The Gospel of Grace
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Eph 2:1-11
Eph 2:1-11
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, 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 coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not 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, that we should walk in them.
Paul’s aims - a) that no one may have any reason for boasting in anything regarding their salvation. b) to reveal the riches of the grace of God.
Chapter 1 he reveals the source of our salvation - in election. Chapter 2 he shows how it is worked out.
VERSES 1-3: The natural state of man
VERSES 4-7: What God has done
VERSES 8-10: How He has done it
VERSES 1-3
The identity of the natural man: Dead, a son of disobedience, a child of wrath.
i. Dead
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
ii. Sons of Disobedience
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Darkness
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
iii. Children of Wrath by nature
Hard of heart
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
The activity of the natural man: Walking in trespasses and sins, following the course of this world, following satan and carrying out the desires of the body and mind.
i. Walking in trespasses and sins
ii. Following the course of this world
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
iii. Following satan who is also at work in them
19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
iv. Carrying out the desires of the body and mind
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
Man is rendered completely unable to save himself, he can’t lift a finger. He is dead spiritually, the things of God are foolishness to him.
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
No way of entering into the promises of God, no way to attract the favour of God, no hope.
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
VERSES 4-7
The God who saves
i. But God - Monergistic salvation. No synergism, no working together. But God.
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
ii. Made us alive together with Christ
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
iii. Raised us up and seated us with Him in heavenly places in Christ
Why He Saves
i. He is rich in mercy
15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
ii. Because of His great love for us
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
iii. So that He might show the immeasureable riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
VERSES 8-10
How He Saves
i. By Grace
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
ii. Through faith
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
a) and this is not of your own doing
b) It is the gift of God, not a result of works
c) So that none may boast