Memorize: Heavenly position for individuals
Key Verses: 3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 17, 22
Before we became a Jesus-follower we were dead spiritually and as a result we rightly deserved God’s wrath. Our indifference, or even outright rebellion against God, made us deserving of God’s judgment. We were born walking away from God. But God intervened in our lives. He poured out His great mercy on us and we were made alive. We deserved wrath and He gave us life. This is grace.
We are connected to Christ, and we get the benefits of that connection. We were dead, but we were made alive with Christ. We were raised and seated in heaven with Christ. We get the benefits of what Jesus did. GRACE: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. It is only by Grace, God’s actions on our behalf, that we can be in right relationship with God. Nothing we do raises our standing with God. When we accept Jesus’ work for us, we are transformed and put in Christ. When God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin, but sees Jesus obedience instead.
So why does God do this? He does this so that we are able to accomplish His purpose in the world. It takes a righteous person to do God’s good works. It takes a sterile scalpel to perform an operation without causing infection. God had to clean us up before He could use us for His glory. He has things in mind for us to do. He wants us to reflect His glory and goodness.
In Jesus, both Jews and non-Jews are brought together in a new entity, vitally connected to God through Jesus. To put it in a more modern context, Jesus removed every reason for all prejudice. When we are Jesus-followers we are brought together for one purpose by God’s Spirit working in us both. Any reason to not work together is removed.
When we are brought together we become a place where God’s Spirit can work and live. Paul uses the image of building in which we are all integrally connected with Jesus being the stone that anchors and stabilizes the whole structure. We can experience God like Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. There is intimacy without any fear.
The Arnold Journey 