2nd Chapter of
Ephesians
Ephesians 2:1
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
OUR PAST LIFE – DEAD IN THE WORLD
Now the Holy Spirit reminds us of what we were outside of the body of Christ, the vehicle of salvation. Even though we thought we were alive, in reality we were dead because of our transgressions (paraptoma: a side-slip (lapse or deviation), i.e. (unintentional) error or (willful) transgression:--fall, fault, offence, sin, trespass) and our sins (hamartia: a sin (properly abstract):--offence). What’s the difference between both?
According to the Greek, transgressions carry more weight since you willfully step aside from yourself to carry them over. It carries the idea that one has fallen aside, or fallen away (side stepped) from what you normally do. Sins, on the other hand, are inherent in your nature which is prone to offense. We miss the mark, or come short of, or don’t share in the prize because of our faults, because we are offensive to what is holy. We offend God because of our disobedience.
Ephesians 2:2
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
What are the ways of the world? Remember the point we made in Colossians 2:20?
Satan traps you by trying to get you to be distracted by your physical reality, which is temporary. This is what legalism, asceticism, ceremonialism and most other 'isms focus on and are built on.
The way of the world is the easy way, the way most people
take: Matthew 7:13-14. This is Satan’s domain and it can affect you
since you can be influenced by the dark forces of evil (
When we follow the ways of the world, which everyone does until they come to Christ, we are living according to what the sinful nature dictates. This is offensive to God, but a delight to Satan, who rules the dark side of the spiritual realm that affects this physical world. Those outside of Christ are living for Satan, even though they may not believe in him. Those in the world are doing his bidding, following his ways. He is the ruler of the spiritual realm of the disobedient. In other words, either you are a follower and a slave to Jesus, or you are a follower and a slave to Satan. You belong to either one or the other.
Those who disobey (apeitheia: disbelief (obstinate and rebellious):--disobedience, unbelief) or disbelieve have a rebellious spirit working in them. So either you have the Holy Spirit working in you, or the spirit of disobedience. Which one are you submitting to? The flesh’s desire is to disobey and disbelieve. But those ruled by the Holy Spirit love the truth and believe all things, since they are controlled by the love of Christ, not by the doubt generated by the flesh.
This passage illustrates what we have been redeemed from. Notice the past tense: “you used to live...”
Ephesians 2:3
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the
cravings of our sinful nature {3 Or <our flesh>}
and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects
(teknon: children) of wrath.
Because of sin, we are children of wrath unless we are justified by the blood! Mephibosheth's story, concerning the receiving of grace and mercy echoes our description in this passage. See 2Sa 9:1-9.
Those who are in the world are destined to receive the full wrath of God, which is coming because of sin (John 3:36; Rom 1:18; 2:5; 5:9; 9:22-23).
Those who are dead (without Christ):
1- Follow the world
2- Follow the devil
3-
Are disobedient
4- Walk in disbelief
5- Gratify the cravings of the flesh
6- Follow their desires
7- Follow their thoughts
8- Are children of wrath
9- Are the work of the devil
Ephesians 2:4
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
It is God’s desire to display His mercy toward us because of His great love (John 3:16; Rom 9:16). God’s motivation is His love for us, therefore He is very patient, waiting for all to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved (2Pe 3:9)! Lamentations 3:21-26 best describes the mercy (compassion) of God:
1- Produces hope in us
2- Are new every day (He allows us to start fresh every day)
3- Shows us how faithful God is to us
4- Allows us to choose Him as our inheritance (portion)
5- Teaches us to be patient (to wait quietly for Him)
6- Teaches us to say “no” to the world and our passions (Titus 2:11-12)
7- By His mercy we are excluded from the wrath to come (Rom 9:22-23)
Ephesians 2:5
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved.
OUR PRESENT LIFE – SAVED BY GRACE!
I thank God that I can boast in Him for my redemption... for nothing good lives in my sinful nature, in my flesh (Romans 7:18)! I cannot depend on myself to please God and win His approval. While I was useless God made me alive. My live is given to me by God because of His grace. Even though my life offends God, He overlooks that through the blood of Jesus! That is grace!
It is important to notice the relationship that these three special words have for us:
JUSTICE: When you get what you deserve
MERCY: When you don't get what you deserve
GRACE: When you get what you don't deserve
It is the Spirit that made us alive even though our flesh is condemned! (Ro 7:18, 24).
Ephesians 2:6
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
Even though we may still physically walk upon this visible realm, our true lives and hope and future are secured in the heavenly realms. We have been raised up to live fully that resurrected life. To be raised up implies that we have been restored from the dead, given a second chance. It means we were sick and dying and now we are raised to walk again. It means we are raised to live a different life, a resurrected one (Rom 6:3-11)!
Even though we are partially living and experiencing the physical world, the Spirit wants us to know that we are almost halfway on the other side, in our spirit. We are already seated with Jesus. My hope is right there... sitting with Jesus. To sit with Him means that we have been given a position of comfort and permanence with Christ in His Kingdom, even now! Notice this passage says that we have been seated already; this is not something that will happen later. Just as kings choose to seat people at their banquet table to show them honor and permanence in their good favor towards them, so has God, our King, chosen us to sit with His Son. I want this to be my only concern, not be distracted by my physical situations because God provides for them anyway! Mephibosheth did not care about his physical situation either, just being in the presence of his kind king. See 2Sa 19:30.
Ephesians 2:7
in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
God has predetermined to make us the centerpiece of the universe. He has decided to show the entire universe how much kindness and love He can lavish on those who are obedient to Him. He wants to show us off – He wants to show off how much He loves us! Isn’t that something?? God’s expression of kindness is accomplished through Jesus. Jesus is the expression of God’s kindness.
The awesome gift of God will not fully be realized until we see Him face to face. Do I love God because of what I have now (materially speaking), or because of what is promised regardless of my physical situation in this material world?
The riches of His grace that will be shown in the coming ages cannot be compared to any material thing you have been blessed with from the Lord in this physical age!
Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Our salvation is accomplished through our faith in Jesus; grace being the gift from God that allows it to happen when you believe. Apart from the grace of God there cannot be any salvation, no matter how much faith you may have. Our response of faith is a thankful response in realization of the grace of God extended to us.
God extends grace – our response is faith – the result salvation
Ephesians 2:9
not by works, so that no one can boast.
We receive the gift of grace that saves through faith (Ro 5:1-2; 3:21). We cannot be saved by following rules or by trying to show ourselves worthy of salvation. You cannot impress God or try to win Him over by your own performance. Remember that our very existence in this flesh is offensive to God. The best we can do in the flesh is filthy in God’s eyes (Isaiah 64:6). There is no boasting about what we have or can do in Christ.
If our faith, however, is not accompanied by works, it is dead (Jas 2:20). There is a difference between the works of the flesh and the works God has assigned for us to do in Christ. The next verse will tell you how His works fall into play in God’s plan:
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Workmanship = poiema: a product, i.e. fabric (literally or figuratively):--thing that is made, workmanship
There is a place for works in the church, but these are works done because we are saved, no to be saved (1Co 15:9-11). They are works we do in gratitude and appreciation for being saved by the grace of God. These works have already been prepared for us to do. We do not have to guess, they are given to us as we grow and mature in Christ. They are works that last forever, not temporary. The works can only be done by those who allow the Spirit to work on them and in them, those who are God’s workmanship. Our good works are executed through our ministry of reconciliation (2Co 5:17-20).
When God’s work in us is completed we will be creatures of Unutterable Bliss in a state of heavenly glory beyond anything we can now imagine. It will be God’s work, not ours; and through the ages heaven will never cease to resound with the glad hallelujahs from grateful hearts of the redeemed.
-- Halley’s Bible Handbook
See
Ephesians 2:11
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)—
ANARCHY AND DIVISION WITHOUT CHRIST
Here we begin to solve one of the problems the Ephesian church was facing – that of division by race or nationality.
The church was allowing this kind of thinking to create division. This was happening because they were missing the point of God’s grace that was extended to all men! In doing so, they were adding man-made works to God’s salvation plan. When you don’t recognize the grace of God and you are critical (not thankful), then you will make up your own way of salvation, which is a different Gospel (Gal 1:6-12). This was a rampant problem in the Roman and the Galatian church as well. Paul addresses the issue a lot deeper in those epistles.
Some Christian Jews were using their former bias to still
treat the Gentile Christians with prejudice. They were using labels like
“uncircumcised”, to refer to their Greek brothers, but saying they were the
“true” circumcision, because they had
Jewish roots. This caused the Gentiles to loath the Gentiles, and vice-versa.
Now, since
Ephesians 2:12
remember that at that time you were
separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in
The Gentiles needed to know how God’s grace allowed them to have the hope they now have in Christ, together with the Jews who believe!
Outside of the Body of Christ:
1- Separated from Christ
2- Excluded from citizenship
3- Foreigners to the covenant
4- Without hope
5- Without God
This is the fate of the Gentiles!
Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus, through the outpouring of
His blood – He shows His kindness toward us. He brought us near by not counting
our sins against us and taking on the punishment of our sin. We can be near God
now because Jesus carried our sins on
Those who are living in the grace of God:
1- Alive in Christ!
2- Raised up with Christ
3- Seated in the Heavenly Realms in Christ
4- Saved by grace
5- Are God’s workmanship
6- Brought near to God through the blood of Christ
7- Citizens of Heaven
8- Heirs of the covenant of the promise
Ephesians 2:14
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
IN JESUS WE HAVE PEACE
Jesus came to establish peace between those who are in Him. There is no division between races or nationalities, political ideologies, or social or economic status in God's Kingdom. The wall of hostility is broken down in Christ. This wall of hostility is not a physical wall, but one that exists in the minds of those who allow such things to come between them and other people, who allow themselves to be divided along these imaginary lines we draw that are not really there. They are drawn by culture, habits, biases, opinions, narrow mindedness and all the isms that, of course, are sin. All such hostilities are cast down and destroyed in Christ. There is no reason for hostility any longer when we embrace each other in the Body of Christ. This happens by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2).
Enmity is destroyed by removing that which causes hostility between people. If people are willing to accept Jesus as Lord and live by Jesus, there is no longer any cause for hostility. Out of many Jesus makes one new man. How did he do it? The next verse explains:
Ephesians 2:15
by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
What stood between the Gentiles and the Jews? The Law! The Law made the Jews see the Gentiles as their enemies and as the refuse of the world! In their view, the Gentiles were there just to stoke the fires of hell! So Jesus abolished (katargeo: to be (render) entirely idle (useless), literally or figuratively:--abolish, cease, cumber, deliver, destroy, do away, become (make) of no (none, without) effect, fail, loose, bring (come) to nought, put away (down), vanish away, make void) the Law in His flesh. When He died the Law died with Him. So in Jesus we are new creatures, people of peace, without anything that divides us from others (2Co 5:17; Gal 6:15).
Ephesians 2:16
and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
It is in the one body, the church, where we are reconciled
to God through the cross, that is, the paid penalty of death. The cross puts to
death hostility since it is God’s way of dealing with atonement for our sins.
The sins that cause hostility are neutralized by the atoning sacrifice of
Jesus. The cross is an appeasement (propitiation)
both to God and to the hostilities of man. It turns away God’s wrath toward our
sin and it also turns away our wrath in our sin (
Ephesians 2:17
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
When Paul talks about those who were far vs. those who were near, I believe he’s talking about the Jews vs. Gentiles and their closeness to God. The Jews were closer to the peace of God, being that they are God’s chosen, which is why the Gospel was offered to them first (Romans 1:16).
Ephesians 2:18
For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Jesus is the one that gives us the access. He is the door (John 10:9) and through Him we now can have access to the Father through the Holy Spirit, since it is the Spirit that teaches us God’s ways (1Co 2:12-16) and helps us communicate with the Father (Rom 8:26-27).
The New Covenant is for all to have access to God through the One Holy Spirit in the One Body of Christ.
How Jesus makes peace:
1- Brings us near through His blood
2- Destroys any barrier that separates us from Him
3- Takes down dividing walls of hostility
4- Abolished in His flesh the Law
5- Creates in Himself a new man
6- Reconciles us to God through the cross
7- Puts to death our hostility
8- Preaches peace
9- Gives us access to the Father by the Spirit
Ephesians 2:19
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,
THE CHURCH – GOD’S HOUSEHOLD
The church is God's household, God's family. No longer were the Gentiles alienated, or excluded from God’s riches, but now they, together with the Jews are heirs because they are part of the same family. These are the saints, those who have been made holy by the blood of Christ (Eph 1:7; 2:13; Heb 9:14; 1Pe 1:2, 19; 1Jo 1:7; Re 1:5).
In the church you are a citizen of Heaven (Phil 3:20).
Ephesians 2:20
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
The apostles and prophets are all recorded in God’s Word,
the Bible; so we can say the church is built on the Word of God. What makes God’s Word valid as a foundation?
Jesus Christ, the rock (
Ephesians 2:21
In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
Our joining together can only occur if we are in Him. We are that building (structure), and we are joined together by our faith and our adoption. Rising up implies that we must grow together as a healthy body grows, and as a building is edified upwards. As we grow we become a holy temple, a different kind of structure, unlike any other in the world. Our joining together happens through the spiritual blessings we have received in Christ in the heavenly places (see chapter 1).
Ephesians 2:22
And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
The church is not a building, as tradition puts it. It is a spiritual edification. This implies a
work in progress, emphasis on work. We
are the living stones that build the temple, where Jesus Himself is the
cornerstone of every one of those living stones, empowered to rise up as a
The church:
1- Are Citizens of God’s people
2- Are Members of God’s household
3- Is built on the foundation of Apostles and prophets
4- Has Christ as the chief cornerstone
5-
Is
a
6- Is God’s dwelling by His Spirit