In Ephesians 2:1-3, the Apostle lays out the hopeless plight of fallen humanity. He says that fallen humanity is dead in trespasses and sins, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air (Satan). He says that by nature we are children of wrath and that our lives were once dominated by the passions of our flesh (a reference to the destructive desires of our sinful nature). But then in v. 4 we find some of the greatest words in the Bible... "But God..." Just like the stars that shine the brightest on the darkest night, in this verse we see that gospel shines brightest against the black backdrop of human depravity. Right on the heels of this bleak description Paul says that God, "being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ..."

Our hope in this episode is similar to the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:18-19, that you "May have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

This sermon was originally preached by James Kaczor at River City Church on Thursday, 5/5/2025.