Ephesians 2:1-10; Walking Through Life

Introduction

Sermon in a sentence: Walk through life like God has saved you.

Walking Without Christ (vs. 1-3)

Every single person is spiritually dead without Christ.

John Calvin on Ephesians 2:1

He does not mean simply that they were in danger of death; but he declares that it was a real and present death under which they labored. As spiritual death is nothing else than the alienation of the soul from God, we are all born as dead men, and we live as dead men, until we are made partakers of the life of Christ,…

The Papists, who are eager to seize every opportunity of undervaluing the grace of God, say, that while we are out of Christ, we are half dead. But we are not at liberty to set aside the declarations of our Lord and of the Apostle Paul, that, while we remain in Adam, we are entirely devoid of life; and that regeneration is a new life of the soul, by which it rises from the dead. Some kind of life, I acknowledge, does remain in us, while we are still at a distance from Christ; for unbelief does not altogether destroy the outward senses, or the will, or the other faculties of the soul. But what has this to do with the kingdom of God? What has it to do with a happy life, so long as every sentiment of the mind, and every act of the will, is death? Let this, then, be held as a fixed principle, that the union of our soul with God is the true and only life; and that out of Christ we are altogether dead, because sin, the cause of death, reigns in us.

Voddie Baucham - People often us the analogy of us drowning in the ocean. Someone could throw you a life persevere but you must grab onto it. No! You are dead at the bottom of the ocean.

Without Christ, every person is walking in death.

Following the course of this Word - The World

Lived in the passions of the flesh - The Flesh

Following the prince of the power of the air - The Devil.

Walking With Christ (vs. 4-10)

We can only walk with Christ because salvation is 100% a gift from God.

The regeneration, the justification, the sanctification, and glorification!

Clinton Arnold

Ephesians Explanation of the Text

Salvation is a gift from God’s abundant kindness and his lavish grace. There is nothing at all within us (οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν) that has inclined God to choose us. There is absolutely nothing we have done to catch God’s attention and earn his favor. It is entirely a “gift” (δῶρον), with God expressed as the genitive of source (“from God”).

Steven Baugh

Hence, the antecedent of τοῦτο (touto) is the whole event: “being saved by grace through faith.”

One implication of this proper understanding of τοῦτο (touto) (“this”) is that all the components of the event are also referenced as originating not from human capacity or exertion but as God’s gift. This means that even the believer’s act of believing comes from God, as is said more explicitly by Paul elsewhere: “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him (τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν, to eis auton pisteuein) but also suffer for his sake” (Phil 1:29). This is part of the evidence of Protestantism’s historic position that salvation is sola gratia and sola fide (e.g., Calvin, 144–45). Humans contribute nothing of their own to this salvation, since even believing (which the elect are indeed enabled to do) is a divine gift (cf. Rom 3:24–25). The key to this in the context of Eph 2:8 is what Paul had been driving home so forcefully up until now: Before God’s gracious intervention believers were hopelessly dead, with their wills imprisoned by nature

Ephesians 1:3-10.

Ephesians 1:3–10 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

R.C. Sproul

We sing Amazing Grace, but we don’t believe it. Grace isn’t amazing, it’s assumed.”

We must walk with Jesus because our sanctification is part of our salvation.

God regenerated us so that we can walk in good deeds.

God raised us up - brought us to life. So now we have the Holy Spirit, we have peace, love, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.

You are seated in heavenly places, you no longer are under the authority of Satan or this world.

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Conclusion

Application

Go for a walk this week.

Every day, a few times this week, or even just once this week. If you can’t go for a walk, go sit on you porch. While you are doing this, thank God that you are alive: physically and spiritually.

Remind yourself that you are a new creation! You are in Christ! You are created for good works!

Family Reflection Questions

What was the point of the text? The sermon?

How does this point me to Christ?

How am I going to apply that to my life?