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 …”
“From Death to Life”
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)
“From Death to Life”
The Status of Man (3 views)•Humanism – “I’m okay, you’re okay”
• Believes that mankind can be ethical without help from anywhere else
“From Death to Life”
The Status of Man (3 views)• Humanism – “I’m okay, you’re okay”
• Believes that mankind can be ethical without help from anywhere else
•Mysticism – “I’m okay, you’re not so hot”• Believes that mankind may be sick, but can
improve through self-effort
“From Death to Life”
The Status of Man (3 views)• Humanism – “I’m okay, you’re okay”
• Believes that mankind can be ethical without help from anywhere else
• 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)
“From Death to Life”
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)
“From Death to Life”
A Bleak Picture•We were DEAD
• “You were dead in your trespasses and sins” (2:1)
“From Death to Life”
A Bleak Picture•We were DEAD
•We were DISOBEDIENT• “… in which you once walked, following the
course of this world” (2:2)
“From Death to Life”
A Bleak Picture•We were DEAD
•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)
“From Death to Life”
A Bleak Picture•We were DEAD
•We were DISOBEDIENT
•We were DELINQUENT
•We were DOOMED• “And were by nature children of wrath, like the
rest of mankind” (2:3)
“From Death to Life”
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.
“From Death to Life”
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)
“From Death to Life”
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)
“From Death to Life”
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
“From Death to Life”
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)
“From Death to Life”
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)
“From Death to Life”
Together With Christ• Raised (synegeirō) us up with him
• Seated (synkathizō) us with him
“From Death to Life”
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)
“From Death to Life”
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)
“From Death to Life”
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)
“From Death to Life”
God’s Rationale(1) Because he loved us
(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)
“From Death to Life”
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
“From Death to Life”
God’s Rationale(1) Because he loved us
(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
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