Ephesians 2:1 (9)

Saving Grace that brings new life(salvation).

The presentation of God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ.

English Standard Version (Chapter 2) Ephesians 2:5 ,6

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.

So what is Grace?

There is Common grace

By common grace I am referring to the fact that God uses and blesses unbelievers, not just His children, to fulfill His purpose in this world.

Common grace is also exhibited through nature and when God endows the world population with divergent gifts so that civilization can function normally.

Special Grace

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Grace

Special grace, on the other hand, is saving grace, the Spirit’s work of applying Christ’s atonement to humans. Justifying grace and sanctifying grace are what some call “future grace.

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Grace

The bold thread of grace in the Bible is a distinctive marker of Christianity, one that sets it apart from other religions.

Saving Grace - χάρις (charis). n. fem. grace, good will, favor. Conveys the sense of a gift of kindness and favor given to a person or persons.

Grace is divine it comes from God’s very being.

A writer says that God’s grace toward mankind arises from the fullness of his being

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Grace

God’s grace is unmerited divine favor

Unmerited means what you don’t deserve.

Lexham Theological Wordbook χάρις

This noun is related to the verb χαρίζομαι (charizomai), which conveys the general concept of giving generously or forgiving a debt or a wrong

The word save means sozo

to save, make well. To save or deliver someone from harm or illness.

The term sōzō is a common one in the NT and frequently describes deliverance from both physical death and sin

Chris Byrley, “Healing,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).

Grace delivered us from the power of sin and death.

English Standard Version (Chapter 2) Ephesians 2:2-3

2 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

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language Chapter 2

2 It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

Dead lets first discuss this word because grace brings life.

‌

spiritually dead adj. — characterized by lack of spiritual life or vigor; being completely indifferent toward the things of God.

It comes from the Greek word nekros which means you were a corpse,

‌We find in the the parable of the lost son that returned home. He was dead in Luke 15:32 “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ””

Figuratively, a person could be dead if they are lost

Romans 6:4 “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:5 “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

Romans 6:11 “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 2:13 “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,” Colossians 2:14 “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

Snippets of last week:

We discussed two parts of grace -one that is common grace that is the - By common grace I am referring to the fact that God uses and blesses unbelievers, not just His children, to fulfill His purpose in this world.

Secondly we spoke about special grace -

Grace in its meanings describe to us - unmerited favor, Special grace, on the other hand, is saving grace, the Spirit’s work of applying Christ’s atonement to humans.

Grace saved us and Deliver us - Grace is the person of Jesus

We also said grace flows from the very being of God.

Grace made us alive from the death state of sin that rules us.

Ephesians 2:2–3“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— 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.”

You can see we followed a certain direction of the world. What does that mean?

What course of the world?

Who is the power of the air?

He also give us an indication that there is a spirit that works in the sons of disobedience?

We once lived after the passions of our flesh and we carried out desires of the body and the mind?

Grace made us alive through God’s spirit and brought us under the reign or leadership of the spirit of God.

The power of the air is and that spirit is not at work in us. A new spirit is at work in us the spirit of grace.

The ruler of our world is Christ not the evil one.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Here we see the ruler of the world is defeated through Christ work. When Christ was lifted up meaning he died on that tree all men now was drawn to him.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Jesus is grace and was filled with the grace of His Father. We must follow His example!

The scriptures speaks of Jesus being one full of grace and truth.

English Standard Version (Chapter 1) John 1:16-17,John 1:18

16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

If Jesus was full of grace and truth we should be filled with God’s grace. We should depend on His grace!

Grace flows out of God ‘s fullness - This means God is full of grace and his being or who he is grace.

One meaning of the word Greek word for fulness means satisfaction.

It means God found satisfaction in sharing His grace with you who dont deserve it.

God share of himself with us through Jesus Christ shows us the character of the Father is to share his resources that comes out of himself with us.

We may call this the genrosity of His grace that he bestowed on us.

If Jesus is complete in grace then there is abundance available that can resource everyone on the planet.

When we look at Grace we see God’s abundant nature and generosity.

You can Receive this active divine grace daily!

You need to receive this type of Grace to become potent and effective in your life.

Paul shows us that when we say God we are empty he fills us.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The Greek word for sufficient means contentment and it means we are confident with God’s adequate provision.

Paul is confident in God’s provision of Grace no matter what he experience in His calling and life.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

English Standard Version Chapter 40

29  He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

30  Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

31  but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.

This power is grace that brings results in the midst of weakness of the human ability. Its a dependent cry of emptiness and reliance.

The word power in the Greek has a wide variety of meanings and also means capacity or competency.

The word power also speaks about God empowering us to carry out His purpose. Matt 13:54

Grace empower you in hardships

Grace empowers you to endure insults

Grace empowers you for perssecution

Grace empower you to overcome

Grace empower you to experience victory

Grace can only function in a vessel that is humble and who shows weakness before God.

Weakness has to do with your limited ability. Its refers to a sickness.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Paul shows us that if we received the grace it must have a impact in our lives and empower us to be all who God has called us to be.

Romans 5:17 “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”

The word abundant means overrich,to make overrich,” “to provide superabundantly

Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich, and Geoffrey William Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1985), 828.

This also means that there is an abundant supply in God of His grace.

How do we see this Grace manifested in scripture.

The works of God in creation as well as his covenants, his promises, his word, and his work of redemption all spring from his grace.

How does a dead man trespass?

Lexham Theological Wordbook νεκρός

Figuratively, a person could be dead if they are lost

Grace took us out under from the power of sin and death. It translated us from our death state and transcended us into the very life and reality of God.

Grace empowered us to live a life that is free from the oppression of the evil schemes of the enemy.

Grace flows through the word of God to you that brings life.

The agent of God in the earth is a man, the word and the spirit of God. These three carry grace in them that empowers you for life and living effectively upon the earth.

The teachings of Jesus Christ and the revelation of His word which is his voice. This produce eternal life that sustains your being.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

The purpose of God’s voice bringing you to life is to shine light on you. light is revelation and its the revelation of God’s word that enable you to walk in the manner God desire of you.

God wants us to have understanding of who he is. He makes wisdom and revelation available to us out of His word.

Be careful what you subject yourself too. You will prohibit the Grace of God to flow.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

When you are subjecting yourself to unrighteousness or sin. You are removing yourself from God’s rich grace that has brought you to life and righteousness.

All of these things you subjecting yourself to is called pride and fear.

Your members can be subjected to pride,jealousy,fornication,lying, unblief,unforgiveness,bitterness, self righteousness, cant submit to authority, love yourself more than others.

All of this are you allowing the grace of God that is available to be blocked from flowing in your life and produce more of the life of God.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

The law makes you aware of sin but grace makes you aware of life. When you subject your self to the dominion of sin you remove yourself from the vast life of grace that should have empowered you in that area of your life that is not submitted to Him.

Grace that deals with trespasses and sin

Tresspasses is sin or another word for transgression.

transgression n. — the action of going beyond or overstepping some moral boundary or limit.

A trespass is you wandering in lapse,side slip. It also means a deviation,error,fall,offence, fall away.

sin (act) n. — an act or feeling that transgresses something forbidden or ignores something required by God’s law or character; whether in thought, feeling, speech, or action.