At what point did God regenerate us? At what point did God make us alive while we were dead,

while we were utterly helpless, while we were completely morally unable to cooperate with the

gospel or to respond to the divine summons, we first had to be made alive.

And that is the action of God.

Most of us are familiar with Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8, for by grace you have been saved through

faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. But this good news is so good

and so memorable in Ephesians chapter 2 because of the bad news, the bleak condition of

humanity that Paul describes earlier in that chapter.

And that's what we'll be considering today on this Sunday edition of Renewing Your Mind.

Every Sunday we feature the preaching and teaching ministry of R.C. Sprawl.

And today we begin a short series in Ephesians, beginning in chapter two,

which means that we'll start our time together with Dr. Sprawl considering the fallen nature

of man. Before we turn to chapter two, if you'd like to study the entirety of Ephesians,

be sure to visit Renewing Your Mind.org or use the link in the podcast

show notes to request Dr. Sprawl's hardcover commentary on Ephesians with your donation of any amount.

Here is Dr. Sprawl, beginning in Ephesians, Chapter 2.

We're going to begin with chapter two.

I'll be reading verses 1 through 10.

And you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world,

according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the loss of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the

mind, and whereby nature, children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy,

...