Sermons on Ephesians 2:1-7
The various sermons below converge on the profound transformation described in Ephesians 2:1-7, emphasizing the stark contrast between humanity’s prior state of spiritual death and the new life granted through God’s grace. They collectively underscore that this transformation is not merely positional but experiential, involving a real change in identity, desire, and lifestyle—often illustrated through vivid metaphors such as walking, resurrection, or relational restoration. A common thread is the emphasis on grace as both the initiating and sustaining power of salvation, highlighting that God’s love is unmerited and active even when humanity is “dead in sin.” Several sermons delve into the Greek nuances, such as the significance of “peripateo” (walk) and the past-tense verbs that affirm believers are already raised and seated with Christ, not just promised future hope. The theological themes consistently stress that salvation is not only about forgiveness but about being made alive, seated, and secure in Christ, with an ongoing experience of God’s mercy and kindness. Nuances emerge in how the sermons frame the believer’s new life—some focus on the security and permanence of salvation as a gift, others on the relational and abundant life God invites us into, and still others on the existential rest and peace found in trusting Christ’s finished work.
In contrast, the sermons vary in their interpretive emphases and theological applications. Some highlight the depth of human deadness as an active, frenzied pursuit of sin that paradoxically magnifies God’s grace, while others focus more on the relational restoration and God’s desire to dwell with humanity, framing salvation as an invitation to abundant life rather than mere rescue. One sermon uniquely distinguishes between “trespasses” and “sins,” adding a linguistic precision to the understanding of human disobedience, while another uses participatory analogies to make the believer’s union with Christ tangible and communal. The tension between rest and effort is explored differently: some sermons warn against self-reliance and call for faith-filled rest in Christ, whereas others emphasize the transformation of desire that leads to a new orientation toward pleasing God rather than rule-keeping. The scope of grace is also variably portrayed—some sermons stress its immeasurable riches as present spiritual blessings and future hope, while others frame it as the ultimate purpose behind the fall itself, designed to magnify eternal joy and praise. The degree to which the new life is presented as an observable, ongoing reality versus a positional truth also differs, with some insisting on visible transformation as evidence of union with Christ and others focusing more on the assured status granted by God’s action.
Ephesians 2:1-7 Interpretation:
From Death to Life: The Power of Grace (First Baptist O'Fallon, IL) interprets Ephesians 2:1-7 by emphasizing the radical contrast between humanity’s state before and after Christ, using a “bad news/good news” framework. The sermon uniquely highlights the necessity of understanding the depth of our spiritual deadness and the seriousness of sin (“not just a little bit dead…all the way dead”) in order to truly appreciate the magnitude of God’s grace. The preacher uses the analogy of appreciating spring after a harsh winter to illustrate how the bleakness of our condition without Christ makes the good news of salvation all the more profound. The sermon also draws out the progression from being “spiritually dead,” “wrongly influenced” (by culture, the enemy, and our own desires), and “rightly judged,” to being “loved by God,” “alive with Christ,” “saved by grace,” “seated with Christ,” and “heirs of riches.” The preacher’s personal story of shoveling snow and the analogy of a child’s natural inclination toward wrongdoing serve to reinforce the text’s message about our innate bent toward sin and the surprising, undeserved nature of God’s love.
Transformative Power of 'But God' in Our Lives (FBCFO) offers a distinctive interpretation by focusing on the Greek word “peripateo” (translated as “walked” or “lived”) to explore the idea that our pre-Christian existence was not just a set of actions but a whole way of life, a direction and character. The sermon draws a sharp contrast between the “walk of disobedience” and the “walk of obedience,” using the “but God” as a pivotal turning point. The preacher also distinguishes between “trespasses” (unintentional sins) and “sins” (intentional disobedience), providing a nuanced linguistic insight. The “maplet” symbol is used as a metaphor to visually represent the transition from everything bad (“left side”) to everything good (“right side”) because of “but God.” The sermon further unpacks the “immeasurable riches” of God’s grace as not just salvation but also being “seated with Christ” and “secured” in Him, using the metaphor of “butter and jelly on bread” to illustrate the abundance of God’s love.
Jesus: The Way to Reconciliation and Love (Shoal Lake Baptist Church) interprets Ephesians 2:1-7 through the lens of the biblical narrative of separation and restoration, using the analogy of a flower cut from its stem to illustrate spiritual death and separation from God. The sermon uniquely frames the passage within the broader story of God’s desire to “dwell” with humanity, tracing the theme from Eden, through the tabernacle and temple, to Christ’s incarnation and resurrection. The preacher also draws on the original Greek term “euangelion” (gospel) as a royal proclamation of a new kingdom, connecting the passage to the announcement of a new reign and relationship. The sermon’s focus is not just on forgiveness but on the restoration of relationship and the invitation to abundant, eternal life—a quality of life, not just quantity.
Finding True Rest and Peace in Christ (Crazy Love) meditates on Ephesians 2:1-7 by contrasting the terrifying reality of being “by nature children of wrath” with the astonishing promise of being recipients of “immeasurable riches of his grace.” The preacher’s unique contribution is the existential and emotional weight given to the phrase “object of wrath,” and the subsequent wonder at being transformed into an “object of grace.” The sermon uses the analogy of physical therapy (rest vs. movement) to illustrate the futility of self-effort in achieving spiritual rest, and instead calls for a deep, faith-filled rest in the finished work of Christ. The preacher’s focus is on the inner reality of rest and peace that comes from truly believing and internalizing the gospel, rather than striving to earn God’s favor.
From Fall to Grace: The Journey to Eternal Joy (Desiring God) interprets Ephesians 2:1-7 as the definitive description of the human condition after the fall, emphasizing that spiritual deadness is not passive but an "active deadness"—humans are energetically pursuing desires, but all are "dead desires," incapable of delighting in God. The sermon uses the metaphor of blindness and deadness to the "all-satisfying beauty of God," arguing that the inability to glorify God is rooted in this spiritual incapacity. The preacher highlights the irony that the deadness described is not inactivity but a frenzied pursuit of self-exaltation, which is the essence of sin. The passage is also interpreted as revealing God's ultimate purpose: that the depth of human deadness serves to magnify the riches of God's grace when He makes people alive in Christ, so that the joy and praise of the redeemed will be greater than if there had been no fall. The sermon draws a unique parallel to Genesis 50:20, suggesting that God allowed the fall and deadness so that His grace would shine more brightly in the ages to come.
Transformed by Grace: From Death to Life in Christ (SermonIndex.net) offers a vivid, participatory analogy for the Greek verb used in Ephesians 2:6 ("raised us up with him"), having the congregation stand together to illustrate the collective, simultaneous action implied by the verb. The sermon draws a direct, experiential parallel between Christ’s physical resurrection and the believer’s spiritual resurrection, emphasizing that the Christian’s union with Christ is so real that what happened to Jesus physically (death, burial, resurrection, ascension) is spiritually true for the believer. The preacher insists that there is no "middle ground"—one is either in the depths of death (vv. 1-3) or exalted with Christ (vv. 4-7), and this is not merely theoretical but should be observable in a transformed relationship to sin and to God. The analogy of the empty tomb is used: just as Christ is not found among the dead, neither should the Christian be found in the "tomb" of verses 1-3. The sermon also distinguishes between being "dead in sin" (Ephesians 2) and "dead to sin" (Romans 6), using this linguistic nuance to clarify the nature of the believer’s transformation.
Alive in Christ: Embracing Our New Identity (SermonIndex.net) interprets Ephesians 2:1-7 by focusing on the grammatical structure of the passage, peeling away Paul’s modifiers to reveal the core subject and verbs: "But God... made us alive... raised us up... seated us with Christ." The preacher stresses that these are all past-tense realities for the believer, not future hopes, and that the only future aspect is the ongoing display of God’s grace (v.7). The sermon uniquely emphasizes the experiential and observable nature of this transformation, arguing that true Christianity is not a matter of mental assent or decision but of being made alive by God’s action. The preacher also highlights the organic union with Christ, using the metaphor of the vine and branches, and insists that the Christian’s spiritual resurrection and ascension are as real (though spiritual, not physical) as Christ’s historical resurrection and ascension. The contrast between the old and new life is made vivid by repeatedly referencing the change in prepositions: from being "in" sin to being "in" Christ, from being "among" the dead to being "with" Christ in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 2:1-7 Theological Themes:
From Death to Life: The Power of Grace (First Baptist O'Fallon, IL) introduces the theme that a true appreciation of God’s love and grace is only possible when one fully grasps the depth of one’s lostness and the seriousness of sin. The sermon adds the facet that abundant life in Christ is not just a future hope (eternal life) but a present reality, emphasizing that salvation is for “this day” as well as “one day.” The preacher also stresses the unchanging nature of God’s standards in contrast to the shifting values of culture, and the idea that God’s love is not conditional on our worthiness but is poured out precisely when we are most undeserving.
Transformative Power of 'But God' in Our Lives (FBCFO) presents the theme of “but God” as the ultimate pivot in the human story, mapping all that is bad to all that is good through God’s intervention. The sermon’s unique angle is the detailed exploration of the believer’s “walk” as a lifestyle and direction, not just isolated acts, and the security of salvation as a “gift” that cannot be lost. The preacher’s use of “immeasurable riches” as both present spiritual blessings and future hope adds a layer of assurance and gratitude.
Jesus: The Way to Reconciliation and Love (Shoal Lake Baptist Church) develops the theme that the purpose of salvation is not merely forgiveness but restored relationship and dwelling with God. The sermon’s fresh application is the insistence that the gospel is not just a “get out of hell” plan but an invitation to abundant, relational life with God now. The preacher also challenges the common misconception that God’s love is conditional, emphasizing that God loved us “even when” we were dead in sin, and that nothing can separate us from His love.
Finding True Rest and Peace in Christ (Crazy Love) introduces the theme that true spiritual rest is found not in self-effort or religious observance (such as Sabbath-keeping as a work) but in faith-filled trust in the finished work of Christ. The sermon’s new facet is the existential rest that comes from believing one is no longer an “object of wrath” but an “object of grace,” and the warning that unbelief, not just disobedience, can keep one from entering this rest.
From Fall to Grace: The Journey to Eternal Joy (Desiring God) introduces the theme that God’s purpose in allowing the fall and the resulting spiritual deadness was to create a stage for the display of His grace, so that redeemed joy and praise would be greater than if humanity had never fallen. This theme reframes the problem of evil and suffering as part of a divine plan to magnify grace and joy in eternity, not merely to restore what was lost but to surpass it.
Transformed by Grace: From Death to Life in Christ (SermonIndex.net) develops the theme of the believer’s union with Christ as the basis for both justification and sanctification, arguing that the Christian’s spiritual resurrection is as real as Christ’s physical resurrection. The sermon adds a fresh angle by insisting that the Christian’s new life is not about rule-keeping but about a new orientation of desire—living to please God rather than asking "what are the rules?" This is described as the difference between "slave talk" and the freedom of being alive to God.
Alive in Christ: Embracing Our New Identity (SermonIndex.net) presents the theme that regeneration is not a mere decision or conversion but a supernatural act of God that results in a total change of position, identity, and desire. The preacher insists that the Christian’s new life is not theoretical but must be experienced as a real, observable transformation, and that the union with Christ is so profound that the believer’s spiritual history mirrors Christ’s physical history (crucifixion, resurrection, ascension). The sermon also emphasizes that the ongoing experience of God’s mercy and kindness is the ultimate purpose of salvation, not just forgiveness or escape from wrath.
Ephesians 2:1-7 Historical and Contextual Insights:
Jesus: The Way to Reconciliation and Love (Shoal Lake Baptist Church) provides extensive historical and cultural context by tracing the biblical theme of God’s “dwelling” with humanity from Genesis through the Old Testament covenants, the tabernacle (noting the Hebrew meaning of “dwelling place”), the temple, and into the New Testament with Christ’s incarnation (“the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”). The sermon explains the ancient use of “euangelion” as a royal proclamation in the Greco-Roman world, highlighting how the gospel’s announcement of a new kingdom would have been understood as a dramatic shift in allegiance and relationship. The preacher also references the practice of using “tetelestai” (“it is finished”) on receipts in the ancient world to signify a debt paid in full, connecting this to Christ’s declaration on the cross.
The Divine Transformation: Understanding the New Birth (SermonIndex.net) provides historical context by explaining the status of Nicodemus as a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling elite of Judaism, and how Jesus’ insistence on the necessity of new birth would have been shocking to such a learned and religious man. The sermon also references the cultural practice of memorizing the Pentateuch and the significance of the Sanhedrin as the supreme court of Jewish life, highlighting the radical nature of Jesus’ message that even the most religiously privileged must be born again.
Transformed by Grace: From Death to Life in Christ (SermonIndex.net) offers historical insight by describing the physical realities of Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, emphasizing their historicity and the eyewitness testimony of over 500 people. The preacher also references the cultural context of Roman crucifixion and burial practices, and the sealing of the tomb, to underscore the reality of Christ’s death and resurrection as the foundation for the believer’s spiritual resurrection.
Ephesians 2:1-7 Cross-References in the Bible:
From Death to Life: The Power of Grace (First Baptist O'Fallon, IL) references 1 Corinthians (Paul’s “such were some of you”), Romans 12:2 (“do not be conformed to this world”), and the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis to illustrate the universality of sin and the influence of culture and the enemy. The sermon also alludes to the resurrection narratives and the concept of abundant life from John 10:10, as well as the adoption language from Romans and Ephesians.
Transformative Power of 'But God' in Our Lives (FBCFO) cross-references Psalm 73:26 (“but God is the strength of my heart”), Matthew 19:26 (“with God all things are possible”), 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 (God choosing the weak), 1 John 2:15-16 (the ways of the world), Romans 6:4 (walking in newness of life), 2 Corinthians 5:7 (walk by faith), John 10:28-29 (security in Christ’s and the Father’s hand), Romans 6:23 (gift of God is eternal life), and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (Scripture equipping for good works). These references are used to reinforce the themes of transformation, security, and purpose in the Christian life.
Jesus: The Way to Reconciliation and Love (Shoal Lake Baptist Church) references Genesis 2-3 (the fall and separation), Isaiah (separation from God), John 1:14 (the Word dwelt among us), Colossians 2:13-15 (dead in sins, made alive, debt canceled), John 3:16, John 15:9, Romans 5:8, Romans 8:37-39 (the inseparability of God’s love), John 17:3 (eternal life as knowing God), and Revelation 21 (the final restoration and God dwelling with His people). Each reference is used to build the narrative of separation, rescue, and restored relationship.
Finding True Rest and Peace in Christ (Crazy Love) references Matthew 11:28 (Jesus’ invitation to rest), John 10:10 (abundant life), Psalm 23 (the Lord as Shepherd), Hebrews 4 (entering God’s rest), and the story of the Israelites’ unbelief in Numbers and Psalm 95. These passages are used to illustrate the biblical concept of rest, the danger of unbelief, and the sufficiency of Christ’s work.
From Fall to Grace: The Journey to Eternal Joy (Desiring God) cross-references Genesis 2:17 (the warning of death for eating the forbidden fruit), Genesis 50:20 ("you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good"), and Ephesians 1:6 ("to the praise of the glory of His grace") to show that the theme of God using evil for a greater good is woven throughout Scripture. The sermon also alludes to Romans 11:32 ("he consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all") to support the idea that God’s purpose in allowing sin is to magnify His grace.
The Divine Transformation: Understanding the New Birth (SermonIndex.net) references John 3 (Jesus and Nicodemus), John 1:11-13 (new birth not of human will but of God), James 1:17-18 (God’s will in regeneration), Ezekiel 37 (valley of dry bones as a metaphor for spiritual deadness and new life), John 7 (promise of the Spirit), Titus 3:3-7 (regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit), and 2 Corinthians 5:17 ("if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation"). These passages are used to build a comprehensive biblical theology of new birth as a supernatural, sovereign act of God, not a human decision.
Transformed by Grace: From Death to Life in Christ (SermonIndex.net) makes extensive use of Romans 6:1-14 to interpret Ephesians 2:1-7, drawing parallels between being "raised with Christ" and "walking in newness of life," and distinguishing between being "dead in sin" (Ephesians 2) and "dead to sin" (Romans 6). The sermon also references 1 Corinthians 15 (resurrection), Colossians 3:1 ("set your minds on things above"), and 1 John (the reality of ongoing sin and the advocacy of Christ) to clarify the nature of the believer’s new life and the ongoing battle with sin.
Alive in Christ: Embracing Our New Identity (SermonIndex.net) cross-references Galatians 2:20 ("I have been crucified with Christ"), Romans 6 (union with Christ in death and resurrection), Colossians 2:12 and 3:3-4 (buried and raised with Christ, life hidden with Christ in God), and John 1:4 ("in him was life"). These passages are used to reinforce the theme of organic union with Christ and the experiential reality of new life.
Ephesians 2:1-7 Christian References outside the Bible:
From Death to Life: The Power of Grace (First Baptist O'Fallon, IL) explicitly references Jonathan Edwards and his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” using it as an example of preaching the seriousness of sin and the reality of God’s wrath. The preacher notes Edwards’ influence on American history and the Great Awakening, and contrasts his own “negative” sermon with Edwards’ even more intense focus on judgment, using this to underscore the necessity of understanding the bad news before appreciating the good news.
Jesus: The Way to Reconciliation and Love (Shoal Lake Baptist Church) explicitly references Dallas Willard as a significant influence on Christian discipleship, quoting his emphasis on the importance of believers becoming true disciples of Jesus and living into the realities of the kingdom, not just treating faith as a “death problem fixed” but as a present, abundant life.
From Fall to Grace: The Journey to Eternal Joy (Desiring God) explicitly references Martyn Lloyd-Jones, mentioning his famous sermon on "But God" from Ephesians 2:4, which celebrates the intervention of God’s mercy in the midst of human deadness. The sermon also alludes to the broader tradition of Reformed preaching that emphasizes the sovereignty of God in salvation and the magnification of grace.
The Divine Transformation: Understanding the New Birth (SermonIndex.net) cites Oswald Chambers, quoting his description of the new birth as a "cataclysmic and distinct and emphatic crisis," and references the Anabaptist tradition, which described new birth as a "cataclysmic radical personal experience." The sermon also quotes Charles Wesley’s hymn "And Can It Be," particularly the lines about being awakened from spiritual death by God’s quickening ray, and references John Wesley’s emphasis on the cleansing power of regeneration.
Ephesians 2:1-7 Illustrations from Secular Sources:
From Death to Life: The Power of Grace (First Baptist O'Fallon, IL) uses the personal story of shoveling snow after a harsh winter as an analogy for appreciating God’s love after understanding the severity of sin, and the example of a two-year-old granddaughter’s natural inclination toward wrongdoing to illustrate the doctrine of original sin and the “bent” toward disobedience. The preacher also references the cultural shift in the accessibility of pornography to highlight the pervasive influence of the flesh and the world.
Transformative Power of 'But God' in Our Lives (FBCFO) uses the comedic story of Christian comedian Nazareth Rizkala’s family naming tradition (naming children after cities) as a humorous introduction to the idea that salvation is “almost too good to be true.” The preacher also references the Four Seasons’ song “Walk Like a Man” to illustrate the concept of “walk” as a metaphor for lifestyle and character, and the “butter and jelly on bread” analogy to explain the abundance of God’s love.
Jesus: The Way to Reconciliation and Love (Shoal Lake Baptist Church) uses the analogy of a flower cut from its stem to illustrate spiritual death and separation from God, and the story of a child’s desire for the one forbidden toy among many to illustrate the human propensity for disobedience. The preacher also references the use of “tetelestai” on ancient receipts to explain the concept of a debt paid in full.
Finding True Rest and Peace in Christ (Crazy Love) uses the personal story of a back injury and the counterintuitive advice from a physical therapist (to move and use heat instead of rest and ice) as an analogy for the futility of self-effort in achieving spiritual rest, and the need to trust in God’s way rather than one’s own. The preacher also references the contemporary prevalence of anxiety among young people compared to previous generations, using this as a backdrop for the biblical promise of rest and peace in Christ.
The Divine Transformation: Understanding the New Birth (SermonIndex.net) uses the analogy of converting a "gas guzzling automobile" to run on natural gas to illustrate the inadequacy of the word "conversion" for describing the new birth. The preacher argues that conversion is merely a modification of an existing thing, whereas the new birth is a total re-creation, a radical transformation that makes a person entirely new, not just adjusted to run differently. This analogy is used to critique superficial presentations of the gospel that equate salvation with a simple decision or minor change, rather than a miraculous act of God.