Ephesians 2:1-10

This foundation is about how we gain acceptance with God. In contrast to man-made religions that focus on what we can do to be right with God, the Bible reveals that we are made right by God by his free gift. This is called grace.

Grace Is Given to the Undeserving – Verses 1-3 of this passage pain a bleak but honest picture of humanity apart from God. We are all dead in trespasses and sins and follow the ways of the world, the flesh and the devil. If we were to get what we deserved on the basis of what we have done then we would receive wrath – none of us can ever live up to the perfect standard of God’s holiness. This is the backdrop onto which God acts in grace.

Grace Is a Free Gift – Where we could not make things right with God by our own efforts, God gives us his grace and makes things right by his own initiative. Even as we were dead in sin, he made us alive with Christ, forgiving all of that sin, and seated us with him in the heavenly realm. It is made crystal clear that there are no works that we could do to bring this about, but that our acceptance comes as the result of the unmerited favour that he has given to us.

Grace Comes Through Jesus – The grace that God gives to us all comes from what Christ has done for us on the cross. We are told that God’s immeasurable kindness is shown to us in Christ Jesus. It is through the cross that God takes our sins away and because of the cross that we can receive this gift of eternal life.

Response

This would be a great time to invite people to receive the grace that God offers through Christ and accept his salvation.