Ephesians 2:1-10

I love the way that the first three verses set up the few that follow them. They cause one to see the hopelessness of their situation. It gets very personal. "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked... we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind." Our situation is one common to all men. It's in our nature to provoke the wrath of the holy God. What a hopeless situation we stand in if we do not continue on into verses 4-10. I believe that it is healthy, though, for us to dwell here for a little longer. Stephen Charnock, in his sermon entitled "The Chief of Sinners Saved," (I highly recommend this sermon. It can be found at the following link: http://www.puritansermons.com/charnock/charnoc2.htm) said the following:

"They has sprouted from a wicked stock; they had corrupted one another by their society and example, as rotten apples putrefy the sound ones that be near them. They had been incorrigible under judgments; God had used the rod again and again; but seeing there was no reformation, he was even weary of whipping them any longer; "Why should ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more (Isaiah 1:5 KJV). They were so universally infected, that there was no sound part about them, but running sores all over; both head and heart were infected; corrupt notions in the one, and corrupt affections in the other."

With this being thoroughly engraved into our minds, what hope do we have? I believe that when this thought process is reached, it is quite appropriate to continue on into verses 4-10, seeing the hope we have that starts off with two delightful words: "but God."

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places (remember Ephesians 1:20-21) in Christ Jesus (Why would God do such a thing for a people described in the first three verses? The answer follows), so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us (foul sinners, who "were by nature children of wrath") in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works (why? Answer follows), so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand (notice the divine plan of God), that we should walk in them."

There is so very much packed into those few verses. What challenges you about this ten verses? Myself, I am challenged to re-evaluate how zealous I am for good works, because after all, that is why I was created afresh in Christ. God in is infinitely wise plan, decided that I should be created in Christ for good works, so I should take it quite seriously, and devote myself to them and be zealous for good works, as it says in Titus 2:14. "Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."

I'm so very encouraged by our study thus far, and am very much looking forward to the coming days of this study.