By Grace Ye Are Saved (Manuscript) Series

[Please put your finger on verse 4]

[He begins, but God,]

a. He wrote: “Who is rich in mercy, for His great loved wherewith He loved us,” Ephesians 2:4.

b. God is good: “For His mercy endureth forever,” Psalms 106:1; Psalms 86:5; Psalms 100:5.

c. For His great love wherewith He loved them and us. Paul included himself in this Letter.

1) Jesus said: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life,” John 15:13-14.

2) Paul wrote: “But God commended His love toward us,” Romans 5:8-11; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.

3) John wrote: “Hereby perceive we the love of God because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren,” 1 John 3:16; John 3:16.

[Even when we were]

[Looking at verse 5]

d. Dead in trespasses and sins. This was our spiritual condition when God called us by His Grace. Beloved, are you looking at this text? Now, wait a minute.

[Quickened us together]

4. Paul uses a verb to describe this action: “quickened” us together. What doth “quickened” mean in this context? 1) To make one alive together; 2) to reanimate (conjointly) with; or 3) to revive spiritual life with Christ, imparted to believers at their conversion.” This is God's means of granting His Grace to the believer “through the faith in Christ Jesus,” Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 3:9.

NOTE: Reference, W. E. Vine, page 241; BLB, Cross-References, KJV Phrase, “Grace ye.” In Gr., “(by whose grace ye were saved)," Ephesians 2:5; Romans 5:1-2.

[Vivid word picture of their conversion]

[Verse 1 & 5]

The apostle is NOW giving us a vivid word picture: of what occurred during our conversion to Christ. We, too, have believed and obeyed what the Ephesians had done. Consider,

a. When we were “together with Christ,” dead in our trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2:1; Ephesians 2:5.

b. God quickened us: “made alive again, reanimated, and revived us from the dead,” Romans 14:9.

c. While we were together with Christ (with Him), Ephesians 2:4-5, Colossians 2:13.

d. He “Saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost…That being justified by His Grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life,” Titus 3:5; John 3:3-5; 1 Peter 1:22-23. Please listen to me now, and hear me good, beloved in the Lord!

[Only time we will be with Jesus in our sins]

[Verse 5]

NOTE: This is the only time we will ever be with Jesus in our sins! And this is the real blessing! Visitors, friends, and saints: "When were we with Jesus in our sins?” Some might say: “We can never be with Jesus in our sins!” However, what word picture is Paul painting about the Ephesians?

e. This happened when they “were together with Christ!”

NOTE: I invite all of you to confirm what I’m preaching. Just ask your minister, pastor, or spiritual leader this question: “When were we together with Christ: dead in our trespasses and sins?” Then, judge for yourself whether their answer agrees with Paul's. And what your eyes are reading right NOW! How did Paul describe this experience? We are getting to the truth of the entire matter. He continued by writing,