By His Grace
Notes
Transcript
Open Bibles To: Ephesians 2:5-10 (Raise your hand if Bible Needed)
Series: Ephesians - The Mystery Revealed
Topic: By God’s Grace
Prayer
Introduction
Opening Illustration
2 Sundays back - Same God , Same Power
Shared feelings of unfairness w/ sister Bianca
Paul shared this church would see God’s Power on there behalf - Explicitly shows them that power
Historical Context
Paul was a prisoner at the time he wrote this letter, House arrest
The Apostle Paul is unpacking an understanding of Salvation
We saw in Eph 2:1-5 “From Death to Life”
The Depth of our sin
The Grace of God o n our behalf
Paul continues to elaborate on Eph 2:5-10
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, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
In this passage we will focus on three main themes:
We are United with Christ
We are Saved by Grace Through Faith
We are Created with Purpose
We are United with Christ
We are United with Christ
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,
Alive, Raised & Seated
Alive, Raised & Seated
Our positional placement With Christ (perfect tense used for these actions of God towards us who believe)
Made Alive with Christ
Raised with Christ
Seated with Christ
You see starting verse 5 begins revealing our connections that we have with Jesus Christ
Made Alive with Christ
Made Alive with Christ
Together with Christ
Christ physical death from His crucifixion - Our prior status being dead spiritually
Paul expands more on this connection in vs 6
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Raised with Christ
Raised with Christ
Christ was raised physically -
Believers made alive and raised with Christ spiritually
We were Dead Spiritually in trespasses
New Creation in Christ
Implications of being raised
Col 3:1 - Our Risen Position should give us a new perspective
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Application - What are seeking after
Things of this world - money, power prestige
Satan is the god of this world’s system
This is not our home
OR - The Kingdom of God
Being salt and light
Manifesting the Love of Jesus
Seated with Christ
Seated with Christ
Christ seated in the heavenly realms physically
in His resurrected, ascended body
Believers are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms spiritually
God relocated us there too in Christ Jesus.
Illustration - Star Trek 2009 w/ Chris Pine
Prequel - how Capt. Kirk was wild recruited for star fleet
Manipulation of time space continuum
Spock of older version able to see and
From a place of being Spiritually dead
How amazing is that!
Positioned with power to overcome.
We do not have to succumb to the dark world and Satan’s schemes.
Same God, Same Power for Us
Same God, Same Power for Us
Raised & Seated with Christ
Back to Paul’s prayer
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Paul shows there was a purpose for our union with Christ - Made Alive, Raised & Seated in verse 7...
Purpose of our Union
Purpose of our Union
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Show His Immeasurable Riches of Grace Toward Us
Greek word “Hyperballo” that we also saw in Eph 1:19 - surpass, go beyond, exceed, excel
ESV “immeasurable riches of his grace
NIV - “Incomparable riches of his grace
LEB - “surpassing riches of his grace
1:19 was reference to his power
2:7 is in reference to His Grace
God’s Power & Grace toward Us beyond our understanding
Paul moves to explaining how Grace works with in verses 8-9
We are Saved by Grace through Faith
We are Saved by Grace through Faith
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Recognizing Grace & Faith
Recognizing Grace & Faith
vs 8a clause
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith.
The Apostle Paul clarifies and emphasize that our Salvation as a result of the initiation of God’s grace received through our faith
Grace - God’s unmerited or undeserved favor
Grace - God’s unmerited or undeserved favor
We saw last week the Depth of our sinful state
Spiritually Dead in trespasses & sins
Following the schemes of Satan
Carrying out our own passions
Children of Wrath & Sons of Disobedience
Paul says - Yall were Wilding out
Repeats salvation by grace from Eph 2:4-5
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Paul had to re-emphasize and elaborate here in vs 8
Clarify nothing we did or could have done - All about God
Other religions tell you what you must do to get to God. Christianity tells you what God has done to get to you.
Faith - the knowledge of, trust in, and commitment to Jesus Christ that is required for salvation
Faith - the knowledge of, trust in, and commitment to Jesus Christ that is required for salvation
Components of Saving Faith
Knowledge
Belief
Commitment/Trust
Knowledge
Familiar with and understanding of revelation about God but no personal intimacy
Atheist
Non Christian Biblical Scholars
Not enough in itself
Belief
Affirm that God’s revelation is true
Intellectual agreement or assent with Biblical Truths
Insufficient as well
James 2:19 “19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
Demons believe and tremble
Trust - Commitment
Placing my confidence in God’s revealed truth
Illustration of the great Blondini
Tightrope across Niagra Falls
Wheel Barrow
Person
Not Boasting for the Gift
Not Boasting for the Gift
8 .... And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
God’s True gift
God’s True gift
What is a gift?
Non example
Parent telling a child if you get good grades we will go to Disney World
This is a reward not a gift, something had to be done to get it
Gift is freely given without earning it
No Working or Boasting
No Working or Boasting
God wants to be sure I know it's not about us
None of us can brag about what we did for our Salvation
He initiated Salvation In spite of Us - Not Because of us
He alone gets all the glory and all the praise
Titus 3 vs 4-5
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
Boasting only in Jesus
31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Pastor D - Don't touch the glory
God will not share His Glory
Paul concludes this dialogue on grace in vs 10 to explain that we are created with purpose
We are Created with Purpose
We are Created with Purpose
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
God’s Workmanship
God’s Workmanship
We are His Workmanship
NIV - Handiwork
NLT - Masterpiece
Directly connected to Jesus Christ
Application - How do you see yourself?
Uniquely and divinely crafted
Fearfully & wonderfully made
God does not make junk
If we think lowly of ourselves it reflects how we think of Him
Created for Good Works
Created for Good Works
God has pre-ordained for us
Works simply are NOT the root of our salvation, they are the fruit of salvation
Unfulfilled and miserable Christians
Not embraced the work God has ordained
Salvation is not just getting to Heaven
Good Has work for Us
The Great Commission - Make Disciples
Evangelism is the beginning step of discipleship
Being Salt & Light by Loving on people
Conclusion
So we saw three themes today in Eph 2:5-10
Summary Slide
We are United with Christ
We are Saved by Grace Through Faith
We are Created with Purpose
LTGHW
Our union with Christ should give us confidence as overcomers in Christ in our trials but also seek after eternal things over the temporal
We should embrace a heart the surrenders and worships God as we reflect on His immeasurable, incomparable, exceeding grace toward us
Though we are not saved by our works we should seeking how we can be used by God to build His Kingdom - we are created to do so
Call to Salvation
Prayer
Groups
