FOUNDATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH LESSON 10: SALVATION THE FREE GIFT FROM GOD How does God save us? 1: SUMMARY In this lesson you will learn that salvation is nothing less than resurrection from spiritual death to new life, which is something that God alone can accomplish. Salvation is therefore a free gift from God and not something which can be earned by human works or merited by human worth. The gift of salvation is received by faith and results in good works. 2: BIBLE STUDY EPH 2:1-10 Read Eph 2:1-10 which describes the radical resurrection from the dead which believers call Salvation. The Signs of Spiritual Death (2:1-3) Paul reminds the Ephesian believers of their condition before God graciously saved them. He describes them, not merely as sick, or even as desperately sick, but as dead. Even as a physical body shows no signs of physical life and is completely unresponsive to any physical stimuli, so they showed no signs of spiritual life and were completely unresponsive to any spiritual stimulus. In fact, there were very clear signs of their spiritual death namely: They continually walked in trespasses and sins (2:1). The term trespasses refers literally to a false step indicating that though one may stumble into sin inadvertently, yet it is sin none the less. They were continually following the pattern of this world (2:2). In this context the term world refers to people who are alienated from God. They might be living in continual, active rebellion against His commands, or simply living without thought of God. Their ambitions, priorities, morals and values simply do not take God into account. Worldly people live a life void of God. They were continually following the devil (2:2). Paul calls him the prince of the power of the air indicating that he had a very real authority and power over their lives, a power which he used to influence them toward disobedience. They were enslaved to uncontrolled passions (2:3), unable to keep sinful thoughts, words, and actions under control. Paul makes it clear that we all once lived in such spiritual death and like the rest of mankind were children of wrath. God s righteous anger against our sin and rebellion rightly rested upon us all, without exception. 1
What evidences of spiritual death were in your life before you became a Christian? Explain why, based on this text, people cannot save themselves God s description of the universal human condition leaves no hope for a human solution to our problem. The dead cannot raise themselves or improve their condition, they can only decay further. A finite, created being cannot rescue himself from the wrath of the infinite, thrice holy Creator. Our situation would have been utterly hopeless if God had not sovereignly and graciously intervened. The Gift of Spiritual Life (2:4-9) In vs 4 Paul describes what God did, even while were dead in our trespasses. God raised us from the dead, He breathed new spiritual life into us. God alone can give life (2 Kings 5:7). He did this for us because of who He is, because God, by His very nature, is rich in mercy. He had compassion on our helpless condition and chose not to treat us as our sins deserved. God did not save us out of obligation, or in response to something we did or could do for Him He saved us because of His great, unconditional love for us. Don t miss this important phrase in vs 4, because of the great love with which He loved us. Gods unconditional love is the foundation of our salvation. It was love that motivated God to action, love which arose out His own divine nature rather than out of any goodness He perceived in us. Salvation then, becomes the evidence of God s unconditional love toward us, a love within which a believer is secure for all eternity (Rom 8:28-39). Why did God love you, and therefore save you? 2
Explain, in your own words why we are completely secure in God s love for us. Born Again (2:5) Salvation is an instantaneous event, it is a resurrection from the dead, the granting of new life. Some refer to this event as being born again or reborn because, just like physical birth gives rise to new physical life, salvation gives rise to new spiritual life (Jn 3:1-15). Note the past tense descriptions, made us alive (5), have been saved (5b), raised us (6) and seated us (6) indicating that our salvation is an accomplished fact. The evidence, or fruit of such salvation might take some time to grow and mature, but salvation itself, is a once-off, supernatural, instantaneous, sovereign and gracious act of God. Union with Christ (2:6) We are told in vs 5 that God made us alive together with Christ and in vs 6 that He raised us with Him and seated us with Him. God clearly wants us to understand that Christ s death and resurrection was the tangible, historical, objective means by which He accomplished our salvation. God did not merely chose to overlook our sin, He sent Christ to pay the penalty for our sin, to die in our place. At the moment of salvation believers enter into a new spiritual union with Christ, His death becomes our death, His life our life, His resurrection, our resurrection (Rom 6). The believers union with Christ is a central theme running throughout the New Testament being referred to over 36 times in Ephesians alone! We have a new identity, our life is now eternally bound up with Jesus Christ, that is why we are called Christians. Raised for God s own glory (2:7) Vs 7 begins with the phrase so that indicating the purpose of goal that God had in mind in our salvation. According to vs 7 what was God s purpose in saving us? 3
Saved by grace alone (2:8-9) The text draws a stark contrast to explain how our salvation was accomplished: It was accomplished by God s sovereign act and not by human works or accomplishments. The term grace means literally gift and refers to God s undeserved, unmerited favour. It reminds us that salvation is God s gift and not something which a person may earn, merit, or deserve. In what ways do people try to gain God s favour or merit salvation? Salvation is received by faith (2:9) Salvation is God s gift, accomplished objectively by Christ s death and resurrection on our behalf, and received personally by faith. Salvation is therefore accomplished by Christ and realized through faith. Faith is, by definition, not a human work. Faith is taking our confidence, or trust, out of ourselves, our merits, or our works, and instead trusting in what God has done for us in Christ. Our salvation is a gift from God, both the work of Christ on our behalf and the faith to receive it, is God s gift to us (Eph 2:8), an evidence of His unconditional love, and for the praise of His glory and grace. Are you trusting in Christ alone to save you, and not in any goodness of your own? Yes No Why, according to vs 9, is salvation a gift from God rather than a human achievement? The Fruit of Spiritual Life (2:10) The term workmanship was used to refer to the work of a craftsman, thus highlighting the care, attention and skill with which believers have been re-crafted or re-created in Christ. We have become, quite literally, God s work of art. God wants to demonstrate His power, goodness, and grace by putting us on display, not on the mantelpiece of heaven, but in the market place of the world. Believers are saved in order to do good works which will put God s own glory on display for 4
heaven and earth to see. The text indicates that God has specific works prepared for us, works which will demonstrate what God has accomplished in our lives, which will show His goodness and attract praise for Him, rather than for ourselves. Apart from God s work in re-creating us, we would have continued to walk in darkness (2:2) and our lives would have been characterized by sin, selfishness, and emptiness. But because of God s sovereign and gracious intervention, we have been re-created and re-purposed and our lives are now heading in a completely different direction. What are some of the good works that God would have you walk in as a believer? Summary: We have seen from this text that it is impossible for anybody to save themselves because we cannot raise ourselves from the dead or rescue ourselves from God s wrath. We make absolutely no contribution to accomplishing our salvation it is God s free gift. God s very purpose in salvation is to demonstrate the magnitude of His unconditional love and favour, to put His graciousness on display for all of heaven to celebrate for all eternity. Believers put God s glory and grace on display every day as we walk in obedience to Him and accomplish the good works that He has prepared for us. 3: APPLICATION Is your life accomplishing God s purpose to display His glory Yes No What can and should you do to become more effective at putting God s goodness and grace on display every day? Is there any evidence that, at times, you are trusting in your own works and Yes No accomplishment to gain or maintain your relationship to God? Describe what you see and why it is contrary to salvation by grace alone 5
4: FURTHER DISCUSSION These questions are intended to help you think more deeply about the subject matter at hand and provide the basis for further discussion with another mature believer. Some people live lives which are obviously characterized by sin, selfishness, and destruction. Other people seem to be relatively good and their lives show many good fruits. Discuss how such people still fall into the description of Eph 2:1-3. Legalism is the attempt to gain or maintain our relationship with God through our good works. What evidence is there of legalism in other religions? What forms of legalism do we find even in the church? Discuss where and how you struggle with legalism. What about people who claim to be Christians and yet they continue to live like unbelievers and show no evidence of being re-created? Can such a person be saved? Young people growing up in a Christian home and a good church will look very much like true believers. What evidence might there be that they are still following the course of this world? What evidences might there be of genuine salvation? 5: MEMORIZATION The following Scriptures would be good to memorize and meditate upon as they summarize the truths contained in this lesson: Eph 2:8-10 Titus 3:5 6: FURTHER STUDY In Ezek 37:1-14 God shows the prophet a valley of dry bones which depict the spiritual lifelessness of the nation of Israel. Read the passage which describes how God promises to give them new life in terms very similar to Ephesians. A Jewish religious leader asked Jesus what a man must do in order to be saved. Compare Jesus answer in Jn 3:1-15 with what we learned from Ephesians 2:1-10. Read the free ebook What Does It Mean To Be Born Again? (Crucial Questions Series Book 6 by R.C Sproul; obtainable from http://www.ligonier.org/blog/rc-sprouls-crucialquestions-ebooks-now-free/) 6