“IN CHRIST”

>>>The title is “In Christ”. >>>What does it really mean to be “saved”?

*So many people are “saved” but are never in church/saved because they go to church.

*The term “Christian” is always used to describe those who say they believe in God. Jesus never uses that word.

>>>Ephesians gives clarity of what salvation really is-the unity believers have w/Christ.

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>>>Paul’s letter to the Ephesians opens up by continuously crediting Jesus as the reason of salvation. Ch. 2 is no different .

Ephesians 2:1–10 “And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously 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. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, 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 boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not 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.”

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Ephesians 2:1–3 “And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously 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. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.”

>>>Paul writes in the past/aorist tense to the Ephesians believers (who they were before Christ).

>>>(v.1) Paul says they were “dead” in /offenses/sins

*“death” (nekros) is “lifeless”/“motionless”. To live in offenses/sins is to live in death (lifeless existence).

>>>(v.2-3) Paul describes what it’s like to be dead in sins-walking/living in sin.

*according to the course (way) of the world-what the world says, how it lives, what it values.

*according to Satan-the influence of the devil (John 8:44-“of your father the devil”). People who are not saved are under the influence of Satan.

*spirit that works in those opposed to God (sons of disobedience w/demonic influence-not just possession).

*(as the Jews were) doing the will of the flesh-whatever is desired.

>>>Living dead in sin is a nature of inheriting God’s wrath.

THE STATE OF BEING LOST.

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—”

>>>Every one of us was born a sinner living in sinful chaos and deserving of the wrath of God.

*“dead” is also used for “lost”-having no way. We are lost in our sin.

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Ephesians 2:4–7 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, 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 boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

>>>(v.4-5) These verse now bring in rescuing hope. Paul writes “de Theos” (But God…)

>>>God is full of mercy and love for His people, and He stepped in and “made us alive together with Christ”-saved by grace.

*“made us alive” (one word in Gk.) is “raised to life”. What once was dead now lives. Believers have been raised to life with Christ.

*“with Christ”/“in Christ” appears 6x in passage.

>>>(v.6-7) It doesn’t stop here. God made alive and “seated” them in heavenly places with Jesus.

Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace”

Ephesians 1:20 “which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,”

*Believers are seated w/eternal access to God as Christ is.

*For God to be able to see forgiven sinners, He has to look through Jesus first.

>>>The result is believers experiencing the grace and kindness of God for eternity.

Titus 3:4–5 “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,”

>>>The mercy/kindness of God saved us through Christ to be in Christ.

THE MIRACLE OF SALVATION.

>>>A simpler way to look at this-the opposites between verses.

*We were dead-God made alive.

*We were deserving of eternal wrath-God gives eternal grace/kindness/blessing.

*We were in a life of chaos/disorder (4 ways of life all at once)-God brought us to union w/Jesus (eternal simplicity)

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Ephesians 2:8–10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not 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.”

>>>(v.8) Salvation comes by grace through faith-responding to the work God has already done in Jesus.

*Salvation is not something produced by man but freely given by God.

>>>(v.9) Paul emphasizes this was not through the good/religious works of man-no man is able to boast except in he Lord (1 Cor. 1:30).

>>>(v.10) Paul says that the people of God are the “workmanship” (creation) of God in Jesus-the “new creation”-created for good works.

*Salvation is not produced by good works. Good works are produced by salvation-righteous living.

*God created mankind to live righteously, and salvation is a restoration of that righteous life.

THE RESTORATION OF RIGHTEOUS LIVING.

>>>We cannot live righteously if we are dead/separated from God. This only comes through being made alive, which only comes through faith in Jesus.

>>>Our new life in Christ is what leads us to a life of walking in the way God had always intended for us (no longer walking in sin).

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>>>Paul gives clarity on what salvation is-reading Bible/prayer/church has nothing to do w/it (although is produced). It is by God alone.

SALVATION IS THE WORK OF GOD IN CHRIST THAT BRINGS US FROM LOST AND DEAD TO ALIVE AND RIGHTEOUS.

>>>This is what it means to be “saved”.

>>>So many Christians limit salvation to just saying a prayer-not understanding/forgetting the status of being in Christ forever-access, blessing, kindness.

*We are in Christ-created to live for Him no longer in broken chaos but perfect union.

*Maybe you need to be reminded of the joy of God’s salvation.

>>>There are those sitting here today who have never truly experienced salvation in Jesus Christ.

*Sitting in a pew but not in heavenly places/singing and clapping but not alive/living in a “good way” but not a righteous life.

*Salvation is by the grace/work of God in Christ and placing faith in Him. Don’t work for something God has already done.