Ephesians 2: Formerly & In Christ

Welcome to chapter 2!!! I believe this chapter is one of the most important chapters in this book. I believe this chapter will drastically transform the way you view grace.

Let's start this week by praying and asking God to give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Now let's look at chapter two and read the entire chapter once all the way through (remember to read slowing looking for key words.) Now, go back and reread chapter 2. This time, I want you to mark two key phrases: formerly (once were or at one time) and in Christ. After you mark these words I want you to make a list contrasting what you were formerly with what you are in Christ.

We will spend the rest of this week focusing on verses 1-3. What does Paul say that we were in these verses? Let's look at verse one first. What does Paul say that we were? Write it down in your journal. Paul tells us that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. Let's focus on that phrase and break it apart. What does it mean to be dead? Let's do a word study on the word dead using Blue Letter Bible.  Now let's do some cross references on the word dead. Remember we look at cross references to see what Scripture tells us in other places about that same word. Look up these cross references about the word dead and write down in your journal what you learn: Luke 7:15, Roman 8:10, & Colossians 2:13

What does Paul tell us in verse one we are dead in? Write down the answer in your journal. Yes, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. Look up the definition to both of these words in Blue Letter Bible and write down what you learn. We also want to check out some cross references for these words. Look up the following cross references and write down what you leant about trespasses or sin: Romans 5:18, Romans 8:28, Galatians 3:22, & James 1:15

Now let's look at verse 2. How does verse 2 tell us we walked formerly? Who is the prince of the power of air? Let's look up some verses on the prince of the power of the air. Look up these verses and write down what you learn about satan: John 8:44, John 12:31, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. Now, go back to verse two. What does it say we did or lived? We walked according to the the course of this world. What does the word walk mean? Look up the definition and write it down in your journal. Look up James 4:4 and write down what you learn about the world.

Okay, let's move on to verse 3. What does Paul say we were in this verse? How did we live? What is lust? Let's look up that word on Blue Letter Bible, write down what you find. Now let's look at some cross references: Romans 6:12, Romans 13:14, Titus 3:3, James 1:14-15.

Now go back and read the first three verses and allow the reality to set in. What were we formerly? Who exactly were we before we became in Christ? Be ready to talk about all of this and share what you learned.