I. EXORDIUM:
Are you saved by grace?
Yes. all by grace and none of works.
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers/unbelievers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To show that GOD gives us a lot of His saving grace for us to be saved by it and not by our good works.
IV. TEXT:
Ephesians 2:9 (Amplified Bible)
Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]
V. THESIS:
Praise, worship, glorify, adore, bless, honor, acknowledge and thank You very much LORD JESUS for Your Grace that saved me, not of works but by Your undeserved Grace in my life. I received them all now by grace through faith.
VI. TITLE:
Not good works so that no one can boast
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Author: Apostle Paul
B. Date written: 60 A.D. to 64 A.D.
C. Purpose: To show believers their position in CHRIST and encourage them to walk accordingly
D. To whom written: church at Ephesus
E. Key verses: Ephesians 1:10; 2:6, 14-22; 4:3-16 (especially Ephesians 4:13).
F. Keywords: together, one, In CHRIST, In heavenly places, riches
VIII. MAIN BODY:
Ephesians 2:9 (Amplified Bible)
Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]
Ephesians 2:9 (New King James Version)
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
A. Not of good works.
"Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], ... [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do,"
ILLUSTRATION:
People are full of good works. I see most of facebook post like this, "with good attitude", so that's how they describe themselves? How did they know? Oh, yeah, like I said, they described themselves using their own standards. So funny! Why not let someone describe you? For sure they can say something bad about you and about everyone. That's the point, people missed that all are sinners.
Romans 3:20 (Amplified Bible)
For no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character].
Romans 3:23 (Amplified Bible)
Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives.
Can't people live by the truth? That all are sinners, and have fallen short of GOD'S Grace. That's all there is to it. Without acceptance, there will be no forgiveness.
1 John 1:9 (Amplified Bible)
If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].
Romans 3:27-28 (Amplified Bible)
Then what becomes of [our] pride and [our] boasting? It is excluded (banished, ruled out entirely). On what principle? [On the principle] of doing good deeds? No, but on the principle of faith.
For we hold that a man is justified and made upright by faith independent of and distinctly apart from good deeds (works of the Law). [The observance of the Law has nothing to do with justification.]
And what about our good works? They are all filthy rags in GOD's sight. It's like everytime we do them, thinking that we are pleasing GOD and earning a credit in heaven, that's the time, we pile stock them all in GOD'S sight. And GOD is not pleased of course, be in the feet of GOD seeing a lot of filthy rags before your sight? Does it annoy you? Yes of course, it's all annoying. It's very disrespectful of what GOD had already done on the cross of calvary.
Isaiah 64:6 (Amplified Bible)
For we have all become like one who is unclean [ceremonially, like a leper], and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away [far from God’s favor, hurrying us toward destruction].
Romans 4:2 (Amplified Bible)
For if Abraham was justified (established as just by acquittal from guilt) by good works [that he did, then] he has grounds for boasting. But not before God!
Romans 9:11 (Amplified Bible)
And the children were yet unborn and had so far done nothing either good or evil. Even so, in order further to carry out God’s purpose of selection (election, choice), which depends not on works or what men can do, but on Him Who calls [them],
Romans 9:16 (Amplified Bible)
So then [God’s gift] is not a question of human will and human effort, but of God’s mercy. [It depends not on one’s own willingness nor on his strenuous exertion as in running a race, but on God’s having mercy on him.]
Romans 11:6 (Amplified Bible)
But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it would be meaningless].
Thank You FATHER GOD, for You have accepted me in the beloved not because of what I've done but because of Your Grace.
B. People tend to boast of their accomplishments (works)
"lest any man should boast. ... so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself."
1 Corinthians 1:29-31 (Amplified Bible)
So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God.
But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin].
So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boast and proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord.
If we like to boast, we can still boast, actually we're free to boast, yet we boast in the LORD.
1 Corinthians 1:31 (Amplified Bible)
So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boast and proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord.
2 Corinthians 12:10 (Amplified Bible)
So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).
What matters is the divine strength in our life, not the physical strength, for all things find itself sourced from the Divine. It's what I need in my daily life, and daily walk with GOD, His Divine Strength overiding my weak physical strength. That's why I boast in all that I received a lot of these, persecutions, and even insults, because they see me as a weakling but not in GOD'S sight. In GOD's sight, I am strong by His Grace.
2 Timothy 1:9 (Amplified Bible)
[For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness [to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness]; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago].
Titus 3:3-5 (Amplified Bible)
For we also were once thoughtless and senseless, obstinate and disobedient, deluded and misled; [we too were once] slaves to all sorts of cravings and pleasures, wasting our days in malice and jealousy and envy, hateful (hated, detestable) and hating one another.
But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior to man [as man] appeared,
He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Don't tend to boast in the accomplishments you have done, but say all these accomplishments are trophies of the LORD GOD who entrusted them to me for the sake of CHRIST.
IX. CONCLUSION:
Praise, worship, glorify, adore, bless, honor, acknowledge and thank You very much LORD JESUS for Your Grace that saved me, not of works but by Your undeserved Grace in my life. I received them all now by grace through faith.
