God wants to Save Your Whole Life

The Symbol of Leprosy

Leprosy was mentioned frequently in the Bible, serving as a powerful metaphor for sin's destructive power[2][3]. Those afflicted with leprosy were considered unclean both physically and spiritually, and were subject to strict social and religious isolation[2][3]. According to Leviticus, suspected lepers had to be examined by a priest and, if infected, were required to live outside the community, wear torn clothes, and announce their unclean status[2][3].

This isolation was partly due to the belief that leprosy was highly contagious and partly because of its association with divine punishment for sin[2][3].

The condition was seen as so serious that it ranked second only to a dead body in terms of ritual defilement in ancient Jewish law[2][3].

When Jesus healed them, it was more than just a physical restoration; it was an act of salvation that reintegrated them into society. Ephesians 2:1-10 illustrates this kind of radical transformation through God’s grace. We, too, were once outcasts due to our sin, but God’s mercy invites us to partake in a new life, showcasing that true salvation brings us from exclusion into belonging.

Ephesians 2:1-10

Over the next four weeks, we’re diving into the New Testament Book of Ephesians, which is a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to Christians in the ancient city of Ephesus, located in modern-day Turkey. Throughout this series, we’ll see Paul challenging believers to level up their faith and commitment to God—to go all in—

SCRIPTURE (What does God’s Word say?)

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1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. (Ephesians 2:1 – NLT)

He’s talking about something deeper: spiritual death. Just like a phone without power looks fine but can’t do what it was created to do, Paul is saying that without God, we might look alive on the outside, but we’re missing the connection we were created to have.

Listen to how he explains this in verses 2 and 3:

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2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. (Ephesians 2:2-3 – NLT)

Paul is basically saying there are really only two paths that anyone can choose between: walking with God or walking away from God. For Paul, there’s no middle ground. Someone can’t kind of follow God. We’re either connected to our power source or we’re not.

But just when things are starting to sound kind of hopeless, Paul drops what might be the two most important words in the whole letter. Let’s look at the next two verses:

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4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) (Ephesians 2:4-5 – NLT)

Did you catch the first two words? “But God…” Every time these words show up in the Bible, you know something amazing is about to happen. It’s like in a movie when everything seems hopeless, and then suddenly… Boom! Plot twist! Everything changes.

Let’s keep reading:

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6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6-7 – NLT)

This is huge! God doesn’t just give us a spiritual jump-start. He gives us a completely new life! But it just keeps getting better. Look at verses 8-10:

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8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:8-10 – NLT)

Have you ever tried to earn someone’s friendship or approval by doing nice things for them? Or maybe you tried to make up for a mistake you made by being extra good for a few days? We often think we need to earn our way back to God the same way. But Paul is saying that’s not how it works at all. We can’t earn our way back to life. We need someone to save us…

Example of us going to Heaven and Peter asking us why should we let him in?

INSIGHTS (What might this Scripture mean?)

It's literally the blueprint for what it means to be a Christian.

1. Sin destroys. It is not just an actions its a state of being.

· “Once you were dead” (Eph. 2:1) – That’s our broken condition without Jesus.

· “BUT GOD”(Eph. 2:4) – That’s the game changer.

· “gave us life” (Eph 2:5) – That’s what Jesus did through His life, death, and resurrection.

What Jesus has done for us wasn’t just a patch job or a quick fix. When Jesus brings us to life, it’s a complete transformation. You know how in Minecraft, you can repair items until eventually they're just too broken? That's not how Jesus works. He doesn't just repair. He re-creates. He makes us completely new.

And here's what's even more incredible: He does this while we're still broken. Think back to Desmond Doss – he didn't wait for those soldiers to heal themselves or crawl to safety, right? Of course not! He went to them. That's exactly what Jesus does for us.

…which brings us to the last thing big idea Paul wants us to know in Ephesians 2…

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3. We are saved for a purpose.

Let’s look at verse 10 again:

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10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.(Ephesians 2:10 – NLT)

Paul calls us God’s “masterpiece.” The Greek word Paul used when he was writing this is poiema.

[Teacher note: here is a video that demonstrates how to pronounce the Greek word “poeima”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMqmR2kCxQg]

1. Ask yourself difficult questions.

You know those conversations where someone asks you a question, and you start to answer, but then you realize you’ve never really thought about it before? Sometimes the most important questions are the ones we’ve been avoiding.

The Apostle Paul wrote this to a group of Christians in a city called Corinth:

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5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ lives in you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5 – NLT)

This week, I want us all to take some time to honestly ask ourselves some questions. And when I say "honestly," I mean really honest… not just the answers we think we're supposed to give.

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If you've grown up in church, ask yourself:

· Is my faith real, or am I just going through the motions?

· Have I personally accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation, or does my faith still depend on my parents' (or other family members’) faith?

· Is anything holding me back from fully committing my life to Jesus?

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If you're new to church or just starting to learn about Jesus, ask yourself:

· What do I actually believe about God?

· What questions do I still have about salvation?

· Is anything keeping me from taking my next step with Jesus?

These aren't easy questions. They might make you uncomfortable. They might bring up doubts or fears you've been trying to ignore. But here's the thing… That discomfort? Those questions? They're actually good things. They mean you're taking this seriously.

[Teacher note: Consider giving students a moment of quiet reflection here. You might dim the lights or play soft music to help create space for genuine contemplation.]

Wherever you are in your journey, I want you to know two things:

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2. Step into God’s plan.

So, I’d like to pray that God would give us the courage to ask tough questions and to step into His plan for our lives. And then, we’ll head to our small groups so we can encourage and support each other as we seek to level up.