#Ephesians 2

[sealmonger]

Ephesians 2

Made Alive in Christ

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Footnotes

a. Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.

[pastordin]

Chapter 4: Biblical Foundations and Theological Underpinnings

Chapter 4: Biblical Foundations and Theological Underpinnings | Pastordin.us Home | Media | Contact Chapter 4: Biblical Foundations and Theological Underpinnings “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28 (NIV) Published on: May 26, 2024 Part I: Foundations of Pastoral Theology Chapter 4:…

[friarmusings]

Out of Place

Have you ever been in a place where you feel as though you are out of place? Not unwelcomed in a broad sense, but a bit of an intruder. The realization can come upon you unexpectedly and you enter into a liminal space where time freezes and you quickly process what is unfolding. You are entering a party at the home of a friend and you sense these folks are not your acquaintances. You feel under…

[culturevulturette]

[fardell24b]

Church notes - 12th May 2012

12th Psalm 18:16 - 36

'Can't see the forest for the trees.'

2 Samuel 22 We need a humble heart tp realise that we need to come to come to God for redemption.

A man after His own heart. When called out for sin, David immediately repented.

vs 19 - 27

What is it we want? What heart are we bringing to God?

Jesus' miracles were about restoring humanity, as part of His redemptive plan. He was fulfilling Scripture. So should we.

Love God. Love people.

Jesus wasn't interested in the How, but the why.

Shame. Fear of not trying.

Ephesians 2:4 - 7

Salvation is a shift. Dying to self and coming to life through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Stop overanalysing yourself and look to Christ.

vs 21 Not boasting. But David was looking to God.

Hebrews 12:1, 2

Fixing our eyes on Jesus.

[biblebloodhound]

Saved for a Reason (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Humanity is spiritually hard-wired to do good in this world. 

At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do…

[re4med]

Daily Prayer for November 10, 2023

Prayer: Grant us, almighty God, a renewed sense of your strength and power as we seek to walk according to your purpose and will. We confess our weaknesses, knowing that we are creatures of dust that often stray from your commands. We are like sheep, and we often go our way instead of the way clearly expressed by your Word. We are often weary due to the constant battle with sin and suffering,…

[holy-mountaiin]

Day 2 - The Fall

DAY TWO

SCRIPTURES:

Genesis 3-4

Ephesians 2

Below you will find each audible version over beats, visuals and "helpful tools." At the very bottom you will see a "read & rant episode"

Genesis 3 (NASB)

Genesis 4 (NASB)

Ephesians 2 (NASB)

HELPFUL TOOLS

Genesis 3 by Spoken Gospel

When Adam bombed - Stefanotto (song)

The Good News Proclamation (Ruslan)

Knocking (song)

New Covenant Prophet (and the Apostolic) - Isaac Watson

Redeemer - Streelights

Ephesians part 1 by Isaiah Saldivar

The Writing on our Hearts - Streetlights

Ephesians 2 by Tim Macke 

Inspiring Philosophy (gen.4)

[deremerstudios]

DETROIT: REBORN

Detroit Reborn - And Why We Like a Good redemption Story! Detroit's rise, fall and restoration is a wonderful story that points to the best story of all!

AND WHY WE LOVE A GOOD REDEMPTION STORY This past September, I had the opportunity to spend some time in the heart of Detroit while in the area for the Detroit Concours d’Elegance. While in town, Todd, a good friend and colleague (and tour guide extraordinaire) who has called Detroit home nearly all his life, took a few hours out of his busy day to act as the city’s unofficial ambassador. As he…

[andrewpcannon]

God is Building Something

In Ephesians 1, Paul writes about the unconditional love of God in Christ. He makes immediate application to himself, saying that he thanks God for the saints because God has unconditionally chosen and adopted them. Because God loves and accepts His people unconditionally, we also love and accept one another unconditionally. The truth is simple, yet we often find such plain application difficult…

[gabebrodudeman]

[pastordin]

The Life of the Apostle Paul: Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Paul’s Writings and Theology | The Life of the Apostle Paul | Pastor Aamir Din Home | Portfolio | Contact The Life of the Apostle Paul Chapter 7: Paul’s Writings and Theology Published on: May 27, 2020 Introduction Paul the Apostle is renowned not only for his missionary endeavors but also for his prolific contributions to Christian theology through his letters, or epistles, which…

[friarmusings]

In the beginning

The first reading today is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians is a letter about the church – not necessarily just the congregation in the city of Ephesus but rather with the worldwide church. While in other letters Paul describes the church as the Body of Christ, here Christ is referred to as the head of the Church (Eph 4:15), directing the church as the instrument for…

[andallshallbewell]

[fardell24b]

Church notes - 18th February 2024

18th 1 Chronicles 21:18 - 26

Communion Ephesians 2:8 - 10 1 Peter 3:18

Sermon Sacrifice Philippians 1:1 - 11

Romans 12:1 - 8

Sacrifice means different things to different people

An act that allows us to draw closer to God. Jesus has already done it! It has been done. How to react to God's mercy? Allow the mercy to shape how we think and live each day.

Philippi - a major military base and home to many retired soldiers.

Living Sacrifce

A prayer vs 1 Servants of Jesus

Paul's attitude in prayer

Thankful

Joyful

Confident in God's work

A richness of God's Grace.

vs 7 The rich experience of God's Grace They had it together.

A double positive

Paul's prayer for the Philippians

Love abounding

Knowledge and depth of insight

Pure and blameless lives

Intrisically bonded with Jesus Christ

Looking forward to Jesus' Return

So that God would be praised and glorified.

[geminiagentgreen]

It is truly terrifying that suicidal thoughts and even tendencies are a thing we experience as humans, and the more I think about it the more I feel abhorred by it. Your life matters. You were made in flesh but your existence was and is overseen by an Almighty artist and scientist; you were made intentionally and with utmost care. You matter, your enemies matter, a human's life is a gift altogether, to the individual and to the world around them.

God loves you, and that you are here on this planet and that you are reading this tells me that the Lord Almighty wants an eternal relationship with you. In Christ Jesus, through His death and resurrection, are you saved from your sins and your life promised for eternal glory and joy. This life right here is a gift - even though the world is fallen - but it is also just a mere taste of what is to come, and through Jesus Christ that taste becomes sweet and wonderful.

While your salvation is not in your repentance - that is, your turning away from, doing a 180⁰ from, deciding against sin - of your sins alone, Jesus calls us to do, and to call upon His name to be saved, to give our lives over to Him so that we may receive a new life with Him. All of this is not a work to perform before Christ saves us, but rather a work that follows with and after.

If you made it this far, please read further from the Word of God directly: Ephesians 2: 1-10

Made Alive in Christ

¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.