During September, we have been looking at God’s Great Love. Today, we’ll be in Ephesians 2:4-10 - and primarily verses 4-7. In Ephesians 2:1-10, Paul details our salvation and how God made it happen. He tells us how God took the initiative to save us, why He saved us, and the result of the salvation He provides. Your salvation is all in and through Jesus. There is no such thing as salvation without Christ in the middle of it.
I. How God Saved You
A. Ephesians 2:4-6: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
2.5 - He
. 2.6 - He . God brings dead people to life. 2.6b - He seated us in the heavenly places.
B. How did God take the initiative to save?
, i.e., the act of not giving sinners what they deserve. He is rich in mercy. It is limitless, exhaustless, and boundless.
, we are the very opposite of everything attractive to Him. a) Romans 5:8: But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
b) John 15:13: No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.
, i.e., that which pardons and releases forgiveness. Grace gives us what we do not deserve. Resurrection: We have been infused with life.
Christ
a) Ephesians 2:5: made us alive
even though we were dead in trespasses. b) Ephesians 2:6: He also …seated us
in the heavens in Christ Jesus, c) Jesus not only died for our sins, but he rose to provide life.
(1)Romans 4:24-25: It will be credited to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
II. Why God Saved You
A. 2:6: He has put you
.
- You have been made alive to God and are now on a heavenly agenda.
B. He has made you a
of …the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
We are not saved primarily to stay out of hell.
We are saved primarily so that God can show his grace, blessings, and riches on us.
a) Ephesians 3:10: This is so that God’s multi-faceted
may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.
III. As We Close
A. God asks for you to believe: Ephesians 2:8: For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—
B. And as you live the rest of your life, you experience the result of His work: Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
We are God’s creation.
Works are the inevitable outcome of our being with God.
C. If you’ve been made alive in Christ, you don’t ever need to question the power of God available in your life. Grab on to it today.