God’s Power Changes People
Ephesians 2:1-10
Know-what the Word says
Main idea of the passage: Faith is the only means by which we can be made right with God. We are dead in our sins and transgressions, and only He can make us alive.
Explanation: Paul continues his description of a sovereign God by pointing to the sovereignty of God in the act of salvation. We are “dead” in our sinful nature. Paul uses this imagery to describe our desperate state. Dead people can’t save themselves. They have nothing of value to offer, nothing they can bring to the table, and nothing they can do to satisfy the wrath of an almighty God. “But, God who is rich in mercy,” made us alive in Christ. Why? Verse 7 tells us-so that He might display the riches of His grace. Our salvation, then, is not primarily for us. It is to display the complete character of our great God through the salvation of sinners. He is the object of salvation-we are merely the recipients of an incredible and completely undeserved gift.
Live-what the Word says
Main application of the passage: To defeat our sinful nature, it is not enough to merely try harder. We cannot try hard enough. We must die to self and trust Christ in every area of life.
Application: Our churches are filled with people who try to numb the conviction they feel by serving. They assume if they volunteer enough hours, serve on enough committees, and give enough money to the building fund, that somehow God will be pleased. The problem with this is that it doesn’t fit with what God has said in Scripture. When we die to self and stop trying harder to earn God’s love, we find the freedom that comes from being united with Christ. His righteousness becomes ours because our death became His. So, what’s the application? Trust Christ. Trust Him with your marriage, with your children, with your profession, and with your entire life. We must stop trying to earn that which we already have in Christ.
Rogers– Lessons by Bucky Rogers, minister to students at Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church, Moore, since 2006. Rogers, originally from Cleveland, Tenn., is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and Southern Seminary.