, they would say, is the number of grace. David picked up five stones after all, and there were five kingdoms that are described in the book of Daniel. There is in the book of Daniel the kingdom of Babylon, the Medo-Persians, the Greeks, the Romans. and a kingdom to come. That's the kingdom of God's grace, the millennial kingdom. It's interesting in this text that speaks of God's grace. In verses 1 through 3, we discover that God's saving grace is being described, and it's being described by describing for us those who will receive His grace. And as he describes those receiving his grace, he describes us in five ways. First, he says, we were dead, verse one. Those who have come to Christ as Savior need to acknowledge that before that moment of regeneration, salvation, we were dead. You hath he quickened or made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. The Bible teaches that there are three kinds of death. There's physical death, of course. In fact, the Bible defines physical death for us in James chapter 2 and verse 26. The body without the spirit is dead. Then there's eternal death. Eternal death is described for us in Revelation chapter 20 and verse 4. A death in hell will one day be cast into the lake of fire. And then the word of God says, and this is the second death. And then there's spiritual death. Romans chapter five says in verse 12, as in Adam, all die. That's what's being addressed in Ephesians two in verse one. You hath he quickened who were dead. You see, we are all spiritual stillborn. We are dead in trespasses. In other words, that's our state at birth. We're dead in trespasses, born into a sinful condition and then by choice, trespasses and sins. Those are decisions that we make in life. You at the Quickened who were dead in trespasses, that's the state of your birth and these choices that you've made, the sins that you've chosen Now, we want to be careful here in Ephesians 2 and verse 1 because the Calvinist will press the analogy of this text beyond what I believe the intention of the text to teach. A strong Calvinist will come to Ephesians 2 and verse 1 and say, see there, born dead, just as one can come and touch a dead corpse and expect no response. There could be no response spiritually to the revelation of God, to the presence of God, to the awareness of God, without that first touch being made by the Spirit of God. And so the Calvinists will teach that there must be regeneration before there is faith. And they teach it from this text. noting that we're dead in trespasses and sins. Yes, indeed, we're dead in trespasses and sins. But the Word of God teaches this in John 6 and verse 47. In fact, Jesus Christ said, he that believeth in me hath everlasting life. It doesn't say he that has everlasting life will believe in me. He that believeth in me hath everlasting life." You say, Pastor Phelps, I'm getting confused a little bit. Well, in Calvinistic theology, this discussion comes under the heading of the Ordo Salutis. What is the order of our salvation? What exactly happens at the moment of our salvation? Many things happen, praise the Lord. At the moment of our salvation, we're baptized into one body, Jew and Gentile together, in the body now called the church. At the moment of our salvation, we're filled with the Spirit of God, baptized in the body of Christ. At the moment of our salvation, the Spirit of God comes to dwell within us, and now coming to dwell within us, we have an unction, 1 John says, so that no man need teach us, whereas once we could not understand the things of the Lord, because the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, but now the eyes of illumination being open and the light of the Spirit of God allows us to see what before was confusing to us. Many things happen at the moment of our salvation. But when speaking of the ordo salutis, the Calvinist wants to explain that before a person can cry out for salvation, there has to be regeneration because you're dead in trespasses and sin. Now, we want to be careful. The analogy is overpressed. The reality is this. At the moment of Adam and Eve's death, when God came into the garden, they were responding to spiritual stimuli. They were hiding. Throughout the scriptures, you will see those and even hear their testimony, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. You will see conviction come over a person. and have that person white knuckled sometimes holding onto the seat and saying, I'm not gonna go forward. We can still respond to spiritual stimuli, but there's nothing we can do to be saved. We're dead in our trespasses and sins. This passage speaks of that death. The gospel message is not, he that hath eternal life will believe. The gospel message is, he that believes will have eternal life. The apostle Paul did not answer the Philippian jailer's question of the night by saying, when the jailer said, what must I do to be saved? Paul's answer was not, wait for the regeneration of the spirit and then you will cry out. Paul's answer was, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Now, if you're still confused, let me share the words of Charles Spurgeon, who was an avowed Calvinist, but was right on this point. Spurgeon said, if I'm to preach the faith in Christ to a man who is regenerated, then the man being regenerated is saved already. It's unnecessary and ridiculous for me to preach Christ to him and bid him to believe in order to be saved when he's saved already being regenerate. So then I am only to preach faith to those who have it, that's absurd indeed. Is not this waiting till the man is cured and then bringing him the medicine? This is preaching Christ to the righteous and not to sinners. Unbelievers are dead. They're not in need of reformation. Without the Spirit, there's no possible way for a person to be reformed. They're not in need of resuscitation. It's not coming back to a life that they once enjoyed. They're in need of regeneration, a new life given. Jesus said, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Unbelievers are not sick, they're dead. This passage speaks of our spiritual death before we came to Christ as Savior. By the way, that's very important. We live in a generation in a world that's redefined to sin under all kinds of headings as sickness. Sin is a foreboding topic. Sin is our real plague. And so the question is asked, why did this person commit this awful atrocity? Well, they must be sick, psychologically sick. They're dead in trespasses and sin. It's a sin problem. And that sin problem can be only taken care of when regeneration happens. Now, it's not a very flattering picture being painted of our past. He speaks of us as being dead. And then he says we were deceived. Verse two, wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. Every one of us is born into a realm that is filled with deceit. The course of this world, this ion, this age. And so in reality, when we're born into this age, this ion, this present darkness, it's almost like a bird being born underwater. There's no capacity for any life to be sustained, even so in this age in which we now live. The age is not conducive to spiritual life being sustained. We live in a globe that's been tainted by sin. As in Adam, all die. Everyone is born in a realm of deceit. We're born into a Satan-influenced society that has succumbed to the deceits of Satan, and everyone is born under a ruler who is a master of deceit. And so we read in this text, in times past we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. Satan is described in John chapter 12 as being the ruler of this world. He's described as being the God of this age in 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4. Now wait a minute, Pastor Phelps. I've heard you quote Daniel chapter 4, and in Daniel chapter 4, Pastor, you said that God is in control of all circumstances, that he raises up one and he puts down another. That's right, God is sovereign. But now I'm confused. How then does Satan have this power? He has this power in this present age. under the authority of our sovereign God. And so we are born into this realm under this ruler, Satan, and he is indeed alive and well on the planet Earth today. All of us born in darkness, born dead, born deceived, born disobedient. Verse two says, we are the children of disobedience. The Spirit of God literally calls us out and says, you're sons of disobedience. And the idea of sonship in the New Testament means you've taken upon you all of the characteristics of your father. Our past is bleak. Year of your father the devil, John 8 and verse 44, Jesus says, and the lust of your father you will do. All born in sin, born disobedient, dead, deceived, disobedient, depraved. Verse 3, we all had our conversation, our lifestyle, in times past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Because we're born in sin, we're born seeking to satisfy the lust of our flesh and fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind. Our actions are sinful because we're born sinners. Because we're born sinners, we will sin. And the word lust is a very strong word. It speaks of those natural cravings, the cravings of our flesh to do wrong. Pastor, are you saying that every person is born depraved? I certainly am. And there are levels of depravity. Simply because we're born depraved doesn't mean we're gonna do everything possible that's wrong, but it also means we will do wrong. And born depraved certainly means this, according to the book of Isaiah, that there's nothing that we can do that can please a holy God. We can do things on the horizontal level, if you will, even in our depravity, that will demonstrate kindness to others. There's still altruism in the world. There's still a resemblance of the goodness of God in man, but there is no goodness of God in man. There's a resemblance of that, of the kindness and the deeds that are done. by those who are kind-hearted even when they're dead in their sins, but it does not please God. All of our righteousness is as filthy rags before Him. There's nothing that we can do of our own to please God. And while on this level we might find ourselves being kind, and we might have neighbors, and it can be confusing to some. I have a neighbor that seems more generous and kinder than even people that I know to be professing believers. And you're saying that all are depraved. We're all depraved in the sight of God, all polluted, various levels of that depravity, but all a desperately wicked picture, and there's one more descriptor that God uses. to tell us about our past. He says, we were doomed. Verse three says, we were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Those born in sin are born condemned. They're destined to face the wrath of a holy God. In John chapter three, the 18th verse, Jesus says it this way. He that believeth on him, on Christ, is not condemned. but he that believeth not is condemned already. This is a ghastly portrait of every one of our past. We are all dead, deceived, disobedient, depraved, and doomed, unable to understand the Bible, unable to approach God, unable to do righteousness that pleases God, unprepared to stand before the Lord. This is our past, and he pitied our condition. For this passage, remember, is going to speak of the grace of God. The good news for those who see the one who pitted our condition is this, he provides for our salvation. Our gracious God is constantly involved in providing for the needs of the fallen. So we read in verse four, but God, 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 are you saved, that raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Under no obligation to sinners, God in His kindness spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden, even when sin had come in. Under no obligation to be kind. God said to Abraham in Genesis 22, he would provide himself a lamb. Let's consider why and how God supplies and provides for our salvation. First, the reason for this provision. I hope it doesn't surprise you to hear this. It's nothing about you and it's nothing about me. It causes our God to provide for our salvation. He provides for our salvation because He's a God of mercy. Verse four, He's rich in mercy. Mercy is the heart being moved to action by an awareness of the needs of others. The merciful will see someone in need and will stop and care for the need. This passage is saying our God sees us in our polluted position and he has a heart of mercy. In fact, 1 Peter 1 and verse 3 says he's abundant in mercy. Psalm 103 and verse 8 says he's a God full of mercy. 2 Corinthians 1 and verse 3 calls him the father of all mercies. He's a God of mercy, he's a God of love. Again in verse 4, for his love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin. Did you notice rather the apostolic amazement almost in this passage? His love wherein he loves us even when we were dead in sin. It seems a spirit of amazement. It's as if he's describing God showing love to a corpse. Something that is totally unlovely. God shows His love toward the totally unlovely because He's a God of grace, verse 7, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ. God's great desire is that He be glorified. That's not a desire of pride. That's a desire to be magnified in the world that He's created. so that all can know of the greatness of our God. And then the knowledge of the greatness of God like a diamond is displayed on a black velvet with light shining on it. God chooses to allow his grace, his mercy, and his love to be displayed to all the heavenly creatures by his kindness to us the undeserving. What a great God. No wonder in heaven we're gonna sing of the greatness of His salvation. Because through us, He has a purpose that His person, His mercy, His love, and His grace can be displayed. So when we ask, what's the reason for the provision of salvation? The reason is because of the God that He is. The songwriter said, I am not worthy of the least of His favor. But Jesus left heaven for me. The Word became flesh, and He died as my Savior, forsaken on dark Calvary. I'm not worthy the least of His favor, but in the Beloved I stand. Now I'm an heir with my wonderful Savior, and all things are mine at His hand. I'm not worthy the least of His favor, but He is preparing a place where I shall dwell with my glorified Savior forever to look at his face. I'm not worthy. This dull tongue repeats it. I'm not worthy. This heart gladly beats it. Jesus left heaven to die in my place. What mercy, what love, and what grace. The results of that provision. For by grace are you saved. And the Apostle Paul uses very carefully A verbal tense that helps us to understand and appreciate and be comforted by the work of God. By grace are you saved. He's using a perfect passive verb. What does that mean, Pastor Phelps? It means that something in the past happened, not that you did, but someone did it for you. And because it happened in the past and was done for you, That which happened in the past continues to have present, future, and eternal benefit. What happened in the past that continues to bring us blessing today? What is it that he's done for us? For by grace are you saved. And he uses that same imagery throughout this passage. God did it, I didn't. It happened in the past, it can't be taken away. because it's passive, he did it for me so I can give glory to him. What did he do? Well, he quickened us, verse five. This means he gives us life. He did it in the past, I enjoy it in the present and I'll enjoy it throughout all eternity because God did it, he quickened us. He raised us up, verse six. He did it, he did it for me. I didn't do it for myself and now I have the benefit and he seated us, verse six, in heavenly places. The believer's past, dead in trespasses and sins. The believer's present, made alive, quickened by his grace. The believer's future, well that leads us to the promises. that he's given, promises of our transformation. We read in verse seven, that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus, for by grace he is saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, it's not of works, lest any man should boast. What's he saying? He's saying here that God's grace is displayed through believers. He intends Let there be a spectacle presented to all the angelic beings. And the spectacle that will literally take their breath away, if you will, is the spectacle of what he's done on behalf of the undeserving. Look at chapter three, Ephesians chapter three, verse 10. Ephesians chapter three and verse 10. To the intent that now under the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. His grace, His wisdom placed on display throughout eternity so that all the angelic beings and all that He's ever created can rejoice in His greatness by His grace through our salvation. God's grace is designed to enable us. As we consider the grace of God, it becomes very practical in verse 10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, future, eternal, and because of the position we've been given, present and ongoing, created unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. When we come to the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, we have been given a new purpose. That new purpose is to do good works. We can't live life for God apart from the power of the Spirit of God. This passage says, in your past, God pitied you. In your present, God has provided for you. In your future, God has promised you. And it's all of grace.