Ephesians 2
September 1
Reading: Ephesians 2
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom 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.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-- by grace you have been saved-- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
1. We are spiritually dead in our sin, separated from God.
2. We live in accordance, walking in step with, three wicked forces:
- The world system with all its greed, sex, and self-centeredness
- Satan, the prince of the power of the air, and his malevolent deceptions
- The spirit of the age, how “everyone thinks” about everything
- We are controlled by the lusts of our own flesh.
- We do whatever our mind and body desire.
- We are children of God’s wrath, recipients of His anger.
“But God…”
This is how verse 4 begins. It is a powerful transition and contrast. God (not us!) does something to break into our mess and change everything. Even when we were dead, He makes us alive with Christ, by His grace, because He loves us. Can you remember when this happened in your life?
Get out a piece of paper and make a list of all of what verses 4-9 say about what God has done and why and now who we are in Him.
This is not a result of our works, but it results in our good works. (vs. 10) All this is part of God’s predetermined plan.
In verses 11-22 we learn of a further work of the grace of God when He saves us. But now we are talking about relationships with others. Much like verses 1-10 these verses begin with who we were, Jews and Gentiles separated, enemies. (vss. 11-12) “But now” Jesus makes Jew and Gentile “one new man,” and “one body to God.” (vss. 13-18) As a result we all are part of the great people of God, God’s great house, a sanctuary in the Lord, the dwelling of the Spirit of God. (vss. 19-22)