What We Deserve

[!NOTE] Primary Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:4-9

I. As sinners we deserve death

A. Genesis 2:16-17 – Rebellion against God deserves death

B. The real problem was not the fruit itself but the fact that God gave Adam and Eve a prohibition and they disregarded His command. It was a conflict of wills; the devil tempted Eve to follow her own desires and she disobeyed God’s will. God is the creator and source of life; to turn on Him is to turn on life itself Isaiah 59:2 – sins separate man from God

C. Romans 5:12 – we all deserve death because we have all sinned

II. He does not repay as we deserve

A. Job 11:6 – We get less than our iniquities deserve

B. Jesus died so we could have eternal life though we do not deserve it

C. John 3:36 – We have life through Jesus Romans 5:8-11 – We are reconciled with God

III. Why does He give us less than we deserve?

A. God has great love for us

B. Though we sinned, God loved us so much that He made a way in which those who wanted to return to God would be able to do so. Ephesians 2:1-9 – We are given life through Jesus’ death

C. God’s mercy made a way we could get less than what we deserve

D. Though we are guilty of sin under a penalty of death, God is merciful to those who regret their rebellion and want to live under His will again. Titus 3:3-7 – only God’s kindness made possible our salvation

E. Accessing that mercy

F. God cannot simply ignore our rebellion

G. Rebellion would mean nothing if there were no penalty for it. It would be unjust to remove the death penalty from some but not all. It would be unjust to reconcile those who do not want life with God. However, it is just to reconcile those who want life with God as long as the penalty for rebellion was paid—an expensive price, however. God had mercy on our helpless condition—we could not save ourselves. In God’s great love, He gave His Son to die to pay the penalty of sin and save us from eternal death. God showed us grace by not leaving us to die eternally but actively working to reconcile us to Him. To be saved, we must repent of our rebellion, declare our allegiance to God’s Son, and be cleansed with the washing of regeneration—baptism.

IV. The reconciled life

A. Having been reconciled to God, we must not rebel again lest we be lost.

B. Romans 6:1-4 – We have been cleansed through baptism and raised to a new life with Jesus Romans 6:15-18 – Grace is not a license to sin; we must live righteously

C. Ezra 9:10-15; Example from Ezra

D. Israel was taken into captivity by a foreign nation because they rebelled against God’s authority. Under Ezra, many of the Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and repopulate the city. Soon after their return, many Jews married people of other nations who lived in Judea—this was a violation of God’s law to be separate Ezra reminds the people that though they were captives in a foreign land and Jerusalem had been destroyed, they still did not get what their rebellion deserved; in fact they were given a second chance. Ezra warns the people not to abuse God’s mercy and grace by again disobeying His commands lest God punish them completely. Likewise, having received mercy from God by not getting what we deserved, and being reconciled to Him through grace and love, we should not rebel again lest we also suffer His wrath. Perhaps this is why it would be better not to have known God’s grace than to have received it and rejected it again, 2 Peter 2:18-21. Hebrews 10:26 – We lose access to the saving sacrifice of God

E. Our life must reflect the debt of gratitude we feel for our salvation

F. We have been given a second chance when we did not deserve it. We will live in the eternal bliss of heaven when we deserved the pain of hell.

G. Our salvation was so valuable that God gave up the best of what He had to offer to possess it; and Jesus died willingly to save us.

H. Would you let your child die in the electric chair to save a criminal? Would you willingly die to save the person you despise the most? God did this for us to save us.

I. What will you do with your second chance?

J. Squander your time on selfish pursuits leaving little time for God’s work? Will you return to the filth of the world after being cleansed from sin by the precious blood of Jesus through the love of a holy and pure God? Will you live as one indebted to Christ who suffered to save your life and seek to do His will and tell of His grace, mercy, and love to others? Perhaps our answer truly reflects our attitude towards His mercy, grace, and love and the true value we place on it.

V. Less Than We Deserve