Sermon Tone Analysis

Consider a few reminders of what we have discovered about God’s grace.

• Grace has given us all spiritual blessings through Jesus—Eph.

1:3

• Grace chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world—Eph.

1:4

• Grace has determined that we will be like Jesus, and with Jesus, one day—Eph.

1:5, 11–12

• Grace has made us accepted in Jesus—Eph.

1:6

• Grace proved the blood of Christ that washed us from our sins—Eph.

1:7

• Grace reached out to us when we were dead in our sins and headed to Hell—Eph.

2:1–4

• Grace loved us—Eph.

2:4

• Grace gave us life—Eph.

2:5

• Grace has secured our future—Eph.

2:6–7

The Way of Salvation

Ephesians 2:8 (KJV 1900)

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

“Through faith”—If salvation does not result from being religious, being a good person, or doing good things, where does salvation come from?

Paul says it comes to us “through faith.”

What is “faith?”

The word “faith” refers to “a conviction of the truth of something; belief.”

Saving faith is simply coming to the place where one believes, with absolute conviction that everything the Bible says about Jesus is true.

That’s it!

The absolute conviction is what leads to obedience and proven in action.

Salvation is not the result of doing anything; it is the result of a lost sinner simply taking God at His Word.

That is the clear teaching of some of the greatest, clearest verses in the Bible.

The Bible is crystal clear on this matter.

The way of salvation is simply taking God at His Word and believing the Gospel.

What is the Gospel?

Some people will object that they can’t believe in Jesus.

They think can’t have faith in something they did not see and don’t know to absolutely true.

The truth is, every day of our lives is a series of acts of faith.

• We eat our food having faith that it is not contaminated.

• We swallow water believing by faith that it is safe to drink.

• We take the medicine the doctor prescribes by faith not knowing all the side effects, or whether it will cure or kill us.

• We put our money in the bank trusting by faith their promises to keep it safe and give it back when we ask for it.

• We get in our car, put the key in the switch and turn it by faith, taking for granted that it will crank.

• Even the act of sitting down on a chair, or a pew, is an act of faith.

Salvation comes when a lost sinner simply takes God at His Word and believes what the Bible says about Jesus Christ.

• God says He was born of a virgin.

• God says He is the sinless Son of God.

• God says He died on a cross to pay for the sins of the sinner.

• God says He rose again from the dead.

• God says He ascended back to Heaven.

• God says He is coming again to get His people.

• God says that anyone who believes in Jesus will be eternally saved.

• That, and not works, is what saves the soul!

Faith believes that those who believe what the Bible says about Jesus will be saved.

Faith also involves trust.

Do we believe Jesus is who he says he is?

Do we believe he died for our sins?

Do we believe he was resurrected and lives today?

Have we trusted him to save us?”

The only way out of the darkness of sin into the Lord’s salvation is by trusting Jesus alone to save your soul.

What are you trusting today?

Are you saved?

Our works will never get us into Heaven.

The only way into Heaven is by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Paul says it this way in

When faith brings us to Jesus, we are given His righteousness,

The Wonder of Salvation

Ephesians 2:8 (KJV 1900)

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Salvation is a by Grace

The word “grace” refers to, “the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.”

Grace is “the unmerited favor of God for the undeserving.”

The grace of God means that God reaches out to those who deserve nothing from Him but His judgment and condemnation.

The grace of God means that God turns His favor toward those who deserve His wrath.

It means that God reaches down to those who cannot reach up to Him.

It means that God goes to those who will not come to Him.

Lost sinners are dead, radically depraved, totally deceived and utterly doomed in their sins, but God, In His grace, reaches out to save them by His amazing, abundant grace.

Salvation is a Gift

Ephesians 2:8 (KJV 1900)

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

A gift is something that you simply receive.

Jesus Christ is God’s gift to us.

Salvation through Christ has been wrapped up as a gift and God hands it over to us.

But note: a gift is not ours until we believe it is ours and we take and receive it.

Suppose I hand you my Bible and say, “Here, this is yours.

I give it to you as a gift.

It is yours; take it.”

What is necessary for the Bible (the gift) to become yours?

You have to believe it is yours and reach out and receive it.

You could say, “No thank you …

• I do not believe you

• I don’t want it

• I deny its existence

• I don’t have the time to use it”

If this is your attitude, what happens to the gift?

It never becomes yours.

In my mind I gave it to you, but you never received it.

You either did not believe it or did not want it.

This is what is meant by faith.

If you believe, really believe that Jesus Christ died for you, you will reach out and receive the gift of God’s grace.

• Grace has secured our salvation—Eph.

2:8–9

The Workmanship of Salvation

Ephesians 2:10 (KJV 1900)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The word “workmanship” means, “that which is made, a work, a work of art”.

It comes from the word that gives us the word “poem”.

It refers to a “piece of literary workmanship.”

It came to refer to an author’s “magnum opus,” or his greatest literary achievement.

In other words, it refers to his “masterpiece.”

The word “created” means, “to form or to shape.”