Page 59 - Ephesians

Studying EPHESIANS to Know God

Chapter 10 Salvation Past 2:1-3

Justification, is salvation from the guilt and penalty of sin. (Past)
Sanctification, is salvation from the power, and slavery of sin.
(Present) Glorification, is salvation from the results, and
presence of sin. (Future)

It will be easy to outline, because God gives us chapter 2:1-10,
salvation past, salvation present, and salvation future as the sum
of all our riches. Let’s begin with Ephesians 2:1-3, salvation past.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which
you formerly walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit
that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among
them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh,
indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were
by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

In this passage the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, is doing
a very wholesome thing. It’s good, every now and then, to look
back at the “dark side” of your conversion. Remember what it
was like, before God had mercy and saved you. There’s a wrong
way to do that, which can imprison you in guilt and condemnation.
But when done in the right spirit, it can remind us of where we’ve
been lifted to.

There’s a way to study these verses that is dead theology. I don’t
want to do that. These are great verses on the depravity of man.
But that can lead to a cold, hard, clerical experience. Seeing
what the Holy Spirit intended us to see, will cause our hearts to
melt in gratitude. Let’s trust Him to work that into our hearts.