Remembering What God Has Done For You

Remembering What God Has Done For You[1]

Living in America in the twenty-first century is challenging, in that our lives are very harried. You know what that means? It means we are hurried, and scurried, and flurried. The reason it is a challenge is because we seldom allow ourselves the time to be quiet. We seldom allow ourselves the time to deeply consider the things of God. We pay attention at fellowship, of course, and we read God’s Word. But to actually slow our lives down, to slow our thoughts down to where there is nothing else going on in our lives is a good thing to do.

We are going to start in Ephesians chapter two. The topic today is Remembering What God Has Done For You. This is where we will depart; starting point:

Ephesians 2:8 and 9:

For by grace are ye saved through faith [believing] not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Salvation was made available to us by the grace of God and nothing else. The new birth was made available to us by the grace of God and nothing else. By the grace of God, alone, we became the sons of God. Salvation has nothing to do with you and me; not one thing. It has everything to do with what God accomplished in His Son, Jesus Christ.

We (individually) and we (collectively) did not accomplish salvation in any way, shape, or form. As a matter of fact, we did not even earn one iota of a point towards redemption, because we were broke. What work, exactly, would it have been, or what series, or group of works would it have been, that we could have done (either, individually or collectively) to merit salvation, to merit eternal life? Man, being spiritually empty and indeed spiritually dead, could no more perform a work that would have merited salvation and be pleasing to God, than a blind man painting a masterpiece. It cannot be done; it could not be done! So, when it says, “For by grace are you saved through believing; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” It could not be clearer; it could not be plainer.

Romans 5:6:

For when [speaking of time] we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

We were without strength to provide anything to God. We were without strength – incapable of performing our own works for God. Verse six says Christ died for, who? The ungodly. What group is that? Well, that is all of us! The reason we were ungodly was because we lacked the spirit of God. We did not have spirit; that made us ungodly by definition, by nature. We were ungodly. Yes, it has to do with the sin in our lives and the ungodly actions. But it has a greater reality: we had no spirit; thus, we were ungodly. Verse six says that in due time, Christ laid down his life in order to save the ungodly.

Romans 5:7 and 8:

For scarcely [barely] for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Yes, in life some people might die for others. Actually, some people do this all the time: our wonderful fire fighters, public servants, etc. Some people actually lose their lives trying to save other people.

Verse seven says maybe for a righteous man one will die; yet peradventure [just maybe] for a good man some would even dare to die. But in contrast to this, God commendeth His love toward us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Did sin keep us away from God? As a matter of fact, it did because God is just. He had to reckon with sin, when there was sin. The sin of Adam was passed to all men; therefore, God had to recognize that sin. Did sin keep us away? Sure did!

The love that God had for us was commended to us, not when we were deserving of it, but when we were not deserving of it. It says, “…while we were yet sinners ….”– That is grace!

Romans 5:9:

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

I’ll just put a little aside here: Do not let anyone ever tell you that we are going through the wrath. The stuff that is going on now is Mickey Mouse! It is Disneyland, compared to the wrath of God. People have no idea! They do not have the slightest idea. You think that the tsunami[2] was bad? Ha! That is not the apocalypses, people. We are in tribulation; there is no doubt about it.

For you science people, a little aside here: Do you know how big that thing (tsunami) was? It was 750 miles (approximately the distance from Houston to El Paso) and moved sixty feet up. That is how big it was. 750 miles, from here all the way to El Paso, the earth moved sixty feet vertically. I guess that would do some damage.[3] But, we are not in the wrath, now. In verse nine, it says we are saved from the wrath.

Romans 5:10:

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

I know it is not very pleasant to hear, but God’s Word says that we were the enemies of God. Perhaps, before the new birth, you did not feel like an enemy. But God’s Word says you were an enemy. Perhaps, you have never considered yourself as such, but we were the antithesis[4] of God. For instance, it says we were without strength; God is strong. We were ungodly; He is God. We were sinners; God is incapable of sin. We were enemies. In contrast to that, He is love.

One of the reasons I wanted to share this, today, is God’s Word actually directs us to remember this. So, if He is good enough to direct us to remember it, maybe we should be good enough to remember it.

Ephesians 2:11:

Wherefore remember, that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

Perhaps an explanation here would be worth it, because in the 21^st century culture, we do not reckon Jews and Gentiles. We reckon other groups or races, I suppose. There are rich, poor, majorities, minorities, middle-easterners, etc. God had no distinctions like that what-so-ever. But the distinction that God put on man (this is not man’s distinction on man) was: He had Israel the called out, the chosen of God. To Israel were the promises of the Christ; to Israel was the promise of the Messiah. There was Israel and what the Word of God calls the Gentiles: all the nations. The nations (Gentiles) did not have the promises of Christ. They were outside of the nation of Israel. It was a distinction that was clear and that was “fifteen miles wide.” You look at the records in the Gospels; Jesus Christ said, “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”[5]

Jesus Christ came for Israel. The promise of Abraham and to his seed (Isaac, Jacob, Israel - the twelve tribes) they were God’s people. The promise of God was to them. With this in mind, let’s read the following:

Ephesians 2:11 and 12:

Wherefore remember, that ye being times past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Let’s just take these verses, one by one. God’s Word declares for us (the Gentile believers) to remember:

1.) We were Gentiles in the flesh.

2.) We were without Christ. What does that mean? It means we were without the promise of Christ. I do not know if you get that? The Gentiles did not have the promise of the Christ.

3.) We were aliens from the nation of Israel. That means a stranger; you did not have a “green card.”

4.) We were strangers from the covenants of promise. The covenant of promise was the promise that God gave to Abraham: “…so shall thy seed be”[6] and reveals in Galatians, the seed would be Christ.[7] Abraham is the father of believing because God told him the Christ, the Messiah would come out of his loins and Abraham believed it. That was the significance of Abraham’s believing. So, as Gentiles, we were strangers from those covenants of promise.

5.) We had no hope. The hope of Israel was the coming of the Messiah.

6.) We were without God and in the world. That is the worst double negative in the world.

Just add to that list:

7.) Ungodly.

8.) Sinners.

9.) Enemies.

10.) Without strength.

That was our status; our state. The English word (I think) would be, perhaps, conclusive; comprehensive for that would be hopeless – absolutely, completely hopeless, incapable of producing work; incapable of producing anything that would merit God’s attention; ungodly sinners without strength, enemies, aliens, strangers. People, we are definitely talking about a ship without a paddle. Absolutely no hope!

Romans 10:9 and 10:

That if thou, shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

God had a plan and He provided a solution to our great dilemma. The solution was the Lord Jesus Christ. It was by the grace of God that He provided this solution for us.

Romans 5:19-21:

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Verse nineteen says for by one man’s [Adam] disobedience many [all] were made sinners. God is absolutely just and because of the sin of Adam, sin passed upon all men. How many were there? Just two. What could God do to prevent sin passing upon all men?

Man took on a new nature, by his choice; he took on sin. Therefore, by one man’s disobedience, many were made sinners. We might say, “That is not fair!” But actually, it is fair. Because I think when you see the reversal of it, you will say, “It is fair.”

Verse twenty-one says Adam provided sin and death. Jesus Christ provided righteousness and light. The fulcrum[8] between Adam and Jesus Christ is the grace of God. Adam: all men disobedient; all men dead; all men sinners. Jesus Christ: those who believe are made righteous. The fulcrum of that balance is the grace of God.

In the book of Romans, chapter five, verse 21 and chapters six and seven are parenthetical. So, if you read from 5:21 through 8:1, it continues the same thought. Let’s read 5:20 and 21, then go to 8:1. However, let’s start with verse 19:

Romans 5:19- 21:

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 8:1:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus [the remainder of the verse is omitted in the text].[9]

Grace reigns through righteousness; therefore there is no condemnation. When we were ungodly, sinners, enemies, aliens, strangers there was plenty of condemnation. It was rightly deserved; it was, indeed, the condemnation of Adam. But the Scriptures say grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life; therefore, there is no, what? Condemnation.

For the born-again one, the saved one, God has us to remember where we were; not so that we would despair, but that we would rejoice. Not that we would feel terrible, but that we would fully comprehend, in a greater way, the grace of God. The fulcrum between Adam’s sin (disobedience, unrighteousness, ungodliness, sinners) and the righteousness of God and eternal life is the grace of God.

Romans 8:2:

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Whose law of sin and death was that? Adam’s. Then it was inculcated[10] in the Law of Moses.

Romans 8:3:

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

How is that for a turnaround! Before, who was condemned? Man. After Jesus Christ’s work, what did God condemn? Sin. He condemned sin! Pretty nice, huh?

Romans 8:4:

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Like I said, God provided His own remedy. In what the law could not do, “God His own Son sending” (That is how the text should read.) provided for man, what man could never provide for himself. God was absolutely legal, just and fair in everything He did.

Mary said to the angel, “… be it unto me according to thy word.”[11] Mary, by her freewill, decided to believe God, the promise of God and she brought forth the Son of God, the Savior.

Jesus Christ, by his freewill, decided: not my will, but thy will be done.[12] He chose. God never overstepped anybody’s freedom of will. And in the Lord Jesus Christ, He provided sinless blood for man. Jesus Christ did not have the blood of Adam because He was created in Mary’s womb. He did not follow after the line of Adam. Due to his blood being shed, it was the payment and the redemption in total, for all the sin of man (individually and collectively) for all time – the perfect sacrifice. That whosoever cometh unto him should not perish, but have everlasting life.[13] The result of God’s remedy (what man could not provide for himself) is absolutely thrilling!

Romans 8:16 and 17:

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The spirit beareth witness that we are the children of God. We are no more aliens, are we? We are no more strangers, are we? We are no more enemies, are we? We are no more without strength, are we? There is so much more!

Contrast an alien and a stranger with an heir: Someone comes knocking at your door. He is a stranger; do you let him in your house? I doubt it; I doubt that very seriously! We went from the guy knocking at the door, to being at the center of God’s will – an inheritance. We went from a stranger knocking on the door (who nobody knew), to receiving when the inheritance is read (ex. Allen, forty quadrillion shekels; Sheila, eternal life; etc.) – right in the center of the will. We went from strangers (knock, knock, knock; go away) to being right in the center: favored children, heirs of God. We went from strangers (Who are you?) to sitting in the living room; helping yourself to the food in the refrigerator. We are all friends, but I do not know if you do this in Joe’s house. Ha! Ha!

We are heirs of God. When God’s Word says, “heirs of God,” if it does not mean that, then language is useless; isn’t it? Language is useless! And if, we just read it and go, “humph!” then we have not taken what it means. We went from enemies, sinners, ungodly, strangers, aliens, condemnation, etc. to “Come on in; help yourself; what’s mine is yours!” It says we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. We went from ungodly to Godly; sinners to saints; enemies to children. It is amazing! The distance we traveled is unfathomable. To think, that we were Gentiles.

I mean, maybe, there is someone here with a Judean background that I may not be aware of, or maybe, a part of the lineage of Abraham. I do not know. But if so, remember you could not do the law, either. [Ha! Ha! People present laugh.] But you did have the prophecy, were not a stranger, not an alien, but still an enemy.

We went so far. I do not think geographically, we could use an appropriate analogy. It is as if, you walked from California to New York … there is no distance that could have been traveled. We went so far, from so far outside, to so far inside. We did not have this intermediary step. We went from so far outside the household and family of God, to right in the center: the children of God, heirs of God. Ephesians says it better than I do:

Ephesians 2:13 and 14:

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off [referring to the Gentiles] are made nigh [literally means next of kin] by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

This wall partition: there is no more enmity between us and God and there is no more separation between the Judean and the Gentile. Why? Jesus Christ is our peace. He did it and he is the reason.

Ephesians 2:15 and 16:

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Great song that Joe sang, The Fullness of the Godhead:

♫ “…It’s not by works of righteousness, but by His grace alone;

And I am complete in him.

... There’s nothing more that I can do, Jesus paid it all;

And I am complete in him.” ♪[14]

By totally fulfilling the law, Jesus Christ completely fulfilled the law and in so doing, he abolished it. So, if someone wants to come around and put you under the law; there is no law! It is abolished! Ephesians 2:15a says, “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances….” If that is not what it means, what does it mean? The law is abolished. People want to come and put you under the law. Sorry! It is a phantom; it is invisible because it has been, what? It has been abolished. Why? Because Jesus Christ did, what? He fulfilled the law.

Ephesians 2:17 and 18:

And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

From strangers, who really were not even allowed to knock at the door, to direct access to God. That’s you; that’s me; that’s the family of God.

Ephesians 2:19:

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

It reminds me of that song:

♫ “… From death unto life, from the weak to the strong,

I’m not worthy to be here, but, praise God, I belong.

I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God.

I’ve been cleansed from unrighteousness;

Saved by His blood.

Joint-heirs with Christ, as I travel the way,

For I’m part of the family, the family of God.” ♪[15]

You are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of God.

Ephesians 2:20-22:

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

We are now fitly framed together and grow unto the holy temple of the Lord. Builded together for habitation of God. We went from, not being able to even approach the temple, to God living within us, and the body of Christ is the temple of God. It is the habitation of God.

Once, we were enemies, now we are reconciled.

Once, we were sinners, now we are saints.

Once, we were ungodly, now we are righteous.

Once, we were strangers, now we are sons.

Once, we were aliens, now we are heirs.

Once, we were dead, now we are alive unto Christ.

Once, we were empty and ungodly, now we are the habitation of God.

We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. Let’s remember what God has done for us.

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[1] This teaching was taught by Reverend Robert Houck Hitchcock at the Castelli Sunday Fellowship on January 30, 2005. The teaching was recorded, transcribed and edited by Mr. A. Carmen Britto; therefore, any omissions and/or errors are his responsibility.

[2] Encarta Dictionary, tsunami – “A large destructive ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or some other movement of the earth’s surface.”

[3] The earthquake and tsunami mentioned here occurred on December 16, 2004. It caused billions of dollars in damage and the death toll topped 170,000.

[4] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1981, page 58: antithesis – “1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite.”

[8] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1981, page 531: fulcrum – “1. The point or support on which a lever turns. 2. A position, element, or agency through, around, or by means of which vital powers are exercised.”

[9] E.W. Bullinger, D.D, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament, Appendix (A) of Various Readings, Where WORDS in the BODY of the WORK are INVOLVED IN LARGER CLAUSES, 3^rd printing, September 1976, page vii.

[10] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1981, page 667: inculcated – “To teach or impress by forceful urging or frequent repetitions; instill.”

[14] On My Way to Heaven…, Fellowship Songbook, song #24, The Fullness of the Godhead.

[15] On My Way to Heaven ..., Fellowship Songbook, song #22, The Family of God.