The Immeasurable Vertical Gain

Ephesians 2: The Immeasurable Vertical Gain
7/19/26

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Anybody like to hike? What's the highest mountain climbed?

I'm a hiker—peaceful walks in the woods and modest rises. I am not a mountain climber. On vacation this year, we hiked Mt. Cammerer in the Smoky Mountains. It is a small peak and we probably started at 2,000 feet and went up to 5,500 feet. It was neat that at the peak you had a lookout tower and could see for miles, could see the journey you have been on.

At the top you appreciate the view and what is called the vertical gain, that is the distance from the valley to the summit. The greater the vertical gain, the more amazing is the view.

Ephesians 2 reveals the greatest vertical gain ever experienced. This passage is rich about the gospel that takes us from the deep valley of our depravity and takes us to the heights of Jesus' enthronement. The greatest vertical gain in history wasn't climbed—it was given by grace. God came to our depths and brought us to his heights.

We should stand in constant amazement at the incredible vertical gain that has been given to us in Jesus.

The Deepest Darkness

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

These words are jarring and there is no apology for it being jarring. It's not just that you were low. It is that you were dead! It might be offensive, but it is also illuminating.

In the words of the great theologian from the animated movie, The Emperor's New Groove: Kronk is the bumbling sidekick of the villain Yzma, and after she called on Kronk to poison the emperor Kuzco, instead of giving him poison, he accidentally turned him into a llama. Doesn’t get much deader than dead. Unless we killed him again. And then he finally confesses the emperor may not be as dead as we would like.

What is the state of humanity without Christ? They are dead. They are not simply in danger, don’t need a little improvement, drop a few pounds, a new paint job, or just a little more education or counsel. Don’t just need enlightenment or modern versions of needing to be woke, as though we were sleeping and need an awakening. Don't need assistance like a rope or an electric bike.

The gospel doesn't make bad people better; it makes dead people alive.

People are spiritually dead. We were walking in trespasses and sins. Scripture says the wages of sin is death. If you sin, you die. Sin entails a coming future physical death, but it implies a present spiritual deadness. Scripture says that apart from Christ our mind is hostile to God. It is against his purposes, his plans, his intent. They are not following God.

2… following the course of this world,

...passions of the flesh. Doing the things everyone else is doing. Sometimes we look and say, "Well, what I am doing isn’t really that bad. Look at everyone else." If everyone else is rebelling against God, then that is not a good standard to use.

I remember a friend whose girlfriend was in a wreck, and everyone was fine, but she was very defensive about it. She admitted the wreck was her fault, but said she was just a little bit over the yellow line. If you are a little bit over the line, you are on the wrong side.

“World” (kosmos) is used 186 times in the Greek New Testament, and virtually every instance has an evil connotation. Linked with the word “way” or age, this phrase means “the present evil age” (cf. Galatians 1:4). Those without Christ are captive to the social and value system of the present evil age, which is hostile to Christ—willing slaves to popular culture, to the ideologies, the groupthink, the attitudes, the post-Christian mores, and man-centered religious fads. The spiritually dead are dominated by the world!

2… following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience

Prince/ruler of the power of the air. This appellation of Satan is illuminating and insulting. There is a different ruler of this age. We still live in a time where Christ’s rule is opposed by the spiritual forces of darkness—Satan.

Satan is the ruler of this age. He is the ruler of the air. I think that is a knock on Satan’s reign. What do you get when you join the King of Glory? Glory. What do you get when you join the ruler of the air? Nothing! You cannot grasp it, hold it, contain it, or boast of it. You get nothing. And that is what the pursuits of the flesh come to. Satan's rule is temporary, empty, and passing.

People are dead to God and alive to the ruler of the air and the passions of their flesh.

They are what we call totally depraved, which means that every part of the human person is tainted by sin. There is no part of our being that is not tainted by our sin. Our depravity is total. Not absolute depravity. We need redeeming in every part.

It does not mean that humans are incapable of doing good (cf. Luke 11:13), or that there is no dignity in man, for all are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Rather, the meaning is that no part of the human being (mind, emotions, heart, will) is unaffected by the Fall. All of us are depraved and sin in thought, attitude, and action. All we do is tainted.

We sin in the things we do. We sin in the things we don’t do. We are negligent.

3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind

These outward indulgences and revelries were not the main problem; they are a symptom of the state of spiritual deadness, having no comfort, no peace, no certainty, no understanding of Jesus, his sufferings, nor comforts in his resurrections. I was dead to the call to serve the church. Disinterested in the body of Christ. Dead to the gift of grace and his immeasurable love to me.

...were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. As a result of our rebellion, we were by nature children of wrath. We were objects of judgment. We deserved nothing more than to be rejected and punished by God. Is that harsh? How could God do this? What happens to you when someone ignores you and keeps doing the things you asked them not to do? You are going to get angry. And your anger is based on your personal preferences. Imagine if you are the one who created them, gave them life, spoke to them on how they should live, offered them your very self as the source of life, and they rejected you for others. They ignored your just commands. They turned to another king rather than to you.

When we turn from the light, we find darkness. When we turn from the light, we are not able to see as we should. We are darkened in our understanding.

Paul, he is writing this. Do you know his story? He says he was dead in his sins. Who was Paul? Before his conversion, Paul was… a Pharisee. One of the leaders of the Jewish community. He taught the Bible. He counseled people. He made decisions on matters of faith and practice. He was not a drunkard or addict. He was a religious leader, who even said he was faultless in matters of religious obedience. And yet he said he was dead in his sins. Dead in his self-righteousness. Dead in his self-justification. Not all rebellion is toward licentiousness. There is the rebellion of legalism. All rebellion takes you away from God, and the legalism of self-righteousness means you are trying to atone for your own sins, which you cannot do.

People think if they achieve a status, give back to others, and do some good deeds, that will cover their offenses. The only sacrifice that God accepts is a blameless sacrifice. God requires perfection, and no matter how hard you try, you will never be perfect. You will wear yourself out trying to attain it on your own.

There may be some here today whose devotion to church is faultless—always there—but your heart is not in it. You give to God just enough for you to feel justified in your rejection of his mission and purposes. Paul had to recognize he was dead in order for him to recognize his need for a resurrected Savior.

This is our state, and if this is our state, who can rescue us? Who will come?

Look at the next words.

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

Paul was dead, but God showed up and called him to himself. Consider Adam—he was told if he ate of the tree he would die. He ate. And he stood dead in guilt and disobedience after his sin. But God came calling, but God provided garments to cover his shame. How about Abram? He was dead in the idolatry of his forefathers, but God came to him and called him to leave that country and go to a new land—the promised land. Moses was alone, powerless, and his people enslaved, but God appeared in a burning bush and called him to follow.

Do you know this darkness?

My testimony. Oh, I remember this so well. I remember the death that I was living. I had no comfort or direction from the things of God. I grew up in a middle-class family that had some good things but was also highly dysfunctional. And the way I saw people deal with struggles wasn’t through prayer and confession and trust in Jesus; it was through alcohol and drugs. The world gave me a picture of the good life, and it left me in utter emptiness and darkness.

I went home for a funeral a few weeks ago. Rode down with a relative, and as we were riding, I was sharing about coming to Christ. We were going down the road, and I was telling my story, and I said, "God met me at that Waffle House right there."

I was 18 and had been at a friend's house all day, drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. Late at night, a friend and I rode with some other friends to the Waffle House. Some things were said, and next thing I knew, it was just me and my friend there alone. We decided we wanted to go back to the party, but the problem was we were in no condition to drive. I decided I had a plan. I took him outside, pointed at the parking line, and told him we would take turns walking it, and whoever did best would drive. He said, “Sounds good, you go first.” I walked it, and I was all over the place. My friend was laughing at me, so I got mad and said, “Fine, it's your turn.” Well, he takes one step, falls flat on his face, looks up to me, and says, "I guess you are driving." I said, “Yep, get in the truck and let’s go.”

We got in. I cranked up the truck. And as soon as the lights came on, a police car pulled right in front of us. I was shocked. But then the police car kept on going. I don’t know how he didn’t see what was going on. I proceeded to pull out and get onto the highway. There was a sense of relief we didn’t get caught. We were free! But all of a sudden as we got on the highway, I just felt this sobering fear come over me and a massive weight of, "What am I doing??? How is this a good idea??" I was not a praying man—like Jelly Roll, only prayed when I don’t got a prayer. But I prayed that whole ride home asking for God to get me out of it.

When we got back to the party, and people realized my friend’s truck was coming in and that it might be us driving, everyone came to the porch to see what was going on. I parked the truck and was so relieved we got there. I heard someone shout, “Who drove you?” and at that time my friend opened the door and fell flat on his face into the bushes (it wasn't a great parking job), and he looked up at them and said, “God drove us.” And that is the only time in all of high school I ever heard anyone talk about God. I went back into that house and spent the rest of the night praying. I was dead in my sin, but God started working, but God came calling, but God spared my life.

5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Because of this, John Stott says, “We should not hesitate to reaffirm that a life without God (however physically fit and mentally alert the person may be) is a living death, and that those who live it are dead even while they are living.” Those without Christ are in Death Valley!

The Highest Heights

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

But God. We could not bring life to ourselves. No one has ever administered CPR to themselves. If you are dead, you cannot bring life to yourself. There is no YouTube video on how to resurrect yourself.

God changed our state.

God did this because of his love for us. What compelled him to act? His great love.

Do you want to know the love of God? Look to his provision of a Savior. Look to what he has done for people who were dead to him and at enmity with him. He has mercy.

‘To make alive’ is a synonym of ‘to raise’ from the dead.” Man is radically dead, and he can be saved only by the radicalness of resurrection.

Humanity is divided into two groups: those who are resurrected, and those who are dead.

(v. 5, synezoopoiesen). Paul underscores our union with Christ. In fact, all three verbs have a prefix meaning “with” (alive with Christ, raised with Christ, seated with Christ).

Jesus didn't simply improve your life; He gave you a new one.

Grace doesn't meet us halfway; it reaches all the way down to raise us all the way up.

If you are in Christ, alive to his salvation, responsive to his calling, then you are no longer an object of wrath but a child of blessing.

7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Immeasurable riches (ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος). Conveys the idea of beyond. Run beyond. Went past one’s expectation. This verb, having an original sense of “to throw beyond,” means “to go beyond,” “to excel,” “to transgress the proper measure.” The noun means “excess” or “supreme stage or measure” for “exceedingly” or “beyond measure.”

God tells us there will be many hardships in this age. This age is fallen. But he tells us the coming age will be his fullest expression of his grace.

In the coming ages. Talks about this age and all the ages ahead. That is eternity. He has brought you from death to life, and not just a temporary fix. This isn't a duct-tape solution. He has set you in the heavenlies with Jesus Christ for eternity.

People long for eternal peace. I just read St. Augustine’s classic book on the Trinity. At one point, he has a brilliant philosophical discussion on how being happy in the present life is contingent on finding eternal life. It’s persuasive. Everyone wants to live a good life. But if you ain’t living, it ain't good. You will never find peace if you know it will end.

The basis for us is that Jesus died and has been resurrected, never to die again, and we are raised with him. He never sinned. He was never at enmity with God, and yet he suffered our fate so that we could be set free. Having overcome, he now sits at the right hand of God. We are now united to him by faith. We share in his victory by faith. Our spirit is alive to his victory, and one day our bodies will be as well. You have not simply climbed an earthly mountain, but you have ascended to the holy and eternal glory of God.

Gift of God. This change has come as a gift. It is not based on what you have done. God did not see how good and wonderful you were and worthy of his blessings. It came as a gift. An amazing gift. The greatest gift you could ever receive!

The late author Jerry Bridges had a great analogy of how when you grow in your walk with the Lord, you begin to see God as so much greater and holier than you could ever imagine. As that happens, you also begin to see your sin as greater and greater. These two things go in opposite directions, and that means what fills the space between those two things is the love and mercy of God. That is what you see here.

When you see what God has done, you are motivated to serve him out of love. Not because you have to. Not because if you don't then he will not let you into heaven, which is a sobering truth but not the primary motivator. We serve him out of love.

The Greatest Work

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Turn to your neighbor and touch them. Make sure they are alive. If they are alive, tell them they are alive. Then tell them, "God has a work for you."

Poiema is a work, artifact (ποίημα), a work of craftsmanship, a creation, a masterpiece, a work of art, a lover’s invention. Transliterated as “poem”—something that has been made. F. F. Bruce: believers are God's handiwork, fashioned by His grace for lives of service. A masterpiece to display his greatness in bringing what was dead into an eternally beautiful creation.

And this is created in Christ Jesus. We become a piece of art in Jesus. We are healed and mended.

A poem, not simply in words and on a page, but a living, breathing masterpiece that displays his glory. Glorious from where you once were to where you are currently. His grace brought you to life and it will get you through whatever you are going through right now. It will be part of his work in you.

There is a sense in which you will need to discover your own particular calling. Will you be a pastor or a police officer, a teacher or businessman, an athlete or a musician?

And let me say this, part of your calling is going to involve willingly and sacrificially walking through hard things with joy that only comes from a spiritual connection to Jesus.

But let me also say this: the key place of work that Jesus has given to you is the ministry of the local church. That is his idea, his people, his place. It is where you will be sharpened and do the most amazing things.

3:10 So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

The fuel for your service to God is going to come from you pulling away from your business, silencing all the demands of life, and getting in his word to survey the amazing work he has done in your life, that has brought you over an immeasurable vertical summit and given you a view of yourself, of life, of the world, and of God, that is incalculably beautiful.

Discussion Questions

1. How does understanding the depth of our spiritual condition before Christ make us appreciate God's grace more deeply? In what ways are people today tempted to minimize the seriousness of sin?

2. What is the turning point in this passage (v. 4)? Can you share a "But God" moment from your own life?

3. What does it mean to be God's “workmanship” (v. 10)? What gifts, opportunities, or ministries has God given you to display His grace? How can our local church help us discover and live out those good works together?

4. Think of one person in your life who may still be spiritually dead and in need of Christ. How could you use what you learned from Ephesians 2—whether by sharing your testimony, explaining the gospel, or inviting them to church—to help them experience the same "But God" transformation that God has given you?