Just going to let you know what has been happening since I've been getting this particular bible study ready. I can tell God has been very much wanting this to be shared. Wednesday and Friday of this past week I was working on this. Friday I couldn't get Meredith Andrews song The Gospel changes everything out of my head. Then Saturday I woke up with Beneath the Waters by Hillsong Live stuck in my head. Sunday I was on face book and my friend Tristan posted Ephesians 2:8-9. Saturday night I was getting a poster board ready to advertise for the Bat Cave at church when 2 certain verses kept coming to mind. Isaiah 55:10-11 10"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." God wants this study shared I'm not sure who he is going to change thru it I'm just being willing.
This is perhaps one of my favorite sections of the bible and if you are a Christian it will probably be one of yours as well. These 10 verses are loaded. It's like an onion or parfait it has layers.
1. ""once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins ." Dead that's not good. Like they say in the infomercials though "But wait there's more."
2. "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." Make no mistake the Devil is real! When you placed your faith in Jesus Christ he got mad because he no longer is your master.
3. "All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger just like everyone else." We needed help and that's the biggest understatement in the universe. We needed something only God can provide.
4. "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much." Stop for a moment because some of you need to hear that. See it's easy to say God loves you or for me to say to my wife I love her. I agree with Christian musician Geoff Moore I think sometimes we lose the wonder and meaning of it. Verses 1-3 said because of our many sins we were under God's anger but in verse 4 it tells of God's rich mercy and love. That's cause for "praise flowing from a grateful heart.
5. Now let this sink in because God didn't have to do any of this it was a choice made from love and mercy. That even though we were dead because of our sins he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.(It is only by God's grace you have been saved."
6. "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." That brings us to ask why would God do all this.
7. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness towards us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. We are his for the purpose of being examples of his grace and kindness.
8-9. This is the gospel in a nutshell it's all God. we can do nothing to claim credit for Salvation.
10. We are new creations created for good works and we are masterpieces.
The Gospel changes everything by Meredith Andrews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-U2KuQ2Sdc
This is a song called Way Beyond the Blue a very early Steven Curtis Chapman song but midway through he starts quoting Ephesians 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy1og9yELq8
Savior to me by Kerrie Roberts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goMuGwO8j-4
Beneath the Waters by Hillsong Live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTwA3NLEjY4
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