From 04/18/2021
When we worked through Chapter 1, we went verse by verse.
Sometimes, we were in one verse for a few Sundays at a time.
Were going to switch it up a little bit for Chapter 2, and look at some bigger chunks every Sunday.
So instead of verse by verse, we’ll probably be doing 5 or 6 verses every Sunday.
We never want to bite off more than we can chew
It will discourage and confuse us
Ephesians 2:1–10
[1] 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 body 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.
Opening Prayer
The Bible is where we personally hear from God
He proved the words were His, by signs and wonders
He proved the words were His, by the content of what was written down
And when we preach and teach what is written...instead of our opinions and feelings, we remain faithful to Him
God took great lengths, to ensure that His Word was written down and maintained for thousands of years
In Ephesians 1, Paul repeats, 9 times in 23verses the reality that everything that happens in this world, is under the authority of Jesus Christ.
The kingship and sovereignty of God is on full display in Ephesians 1, and then we move into chapter 2.
We read the first 10 verses this morning, but were only going to focus on the first 6 ---- and draw 3 important truths out of the text.
In this first paragraph of chapter 2, Saint Paul is juxtaposing 2 realities against each other.
He is showing us contrast
Who we used to be before Christ, and who we are now
The first one, as I hinted at last week…. Is deep ---- verses 1-3 show us the default of humanity.
We are, by nature, dead.
Sinful
Evil
bad
Corrupt
We followed our own wicked heart
We followed the course of the world
We followed the influence of satan
V.3 - “Children of wrath like the rest of mankind”
We needed supernatural----outside of ourselves ------beyond our own ability ------ resurrection power.
This is what we read about in CH.1 when it said that the same power God exerted when He raised Christ from the dead….is the power that He uses in the lives of His children.
This truth, that humans are by nature….evil and opposed to God...brings out certain feelings
It is entirely contrary to the way the world thinks ----
(Don't think too highly of yourself ------ no one was less dead than anyone else) - God just gave me a slight push into a relationship with Him
(Don’t beat yourself up--------- no one was more dead than anyone else)
Both of these are rooted in pride - im actually good - or im so bad that Jesus can’t save me
But we don't stay there, in the first few verses
We don't arrange our spiritual mentality around who we used to be
Our sin
Our perceived holiness over other people whose sin is more evident
When we repent of our sins and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ ----- the wrath of God that was due to us because of our own voluntary sins ----- is placed upon the back of Jesus Christ.
And we are made new.
V.6 we are seated with Christ in heavenly places
Our soul becomes irrevocable seated with Christ.
It is our new default
It becomes who we are
We remain fallen sinners, but are indwelt by the Holy Spirit
We imperfectly seeks after righteousness - and pray for strength and focus and direction every day
----------
In closing, these are hard truths---
We are naturally evil
But God takes our dead soul, and makes us new
He gives us a new heart
If we disagree that we weren't dead before ---- then we cant claim that God made us alive
If we disagree that we are alive now ---- then we cant claim that we were dead before
If you have repented of your sins and believed, then you are new.
Your dead and wicked stone heart has been ripped from your chest and a new heart of beating flesh has been placed there.
Yes we still sin ---- but we hate it
Yes we still fall ---- but God picks us up
So examine your heart ---- does it still lean towards and run after wickedness?
Or do you fight it?
Do you hold on to some sense of pride, as if you are some special kind of Christian that has nothing left to work on in your life, and you are perfectly sanctified?
Do you actively work against the vestiges of total depravity that still linger in your heart?
Do you hate your sin?
Do you wake up everyday in prayer and lay your head upon your pillow every night in repentance for today and hope for tomorrow?
Id like to point out one more important truth that can be pulled from V. 5
[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—
1st Corinthians 6:9-11
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Doxology