From Death to Life - Eagle Christian Church · 2019/4/7 · “From Death to Life” Ephesians...

From Death to LifeEphesians 2:1-7

Four Key Words

“From Death to Life”

Ephesians 2:1-5“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with …”


Ephesians 2:5-7“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 coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)


The Status of Man (3 views)•Humanism – “I’m okay, you’re okay”

• Believes that mankind can be ethical without help from anywhere else


The Status of Man (3 views)• Humanism – “I’m okay, you’re okay”


•Mysticism – “I’m okay, you’re not so hot”• Believes that mankind may be sick, but can

improve through self-effort


The Status of Man (3 views)• Humanism – “I’m okay, you’re okay”


• Mysticism – “I’m okay, you’re not so hot”• Believes that mankind may be sick, but can improve

through self-effort

• The Bible – “I’m not okay, I need God”• Teaches that mankind is incapable of saving

himself

A Bleak Picture(Regarding Mankind)

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins … and were by nature children of wrath” (2:1, 3)


Notice the Pronouns“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world … among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh … like the rest of mankind …”

(2:1-3)


A Bleak Picture•We were DEAD

• “You were dead in your trespasses and sins” (2:1)



•We were DISOBEDIENT• “… in which you once walked, following the

course of this world” (2:2)



•We were DISOBEDIENT

•We were DELINQUENT• “Among whom we all once lived in the passions of

our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind” (2:3)



•We were DISOBEDIENT

•We were DELINQUENT

•We were DOOMED• “And were by nature children of wrath, like the

rest of mankind” (2:3)


Why Paint this Picture?• You can never fully appreciate the salvation that

God has provided until you see the hopeless condition out of which you were delivered.

• If you forget where you WERE, you will not appreciate where you ARE in Christ.


Ephesians 2:12-13“Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated … strangers … having no hope and without God in the world.” (ESV)

A Radical Remedy(Provided by God)

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive

together with Christ” (2:4-5)


An Awesome Conjunction“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (2:4-5)


A Contrastive Conjunction•We were dead, but God made us alive

•We were disobedient, but God raised us

•We were delinquent, but God seated us

•We were doomed, but God showed us mercy


Romans 5:6-8“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (ESV)


Ephesians 1:19-21; 2:6• “The immeasurable greatness of his power …

that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named.” (ESV)

• “And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)


Together With Christ• Raised (synegeirō) us up with him

• Seated (synkathizō) us with him


Ephesians 2:4-5“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by his grace you have been saved.”

(ESV)


Our Spiritual Bank Account

-$1,000,000,000 +$1,000,000,000$0

Mercy: Not Getting What We Deserve

Grace: Getting What We Do Not Deserve

God’s Rationale(Why would God do this?)

“So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace” (2:7)


God’s Rationale(1) Because he loved us

• “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4-5)

• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)



(2) Because he wanted to show the all-surpassing riches of his grace

• “So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:7)


Immeasurable (hyperballō)

• To go far or exceedingly beyond. Incomparable, all-surpassing.•Used only by Paul (Paul coins this term), but it is

used of:

•God’s glory •God’s grace•God’s power•God’s love•God’s riches



(2) Because he wanted to show the riches of his grace

(3) Because he wants to use us to our full potential to fulfill His purpose

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (2:10)

Four Key Words

From Death to LifeWe are to be visible demonstrations of God’s

grace and kindness to a world which lives under the bondage of sin

From Death to Life - Eagle Christian Church · 2019/4/7 · “From Death to Life” Ephesians...

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