We are dead in our trespasses and sins, hopeless apart from Christ..."But God"... Those two words are the difference between death and life, between despair and hope, between hell and heaven.

In Christ, God has never-ending mercies for those who believe. When the Bible says “Christ died for you” it means that He died in your place. Too many people hear that Jesus died for them and believe that Jesus just got to it before they could, and they were going to pay God back for their sin on their own eventually. While they might appreciate the "free pass", people who believe this haven’t truly embraced Jesus as their substitute (Rom. 3:23-25).

You aren’t really alive until you have been saved by God’s grace. Paul is contrasting our deadness apart from Christ with the life that only comes to us in Christ. Being raised from the dead is all of grace. You have been saved (past tense), you are being saved (present tense), and you will be saved (future tense).

Paul says that believers have been made alive with Christ, raised with Christ, and are seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Paul is emphasizing a believer's union with Christ. Believers are synced with Christ, and what God did for Jesus He does for those who believe.

Question: Why would God do such a remarkable thing for people who were His enemies?

Answer: We have been shown grace so that we might be a demonstration of God’s grace forever, to the praise of His glory!

**"But For Grace" by Matt Papa, (c) 2010 Centricity Music, CCLI#1741207

No matter where you come from, no matter your earthly standing – everyone is in the same leaky and sinking ship, and without some kind of sovereign intervention, there will be no survivors.

Paul illustrates the condition of EVERY person apart from Christ using 3 descriptions: dead [v.1], disobedient [v.2-3a], and doomed [v.3b]. Were it not for His grace, we would be miserable and yet totally content to remain in our sin. Our sin is widespread and far reaching, but there is hope of redemption and forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul has set the stage for a magnificent contrast between the ugliness of sin and the beauty of the Savior.

If your heart is nothing but a canvas painted with the darkness of your sin, remember these two words that make all the difference in eternity – “But God…”

In Ephesians 2:1-3 the Holy Spirit leads Paul to call our attention to the reality that our sin is great, but God’s love is greater.

No matter where you come from, no matter your earthly standing – everyone is in the same leaky and sinking ship, and without some kind of sovereign intervention, there will be no survivors.

Paul illustrates the condition of EVERY person apart from Christ using 3 descriptions: dead [v.1], disobedient [v.2-3a], and doomed [v.3b]. Were it not for His grace, we would be miserable and yet totally content to remain in our sin. Our sin is widespread and far reaching, but there is hope of redemption and forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul has set the stage for a magnificent contrast between the ugliness of sin and the beauty of the Savior.

If your heart is nothing but a canvas painted with the darkness of your sin, remember these two words that make all the difference in eternity – “But God…”

In Ephesians 2:1-3 the Holy Spirit leads Paul to call our attention to the reality that our sin is great, but God’s love is greater.

No matter where you come from, no matter your earthly standing – everyone is in the same leaky and sinking ship, and without some kind of sovereign intervention, there will be no survivors.

Paul illustrates the condition of EVERY person apart from Christ using 3 descriptions: dead [v.1], disobedient [v.2-3a], and doomed [v.3b]. Were it not for His grace, we would be miserable and yet totally content to remain in our sin. Our sin is widespread and far reaching, but there is hope of redemption and forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul has set the stage for a magnificent contrast between the ugliness of sin and the beauty of the Savior.

If your heart is nothing but a canvas painted with the darkness of your sin, remember these two words that make all the difference in eternity – “But God…”

In Ephesians 2:1-3 the Holy Spirit leads Paul to call our attention to the reality that our sin is great, but God’s love is greater.

Paul’s prayer includes three parts: thanksgiving, intercession, and praise.

Thanksgiving:

Paul thanks God for the believers faith in Christ and love for one another, recognizing that these are gifts given to true believers. The church wasn't perfect, but Paul was looking for glimpses of grace in their lives.

Intercession:

Paul pleads with God to teach them, to open the eyes of their hearts to really know Him. Paul wants them to see the hope of “His calling”, the glory of “His inheritance”, and the greatness of “His power”. These are things that God possesses and freely gives to believers, including the power of the indwelling Spirit.

Praise:

In a day of absolute Roman rule, Paul suggests that Caesar is not really the most powerful entity. Paul is saying that every other power is not just inferior to Christ – they are also subject to Him. Caesar's power is nothing compared to Jesus'.

As Jesus Christ “fills all in all”, the Church – filled up by Christ – then fills the rest of creation as His representatives. We are totally dependent on Jesus.

- Will you pray like Paul with thankfulness, intercession, & praise?

- Will you look for glimpses of grace is your life and in others’ lives?

- Will you live differently knowing that He fills all in all?

Paul’s prayer includes three parts: thanksgiving, intercession, and praise.

Thanksgiving:

Paul thanks God for the believers faith in Christ and love for one another, recognizing that these are gifts given to true believers. The church wasn't perfect, but Paul was looking for glimpses of grace in their lives.

Intercession:

Paul pleads with God to teach them, to open the eyes of their hearts to really know Him. Paul wants them to see the hope of “His calling”, the glory of “His inheritance”, and the greatness of “His power”. These are things that God possesses and freely gives to believers, including the power of the indwelling Spirit.

Praise:

In a day of absolute Roman rule, Paul suggests that Caesar is not really the most powerful entity. Paul is saying that every other power is not just inferior to Christ – they are also subject to Him. Caesar's power is nothing compared to Jesus'.

As Jesus Christ “fills all in all”, the Church – filled up by Christ – then fills the rest of creation as His representatives. We are totally dependent on Jesus.

- Will you pray like Paul with thankfulness, intercession, & praise?

- Will you look for glimpses of grace is your life and in others’ lives?

- Will you live differently knowing that He fills all in all?

Paul’s prayer includes three parts: thanksgiving, intercession, and praise.

Thanksgiving:

Paul thanks God for the believers faith in Christ and love for one another, recognizing that these are gifts given to true believers. The church wasn't perfect, but Paul was looking for glimpses of grace in their lives.

Intercession:

Paul pleads with God to teach them, to open the eyes of their hearts to really know Him. Paul wants them to see the hope of “His calling”, the glory of “His inheritance”, and the greatness of “His power”. These are things that God possesses and freely gives to believers, including the power of the indwelling Spirit.

Praise:

In a day of absolute Roman rule, Paul suggests that Caesar is not really the most powerful entity. Paul is saying that every other power is not just inferior to Christ – they are also subject to Him. Caesar's power is nothing compared to Jesus'.

As Jesus Christ “fills all in all”, the Church – filled up by Christ – then fills the rest of creation as His representatives. We are totally dependent on Jesus.

- Will you pray like Paul with thankfulness, intercession, & praise?

- Will you look for glimpses of grace is your life and in others’ lives?

- Will you live differently knowing that He fills all in all?

The work of the Father in predestining, the work of the Son in redeeming, and the work of the Spirit in assuring believers are gloriously weaved together! None of Christ’s work can be severed from the Father’s sovereign choice in salvation or the Spirit’s guarantee of our inheritance.

Redeem means "to buy back". 1 Cor. 6:19-20, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” Every created thing belongs to God, because God is the Creator of it all, but that doesn’t mean that all people are His children. If all were His children, then all would be saved, but all are not saved.

Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient to save all who believe.

- John 3:16, “whosoever believes in Him…will have eternal life”.

- John 6:47, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”

- Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved”.

So does the death of Jesus Christ make us save-able, or does it make us saved? Let's be clear, Jesus went to the cross assured of what He would do and how His sheep will respond (Jn. 10:15). If you believe, your sin has been forgiven – nailed to the cross – by the redeeming blood of Jesus. God has revealed His eternal & unchanging plan and it revolves around His Son, the Redeemer.

The Holy Spirit is the “guarantee of our inheritance", to the praise of His glory. Believer – your standing before God is sure because of the indwelling guarantee of the Spirit and the work of Christ as our constant Advocate.

The work of the Father in predestining, the work of the Son in redeeming, and the work of the Spirit in assuring believers are gloriously weaved together! None of Christ’s work can be severed from the Father’s sovereign choice in salvation or the Spirit’s guarantee of our inheritance.

Redeem means "to buy back". 1 Cor. 6:19-20, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” Every created thing belongs to God, because God is the Creator of it all, but that doesn’t mean that all people are His children. If all were His children, then all would be saved, but all are not saved.

Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient to save all who believe.

- John 3:16, “whosoever believes in Him…will have eternal life”.

- John 6:47, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”

- Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved”.

So does the death of Jesus Christ make us save-able, or does it make us saved? Let's be clear, Jesus went to the cross assured of what He would do and how His sheep will respond (Jn. 10:15). If you believe, your sin has been forgiven – nailed to the cross – by the redeeming blood of Jesus. God has revealed His eternal & unchanging plan and it revolves around His Son, the Redeemer.

The Holy Spirit is the “guarantee of our inheritance", to the praise of His glory. Believer – your standing before God is sure because of the indwelling guarantee of the Spirit and the work of Christ as our constant Advocate.

The work of the Father in predestining, the work of the Son in redeeming, and the work of the Spirit in assuring believers are gloriously weaved together! None of Christ’s work can be severed from the Father’s sovereign choice in salvation or the Spirit’s guarantee of our inheritance.

Redeem means "to buy back". 1 Cor. 6:19-20, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” Every created thing belongs to God, because God is the Creator of it all, but that doesn’t mean that all people are His children. If all were His children, then all would be saved, but all are not saved.

Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient to save all who believe.

- John 3:16, “whosoever believes in Him…will have eternal life”.

- John 6:47, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”

- Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved”.

So does the death of Jesus Christ make us save-able, or does it make us saved? Let's be clear, Jesus went to the cross assured of what He would do and how His sheep will respond (Jn. 10:15). If you believe, your sin has been forgiven – nailed to the cross – by the redeeming blood of Jesus. God has revealed His eternal & unchanging plan and it revolves around His Son, the Redeemer.

The Holy Spirit is the “guarantee of our inheritance", to the praise of His glory. Believer – your standing before God is sure because of the indwelling guarantee of the Spirit and the work of Christ as our constant Advocate.