The Bride is Blessed with Salvation

1. Read: Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

2. About the Text:

1) Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus.

2) His purpose in writing is to show the glory of God through the church (Ephesians 3:21 “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

3) He emphasizes that those who are in the church have been brought out of bondage to sin. (Eph.2:1-3).

4) God did this by 1) having mercy upon us, 2) loving us, and 3) making us alive with Christ. (Eph.2:4, 5).

5) Paul then says regarding this process, “By grace ye are saved.”

6) This leads us into our text.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. It originated from the Father. John 3:16

2. It came through the Christ. Romans 5:15 “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

3. It was revealed to us through the Holy Spirit — “which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:5).

1. Hebrews 11:1 – substance. Faith is where the rubber meets the road.

2. It has been said that grace is God’s part of salvation, and that faith is man’s part of salvation.

3. Faith picks up where the Holy Spirit left off in revealing the word. Rom.10:17

4. Faith must then TRUST God’s word. Romans 10:14. “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

5. Faith must then ACT upon God’s word. Romans 10:13 “For whosoever calls upon the name . . .”; Acts 22:16.

6. When faith and action are combined, we will not have a dead faith. James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

1. The way is not in ourselves. Jeremiah 10:23 “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”

2. When we submit to God’s grace through faith, we cannot say that we accomplished this ourselves.

3. It is not of our own accomplishment/invention. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

4. It is not of our own righteousness.

1) Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

2) Romans 10:1-4. “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

5. It is not of our own merit. Luke 17:10 “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”

6. The glory, therefore, is all to God. 1 Corinthians 1:30, 31. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

7. Baptism does none of these things!

1) It is given by God through the word of God, the source of faith (Romans 10:17).

2) It is a passive act to be baptized by another person (Acts 2:38).

3) It is a work that God does (Colossians 2:11-13).

4) In no way can one say that it is a work of merit to be baptized!

1. We are the clay and he is the potter. Jeremiah 18:6 “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

2. We are the branches and he is the vine. John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

3. We are the vessel and he provides the contents. 2 Cor.4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

4. God molds and shapes us through His word.

1) Matthew 4:4 says, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

2) John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

3) John 8:31, 32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

1. The Bride is Blessed with…

1) The source of salvation. – God’s grace.

2) The substance of salvation. – Our faith.

3) The selflessness of salvation – not of our own merit.

4) The state of salvation – we are his workmanship.

2. Invitation