“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”—Ephesians 2:1-10
“Easily overlooked in this passage is the simple truth that we were spiritually ‘dead’ before we put our faith in Jesus as God’s Son (Ephesians 2:1). Until God’s Holy Spirit drew us, we were naturally ‘gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts’ (v. 3). Without a supernatural intervention, we were as helpless as a corpse. But ‘God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ’ (vv. 4–5). Every aspect of this personal resurrection comes from God, including the ‘good works’ we’re to accomplish, ‘which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (v. 10). Truly we have nothing to boast about, except the great love of our great God expressed through His Son, Jesus.”—Tim Gustafson
DFG Hailson 