Ephesians 2 Part 1

Introduction

GOOD MORNING LIFE CHURCH

Week 1 - Explored the spiritual background that influenced Paul’s thinking and therefore writing.

Humanity rebelled from God in the Garden and then again at Babel.

God gave the nations over to the heavenly assembly sons of God - Principalities and Powers (Deut 32:8)

At some point these spiritual powers rebelled and began to leaf humanity further away from yahweh and into ethnic division, injustice, and rage.

Yahweh chose to build a nation from one man - Abraham. A nation that would be His.

Yet God always had a plan to restore the Gentile nations and graft them into the family of Yahweh.

Week 2 -

Before the foundation of the world God chose both Jews and Gentiles in Christ.

He did this by predestining Jew and Gentile adoption to God through and in Jesus.

In Jesus both Jew and Gentile have been purchased from the fallen spiritual powers through the blood of Jesus.

God accounts those in Jesus as forgiven, sons and daughters.

He has now made known to us His mysterious plan - To save humanity both Jew and Gentile from Satan, the spiritual powers, sin and death through Jesus.

Yahweh did all of this through and in Jesus, and sealed those of us in Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Week 3 -

God demonstrated His power to rescue and save us through the resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus has now been elevated far above all powers, names, kingdoms, and authority, spiritual and physical in this life and the next.

Finally God put all things under the feet of Christ, and God gave Jesus to the Church as head over all things for the benefit of the church.

And who is that Church? Those who around the globe, Jews and Gentiles who have placed their faith and devotion in Jesus.

TODAY!!!!!!

(Ephesians 2:1-10)

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PAUL WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND HOW BAD THE BAD NEWS IS BEFORE WE CAN GRASP THE GLORY OF THE GOOD NEWS IN JESUS!

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LET’S JUMP RIGHT IN TODAY!

Ephesians 2:1–2 NASB95

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

DEAD IS TRESPASSES AND SIN -

Dead - alienated - spiritually dead to God / Prodigal son (My son was dead but he is alive again).

Tresspass - to take a wrong step

Sin - To mis the mark

The idea is the entirety of our lives in this world creates alienation from God, others, and in our selves.

THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD

We are talking world cultures that push, influence, and manipulate sinful and dead humanity into deeper alienation.

-Quote -

“In other words, they conduct themselves as unbelievers according to the social forces of this age due to their spiritual condition (Death in sin).

“The course of this world” is in contrast to God’s design for humanity and represent organized evil.

Peer pressure

ideologies, systems and structures

All provide a script of living that is totally apart from God.

WHO IS ORCHASTRATING THE CULTURE OF THE WORLD?

THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR -

2 Corinthians 4:4 NET

among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.

SUMMARY -

HUMANITY THROUGH SIN IS ALIENATED FROM GOD, SPIRITUALLY DEAD.

AS SPIRITUALLY DEAD, HUMANITY IS MANIPULATED THROUGH CULTURE (THE AGE) TO DIVE DEEPER IN REBELLION AGAINST GOD

THIS LEADS TO A DEEPER ALIENATION FROM GOD, OTHERS, AND WITHIN OURSELVES.

THIS AGE OR CULTURE IS CONTROLLED BY A EVIL SPIRITUAL FORCE.

UNBELIEVERS ARE CURRENTLY EXPOSED TO SPIRITUAL DOMINION, THE POWER THAT ENERGIZES AND INFLUENCES THEM TO ACT IN DISOBEDIENCE.

Ephesians 2:3 NASB95

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

IT IS NOT JUST A FEW IT IS EVERYONE.

PAUL INCLUDES HIMSELF AND THE JEWISH NATION WITH ALL GENTILES AS SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE.

Romans 3:23 NASB95

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Sinful humanity / influenced by a sinful culture / a culture that is organized by evil spiritual powers.

The final outcome is -

CHILDREN OF WRATH.

THE ALIENATION FROM GOD RENDER HUMANS SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE INFLUENCES OF THE AGE IN REBELLION AGAINST GOD.

Romans 1:25–32 NASB95

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

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BUT GOD!!!!!!!

Ephesians 2:4–10 NASB95

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

GOD SAVES AND ERADICATES OUR SLAVERY TO SIN, CULTURE, AND THE SPIRITUAL POWERS THROUGH AND IN JESUS!

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CONCLUSION:

Allow me to conclude today by summarizing what God has done for us, who were children of wrath!

God chose us before the foundation of the world (1:4).

He predestined us to be saved in and through Jesus (1:5-6)

God plans to unite all things in Christ and it starts with us His Church. (1:9-11)

He has sealed us with the Holy Spirit in Christ as a way of Guarantee.

God has raised Jesus up, setting him above all physical and spiritual powers, and names. And placed them all under His feet.

He has given Jesus as head of the Church for the benefit of His Church.

He has saved us from hostile spiritual forces, the culture of sin and our own sinful ways.

He has stripped us of our alienation and made us sons and daughters.

God has seated us in Jesus in heavenly places - far above the ruler of this age or any other demonic power.

He did all of this making us His beautiful tapestry uniting what we all thought could never be united, so we can walk in a new way of life.

A life that bring His Life, Joy, and Beauty to our world. A life that builds a Kingdom culture across the globe.

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THERE IS NO PLACE FOR PRIDE-

WE DID NOT SAVE OURSELVES - WE COULD NOT - WE WOULD NOT.

WE CAN NEVER TAKE PRIDE IN OURSELVES - FOR ALL WE ARE TODAY IS HIS WORKMANSHIP.

WE ARE THE ART AND HE IS THE ARTIST.

THE ONLY RESPONSE WE CAN HAVE IS ONE OF ADORATION AND WORSHIP TO HIM

AND LOVE AND MUTUAL SUBMISSION TO ONE ANOTHER!