But God… Raised You From the Dead! Simple words – powerful truth The Great Interrupter 45 times in the Bible D. Martyn Lloyd Jones – “these two words in and of themselves contain the whole of the gospel of Christ.” “But God” – radically transforms who we are But + God = nothing is impossible Eph 2:1-10 We Were Dead – vs. 1 Eph 2:1 NASB And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, Separated from God Unbeliever is dead – lack capacity or desire to respond to or understand spiritual things Spiritual death began with Adam’s sin – “by one man…” Dead person – cannot improve their condition Only remedy – must be born again – John 3:7 Eph 2:1 NASB And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, Sin – hamartia – “miss the mark” Could be unintentional but still an offence 173 times in NT Trespass – paraptoma - cross known boundary – side step Deliberate action Willful act We Were Wandering – vs. 2-3 Eph 2:2 NASB 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. Walked – peripateó,– “tread all around” Could be also interpreted as meander – wander without goal or purpose – like browsing a store and buying unintentionally All we like sheep have gone astray (Isa 53:6) Robert Robinson – Prone to wander We Were Made Alive – vs. 4-5 Eph 2:4-5 NASB 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), But God!!! – “Understand those words – they will save your soul” – J.M. Boice Contain the whole gospel – M. Lloyd-Jones Saved person - has “but God” moment Understood need, repented of sin, trusted God through Jesus Christ I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see Why did God do it? Rich in mercy – vs. 4 Lamentations 3:22 – through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed Because of His great love John 3: 16 Made alive together = quickened (KJV) suzóopoieó = reanimated conjoined with – made alive When – at a time when you were in rebellion, while we were sinners (Rom. 5:8) We are in a New Place – vs. 6-7 In Christ – 85 times in Paul’s writings Positionally – in heavenly places in Christ Jesus - now Literally – in heavenly places – later Living and looking for heaven in our walk today Looking to Lord Jesus Christ’s return Not an event but a person We will be with Him Ages to come - riches of His grace in kindness toward us We are His Workmanship – vs. 6-7 Eph 2:10 NASB For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Vs. 10 – 2 parts: God’s work in you His workmanship - poiéma—an exquisite masterpiece which is made from fabric Liberated from stone – illus. God’s work through you Created in Christ for good works Works with the weakest of us "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise" (1 Corinthians 1:27) Very important – Saved for good works not by good works (vs. 8-9) Philippians 3:20 - For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 1 Thessalonians 1:10 - and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. Titus 2:13 - looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus