In this episode of A Guy and His Bible, we explore the powerful story behind the Holy Club at Oxford and the spiritual journeys of Charles Wesley, John Wesley, and George Whitefield. What began as a pursuit of strict religious discipline revealed a deeper truth — salvation cannot be earned through works, self-denial, or perfection. https://youtu.be/Amisk9jRzoE Discover how Whitefield came to understand the life-changing message of being “born again” and how God’s grace transformed his heart forever. This study reminds us that salvation is not achieved by human effort but received as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ. 📖 Key Scripture: Ephesians 2:8–9 “God saved you by his grace when you believed…” Join us as we examine the difference between religion and a real relationship with Christ, and how true transformation comes only through the grace of God. Devotion used in this video https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007V69IO0?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzpatr0ee0-20&creativeASIN=B007V69IO0&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.1X7V0XLGVWVXU&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin 🌐 Stay Connected – A Guy And His Bible Website: https://www.patrickryanlewis.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AGuyAndHisBible LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aguyandhisbible X (Twitter): https://x.com/aguyandhisbible TiTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aguyandhisbible allthingsforHim.pl@gmail.com Text: (681) 534-3585 Venmo / CashApp @PatrickRyanLewis Paypal: https://bit.ly/3TMgPRa Stripe: https://bit.ly/3TL5j8F Amazon Storefront https://www.amazon.com/shop/aguyandhisbible Amazon Wishlist https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/AAQACSNG7QKZ?ref_=wl_share https://youtu.be/Amisk9jRzoE #AGuyAndHisBible #GeorgeWhitefield #JohnWesley #CharlesWesley #BornAgain #ChristianHistory #Ephesians2 #FaithAlone #GraceOfGod #BibleStudy #ChurchHistory #Salvation #JesusChrist

Daily scripture: Ephesians 2:13 NIV But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.2.13.NIV #Ephesians2 #HolyBible #Peace #JesusChrist

# 13 Holy Wit – Sidecar Reflections I Am With You: Courage Rooted in God’s Nearness – Ephesians 2 The Distance Between The man stood at the edge of the property line, hat in his hands. It wasn’t a grand place — just a farmhouse with a wide porch and a field that sloped down toward a line of cottonwoods. The gravel drive curved in from the road and stopped neatly in front of the house. A dog slept somewhere in the shade. The afternoon was quiet enough that you could hear the wind working its way through the grass. The man at the edge of the yard had not always been welcome there. Years earlier he had done the sort of damage that makes distance necessary. Words spoken that couldn’t be unsaid. Trust broken in ways that don’t heal quickly. No court had been involved. No police report had been written. But everyone involved knew what had happened, and for a long time the result was the same simple arrangement: he stayed away. Distance can become a habit. Not a dramatic distance. Just a quiet understanding that certain roads are no longer yours to travel. But then one day a letter arrived. It was short. No speeches. No rehearsed sentiment. Just a few lines written plainly. “You can come back now. The gate’s open.” So there he stood at the edge of the property, unsure how far the invitation actually went. The gate really was open, but open gates do not immediately erase old memories. He could see the house, the porch, the path leading up to the door. But years of distance had taught him that seeing a place and belonging there are two different things. He shifted his weight and looked again. The door opened. The owner stepped out onto the porch and raised a hand. “You don’t have to stand out there,” he called. “Come on up. You’re not far off anymore.” And that — in a small human way — is the movement Paul describes in Ephesians 2. Except the distance in his letter is infinitely greater. Paul says that humanity was not merely outside the gate. We were far off. Not temporarily estranged. Not waiting for the right apology. Far off in every direction that mattered — spiritually dead, separated from the promises of God, without hope and without God in the world. It is one of the most uncomfortable descriptions in the New Testament. Because it means the problem was not that we were struggling to find God. The problem was that we were nowhere near Him. And if that were the end of the story, Scripture would be a very short book. But Ephesians 2 turns on two of the most beautiful words in the Bible: “But now.” “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Notice the direction of movement. Paul does not say we found our way back. He says we were brought near. That is the quiet miracle behind every promise in the “I Am With You” passages we have been studying. When God tells Joshua not to fear because He will be with him… when David tells Solomon to be strong because the Lord will not forsake him… when Isaiah reminds weary believers that God carries them even into old age — those promises rest on something deeper than human resolve. They rest on reconciliation. God does not merely shout encouragement from across a canyon. He brings His people close. That is the work of the gospel. Through Christ, the distance between God and sinners is crossed. What we could not repair, God restores. What we could not approach, God opens. The door that stood closed is opened not by human effort but by grace. Which is why Paul says salvation is “by grace… through faith… not of yourselves.” If the return journey depended on us, we would still be standing at the edge of the property, hat in our hands, wondering if we were allowed to take another step. But grace changes the geography. The gate is opened by Christ. The distance is closed by Christ. And the voice from the porch calls us forward. “You’re not far off anymore.” And that is why the promise “I am with you” is not merely encouragement. It is the restored reality of a relationship that grace has made possible. God’s nearness is not a reward for the strong. It is a gift for the rescued. #HolyWitSidecar #GordonMcGinnis #IAmWithYou #Ephesians2

# 13 Holy Wit – Bible Study Saved by Grace, Brought Near (I Am With You: Courage Rooted in God’s Nearness – Ephesians 2) Scripture Reading (NKJV): Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2:2 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, Ephesians 2:3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, Ephesians 2:5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, Ephesians 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— Ephesians 2:12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 1. Dead, Not Merely Weak Paul begins with a diagnosis that is both stark and universal. Humanity is not merely struggling morally or spiritually; we are described as dead in trespasses and sins. Death implies inability. A corpse does not cooperate in its own revival. This language removes any illusion that human beings can repair their relationship with God through effort or religious performance. Left to ourselves, we follow the patterns of the world and the impulses of the flesh. Scripture’s assessment is sobering: apart from God’s intervention, we are spiritually lifeless. Ephesians 2:1–3 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A1-3&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 2. Two Words That Change Everything: “But God” After describing humanity’s helpless condition, Paul introduces one of the most hopeful turns in Scripture: “But God.” The initiative does not begin with human reform but with divine mercy. God is described as rich in mercy and moved by great love. Even when humanity was dead in sin, God acted. He made believers alive together with Christ. Salvation therefore begins not with human seeking but with God’s gracious intervention. These verses establish a foundational truth: the story of salvation is primarily about God’s character—His mercy, love, and grace. Ephesians 2:4–5 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A4-5&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 3. Salvation Is a Gift, Not a Human Achievement Paul then states the famous summary of the gospel: “For by grace you have been saved through faith… it is the gift of God.” Grace means unearned favor. Faith is the means by which that grace is received. Yet even faith is not presented as a human accomplishment that earns salvation. The entire rescue—from beginning to end—is a gift of God. Paul emphasizes this by ruling out boasting. If salvation were the result of human effort, it would produce pride. Instead, the gospel produces humility and gratitude. Believers stand before God not as achievers but as recipients of mercy. Ephesians 2:8–9 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A8-9&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 4. Grace Does Not Remove Purpose While salvation is not earned by works, it does lead to them. Verse 10 clarifies the proper order. Believers are God’s workmanship, newly created in Christ Jesus for good works prepared beforehand by God. In other words: Grace saves us. Grace transforms us. Grace then sends us into a life of obedience. Good works are not the root of salvation but the fruit of it. Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A10&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 5. From Far Away to Brought Near The connection to the theme “I Am With You” becomes unmistakable in the second half of the chapter. Paul reminds Gentile believers that they were once far off—separated from God’s covenants, promises, and people. Then comes a dramatic reversal: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” The language is relational and spatial. Those who once stood at a distance from God have been brought near into His presence. Ephesians 2:13 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A13&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 6. The Gospel Explains the Nearness of God Throughout Scripture God encourages His people with the promise: “I am with you.” This promise appears repeatedly in the Old Testament—to Joshua, to Solomon, to prophets and leaders facing overwhelming tasks. Courage flows from the assurance that God’s presence accompanies His people. Ephesians 2 explains how sinners can experience that nearness at all. Because of Christ’s sacrifice: • those who were dead are made alive, • those who were far away are brought near, • those who had no hope now belong to God’s household. The courage promised in earlier Scriptures rests on the reality that God draws His people into relationship with Himself. The gospel secures that relationship permanently. Grace brings us near to God, and that nearness becomes the foundation of courage. ________________________________________ Reflection Questions Why does Paul describe humanity as spiritually “dead” rather than merely weak (Ephesians 2:1–3)? How does the phrase “But God” reshape the way you understand your own salvation story (Ephesians 2:4–5)? Why is it important that salvation is described as a gift rather than a reward (Ephesians 2:8–9)? What does it mean personally that believers who were once “far off” have now been brought near to God (Ephesians 2:13)? How does being near to God provide courage for living faithfully in a difficult world? ________________________________________ Prayer Points Thank God for His mercy and love shown in rescuing sinners who were spiritually dead. Praise God that salvation is a gift of grace rather than something earned by human effort. Ask the Lord to help you live as His workmanship, walking in the good works He has prepared. Pray for a deeper awareness of God’s nearness and the courage that comes from belonging to Him. ________________________________________ For further study (NKJV): Romans 5:8–11 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A8-11&version=NKJV Colossians 1:21–22 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1%3A21-22&version=NKJV Hebrews 13:5–6 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A5-6&version=NKJV ________________________________________ #HolyWitBibleStudy #GordonMcGinnis #IAmWithYou #Ephesians2

Daily scripture: Ephesians 2:22 NIV And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.2.22.NIV #Ephesians2 #HolySpirit #Christianity #livingGod #trustGod

Daily scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV 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. https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.2.8-9.NIV #Ephesians2 #Biblestudy #Faith #Grace #Salvation

Daily scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV 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. https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.2.8-9.NIV #Grace #Mercy #Faith #TrustinGod #throughJesusalone #Christianity #Bible #Ephesians2

We Are Saved by Grace, Shaped by Grace, and Sent by Grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith... not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9 We didn’t earn this. We don’t deserve this. But still—God gave us grace. We are God’s masterpiece, not because of what we’ve done, but because of what Christ has done. He saved us by His mercy, and now He calls us to walk in the good works He prepared for us long ago (v.10). So let’s stop living to impress people or prove our worth. We already have the approval of the only One who truly matters. Let’s live boldly, love deeply, and serve faithfully—not to get grace, but because we already have it. This is who we are: People of Grace. For the Glory of God. #GraceAlone #WeAreHisWorkmanship #Ephesians2 #ForHisGlory