I found this link quite helpful in finding information on making a pastoral resume:

http://pastorandpeople.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/the-dreaded-ministerial-resume/

Evidences of grace prevail throughout the life of every Christian. There is no evidence of grace given to a human being that is greater than salvation. To be numbered among the elect from every kindred, tribe, and tongue is the most merciful gift that could be bestowed upon an individual. The Apostle Paul joys in this fact as he explains this phenomenon to the Ephesian believers. He explains the destitution of the Ephesians before their salvation and then explains the hope they have found in Christ.

In the first several verses of Ephesians 2, Paul explains the destitution that had engulfed the Ephesians before salvation. Paul states that the Ephesians were “dead in trespasses and sins.” The world “trespasses” comes from παράπτωμα. This word means to intentionally cross boundaries. The unregenerate had stepped over the boundaries before they had even been born into the world (Psalm 51:5). Born into Adam’s race of sin, the unregenerate is nothing more than lifeless. An age-old example is that of a dead fish. Thomas Goodwin says, “A fish that is alive will and can swim against the stream, but a fish that is dead the stream carries it along with it.”1 It is the same with those who have yet to be born again. They are dead until they are made alive to swim against the stream of the world.

Paul continues with this idea in the same verse. He states that the Ephesians were walking in their trespasses and sins. The question might arise, “How does one walk in trespasses and sins when the individual is completely dead in the trespasses and sins?” The answer comes in the understanding of the word περιπατέω. Walking, in this context, in referring to the indulgence of the individual with his or her sin. There was no way out. The sinner walks in trespasses and sins with no way to break free save for the grace of God.2

If the depravity of the unregenerate was not enough, Paul continues to explain the difficulty further for an unregenerate human to attain salvation. The Ephesians were blinded by one who was much stronger than they. Before conversion, the Ephesians were “following the prince of the power of the air.” John Calvin, in his commentary on Ephesians, said the following:

The devil is allowed to roam under the leash of the all knowing and powerful God. He is only allowed to master those whom have not believed. He is confined to them, for the sovereignty of God has limited him from the believers.3

Fortunately for the unregenerate, there is a glimmer of hope—God’s sovereignty over the Devil. If God’s sovereignty were to grow faint in the smallest amount over the Devil, all hope would be lost.

The Apostle continues explaining the Ephesians sorry state before salvation. Paul says that “we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” The word for “passions” is ἐπιθυμία. This word largely deals with lusting or desiring that which is unattainable. Paul is inclusive in this section of the passage. For the first time, he includes himself in the discussion as part of those who desire things that are unattainable. He proceeds to bring the discussion to an even greater level, and he involves all of mankind in the discussion.4

The first several verses of this chapter prove to be quite bleak. With the depravity and the Devil looming inside and out of every unregenerate human being, it seems impossible that one could actually be made righteous in the sight of a perfect and holy God. However, Paul completely changes the tone of his message with two words: “But God.” How these words must have been a relief to the Ephesians as they read this letter. Paul now switches to the state the Ephesians now find themselves in. They have now been brought into a glorious state of redemption.

Paul states, “But God, being rich in mercy.” The great Calvinist Baptist preacher, John Gill, states in his exposition on Ephesians:

The love of God to his chosen people is very great, if it be considered who it is that has loved them, God and not man; who is an infinite, unchangeable, and sovereign Being; and his love is like himself, for God is love; it has heights and depths, and lengths and breadths immeasurable; it admits of no variation nor alteration; and is altogether free, arising from himself, and not from any motives and conditions in men.5

With such great love, God saved the Ephesians from their trespasses, sins, and the power of the Devil. Out of this great love came His mercy. The word “rich” is a word that promotes the idea of “an abundance of.” God’s supply of mercy was every-abounding towards the Ephesians, and even though their sin was great, God’s mercy was all the greater.

On top of this great blessing of salvation, Paul continues with even more news of hope for the Ephesians. He says that we are seated in the heavenlies with Christ Jesus as a result of this great salvation that has been so richly bestowed upon us. In verse 7, Paul uses the word ὑπερβάλλω. This word means “to go above and beyond.” The inexplicable joy the Ephesians must have felt upon hearing Paul’s words. To go from a depraved, Devil-ruled individual to being seated in the heavenlies must have caused much joy upon the reading of these verses!

One of the most popular passages in the Bible concerning salvation is shown in 2:8-9. “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” That is, pulled from all of the trespasses and sins that you were dead in. “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” The word οὐ is used to bring a negative thought to a fallacious thought that the Ephesians could have had concerning their part in salvation. “Not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”All glory must go to the Father who has dealt bountifully with the Ephesians. If there were any hint of man involved with salvation, there would be opportunity to boast. The Father made this an impossibility before the foundation of the world when He elected those whom would be His chosen bride.

The final verse in this section of Scripture leaves us with even more hope. Paul shows us that we are “His workmanship.” Not Paul’s, but God’s workmanship. Paul also tells the Ephesians that they were “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” The Christian should be confident as he walks through life. The good works that he or she accomplishes for the Lord have been set. Even in the works completed through grace, the believer is to understand that it is not him or her who has accomplished them. There is nothing to boast in but the Lord (II Corinthians 10:17).

A sobering thought behind the first ten verses of Ephesians 2 is that those who are not saved in the world today are encumbered with hopelessness without Christ. They are weighed down with their own sin and the Devil’s dominion over them.  However, the Spirit of God can and does cut through any heart to bring about the salvation of any unregenerate human being whom the Father has elected. There is no greater means of grace than that of salvation.

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1 Thomas Goodwin, An Exposition of Ephesians: Chapter 1 to 2:10 (Sovereign Grace, 1958.)

2 The doctrine of total depravity that begins the doctrines of grace in the acronym “TULIP” borrows much from Paul’s explanation here concerning the state of those who are unregenerate.

3 John Calvin. Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House), 1979.

4 It is not unnecessary to make this distinction. Paul is speaking directly to the Ephesians for the first two verses, then he brings himself into the picture, and then he brings Adam’s race into the equation. The end result is the same for each group of people that Paul discusses, yet Paul climactically enhances the passage with the inclusion of himself and all of mankind.

5 John Gill. An Exposition of The New Testament. Streamfield, Ill: Primitive Baptist Library), 1976.