BellaOnline Forums Family Christian Living Bible Study - Ephesians 2:1-10

Read the passage. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
1. vs.1- Paul says that "You were dead in your transgressions (sin)" How does sin kill?

2. vs.2&3- How did the three negative influences - the world, the flesh, satan -affect our lives as non-believers?

3. vs.4-7 - What is God's remedy? Why does He do it?

4. In vs. 4-10 - What do we learn about grace?

5. Paul says that our salvation is not from ourselves. Is he saying that we don't play any role in it?

6 What 'good works' has God prepared for you to do? What hinders you from doing them?

1. Sin seperates us from God. Those who don't have God in their life are dead even if they don't know it.

2. I lived by the world's values instead of Christian values. Even though I didn't know it I was following Satan's leading more than God's.

3. Jesus died for our sin. He did it because He loves us.

4. God's riches at Christ's expense.

5. I'm not sure. It seems like we should have to do something for salvation.

6, I don't know if God prepared them for me or not but it seems like I'm always too busy with work and stuff at home to do good things.

Ephesians 2:1-10
1. vs.1- Paul says that "You were dead in your transgressions (sin)" How does sin kill?
Sin causes us to seperate from God. We are in the dark and can't see the Light.
Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ.

2. vs.2&3- How did the three negative influences - the world, the flesh, satan -affect our lives as non-believers?
I was caught up in the values of the culture, not seeing how unimportant it was. I lived in a 'me' world. Satan loves to get people so involved in these outside influences that they can't see or understand what is really important.

3. vs.4-7 - What is God's remedy? Why does He do it?
God gave us a new life in Christ, pulling us out of the life of sin and death we lived before.
He did it because of His love for us and His mercy and so that He would be glorified.

4. In vs. 4-10 - What do we learn about grace?
Grace is us receiving eternal life, God's abundant riches and freedom as a free gift, given to us when we don't deserve it and didn't want it.

5. Paul says that our salvation is not from ourselves. Is he saying that we don't play any role in it?
My first inclination was to say that while we can't 'earn' our salvation we do play a part in it because we believe in Christ and then receive salvation.
However, thinking it over......
Romans 3:11 says that "there is no one who understands and no one who seeks God.
Romans 8:29 says that those God foreknew He predestined
Romans 8:30 says that those He prdestined, He called and those He called He justified.
So, as I see it, God does all the work. We just recieve it.


6 What 'good works' has God prepared for you to do? What hinders you from doing them?
I think that there may be certain specific 'works' that God has for me to do. I'm not sure I can name them.
I know that there are good things that I am to do everyday. - Kindness toward family and strangers. Giving to those in need. Giving-in when I know I'm right so that that person feels respected. etc.

What keeps me from doing these things... self-centeredness, being too busy, not paying attention.

I think alot of these verse can be summed with one very simple explaination..in addition to what Paul preaches here. He lays it out very clearly that we have 3 things within us that are always in controversy. We have our flesh, our soul and our spirit.

1. The flesh - where all of our own selfish desires are kept and birthed. Where we want what we want when we want it. It's also where satan slips in and offers us suggestions. Because he can see the weaknesses of our flesh and he likes to exploit them.

2. The soul - This is who we are. Our personality. A guy once said on Oprah that our soul makes up what we are ;ike on the outside. Kind of true. It's like a little dingy boat that is tied to a bigger boat and being pulled along. It's our consciousness and our unconciousness. It's the connection between our head and our heart. This is also the place that chooses in us between God and the World.

3. The Spirit - We all are connected to God. It's how there are tribes of people who know what is right even though they have never been told about God. It's how the early Native Americans knew about the Great Spirit. When we are born-again, the Spirit of the Lord, or Holy Spirit resides within our spirit and becomes one with us. Thats why we can never lose our sdalvation. because by accepting the invitation fo Christ to abide within our heart and spirit, His essence becomes one with ours. We become alive spiritually. Like what Paul says to Nicodemus...we have to be born-again spiritually. We were born physically through water, and now we must recognize our natural connection to God and become born-again spiritually. The connection of God is the big boat our little dingy is connected to and we can sever that connection before being born-again by following the lead of our flesh. Once we are bone-again, we enter into the power struggle.

Just a few thoughts while I am on pain killers for me teeth...see my latest post in the topic "A Left Over Gift From My Abuser" In the Domestic Violence Forum.

Hi Jenna,
I just went over and caught up on your posts at Domestic Violence. I'll pray for fast healing for you and thank God for pain killers!
By the way, it was Jesus who talked to Nicodemus. I'm sure you know that -- those wonderful pain killers again! <img src="/images/graemlins/rolling.gif" alt="" />

Lynn,
If you could, would you edit my post for me? LOL...I just reread it and it's so full of mistakes!! I am doing better, but with this sort of thing, the next few days will be the roughest for me as far as pain and swelling. The Vicodin makes me loopy and dizzy. I've been sleeping alot and don't feel real quite myself yet.

Lynn,
If you could, would you edit my post for me? LOL...I just reread it and it's so full of mistakes!! I am doing better, but with this sort of thing, the next few days will be the roughest for me as far as pain and swelling. The Vicodin makes me loopy and dizzy. I've been sleeping alot and don't feel quite myself yet.

LOL, Jenna, I'll let you post what you want to say when you are feeling well enough! <img src="/images/graemlins/rolling.gif" alt="" />