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According to Ephesians 2, God’s grace is portrayed as coming onto the scene like an explosion that changes everything. When Christ took the punishment for our sin, demonstrating his love for us, it changed our position. We have shifted from one place to another; from an alienated hopeless place into glorious freedom. Because of God's great love and grace we have been:
- 1.Raised from the dead
- 2 Reconciled to God
- 3.United in fellowship with God's people
- - We have been resucued by grace!
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Realizing the capacity of God’s Love and mercy transforms our heart to a position of: 1.allowing the Holly Spirit to work through us
- – 21-22 “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
- What does that mean? What does it look like? Fruits of the spirit - Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. “
- - The more we are transformed by God's grace, the more we will see the fruit in our lives.
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Realizing the capacity of God’s Love and mercy transforms our heart to a position of 2. Peace-
- 2:17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.”
- -We are at peace with God through Christ. Because Christ has reconciled us, there is no hostility between us and God. Grasping God’s love for us should give us a foundation in Christ that gives us peace with God, ourselves, and others. Standing firm in the God’s peace will keep us trusting in God no matter the circumstances. He is our peace, rest and refuge.
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Realizing the capacity of God’s Love and mercy transforms our heart to a position of:3.Humility
- 2:8-10For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. “
- --Our works don’t save us. The good we do in our lives, is the outpouring of our transformed hearts. Our reaction to God’ Our shift in position to God is not our doing but Gods- we are dependent on Him for he is faithful, so this humbles us to a place where we can admit we are broken and need Christ. Remember where he brought you from to keep yourself humble
- - If we were actually, physically raised from the dead, life would look a lot different. We would be humbled by looking back at our former state.
- example- I have had four jobs...When I have a bad day at my current job I look back to previous jobs and appriciete my current job more
- - When we remember where Christ has rescued us from, the more we will have a more humble, peaceful, Spirit filled heart, and it will flow like a stream through every area of our lives and in turn give God glory.
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