GVCC sermon Ephesians 2:1-7

Garden Valley Community Church
Pastor Shane Moffitt             June 3^rd 2012
“Who am I before God?” series
Study of the Book of Ephesians 2:1-7
~ FROM DEATH TO LIFE ~

Paul uses CONTRASTS to encourage our appreciation for what we received from Jesus Christ at salvation

2:1-3 The Deepest Valley of the Soul

verse 1: WITHOUT LIFE                       

·        “dead” separated from God     Romans 6:23
·        “trespasses” deliberately taking wrong steps
·        “sin” to miss the mark of God’s standard
·        “Gospel” means “good news” BUT the “Gospel” begins with “bad news”

verse 2:  WITHOUT FREEDOM

·        verse 2: “ways of this world”  (Galatians 1:4) captive to the value system of the “world”  
·        verse 2: “the ruler of the kingdom” Satan  (John 12:31; Matthew 9:34; 2 Corinthians 4:4) controls the spiritually dead

verse 3: WITHOUT HOPE

·        verse 3: “flesh” is our natural sinful nature                 
·        verse 3b: “we were by nature deserving of wrath” ~ (Romans 5:12-14; John 3:36)              sinners are deserving of God’s wrath

2:4-7 The Heights of Life  (Romans 5:20-21)

verse 4: GOD LOVES YOU

·        verse 4: “but God” God’s intervention  into your hopeless, sinful condition
·        verse 4: “mercy” the emotion aroused by seeing someone in need & the attempt to relieve the person & remove his trouble

     verse 5: GOD LIBERATED YOU
·        verse 5: “made us alive” is to “raise from the dead” ~ salvation gives spiritual life   (1:19-20 & Philippians 3:20)

verse 6: GOD LIFTED YOU

·        verse 6: “God raised us up” ~ Believers experience a resurrection and receive life
·        “heavenly realms” refers to the supernatural Kingdom where God rules (6:12)
·        In God’s Kingdom is where our blessings are & we have fellowship with our Lord & Savior

Verse 7:  WHY GOD DID IT   

·        verse 7: “in order that” He did it so that He could display US as trophies of his grace
·        BECAUSE for all eternity ~ God is DISPLAYING the riches of HIS GRACE
·        FASTINATING read Ephesians 3:10-11
·        verse 7b: “incomparable wealth” ~ limitless
·        GRACE: God’s undeserved unending kindness
·        READ Revelation 7:9-12
"For we are God's masterpiece. 
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things
He planned for us long ago"
Ephesians 2:10 NLT