The Manhood Talks | Foundation & Identityনমুনা

Day 17 | Ephesians 2 | You are Alive

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Welcome back to week 3 of The Manhood talks. Ephesians 2 today, and it’s time to wake up the dead! But here's something to think about. It’s a common practice in most cultures for a young man to prove himself to other men to earn their respect But what about God? Does He make us prove anything to Him or earn His approval?

We’re in Ephesians again —chapter 2, and verse 1 begins with a heavy dose of reality:

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live…” (Ephesians 2:1-2, NIV).

Paul reminds us straight up that we were dead. Before we followed Jesus we were dead men walking. Not physically dead but spiritually dead. In our sins — dead.

In the Bible, death means separation. Physically dead means soul separated from the body. Spiritually dead means your spirit is separated from God. And that’s what sin does.

But what if you don’t feel dead or look dead? Well, dead people aren’t very good at self-diagnosis or at least I wasn’t. The funny thing is — the first sense you get that maybe you are spiritually dead — is really the first sign of life.

And it’s the sin that killed us. Verse 2 says we used to live in it. We followed the world and we followed the devil. Remember — Paul is talking to Christians — so that dead life is passed.

But in verse 3

“All of us also lived among them at one time” (Ephesians 2:3).

Perhaps the only good thing about sin — if you can even say that — is that it levels the playing field. Everyone sinned. Lived in it even. So don’t pretend you’re better than anyone! And verse 3 says we deserved God’s wrath. That’s why it’s a bad idea to ask for what you deserve. I want you to do me a favor and let the reality of this sink in for a moment.

Before we knew Jesus…

We were not unhappy people in need of joy.

We were not sick people in need of a cure.

We were not misguided people in need of direction.

We were dead.

We were not immoral people in need of religion.

We were not failing people in need of success.

We were dead people in need of life.

And in verse 5:

“God… made us alive — with Christ — even when we were dead in transgressions” (Ephesians 2:5).

And the timing makes all the difference. When we were dead. That’s when he loved us. That’s when he had mercy. Totally undeserved. We deserved wrath but He gave us life.

Back in verse 5:

“It is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:5)

That word grace is the key to this whole thing. Grace is a gift. We don’t earn it, we don’t deserve it; God just loves you because He loves you — that is grace!

This is big. Like crazy big. It changes the whole game plan. You might not get that at first, so a little analogy might help.

Imagine we live in a medieval kingdom. And you and I are bums. Dirty, drunk, no good, drain on society — bums. But the King, man, the King is majestic. He is Old and wise, just and fair, humble, generous, and powerful. Just a great king. And the King sends out two knights on a mission to find me and you.

Now the first knight comes to me and says “You disgusting bum. You smell like garbage and I demand that you clean yourself up and get your life in order — then, once you’ve proven yourself, follow me — because the King has a plan for you.”

Even though everyone on the block can smell me, I still deny that I smell

And just before I mouth off...

The second knight arrives and finds you. He opens up his carriage and says “Come with me. I have something to show you.” You get in and wave goodbye and before you know it You arrive at the castle! The King's castle! The King’s own home! The knight shows you around and man is it amazing! And then he tells you the King has adopted you! You are an heir to all of this. You don’t deserve it — but the King has a lot of grace. And he loves you like his own child. In fact, His son went to hell and back to make this possible for you.

Now based on the treatment we both got — which one of us do you think is gonna jump in the shower first? And which one will really change how we live?

Well if the King in that story is God, then it’s the second knight who really got it right. And Ephesians is our tour of the castle. Because we are adopted, and this is our inheritance.

Later in chapter 4 we’ll get showered and start learning how to live it out. But first we need to know who we are. First, learn who you are — then learn how to walk it out. Identity — then integrity. Did you catch that? Do you get it?

Know who you were meant to be and be true to it! That’s Ephesians.

And here’s the thing straight up We weren’t just bums, we were dead men. But in verse 6:

“…God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (E

That’s our castle — Heaven. That’s our rightful home now. If that sounds crazy to you, it should. We don’t deserve Heaven. But it’s grace. Paul calls it the “Incomparable riches of his grace” (2:7). There’s nothing like it.

This world is full of un-grace. Religious people are always judging — always shaming. And don’t be fooled by the anti-religious and their own smug hypocrisy. Judging the judgmental people doesn’t make you any better.

But God stepped in and changed the whole system. He loved sinners. He raised the dead. And verse 8 explains it beautifully:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Your salvation is a gift. It’s all grace. Amazing Grace and all you did was put your faith in Jesus to accept the gift. And that changes everything. You’re not saved by works — so you can’t boast and brag about how good you are. If you earned your way to Heaven, you could be arrogant about it and look down on anyone who are not saved.

I know what you’re thinking — there are Christians exactly like that. I know. And they’re doing it wrong. If my Christianity makes me arrogant at all, then I totally missed the mark and misunderstood God's grace. Grace humbles us.

Now that doesn’t mean that we don’t do good work. In fact, the very next verse says,

“For we are God’s handiwork…

That means we’re his work of art — His masterpiece…

“…created in Christ Jesus to do good works…”

That is our calling — we don’t work to earn — but we work out of gratitude…

“…which God prepared in advance for us to do”. (Ephesians 2:10).

God has laid out the path for us — and destined us for good works that he prepared. Now we have a purpose — but instead of making us arrogant — that purpose keeps us humble. We get to do amazing things — things that have eternal significance — but we don’t deserve any of it. We’re just thankful for it.

For Thought & Discussion:

So, read Ephesians 2. I love this chapter. And in your journal, I want you to write down verses 8 through 10.

This is one of the Bible’s essential passages. Copy it down once, then write it again in your own words — your personal translation. That’ll help you really own it. If you have a group leader — text it to him to see what he thinks. And I’ll meet you back here in chapter 3.

Read Ephesians 2

All verses are quoted from the NIV.