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Ephesians Series - Lesson #3: Ephesians 2:1-10September 15, 2019Resources: Hunt; MacArthur; Wiersbe, Explore the BibleHOOK: (Why should we listen to this lesson?)FOCUS ATTENTION: WHAT GIFT OF GOD DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT? Allow for thoughts, but certainly SALVATION will be one of the first examples. God’s LOVE will probably be near the top. Becoming one of God’s children through the new birth and by adoption are amazing gifts. The GRACE of God should be mentioned as one of His greatest blessings. What about God’s MERCY? Yes! Perhaps there are others that will come to mind, but we want to develop some of our thoughts today around the concept of God’s GRACE and how we are RESURRECTED IN CHRIST! Coincidentally, all of these other gifts will also be part of this week’s lesson.Subject: SALVATIONCONTEXT: In this section of Ephesians (vs. 1-10), Paul paints a remarkable contrast between the essential, fallen nature of a human, and the remarkable transformation that takes place in the life of a person because of God’s Grace. What we find is a biblical “before and after” picture; vs. 1-3 portray the before picture; vs. 4-10 portray the after picture. Paul was completely aware of the pagan practices of the Ephesians surrounding the cult of Diana; the Roman version of the Greek goddess named Artemis. She was the goddess who watched over nature and was portrayed in statues as a woman with many breasts, depicting her fertility and nurturing qualities. The Temple of Diana was located outside the city of Ephesus and it was four times the size of the Parthenon in Athens. The Temple was dedicated to the Diana cult, which centered on hedonistic (immoral) practices and pagan pantheism (worshipping nature). The city of Ephesus was often called the city of Diana. The Temple also served as a chief banking center for the community and the coins minted in Ephesus had the picture of Diana on them. The Ephesians worshiped the image of Diana in order to secure her protection and care. When God’s Apostle Paul came and started preaching the Gospel, and forgiveness of sins through Jesus, and a transformed new life, the city of Ephesus was turned upside down. So Paul reminds the Ephesian believers in this letter, how their life use to be, and in this text, contrasts the way their new life “IN CHRIST” had eternally changed them.Central Theme: UNDERSTANDING OUR SALVATION!Objective Statement: EVERY CHRISTIAN CAN UNDERSTAND OUR SALVATION BY COMPREHENDING THREE WORKS DESCRIBED IN THIS LESSON!Key Word: “WORKS”Points: WORK #1 – SINS WORK BEFORE CHRIST! WORK #2 – GOD’S WORK BECAUSE OF CHRIST! WORK #3 – OUR WORK BECAUSE OF CHRIST!Let’s Explore the Bible in Ephesians 2:1-10.BOOK: (What does the Bible say?)WORK #1 – SINS WORK BEFORE CHRIST! (vs. 1-3)Christianity is not a fixer-upper religion, but rather, a new construction when Jesus made us alive (“you hath He quickened”), when we had been “dead in trespasses and sins” (vs. 1). QUESTION: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRESPASSES AND SINS? POSSIBLE ANSWERS: – Well, the word “trespasses” means the willful crossing of a boundary. The word “sins” is the more general word for sin, meaning “to miss the mark.” We were both rebels and failures, and that left us hopelessly dead in our spirit and unable to relate to God. Romans 6:23 reminds us “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Dead people cannot raise themselves. They need God, the One who has proven He can RESURRECT the dead. Therefore, spiritually dead people cannot possibly secure their salvation by doing works! Paul goes on to explain how “in time past ye walked according to the course of this world” (vs. 2). As dead people walking in our sins, the devil was having his way with us, keeping us in a pattern of sin and making sure we lived as “the children of disobedience” (vs. 2). QUESTION: WHY IS IT INEVITBALE THAT THOSE OUTSIDE OF FAITH IN CHRIST WILL EMBRACE THE WORLD’S SYSTEM? POSSIBLE ANSWERS: – Well, the natural man is living as his agenda calls for, and that’s being a sinner. Vs. 3 describes that prior to our salvation we all lived according to “the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind;” We were dead in our sins (vs. 1) and our very nature caused us to rebel against God and His offer of salvation. That’s why Paul concluded vs. 3 by saying, “. . . and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Because of the fall of Adam and Eve we are all sinners by birth and sinners by choice and we all need a Savior. That is why Jesus came to provide the cure for the curse of sin.WORK #2 – GOD’S WORK BECAUSE OF CHRIST! (vs. 4-9)Because we were lost and hopeless in our sinful condition; dead and on our way to a Christ-less eternity; unable to save ourselves because our righteousness was unacceptable; God had to make a way for us to receive His Grace and Pardon. So after describing our pitiful condition in our sin nature (vs. 1-3), Paul begins with the solution by saying “BUT GOD” (vs. 4). Humanity outside of faith in Christ may be under God’s wrath (vs. 3), but God’s “MERCY” restrains His wrath. And He has a lot of mercy; in fact, He’s “rich in mercy” (vs. 4). QUESTION: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TERMS IN VERSES 4-5 THAT DESCRIBE GOD’S EMOTIONS AND DEALINGS WITH US? POSSIBLE ANSWERS: – Well, the word MERCY is first. God’s LOVE is apparent in this section. He’s made us ALIVE (QUICKENED) as he redeemed us from the wrath we deserved while we were dead in our sins. His GRACE is also mentioned as why we enjoy God’s amazing salvation. Another action God took on behalf of believers was He “raised us up together” with Christ (vs. 6). Since we have been raised with Him, it’s as if we already “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (vs. 6b). What a precious promise. Why would God be so gracious to sinners? Verse 7 gives us the reason! He desires to “shew the exceeding riches of His Grace in His Kindness toward us.” So “in the ages to come” He is going to help us realize all of the wonderful benefits that await His Children in that heavenly place! But once again we are reminded there is nothing we can do to earn eternal life. Our good works amount to nothing in trying to earn our salvation. Believing that salvation is achieved by human means is thinking too highly of oneself and too lowly of the power of sin and death. Only through the power and authority of Jesus can our salvation be secured and the power of sin defeated! Ephesians 2:8-9 are some of the most memorized verses in the Bible. When you read them you know why! “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (vs. 8-9). WHAT INSIGHTS STRIKE YOU FROM THESE TWO VERSES? Allow for reflections about salvation is by Jesus, Only; and no human works can possibly be good enough to merit God’s heaven. Salvation is all of God by His Mercy, Grace, and Love and it’s through Faith. It’s a precious “GIFT of God”! If we can earn any part of our salvation we would go throughout eternity bragging about it. No! Salvation is totally by God’s Grace as we exercise Faith in what Jesus has done to save us.WORK #3 – OUR WORK BECAUSE OF CHRIST! (vs. 10)Knowing that salvation is a work of God, and not of us, Paul declared that Christians are “His workmanship” (vs. 10). Workmanship is a unique word in the Jewish language that deals with God’s creation. It described a vessel of pottery that was created and fashioned. It’s also used of a poem written by an author. So the word can rightly be understood to mean, “masterpiece,” or “handiwork,” or a “work of art.” In the beginning, the creation of humans was the work of God. At the new birth, God worked a new creation in the lives of those who trust in Him by faith, and He reverses the results of the fall and the curse. As Christians we become His masterpiece and we are created “in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Though salvation is not achieved by good works, it does produce good works after salvation is received. Good works are the fruit of salvation, not the root of it! QUESTION: WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF GOOD WORKS THAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD PRACTICE AFTER THEY ARE SAVED? POSSIBLE ANSWERS: – Allow for possible answers but things like faithfulness, leading people to Jesus, joy, love, giving to help those in need, witnessing, praising God, and other things will probably be mentioned. When vs. 10 concludes it says, “which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” This likely describes, not specific individual works, but a pattern of life for all those who have been saved. So it is God’s plan that after we are saved; created unto good works “in Christ Jesus;” that we fulfill our special design that God has created us to accomplish. All of us are to do “good works,” because we are His workmanship!LOOK: (Why is what it says important?)Objective Statement (Repeated): EVERY CHRISTIAN CAN UNDERSTAND OUR SALVATION BY COMPREHENDING THREE WORKS DESCRIBED IN THIS LESSON!Paul never got over the work of Grace that God did in his life. Since God was so gracious, Paul writes regularly about the believers need to respond by doing good works as a result of a thankful and fulfilled life. We are His “masterpiece” after He transformed us into the image of Jesus. We accepted His free gift of salvation and now we stand ready to accomplish what we were “created” to do; and that’s practice good works towards our fellow men and women. Through our efforts and acts of kindness, we hope they too will experience the Love, and Mercy, and Grace of God that will lead them to eternal life!TOOK: (Why is it important to me? What should I do with it?) ................
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