Our past, present, and future in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Ephesians is an absolutely wonderful book full of so much good truth that is relevant in the life of believers!

Chapter 1- Our Spiritual possessions in Jesus

Chapter 2- Our Spiritual position in Jesus

Our position of being in/with Jesus should have some real affects on our life and purpose!

IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST YOU ARE HIS WORK CREATED FOR HIS GLORY!

No accident, no mistake, no typo

He has made you and made your for a purpose that is found in Jesus!

He has a purpose for you!

You are called to something and something great!

Let’s examine this truth!

It is vital that we first understand our past with out Jesus before we examine our present and future with him.

Our Painful Past

Who were we before/without Jesus?

We were dead!

Eph 2:1 “1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”

Being dead is more than lacking a heart beat. It is the state of being separate from God.

Look at how Jesus defines it

John 11:26 “26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Sinners are dead

Sin is what kills

Eph 2:1 “1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”

Romans 5:12 “12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Sin is what separated us from God

Is 59:2 “2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

Being with out God is to be without life

1 John 5 12 “12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

John 3:36 “36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

We were disobedient!

Eph 2:2 “2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

We walked in the course of this world

Walk= Live in

Lived in:

This world

Evil world

Galatians 1:4 “4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”

Satan’s dominion

The flesh’s control

1 John 2:16 “16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

We were just slaves to Sin before Jesus.

John 8:34 “34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”

We were depraved

Ephesians 2:3 “3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

Depraved- Just plain broken. Rotten to the core.

Psalm 58:3 “3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: They go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”

Psalm 51:5 “5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.”

The I AM in our present

Eph 2 4 “4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”

God cared enough about our (your) dead, disobedient, depraved existence to get involved!

He did not let the story end with our disobedience. He got involved! He cared!

THATS MERCY!

Let’s examine the characteristics of God’s mercy.

“rich in mercy” = Wealthy in compassion `

His mercy stems from his love

Eph 2:4 “4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”

His love is displayed in his mercy!

Roman5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

His mercy allowed for us to be included in & with Christ!

Belief in the Gospel gets you united and included with Jesus!

The life you could not live he did

The death you should have died he did

The life we didn’t deserve he granted

The joining of believers to Jesus Christ, through faith, whereby they are freed from participation in Adam by sharing in Christ’s death and resurrection, his nature, sufferings and glory and whereby, too, they become part of his body. Believers therefore share in the fellowship, ministry and hope of God’s people

Eph 1:13 “13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

Heb 3:14 “14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;”

In Christ we are

Quickened-Made alive

Eph 2 5 “5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

Your belief in the work of Christ get you life in him!

Gal 2:20 “20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

We are raised

Eph 2:6 “6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

Resurrected=Made alive

Raised= new life

free from sin, devil, flesh

Galatians 5:24 “24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

We are seated Eph 2:6 “6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

With Christ

Where?

In Heavenly places

ABOVE

Eph 1:20 “20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,”

Above the things on this earth. Like sin, problems, worry, our identity is above!

Our purposed future

Eph 2:7 “7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

God has a purpose here and it’s about his glory! His eternal purpose is his glory!

His plan

Eph 2:8 “8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

His plan for his purpose was Grace!

His grace in saving us removes boasting!

1 Cor 1:21 “21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

Grace= Not a present for the good but a gift for the guilty.

His grace is accessed by the canal of faith

Faith in HIM and HIS WORD!

His work

Eph 2:10 “10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

God is working in us!

Phil 1:6 “6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

God will work through us!

We are not saved by good works but saved unto them!

Good works= Matthew 5:16 “16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

BRING GOD GLORY!

Titus 2:14 “14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

What God has done by including us in Jesus fixes our past, helps our present, and secures our future!

Trust him

To save you

Work in you

To serve him