Grace That Sets Us Free
“ 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.” —Ephesians 2:1-3
The Bad News: We were dead in our sins
“ 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23
What does it mean to be spiritually dead?
(a.) Spiritual death means we’re separated from God
“ 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” —John 15:4
“ 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 6:23
(b.) Spiritual death means we’re unresponsive to the things of God
“ 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but in their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” —Romans 1:21
The Good News: But God made us alive in Christ
“ 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” —Ephesians 2:4-10
What has God done?
(a.) He’s saved us for eternity; and seated us in the place of honor
“ 21 But now God has shown us a different way of being made right in his sight—not by obeying the law, but by the way promised in the Scriptures long before. 22 We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins.” —Romans 3:21-22
“ 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” —John 3:17
“ 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” —John 1:10-12
“ 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…” —Ephesians 2:6
Why did he do it?
(a.) It wasn’t something in us; it was something in Him—His mercy, love, grace and kindness.
“ 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” —Ephesians 2:10