St. Paul lays out directly the way God has saved us. Before we were Christians, we were not merely injured by our trespasses. No, we were actually dead, even as we actively walked after the ways of the devil and the course of this world. Only by the mercy and love of God have we been made alive. This has happened through Christ; in Him we have been raised and given life with God in the heavenly places. All of this is the gift of God's grace which we receive through faith, which is also God's gift. Having been made alive and created anew in Christ, we begin to walk in the good works that He has already prepared for us.

Rev. Nate Hill, pastor at St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Winchester, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ephesians 2:1-10.

"One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the epistle to the Ephesians. St. Paul highlights the salvation that God has given to His whole Church by His grace through faith. Because God has given His people this new life in Holy Baptism, we live in thanksgiving to Him as members of one body.