P’s and Q’s : Ephesians 2
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…” (verse 1)
- Describe what it was (or is) like for you to be “dead in your sins.”
Before we become Christians, we are all “dead in [our] transgressions and sins.” Of course this doesn’t mean we are physically dead. Rather, the life of a person who has not experienced new life in Christ is characterized by spiritual death. This means that person is separated from God’s salvation, but it also means that it is impossible for that person to produce spiritual fruit, to show signs of life.
“In which you were 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.” (verse 2)
- What has been your greatest stumbling block so far in your life and how is your walk with Christ helping you overcome that?
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“Among them we too all formerly lived is the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” (verse 3)
- What does it mean to you to be a child of God instead of a child of wrath?
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“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…” (verse 4)
- Describe your thankfulness that our God is a God of mercy.
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“Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” (verse 5)
- Describe how God’s grace continues to change you today.
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“And raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (verse 6)
- What does it mean to be “raised up with Christ”?
This means that only through Christ’s sacrifice and our acceptance of that sacrifice are we able to be raised to heaven after death and spend eternity with Him.
So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (verse 7)
- What does the phrase, “He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness” mean to us as we put our faith in Christ?
Jesus has shown us spiritual riches beyond measure even here on earth. The love and kindness felt in Jesus’ grace changes people on earth to become more like Christ.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (verse 8)
- Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone; three great thoughts in one sentence. Describe that principle thought by thought and what it means to you.
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“Not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (verse 9)
- Why does God want us to know that we are saved by grace and not by works?
God does not want you or I to start looking at ourselves as God. Instead, God wants us to look at Him and give all the glory to Him for salvation, because we would be absolutely nothing without His grace. We cannot earn salvation. Good works are an outpouring of our gratitude towards God for saving us.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (verse 10)
- “We are His workmanship” means we are his “poem.” He is writing our story. Psalm 84 says, “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” SO, if we walk obediently, our poem is a perfect plan…but even though sometimes a poem doesn’t rhyme, the rhyme is coming, the rhyme is coming…What does it mean to you that God has a great poem for you?
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“Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” (verse 12)
- Tell your story over the last few weeks of your life how Christ has “brought you near” to God by the blood of Christ.
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“For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commands contained ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, those establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.” (verses 14-16)
- This chapter is about how God brings the nations who were not of “His chosen people Israel” to become His chosen people through the death, resurrection and relationship of Jesus. What does it mean to you to also be included in “God’s chosen people”?
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“For through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.” (verse 18)
- How does Jesus give you access to the Father through the Holy Spirit? How does this verse speak to those who say, “there is no trinity in the Bible?”
Jesus gives you access by His death and resurrection, by paying the debt of your sins that you could never pay. The Holy Spirit lives inside us and is our Spiritual Guide. For people that do not believe in the trinity, this verse is one of many in the Old Testament and New Testament that proves that God is one God in three persons, also known as the trinity.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.” (verse 19)
- What does it mean to be “of God’s household”?
The focus is being a valued member of God’s family! Once we commit our lives to Christ, we become official citizens of God’s kingdom and are members of His family, equal with all other believers. This also gives us direct access to the head of the household, God himself.
Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone…” (verse 20)
- Describe the foundation upon which a follower of Jesus stands.
A follower of Jesus is the only one with an unchanging, solid foundation. People who do not believe in Jesus try to put their foundation on money, earthly relationships, and their own efforts, each of which will never last. The cornerstone (Christ Jesus) was the first rock used to establish the foundation of an ancient building. The apostles and prophets were the foundations, but Jesus was the “first stone” or cornerstone to begin the church.
In whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (verses 21 & 22)
- How does this verse speak to the necessity of working together as a team with your family, your Christian friends, and this Bible study you are in?
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