Emilie Gate’s Review – Ephesians 2

We have been made alive in Christ!  We aren’t dead anymore, we are living in or moving toward resurrection county, women!!

Kathi talked about grace.  In Christ, as part of His “plan,” we are invited into a new life and it is in a place called resurrection county.  Verse 6 refers to God’s plan that includes a new citizenship.  Louie Giglio says “didn't make bad people good, he came to make dead people alive.”

Three Area's we'll look at today:

Grace
Gifts
Works
Grace

Eugene Peterson talks about water. When you have water you can run your hand through it. With grace, the reality is that you can swim through it. When you step out into the waters you can swim in it. It's not like it swimming in it because there are markers and the markers tell you where to go.... Grace holds you up.  There is a mysterious quality to grace!

'Grace is everywhere to be experienced, but in no way to be explained'

In Jacksonville we are surrounded by water. We can escape by going swimming in ocean or the river. There is more than enough water.

⁸ For 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.

Gift

Back to the story of creation. Gen 1.

Before creation we were chosen. Eph 1:4

These are truths: You are chosen. He chose us.

Eph 2:1-3

On the 7th day of creation, God rested from all the creating He had done. God is creator and God works in creation. Reality of creation is 'it's a gift.'  We're reminded everyday that our world was created as a gift to us, a gift to you. What is the word 'gift', what does it mean?!

Kathi shared how we could see a candy bar at the grocery store and it is just a candy bar. But when someone gives you the candy bar it becomes a gift. In the giving, there is a relationship quotient. God’s redemptive work through Christ is a gift. We practice it out through giving. Sometimes we can give or share our heart with someone resulting in rejection. If we only give gifts dependent on the response, we’ll get ourselves into trouble! We can't worry about the response. We still have to give. God gives all the time, he gives his son not dependent on our responses of acceptance or rejection. That is the reason why small groups are so important. They are a place where we can practice giving. So in turn, we can hold someone else's heart. It can feel awkward and uncomfortable, but it's sacred.

WorksWe are God’s workmanship, comparable to a piece of art, music or dance. In creation we are God's amazing piece of art, created in advance to do good works. God has given us gifts to encourage and build up one another. It's the same spirit, but looks so different in each person. It's so amazing to see a person freed up to be all that God has for them.

If there is work to be done, there are receivables (quite like a paycheck)! There is real work. Whether you have kids or not you still need to clean the toilets!

"Work is the bucket that holds grace!" Eugene Peterson

Some of Jesus' best work wasn't in the synagogue. It was out there on the streets with the people. Being with people, changing diapers, doing the dishes, whatever work is at hand, is the bucket that holds the gifts.

There is something that results from work that is sacred, like doing chores together.

'All our work is preceded by God's work'

He's everywhere. Sometimes doing chores or hard work doesn't feel good, but your offering is a gift, and it's grace.

How amazing would it be to have someone knock on your door and bring a meal. It's grace in action.

Eph 1- that you give back to him because it's praise and glory. Giving it back to him.


For Father’s day, Kathi's son Johnnie wraps up the toy he plays with the most to give to his father -- and then Tripp gives it straight back.  Our Father in Heaven operates much the same way!