Ephesians 2:1-3
Objects Worthy of Wrath
Is our God an angry God? Is the God that we believe in one who has anger? If not, then I would ask us whether we know our God from the Bible.
Today it is unpopular to talk about God being angry. People are offended by a God who is offended by them. People would rather hear about how lovable they are to God…how irresistible He finds them.
I find it ironic that God is not allowed to be angry with mankind. After all, isn’t it okay and almost fashionable for people to be angry with humanity nowadays? With so much that is so wrong in the world today and so many social injustices it’s almost considered righteous if you are angry at what’s going on in the world. No wonder the social justice gospel is so popular.
But while there is so much anger by people towards people it’s absolutely unthinkable by so many that God should be angry with people. Who is God to be angry with us?
Actually, many people think it’s great when God is mad at people, so long as He is mad at the same people I’m mad at. For people who think this way the problem comes when they hear that God is angry with them; when God’s anger is directed at them personally. That idea becomes unimaginable.
“How dare He? What right would God have to be angry with me? I’m a good person. I’m not like ______________ (fill in the blank).”
All the while they think God thinks like they do – that He is angry at what they are angry at and that they are the one righteous person in the world God can look to. “God loves me just the way I am.”
I’m going to tell you that yes He does love you, but not just the way you are. Actually He loves you despite what you are.
And while it is true that God loves us, it is simply impossible to see how much He really loves us if we don’t first see His anger. This may not be comfortable or appealing to you today. It may not be “feel-good”. It may not tell you the best way to solve your marriage or financial or parenting or work problems. That’s not the point. The point today is the point of Ephesians: to lift your thoughts of God higher than they have ever gone before so you can see God more clearly than you ever have before.
So in order to do that today we’re going look a little closer at God’s wrath. We will be better for it.
Look with me at verses 1-3……
Paul lays it out in that order for us too. The first 3 verses focus us on God’s wrath – you could almost stamp “WRATH” on them. The verses after focus on God’s love, which we will get to in the coming weeks.
Notice that last phrase at the end of verse 3: “Objects of wrath”. Do you see yourself that way? As an object of wrath? This is interesting because “Objects is the Greek word “teknon” which means “children by birth”. It means that we are born for wrath. In other words, it refers to the fact that someone is the intended recipient of the expression of God’s wrath. It means to be the target of God’s wrath. It means to be destined for God’s wrath.
But we must understand that we are not innocent targets. We are deserving. When Paul says “objects” there is with that word the implication of worthy. So you might actually read that statement as: We were by nature WORTHY of wrath.
What is God’s wrath? God’s wrath is His righteous reaction to sin. It is the expression of His holy hatred and hostility towards all that is unholy and corrupt. It is His resolution to punish and judge evil. God’s wrath is mighty and it is terrifying. It exists where there is sin. And as all are sinners all are under God’s wrath unless they escape by faith in Jesus Christ. John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
God’s wrath comes because God is just. What does that mean? It means that He is perfectly fair. He is never unfair in any way. He never fails to reward for good and He will not fail to give retribution for evil. He will not give more or less than what someone deserves either – whether good or bad. He is perfectly just and equitable. You cannot escape the holy, perfect, all-seeing eye and hand of the holy God.
What you must see is that if you declare yourself innocent and not worthy of God’s wrath you are saying that God is unjust in His judgment of you. You are squaring off directly with God. You are attempting – to your own demise – to go “toe-to-toe” with God. You are attacking the very core of God’s character – His righteousness. You are saying God is unrighteous to call you unrighteous. Either God is correct and you are unrighteous or God is wrong and you are righteous.
But what are you? You are a human being and nothing more. You have breath for a short time in your nose and then you will be gone. Like a wave on the sea, or a flower in the field, or a vapor in the air is your life. You are here one day and gone the next. But God has been forever and remains forever.
Why are we worthy? I would like to just point out 3 reasons from the passage.
Followers of the World (v2)
First of all, the unsaved man is a follower of the world. Paul says in verse 2, “In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world…”
Now, just before that he was talking about their transgressions and sins. He is saying that “You used to live in your transgressions and sins when you followed the ways of this world”.
Now notice two things. First, this is universal in scope. In other words, everyone who is born is born a follower of the world. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. The point here is that there is not one person who has ever been born who was not naturally a follower of the world.
Second, notice how much Paul talks in the past tense.
“You WERE dead” (v1). “you USED TO live…” (v2) “WHEN you followed…” (v2) “lived among them AT ONE TIME…(v3) “we WERE by nature objects of wrath” (v3).
He doesn’t ever talk about Christians in this way in the present tense. He doesn’t say, “You are dead in your sins now that you are in Christ” He doesn’t say, “You are now objects of God’s wrath since He has had mercy on you.” And he never says, “Now that you have come to Christ follow the ways of the world”.
No. He says like he does in 4:22, “You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.” The things of your former way of life are the things of the world. And Paul says about these things in Ephesians 5:6, “Let no one deceive you with empty words for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient”. Peter says in 2 Peter 1:4, “Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
Paul and Peter are speaking to Christians and are teaching them that those worldly ways they once followed are no longer the ways they follow. Those ways are behind them. When they put their trust in Jesus Christ God forgave their sinful, worldly ways and put it all behind them. They now follow Christ.
This is what Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This is the admonition that is implied in our passage as Paul reminds them of what they used to be before they came to Christ.
Followers of Satan (v2)
Secondly, Paul says we were followers of Satan. Notice verse 2, “…and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
These words are telling us that before someone knows Christ they followed not only the ways of the world, but, the ways of Satan. Now there is a relationship between Satan and the world. Satan controls the world. In John 12:31 Jesus calls Satan “the prince of this world”. In 1 John 5:19 the Apostle John says “the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” The systems of this world are programmed by Satan. It is his world for now. He gained control of it when he caused Adam to sin in the garden. Now he operates this world to his liking. Anything that is not rooted in Biblical truth is rooted in Satanic lies.
The point of all this is to say that anyone who has not come to Jesus Christ is currently operating on Satan’s system. And if Jesus Christ is not your Lord then you are not just following the world. You are following Satan. He is the architect of what you see.
An important point here is that Paul is laying the groundwork for teaching them how to behave in chapters 4-6.
We must see that God’s Judgment is coming on the world and on Satan.
Following our Sinful Nature (v3)
Thirdly, we learn that we are under God’s wrath because we are sinful by nature. Verse 3 says, “All of us also lived among them at one time gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. We were by nature objects of wrath.”
There is a difference between what you do and what you are. They are related but they need to be distinguished. The Bible is teaching us here that it is not only what we do that incites God’s wrath, it is what we are. We are by nature sinners, and, therefore what we do is sin, as we have seen. This is why it is a mistake for someone to think they can DO enough good to please God. They do not realize that while they may do good, they are evil in nature.
Jesus said, “The world hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.” That is deeds. Then He said in Matthew 7:11, “If you then though you are evil know how to give good gifts …” He acknowledged that people are capable of recognizing and doing good things but Jesus called them evil. That is what we are by nature and it is what we are by nature that has provoked God’s wrath.
Objects Worthy of Wrath
Is our God an angry God? Is the God that we believe in one who has anger? If not, then I would ask us whether we know our God from the Bible.
Today it is unpopular to talk about God being angry. People are offended by a God who is offended by them. People would rather hear about how lovable they are to God…how irresistible He finds them.
I find it ironic that God is not allowed to be angry with mankind. After all, isn’t it okay and almost fashionable for people to be angry with humanity nowadays? With so much that is so wrong in the world today and so many social injustices it’s almost considered righteous if you are angry at what’s going on in the world. No wonder the social justice gospel is so popular.
But while there is so much anger by people towards people it’s absolutely unthinkable by so many that God should be angry with people. Who is God to be angry with us?
Actually, many people think it’s great when God is mad at people, so long as He is mad at the same people I’m mad at. For people who think this way the problem comes when they hear that God is angry with them; when God’s anger is directed at them personally. That idea becomes unimaginable.
“How dare He? What right would God have to be angry with me? I’m a good person. I’m not like ______________ (fill in the blank).”
All the while they think God thinks like they do – that He is angry at what they are angry at and that they are the one righteous person in the world God can look to. “God loves me just the way I am.”
I’m going to tell you that yes He does love you, but not just the way you are. Actually He loves you despite what you are.
And while it is true that God loves us, it is simply impossible to see how much He really loves us if we don’t first see His anger. This may not be comfortable or appealing to you today. It may not be “feel-good”. It may not tell you the best way to solve your marriage or financial or parenting or work problems. That’s not the point. The point today is the point of Ephesians: to lift your thoughts of God higher than they have ever gone before so you can see God more clearly than you ever have before.
So in order to do that today we’re going look a little closer at God’s wrath. We will be better for it.
Look with me at verses 1-3……
Paul lays it out in that order for us too. The first 3 verses focus us on God’s wrath – you could almost stamp “WRATH” on them. The verses after focus on God’s love, which we will get to in the coming weeks.
Notice that last phrase at the end of verse 3: “Objects of wrath”. Do you see yourself that way? As an object of wrath? This is interesting because “Objects is the Greek word “teknon” which means “children by birth”. It means that we are born for wrath. In other words, it refers to the fact that someone is the intended recipient of the expression of God’s wrath. It means to be the target of God’s wrath. It means to be destined for God’s wrath.
But we must understand that we are not innocent targets. We are deserving. When Paul says “objects” there is with that word the implication of worthy. So you might actually read that statement as: We were by nature WORTHY of wrath.
What is God’s wrath? God’s wrath is His righteous reaction to sin. It is the expression of His holy hatred and hostility towards all that is unholy and corrupt. It is His resolution to punish and judge evil. God’s wrath is mighty and it is terrifying. It exists where there is sin. And as all are sinners all are under God’s wrath unless they escape by faith in Jesus Christ. John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
God’s wrath comes because God is just. What does that mean? It means that He is perfectly fair. He is never unfair in any way. He never fails to reward for good and He will not fail to give retribution for evil. He will not give more or less than what someone deserves either – whether good or bad. He is perfectly just and equitable. You cannot escape the holy, perfect, all-seeing eye and hand of the holy God.
What you must see is that if you declare yourself innocent and not worthy of God’s wrath you are saying that God is unjust in His judgment of you. You are squaring off directly with God. You are attempting – to your own demise – to go “toe-to-toe” with God. You are attacking the very core of God’s character – His righteousness. You are saying God is unrighteous to call you unrighteous. Either God is correct and you are unrighteous or God is wrong and you are righteous.
But what are you? You are a human being and nothing more. You have breath for a short time in your nose and then you will be gone. Like a wave on the sea, or a flower in the field, or a vapor in the air is your life. You are here one day and gone the next. But God has been forever and remains forever.
Why are we worthy? I would like to just point out 3 reasons from the passage.
Followers of the World (v2)
First of all, the unsaved man is a follower of the world. Paul says in verse 2, “In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world…”
Now, just before that he was talking about their transgressions and sins. He is saying that “You used to live in your transgressions and sins when you followed the ways of this world”.
Now notice two things. First, this is universal in scope. In other words, everyone who is born is born a follower of the world. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. The point here is that there is not one person who has ever been born who was not naturally a follower of the world.
Second, notice how much Paul talks in the past tense.
“You WERE dead” (v1). “you USED TO live…” (v2) “WHEN you followed…” (v2) “lived among them AT ONE TIME…(v3) “we WERE by nature objects of wrath” (v3).
He doesn’t ever talk about Christians in this way in the present tense. He doesn’t say, “You are dead in your sins now that you are in Christ” He doesn’t say, “You are now objects of God’s wrath since He has had mercy on you.” And he never says, “Now that you have come to Christ follow the ways of the world”.
No. He says like he does in 4:22, “You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.” The things of your former way of life are the things of the world. And Paul says about these things in Ephesians 5:6, “Let no one deceive you with empty words for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient”. Peter says in 2 Peter 1:4, “Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
Paul and Peter are speaking to Christians and are teaching them that those worldly ways they once followed are no longer the ways they follow. Those ways are behind them. When they put their trust in Jesus Christ God forgave their sinful, worldly ways and put it all behind them. They now follow Christ.
This is what Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This is the admonition that is implied in our passage as Paul reminds them of what they used to be before they came to Christ.
Followers of Satan (v2)
Secondly, Paul says we were followers of Satan. Notice verse 2, “…and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
These words are telling us that before someone knows Christ they followed not only the ways of the world, but, the ways of Satan. Now there is a relationship between Satan and the world. Satan controls the world. In John 12:31 Jesus calls Satan “the prince of this world”. In 1 John 5:19 the Apostle John says “the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” The systems of this world are programmed by Satan. It is his world for now. He gained control of it when he caused Adam to sin in the garden. Now he operates this world to his liking. Anything that is not rooted in Biblical truth is rooted in Satanic lies.
The point of all this is to say that anyone who has not come to Jesus Christ is currently operating on Satan’s system. And if Jesus Christ is not your Lord then you are not just following the world. You are following Satan. He is the architect of what you see.
An important point here is that Paul is laying the groundwork for teaching them how to behave in chapters 4-6.
We must see that God’s Judgment is coming on the world and on Satan.
Following our Sinful Nature (v3)
Thirdly, we learn that we are under God’s wrath because we are sinful by nature. Verse 3 says, “All of us also lived among them at one time gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. We were by nature objects of wrath.”
There is a difference between what you do and what you are. They are related but they need to be distinguished. The Bible is teaching us here that it is not only what we do that incites God’s wrath, it is what we are. We are by nature sinners, and, therefore what we do is sin, as we have seen. This is why it is a mistake for someone to think they can DO enough good to please God. They do not realize that while they may do good, they are evil in nature.
Jesus said, “The world hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.” That is deeds. Then He said in Matthew 7:11, “If you then though you are evil know how to give good gifts …” He acknowledged that people are capable of recognizing and doing good things but Jesus called them evil. That is what we are by nature and it is what we are by nature that has provoked God’s wrath.
Comments
Post a Comment