The Power of God’s Grace through Christ. (Ephesians 2:4-7)

Some people spend their lives trying to do more good deeds than bad, hoping to close the gap of sin that separates us from God. Saying a prayer and doing good deeds cannot save us; God must make us spiritually alive. He does this through Christ by His grace.

Christ Is Our Life (verses 4-6)

Our Past Condition. In Ephesians 2:5, we are reminded that we were dead in our transgressions. Before we believed and were made alive in God, we were separated from God. Spiritual death was our condition when we were still in our sins. In Ephesians 2:2, we learned that outside of Christ, we would naturally follow the course of this world. When we are made alive in Jesus Christ, we walk against that current. Because of our past condition, we will always struggle with sin. This actually can be an evidence of regeneration.

Our Unity with Christ. We were made alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5). Our union is something that already happened. He made us alive; He raised us; He seated us. In Ephesians 1:18-19, Paul speaks of God’s power. Ephesians 1:20 says that God’s power is placed in Christ and displayed in Christ’s resurrection. This required Jesus to die as a once-for-all payment for our sin. Christ died so we could be united in Him. He died so that we who knew sin would be made alive in Christ.

God's Rich Mercy. As children of disobedience, we deserve God's wrath, but He gives great love and rich mercy instead (Ephesians 2:4-5). God gives us free grace even when we don't live that way. Through these, mercy, love, and grace, God has called you to Himself, and that is the cause of our life with Christ. We don’t have to be discouraged when we look at our sin because it is not as great as the greatness of the love of God.

Christ Is Our Glory (verse 7)

In Christ, our position is secure for eternity. Our purpose is now to display God's glory and grace. This impacts how we tell our salvation testimony. Do you magnify your sin or God's grace? There are two sides: we are rescued from sin and given a new purpose.

We now have union with Christ's body, the church. It becomes natural to think about how my decisions affect my church family.

Application Points

• If we still struggle with sin it demonstrates that we are made alive in Jesus Christ. Those who don’t struggle with sin and don’t see what their sin has done to our Savior or how it is corrupting the lives of those around them, then they do not know what it is to be made alive in Jesus Christ.
• Baptism is a picture of us being plucked out of sin and the course of this world. It is a picture of what God has already done in our lives when we commit our lives to Christ, our Savior. Because of what God has done for us in Christ, we are freed from sin, raised from spiritual death to spiritual life. We now have the power to say no to sin. We are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness.
• When you are united with Christ, you become a person who can demonstrate God’s mercy, love, and grace to others. Christ is our life, and we demonstrate God’s kindness and His glory. It is right for God to be about His own glory. This is a mature thought – that our lives and our salvation are about God’s glory, not about ourselves.

Tools for Further Study

Cross References to Explore:

• John 3, Titus 3 – regeneration by the Word of God
• 2 Corinthians 5 – we are a new creation
• Ephesians 5, Colossians 1 – we were in darkness but no longer
• John 15, Ephesians 1:21-22, 2:20-22, 5:23-32 – metaphors of life in Christ
• Romans 6:3-7 – the newness of our life
• Ephesians 5:2, 25 – sacrificial love