The Product Of God's Love-1

The PRODUCT OF GOD's LOVE[In The Aftermath of Mercy]-I—Ephesians 2:1-10

(After ‘Dodging a Bullet’)

Attention:

Surviving what others did not, may produce 'survivor’s remorse' or 'survivor’s guilt.'

Is the surviving person’s life different after such an experience?

Need:

We confront & are confronted by ‘nature’ on a daily basis. Some of those confrontations can turn deadly, putting our lives in danger, witness: Hurricane Michael(Wed. Oct. 10, 2018).

What happens in our hearts when ‘nature’ takes it's toll regarding life/death issues?

The real question for survivors is, in what gainful ways is their life lived differently after such an experience/awareness?

Do you look at life differently after tragic circumstances? Does life in Christ take on new meaning as we come face-to-face with death & loss?

Christians are equipped not only to survive but thrive, knowing/realizing that God has allowed them continuation of life & thereby continuation of ministry!

The apostle Paul explained that the Ephesian Christians were saved because God loves.

Man’s Salvation is the Product of God’s Love.

OR...

Salvation is available because God loves.

How is salvation the product of God’s love?

1—The Product of God’s Love is...

The CURE For DEADNESS(:1)

Explanation:(:1)

:1—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins,”

The phrase “He made alive” is actually not present here in any Greek manuscript. The the board of translators agreed to tie the entire dialogue that follows upon what is stated outright in :5...

I personally think that Paul is stating the fact that the Ephesian Christians “were” continually ‘being’ “children of wrath” prior to their becoming Christians(:3). Verse :3 tells the Ephesians(& us) that they(& we) were “just” like all “others”(:3) prior to their(our) becoming Christians.

They had no special privilege or advantage because they were in fact “dead”—had deadened themselves— to God's desire & thus to God Himself. They “were dead” to Him because of their continual dwelling “in trespasses & sins”(:1). Being dwellers “in trespasses & sins” characterizes those who are entirely separated from God having not accepted His forgiveness that is found only in Christ(Eph. 1:3-10).

Eph. 1:3-10—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom & prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven & which are on earth--in Him.”

However(“but”) rather because of God’s “great love”, though they were lost, they became targets & objects of God’s mercy simply because He is “rich in mercy”(:4).

Thus the only thing that separates & distinguishes those in Ephesus who were true Christians, is that their personal faith/belief had led them to accept God’s offer of mercy that was(& is) offered thru His “great love” for them(:5, 8).

“And”(See :3—“also”)—kai—Conjunction—1) And, also, even, indeed, but. Strong—apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative & sometimes also a cumulative force; And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection(or composition) with other particles or small words.

“You”—umav—Pronoun 2nd Accusative—1) You. Strong—accusative case of umeiv; You(as the objective of a verb or preposition).

“Made Alive/Quickened”(See :5)—Added for English clarity. Picked up from :6.

“Were/Being”(See :5)—wn, feminine--ousa, neuter--on—Present [no voice] Participle Accusative Plural Masc.—1) Being, etc. Strong—present participle of eimi; Being.

“Dead”(See :5)—nekrov—Adj.—1) properly—1a) One that has breathed his last, lifeless, 1b) Deceased, departed, one whose soul is in heaven or hell, 1c) Destitute of life, without life, inanimate; 2) metaph.—2a) Spiritually dead—2a1) Destitute of a life that recognizes & is devoted to God, because given up to trespasses & sins, 2a2) Inactive as respects doing right, 2b) Destitute of force or power, inactive, inoperative. Strong—from an apparently primary nekuv(a corpse); Dead(literally or figuratively; also as noun).

“Trespasses”(See :5)—paraptwma—Neuter Noun—1) To fall beside or near something; 2) A lapse or deviation from truth & uprightness—2a) A sin, misdeed. Paraptwma is used in different senses, sometimes in a milder sense, denoting an error, a mistake, a fault; & sometimes meaning a trespass, a willful sin. Strong—A side-slip(lapse or deviation), i.e. (unintentional)Error or (willful)Transgression. Used 23X.?From—parapiptw—To fall aside, i.e. figuratively--To apostatize.—From—para—1) From, of at, by, besides, near. Strong—a primary preposition; properly--Near; i.e. (with genitive case)--From beside(literally or figuratively), (with dative case)--At(or in) the vicinity of (objectively or subjectively), (with accusative case)--To the proximity with(local especially)--Beyond or opposed to, or causal--On account of.—&—piptw—1) To descend from a higher/erect place/position to a lower. Strong—a reduplicated & contracted form of petw; (which occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses); probably akin to petomai through the idea of alighting; To fall(literally or figuratively).