Sermon for Saturday
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 ye are saved). Ephesians 2:4,5
There is something that startles me nearly every morning, as I pull up the obituary column from the local newspaper. Recently, the paper changed the format for presenting the obituaries. Now, along with the writeup about the deceased person, the column shows a picture, usually a colour photo, and usually one taken when the person was in good health. But as I look at those photos, I am struck by the reality that those faces, so happy and healthy, are now lying cold and grave in a funeral home coffin. Where once was vibrant life is now death, and it is solemn and soul-searching to consider that. How different the presentation in our text of those who were once dead but have now been given abundant life!
Were we really dead before God saved us? Oh yes we were! Listen to the words of C.H. Spurgeon as he describes our former condition: ‘We were full of vigour towards everything which was contrary to the law or the holiness of God, we walked according the course of this world; but as for anything spiritual, we were not only somewhat incapable, and somewhat weakened; but we were actually and absolutely dead. We had no sense with which to comprehend spiritual things. We had neither the eye that could see, nor the ear that could hear, nor the power that could feel’. It was from such a condition that God ‘quickened’ us. We are alive to God and to all that pertains to God. We enjoy His company, we appreciate His Word, we sing His praises, and we serve His purposes. Our text reminds us that all of this is because of God’s rich mercy and His great love.
The new birth has given ability to our senses and power to our being. That which was not knowable before in our spiritually dead state can now be known. The Word of God speaks to us. The Holy Spirit guides us. The Lord’s people encourage and enrich us. And our responsibility is to listen to and heed what the word of God has to say, to yield ourselves to the Spirit’s guidance, and to devote our beings to loving and serving the Lord’s people. God empowers us to worship and serve him as we ought. What a waste if we allow that power to lie unused while we play with the dead things of a dead world where we no longer dwell.
Our text begins with God and His mercy and ends with Christ and His grace. In between, we have a life that we can now live for our Lord. -Jim MacIntosh