United – One Faith

United- Week 5- “One Faith”

Ephesians 4:4-6

⁴ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—

⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 2:1-10

¹And you were dead in your trespasses and sins

² in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

³ We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,

⁵ made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

⁶ He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,

⁷ so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

⁸ For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

⁹ not from works, so that no one can boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Connected – To be to one another

Held – To be up or supported by one another

United – To be  with one another

Reminded – To be of God’s greatness through worship

Challenged – To be by the preached word

Helped – To be to help others by taking with you what you received and learned and sharing it with others

“One Faith”

1. What is “One Faith”?

Ephesians 2:8-9

⁸ For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

⁹ not from works, so that no one can boast.

Faith =

1. Why Do We Need Faith?

Ephesians 2:1-3

¹And you were dead in your trespasses and sins

² in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

³ We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

Dead people cannot respond to God on their own

John 6:44

⁴⁴ No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Romans 3:10-12

¹⁰ as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.
¹¹ There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
¹² All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.

1 Corinthians 12:3

³ Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

1. How Did God Respond to Our Need for Faith?

Ephesians 2:4-5

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,

⁵ made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

Romans 5:8

⁸ But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:17

So, faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.

The message about Christ = The

Grace=Mercy shown from a superior to an inferior (someone in authority over you)

It Refers to God’s unbelievable acceptance of us.

It is not something God gives us;

Instead, it is God giving us Himself.

Grace is him coming alongside us

To embrace us and work for our benefit.

Grace is the Judge of the universe asking criminals to sit down to a meal in his home.

Grace is the summary of the Gospel

1. What Are the of Having Faith?

Ephesians 2:6-7; 10

⁶ He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,

⁷ so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

⁶ He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,

² in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

⁷ so that in the coming ages, he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

John Newton (1725–1807)

“I am not what I should be—oh, how imperfect and lacking! I am not what I want to be—I despise what is evil and desire to cling to what is good! I am not what I hope to be—soon, very soon, I will shed this mortal life, and with it, all sin and imperfection. Yet, although I am not what I should be, nor what I want to be, nor what I hope to be, I can honestly say, I am not what I used to be; a slave to sin and Satan. I can sincerely join the apostle in declaring, “By the grace of God, I am what I am.”

Romans 5:6

⁶ For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.

Psalm 51:17

The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.

C.

P.

R. a in us

2 Corinthians 5:21

²¹ He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.