Coming Alive in Christ Ephesians 2:110

1
Coming Alive in ChristEphesians 21-10

• Chapters 2-3 explain the execution of the eternal
  plan (described in Chapter 1) by showing how God
  makes sinners saints and then places them into
  the church, Christs body.
• In 21-10 Paul discussed how sinners who deserve
  nothing but Gods wrath can become trophies of
  His grace.
• .

2
Condition of unbelievers before God transforms
them

• Ephesians 21-3
• And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
• in which you formerly walked
• according to the course of this world,
• according to the prince of the power of the
  air,
• of the spirit that is now working in the sons
  of disobedience.
• 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the
  lusts of our flesh,
• indulging the desires of the flesh
• and of the mind,
• and were by nature children of wrath,
• even as the rest.

Note Not all men are as evil as they could be,
but all fail to measure up to God level of
acceptancethere is no difference, for all have
sinned
3
Three desires of the mind to keep people away
from loving God!

• Humanism A love for selfman is the focus of all
  value, his own boss, own standard own authority
  his own god!
• Materialism A love for thingshigh value on
  physical stuff, especially to impress others
  with money, possessions, latest fads
• Hedonism A love for pleasures(especially
  illicit sex) all pleasure is good and necessary
  expressions of our needs

4
Faith Transfer from Spheres
Sphere of Darkness
Sphere of Light
5
Steps and Purpose of Transformation

• 4 But God, being rich in mercy,
• because of His great love with which He loved
  us,
• 5 even when we were dead in our
  transgressions,
• made us alive together with Christ
• (by grace you have been saved),
• 6 and raised us up with Him,
• and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in
  Christ Jesus,
• 7 so that in the ages to come
• He might show the surpassing riches of His
  grace
• in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

6
Salvation is only thru Faith

• 28 For by grace you have been saved through
  faith
• and that not of yourselves,
• it is the gift of God
• 9 not as a result of works,
• so that no one may boast.

7
Overview of the Letter to the Ephesians
8
Object of Salvation

• 10 For we are His workmanship,
• created in Christ Jesus for good works,
• which God prepared beforehand
• so that we would walk in them.

• Gods hand is evident in
• Spiritual Gifts
• Talents
• Personality
• Passion/Interests
• Experience/maturity

Workmanship in LXX, Isaiah 2916 How stupid can
you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly
greater than you. You are only the jars he makes!
Should the thing that was created say to the one
who made it, "He didn't make us"? Does a jar ever
say, "The potter who made me is stupid"?
9
Concept of good works

• 1 Timothy 525 In the same way, good deeds are
  obvious, and even those that are not cannot be
  hidden.
• 1 Timothy 618 Command them to do good, to be
  rich in good deeds, and to be generous and
  willing to share.
• 2 Timothy 317 so that the man of God may be
  adequate, equipped for every good work.
• Titus 214 who gave himself for us to redeem us
  from all wickedness and to purify for himself a
  people that are his very own, eager to do what is
  good.
• Titus 314 Our people must also learn to engage
  in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that
  they will not be unfruitful.
• Hebrews 1024 Think of ways to encourage one
  another to outbursts of love and good deeds.
• 1 Peter 212 Live such good lives among the
  pagans that, though they accuse you of doing
  wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify
  God on the day he visits us.

10
Alienation apart from Christ

• Ephesians 211 Therefore remember that formerly
  you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are
  called "Uncircumcision " by the so-called
  "Circumcision," which is performed in the
  flesh by human hands 12 remember that you
  were at that time separate from Christ,
  excluded from the commonwealth of Israel,
  and strangers to the covenants of promise,
  having no hope and without God in the world.

SOCIAL ALIENATIONWhat David called Goliath (1
Sam 1726) Pauls distain for such attitude is
obvious. No external act makes one spiritual.
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly,
neither is circumcision that which is outward in
the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly,
and circumcision is that which is of the heart,
by the Spirit, not the letter and his praise is
not from men, but from God (Ro 228-29)
The focus on a national, racial, religious and
ethnic group for evangelism is effective, but
then assimilation into the Body of Christ is
often as difficult today as in Pauls day.
Unity has always been a difficulty for humans
discrimination, prejudice, superiority, and pride
cripple the desire of God for oneness
Acts 109-10, You yourselves know how unlawful
it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a
foreigner or to visit him and yet God has shown
me that I should not call any man unholy or
unclean.
11
Unity in Christ
Root cause of strife, discord, enmity, hate,
bitterness, fighting, war, conflict and all
disunity is sin. (James 41-3) Solve the sin
problem, and unity is possible.

• 13 But now in Christ Jesus
• you who formerly were far off have been brought
  near
• by the blood of Christ.
• 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both
  groups into one and broke down the barrier of
  the dividing wall,
• 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity,
  which is the Law of commandments
  contained in ordinances, so that in Himself
  He might make the two into one new man, thus
  establishing peace,
• 16 and might reconcile them both in one body
  to God through the cross, by it
  having put to death the enmity.

A warning was found on a pillar of Temple ruins
No man of another race is to enter within the
fence and enclosure around the Temple. Whoever is
caught will have only himself to thank for the
death which follows In 70 AD all relics of
Temple destroyednow theres no wall
Both groups are sinners Neither can pay for
their own sins Both need an acceptable sacrifice
for their sins Both need an intermediary Both
need to be saved in the same way unity possible
Eph 36, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and
fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers
of the promise in Christ Jesus through the
gospel.
12
Unity thru Preaching Truth
Jesus expects us to know the importance of
getting word to every creature

• 217 He came and preached peace to you
• who were far away
• and peace to those who were near.
• 18 For through him
• we both have access to the Father
• by one Spirit.
• 19 Consequently,
• you are no longer foreigners and aliens,
• but fellow citizens with God's people
• and members of God's household,

Jesus and His ambassadorsonly means of
communicating this truth to be preached
Paul wanted the churches to experience the sense
of family, acceptance and care
13
The New Man as a Building
Ephesians 35 which in other generations was not
made known to the sons of men, as it has now been
revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the
Spirit
220 having been built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself
being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole
building, being fitted together, is growing
into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in
whom you also are being built together
into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
14
Eph 31-4

• For this reason I, Paul,
• the prisoner of Christ Jesus
• for the sake of you Gentiles
• if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of
  God's grace
• which was given to me for you
• that by revelation
• there was made known to me
• the mystery,
• as I wrote before in brief.
• By referring to this, when you read
• you can understand my insight into the mystery
  of Christ,