How Knowing Jesus can Improve our Lives

Pastor Alistair Begg, Truth for Life Ministries

A study in the Book of Ephesians

Ephesians 2 tells us how a transformation takes place once we know Jesus:

· 1/ Before we know Jesus, we are alienated from Him.  We have no communion with God, we carry out our own desires, and we are blind and deaf to the truth of God’s word.  As unbelievers we are helpless and spiritually dead. 

· 2/ Barriers can be broken when we choose to follow Jesus.  People can be united when they worship together and spend time with other Christians.  We understand that through the death of Jesus on the cross, Jesus bore God’s wrath on humanity and settled each of our accounts with God.  When we acknowledge and accept Jesus as our Savior, we experience a change in our status with God.

· 3/ Our hearts will be changed and our minds will be opened to the truth.  We are transformed—there is a real and observable change between our new life as a Christian and our old life as a non-Christian.  It is a decisive and dramatic change because we are no longer what we once were (strangers and aliens to God).  We are now placed in Christ Jesus by God’s mercy.  Essentially, we are a new creation.

Ephesians 2 also tells us that a true conversion means that we are now aware that our old lives were dark and far away from God and now we understand the truth about turning to God:

· 1/ We can be fellow citizens with the saints.  We will no longer be far away from God because our new identity secures us.  The transformation takes place in how we behave in our new community as well as outside of that community.  God made each individual and He loves you.  He wants your heart and He wants your faith in Him to grow.

· 2/ We become real members of God’s household.  You are holy and beloved and God will help you become the person He created you to be.  God’s household is the church, which is a gathering of other like-minded people.  True Christians have a compassionate heart and are kind and humble.  There is strength in meekness, patience, and forgiveness, rather than pride, aggression, and holding grudges.  Jesus is the cornerstone and foundation of His family.  He extends mercy and grace to all believers.

· 3/ We are the stones in God’s temple.  When people join together in worship, they understand the importance of the church.  Christians love getting together in God’s dwelling place, and each person is a part of God’s multi-national temple.  The Bible is the nature of our community, and belonging to a bible-teaching church is a privilege.  The church (and its members) have a phenomenal opportunity to help people with life’s challenges.

Ephesians 2 describes the characteristics of a new creation (a Christian):

· 1/ A person who understands that by faith in Jesus anyone can be saved.  The cornerstone of Christianity is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  This event saved humanity from their own sins, and Christianity is offered to anyone who wants to receive Jesus as their Savior.  A person is saved by faith alone.

· 2/ A person that has a strong faith in God’s promises; that God will do what He has promised while extending grace and mercy to those who believe.

· 3/ A person who is motivated to be around other Christians to share testimonies as well as how God is working in their lives.  When we gather with God’s people, we enjoy Christian fellowship while hearing the Bible translated by a teacher and shepherd of the flock.

· 4/ A person who wants to help others discover the truth about God and His promises.  Once we know the truth, we want to share it.

Faith in Jesus makes the greatest of distinctions.  Do you believe in Jesus’ sacrifice?  Do you believe He is the Savior?  God is rich in mercy and you will be amazed by His grace and overwhelmed by His love.  You can live in complete joy when you accept all that He has to offer.  Leave your alienated existence, be reconciled to God, and your life will be transformed!