A “before” and “after” picture.
Ephesians 2:1-10 NLT
Made Alive with Christ
2:1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 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.
Examine the scriptures:
Ephesians 2:1-7 NLT
Made Alive with Christ
2:1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
Romans 3:23 NLT
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Romans 5:12 NLT
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Romans 6:23 NLT
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
- When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Sin separates us from God
Sin is like a wall between us and God.
We have no way to get over, under, or through this wall.
We were all spiritually dead with no inclination toward God.
This is a picture of total sinfulness and total lostness.
2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT
4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
1 John 5:19 NLT
19 We know that … the world around us is under the control of the evil one.
- The unsaved are in the clutches of Satan and follow in his opposition to God.
Satan dominates his human subjects.
- We are surrounded by Satan’s evil forces.
Ephesians 6:12 NLT
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
Psalm 51:5 NLT
5 For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
Romans 2:5 NLT
5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
- By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger. The wages of sin is death.
4 But
God is so rich in mercy,
Mercy: showing forgiveness and compassion to those who deserve punishment.
Grace: Undeserved blessing that comes from God.
Grace is a gift we don’t deserve, while mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve.
Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT
22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
and he loved us so much,
- God is rich in mercy.
5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
When we were dead, God gave us life.
Romans 5:8-10 NLT
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
- 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. Romans 5:8-9 NLT
John 3:16 NLT
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 10:13 NLT
13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
- Since unsaved people are dead, they have to be made alive before they can believe. This is why salvation can only be by grace alone.
1 Peter 1:3 NLT
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:13 NLT
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,
Philippians 3:20 NLT
20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
- God raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms.
7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 3:20 NLT
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Revelation 7:10-12 NLT
10 And they were shouting with a great roar,
“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
and from the Lamb!”
11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen.”
- Our salvation is for God’s glory.
How do we get from “the clutches of Satan” to “seated with him (Christ)”?
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed.
A nine word sentence everyone needs to understand.
- God saved you by his grace when you believed.
Repeat the definition of grace
Grace: Undeserved blessing that comes from God.
Ephesians 2:8 is a concise summary of how a person is saved.
Some details:
Romans 6:23 NLT
23 For the wages of sin is death, …
Romans 1:16-17 NLT
16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
Romans 3:24-25 NLT
24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,
Galatians 2:16 NLT
16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Where does this faith come from?
Faith comes from God in the form of a gift.
Romans 12:3 NLT
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Romans 10:17 NLT
17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
- Faith comes from hearing the Good News about Christ.
Scripture transforms our lives.
And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
- Salvation is a gift from God.
A gift belongs to you after you accept it.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Romans 9:16 NLT
16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.
Romans 3:20 NLT
20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
2 Timothy 1:9 NLT
9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.
Titus 3:5 NLT
5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 NLT
30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”
- Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done.
10 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.
Psalm 139:13-16 NLT
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
- God gives purpose and meaning to our lives.
Philippians 2:13 NLT
13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
- God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Assurance of your salvation:
Romans 10:9-10 NLT
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
John 3:16 NLT
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
- We can know that we are truly saved.
