Life From Faith

Ephesians 2:1-10

Context

Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus

The church in Ephesus is likely started in Acts 19 when Paul finds 12 believers there and baptizes them in the name of Jesus

He is writing from Prison

Chapter one deals heavily with faith and salvation being an act of God

Paul speaks differently about salvation in this letter than other place, and different from how we normally speak of it.

Salvation has a present and future aspect.

simply put: our faith secures a future inheritance: glorification

Vv.15-19 is one really really long sentence that is pretty hard to understand without breaking it down. in it, Paul gives his prayer for them:

That God would give the spirit of revelation in the knowledge of Jesus to know the hope, rich inheritance, and immeasurable power to all believers, found in the work of Christ.

What was that work? God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand over all things, including the church which is his body, his fullness

You were dead

Paul speaks of death in the past in the same way that he speaks of salvation in the future

Illustration: McConkey as the region’s top pitcher

My state championship team

Faith is a gift

It is grace

it is not your work

You aren’t faithful because you found God as a clever investigator

Don’t make faith a work. When you need more, ask the gift giver, don’t try to make it yourself

The rest of the chapter is all about the difference in the law and the grace now given to us

Your works come from grace and Faith

can a dead man till the dirt? no he rots in the dirt

you were raised by God with Christ

v. 10