1) Paul prays for the Ephesians to receive wisdom and revelation from God so that they may understand His plan and have hope, see God's riches, and understand His power. 2) The passage contrasts how believers were before and after salvation - before they were dead in sins and ruled by Satan, and after they are alive in Christ, ruled by the Spirit, and heirs with Him. 3) Salvation is by God's grace alone, not by any works or obedience to laws, as God is recreating believers into the image of Christ through His work in them.

1. Changing Our Hearts, Our Habits, and Our Holiness Chapter 2:1-10

2. Paul prays in Thanksgiving – humility, and in Petition that we understand and that we open our hearts to perceive. Paul’s prayer of petition for the Ephesians is four fold. That we receive the Spirit wisdom and Revelation and that we have an attitude that accepts the truth of that wisdom and revelation. That we open the eyes of our heart to the hope to which He has called us – Eternal Life now and a plan for our future. That we open the eyes of our heart to the riches and richness in Christ Jesus – our inheritance to rule and reign with Him. That we open the eyes of our heart to the incomparable power that is on our side – to all of us who trust Him.

3. The Way We Were: We were dead (a corpse) in our sin and transgressions We are controlled by the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” – we were disobedient to God What we Deserved: We were objects of God’s Just, Loving, Merciful, all Powerful Wrath

4. Raised Up Giving back of life. A restoration so complete. The Greek word implies a very personal involvement in raising. Examples: Eutychus – Acts 20:7-11 Baptism – someone is holding you

5. Before: Slaves Ruled by Satan Subject to our flesh Disobedient Worldly – worldly values After Children of God Ruled by the Spirit Not Subject to our flesh Obedient Kingdom of God Values Heirs with Christ Rule and Reign with Him

6. What is Grace? Grace is absolute, undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour . Incomparable – there is no comparison – no words to describe. The richness of God’s grace is beyond your imagination and mine. Faith The ability to Believe – opening of your mind The ability to Trust - opening of your heart The ability to Unerringly Rely On – opening of your life

7. Salvation is Undeserved There is nothing we can do to earn salvation Obeying the Ten Commandments is not enough. The Law was given to show us the need of a Saviour – not how to avoid one.

8. God is building us – no one else. He is creating / re-creating us into the image of His Son We, like clay, need to let the Master Potter do His work

9. The Way We Were We were dead and deserved God’s Wrath God has made us alive – by His Grace The Way We Are We sit – present tense – with Him in Heavenly realms – by His Grace Faith for salvation was given – by His Grace Not by any works we have done – but by His Grace

10. The Way We Are To Be Willing clay in the hands of a Master Potter – we are His Workmanship Willingly doing the good works He prepared for us – to bring Him Glory