Ephesians 2
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
By Grace
By Grace
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 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— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Back to the Basics
What happened in Genesis.
God created the heavens and the earth. God created in night and day, the expanse form waters and called the expanse heaven, water and land, trees, all creatures, and man and woman.
So all this happens, and then Man and Woman eat the apple. SIN AS ENTERED
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 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— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
This sums it all. We are all born into sin.
Then what happened.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
I want to focus on these next two verses real quick though.
Because we read it but don;t READ IT.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
FOR BY GRACE
Grace You look this word up and you find 3 definitions but the definition I want to look at is courteous goodwill
Grace - Courteous Good Will
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
You have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. it is the gift of God.
What did you read?
We all read the same thing right. But our minds immediately go to By Grace we are saved through faith. This is a gift from God.
Right....WRONG
We skip a spot. That says this is not your own doing. Last week I brought predestination vs free will.
Here is another sign of this. You may ask how is this not my doing if I have free will.
I have to make the decision right.
Think of this way. How did you get to that decision?
Typical Day???
Continuing on Ephesians 2:9
not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
It is not a result of works. So that you can’t say look at me look at what I did.
Works
You works matter yes but if you don’t believe then your works become useless.
Cmon Erich that;s harsh.
This is a harsh truth that we overlook.
Verse 10 sums up everything in this little bit.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Verse 10 does not contradict what verse 8 and 9 said.
We are His workmanship. We are created in Christ Jesus for Good works and we should walk in them.
Again another insight that gets overlooked which God Prepared beforehand.
All of this was prepared beforehand.
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
No Longer the Same
At one time you were just called your name and you didn’t know what the future had in store for you.
At one time my name was just Erich Hall
Now it is Erich Hall Child of God.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
One in Christ
We are one in Christ. He brought us Peace. HE brought us Hope.
Someone once said that the resurrection was the only piece for salvation.
Here is the deal if Jesus Christ was not born, then Jesus Christ could not have gone and preach the word, die on that cross to be able to have a resurrection.
IT says here in verse 16
and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Through believing in Him we have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Our God is Omnipresent
You know that means. That means He is Everywhere. That means right now, right here in First Southern Baptist Church.
HE IS HERE!
Doesn’t mean just because He is here that he is not in Florida with the survivors of Hurricane Ian or with our First Responders and military out there sacrificing their lives for us.
HE IS EVERYWHERE! Nothing will change that.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Represent God
We Represent God, because we are now His Children. We are sometimes the only church that sinners se.. We have to have the foundation built solid.
ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK I STAND
ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND.
We build the kingdom of God here.