Ephesians 2:1-10

Do you consider yourself a good person? If you say yes, you are in for the shock of your life as we look at this passage! The depth of our sin is so great, that the Bible pronounces us dead before salvation. We were dead in our sins and without hope! There is no way that we could somehow transform ourselves or make ourselves righteous. That is why the Gospel is not merely good advice, it is GOOD NEWS! We are not people who need to be awakened from our slumber, but people who need a radical transformation from spiritual death and darkness to spiritual life and light. These ten verses in Ephesians point us to how that radical transformation takes place – God’s boundless love and grace conquering our boundless sin!

Before you start your time with God today, take a moment to pray to your God. After you pray, take time to read through the passage slowly, taking notes on what God is teaching you through His Word, and answer the questions.

As you read this week's passage, look for these words or phrases: dead, sins, lusts of our flesh, rich in mercy, riches of His grace, faith, workmanship.

Passage for the week: Ephesians 2:1-10 (NASB)

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, 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 ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in 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 as 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 so that we would walk in them.

DIGGING DEEPER

Monday:

List all of the characteristics of God that you find in this passage (what God is like, His attributes).




List all of the promises of God that you can find in this passage.




How might your life be different if God ceased to be a God of grace? Think about it and explain.



Wednesday:

In verse 1 Paul tells us that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. How did this happen and why does our sin separate us from God?



In verses 2-3, Paul outlines for us what our lives looked like before salvation. We followed the world, the flesh, and Satan himself. According to Paul, what impact did these influences have on us as non-Christians? In what way do these influences still impact you and how have you personally seen these influences at work? Please explain.



According to verses 4-7, what motivated God to save us? Why are these motives so remarkable, when you consider our boundless sin?



What does Paul mean when he says in verses 5-6 that we have been “made alive,” “raised,” and “seated” with Christ?



For those of you who want to dig a little deeper, here’s a great question to chew on: How does our union with Christ relate to the fulfillment of God’s purpose stated in 2:7 and 1:9-10?



Friday:

According to Ephesians 2:8-9, how are we saved? Do you and I have anything to do with our salvation according to these verses? Explain.

What does the word “workmanship” mean in verse 10?

Paul also tells us in verse 10 that just as God is sovereign in our salvation, He is also sovereign in our sanctification, creating us unto good works. What good works does Paul have in mind here?

Evaluate your spiritual life for a moment. Are you living in the bondage of verses 2 and 3 or are you living in the grace of verses 4-10?

List all of the things you have learned about God’s grace from Ephesians 2:4-10.



CHEW ON THIS:

In these powerful verses of Scripture, Paul draws our attention to the grace of God that brought us out of death into life. Verses 1-3 should serve as a huge wake-up call to us concerning the total sinfulness from which believers have been redeemed. We were not just totally depraved, but also totally unable to be rescued from our depravity if not for God’s grace! The cravings of our flesh, the influence of the world, and the presence of Satan in the world can seem so overwhelming. At times we may still find ourselves “indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind,” even though we have been set free by God’s grace. So, let’s dwell on that grace for a moment. God is rich in mercy and great in love – even when we were dead in our sins and without hope! And if that was not enough, God also breathed spiritual life into us and raised us up to share in His glory in heaven (this is mind-blowing!). He did all of this to display how rich His grace and kindness is and how it can conquer our seemingly limitless sin! This is a stark and breathtaking contrast to the doom of verses 1-3 and it dramatically reveals the power of God at work in us that brings us from death to life. This transformation is not a product of our works, but of His grace. Even the faith to believe this is a gift that God gives us, enabling us to trust Him and repent in salvation. However, this does not mean works are unimportant. Our former life was made up of the works of the flesh and disobedience. By contrast, verse 10 shows that we have been created in Christ Jesus unto good works! These good works (which will be seen in chapters 4-6) are still a work of grace in our lives and it is in the sovereign plan of God that we walk in them.

Are you thankful for God’s amazing grace in your life? As we ponder this grace and love that God gives us, this should cause us to have joy in their hearts, thankful worship on our lips, and strength to our fight against sin!

For His Name,

Pastor Stephen