Paul wanted them to understand all that God had done for them. So, he reminded them what they were like before God gave them spiritual life.
Read Ephesians 2:4-7
Even though we were dead to God because of our sins and were deserving God’s wrath, God chose to be merciful. Do you know what mercy means? Mercy is when someone has pity on someone and doesn’t give him the punishment he deserves. This is what God did for each believer. Instead of giving us the punishment we deserved (Hell), he loved us and caused us to be spiritually alive instead of dead in our sins. We have been saved from the punishment we deserve because of God’s grace. Do you know what grace means? Grace is God’s kindness to us that we don’t deserve. He also has raised us up from spiritual death to have a place to sit in heaven some day. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead and sat down at the right hand of God’s throne, so we have been given a place to sit in heaven with God when we die. All of this is possible in Christ Jesus. God did this to show how wonderful his grace and kindness is toward us through Jesus.
- What does mercy mean?
- How was God merciful to us?
- What does grace mean?
- How was God gracious to us?
- What three things did God do for us?
a. He made us _______________________ with Christ.
b. He ______________________ us up with Christ.
c. He _______________________ us with Christ in heaven.
