8.8.10 – Our newspapers and TV news are filled with bad things. Political corruption, oil spills (but I repeat myself), murder, robbery, etc. It can be very depressing.

Every so often, someone comes up with the idea of doing a news show that only covers good news. Even Ted Turner put his money behind such a show once. It didn’t last. There’s something about bad news that’s more compelling—at least, from a ratings standpoint—than good news.

Most of us, though, we like good news. Especially if it impacts us. To hear that something good happened in another state makes us momentarily happy, but to have something good happen to us—that impacts us and we want to tell people about it.

Ephesians 2:1-10
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

Here is the good news of God’s love in a single paragraph.

First: we were all messed up with sin.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

One of the problems that we have as Christians, when we try to evangelize the world around us, is that they don’t feel the need. As I said a few weeks ago when we talked about transcendence, pretty much everyone in the world longs to be something more than what they are. Some scientists may tell them they’re only worth a few dollars of chemicals. They want to be worth more than that.

On the other hand, they have been taught all their lives that they’re not bad people and, indeed, there really is no such thing as sin. So when we talk about a Savior and a Redeemer, they’re thinking, “Save me from what? Redeem me from what?”

Paul addresses us and, I think, is assuming we are mature enough to know the reality of sin. (If you don’t, let’s talk about this later!) But Paul isn’t making it an “us vs. them” thing—us saints vs. them sinners. He’s saying, “You used to be like that.” Maybe you didn’t wake up drunk in the gutter, maybe you never killed anyone and have never run drugs or cheated on your spouse. But you were living outside God’s will and all outdoors are the same, when it comes to God’s will.

One other thing I want you to notice in these verses is this “spirit”, this “ruler of the kingdom of the air”. That’s Satan. But recent surveys show that less that 70% of Christians believe in Satan anymore. That’s like the Dallas Cowboys walking onto the field against the Washington Redskins and not believing in the existence of the Redskins. We have an enemy and if we refuse to fight him, he wins—in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

Lest you get discouraged …

Second, amazing grace!

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

In “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, Sally asks her brother to write a letter to Santa Claus for her. The letter is pretty greedy. She defends herself by saying, “All I want is what I have coming to me! All I want is my fair share!”

Paul just got through saying that our fair share is wrath. What are we getting instead? Grace!!

Simply defined, grace is “unmerited favor”. It’s something you haven’t earned. In this case, it’s something we cannot earn. If we got what we deserved, we’d be in a heap of trouble! Instead, God shows his love.

Romans 5:7-8
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NIV)

It is Christ’s death and payment for our sins that allows us to even be able to stand here today. [Praise the Lord!!]

When we hear someone talk about God being cruel or vindictive, imagine how miserable the world would be if he were. Instead, we have a loving and patient God who desires that all men come to him.

And when men and women do come to God, what then?

Third, a purpose!

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

As I said two weeks ago, God didn’t save and throw you in a creel to do nothing for the rest of your life.

When Jesus came into Jerusalem to face his doom—which was our salvation!—the people lined the road and sang his praises and threw their coats on the ground for the donkey to walk on. Some of the Pharisees standing nearby were upset at this display and told Jesus to quiet his followers.

Luke 19:40
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (NIV)

Psalm 19:1-3
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. (NIV)

God has a plan. His desire is that everyone would be saved (as I just quoted from Peter) and so he has set up a universe designed to proclaim that great news. If we shut up and do not proclaim, the good news will still get out.

What God wants to happen is for us—those he has saved—to proclaim his love. Sometimes we do that with words and sometimes we do that with deeds and sometimes we do it with both. But either way, God loves you so much that he wants you in on his plan!

2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (NIV)

Neither you nor I can do enough “good works” to be saved. But, having been saved, we are now called on to respond to that grace and do the good works God has laid out for us.

“Am I saved if I don’t do these works?” Do you really want to stand before God and tell him you didn’t think his gift was worth responding to?

What do I DO with this?

Find what God is calling you to. How do you do that? Read his word, pray, and seek the counsel of wise Christians.

Rejoice! God didn’t just save you, he included you in his plan!