Ephesians: Study 2
Ephesians 2:4 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Without looking it up, what can you remember about chapter 1 from last week’s study?
Do you see any major themes/connections that could give some structure to the passage?
Looking closely at verses 1-3, how many ways does Paul describe people who aren’t Christian? Which of them stands out to you the most?
Do you agree with Paul that people are sinful by nature? Does that mean even babies are condemned?
Looking closely at verses 4-7, how does Paul describe a Christian? What stands out to you the most?
Are the descriptions in v.1-3 (of a non-Christian) and 4-7 (a Christian) mutually exclusive? If not, why does Paul seem to draw such a sharp contrast; If yes, why do Christians still sin?
Suppose you had a friend who asks you how to become a Christian, what would you say? How much does your answer reflect Paul’s description in v.4-6?
Based on v.4-7, complete the sentence: A Christian is someone who…
What comparisons can you find between v.10 and v.2?
What might the good works that God has prepared look like for you personally?