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Christ and CreationUnit 3: The Fruits oj New Life

(Lessons 10-14)NEW WORKS IN GRACE- - -mmB II f - - - - - - INTRODUCTION DEVOTIONAL READING:

. PSALM 86:1-13A. "I DON'T NEED YOUR CHARITY"I was brought up in a lower-middle class, blue-collar neighborhood where BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE, EPHESIANS 2:1-10most people worked in trades or heavy industry. My grandfather was a construction worker who had grown up on a farm and left school after the eighth PRINTED TEXT:EPHESIANS 2: 1-10grade; he retired as vice president of a major company through sheer hardwork and determination. My father worked two jobs, serving as a firefighterand running his mvn remodeling business on off days.Many times I saw families in my neighborhood suffer because the parentsrefused to accept aid from anyone. Through this upbringing, I learned to take LESSON AIMSpride in hard work and, especially, to avoid taking charity or welfare. This at After participating in thititude in many ways reflects the American definition of success: taking care of lesson, each student will beyourself and never admitting that you need help. able to:This same spirit of self-suffiCiency and independence can be found in 1. Describe the nature oAmerican religion. Many American Christians feel very little responsibility the sinful life.for fellow believers. They may also often feel (at least subconsciously) that 2. Explain how good worthey must prove their worth to God by doing good deeds. The apostle Paul can be "worthless" in tennscharacterized his own religious life similarly in Philippians 3:4-6, noting that I earning salvation and indishe once took great pride in his jewish heritage, membership in the sect of pensable in terms ofexpressthe Pharisees, and strict obedience to the Old Testament. Indeed, he asserted ing it.that he was "faultless" in keeping the Law of Moses. 3. Describe one good woBut Paul's sudden and dramatic conversion experience on the road to Da that Christ has prepared himascus (Acts 9: 1-19) started him down a path of thinking differently. That or her to do.new thinking eventually was written down in a series of letters. A key issue inthose letters is Paul's conclusion that we cannot earn our salvation.All people, even the most righteous, are saved only by God's grace. Thatmeans that he does what we cannot do so that we may be acceptable to him.In our passage for today, Paul makes this point by noting that God did notsave us when we were good people, but rather when we were sinners. Goodworks become possible only because of what he did for us. Recognizing thisfact, we should respond to his mercy through loyal service.B. LESSON BACKGROUNDEphesus was one of the best known cities in the ancient world. Its famecame not only from its size and commercial importance, but also and particularly from Ephesian religious culture. One of the largest temple complexes ofthe day-in fact, one of the so-called "seven wonders of the ancient world" KEY VERSEwas located there. It was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of the wilderness For it is by grace you havand fertility. Ephesus was also a world center of occult practices and black been saved, through faith-arts (compare Acts 19: 19). and this not from yourselveWhen Paul first arrived in Ephesus in about AD 54, he spent three months it is the gift ofGod.teaching in local synagogues, but was eventually expelled. So he established -Ephesians 2

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MAY 10, _2009 ___ 340 . NEW WORKS iN GRACELESSON 11 NOTES a school in the lecture hall of Tyrannus (Acts 19:8,9). The Ephesian churcheventually was threatened by pressures from local trade unions. They feareda loss of profit, since Paul's preaching against idolatry was so effective that itjeopardized sales of articles that bore the image of Artemis (Acts 19:23-27).Thus the various elements of Ephesian culture presented special challenges and opportunities to the apostle Paul when he visited the city on his

third missionary journey. In view of their deeply pagan background, Paulwanted the Ephesian Christians to understand two points clearly: (1) Godhad completely forgiven the sins of their previous lifestyle, and (2) God expected them to produce good works as expressions of redemption. Our passage for today covers both topics.I. DEATH TO LIFE (EPHESIANS 2:1-3)A. PAST AND PRESENT (v. 1)1. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,Paul opens this section of Ephesians by equating life without Christ withspiritual death. This means that our conversion is a kind of resurrection.DAILY BIBLE READINGSDead probably refers here both to our alienation from God and to the actualMonday, May 4-Full of physical consequences of our sin. This concept is developed more fully inGrace and Truth Oohn 1: Romans 6, where Paul stresses that "the wages of sin is death" (6:23; see also14-18) . Colossians 2: 13). The past tense were dead speaks to a condition that no lonTuesday, May 5-Wait ger exists for the Ephesians, as we shall see.for the Gracious Lord (Isaiah30:15-21) B. COURSE AND DEVIL (v. 2)Wednesday, May 6-No 2. . . . in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world andGood Withheld (Psalm 84: : of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those8-12) who are disobedient.Thursday, May 7-The I Paul has just described the Ephesians as having been dead in their sins. InThrone ofGrace (Hebrews 4: I verses 2, 3 he clarifies exactly what he means by offering a concise summary14-5:10) of their former, pagan lifestyle. The phrase used to live refers to one's formerFriday, May 8-Set Your lifestyle. With this figure Paul suggests that nonbelievers are following theHope on Grace (l Peter 1: lead of two forces that continually steer them away from God.10-16) First, they follow the ways of this world. While the biblical authors insistSaturday, May 9-TI1e that God created the earth and everything in it, they also characterize theBlessing ofGrace (Numbers world as evil, materialistic, and hostile to him (see]ohn 1:10; Romans 12:2;6:22-27) l]ohn 2:15). The world is evil because the entire human social system is foSunday, May 10-Saved cused on power, personal pleasure, and success at the expense of others. Thisby Grace Through Faith is a self-centered, as opposed to God-centered, system.(Ephesians 2: 1-10) Second, and more specifically, worldly people are driven along by the rulerof the kingdom of the air. This unusual title obviously refers to the devil, butscholars are divided on why Paul would refer to Satan as ruler of the air.The most likely explanation is that Paul is referring to the pagan religioussystems that the Ephesians formerly accepted. Today we generally think of

I God living above the earth while demons are trapped in Hell down below.But most ancient people believe that the earth is at the bottom of a cosmicladder, with evil spirits and minor deities just above us and the more power; ful gods on a higher plane yet. By calling Satan ruler of the air, Paul thus acknowledges his influence, but also stresses that his authority is far below thatof the true God, who dwells in the highest Heaven. In any case, Paul is lessconcerned with Satan's domain than with his impact on people's lives. While

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LESSQN 11 . ... 341 MAyjO, 200many nonbelievers would not attribute their actions to any supernatural in WHAT Do You THINK?fluence, Paul makes clear that their lives are heavily influenced by the devil. In what areas do you thinThere are no innocent bystanders: one is either alive in faith or dead in sin, I that the "ruler of the kingdoeither a servant of God or a slave of the devil. of the air" is most iffective

I in irifluencing lives againstC. LUSTS AND DESIRES (v. 3) God? In which of these are3. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings ofour I you most vulnerable? How dsinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by I you guard against this vul-nature objects ofwrath. I nerability?As in chapter 1, the word we probably refers to je'Arish Christians suchas Paul himself. It takes little effort to prove that pagans live lives gratifying Ithe cravings of their sinful nature. But Paul everywhere emphasizes that even"good" jews are objects ofwrath before coming to Christ.

Of course,jews believe in and worship the true God, not idols and demons. But this fact does not stop them from breaking God's law and pursuing self-gratification. The phrase cravings ofour sinful nature refers to thingsthat we do because they feel good to our bodies, even though we know that WHAT Do You THINK?God disapproves of them: getting drunk, engaging in illicit sex, etc. Which sins cause you theIPaul also admits that he too was once enslaved to sinful desires and most trouble: those of thethoughts, a likely reference to the more intellectual sins: covetousness, pride, flesh or those of the mind?etc. Those who do such things show that they are alienated from God and How have you grown spiritudeserving of punishment. ally in being able to ttiumphover these trouble spots?II. LIFE FROM DEATH (EPHESIANS 2:4-10)A. LOVED BY GOD (w. 4, 5)4,5. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made u.salive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace youhave been saved.The story that begins in verses 2, 3 could have ended with the fire andbrimstone of eternal damnation. Every person of every religious backgroundis guilty of sins of the body and the mind. A righteous God is justified in repaying such rebelliousness with eternal death.Genesis 7 ends 'Arith a worldwide flood that nearly "ripes out the humanrace. But this time things work out differently: God decides to forgive us. Paulcan offer only two explanations for this remarkable twist in the plot, andneither of them has anything to do with our efforts. First, God is rich in mercy,a phrase that stresses his willingness to forego the punishment we deserve.Second, God's mercy is driven by the simple fact that he loves us, even whenwe do not love him.Both the reason for and the expression of God's love are indicated in thephrase with Christ. Christ's death on the cross secures our salvation; his resurrection from the tomb also brings our spirits to life. Thus for the first timepeople are able to come to God fully forgiven after years of seeking fulfillmentin false religions and pleasures of the flesh. It almost goes without saying bythis point in Paul's argument that our salvation is the result of God's grace,

not our own merit.B. RAISED WITH HIM (v. 6)6. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenlyrealms in Christ Jesus,

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M A Y _ 1 J l , _ . 2 . _ Q _ Q ~ _WHAT Do You THINK?

In what ways do we sitwith]esus even now?[Matthew 8: 11 and 22: 1-14 can infonn your answCl:]

How TO SAY ITArchimedes. Ar-huh-MEdeez.Artemis. AR-teh-miss.canard. huh-NARD.Damascus. Duh-MASS-hus.Ephesus. EF-uh-sus.Moses. MO-zes or MO-zez.Pharisees. FAIR-ih-seez.Philippians. Fih-LIP-ee-unz.synagogues. SIN-uh-gogs.Tyrannus. Ty-RAN-nus.

34:L_ NEW WORKS IN GRaised us up extends the resurrection imagery in verse 5. At the end ofchapter 1, Paul speaks of Christ's ascension to Heaven and exaltation aftehis resurrection. There he sat down at God's right hand to rule the univer (Ephesians 1:20-23; see Philippians 2:8-11). Now Paul says that Christ nonly redeemed us and brought us back to life, he also raised us togetherthat we may share in his glorious reign.Notably, these words refer not only to our eternal reward in Heaven, balso to our status as believers now, at the present time. Not only has Godgiven us, he has also raised us up with and through his Son. See also Colsians 2: 12 for other features associated with being "raised."

C. BLESSED FOR ETERNITY (v. 7)7. . . . in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable licof his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Chlist]esus.Paul has just stressed that God's grace has already been revealed in anincredible way through our unmerited salvation. Now Paul says that thesblessings will continue forever. While some have suggested that in the comages refers to future generations of humanity, the phrase more likely refereternity beyond the end of human time. At some point Christ will come athis world will pass away, but even then (or especially then) we will contito enjoy the benefits of God's grace.Further, God has done all this not only for our own benefit, but also aprimarily so that he can demonstrate his graciousness to all creation. Theof our salvation reveals his nature as a loving and merciful God.

RECOGNIZING WORTHArchimedes was the ancient philosopher who discovered the principle ofwadisplacement. The only known source for two of his treatises is a tenth-centucopy on a goatskin. Because parchment was scarce, an anonymous scribe in ttwelfth century AD eradicated the writing \ \ ~ t h a weak acid solution and rubbed tskin smooth so it could be used again, not realizing the value of what was beierased. He then wrote a prayer book on the skin.Forgers in the twentieth century made the situation worse by painting religioimages over four pages of the skin, hoping to make the prayer book more valuabHowever, a few years ago scientists at Stanford University found that powerfulrays would react \ \ ~ t h the iron-based ink that was used centuries earlier With ttechnique, they were able to read the lost ancient text.Neither the twelfth-century scribe nor the twentieth-century forgers apprecied the value of what they were destroying ~ t their "improvements." Do we eend up destroying what Paul calls "the incomparable riches of [God's] grace" \ ~ our own ideas or "improvements"? -c. R.

D. SAVED BY GRACE (w. 8, 9)8. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith----and this not fromyourselves, it is the gift ofGod-Up to this point in the chapter, Paul has used fairly grandiose language todescribe God's love and our salvation. The Ephesians have lived out the ulti"rags to riches" story, going from ignorant slaves to exalted children of God.lest this lead to spiritual arrogance, Paul proceeds to stress two critical pointFirst, our salvation is a product of God's grace, not of anything we havdone or could do. It is, in fact, categorically impossible for any person to

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LESSON 11 343saved by works (see v. 9, next). Second, salvation, being a gift, is not some-thing we can take for granted. The fact that God did all the work to bring usback to life doesn't mean that we can kick back and relax. Quite the oppo-site! Verse 10 (below) stresses that we are saved for the purpose of works forChrist.The phrase through faith indicates the premier means by which we aresaved, the way that God's grace comes to us. (The parallel passage Colossians2: 12 adds the important dimension of baptism.) Jesus' death on the crosswas a public act, a fact ofhistory. But, sadly, not everyone receives forgivenessthrough his sacrifice. God's grace becomes relevant to us as we believe in him.This means believing not only that God exists, as Paul believed when he wasstill aJewish sinner (v. 3), but also believing to the point that we have faithin Christ as our only way ofsalvation. The gift to which Paul refers is the for-giveness that we enjoy once faith allows us to receive God's grace.The phrase this not from yourselves is among the more controversial state-ments in the Bible. Paul is clearly using this clause to modify something hehas just said, but the grammar makes us wonder whether Paul is referring tograce, faith, or something else. Exactly what is it that is not of ourselves?Although not apparent in English, the words grace and faith are femininein gender in the Original language, while the word this is neuter in gender inthis particular passage. Thus whatever it is that is not from yourselves must besomething other than either faith or grace specifically since the genders ofthe words don't match. Paul probably means that it is the whole system ofgrace . .. through faith that is not from yourselves. This signifies that salvationthrough Christ as a covenant relationship originates entirely with God. Thisproposal gains strength in light of verse 9 (next).Our discussion of this single verse has been lengthy because Ephesians2:8 is one of the most significant verses in the New Testament. Certainly thisverse should be in anyone's "top ten" list! Grace refers to God's favor towardus-a vital topic. It could not be earned by our effort because, as Paul hasjust said, we were dead to God because of our sins and evil thoughts. Proof ofGod's goodwill may be found in the cross, which reveals the price God waswilling to pay to restore our relationship with him.9. . . . not by works, so that no one can boast.This verse completes and underscores the thought of verse 8. We do notreceive grace because we have done good works (Romans 3:28; 2. Timothy1:9; Titus 3:5). If salvation could come by works, then people could boastabout their salvation. Of course, God would not be impressed by any suchboasting ( l Corinthians 1:29).Humility is important. We may be tempted to criticize the lifestyles ofworldly friends and relatives, but let us not forget that we did nothing tomerit God's favor ourselves. A proper understanding of who we were andwhat God has done should instead make us feel deep appreciation to himand a deep sorrow for those who are lost.E. PREPARED IN ADVANCE (v. 10)10. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ]esus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do.Once we are saved, good works are not optional. In chapter 1, Paul reas-sures the Ephesians of their salvation by stressing that God's grace is not

MAY 10, 200

Visual for Lesson 11. Uthis visual to start a discus-sion as you introduce the neques tion below.

WHAT Do You THINK?How do you feel when youreceive something as a giftas opposed to having workedfor it? How do you feel whenyou see someone else receiv-ing something as a gift asopposed to having worked foit? \\!hat adjustments to youattitude do you need to makifany?[Make sure to look atMatthew 20:1-16 before youanswer.J

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MAY 10, 2009 344 NEW WORKS IN GWHAT Do You THINK? contingent on human effort; rather, God has had us in his plans since "b

What feelings are ap- the creation of the world" (1:4). Now Paul extends that thought to stresspropriate and inappropriate God also prepared in advance for us to live in a way that reflects our statufor accompanying our good his children. While we are not saved by means of good works, a faith thadoes not result in works is not a saving faith (see James 2: 14-26).works? How have you grownspiritually in this regard?PRINCIPLE V5. ApPLICATION[Acts 2:44-46; 2 Corinthi- The aircraft design we are most familiar with features large wings toward ans 8:2; and James 4: 17 will front of the plane and smaller "elevators" at the tail. The large wings provide aebe important to consider.] dynamic lift while the small ones help change the elevation ar altitude. Mostplanes are still built this way. However, after World War II experimental aircappeared that featured main wings toward the rear of the plane and smaller wiat the front. The design came to be known as a canard (from the French wordduck because of the similar appearance).Certain military and civilian aircraft now use this design. The "backward" wconfiguration may strike us as rather curious, exotic, and high tech. But atsame time it is also very"old school": the first airplane flown by Orville and W

burWright was a canard design!The canard design was abandoned far years because ofstability issues; compPRAYER er guidance now solves the stability problem. The canard design has come bFather, we understand that into vogue because of a desire to achieve greater maneuverability and lower aethe Bible says you love us. dynamic drag, not because the underlying aerodynamic prinCiples of flight hHelp us to know this love in changed. Those principles never change!our hearts. Please take away Similarly, God's grace through Christ is an unchanging principle of the Chrisour feelings ofguilt so that - life. The fact that "we are God's workmanship, created in ChristJesus to do gowe can focus entirely on your works" is another unchanging principle. We may (and, at times, should) chathe design of our worship services, music styles, outreach programs, etc., asinfinite grace. recognize better ways of doing things. But let us not confuse what can or shoGive us a real desire to be changed with what never changes. Applications change; principles do nserve you, not just because ----C. Rwe have to but because weknow that you have made us CONCLUSIONfor this reason. Give us also Christians may be plagued with doubts about their salvation. "lTyingcompassion toward those who . never sure" is the way such self-doubt has been described. When we refdo not know you and oppor- on our past lives and our ongoing sinfulness, we don't seem to be makintunities to help them learn of grade. Indeed, if God evaluated our performance in the same way that othe wonderful grace we have employers do, we might have been cut a long time ago.received. This approach to faith, which reflects the spirit and ethic of a Westemarketplace, typically generates two responses, which often wmk togein something of a vicious cycle. First, we may try to do good deeds to pthat we are worthy of God's love and mercy; second, when we inevitabfail to be perfect, we feel guilty and ashamed. These feelings of guilt wilead us either to try even harder or to give up. This cycle of effort/failuguilt leads to depression and burnout. It never leads to genuine biblicafaith.I The apostle Paul had lived in a cycle something like this before becoma Christian. Perhaps for this reason he stressed God's grace again and agI The work necessary for us to become members in God's family has beendone on the cross; it has nothing to do with anything we have done or cdo. Of course, God expects us to do what is right, but we do this as an epression of our salvation, not as merit points toward it.

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LESSON 11 _ 345 MAL1Jt_4QQISo whenever we begin to feel guilty, insecure, or burned out, we need to THOUGHT TO REMEMBERpause and ask why Are we focusing on our own (in)abilities? If so, the cure is ! Meditate on God's grace.to recall that God has called us to him through his Son, not through our ownefforts. The cross puts an end to self-doubt.

Discovery LearningThe following is an alternative lesson plan emphasizing learning activities.Classes desiring such student involvement will find these suggestions helpful. At theback of this book are reproducible student pages to further enhance activity learning.

INTO THE LESSONPut in chairs copies of the reproducible activity"Dead or Alive? (Part 1)" on page 381 for studentsto work on as they arrive. Prepare a two-sidedhandout to be used throughout the lesson. Thecontent of the handout is described in each sectionof this lesson plan.At the top of side # 1 of the handout, printthe question, "What are my chances of going toHeaven?" In a vertical column down the left side,write the following: 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%,100%. Keeping all this on the top half of the ,write these two questions to the right of those per-centages:

1. What would keep me from going to Heaven?2. What will enable me to go to Heaven?Begin the lesson by asking, "If you died tonight,what would be your chance of going to Heaven?Circle the percentage that you think best reflectsyour situation today." After your students do so, askthem to jot a few notes to the two questions that areon the worksheet. Do not ask your learners to sharethese personal reflections and answers. (You maywish to assure them that you will not do so.)Say the following as your transition to Biblestudy: "To biblically answer the question we just

raised about our chances of going to Heaven, weneed to understand the relationship of God's graceto our good works. Paul's teaching in Ephesians2:1-10 holds the key."INTO THE WORDInclude a photocopy of today's printed text onthe lower half of side # 1 of the handout. Print thephrase Dead or Alive? at the top of this photocopyOn the top of side #2 of the handout, print thefollowing verse designations and phrases down the

left side under the heading Understanding the Text.Leave a little space for class members to jot notes;use only the top half of the page: Verse 1: "Dead iyour transgressions and sins"; Verse 2: "Ruler of tkingdom of the air"; Verse 3: "By nature objects owrath"; Verse 5: "Made us alive with Christ"; Vers8,9: 'i\nd this not from yourselves"; Verse 10: "Tdo good works."This segment of your Bible study will have threparts:

1. Three-Minute Introduction: Give (or ask astudent to give) a very brief lecture on the LessonBackground from the lesson commentary2. Dead or Alive? Using the photocopy of the les-son text, ask students to underline all the words anphrases that emphasize what life was like when thewere dead in Christ. Then ask them to circle thewords that indicate the change to becoming alive inhim. You can divide your class into small groups fothis task. Ask students or groups to report their discoveries; jot these on the board as they do.3. Understanding the Text: Ask students to tumto side #2 of the handout. Ask the following questions about the words and phrases listed there. Yomay need to clarify your students' understandingby using the lesson commentary.

Verse 1: What does Paul imply by using the wodead in this verse? Verse 2: Why do you think Paulused this unusual title for Satan? Verse 3: Whois Paul talking about in this verse? What does hemean by the word nature? Verse 5: What do thetwo words with Christ imply in this verse? Verses 89: What does this passage say about the relationship between our salvation and our behavior? Whmakes it possible for us to be saved? Verse 10: Whdoes this phrase tell us about why Christians dogood works?

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MAY 10, 2009 346 NE W WORKS IN GRACDisplay this statement that you have prepared Remind the class that God expects us to do goodon a poster board: "1iue or False? Good works are works because we are saved. Say, "I t is appropriate toworthless in terms of earning salvation, but indis- evaluate our good works on]esus' behalf occasionpensable in terms of expressing it." Allow time for ally We should ask ourselves, 'What good work(s)discussion. has Christ prepared for me to do?'" Each person isto identify one good work he or she would like to

INTO LIFE develop in life for God's glory Students should writeOn the lower part of side #2 of the handout, that commitment next to the words Next Step.print the heading Next Step. Under it print Created Distribute copies of the reproducible activity "Deadin Christ]esus to Do Good Works. or Alive? (Part 2)" on page 381 as take-home work.