Ephesians 2:1-10 - From Sinner to Saint: The Free Gift of Salvation

The gift of salvation is the greatest gift humanity could ever receive. It is the gift we have always needed but it isn’t always the gift we have wanted. Tonight we will see in scripture a description from Paul of the work of God when he saves a man or woman. What happened to Chris Harding when he was saved at 16 years old? When I was in an evening church service at Ridgecrest Baptist Church, going through a sense of despair, and by faith, I asked Jesus to save me, what was God doing? What was the supernatural work of God to transform me from sinner to saint.

Acts 16:31 

Similarly, we can wonder about the thief on the cross. Many of us have seen the profound sermon clip from YouTube of Alistair Begg preaching about the how we are saved and his recounting of the Thief on the Cross. Alistair’s point is the only Way the thief is in heaven is completely the invitation and work of Jesus Christ. We will see that the way you and I come to the cross to be saved is through the loving gift of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. From yesterday’s devotion from his website Truth for Life “God could let us drown in our wretchedness. Instead, through Jesus, He grants us peace and gives us hope. We are justified; Jesus has taken our condemnation so that now, when His Father looks at us, He sees Jesus and all His perfection.”

The Spiritual Condition of Humanity. 

Ephesians 2:1-3 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 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 flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

After Paul’s powerful and moving doctrine and prayer in Chapter 1, we come to a shocking contrast as he describes the spiritual state of humanity. This description of utter sinfulness - that is spiritual death - can be very difficult for us to accept and acknowledge. The reality of our sinfulness is overwhelming and the world often attempts to deny the depth of depravity that every human being carries. Situationally, people know how bad humanity can be. We will identify straw men, so to speak, that we can then hold up as pictures of evil, but rarely do we want to accept the reality of sinfulness and spiritual death that Paul describes.

We are dead - spiritually dead - in our trespasses and sin. 

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” 

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Colossians 3:5–10 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” 

We were going in the wrong direction. We were not walking with God or following Jesus. We were actually following Satan. Here Paul refers to him as the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit of the day, the sons of disobedience.

Ephesians 6:12 

We lived in the passions of our flesh and did the desires of our flesh and our mind. (Some of you were in very restrictive environments and could not “live out” our desires but the still burned within our hearts. For some of us, it was merely the lack of opportunity that kept us from carrying out these desires. The Pharisees are a picture of this level of hypocrisy.

We were children of wrath. In this dead, spiritual state - we are here because of our sinful nature and our sinful desires and actions - we are at war with God but for the believer we must be at war with sin. Either way we must fight a battle, but the unbeliever fights against God.

“God’s wrath is his revulsion against everlasting, his settled displeasure with sin and sinners.” 

Yes God loves. Yes God has mercy. But the wrath of God, the justice of God must be satisfied. 

The Love of God at Work through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:4–7 

Perhaps the most hope-filled worlds in the Bible “But God” In our darkest hour, God showed his love and compassion for us. 

Romans 5:6–11; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; Deuteronomy 3:24; Daniel 2:27–28 

Let’s look at what God provided for our salvation and who he is . . . 

Rich in mercy . . . 

Great love . . .

Resurrected us with Christ . . . 

Ephesians 1:19–20 

Colossians 3:1 

Immeasurable riches of his grace . . . 

Kindness in Christ Jesus . . . Hebrews 2:14–17. 

Salvation is an act of mercy.

Salvation is an act of love.

Salvation is resurrection.

Salvation is the grace and kindness of God.

The Results of Receiving the Gift of God. 

Ephesians 2:8–10 

Saved. by grace. Our condemnation has been removed. Romans 5:1 

Humility. This is not your own doing. 

God is most glorified. Because it is the work of God, we give God all of the praise honor and glory.

We are sanctified - to be like Christ - and do good works. James 2:14–17 

v.23 -Abraham believed God.

We are enabled to do God’s work, and the work is laid out before us by God. Spiritual gifts, talents, and abilities for the glory of God.

One New Man, the Body of Christ, Made Possible through Sacrifice of Jesus.

Jews had the law but it had to be fulfilled. The gentiles had nothing but Creation. Through the cross we are brought together into one fellowship, one church, the body of Christ.

Ephesians 2:22 “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” 

Colossians 1:11 “being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;”