Unvarnished Truth: When Jesus Calls Believers to Repent (Eph. 2:8)

Unvarnished Truth: When Jesus Calls Believers to Repent – It’s easy for words found in scripture to lose their meaning and impact in our daily lives. Terms like “righteousness,” “sanctification,” “redemption,” and even “faith” can become commonplace. We might read verses like John 3:16 and focus more on their emotional encouragement than on their instructional value, which calls our attention to the immensity of God’s work for us through the Cross. Ephesians 2:8 is another such verse.

The Enduring Impact of Ephesians 2:8

Ephesians 2:8 states: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.“

Paul makes a statement in Ephesians 2:8 that can lose its impact on our lives, especially after we’ve walked with God for many years. The Ephesian believers weren’t novices in spiritual matters, yet for some reason, they needed a reminder. This is significant because the Ephesian church represented a high point in the move of God that established the church in the early centuries after Christ’s resurrection. Throughout scripture, they received great compliments concerning their spirituality, as well as biting criticisms regarding how they ultimately fell away from God.

Jesus’ Warning to the Ephesian Church

Interestingly, when Jesus spoke to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, he directly addressed this church:

[Revelation 2:4 KJV] “Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

Jesus isn’t rejecting the Ephesians here. He’s loving them to life with straightforward, unvarnished truth. God never leaves us where we are. He never withdraws from us when our faith falters; instead, he moves toward us as a benefactor to bless and as a father to correct. Are you correctable? We can see God’s process at work among these people to bring them back to that first love Jesus spoke of in Revelation 2:4. He sends Paul to encourage, instruct, and guide them in their faith. Apparently, they didn’t respond in any substantive way because not many years later, Jesus points out the consequences of losing the simplicity of their faith.

[Revelation 2:5 KJV] “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

Wow. He actually called a group of people to repentance who were already believers. Who would think that becoming jaded in spiritual things would be so costly to this (or any) particular group of people? What about you? Have you slipped dismissively into the culture of the kingdom and lost your anchor, your moorings from the faith, humility, and repentance that brought you to Christ in the first place? The warning to the Ephesians, and to us today, is that God will remove our candlestick out of its place as a result of letting our hearts grow cool, even cold, where spiritual things are concerned.

What does it mean “to remove our candlestick”? We know Jesus was speaking to the church as a whole, but the scriptures teach us that even in our individual walk with God, we are “lights in the Lord.” What would this warning look like in the lives of the individuals who made up the Ephesian church? Seeing your “light go out” is a metaphor for our mortality, loss of life, and ultimate death, even if it’s at a great age.

So, let’s adhere to the words of Paul and return to our place of humility and repentance, as we did when we first came to know Jesus.

Salvation by Grace

When Adam fell, a cosmic brokenness came upon the human race that has no antidote outside of Christ. We are eternal creatures, subject to judgment on a cosmic scale, even as individuals. As God judges nations and cultures, he doesn’t leave us out—because he loves us and brings correction, just as we would to the children we love. Whether we like it or not, it’s possible that our eternity might turn out to be other than as we would have it (to put it mildly).

Are you capable of this level and intensity of introspection? It’s called “the fear of the Lord,” and it’s one of the seven spirits of God mentioned in Isaiah 11. When we stand before God, he isn’t going to come off the judgment seat of eternity and give us a “sloppy wet kiss,” as the song says. He paid a dear price for our redemption, and he is looking, expecting, hoping to see some reflection of his nature in us—not by virtue of our own worth, but through the righteousness of Christ. This righteousness releases us from condemnation, yes, but it also changes our nature into that of God’s Spirit. If that vital component is missing, then the question is, have we sincerely and in truth touched the grace that the blood of Christ so copiously poured out?

Through Faith

We are saved by grace and through faith. What is faith, and where do we get it? God has given to every person born into the world the gift of faith—saving faith to believe (or reject) the gospel. This qualifying wording in Ephesians 2:8 shuts down all suggestions of “Universal Salvation” or believing “because Christ died for all, all are saved,” as many believe these days, even in conservative Christian circles. It is a lie. We are saved by grace through corresponding faith that enables and inspires us to fall on our face and confess our spiritual bankruptcy outside of Christ. We are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves. There is nothing inherent in human nature that has any standing at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The only clemency to be found is that which appeals to the shed blood of the Cross. Our efforts, piety, and obedience are as nothing—the small dust of the balancing scale—in terms of qualifying where we will spend eternity.

Outside of Christ, there is nothing in all creation, including humanity, that has any inherent worth upon which we might insist on God’s clemency with respect to where you spend eternity. Martin Luther believed that all sin is mortal sin (death-dealing), and only that which is found in Christ confers upon us the kindness of God to bring us out of the domain of darkness and into the kingdom of Light. “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” We bring nothing to the table. The works of human hands are inherently corrupt and evil, which is why God accepted Abel’s offering and not Cain’s. Cain brought the work of his hands. Abel brought sacrificial blood, and right there came into the human race the great divide between those condemned to eternity without God and those who will experience the Father’s unconditional love, redemption, and clemency because of Christ and nothing else.

It’s easy to go to a funeral and say, “Well, he was a good man,” as though that makes any difference to God when it comes to consigning us one way or another to our eternal disposition. We need to remember that the Tree that condemned all the human race was not merely the “Tree of Evil” but the “Tree of GOOD and EVIL.” What does that indicate to us? It means that outside of Christ, your good condemns you as resoundingly as any evil you participate in or take part of. Gandhi was a good man, but he rejected Christ—I wouldn’t want to face eternity with that mentality. There are many other examples, but please understand, again, that we bring nothing to the table when it comes to Divine Judgment. This is what Paul is pointing out in our verse (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are saved through that which proceeds from God and gives us clemency derived from and originating in the work of Christ, not in our own altruistic reasoning. “Not of works,” says Paul, “lest any should boast.” Going to heaven is not an achievement; it is a mercy that proceeds from the heart of God and is expressed through the work of the Cross.

Paul goes on to challenge the Ephesians in verse 2:11 to remember where they came from. We would do well to pause and take this inventory ourselves. Do we really believe our good works eclipse the ungodliness in our lives, either in the past or perhaps right now—that you are covering up and hiding so no one will see? It is the blood of Christ and nothing else that brings us “nigh” or “near” unto God (Ephesians 2:13). Why? Because (verse 14) He is our peace. He is, in his person, the basis of our acceptance into the Father’s family and the recipient of eternity with Him—and not any other thing.

Review and Reflection

This passage in Ephesians 2 powerfully reminds us of the foundational truths of our faith: salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received through faith, and not earned by our works. The Ephesian church serves as a stark warning that even those who have walked with God for a long time can lose their initial fervor and simplicity of faith. Jesus’ call to repentance to believers underscores the ongoing need for self-examination and a return to our “first love.” The concept of “removing the candlestick” highlights the severe consequences of spiritual apathy, not just for a church body, but for individuals as well. Our ultimate standing before God is not based on our own perceived goodness, but solely on the redemptive work of Christ.

Call to Action

1. Re-evaluate Your Foundation: Take time to reflect on the core tenets of your faith. Have any foundational truths become stale or lost their profound meaning in your daily life?
2. Examine Your “First Love”: Consider what initially drew you to Christ. Have you drifted from that initial passion, humility, and repentance? Ask God to rekindle that “first love” within you.
3. Practice Introspection: Cultivate a habit of honest self-assessment, embracing “the fear of the Lord” not as terror, but as a reverent understanding of God’s holiness and justice.
4. Acknowledge God’s Grace: Regularly remind yourself that salvation is a gift, not an achievement. Resist the temptation to rely on your own good works or self-righteousness.
5. Embrace Continual Repentance: Understand that repentance is not a one-time event but an ongoing posture of turning away from anything that separates you from God and embracing His truth.

Let’s Pray Together

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the profound gift of salvation by grace through faith. Forgive us when we allow the depth of Your sacrifice and the simplicity of Your truth to fade in our hearts. Help us, like the Ephesians, to remember from where we have fallen, to repent, and to return to our first love. Kindle within us a fervent desire for You, and keep us ever reliant on the finished work of Christ on the Cross, knowing that in Him alone we find our peace, our righteousness, and our eternal hope. Amen.

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