1. KNOWING GOD AT WORK IN US! Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

2. The way we recognise that God is at work in us is by considering four things:

3. 1. What God has brought us from. 2. What God has done for us. 3. What God is doing in us. 4. What God is doing through us.

4. 1. WHAT GOD HAS BROUGHT US FROM! (Ephesians 2:1-3)

5. Vs 1: We were DEAD  This of course means spiritually dead  We were unable to understand and appreciate spiritual things.  We possessed no spiritual life and we could do nothing of ourselves to please God.  Just as a physical corpse is dead to all that is happening around him likewise we were the same spiritually.

6. Vs 2-3: We were DISOBEDIENT The beginning of man's spiritual death was his disobedience to the will of God 'In the day that you eat of the tree you shall surely die' (Genesis 2:17)

7. Vs 3: We were DEPRAVED We lived just to please the 'desires of the flesh and the wishes of our mind.' The sinner is incapable of doing anything to merit salvation or meet the high standards of God's holiness.

8. Vs 3: We were DOOMED We were condemned (John 3:18..whoever does not believe is condemned already). The sentence had been passed, but God in His mercy stayed the execution of our sentence (we were waiting on death row!).

9. then the words 'BUT GOD' (Vs 4)

10. 2. WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US (Ephesians 2:4-9)

11. Vs 4: He LOVED us By nature “God is love” (1 John 4:8, John 3:16)

12. Vs 5: He QUICKENED us This means He made us alive, even when we were dead in sins. He accomplishes this spiritual resurrection by the power of the Spirit.

13. Vs 6: He EXALTED us We are not raised from the dead and left in the graveyard. Because we are united to Christ, we have been exalted with Him. Our physical position may be on earth, but our spiritual position is “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”.

14. Vs 7-9: He KEEPS us God's purposes for us and in us are eternal. Sin works against us and God worked for us, but the great work of conversion is but the beginning!

15. 3. WHAT GOD IS DOING IN US (Ephesians 2:10)

16. “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus” (2:10). He is working in us. Our conversion is not the end it is the beginning!

17. We are a part of God's “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and God continues to work in us to make us what He wants us to be. His purpose is to make us more like Christ (Romans 8:29 'conformed to the image of His Son')

18. Christ is equipping us for our walk and our work here on earth. To do this He uses 3 special tools:

19. 1. The Word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13) 2. Prayer (Ephesians 3:20-21) 3. Suffering (1 Peter 4:11-14)

20. As we read the Bible, understand it, meditate on it, and feed on it, the Word goes to work in our lives to cleanse us and nourish us.

21. As we pray, God's Spirit works in us to release power. And as we suffer the Spirit of God ministers to us. Suffering drives us back to the Bible and Prayer, and the cycle is repeated.

22. 4. WHAT GOD IS DOING THROUGH US! (Ephesians 2:10)

23. We are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” We are not saved by good works, but saved unto good works.

24. The “works” Paul writes about, in Ephesians 2:10, are “good” works.

25. If we contrast Ephesians 2:2 with Ephesians 2:10 we see the transformation that has taken place!

26. We do not perform good works to glorify ourselves but to glorify God!

27. Matthew 5:16 – “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

28. We should “abound to every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

29. And be “rich in good works.” (1 Timothy 6:18)

30. IN CONCLUSION LET US CONSIDER: 1. What God has brought us from. 2. What God has done for us. 3. What God is doing in us. 4. What God is doing through us.