What does the 'But' at the start of Ephesians 2:4 introduce?
The 'But' at Ephesians 2:4 introduces the flip side, a contrast to believers being children of wrath by nature. It turns to God, not man, who is rich in mercy and great love, and who loved us even while dead in sins and made us alive together with Christ.
Les explains that verse 3 describes fulfilling the old nature and being children of wrath even as others. Then verse 4 begins with "But," the flip side. That flip side is God, not you or me, but God who is rich in mercy, for His great love loved us even when we were dead in sins, and He quickened, or made us alive together with Christ. Why? By grace are you saved. Verses 8 and 9 say by grace are you saved through faith, not by works; it is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. A true gift requires no work, because working to pay somebody makes it payment rather than a gift. Salvation is a gift; we cannot work for it, though we can work after it. Verse 9 says not of works, lest any man should boast, for we are His workmanship, which in the Greek is poema, from which we get poem.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,