General Theme
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Impact of the "mystery" of God's grace on our
lives and how it should affect our daily living
Summary of last week…
Background
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Author - Apostle Paul
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Date of writing - ~AD 60…during Roman
imprisonment (Colossians very similar)
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Occasion - Not correcting any heresy, expanding
horizons for Gentile believers
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Recipients - Churches in Western Asia Minor (Turkey)
incl. Ephesus. Not just Ephesus
Read Eph 2:1-10…
Eph 2:1-3
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DEAD in transgressions and sin.
As we followed the world…disobedient, followed desires of the flesh
rather than God. (lived in drunkenness, immorality, lust, greed, hatred)
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By nature, objects of God's wrath! Walking targets
for the wrath of God. Without Jesus, we're destined for destruction (default
setting-VCR), we START OUT that way.
Common misunderstanding of the compassion of
God
manipulative and not addressing the issue of sin
Not "pretty good" people (Henry Kriete ex.)
"Mean" God?? No! Very gracious, in fact. We deserve
death (Ro 6:23), but none of us rec'd that payment
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We start out DEAD, God gives us the
chance to live!
Eph 2:4-7
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Sound like a "mean" God? He made us alive even
though we were dead.
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Saved by God's grace, raised and seated with Christ
so kindness could be shown.
Eph 2:8-10
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Faith is the environment in which Grace saves
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Gift of God;not resulting from works
Baptists "Once saved, always saved" CofC "Once
saved, barely saved" Salvation not dependent on our "good works"! Lifestyle
is a RESPONSE to God's gift (Xmas ex); God doesn't respond to the "gift"
of our "works" Initiative not with us (we're not the Alpha!), it's with
God.
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No man can boast. Not even of repentance - assumes
fallibility. No good from evil. Godly sorrow produces repentance (2Cor 7:10)
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Spiritual "credits" in exchange for God's grace??
Certainly not!
God rescues us from death (remember?) and we respond
from the heart "Works" not evident in our
lives? Solution: gratitude through re-focus on what God has done through
his grace
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Grace (Titus 3), Cross (Communion), Gospel (Good
News) - Fountains / well-springs of spiritual energy and desire
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You're saved! Not of yourself, but of God. Salvation
brought into question too much (study series?)
Christ's work is DONE, and isn't tarnished by
our sinful tendencies; that's why God saved us!
Read Eph 2:11-22
Eph 2:11-18
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Speaking specifically to the Gentiles Separate!
Excluded! Foreigners! Without hope! Without God! Jesus' blood brings us near
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Jews and Gentiles now one through destruction of
dividing wall of the Law (mystery). Gentiles now have access to God
Eph 2:19-22
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Self-explanatory
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NT Apostles and NT prophets (Agabus - Acts 21:10).
Not NT + OT = Bible (Church study)
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Jews and Gentiles together as a temple for HS
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