It is easy to become familiar with the gospel—to know the words, recognize the verses, and forget just how much we needed to be rescued. But before Paul takes us into the heights of what God has done for us in Christ, Ephesians 2 brings us face-to-face with what we were without Him: “dead in trespasses and sins.” Not simply struggling. Not spiritually weak. Dead—separated from the life of God and unable to make ourselves acceptable to Him.
That truth is uncomfortable, but Pastor Jake reminds us that the gospel must confront us with the reality of our sin before we can fully see the wonder of God’s grace. And then, against all the darkness of those opening verses, come two words that change everything: “But God.” We could not give ourselves life, but God intervened. The God we had sinned against is rich in mercy, great in love, and full of grace. He gave His Son so that sinners who place their trust in Christ can be forgiven, redeemed, clothed in His righteousness, and brought into life and union with Him. “Mercy, love, and grace”—as Pastor Jake says—“those words are music to the sinner’s ear.”
And for those who already know Christ, this passage calls us to remember. When we forget what we were, “But God” begins to lose its wonder. We can even begin looking at a lost world as the enemy rather than remembering that we once stood in the same desperate need of Christ. This message invites us back into the wonder of the gospel: to remember the depth of our need, the greatness of God’s mercy, and the only hope we have—that Jesus Christ died and rose again.
We invite you to open your Bible to Ephesians 2:1–10 and hear the complete message, “The Gospel According to Paul.”