Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Ephesians chapter two, let's just start in verse 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore, remember, that ye being in time 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.

in two great words, but now, but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who were sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. And I'm just gonna stop right there, otherwise I'll just keep going. My title today is Without Christ, In Christ. without Christ and in Christ. These are opposites. This is one of those, I don't know if you wanna call them dualities, sets of opposites, you understand? There's many ways the world, people in the world can be divided. There's Jew or Gentile. That's what all Gentile means is not a Jew. That's what it means. Not trying to be prejudicial, but there are opposites. There's lost and saved. This is one without Christ or in Christ. This is an opposite.

And here's the thing. This letter is written to believers. Paul writes it. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God to the saints which are at Ephesus. and here's us folks, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. This is written to believers. Because I'm gonna tell you something, the believer is the only one who knows what it's like to be without Christ and to be in Christ. They're the only ones. The lost cannot understand the saved. However, This is also true. The saved used to be lost. You couldn't understand where they're coming from. Believers can understand unbelievers, but unbelievers cannot understand the believer.

Oh my. I got a quote here from John Flavel. I like this. Did Christ finish his work for us, yes. Then there can be no doubt, but he will also finish his work in us. I like that, I like that. Verse 10 starts it off, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Like I said, this is written to the saints in Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus. This is written to believers. Those that are what? Created in Christ Jesus.

Here's the thing. We are his workmanship. Believers are the product of the potter, the heavenly potter, God himself. We are the vessels unto honor, even when we don't feel like it. Can I tell you a secret? Even when we don't act like it, we are vessels unto honor. We are his workmanship. Understand, Psalms 100 verse three puts it this way. Know ye that the Lord, he is God. It is what? It is he that hath made us and not we ourselves. Oh my. What? We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. I like that verse, I like that verse. It's he that made us, not we ourselves. We don't get any credit in salvation. It's a gift, it's a gift.

Well, I have to. For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God. I'm gonna tell you something, grace is the gift of God, faith is the gift of God, salvation is the gift of God. Why? For we are his work. We're his work. We didn't do it, he did it. We just get to enjoy it. We get to rejoice in it. We are told to rejoice in it. Oh, and here he tells us through the Apostle Paul how he made us. We are created in Christ Jesus. What does it say in another place? A new creature, a new creature. Oh my. Well, verse four of chapter one says, according as he hath chosen us, in him, that's in Christ, before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. And the work of grace is just that, creation. Created in Christ Jesus.

To understand the difference between an unbeliever and a believer is the work of God. He makes you something that you were not. Oh, by grace are you saved. By grace, oh. The work of grace is a creation, a manufacture. That's what this word workmanship means, a fabrication. God takes you and makes you a new creature in Christ Jesus. Not in yourself, in Christ. The people of God are the works of his hands, not their own. And they are the work of God's hands in the blessed son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Chosen in Jesus Christ, created in Jesus Christ. Folks, that's salvation. That's salvation. And I'm gonna tell you something else, that's good news. It's not up to you, it's not up to you, it's not up to me. God makes his children. Oh my. The work of almighty God is to be created in Christ Jesus.

Now, verse 11, well actually verse 12. Well, verse 11, gotta say part of this. Wherefore, remember that ye being in time past Gentile. Paul's going back now. Remember, believers, you were in times past Gentiles. In the flesh, you are called the uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands. But here's the thing, that at that time, before, in times past, ye were without Christ. Remember. That's what he says. Remember. Don't forget where you came from. Remember, remember. Understand, here's the thing. Unbelievers have nothing to remember. They're still there. This makes no sense to them. But it does to believers. Remember, remember.

What is it? Here it is. Isaiah 51 and verse one. Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord, what? Look unto the rock when she are hewn and to the hole of the pit when she are digged.

Remember where you came from. Remember what God brought you out. You were in a pit. What'd it say one place? Deep and miry clay. Stuck there. There was no hope of you climbing out. But he picked you up. And not only that, he picked you up and he put you on the rock. And that's the rock Christ Jesus.

I don't know about the rest of that song, but there's a chorus I really do like. I hold not the rock, but the rock holds me. And that's the way it is. Praise God for our foundation, sure. He puts your feet on the rock, but you were in a pit. The unbeliever's still in the pit. They got nothing to remember. All they got is what they are. But we do, and Paul says to remember it.

Oh my. Remember where you came from. Remember who you were. And that is the key word here. Were. Were. In time past you were. Oh. What were you? And here's where he starts. Without Christ. Without Christ. Understand? Nothing else matters than that one item. without Christ. Here he was talking in verse 10 about being created in Christ Jesus, but then he's talking about where you were. You were without Christ.

Without Christ, oh my. Understand, we still know now that in our flesh dwelleth no good thing. But where we were without Christ was nothing but the flesh. That's all we had. That's all we had. Oh my. What did he call us? Aliens and strangers. Aliens and strangers. And that's just not because they were Gentiles. That's because they were without Christ. He's writing this letter to Ephesians. He's writing this letter to Gentiles. He's writing this letter to us.

But I'm gonna tell you something, any Jew that doesn't have Christ is without Christ. There's no difference. That's not the difference. You understand?

And here's the one thing I do want you to remember, because he's talking about we and us and all this, but when he gets to this point, in verse 12, that at that time, ye, ye, Remember, ye were without Christ. He's talking to individuals. Now, it's true of all of us. It's true of all believers that at one time we were without Christ. But here it is, he's saying, remember. You remember where you were. Understand, I can't remember where you were. I wasn't there. And I don't know what was going on in here. And you can't remember where I was. Oh, it's personal, personal. Without Christ, I was an alien and a stranger. What? It says what? Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, from the people of God, and strangers from the covenants of promise. I didn't know a thing about them, Mac. I didn't know anything about them. the farthest thing from my mind. Didn't care anything about God, didn't know anything about God. I was ignorant. I was ignorant of the things of God, the true things of God.

And here's the thing, don't worry about anybody else, worry about yourself. Oh my. What was it? I read a quote, I meant to write it down, and I don't know that I did. It says, a believer who is, no, I don't know exactly how he put it, but it was really good. Darn it, I hate that. Basically, the gist of it is this. If you're believing in Christ, you're harder on yourself than you are on others. If you're not believing in Christ, you're harder on others than you are on yourselves. and that's the way it is. A believer is supposed to be harder on himself than on others.

Oh my, and I'm gonna tell you something, this is true of every single saint, every single one of the faithful in Christ Jesus. We were at one time aliens and strangers. Without Christ, we didn't know Christ or God, and here, we were in the world, but without Christ. We were in the world, but without Christ. Without God in the world. Having no hope, that's what it says. That's what it means to be without Christ. And Paul says, remember this, remember this.

Oh my. Actually, it's the way he starts out, chapter two. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins. Wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. They're still the way you used to be. among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. We were just like everyone else in this world. That's what it means to be without Christ, to be without Christ. In times past, we walked and we talked, just like the world. And we were okay with that. We were okay with that. We might or might not have been happy with it. But it's all we knew. It's all we knew at the time. Understand, we didn't even know there was a different way, much less a better way. Because we didn't know the way. He is the way. Oh my. And I can't go into this without picking at this word. You know, we do that sort of stuff around here. Understand, this says, what does he say? At that time ye were without Christ. Without Christ. Understand this is the this is the opposite without Christ and in Christ. That's the opposite

Now some people you might think in Christ and out of Christ But that's not what it says. It says without him There's a real sense You will never see well, let's put it away. You'll never see in the scripture anybody being said to be outside of God or outside of Christ Because I'm gonna tell you something, there's a real sense, nothing and no one is outside of Jesus Christ. They are without Christ, or they are in Christ. That's the opposite.

Because you understand, outside, it's only used eight or nine times, I looked in the scriptures, the word's only used eight or nine times, and it means the exterior. There's nothing exterior to God. There is no outside of God. But there is, oh my. without Christ. We've been there. We've been there. And Paul says, remember it. Remember it. Because I'm going to tell you something. That will help keep you humble. You realize that you didn't dig yourself out of the pit. You look at the hole you used to be in and you realize you didn't get yourself out of it. God got you out of it. He lifts the beggar off of the dunghill and sits him with princes. He lifted us out of the miry clay, out of the deep pit and set our feet upon the rock. And then what? Says he ordered our steps. Oh my, remember where you come from.

What this word without means, if you look it up, it means separate. Apart from Christ. What it means is not being in Christ. Not being in Christ. Because you understand, he's the potter over the whole lump. And he's able of that same lump to make those vessels under honor and those vessels under dishonor. They come out of the same lump. Oh my. To be separate or apart from Christ is to be dead in trespasses and in sins. And let me tell you something, folks. I understand how there are a lot of things, a lot of circumstances. There's nothing worse in this world than to be without Christ. Nothing worse. Because you have no hope. That's what he said. You got no hope, you're without God, and you're in the world. And we know what a horrible thing that is. The world doesn't know. The unbeliever doesn't know. But the believer knows, and the believer is to remember.

Because he says it in verse 13, I love this. But now, but now, but now, in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus, what? Here's the thing, you were far off. You who were a far off, you're not a far off anymore. You've been made nigh. What's that mean? Made near. You know why? He's bringing his children, bringing in what? Many sons into glory, in glory. Oh, I like that. He's bringing his people in. He is gathering his people, what? Where? To himself. To himself. Oh my.

But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh, how? By the blood of Christ. By the blood of Christ.

There's some work involved in salvation. It's just not your work. There's blood involved in salvation, but it's not your blood. It's his precious blood.

Understand, a holy God had been offended by us. Individually by us. And you know what happened? Holy God came down. manifest in the flesh, took upon themselves the form of a servant, lived a perfect life. The father said, in him I am well pleased. He never said that about any of you. He never said that about me either. You know why? Because it wouldn't be true if he said it about us.

But what's true about his son, Jesus Christ? And he came and God laid on him the iniquity of us all. And he bore it on the tree. In his body, on the tree. He paid the debt for our sin that we could never pay. Though we gave all we had. And even shed our own blood. It wouldn't reconcile us to God. But Jesus Christ did. And I said did because it's in the past tense. He has reconciled us to God. He has redeemed us to God. He has, in God's sight, I love this part, perfected forever those that he set apart, that he sanctified. And he sanctified us by the one offering, and he perfected us by the one offering. And that offering was made to God 2,000 years ago or thereabouts.

And that's what it means when you're created in Christ Jesus. You are in Christ Jesus. You are in him. He's seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. You're in him. You're in him. And he is in you. Oh, I like that. I like that.

But now, all believers are in Christ. That's what being a believer means. You, I, were all without Christ at one time, but now. But now, what? In Christ Jesus, you are made nigh. You are made nigh. You didn't get nigh, you were made nigh. Oh, I like that. Mm. I didn't get created, I was created. in Christ Jesus. Oh my, this is who we are, brothers and sisters. We are in Christ Jesus. Now we are to remember what it was like to be without Christ Jesus. But we are to rejoice now that we are in Christ Jesus. Oh my, this is who we are, and by God's grace, this is where we are. in Christ Jesus. I like that, I like that.

God in heaven, the father in heaven can look upon us who believe and see his son, and see his son. And you know what, he can look at us and say, I'm not gonna destroy you off the face of the earth. I'm not gonna send you to hell. I'm gonna bring you to myself. Why? Not because of you, but because of your son. Because you're in Christ Jesus. You're in the beloved one. Chosen in him, created in him, you're in him. And that's a wonderful, wonderful thing.

William, I'm gonna leave you with this. William Augustus Clark wrote this. And as far as I can tell, this is the only song he ever wrote. But it's good.

Space and duration God does fill,
and orders all things by his will.
respecting all the holy seed
chosen in Christ, their blessed head.