Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:1-10

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By Grace Through Faith

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Eph 2:1-10

• Transcript

  That makes sure we're going alive. Perfect. Well, good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to Coffee and devotions as we're every day you and I, we get together. We have a little bit of coffee or tea. We'll have a sometimes our little guys will join us. And we get in the Lord's word together. Well, why don't we have some coffee? We'll pray and we'll get into an absolutely incredible passage. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for the amazing work that you have done to bring about our salvation. Father, we pray that you would work in us that we might love you and that we might follow in your ways. And then we might stand in all of who you are and what you've done. In Jesus's name, Amen. All right, we're at Ephesians chapter two Ephesians chapter two, the first 10 Verses one of the most powerful sections, I think of the book of Ephesians certainly one that clarifies a number of different issues when it comes to the doctrine of salvation. So Ephesians chapter two verses one through 10. Nathan, why don't you read verses one, two, and three, and all read four through 10 so you can read the first paragraph and I'll read the second and then you he made a lot of dead interest. Watch the watch walked according to the cost of this mode, according to the punch of the power of the Spirit, who now have this obedience among them, also, we all want conducted ourselves. So let's all flesh filling the desires of the flesh and the mind and well, nature of children. And we're by nature, just as the others, but God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved and raised us up together. and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them well we need to ask ourselves three credit questions Buddy What are they be what is the best processor mind and see what are we going to do today? Good, right. So what are we called to do? All right, well, verses one through four kind of our one through three sorry, are really pretty picture about us, isn't it? It's like, it tells us all the good things we are right. What's verses one through three? Your Night? Good, good. Good. Good. Good. Good. You're not good. You're good. You're not got it. It just flipped over. Yeah, right. So it's not any of that right. What are what is verses one through three? Tell us about that. We're dead. They're gonna die. No hope. Open ourselves. Do we know that corruption? Still now? Does this mean that like we were physically dead No, I think but I think in a real sense, right? What's what's we were spiritually dead but yet in the same reality what is going to happen to every single person gonna die? There's one person I remember one time they said, our birth certificate is nothing more than the first day of our death certificate. We're all going to die. It's all going to perish. Each and every one of us know that the judgment on Adam and Eve the day you eat a bit you shall surely die that same judgment is still on us. So the wages of sin is death man, you went straight to verse eight and nine. Yeah, all right. It's it's kind of like if somebody has cancer did people like being told that they've got terminal cancer that they're going that they're going to die? But is it good to know that? Yeah, so they can figure out how they're going to live right now. But does God leave people in this state of spiritual deadness? Yes, he does. Well, you're right. He leaves some people. But what about his people? Does he leave us in that dead state? No. Yeah, it says we were just like the rest. We walked in the way according to the prints of the power of the air. We had the lust of the flesh. That's how we conducted ourselves fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind or by nature, children of wrath, just as the others and then verse four starts with one of the most beautiful phrases in the whole Bible. What does it say? You look at all that bad news. And then you have the wonderful word. But but God who is rich in mercy what does God do that for Yeah, but he does that after we're good enough right? Know what his first five say? Passes. Just passes made us alive together with Christ by grace. Yeah. Even when we were dead in our trespasses, the book of Romans says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Did God wait for us to get 90% better and then fill up the rest? Did God wait until we got our acts together and then save us? Know When did he save us? In what state were we and centers not it will save ourselves. Negative 100 Yeah, we were as one person that said we were lifeless corpses on the sea of death. And God reached down, pulled us up and breathed new life into our lungs for bike race, you have been saved. And so how does he show us that grace? How did he raise us up from death? Well, first, it's not our faith. What is what is the point to before he gets to our faith? What does he say in verse six? How old were you raised up from the dead? What is verse six say? Together made us to sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Yeah. He made us to live together with Christ and raised us up together. He if Jesus rose again from the dead, we know that we stand right with God. If Jesus had stayed dead in the tomb, do you think we could be saved? Why not? Gates did he would have had once he got it. He must have. Okay, yeah. So well, maybe maybe not. Maybe, you know he just atone for our sins and wipe the slate clean and now we need to do everything. Couldn't it couldn't have the story had been that that God saved all of his people up to that time and previously by wiping away all their sins in Jesus why? Did he have to raise him from the dead? Then, because sin. Sin doesn't have any grip on him. He's defeated death. He's defeated the final foe. And so if Jesus is alive where do we find our life? In Jesus, He raised us up in Christ. This is why the resurrection is really important. And not just like, people, some disbelieving people will say things like, Oh, the disciples just really wished that he was alive and it was just like this emotional thing. No, he really was alive right? What did he tell Thomas? What does he do when he was by the lake and they had gone fishing and they found out it was Jesus. On the shore. What was Jesus doing? Eating? Yeah, he was eating right. He made breakfast for them. Exactly right. This isn't a figment of their imagination or something like that. It truly is the risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With a physical body he truly did conquer death. And Did Jesus stay on the earth? Where did Jesus go? So how are Jesus in heaven but yet we're in him. Yeah, well, that's just your first answer was right. It's a mystery. Or there are three legitimate mysteries in the Christian faith, things that are beyond our comprehension. Right? The Trinity. We can know a lot about the Trinity but we can't fully grasp the Trinity. The hypostatic union which means you know, how is it possible that Jesus is one person with two natures are fully God and fully man, how is he the theatrically the Anthropos How was he the God man? I don't know how that exactly works out but I know it's true. And lastly, the third mystery you won't know what the third legitimate mystery in the Christian faith is. And this is like theological categories. The third mystery is our union with Jesus. Yeah, but yet, is this saying that we are seated with Jesus in heaven? Sure does say that. It actually does look look at what is said. For Sikhs and raised us up together and made us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Somehow we are seated with Him in Heaven. I don't know how this works out. But sure it's sweet. Right to Know that just like Jesus is physically in heaven now. So we also someday we'll know it fully. So he goes on in verses eight, and nine. kind of clarify something for us, doesn't he? What does he say? Know not by try that again. Not yourself. It is the gift of God. Not of works, lest anyone Yeah. So so how have we been saved? By grace, by grace through faith, that's perfect. That's wonderful theological language Good job budding, theological scholar. Right by grace through faith. Who does the work? God does. Did we make ourselves alive? Did we raise up our dead bodies? Did we atone for our sins? Who did all that? God did we elect ourselves? Did we predestined ourselves but what's the instrumentality by which God does this? Through what? Through faith. He does this through faith. Now is this. Here's the question. Does a faith happen before he makes us and gives us a new life? Or does it happen after he gives us a new life? You think both. Definitely. Well, so I'm not talking about physical death. And now I'm talking about imagine there's somebody and they've never heard of God. And then they hear the Gospel. And they believe did their faith come before they were reborn? Meaning because they believed they were reborn, or did they believe because they were reborn? Did they believe that they have faith in thus? God made them reborn, or were they reborn? And then out of their new hearts, they believed Hmm, why would you say that? You have to be Grace twice. You have to believe. Then you actually put off a dead person belief. Remember, this is what this says here is that that person was dead in their trust transgressions and since can a dead person believe they can? No, they can't. They can't do anything. I'm talking about a spiritually dead person can a spiritually dead person who's of the kingdom of Satan, can they believe in God's goodness and grace? No. Right. God has to first save them by His grace. And now they've been given new hearts and because they've been given new hearts. Now they have faith. Yeah, that's right. I know. I know. I'm kind of teasing things out here with you a little bit but theologians call this in the order of salvation. The Ordo salutis And those specifically saying regeneration precedes faith. Okay, that means you're reborn. And because you're reborn because God gives you a new heart. What do you do with that new heart? Your belief but you don't just believe? What does verse 10 say? You did. Jesus really good works which God prepared you for him? At least you'd walk in. So not just out of our good hearts now do we believe but what else happens? Okay, so God creates us good. And what what do we do now? What's our part in this? How we do good works. We do good work so we can be saved right? No, no, no, no, we've already been saved. Right? There's an order here. So can you be saved? Without good works? Yes. Are you sure? It was just a walk then why would nonetheless, keep your voice Uh, why would anyone Well, you're right. We're we are saved by grace alone. Not by works. Listening. One should boast. Right so we're not saved. by our works. But let me ask you a question. Can someone truly be saved and not do the good works that God gave them to do? But I thought you just said that we were saved. By grace not by works. God said see that. That's right. You aren't you're watching we're never Oh, that's right. That's kind of hard thing, isn't it? Are we doing the good things that God has given us to do? It sometimes. Is it hard to obey mommy and daddy. Sometimes it's hard to do the good things that God has prepared in advance for you to walk in them. Sometimes Is it difficult to have the fruits of the Spirit can be tough. And yet that's how God works in our hearts. He saved us we were dead. But God saved us. We know it says don't we? And yet while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Do you think we get to brag about that? With her who do we get to brag about to brag about Jesus? And because God loved us, and died for us and give us new life now what do we get to do? That's right, we get to praise Jesus and do good works with them. What do you think's the best verse to summarize all this? For using verse four, by God who was rich and mercy because of His great love with which you loved us. Well, if I did four I'd have to underline five. But you know what would have happened if I underlined five if I underlined data and underline six and offender underline six, I'd want to go to nine and if I did nine I'd wanted Yeah, right. I'd probably do eight nine myself. Oh, you should good. Use your good. Well, I think we've done see calling already but let me ask you what are the good works that God has prepared in advance for you to do? Do you cling to Jesus Christ? Do you hope in Him alone for your salvation? Do you love him? Is your heart overwhelmed by the grace that God has shown us in His Son? And are you walking in the good works he prepared for you to do? You ready to pray? Father, we thank you so much for the wonderful mercy have shown us and Jesus Christ. Father, please let us never forget the work that you have done. And let us hold fast. But Lord, we confess to you that it's easy for us to forget and we're too weak to hold on to you Father, we pray that you would keep us in the hand of your son. And we thank you that you from the lips of Jesus Christ Himself has said no one will snatch us out of your hand. God hold on to us. In Jesus's name, Amen. May Lord bless you may walk in the joy and peace that comes in Jesus Christ. And we'll see you next time. Bye Transcribed by https://otter.ai