05/24/26 - Ephesians 2:1-10 - God Saves

May 24, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Crab’s Perilous Circle Around the Fire

A sand crab scurries along a flaming precipice, drawn to destruction despite freedom’s nearness. This image mirrors humanity’s deadness before Christ—not merely wounded, but spiritually lifeless, unaware of the ocean of grace inches away. Without divine intervention, we default to flames. Yet hope emerges not from our striving, but from the God who interrupts our fatal trajectory. [07:23]

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 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.”
(Ephesians 2:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you see the “crab-like” pattern of choosing destruction over freedom still lingering in your habits or thoughts? How does Ephesians 2:1-2 reframe your understanding of pre-Christ struggles?

Day 2: Cold Hands Clutching a Lifeless Body

A son grips his father’s stiff corpse, confronted by two realities: Christ’s tangible presence and the haunting spiritual deadness of others. Physical death unveils deeper truths—some “alive” breathe yet remain eternally lifeless. But God’s mercy disrupts this despair, offering resurrection to those once entombed in sin. [13:30]

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”
(Ephesians 2:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: When have you felt the tension between earthly loss and eternal hope? How might your story of being “made alive” offer light to someone still entombed in spiritual death?

Day 3: Seated Where We Don’t Belong

A throne awaits rebels. Christ’s ascension seats Him at the Father’s right hand—and through union with Him, we share this unearned position. Not as distant observers, but as co-heirs. Our identity shifts from fire-circling crabs to crowned ones, destined to reign in the coming ages. [20:01]

“And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
(Ephesians 2:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: How does being “seated with Christ” reshape your daily battles with insecurity, fear, or shame? What would it look like to live today as if your future throne is already real?

Day 4: Lazarus Alive but Reeking of Death

A man stumbles from the tomb, alive yet wrapped in graveclothes. Resurrection initiates transformation—not perfection. Our lingering “death smells” (pride, envy, self-reliance) betray unfinished sanctification. But God’s craftsmanship continues, rewiring us for works that flow from grace, not for grace. [28:46]

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
(Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

Reflection: What “graveclothes” still cling to you despite new life in Christ? How can you partner with God’s craftsmanship this week in a specific area of struggle?

Day 5: The Ocean We Were Made For

103,000 souls pace Boulder’s spiritual beach, circling flames. The call isn’t to guilt-driven activism, but to dive into the immeasurable ocean of Christ’s kindness—then invite others to swim. Mission flows from mercy tasted, not duty imposed. [35:35]

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
(Matthew 28:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your orbit still circles the fire, unaware of the ocean? How can you intentionally “show the immeasurable riches” of Christ to them this week through presence, not just persuasion?

Sermon Summary

Paul drags the Ephesian church back to reality with a hard verb: were. “You were dead in trespasses and sins.” The text does not picture the crab circling the fire. The text puts the sinner already in the flames. Verses 2 and 3 sketch dead people walking, following the world, the devil, and the flesh. The phrases sound obvious at first, but the mirror gets closer. “Passions of our flesh” includes the sins dressed up with makeup: moralism, legalism, self promotion, gossip, envy, disobedience to parents, sloth. Death did not look dramatic. Death looked ordinary. A graveside illustration lands the point: a lifeless body can be more alive in Christ than the roomful of breathing people still dead in sin.

“But God” breaks the sentence and breaks the grave. God being rich in mercy is not God borrowing a quality like a jacket. The doctrine of divine simplicity presses in here. God is Himself merciful. Mercy in Scripture feels like compassion and holds back judgment. Verse 5 leans on two words, “even when.” God did not wait for moral momentum. Even when the sinner was dead, God made the sinner alive together with Christ. Union with Christ drives the engine. In Him the church is made alive, raised, and seated. Christ’s session means dominion, and being in Him means coheirship already and not yet.

Verse 7 hands over the purpose clause. “So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Immeasurable riches are not gold, not even heaven first. Immeasurable riches are a Person. “In Christ Jesus” is Paul’s favorite phrase for a reason. Every benefit flows out of that union: justification, sanctification, glorification. Even a life full of ache is not outside kindness if Ephesians 2:1–3 now reads past tense.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith” answers the now what. Faith itself is a gift, so boasting dies. “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” The walk changes. Before, the walk tracked the world and the flesh. Now, the walk follows prepared paths. Lazarus was alive, but he still smelled like the tomb. The church is called to drop the grave clothes and walk. From favor, never for it. The logic stretches into mission. If Ephesians 2:1–3 is still present tense for a city, the church asks for the works prepared there and goes.

Key Takeaways

1. Dead means dead, not drowning [13:58] Death in Ephesians 2 is not struggle language but finality language. A sinner does not swim to the shore of life; God pulls a corpse from the water and breathes. Respectable sins can mask the smell, but they cannot change the condition. Only resurrection life can. [13:58]
2. But God is rich in mercy [16:18] God does not acquire mercy like a tool; He is merciful in His very being. Mercy both feels compassion and withholds the judgment actually deserved. The pivot from “were” to God “being” changes reality, not just mood. [16:18]
3. Union with Christ remakes being [20:01] “Made alive,” “raised,” and “seated” happen with Him, not beside Him. Christ’s enthronement defines the believer’s future and secures the present. Already and not yet, coheirship trains the heart to live small and expect big at the same time. [20:01]
4. Immeasurable riches are a Person [22:45] Paul aims the church’s hopes at Christ Himself, not at stuff, ease, or even longevity. “In Christ Jesus” gathers every grace into one living center. Even in hard seasons, the simple gift of belonging to Him is kindness that cannot be counted. [22:45]
5. Created in Christ for walking [28:46] Workmanship means re-creation, not renovation. Good works do not earn union; they express it. The old walk followed desire and drift; the new walk follows prepared paths from favor, never for it. [28:46]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:42] - Passages stirring church planting
[04:13] - Aim: make much of Jesus
[04:42] - Three questions for Ephesians 2
[05:06] - Prayer for help and truth
[06:09] - Donkey’s Beach crab story
[08:22] - Who has God saved
[09:59] - Respectable sins named
[12:40] - A father’s final breath
[15:51] - But God rich in mercy
[18:35] - Made alive together with Christ
[20:01] - Raised and seated with Him
[21:58] - Purpose: show immeasurable riches
[22:59] - In Christ Jesus explained
[27:17] - By grace through faith gift
[28:46] - His workmanship and good works
[30:48] - From favor, never for it
[31:44] - Why Boulder needs the gospel
[35:19] - Providence and local mission
[36:33] - Christ died and rose for us
[37:19] - Closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)
1 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.

Observation Questions

In Ephesians 2:1–3, what specific actions and attitudes characterize a person who is "dead in trespasses and sins"? How does the sermon describe "respectable sins" like moralism or gossip in this context? [09:59]
What does the phrase "but God" (v. 4) introduce about God’s character and His response to humanity’s condition? How does the sermon contrast the verbs "were" (v. 1) and "being" (v. 4)? [16:18]
According to verse 7, what is the ultimate purpose of God saving sinners? How does the sermon define the "immeasurable riches" mentioned here? [22:45]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize that salvation is not just being "made alive" but also being "raised" and "seated" with Christ (vv. 5–6)? How does this union with Christ redefine a believer’s identity and future? [20:01]
The sermon compares believers to Lazarus, who was alive but still "smelled like the tomb." What does this analogy reveal about the tension between our new life in Christ and lingering sinful habits? [15:15]
How does the phrase "created in Christ Jesus for good works" (v. 10) challenge the idea that good deeds are a means to earn God’s favor? What role do works play in the life of someone already saved by grace? [28:46]

Application Questions

The sermon mentions "respectable sins" like envy or self-promotion. Which of these subtle sins do you most struggle to recognize in your own life? What practical step could you take this week to "drop the grave clothes" in that area? [10:31]
Being "seated with Christ" means sharing in His authority and purpose. How could this truth reshape your perspective when facing a situation where you feel powerless or discouraged?
The sermon urges believers to live "from favor, never for it." Where do you find yourself striving to earn God’s approval rather than resting in His grace? How might your daily habits or relationships change if you fully embraced this truth? [30:48]
If Ephesians 2:1–3 is still "present tense" for people in your community, what "good works" (v. 10) might God be preparing you to do to reflect His mercy to them? [32:54]
How can you intentionally fix your hope on Christ Himself—rather than comfort, success, or circumstances—as the "immeasurable riches" of your salvation this week? [24:37]

Sermon Clips

43s

#AliveInChrist

“And this morning, there's a breathtaking reality. There's many. One of them, God wants to show us the immeasurable riches of his kindness in his son this morning. And some of us might be thinking, I hear you. Maybe I see it in the text, but my life is a mess right now. How on earth can you say to me that God is showing me immeasurable riches and kindness? Because verses one through three are truly a past reality for us. Hear it again. We are alive in Christ.”

41s

#WorkAsWorship

“Let's strive to reflect Christ's servant like attitude in our workplaces, whatever that might mean for your individual places of employment. Let's work to love and reflect Christ to all around us, and let's be faithful to what it is that God has placed in our lives right now, always keeping in mind that my work from Christ now in Christ is from God's infinite favor, never for it. From God's favor, never for. The ocean in Christ Jesus is who we were made for. We enjoy him as we work with and for him. God has done what only God can do.”

46s

#KnowGodsMercy

“So let's be still and know mercy and love in Jesus Christ. There is an immeasurable riches and kindness in the simple fact that I can know Jesus, that I can read this book and find life giving promise after life giving promise of God being extended towards me in Christ Jesus. We can enjoy community with the people of God and the enjoyment of God. We enjoy God in prayer individually and corporately. We do not suffer as ones without purpose if in Christ. All things are working together for our good. And I think from Paul that our suffering is not worth comparing with the weight of glory that will be revealed one day to us.”

32s

#SeatedWithChrist

“Not only were we made alive with Christ, but we've been raised up and then seated. Isn't that kind of funny? What is he doing here? Why does he raise us up and then sit us back down? Let's try and unpack a little bit of what Paul is doing. Christ, in his ascending to the right hand of the father, where he's at right now as we're speaking, is seated and has unimaginable complete dominion over all things. All things are being held together by the word of his power. He is in control.”

37s

#TwofoldMercy

“He is rich in mercy. And New Testament mercy has a twofold component to it. Under fold number one, the recipient of the mercy receives a felt compassion and pity. If you want an example of that, read maybe thirty seconds in any one of the four gospels of Jesus expressing mercy towards someone. There's a compassion and pity of the recipient of the mercy. And under fold number two of New Testament and Old Testament mercy, there's a withholding that which we do deserve. And God changes our being.”

37s

#ProvidentialPlacement

“It may have been a job that brought you here. It may have been a nice place to live that brought you here, but it was under the providential arm of an incredibly providential God that puts you where you are for a purpose. Each person in our lives is providentially placed there to be loved and displayed the gospel of Jesus Christ. Go therefore. Go to Loveland and make disciples of all the people here, baptizing them in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit, teaching them all of what Jesus has commanded us, and here's the promise, and he will be with us until the end of the age.”

36s

#JesusOverThings

“Here's a bit of what he's not emphasizing. They're implicit, but not the main point. He's not talking about gold, diamonds, or things. The emphasis here isn't even eternal life. It's implicit, not the emphasis. It isn't heaven and being backed with the ones we love. It isn't a new resurrected body. We can get there, but it's not the emphasis. Immeasurable riches and kindness are not things but a person, primarily Jesus Christ. And notice the phrase that's just far too easy to miss, the phrase in Christ Jesus.”

48s

#AllInChrist

“This in Christ phrase is three times in our passage this morning in verse six, verse seven, and soon we'll see in verse 10, but the phrase in Christ is shorthand for all of what salvation is. Fully in, fully accepted, fully loved, and fully known. All of the benefits of my salvation flow from being in Christ Jesus. I am justified because I'm in Christ. I am being sanctified because I'm in Christ. I will be glorified because I'm in Christ. And on and on of on down the list of benefits of being saved. It all flows from being in Christ Jesus.”

46s

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05/24/26 - Ephesians 2:1-10 - God Saves

Devotional

Day 1: The Crab’s Perilous Circle Around the Fire

Day 2: Cold Hands Clutching a Lifeless Body

Day 3: Seated Where We Don’t Belong

Day 4: Lazarus Alive but Reeking of Death

Day 5: The Ocean We Were Made For

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

05/24/26 - Ephesians 2:1-10 - God Saves

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