Ephesians 2:1-10

A1 Our former life—in the flesh Ephesians 2:1-3

B1 Characterized as

C1 Natural

D1 Eve was the first human sinner, but she was deceived.

D2 Adam sinned premediately, willfully, and fully knowledgeable.

E1 The universe was cursed as punishment

F1 This is where death and suffering come from

F2 Adam and Eve were now sinners. They were not perfect. Sin tainted everything in them and around them.

F3 Since they were sinners, their children were sinners, too. Perfect children cannot be born from imperfect parents.

E2 In God’s great mercy, a promise was given of a coming redeemer.

C2 Dead

D1 Dead in sins and trespasses.

E1 Sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 WEB but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

E2 Ezekiel 18:20 NRSV  The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own.

E3 There is hope: Colossians 2:13 WEB You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.

E4 This hope is the Gospel: Mark 1:14-15 NRSV  Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,  15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."

D2 Sin causes physical and spiritual death. If one does not repent and believe the Gospel, they will forever have conscious suffering in the Lake of Fire.

E1 Romans 5:12 GNB92 Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned.

E2 Matthew 13:40-42 WEL "Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be in the end of this age. 41 "The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and those who are lawbreakers. 42 "They will throw them into a furnace of fire; there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

E3 Revelation 20:15 MKJV  And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire.

C3 Children of the devil

D1 What people DO in public AND private show whose child they are: 1 John 3:10 WEB In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.

D2 What people do with truth shows their condition: John 8:44 NKJV  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

D3 Example: Acts 13:10 GNB  and said, "You son of the Devil! You are the enemy of everything that is good. You are full of all kinds of evil tricks, and you always keep trying to turn the Lord's truths into lies!

C4 Concerned and pursuing the desires of our flesh

C5 Children of God’s anger

A2 Our present life—in the spirit Ephesians 2:4-10

B1 Mercy and love Ephesians 1:1-4

C1 Mercy is not getting what we deserve.

C2 Love is a choice to show kindness, etc. to someone.

C3 God has this character traits and wants people to repent and believe the Gospel.

B2 God's work Ephesians 2:5-7

C1 What a person says and what they do are different way too much, but the Lord Jesus did what He said.

C2 We humans either experience two deaths and one birth, or we experience one death and two births.

C3 When the Lord Jesus raised from the dead, He proved that He was the sinless savior.

C4 Through His death, burial, and resurrection, people can be born again: Romans 1:2-4 GNB  The Good News was promised long ago by God through his prophets, as written in the Holy Scriptures.  3 It is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: as to his humanity, he was born a descendant of David;  4 as to his divine holiness, he was shown with great power to be the Son of God by being raised from death.

C5 God initiates salvation by opening our mind, heart, and eyes, then we have a freed will. With this freed will, we can resist or not resist. If we resist, there is not hope.

C6 Because of His great work, those who believe are positionally in heaven, our eternal home.

B3 His mercy and grace through faith. It is by grace alone through faith alone in Messiah Jesus alone. Acts 4:12 GNB  Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us."

B4 Ephesians 2:7-9 is understood by most Calvinists that faith is the gift. The gift is salvation, not faith. See Adam Clarke’s commentary on this passage and here.

B5 Ephesians 2:10

C1 God has a purpose, a plan, and a work for us...

C2 ...To glorify HIm. This means to acknowledge and show He is the one and only God and His character traits (communicable).

C3 We glorify God when

D1 We do not sin. Society would be so much better. For example: 1 Thessalonians 4:3 CSB - For this is God's will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality.

D2 Godly suffering (we will experience God’s grace): 1 Peter 2:21 CSB - For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

D3 To live, showing the Gospel in our lives.

E1 Instead of being this: Galatians 5:19-21 WPNT Now the works of the flesh are obvious, namely: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness,  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, fits of anger, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions,  envyings, murders, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like; about which I am warning you beforehand, as, in fact, I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

E2 We will be this: Galatians 5:22-24 WPNT But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control—against such things there is no law. Further, those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

D4 A proof that what we say; we are. Works are NOT necessary for salvation, but they show in the life of one who is a Christian. James 2:14-20 WPNT What is the advantage, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? That faith can’t save him, can it?  If a brother or sister is actually naked, and is destitute of the daily food, and someone among you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you (pl) do not give them the things needed for the body, what is the benefit?  Thus also that faith, if it does not have works, is dead, being by itself. (But someone will say: “You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith by your works and I, by my works will show you my faith [what he believes].” You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder!)  But you need to know, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is dead!

A3 Applications

B1 There needs to be a change in our life when we become Christians. It increases the longer we are Christians.

B2 We were spiritually dead because we sin, but after believing the Gospel, we are alive.

B3 It is faith, that is, believing into Messiah Jesus trusting Him for salvation. We can not earn salvation, because we are not good.

B4 We need to be faithful, thankful, and fruitful from the heart as Christians.