Quick Glance: For Your Heart Today
We weren’t just rescued—we were re-created. Ephesians 2:1–10 reminds us that we were once spiritually dead, shaped by this world, and bound by sin. But God—rich in mercy and great in love—made us alive with Christ. This isn’t just a new lease on life. It’s a new identity. A new position. A new power. In Christ, we’ve been given everything we need not just to survive, but to thrive. When life leaves us weary, dry, or withered, grace invites us to soak again in His presence—and bloom.

3 Takeaways

Before Christ, we were spiritually dead.
But God didn’t leave us there. His mercy and love made us alive—not just improved, but completely re-created.

We are God’s masterpiece—made to thrive.
We weren’t just saved from something; we were saved for something. We are rooted in grace and purposed for good.
In Christ, thriving becomes our new reality.
We’re no longer defined by our past or depleted by our present. Being in Christ means His Spirit, strength, and peace now live in us. And that’s what enables us to truly thrive.

If You Only Have a Moment: Breath Prayer
Inhale: I’ve been made alive…
Exhale: …to thrive in Christ.

Full Sermon Manuscript
Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

Can we just take a moment and continue to bless His name? We just sang with lifted hands and open hearts. And that desire—to bless the name of Jesus—isn’t new. For generations, across continents and centuries, the people of God have sung out in praise, in wonder, in gratitude.

That’s what this series, Echoes from Ephesians, is all about. We’re leaning into timeless truths—words written to the early church over 2,000 years ago that still speak to us today. Because sometimes we need to be reminded of God’s immeasurable goodness and faithfulness. Reminded of what we’ve been given in Christ… and all that means.

Before we begin, I’m wondering if anyone knows what this is? Don’t call it out—just raise your hand. There’s a close-up on the screen. This was a gift someone gave me once—in plastic wrap. No label. No instructions. Just a smile at first.
 
“Thanks?” I said, unconvincingly. It was dry. Curled up in a brittle ball. Honestly, it looked dead.

Then they told me: “Put it in water and cover the roots.” “You’ll enjoy it,” they assured me.

You know, I wonder if sometimes, spiritually speaking, we’re holding a gift we haven’t fully recognized or appreciated. The truth is, we’ve received something life-changing in Christ… but I’m not sure we always grasp how amazing the gift is. And sometimes—I’ll just speak for myself here—I think I take the gift for granted.

You’ve probably heard someone talk about their “BC days”—Before Christ. Usually, they are referring to what they used to do… habits they’ve broken, people they no longer hang with, choices and decisions they no longer make. And yes, that’s an important part of the story. But that’s not the whole story. The truth is, there’s so much more to everyone’s before and after Christ story.

And that’s what Paul is writing about in his letter to the church in Ephesus. Words still echoing just as powerfully today. So let’s lean in—with open hearts and open ears—and hear the Word of the Lord.

Scripture Reading
Ephesians 2:1-10 NLT

Sisters and brothers, Paul jumps right in and minces no words. After such glorious truths in chapter 1—about spiritual blessings, about being chosen, sealed, and redeemed—now he shifts in chapter 2 to a striking contrast.

He reminds believers where they came from. Not to shame them… but so they won’t forget or take for granted what God has done. And actually, it’s not just where they came from—it’s where we all came from. He writes: “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins…”

This is the real deal. It’s not a flattering or positive portrayal. Paul isn’t just saying we made some bad choices or had some bad habits in the BC days. He’s saying before we accepted Christ, we were cut off from a life with God. We were spiritually dead. And caught in a pattern of living just like the rest of the world, following whatever voice called to us loudest… whatever passion felt good.

Paul continues saying:

You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. (v. 2)

In other words, we weren’t just wandering around clueless to the things of God—we were under an influence. We were following a world system shaped by the secular unseen forces of darkness. Without even realizing it, we were walking in step and obeying a power that resists everything God is.

Paul calls him the commander of the powers of the unseen world—an invisible ruler who holds influence over human systems, desires, and deception. Friends, this is a sobering truth we don’t think much about. Before Christ, we weren’t just neutral or misinformed. We were trapped—in a spiritual condition swimming in waters we weren’t even aware of—because we simply didn’t know.

Even when we thought we were choosing freely, we were influenced and caught in a worldly system of cycles that led us further from God. Paul reminds us:
 
All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature… (v. 3)

And he isn’t just talking about outward actions—he’s talking about our inner inclinations, too. Our desires. Our thought patterns. Our worldview.

Before Christ, we were spiritually dead… and in that deadness, we didn’t have the capacity to choose life on our own. Just like in that movie The Matrix—we were following a status quo that appeared to be life but really, we were the walking spiritually dead.

And that brings me back to that strange little ball I held up earlier. When I first received it, it looked like nothing. Dry. Curled in on itself. Lifeless. That’s the image Paul is painting here.

Before Christ, we were cut off from the source. Shaped by the world. Bound by the enemy. Following desires that ultimately left us empty. Dry, curled in on ourselves. Looking for purpose and meaning—but lifeless, really.

And family, that darkness Paul describes—it’s not just something in the past. It’s still real, active, and visible. We see it in systems that dehumanize and divide. We see it in senseless violence, in greed, in injustice. We see it in the way truth gets twisted and love gets cheapened.

And sometimes, if we’re honest, it’s not just around us but in us. That ache. That confusion. That quiet pull toward things we know don’t bring life. We see it in those moments we lash out, give up or drift from God.

That’s the weight of the “before” and the reality of the darkness of this world. But the good news is, the story doesn’t end there. Paul doesn’t leave us in this dark, bleak space. He’s about to introduce two of the most hopeful words in all of Scripture. But God…

After painting that stark picture of our spiritual reality, Paul doesn’t say, But we figured it out… or But we tried harder. Instead, he moves from darkness to light. From black and white to living color! When he writes:

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much… (v. 4)

Sit with that for a moment. In the middle of our lifelessness—when we couldn’t reach for Him, couldn’t fix ourselves, couldn’t see the depth of darkness all around us—God acted. Not because we were lovable or fixable, but because of His mercy.

Paul could’ve stopped there—and we’d have reason to rejoice. But he adds, “so rich. In mercy!” The Greek here paints a picture of overflowing abundance—a mercy that never runs dry. But he’s not done. He then adds, “AND, He loved us so much.” This is not a polite, restrained love—but great love. Love that initiates. Love that lifts. Love that keeps coming—even when we’ve turned away.

And family, that’s just the beginning. Paul continues stacking descriptions of God’s love in action:

• He gave us life…
•  He raised us up…
• He seated us with Christ…

And verse 7 explains God’s bigger picture:

So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness… (v. 7)

Did you catch that? We aren’t talking about a little grace—not a lifeline tossed our way—but lavish grace, kindness, opened from the storehouses of heaven. Paul’s description is full of superlatives—because no one word can capture what God has done:

• Grace that’s incredible.
• Mercy that’s rich.
• Love that’s great.
• Kindness that’s abundant.
• A future secured in heavenly places.

And none of it is deserved. This is the kind of love that moves us. It stirs awe, worship, and deep gratitude—not because we earned it, but because that’s who God is and what God does!

When God brought us into Christ, He didn’t just clean us up—He raised us up. He didn’t just improve our lives—He gave us a new one. We were joined to Jesus in His resurrection. We became participants in His life.

Paul explains in verse 6, he says:

For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. (v. 6)

This is not just spiritual language—it’s about our position and standing before God.

Something has shifted. We’re no longer defined by our past, our shame, or the darkness we were in. We’ve been lifted—with Christ—given a new identity, a new family, and a new place to belong.

And again—why would God do all this? So that when people look at our lives—our faith, our peace, our forgiveness, our hope—they see something more. They see grace at work.

Family, we are the evidence. Every time we walk in peace when chaos surrounds us… Every time we forgive when bitterness would feel easier… Every time we trust God in fear and uncertainty… God smiles and says, “That’s my grace. That’s what love can do.” We are the living proof of what only God can do in a soul surrendered to Him.

Now so far, Paul has taken us on a journey—from death to life, from bondage to freedom, from darkness to light. And in verses 8–10, he pauses to make something abundantly clear: This was all God's doing—from start to finish.

He writes in verse 8,

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (v. 8, NLT)

God’s grace is the beginning, the middle, and the end. Faith isn’t something we achieve—it’s an open hand that receives.

In fact, verses 1 through 7 in the Greek are one long sentence. And that sentence has one single subject: God.

• God made us alive. 
• God raised us. 
• God seated us. 
• God saved us. 
• God re-created us.

It’s all God! And every bit of it—every action—is anchored in Christ.

We are raised with Christ. Seated with Christ. United in Christ. Paul isn’t describing a religious upgrade. A better version of our before Christ selves. He’s describing a brand-new spiritual reality and position. We weren’t just rescued—we have become one with Christ Himself.

This isn’t just a part of our faith. It’s the place and person with whom we now abide. And Paul wants us to understand: We didn’t climb our way to salvation. We were carried there by grace.

Which leads Paul to say:

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus… (v. 10)

Now, that verse may be familiar—it’s a beloved passage. But it can be so familiar that we may skip over two key words: In Christ.

But Paul never uses that phrase casually. He says it nearly 80 times in his letters because it’s not just a tagline—it’s the anchor to our new identity. It’s who we are now.

• If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation… (2 Cor. 5:17)
• There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8:1)
• In Christ, we have redemption… (Eph. 1:7)
• In Christ, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. (Eph. 1:3)

To be in Christ means more than a faith of belief or mental agreement. It’s more than emotion. In Christ speaks to adhesion—being joined together, grafted. As a new creation we are not just spiritually aware. We are spiritually alive and our lives are now fused with and in Christ.

In other words, because we are in Him, we are not just improved—we are re-created. We are God’s masterpiece—His living workmanship, shaped by His grace.

Friends, we are not just saved from something—we are saved for something. We are re-created in Christ to walk, to live, to thrive.

So anyone who accepts Christ does indeed have a BC story—a before and after reality.

But wait, there’s more. Being alive in Christ is the truth of what God has done. But thriving—is the invitation. To live into what’s true. And to draw from the life we now have in Christ.

I want to show you something. Remember that strange little plant? This is what happens when it is placed in water.

Rose of Jericho Video
 
What looked dead… began to bloom. That’s what grace does. It doesn’t just revive us to be alive—it re-creates us to thrive.

So what does that look like?

• In Christ, when we feel lost and chaotic—we draw on His peace. 
• In Christ, when fear grips us—we hold on to His words: “Do not be afraid.” 
• In Christ, when we’re overwhelmed—we trust that He knows what to do. 
• In Christ, when old temptations resurface—we remember we’re no longer bound. We’re free. 
• In Christ, when it feels life is falling apart—we rest knowing He holds all things together.

This is what it looks like to move from surviving to thriving. Yes, we are still human. But we are not stuck. Because we are in Christ, and Christ is in us. We have His Spirit. His strength. His wisdom. His resurrection power—accessible to us because we are one with Him.

So even when life breaks us down… still we rise. Even when we die… we live. Jesus invites us to do more than merely survive. We are invited to thrive—and thrive abundantly.

And this is why—when we really understand what He’s done—all we want to do is bless His name.

Family, as we prepare for communion, to remember what Christ has done for us and express our commitment back to Him, I want to share one more story about the plant I held earlier. It’s called the Rose of Jericho—or the resurrection plant—and I put it in water; and it did exactly as you saw in the video.

But it sat on my table for a while and life got busy. The water dried up. And soon it looked withered and lifeless. I assumed I had ruined it… so I threw it away.

When I told the person who gave it to me, they were aghast.

“That plant can last for decades! It just needed water,” they told me. Then they gave me this one.

Maybe that’s a word for someone today. Maybe your faith feels dry. Your soul tired.

I want you to know you are never too far gone. You’re never beyond God’s grace. God is still in the re-creating business.

Communion is where we return—to soak again in His presence, to be revived by His grace. To recommit to Jesus because of what He’s done for us, Come to the table and receive Jesus’ invitation to thrive.