EPHESIANS OUTLINE #12 of 34

LIFE WITHOUT CHRIST (Eph. 2:1-3)

I. Introduction

A. In the Greek text the first seven verses are one long chapter.

1. The thought expressed may be seen as then and now.

2. Then is a state of death. Now refers to a state of life.

B. The first three verses deal with our past and pictures humanity without Christ.

II. NOTICE WHAT WE WERE (1-3)

A. Dead in sin (1)

1. It is a sad but truthful state into which we have come through our trespasses and sins.

2. Death is a state of unresponsiveness as to both sensation and motion, therefore;

He can do nothing to satisfy us and we can do nothing to satisfy Him.

3. That's the state we are in with God apart from Christ.

4. We can do nothing to satisfy God because all that we do is tainted with trespasses

and sins.

B. We are not only Dead in Sin but Disobedient to God. (2)

1. When sin took us out of the Life of God it also took us out of the service of God.

2. When we become separated from God we sold ourselves to other masters.

3. Scripture here as elsewhere warns us of the threefold system of sins enslavement.

C. Our First Enslavement is to The World.

1. We walked according to the cause of this world.

2. We do so because our nature is responsive to its desires. We surrender to its

appeal.

3. Our next enslavement is To Satan-we walked according to the prince of power

of the air.

4. This is the same person that works in the children of disobedience.(2) A big reason

for our disobedient spirit comes because we yield to that person who wants us to

become rebellious.

D. Our Third Enslavement is To The Flesh. (3)

1. Paul in Gal. 5:19-21 lists the lusts of the flesh.

2. He starts with adultery but goes on to hatred, strife, envying, selfishness,

dissension, and ill-temper.

3. We M~ fulfilled the lusts of the flesh and of the mind.

E. What is the Result? (3 b)

1. We are deserving of wrath-the phrase children of wrath is used in Deut. 25:2

where it reads worthy to be beaten.

2. Children of wrath means children who are worthy and deserving of wrath.

3. We are justly condemned because we are sinners.

4. Consider what has been said thus far dead in sin, disobedient to God, deserving

of wrath.

5. What a diagnosis of man's moral and spiritual disability.

6. If there is a remedy it certainly cannot come from us, it must have its source in God.

III. NOTICE WHAT GOD DID. (4-9)

A. Two words mark the turning point of human destiny. BUT GOD.

1. As human beings we cannot help ourselves unless God intervenes, we are helpless.

2. But God did intervene and turned death into life and~despair into hope.

B. God is depicted here as the God who is rich in mercy.

1. Mercy is our first need. We have already seen that human beings deserve only

punishment, to escape it must be through an extension of God's mercy. In this

quality the scripture says God is Rich.

2. Mercy rejoices in pardon, provided a way can be found to honor God's Justice.

3. Praise God! Love found a way.

C. God is not only a merciful God- He is a loving God (4 b)

1. God is love- out of the inexhaustible nature He loved us:.even though we were

dead in sin.

2. Paul adds a superlative to God's love- he calls it His great love. That great

love was focused on us.

D. Love has Two elements- Desire and Delight.

1. Desire is the essence of His love toward us as sinners.

2. Delight is the love He has for us after we have become members of his family.

3. He desired us even when we were dead in sin.

4. He delights in us now that we are sharing in His life.

IV. NOTICE THE RESULTS OF GOD'S GRACE. (5-6)

A. Three great results were accomplished- they include the past, the present, and the future.

1. We were raised from the dead (2:5) that's past tense.

2. We deserved death-but He Christ died in our place.

3. God counted His death as our death. We died with Him.

4. Likewise, His resurrection was not only His but ours as well. We were raised

together with Him.

B. In Christ We are NOW seated in the heavenlies (2:6)

1. He died, He arose, He ascended, He is seated at the right hand of the Father.

2. But we are in Him (1:3-4) because of that fact, we are actually seated there

with Him.

3. What a contrast from what we were.

C. God is Going to Display What We Will Be. (2:7)

1. This is our future.

2. In the day of His manifestation the Father is going to put us on display. He is going

to exhibit to the universe the great kindness of His heart.

3. Those dead in sir), deserving of wrath, are going to be in God's trophy case.

4. Sinners made saints- the Unclean made clean, the unholy made Holy.

5. WHAT A GOD- WHAT A SAVIOR- WHAT A

SALVATION!!!