Ephesians 2:1-10
Notes
Transcript
Ephesians 2:1 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins”
Ephesians 2:2 “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—”
Ephesians 2:3 “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.”
Ephesians 2:4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,”
Ephesians 2:5 “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”
Ephesians 2:6 “and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”
Ephesians 2:7 “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,”
Ephesians 2:9 “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Chapter 1 was a good intro into the truths of who were are in Jesus.
This lifting up of who we are, being the children of God.
vs.4 talks about: Chosen by God before the foundation of the world. We’re not an accident.
vs.5 talks about: We’ve been adopted! No longer children of the world.
vs.7 talks about: We’ve been forgiven of our tresspasses and sins. Past, present, & future!
vs.11 talks about: We have an imesureable inheritance! An inheriantance of life and not just any life but a life with the creator of all.
vs 15 talks about: We have others to walk with! We have brothers and sisters (thankfulness for that in growing up with siblings)
All this by the power of God!
And then we start today in chapter 2 with
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.
Whoa! What, what happened to the truths of who we are in Christ?
Why this?
I believe two reasons. To stop the creeping in of our pride and thinking we’re something special outside of Christ. That we have something God likes about us. Maybe even to the point that He likes us more than He likes others. That is how ugly we are…deep down this is how we think. This is how flawed we really are.
It’s always about us and what we have or don’t have. Especially compared to others.
Take anybody. You and Bill Gates are together in a crowd of people. I don’t know why it’s just a story, just go along with it.
Out of everyone, he just randomly looks at you and then starts to walk towards you. Reachs into his pocket and hands you a million dollar check, then just turns around and walks away not saying a word.
What is our first response?
Why? What did I do. Was it how I looked. Did he hear about my position in life. Do I have something he wants. What is it the I have?
Do you see or hearts?
The other reason…to show contrast.
Contrast between two things.
to distinguish or be distinguished by comparison of unlike or opposite qualities
To show who we are outside of Christ vs who we are in Christ.
Which hopefully brings humbleness and gratitude!
So outside of Christ we are...
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
Dead! Not sick, not hurting, not in need of just some medicine or vitamins. But dead!
Meaning you had nothing!
Dead in the trespasses and sins.
Sins = missing the mark. Our aim is God’s holiness and nothing less.
Being selfish.
Non-loving.
Unrightousness, doing wrong to others
Prideful, it’s all about me and my greatness. Forgetting the very gift from God on how He made you.
Putting anything created over the creator.
Impure sexual acts
Including wrongs that my go under the radar of our conscious, like selfish decisions we make everyday, caring for ourselves more than the will of God.
Caring for ourselves more than others in need.
I’m sorry I can’t because...
trespasses are deliberate. You knowing climbed over that fence with the no tresspassing sign.
You diliberately crossed the line, willingly and knowingly.
You diliberately lie when you were deeply convicted that what you were doing was wrong and you did it anyway.
These are the darkest of sins and we are all guilty of both!
This folks, is what our free will brought…death! We’ve all freely chosen to do wrong or go against a holy a just God!
Outside of Christ we are....DEAD!
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—
“in which you once walked” guilty, cannot argue that point. Humbleness not arogance.
Outside of Christ, who or what were you following?
What is the course of this world?
selfishness, climbing the ladder above your peers. Me, myself, and I! It’s all about me and my wants, my desires.
sucess? I’d that work out for ya? Even if you grab whatever you’re going after, than what?
Arnold…body builder, actor, politician, wealth…what does it all matter outside of Christ? don’t know if he’s a believer or not just saying what does that all get you?
Arnold, Micheal Jordon, Mohamad ali, everyone…death comes.
This is what this world brings…this putting hope and faith in anything but the creator of all.
Following the price of the power of the air, ouch…yes guilty.
Pushed God as far as could away from me, not wanting him, not caring for him, you name it. I’ve followed in the footprints of Satan.
The very same creation that is still causing pain, destruction, and division he the world today. I’ve been apart of it…guilty.
We’ve all contrubuited plenty to the ugliness of this world…the following of unrightousness vs rightousness.
Are we squashing that pride that may try to creep in thinking we’re special because of who we are verse who He is?
If not here’s another verse.
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.
I want to point out the word “all” here.
What does this mean?
All ya all!
What does this make us? Equal, we’ve all sinned!
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
What else does this mean? We all deserve death. This is our due if we go off of our works?
“passions of flesh” “desires of the body and the mind”
No matter who or how it hurt others, spoiled little brats, it’s all about me and my wants.
That’s how we all can act! Give me, give me!
Totally oppisite of our creator. Where He brings selfless love we bring selfish destruction!
We by our natural selfs is just like anything else, leading to decay, leading to disorder, destruction of the very good God has made.
Deserving the wrath of God, just like the rest of mankind!
I hope the point is clear! On our own we have nothing to bring to God.
He don’t need us, He’s not lost without us, it’s by His loving nature that we have any chance of salvation at all!
We’re dead in our sins and trespasses, pure and simple.
Do you have anything to bring to God in your sinful nature?
So what does this mean?
It’s all about God! Not because He’s insacure about Himself and He needs praise from His creations but because by staying focused on Him it’s what’s best for us!
It’s for our good and His glory!
Because He is deserving of it!
Let’s now look at why it’s all about God!
Pride smashed and humility set lets look at God to the contrast of our talked about nature.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
But Tony being awesome because of his awesomeness is why God loved him, NO!
BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us.
No one has more mercy than God! No one has more love to give than God!
He loves because that is His nature!
He is Holy, meaning He is pure, purely good, without blemish, without sin. He is set apart from all else. No one like Him, He is One. No others.
He loves because of who He is not because of who we are.
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
While we were at our worst, this is when Christ died for us!
It wasn’t at your so called best but your worst!
Do you get that? Think about your most ugly time in life. The thing that’s hidden in the closet of your mind. God knows it. Maybe others do to but He knows it deeply. This is when Christ say’s yes!
We were dead in our trespasses, still sinning, nothing about us was beautiful or desirable.
But God! Shows His love in contrast to our ugliness.
This love is what conquors all!
Does’t this just bring you to a place praise and worship! This God is the most beautiful, the most holy, the most perfect being and He chose to take my place in death. And not just any death but on a man made killing creation called crusifiaxtion.
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Here’s a great example of mercy and grace.
Jesus, came down and paid our price in full by fulling dying. Buried in a tomb and all.
3 days. Not just slightly out of it in a coma or something but dead!
Our debt was paid, thank you Jesus.
This was His rich mercy bestowed on us!
But God, not only does He provide justice for our sins by Christ’s death.
He doesn’t leave us to fall into death again but gives us life with Him.
Not only am I going to pay your fine but I want to bring you with me to my place. To live with me!
What!? How? Why? Who am I to you?
Loved, thats all. Nothing else. Loved, because of who God is!
so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The grace just keeps pouring out! The ages to come are going to be undescribable!
These first two alone are mind blowing!
Justice has been payed on our behalf by the almighty, the one who deserves none of the justice provided. Death and seperation from the Father.
This as been paid and we get to live forever with Him! Really!
Again if that wasn’t enough, the ages to come brings immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
How’s this great contrast? Our ways verses His ways?
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.
These verses are the great verses of God’s salvation for me!
This is my testimony of God’s greatness and how I’m here today.
Were going complety off script here and just sharing in these versers together and the deep love God has.