Ephesians 2 - The Riches of His Grace
Who were the Ephesians?
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Mostly Gentile followers of Christ
 Gentile – non-Jewish
Jews
Gentiles
Descendants of Abraham
Heathens - Orphans
Had been given the Law & Prophets
Had nothing
Law guided them
Lived by what felt good
Recipients of the Covenants
Had no Covenant Promises
God’s Chosen People
Without God
Hope in God
Hopeless
Set apart / Clean
Common / Unclean
Had an inheritance
Had no inheritance
Becoming a follower of Christ has nothing to do with your past, it has everything to do with God & His grace!
Our Position: (vs. 1-3)
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Dead in our transgressions & sins
For the wages of sin is death…
Romans 6:23
 Transgressions – willful & unintentional failures
 Sins – offenses – missing the mark
 The mark: the glory of God (Rom. 3:23)
We followed the ways of the world - disobedience
We were under the devil’s influence - rebellion
We lived for our own pleasures
By nature, we deserved God’s anger & punishment
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?
Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4
What Happened: (vs. 4-10)
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His great love for us
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
 We are followers of Christ because he loved us
God is rich in mercy
 Mercy = compassionate treatment
 Not getting what we deserve (Lam. 3:22-23)
It is by grace we are saved (stated twice in 4 verses)
 Grace = unmerited favor
 Getting the opposite of what we deserve
 It is a gift
…the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
A Picture of Grace: Jonah
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God sends Jonah to Nineveh
 Nineveh was the capital of Assyria – Israel’s enemy
 Assyrians enslaved, killed and conquered
God cares about these people who are His enemies
 He gives them a chance to repent so they won’t be destroyed
Jonah demonstrates the amazing grace of God
Our salvation is not a result of our earning it by doing something. It is solely a result of God’s grace!
As a Result of His Grace:
We Have Been…
• Given life
 Made alive – reanimate conjointly with
 Only as we are joined with Christ
• Raised up & seated in Heavenly places in Christ
 Given a position & authority (Prodigal Son)
 Seated above our problems
• Saved
 Delivered, healed, preserved, made whole
• Made God’s workmanship
 Recreated in Christ
 God’s handiwork – His work of art
 Have a purpose – to do good works
If His grace was extended to us while we were enemies, how much more is available now that we are His
family!
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power
that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Accessing this Grace:
Saved by grace through faith
• Faith = belief – reliance upon Christ & the cross
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
 Faith in action – love for God & His people
Galatians 5:6