But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  (5) even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (6) and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (7) that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  (8) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.  (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul. Our verses today concern the unfathomable riches made available to the faithful through faith in Christ Jesus. We were born as sinners – all of us – and subject to the wrath of  God. Our verses speak of God’s love for us but behind these words is the doctrine of God’s wrath. God is holy and just – we were dead in sin and alienated from God. If it weren’t true that we were subject to His wrath and judgment God would not have offered His Son to be such a terrible sacrifice to save us from our sin.  And by the acceptable and perfect sacrifice of Jesus we have been made right with God.  All men, without exception, are born and pronounced guilty until they are redeemed by Christ – if there is no redeemer there is no righteousness with God, no light, no life, no joy;  all of which come only through being right with God;  we are born children of the wrath of God by our nature which means subject to the judgment of God

Paul tells us in verse 4 that the real reason for God’s merciful consideration was the great love with which He loved us even while we were in sin.  In this state man is neither capable or inclined to reach God.  The undeserved gift of salvation is a gift of love – not that we loved God but that He loves us.  Paul writes that man obtains salvation by faith in Christ alone and this is entirely the work of God who owes man nothing – salvation is not an award or recompense but the gift of pure grace.  Salvation does not come from us; is not of ourselves.  It is offered to us by faith in Christ without any merit of good works by man.

We deserve God’s wrath but not His grace.  The union of our souls with God is the only true life and it is only found through Christ Jesus – man was spiritually dead, living in darkness; helpless and hopeless and didn’t even know it

We are born spiritaully dead