Men's Midweek; 2/27/19 Eph 1 & 2
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The key thought in this chapter is the wealth of blessings we have as Christians, spiritual blessings that are ours because we are in Christ (1:3). Paul informs us that each Person of the Godhead has blessed us (vv. 1–14), and then he prays that we might understand these blessings and the power they can be in our lives (vv. 15–23).
I. Blessings from the Father (1:1–6)
A. He has chosen us (vv. 3–4).
This is the wonderful doctrine of election, a doctrine that we cannot fully explain but one we can fully enjoy. Do not try to explain away the mystery of grace. God did not choose us in ourselves; He chose us in Christ, by grace. Note ; ; and .
B. He has adopted us (v. 5).
“Election” refers to persons; predestination to purposes for those persons. God elects us to be saints (set-apart ones), then predestines that certain purposes in our lives shall come to pass (see ). “Adoption” in the NT refers to the official act of a father who bestows the status of full adulthood on a son of minor status. It is not the taking in of an outsider; it is the placing of a family member into the privileges and blessings of adulthood. This means that even the youngest Christian has everything that Christ has and is rich in grace.
C. He has accepted us (v. 6).
In ourselves, we are not acceptable to God, but in Christ, we are “made accepted.” Read the Epistle to Philemon for a beautiful illustration of this truth. Paul wrote, “Receive your slave Onesimus as you would receive me” (). Though we have sinned, Christ says to the Father, “Receive this saint as you would receive Me.” Trace that wonderful phrase “in Christ” throughout Paul’s letters—you will be thrilled!
II. Blessings from the Son (1:7–12)
A. He has redeemed us (v. 7a).
By giving His life on the cross, Christ purchased us from the slavery of sin. We have a present redemption in that He has delivered us from the penalty and power of sin; we shall have a future redemption (v. 14) when Christ delivers us from the presence of sin at His return.
B. He has forgiven us (v. 7b).
The word “forgive” literally means “to send away.” Sin is a terrible burden that is sent away when a sinner turns to Christ. Christ carried the burden on the cross (). It is pictured by the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, taken into the wilderness ().
C. He has revealed God’s will to us (vv. 8–10).
A “mystery” is a divine truth known only by God’s people through revelation. In Christ we are a part of God’s eternal purpose to gather together “all things in Christ” (v. 10). This present world is falling apart with war, strife, and sin. But one day God will usher in a new creation, with all things united in Christ.
D. He has made us an inheritance (vv. 11–12).
God has not only given us an inheritance in Christ (), but He has made us an inheritance for Christ. The church is His body, temple, and bride; we shall some day share His glory.
III. Blessings from the Spirit (1:13–14)
A. He has sealed us (v. 13).
This important verse outlines the way of salvation. The sinner hears the Word of Truth, trusts in Christ, receives the Holy Spirit, and is sealed forever. “After that ye believed” ought to be “when ye believed,” for the Spirit enters the heart the instant the sinner trusts Christ. This sealing means God owns us and will keep us. Nobody can break God’s seal!
B. He has given us an earnest (v. 14).
“Earnest money” in business means money given as a down payment for a purchased possession. Christ has purchased our future for us, but we have not yet entered into all the blessings. God has given us His Spirit as the “down payment” to assure us that we will experience total redemption and receive God’s promised blessings in glory.
Please note that at the end of each of these three sections, Paul tells why the Father, the Son, and the Spirit have given us these blessings: “To the praise of His glory” (vv. 6, 12, 14b). Salvation is by God’s grace and for God’s glory! God does not have to save anybody; when He does save the sinner, He does so for His own glory.
IV. Prayer for Understanding (1:15–23)
There are two prayers in Ephesians: (1) “that you might know,” 1:15–23; and (2) “that you might be,” 3:13–21. The first is for enlightenment, the second for enablement. Paul prays first that we might know what Christ has done for us; then he prays that we might live up to these wonderful blessings and put them to work in our daily lives. Notice Paul’s requests:
A. That God may give you spiritual understanding (vv. 17–18a).
Spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned (), and this understanding can come only from the Spirit. He wrote the Word; He alone can teach us what it says.
B. That you might know the hope of His calling (v. 18b).
Because God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, we have a blessed hope for all eternity that depends not on our goodness but on His grace. Review vv. 4–6, where this calling is summarized for us. The Christian who does not know his high calling (), holy calling (), and heavenly calling () will never be able to walk worthy of that calling (, where “vocation” is “calling”).
C. That you might know the riches of His inheritance (v. 18c).
We not only have an inheritance in Christ, but we are an inheritance to Christ (see v. 11). The word “riches” appears often in Ephesians, suggesting that there is nothing lacking, nothing more that we need. Christians mature in the Lord when they learn how much they mean to Christ and then start living to bring joy to His heart.
D. That you might know His power (vv. 19–23).
The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available for our daily lives! Christ has already won the victory over sin, death, the world, and Satan. God’s people do not fight for victory but from victory! We are seated with Him in the heavenlies, where there are power, peace, and victory.
Of course, all these blessings are only for those who meet the conditions set forth in vv. 1–2. Note that Paul writes to living saints (not dead ones), people who have put faith in Christ. These saints (set-apart ones) have experienced God’s grace and now enjoy God’s peace. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the church makes people saints; only God can make a sinner a saint. And the sinner must become a saint while he is still alive, for after death is the judgment ().
Chapter 1 emphasized our possessions in Christ; chapter 2 emphasizes our position in Christ. Your position determines your possessions and authority. Regardless of where the President of the United States may be physically, his position as the man who sits behind the desk in the White House gives him power and authority. So with the Christian. Regardless of where we might be physically (Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter), we have power and authority in the spiritual realm because of our position in Christ.
I. We Are Raised and Seated on the Throne (2:1–10)
A. What we were (vv. 1–3).
What a picture of the lost sinner! To begin with, sinners are dead spiritually; that is, the inner man is dead to spiritual things and cannot respond to them. The Gospels describe the resurrections of three people that Jesus raised from the dead: (1) a twelve-year-old girl, ; (2) a young man, ; and (3) an older man, . Each of them was dead; the only difference was their state of decomposition. Lazarus had been buried for four days and had begun to smell! All sinners are dead, regardless of age; the only difference between the unsaved church member and the vagrant on skid row is the state of decay. Sinners are not only dead, they are enslaved by the world and live for its pleasures and fashions. Tell them that this world is under the condemnation of God and is passing away, and they will laugh at you. They are also enslaved by Satan, who is at work in the lives of unsaved people. This does not mean that he necessarily makes them drunkards or murderers; his usual tactic is to give people false security through self-righteousness. Jesus called the Pharisees “children of the devil” (), yet they were religious, upstanding citizens.
We are born by nature children of wrath; when we reject Christ knowingly after reaching an age of accountability, we become children of disobedience by choice. When we trust Jesus Christ, we become children of God.
B. What God did (vv. 4–9).
“But God!” These words are among the greatest in the Bible. God could have allowed us to go on in sin and live eternally with the devil in hell, but instead He chose to save us. He gave us life (quickened us), raised us from the grave of sin, and took us out of the graveyard! More than that, He made us members of Christ! We have been quickened together, raised together, and we sit together in the heavenlies. God did this because He is rich in mercy and great in love. Mercy means that God does not give me what I do deserve; grace means that He gives me what I don’t deserve.
C. What we are now (v. 10).
We are His workmanship, His new creation (). Read and dare to believe that God works in you! What does the future hold? We do not know, but we do know who holds the future. The same loving Father that chose me, called me, and saved me has also marked out a wonderful plan for my life! “Oh, to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!”
II. We Are Reconciled and Set into the Temple (2:11–22)
In the first half of this chapter, Paul has been telling us what God has done for sinners in general; now he discusses Jews and Gentiles in particular. God had made no messianic covenants with the Gentiles, but God had promised the Jews a kingdom. What is the status of Jews and Gentiles in God’s program today?
A. What the Gentiles were (vv. 11–12).
God makes a distinction between Jews and Gentiles racially (), but not individually (). The Gentiles were without Christ; that is, they had no promise of a Messiah. They were not a part of the nation of Israel; in fact, the OT laws put a great gulf between Jews and Gentiles. Instead of being “the people of God,” the Gentiles were aliens. They were strangers, without hope and without the true God in the world. Contrast this sad plight with the privileged position of Israel described in . Verse 13 sums up the Gentiles’ condition in two words: “far off.” While the problem of sinners in general (vv. 1–10) was spiritual death, the problem of the Gentiles in particular was spiritual distance from God and His blessings. Note in the Gospels that whenever Christ helped a Gentile, He did it at a distance (; ).
B. What God did (vv. 13–17).
“But now” in v. 13 parallels “But God” in v. 4. When Christ died on the cross, He broke down every barrier that stood between Jews and Gentiles. In the Jewish temple, there was a wall that separated the “Court of the Gentiles” from the rest of the structure; and on this wall was a sign giving warning that any Gentile who passed beyond it would be killed. Jesus Christ tore down that wall! He tore down the physical wall, for in Christ all are made one (v. 15, and see ). He tore down the spiritual wall and brought the “far off” Gentiles near (v. 13). He tore down the legal wall, for He fulfilled the Law in Himself and ended the reign of the Mosaic law that separated Jews and Gentiles (vv. 14–15). Christ not only made peace between sinners and God (), but He also made peace between Jews and Gentiles. He took sinful Jews and sinful Gentiles and through His cross made a “new man”—the church.
Keep in mind that the mystery of the church was revealed through Paul (as we shall see in chapter 3), and that it took some time for the Jewish Christians to understand God’s new program. For centuries, God had kept Jews and Gentiles separated, and the Jews had taught that the only way a Gentile could be brought near to God was by becoming a Jew. Now the truth was revealed that the cross of Christ condemns both Jews and Gentiles as sinners, but also reconciles to God in one body those that believe on Jesus.
C. What the Gentiles and Jews are now (vv. 18–22).
Both have access to the Father in the Spirit. Under the Jewish economy, only the high priest could go into the presence of God, and that only once a year. But in the new creation, every believer has the privilege of coming into the holy of holies (). Both Jews and Gentiles now belong to the household of God, and the Jew can no longer claim greater privileges. It is through faith in His blood that Jews and Gentiles are justified.
Paul closes by picturing the church as a temple. This would be a fitting image not only for the Jews, who revered their holy temple at Jerusalem, but also for the Ephesians, who had the great temple of Diana in their city (). Each believer is a living stone set into the temple (). The apostles and prophets (NT prophets, 4:11) are not the foundation; they laid the foundation since they were the first to proclaim the message. Christ is the foundation of the local church () and the chief cornerstone of the whole building. The church today is a living, growing temple; when it is completed, Christ will return and take the temple to glory. God dwelt in the Jewish tabernacle (), in Solomon’s temple (), in the temple of Christ’s body ( and 2:18–22), and today in the individual believer () and the church (). What a privilege to be the very habitation of God through the Spirit!
EPHESIANS 1
The key thought in this chapter is the wealth of blessings we have as Christians, spiritual blessings that are ours because we are in Christ (1:3). Paul informs us that each Person of the Godhead has blessed us (vv. 1–14), and then he prays that we might understand these blessings and the power they can be in our lives (vv. 15–23).
I. Blessings from the Father (1:1–6)
A. He has chosen us (vv. 3–4).
This is the wonderful doctrine of election, a doctrine that we cannot fully explain but one we can fully enjoy. Do not try to explain away the mystery of grace. God did not choose us in ourselves; He chose us in Christ, by grace. Note 1 Cor. 1:26–29; 2 Thes. 2:13–14; and John 6:37.
B. He has adopted us (v. 5).
“Election” refers to persons; predestination to purposes for those persons. God elects us to be saints (set-apart ones), then predestines that certain purposes in our lives shall come to pass (see Rom. 8:28ff). “Adoption” in the NT refers to the official act of a father who bestows the status of full adulthood on a son of minor status. It is not the taking in of an outsider; it is the placing of a family member into the privileges and blessings of adulthood. This means that even the youngest Christian has everything that Christ has and is rich in grace.
C. He has accepted us (v. 6).
In ourselves, we are not acceptable to God, but in Christ, we are “made accepted.” Read the Epistle to Philemon for a beautiful illustration of this truth. Paul wrote, “Receive your slave Onesimus as you would receive me” (Phile. 17). Though we have sinned, Christ says to the Father, “Receive this saint as you would receive Me.” Trace that wonderful phrase “in Christ” throughout Paul’s letters—you will be thrilled!
II. Blessings from the Son (1:7–12)
A. He has redeemed us (v. 7a).
By giving His life on the cross, Christ purchased us from the slavery of sin. We have a present redemption in that He has delivered us from the penalty and power of sin; we shall have a future redemption (v. 14) when Christ delivers us from the presence of sin at His return.
B. He has forgiven us (v. 7b).
The word “forgive” literally means “to send away.” Sin is a terrible burden that is sent away when a sinner turns to Christ. Christ carried the burden on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). It is pictured by the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, taken into the wilderness (Lev. 16:20–22).
C. He has revealed God’s will to us (vv. 8–10).
A “mystery” is a divine truth known only by God’s people through revelation. In Christ we are a part of God’s eternal purpose to gather together “all things in Christ” (v. 10). This present world is falling apart with war, strife, and sin. But one day God will usher in a new creation, with all things united in Christ.
D. He has made us an inheritance (vv. 11–12).
God has not only given us an inheritance in Christ (1 Peter 1:3–4), but He has made us an inheritance for Christ. The church is His body, temple, and bride; we shall some day share His glory.
III. Blessings from the Spirit (1:13–14)
A. He has sealed us (v. 13).
This important verse outlines the way of salvation. The sinner hears the Word of Truth, trusts in Christ, receives the Holy Spirit, and is sealed forever. “After that ye believed” ought to be “when ye believed,” for the Spirit enters the heart the instant the sinner trusts Christ. This sealing means God owns us and will keep us. Nobody can break God’s seal!
B. He has given us an earnest (v. 14).
“Earnest money” in business means money given as a down payment for a purchased possession. Christ has purchased our future for us, but we have not yet entered into all the blessings. God has given us His Spirit as the “down payment” to assure us that we will experience total redemption and receive God’s promised blessings in glory.
Please note that at the end of each of these three sections, Paul tells why the Father, the Son, and the Spirit have given us these blessings: “To the praise of His glory” (vv. 6, 12, 14b). Salvation is by God’s grace and for God’s glory! God does not have to save anybody; when He does save the sinner, He does so for His own glory.
IV. Prayer for Understanding (1:15–23)
There are two prayers in Ephesians: (1) “that you might know,” 1:15–23; and (2) “that you might be,” 3:13–21. The first is for enlightenment, the second for enablement. Paul prays first that we might know what Christ has done for us; then he prays that we might live up to these wonderful blessings and put them to work in our daily lives. Notice Paul’s requests:
A. That God may give you spiritual understanding (vv. 17–18a).
Spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:9–16), and this understanding can come only from the Spirit. He wrote the Word; He alone can teach us what it says.
B. That you might know the hope of His calling (v. 18b).
Because God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, we have a blessed hope for all eternity that depends not on our goodness but on His grace. Review vv. 4–6, where this calling is summarized for us. The Christian who does not know his high calling (Phil. 3:14), holy calling (2 Tim. 1:9), and heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1) will never be able to walk worthy of that calling (Eph. 4:1, where “vocation” is “calling”).
C. That you might know the riches of His inheritance (v. 18c).
We not only have an inheritance in Christ, but we are an inheritance to Christ (see v. 11). The word “riches” appears often in Ephesians, suggesting that there is nothing lacking, nothing more that we need. Christians mature in the Lord when they learn how much they mean to Christ and then start living to bring joy to His heart.
D. That you might know His power (vv. 19–23).
The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available for our daily lives! Christ has already won the victory over sin, death, the world, and Satan. God’s people do not fight for victory but from victory! We are seated with Him in the heavenlies, where there are power, peace, and victory.
Of course, all these blessings are only for those who meet the conditions set forth in vv. 1–2. Note that Paul writes to living saints (not dead ones), people who have put faith in Christ. These saints (set-apart ones) have experienced God’s grace and now enjoy God’s peace. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the church makes people saints; only God can make a sinner a saint. And the sinner must become a saint while he is still alive, for after death is the judgment (Heb. 9:27).
EPHESIANS 2
Chapter 1 emphasized our possessions in Christ; chapter 2 emphasizes our position in Christ. Your position determines your possessions and authority. Regardless of where the President of the United States may be physically, his position as the man who sits behind the desk in the White House gives him power and authority. So with the Christian. Regardless of where we might be physically (Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter), we have power and authority in the spiritual realm because of our position in Christ.
I. We Are Raised and Seated on the Throne (2:1–10)
A. What we were (vv. 1–3).
What a picture of the lost sinner! To begin with, sinners are dead spiritually; that is, the inner man is dead to spiritual things and cannot respond to them. The Gospels describe the resurrections of three people that Jesus raised from the dead: (1) a twelve-year-old girl, Luke 8:49–55; (2) a young man, Luke 7:12–15; and (3) an older man, John 11. Each of them was dead; the only difference was their state of decomposition. Lazarus had been buried for four days and had begun to smell! All sinners are dead, regardless of age; the only difference between the unsaved church member and the vagrant on skid row is the state of decay. Sinners are not only dead, they are enslaved by the world and live for its pleasures and fashions. Tell them that this world is under the condemnation of God and is passing away, and they will laugh at you. They are also enslaved by Satan, who is at work in the lives of unsaved people. This does not mean that he necessarily makes them drunkards or murderers; his usual tactic is to give people false security through self-righteousness. Jesus called the Pharisees “children of the devil” (John 8:44), yet they were religious, upstanding citizens.
We are born by nature children of wrath; when we reject Christ knowingly after reaching an age of accountability, we become children of disobedience by choice. When we trust Jesus Christ, we become children of God.
B. What God did (vv. 4–9).
“But God!” These words are among the greatest in the Bible. God could have allowed us to go on in sin and live eternally with the devil in hell, but instead He chose to save us. He gave us life (quickened us), raised us from the grave of sin, and took us out of the graveyard! More than that, He made us members of Christ! We have been quickened together, raised together, and we sit together in the heavenlies. God did this because He is rich in mercy and great in love. Mercy means that God does not give me what I do deserve; grace means that He gives me what I don’t deserve.
C. What we are now (v. 10).
We are His workmanship, His new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Read Phil. 2:12–13 and dare to believe that God works in you! What does the future hold? We do not know, but we do know who holds the future. The same loving Father that chose me, called me, and saved me has also marked out a wonderful plan for my life! “Oh, to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!”
II. We Are Reconciled and Set into the Temple (2:11–22)
In the first half of this chapter, Paul has been telling us what God has done for sinners in general; now he discusses Jews and Gentiles in particular. God had made no messianic covenants with the Gentiles, but God had promised the Jews a kingdom. What is the status of Jews and Gentiles in God’s program today?
A. What the Gentiles were (vv. 11–12).
God makes a distinction between Jews and Gentiles racially (1 Cor. 10:32), but not individually (Rom. 10:11–13). The Gentiles were without Christ; that is, they had no promise of a Messiah. They were not a part of the nation of Israel; in fact, the OT laws put a great gulf between Jews and Gentiles. Instead of being “the people of God,” the Gentiles were aliens. They were strangers, without hope and without the true God in the world. Contrast this sad plight with the privileged position of Israel described in Rom. 9:4–5. Verse 13 sums up the Gentiles’ condition in two words: “far off.” While the problem of sinners in general (vv. 1–10) was spiritual death, the problem of the Gentiles in particular was spiritual distance from God and His blessings. Note in the Gospels that whenever Christ helped a Gentile, He did it at a distance (Matt. 8:5–13; 15:22–28).
B. What God did (vv. 13–17).
“But now” in v. 13 parallels “But God” in v. 4. When Christ died on the cross, He broke down every barrier that stood between Jews and Gentiles. In the Jewish temple, there was a wall that separated the “Court of the Gentiles” from the rest of the structure; and on this wall was a sign giving warning that any Gentile who passed beyond it would be killed. Jesus Christ tore down that wall! He tore down the physical wall, for in Christ all are made one (v. 15, and see Gal. 3:28–29). He tore down the spiritual wall and brought the “far off” Gentiles near (v. 13). He tore down the legal wall, for He fulfilled the Law in Himself and ended the reign of the Mosaic law that separated Jews and Gentiles (vv. 14–15). Christ not only made peace between sinners and God (Rom. 5:1), but He also made peace between Jews and Gentiles. He took sinful Jews and sinful Gentiles and through His cross made a “new man”—the church.
Keep in mind that the mystery of the church was revealed through Paul (as we shall see in chapter 3), and that it took some time for the Jewish Christians to understand God’s new program. For centuries, God had kept Jews and Gentiles separated, and the Jews had taught that the only way a Gentile could be brought near to God was by becoming a Jew. Now the truth was revealed that the cross of Christ condemns both Jews and Gentiles as sinners, but also reconciles to God in one body those that believe on Jesus.
C. What the Gentiles and Jews are now (vv. 18–22).
Both have access to the Father in the Spirit. Under the Jewish economy, only the high priest could go into the presence of God, and that only once a year. But in the new creation, every believer has the privilege of coming into the holy of holies (Heb. 10:19–25). Both Jews and Gentiles now belong to the household of God, and the Jew can no longer claim greater privileges. It is through faith in His blood that Jews and Gentiles are justified.
Paul closes by picturing the church as a temple. This would be a fitting image not only for the Jews, who revered their holy temple at Jerusalem, but also for the Ephesians, who had the great temple of Diana in their city (Acts 19:21–41). Each believer is a living stone set into the temple (1 Peter 2:4–8). The apostles and prophets (NT prophets, 4:11) are not the foundation; they laid the foundation since they were the first to proclaim the message. Christ is the foundation of the local church (1 Cor. 3:11) and the chief cornerstone of the whole building. The church today is a living, growing temple; when it is completed, Christ will return and take the temple to glory. God dwelt in the Jewish tabernacle (Ex. 40:34), in Solomon’s temple (2 Chron. 7:1), in the temple of Christ’s body (John 1:14 and 2:18–22), and today in the individual believer (1 Cor. 6:19–20) and the church (Eph. 2:21–22). What a privilege to be the very habitation of God through the Spirit!
Written by Paul, many scholars believe Ephesians might have been a circular letter—one that was intentionally written for a wide audience and sent to multiple places. If so, it could be the letter mentioned in as being sent to the church at Laodicea. The reference to Ephesus might have been inserted later, perhaps to reflect the letter’s first destination. Since Paul had spent several years in Ephesus (), several statements in the text implying that Paul was unfamiliar with his audience (; ) lend support to the circular-letter theory.
Written in about AD 60 from Rome during Paul’s imprisonment. Paul had been a christian for 30 years at this point. And he had taken 3 missionary trips and had started churches all around the Mediterranean Sea.
It’s not written to confront any heresy or problem in the churches. It was sent with Tychicus (tichicus)to strengthen and encourage the churches in the area. Paul had spent about three years with the ephesian church. talks about Paul meeting with the elders of the ephesian church at Miletus. Ephesus was a commercial, political, and religious center for all of Asia Minor. The temple to the Greek goddess Artemis was located there. Paul cared about the disciples in Ephesus
I. Blessings from the Father (1:1–6)
The key thought in this chapter is the wealth of blessings we have as Christians, spiritual blessings that are ours because we are in Christ (1:3). Paul informs us that each Person of the Godhead (Trinity) has blessed us (vv. 1–14), and then he prays that we might understand these blessings and the power they can be in our lives (vv. 15–23).
A. He has chosen us (vv. 3–4).
This is the wonderful doctrine of election, a doctrine that we cannot fully explain but one we can fully enjoy. Do not try to explain away the mystery of grace. God did not choose us in ourselves; He chose us in Christ, by grace. Note ; ; and .
I. Blessings from the Father (1:1–6)
A. He has chosen us (vv. 3–4).
This is the wonderful doctrine of election, a doctrine that we cannot fully explain but one we can fully enjoy. Do not try to explain away the mystery of grace. God did not choose us in ourselves; He chose us in Christ, by grace. Note 1 Cor. 1:26–29; 2 Thes. 2:13–14; and John 6:37.
B. He has adopted us (v. 5).
“Election” refers to persons; predestination to purposes for those persons. God elects us to be saints (set-apart ones), then predestines that certain purposes in our lives shall come to pass (see Rom. 8:28ff). “Adoption” in the NT refers to the official act of a father who bestows the status of full adulthood on a son of minor status. It is not the taking in of an outsider; it is the placing of a family member into the privileges and blessings of adulthood. This means that even the youngest Christian has everything that Christ has and is rich in grace.
C. He has accepted us (v. 6).
In ourselves, we are not acceptable to God, but in Christ, we are “made accepted.” Read the Epistle to Philemon for a beautiful illustration of this truth. Paul wrote, “Receive your slave Onesimus as you would receive me” (Phile. 17). Though we have sinned, Christ says to the Father, “Receive this saint as you would receive Me.” Trace that wonderful phrase “in Christ” throughout Paul’s letters—you will be thrilled!
B. He has adopted us (v. 5).
“Election” refers to persons; predestination to purposes for those persons. God elects us to be saints (set-apart ones), then predestines that certain purposes in our lives shall come to pass (see ). “Adoption” in the NT refers to the official act of a father who bestows the status of full adulthood on a son of minor status. It is not the taking in of an outsider; it is the placing of a family member into the privileges and blessings of adulthood. This means that even the youngest Christian has everything that Christ has and is rich in grace.
I. Blessings from the Father ()
C. He has accepted us (v. 6).
In ourselves, we are not acceptable to God, but in Christ, we are “made accepted.” Read the Epistle to Philemon for a beautiful illustration of this truth. Paul wrote, “Receive your slave Onesimus as you would receive me” (). Though we have sinned, Christ says to the Father, “Receive this saint as you would receive Me.” Trace that wonderful phrase “in Christ” throughout Paul’s letters—you will be thrilled!
II. Blessings from the Son (1:7–12)
A. He has redeemed us (v. 7a).
By giving His life on the cross, Christ purchased us from the slavery of sin. We have a present redemption in that He has delivered us from the penalty and power of sin; we shall have a future redemption (v. 14) when Christ delivers us from the presence of sin at His return.
B. He has forgiven us (v. 7b).
The word “forgive” literally means “to send away.” Sin is a terrible burden that is sent away when a sinner turns to Christ. Christ carried the burden on the cross (). It is pictured by the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, taken into the wilderness ().
C. He has revealed God’s will to us (vv. 8–10).
A “mystery” is a divine truth known only by God’s people through revelation. In Christ we are a part of God’s eternal purpose to gather together “all things in Christ” (v. 10). This present world is falling apart with war, strife, and sin. But one day God will usher in a new creation, with all things united in Christ.
D. He has made us an inheritance (vv. 11–12).
God has not only given us an inheritance in Christ (), but He has made us an inheritance for Christ. The church is His body, temple, and bride; we shall some day share His glory.
III. Blessings from the Spirit (1:13–14)
A. He has sealed us (v. 13).
This important verse outlines the way of salvation. The sinner hears the Word of Truth, trusts in Christ, receives the Holy Spirit, and is sealed forever. “After that ye believed” ought to be “when ye believed,” for the Spirit enters the heart the instant the sinner trusts Christ. This sealing means God owns us and will keep us. Nobody can break God’s seal!
B. He has given us an earnest (v. 14).
“Earnest money” in business means money given as a down payment for a purchased possession. Christ has purchased our future for us, but we have not yet entered into all the blessings. God has given us His Spirit as the “down payment” to assure us that we will experience total redemption and receive God’s promised blessings in glory.
Please note that at the end of each of these three sections, Paul tells why the Father, the Son, and the Spirit have given us these blessings: “To the praise of His glory” (vv. 6, 12, 14b). Salvation is by God’s grace and for God’s glory! God does not have to save anybody; when He does save the sinner, He does so for His own glory.
IV. Prayer for Understanding (1:15–23)
There are two prayers in Ephesians: (1) “that you might know,” 1:15–23; and (2) “that you might be,” 3:13–21. The first is for enlightenment, the second for enablement. Paul prays first that we might know what Christ has done for us; then he prays that we might live up to these wonderful blessings and put them to work in our daily lives. Notice Paul’s requests:
A. That God may give you spiritual understanding (vv. 17–18a).
Spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned (), and this understanding can come only from the Spirit. He wrote the Word; He alone can teach us what it says.
B. That you might know the hope of His calling (v. 18b).
Because God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, we have a blessed hope for all eternity that depends not on our goodness but on His grace. Review vv. 4–6, where this calling is summarized for us. The Christian who does not know his high calling (), holy calling (), and heavenly calling () will never be able to walk worthy of that calling (, where “vocation” is “calling”).
C. That you might know the riches of His inheritance (v. 18c).
We not only have an inheritance in Christ, but we are an inheritance to Christ (see v. 11). The word “riches” appears often in Ephesians, suggesting that there is nothing lacking, nothing more that we need. Christians mature in the Lord when they learn how much they mean to Christ and then start living to bring joy to His heart.
D. That you might know His power (vv. 19–23).
The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available for our daily lives! Christ has already won the victory over sin, death, the world, and Satan. God’s people do not fight for victory but from victory! We are seated with Him in the heavenlies, where there are power, peace, and victory.
Of course, all these blessings are only for those who meet the conditions set forth in vv. 1–2. Note that Paul writes to living saints (not dead ones), people who have put faith in Christ. These saints (set-apart ones) have experienced God’s grace and now enjoy God’s peace. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the church makes people saints; only God can make a sinner a saint. And the sinner must become a saint while he is still alive, for after death is the judgment ().
Chapter 1 emphasized our possessions in Christ; chapter 2 emphasizes our position in Christ. Your position determines your possessions and authority. Regardless of where the President of the United States may be physically, his position as the man who sits behind the desk in the White House gives him power and authority. So with the Christian. Regardless of where we might be physically (Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter), we have power and authority in the spiritual realm because of our position in Christ.
I. We Are Raised and Seated on the Throne (2:1–10)
A. What we were (vv. 1–3).
What a picture of the lost sinner! To begin with, sinners are dead spiritually; that is, the inner man is dead to spiritual things and cannot respond to them. The Gospels describe the resurrections of three people that Jesus raised from the dead: (1) a twelve-year-old girl, ; (2) a young man, ; and (3) an older man, . Each of them was dead; the only difference was their state of decomposition. Lazarus had been buried for four days and had begun to smell! All sinners are dead, regardless of age; the only difference between the unsaved church member and the vagrant on skid row is the state of decay. Sinners are not only dead, they are enslaved by the world and live for its pleasures and fashions. Tell them that this world is under the condemnation of God and is passing away, and they will laugh at you. They are also enslaved by Satan, who is at work in the lives of unsaved people. This does not mean that he necessarily makes them drunkards or murderers; his usual tactic is to give people false security through self-righteousness. Jesus called the Pharisees “children of the devil” (), yet they were religious, upstanding citizens.
We are born by nature children of wrath; when we reject Christ knowingly after reaching an age of accountability, we become children of disobedience by choice. When we trust Jesus Christ, we become children of God.
B. What God did (vv. 4–9).
“But God!” These words are among the greatest in the Bible. God could have allowed us to go on in sin and live eternally with the devil in hell, but instead He chose to save us. He gave us life (quickened us), raised us from the grave of sin, and took us out of the graveyard! More than that, He made us members of Christ! We have been quickened together, raised together, and we sit together in the heavenlies. God did this because He is rich in mercy and great in love. Mercy means that God does not give me what I do deserve; grace means that He gives me what I don’t deserve.
C. What we are now (v. 10).
We are His workmanship, His new creation (). Read and dare to believe that God works in you! What does the future hold? We do not know, but we do know who holds the future. The same loving Father that chose me, called me, and saved me has also marked out a wonderful plan for my life! “Oh, to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!”
II. We Are Reconciled and Set into the Temple (2:11–22)
In the first half of this chapter, Paul has been telling us what God has done for sinners in general; now he discusses Jews and Gentiles in particular. God had made no messianic covenants with the Gentiles, but God had promised the Jews a kingdom. What is the status of Jews and Gentiles in God’s program today?
A. What the Gentiles were (vv. 11–12).
God makes a distinction between Jews and Gentiles racially (), but not individually (). The Gentiles were without Christ; that is, they had no promise of a Messiah. They were not a part of the nation of Israel; in fact, the OT laws put a great gulf between Jews and Gentiles. Instead of being “the people of God,” the Gentiles were aliens. They were strangers, without hope and without the true God in the world. Contrast this sad plight with the privileged position of Israel described in . Verse 13 sums up the Gentiles’ condition in two words: “far off.” While the problem of sinners in general (vv. 1–10) was spiritual death, the problem of the Gentiles in particular was spiritual distance from God and His blessings. Note in the Gospels that whenever Christ helped a Gentile, He did it at a distance (; ).
B. What God did (vv. 13–17).
“But now” in v. 13 parallels “But God” in v. 4. When Christ died on the cross, He broke down every barrier that stood between Jews and Gentiles. In the Jewish temple, there was a wall that separated the “Court of the Gentiles” from the rest of the structure; and on this wall was a sign giving warning that any Gentile who passed beyond it would be killed. Jesus Christ tore down that wall! He tore down the physical wall, for in Christ all are made one (v. 15, and see ). He tore down the spiritual wall and brought the “far off” Gentiles near (v. 13). He tore down the legal wall, for He fulfilled the Law in Himself and ended the reign of the Mosaic law that separated Jews and Gentiles (vv. 14–15). Christ not only made peace between sinners and God (), but He also made peace between Jews and Gentiles. He took sinful Jews and sinful Gentiles and through His cross made a “new man”—the church.
Keep in mind that the mystery of the church was revealed through Paul (as we shall see in chapter 3), and that it took some time for the Jewish Christians to understand God’s new program. For centuries, God had kept Jews and Gentiles separated, and the Jews had taught that the only way a Gentile could be brought near to God was by becoming a Jew. Now the truth was revealed that the cross of Christ condemns both Jews and Gentiles as sinners, but also reconciles to God in one body those that believe on Jesus.
C. What the Gentiles and Jews are now (vv. 18–22).
Both have access to the Father in the Spirit. Under the Jewish economy, only the high priest could go into the presence of God, and that only once a year. But in the new creation, every believer has the privilege of coming into the holy of holies (). Both Jews and Gentiles now belong to the household of God, and the Jew can no longer claim greater privileges. It is through faith in His blood that Jews and Gentiles are justified.
Paul closes by picturing the church as a temple. This would be a fitting image not only for the Jews, who revered their holy temple at Jerusalem, but also for the Ephesians, who had the great temple of Diana in their city (). Each believer is a living stone set into the temple (). The apostles and prophets (NT prophets, 4:11) are not the foundation; they laid the foundation since they were the first to proclaim the message. Christ is the foundation of the local church () and the chief cornerstone of the whole building. The church today is a living, growing temple; when it is completed, Christ will return and take the temple to glory. God dwelt in the Jewish tabernacle (), in Solomon’s temple (), in the temple of Christ’s body ( and 2:18–22), and today in the individual believer () and the church (). What a privilege to be the very habitation of God through the Spirit!
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
C. He has accepted us (v. 6).
In ourselves, we are not acceptable to God, but in Christ, we are “made accepted.” Read the Epistle to Philemon for a beautiful illustration of this truth. Paul wrote, “Receive your slave Onesimus as you would receive me” (). Though we have sinned, Christ says to the Father, “Receive this saint as you would receive Me.” Trace that wonderful phrase “in Christ” throughout Paul’s letters—you will be thrilled!
II. Blessings from the Son (1:7–12)
A. He has redeemed us (v. 7a).
By giving His life on the cross, Christ purchased us from the slavery of sin. We have a present redemption in that He has delivered us from the penalty and power of sin; we shall have a future redemption (v. 14) when Christ delivers us from the presence of sin at His return.
B. He has forgiven us (v. 7b).
The word “forgive” literally means “to send away.” Sin is a terrible burden that is sent away when a sinner turns to Christ. Christ carried the burden on the cross (). It is pictured by the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, taken into the wilderness ().
C. He has revealed God’s will to us (vv. 8–10).
A “mystery” is a divine truth known only by God’s people through revelation. In Christ we are a part of God’s eternal purpose to gather together “all things in Christ” (v. 10). This present world is falling apart with war, strife, and sin. But one day God will usher in a new creation, with all things united in Christ.
D. He has made us an inheritance (vv. 11–12).
God has not only given us an inheritance in Christ (), but He has made us an inheritance for Christ. The church is His body, temple, and bride; we shall some day share His glory.
III. Blessings from the Spirit (1:13–14)
A. He has sealed us (v. 13).
This important verse outlines the way of salvation. The sinner hears the Word of Truth, trusts in Christ, receives the Holy Spirit, and is sealed forever. “After that ye believed” ought to be “when ye believed,” for the Spirit enters the heart the instant the sinner trusts Christ. This sealing means God owns us and will keep us. Nobody can break God’s seal!
B. He has given us an earnest (v. 14).
“Earnest money” in business means money given as a down payment for a purchased possession. Christ has purchased our future for us, but we have not yet entered into all the blessings. God has given us His Spirit as the “down payment” to assure us that we will experience total redemption and receive God’s promised blessings in glory.
Please note that at the end of each of these three sections, Paul tells why the Father, the Son, and the Spirit have given us these blessings: “To the praise of His glory” (vv. 6, 12, 14b). Salvation is by God’s grace and for God’s glory! God does not have to save anybody; when He does save the sinner, He does so for His own glory.
IV. Prayer for Understanding (1:15–23)
There are two prayers in Ephesians: (1) “that you might know,” 1:15–23; and (2) “that you might be,” 3:13–21. The first is for enlightenment, the second for enablement. Paul prays first that we might know what Christ has done for us; then he prays that we might live up to these wonderful blessings and put them to work in our daily lives. Notice Paul’s requests:
A. That God may give you spiritual understanding (vv. 17–18a).
Spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned (), and this understanding can come only from the Spirit. He wrote the Word; He alone can teach us what it says.
B. That you might know the hope of His calling (v. 18b).
Because God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, we have a blessed hope for all eternity that depends not on our goodness but on His grace. Review vv. 4–6, where this calling is summarized for us. The Christian who does not know his high calling (), holy calling (), and heavenly calling () will never be able to walk worthy of that calling (, where “vocation” is “calling”).
C. That you might know the riches of His inheritance (v. 18c).
We not only have an inheritance in Christ, but we are an inheritance to Christ (see v. 11). The word “riches” appears often in Ephesians, suggesting that there is nothing lacking, nothing more that we need. Christians mature in the Lord when they learn how much they mean to Christ and then start living to bring joy to His heart.
D. That you might know His power (vv. 19–23).
The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available for our daily lives! Christ has already won the victory over sin, death, the world, and Satan. God’s people do not fight for victory but from victory! We are seated with Him in the heavenlies, where there are power, peace, and victory.
Of course, all these blessings are only for those who meet the conditions set forth in vv. 1–2. Note that Paul writes to living saints (not dead ones), people who have put faith in Christ. These saints (set-apart ones) have experienced God’s grace and now enjoy God’s peace. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the church makes people saints; only God can make a sinner a saint. And the sinner must become a saint while he is still alive, for after death is the judgment ().
Chapter 1 emphasized our possessions in Christ; chapter 2 emphasizes our position in Christ. Your position determines your possessions and authority. Regardless of where the President of the United States may be physically, his position as the man who sits behind the desk in the White House gives him power and authority. So with the Christian. Regardless of where we might be physically (Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter), we have power and authority in the spiritual realm because of our position in Christ.
I. We Are Raised and Seated on the Throne (2:1–10)
A. What we were (vv. 1–3).
What a picture of the lost sinner! To begin with, sinners are dead spiritually; that is, the inner man is dead to spiritual things and cannot respond to them. The Gospels describe the resurrections of three people that Jesus raised from the dead: (1) a twelve-year-old girl, ; (2) a young man, ; and (3) an older man, . Each of them was dead; the only difference was their state of decomposition. Lazarus had been buried for four days and had begun to smell! All sinners are dead, regardless of age; the only difference between the unsaved church member and the vagrant on skid row is the state of decay. Sinners are not only dead, they are enslaved by the world and live for its pleasures and fashions. Tell them that this world is under the condemnation of God and is passing away, and they will laugh at you. They are also enslaved by Satan, who is at work in the lives of unsaved people. This does not mean that he necessarily makes them drunkards or murderers; his usual tactic is to give people false security through self-righteousness. Jesus called the Pharisees “children of the devil” (), yet they were religious, upstanding citizens.
We are born by nature children of wrath; when we reject Christ knowingly after reaching an age of accountability, we become children of disobedience by choice. When we trust Jesus Christ, we become children of God.
B. What God did (vv. 4–9).
“But God!” These words are among the greatest in the Bible. God could have allowed us to go on in sin and live eternally with the devil in hell, but instead He chose to save us. He gave us life (quickened us), raised us from the grave of sin, and took us out of the graveyard! More than that, He made us members of Christ! We have been quickened together, raised together, and we sit together in the heavenlies. God did this because He is rich in mercy and great in love. Mercy means that God does not give me what I do deserve; grace means that He gives me what I don’t deserve.
C. What we are now (v. 10).
We are His workmanship, His new creation (). Read and dare to believe that God works in you! What does the future hold? We do not know, but we do know who holds the future. The same loving Father that chose me, called me, and saved me has also marked out a wonderful plan for my life! “Oh, to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!”
II. We Are Reconciled and Set into the Temple (2:11–22)
In the first half of this chapter, Paul has been telling us what God has done for sinners in general; now he discusses Jews and Gentiles in particular. God had made no messianic covenants with the Gentiles, but God had promised the Jews a kingdom. What is the status of Jews and Gentiles in God’s program today?
A. What the Gentiles were (vv. 11–12).
God makes a distinction between Jews and Gentiles racially (), but not individually (). The Gentiles were without Christ; that is, they had no promise of a Messiah. They were not a part of the nation of Israel; in fact, the OT laws put a great gulf between Jews and Gentiles. Instead of being “the people of God,” the Gentiles were aliens. They were strangers, without hope and without the true God in the world. Contrast this sad plight with the privileged position of Israel described in . Verse 13 sums up the Gentiles’ condition in two words: “far off.” While the problem of sinners in general (vv. 1–10) was spiritual death, the problem of the Gentiles in particular was spiritual distance from God and His blessings. Note in the Gospels that whenever Christ helped a Gentile, He did it at a distance (; ).
B. What God did (vv. 13–17).
“But now” in v. 13 parallels “But God” in v. 4. When Christ died on the cross, He broke down every barrier that stood between Jews and Gentiles. In the Jewish temple, there was a wall that separated the “Court of the Gentiles” from the rest of the structure; and on this wall was a sign giving warning that any Gentile who passed beyond it would be killed. Jesus Christ tore down that wall! He tore down the physical wall, for in Christ all are made one (v. 15, and see ). He tore down the spiritual wall and brought the “far off” Gentiles near (v. 13). He tore down the legal wall, for He fulfilled the Law in Himself and ended the reign of the Mosaic law that separated Jews and Gentiles (vv. 14–15). Christ not only made peace between sinners and God (), but He also made peace between Jews and Gentiles. He took sinful Jews and sinful Gentiles and through His cross made a “new man”—the church.
Keep in mind that the mystery of the church was revealed through Paul (as we shall see in chapter 3), and that it took some time for the Jewish Christians to understand God’s new program. For centuries, God had kept Jews and Gentiles separated, and the Jews had taught that the only way a Gentile could be brought near to God was by becoming a Jew. Now the truth was revealed that the cross of Christ condemns both Jews and Gentiles as sinners, but also reconciles to God in one body those that believe on Jesus.
C. What the Gentiles and Jews are now (vv. 18–22).
Both have access to the Father in the Spirit. Under the Jewish economy, only the high priest could go into the presence of God, and that only once a year. But in the new creation, every believer has the privilege of coming into the holy of holies (). Both Jews and Gentiles now belong to the household of God, and the Jew can no longer claim greater privileges. It is through faith in His blood that Jews and Gentiles are justified.
Paul closes by picturing the church as a temple. This would be a fitting image not only for the Jews, who revered their holy temple at Jerusalem, but also for the Ephesians, who had the great temple of Diana in their city (). Each believer is a living stone set into the temple (). The apostles and prophets (NT prophets, 4:11) are not the foundation; they laid the foundation since they were the first to proclaim the message. Christ is the foundation of the local church () and the chief cornerstone of the whole building. The church today is a living, growing temple; when it is completed, Christ will return and take the temple to glory. God dwelt in the Jewish tabernacle (), in Solomon’s temple (), in the temple of Christ’s body ( and 2:18–22), and today in the individual believer () and the church (). What a privilege to be the very habitation of God through the Spirit!
C. He has accepted us (v. 6).
In ourselves, we are not acceptable to God, but in Christ, we are “made accepted.” Read the Epistle to Philemon for a beautiful illustration of this truth. Paul wrote, “Receive your slave Onesimus as you would receive me” (). Though we have sinned, Christ says to the Father, “Receive this saint as you would receive Me.” Trace that wonderful phrase “in Christ” throughout Paul’s letters—you will be thrilled!
A. He has chosen us (vv. 3–4).
B. He has adopted us (v. 5).
C. He has accepted us (v. 6).
In ourselves, we are not acceptable to God, but in Christ, we are “made accepted.” Read the Epistle to Philemon for a beautiful illustration of this truth. Paul wrote, “Receive your slave Onesimus as you would receive me” (). Though we have sinned, Christ says to the Father, “Receive this saint as you would receive Me.” Trace that wonderful phrase “in Christ” throughout Paul’s letters—you will be thrilled!
II. Blessings from the Son (1:7–12)
A. He has redeemed us (v. 7a).
By giving His life on the cross, Christ purchased us from the slavery of sin. We have a present redemption in that He has delivered us from the penalty and power of sin; we shall have a future redemption (v. 14) when Christ delivers us from the presence of sin at His return.
B. He has forgiven us (v. 7b).
The word “forgive” literally means “to send away.” Sin is a terrible burden that is sent away when a sinner turns to Christ. Christ carried the burden on the cross (). It is pictured by the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, taken into the wilderness ().
C. He has revealed God’s will to us (vv. 8–10).
A “mystery” is a divine truth known only by God’s people through revelation. In Christ we are a part of God’s eternal purpose to gather together “all things in Christ” (v. 10). This present world is falling apart with war, strife, and sin. But one day God will usher in a new creation, with all things united in Christ.
D. He has made us an inheritance (vv. 11–12).
God has not only given us an inheritance in Christ (), but He has made us an inheritance for Christ. The church is His body, temple, and bride; we shall some day share His glory.
III. Blessings from the Spirit (1:13–14)
A. He has sealed us (v. 13).
This important verse outlines the way of salvation. The sinner hears the Word of Truth, trusts in Christ, receives the Holy Spirit, and is sealed forever. “After that ye believed” ought to be “when ye believed,” for the Spirit enters the heart the instant the sinner trusts Christ. This sealing means God owns us and will keep us. Nobody can break God’s seal!
B. He has given us an earnest (v. 14).
“Earnest money” in business means money given as a down payment for a purchased possession. Christ has purchased our future for us, but we have not yet entered into all the blessings. God has given us His Spirit as the “down payment” to assure us that we will experience total redemption and receive God’s promised blessings in glory.
Please note that at the end of each of these three sections, Paul tells why the Father, the Son, and the Spirit have given us these blessings: “To the praise of His glory” (vv. 6, 12, 14b). Salvation is by God’s grace and for God’s glory! God does not have to save anybody; when He does save the sinner, He does so for His own glory.
IV. Prayer for Understanding (1:15–23)
There are two prayers in Ephesians: (1) “that you might know,” 1:15–23; and (2) “that you might be,” 3:13–21. The first is for enlightenment, the second for enablement. Paul prays first that we might know what Christ has done for us; then he prays that we might live up to these wonderful blessings and put them to work in our daily lives. Notice Paul’s requests:
A. That God may give you spiritual understanding (vv. 17–18a).
Spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned (), and this understanding can come only from the Spirit. He wrote the Word; He alone can teach us what it says.
B. That you might know the hope of His calling (v. 18b).
Because God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, we have a blessed hope for all eternity that depends not on our goodness but on His grace. Review vv. 4–6, where this calling is summarized for us. The Christian who does not know his high calling (), holy calling (), and heavenly calling () will never be able to walk worthy of that calling (, where “vocation” is “calling”).
C. That you might know the riches of His inheritance (v. 18c).
We not only have an inheritance in Christ, but we are an inheritance to Christ (see v. 11). The word “riches” appears often in Ephesians, suggesting that there is nothing lacking, nothing more that we need. Christians mature in the Lord when they learn how much they mean to Christ and then start living to bring joy to His heart.
D. That you might know His power (vv. 19–23).
The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available for our daily lives! Christ has already won the victory over sin, death, the world, and Satan. God’s people do not fight for victory but from victory! We are seated with Him in the heavenlies, where there are power, peace, and victory.
Of course, all these blessings are only for those who meet the conditions set forth in vv. 1–2. Note that Paul writes to living saints (not dead ones), people who have put faith in Christ. These saints (set-apart ones) have experienced God’s grace and now enjoy God’s peace. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the church makes people saints; only God can make a sinner a saint. And the sinner must become a saint while he is still alive, for after death is the judgment ().
Chapter 1 emphasized our possessions in Christ; chapter 2 emphasizes our position in Christ. Your position determines your possessions and authority. Regardless of where the President of the United States may be physically, his position as the man who sits behind the desk in the White House gives him power and authority. So with the Christian. Regardless of where we might be physically (Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter), we have power and authority in the spiritual realm because of our position in Christ.
I. We Are Raised and Seated on the Throne (2:1–10)
A. What we were (vv. 1–3).
What a picture of the lost sinner! To begin with, sinners are dead spiritually; that is, the inner man is dead to spiritual things and cannot respond to them. The Gospels describe the resurrections of three people that Jesus raised from the dead: (1) a twelve-year-old girl, ; (2) a young man, ; and (3) an older man, . Each of them was dead; the only difference was their state of decomposition. Lazarus had been buried for four days and had begun to smell! All sinners are dead, regardless of age; the only difference between the unsaved church member and the vagrant on skid row is the state of decay. Sinners are not only dead, they are enslaved by the world and live for its pleasures and fashions. Tell them that this world is under the condemnation of God and is passing away, and they will laugh at you. They are also enslaved by Satan, who is at work in the lives of unsaved people. This does not mean that he necessarily makes them drunkards or murderers; his usual tactic is to give people false security through self-righteousness. Jesus called the Pharisees “children of the devil” (), yet they were religious, upstanding citizens.
We are born by nature children of wrath; when we reject Christ knowingly after reaching an age of accountability, we become children of disobedience by choice. When we trust Jesus Christ, we become children of God.
B. What God did (vv. 4–9).
“But God!” These words are among the greatest in the Bible. God could have allowed us to go on in sin and live eternally with the devil in hell, but instead He chose to save us. He gave us life (quickened us), raised us from the grave of sin, and took us out of the graveyard! More than that, He made us members of Christ! We have been quickened together, raised together, and we sit together in the heavenlies. God did this because He is rich in mercy and great in love. Mercy means that God does not give me what I do deserve; grace means that He gives me what I don’t deserve.
C. What we are now (v. 10).
We are His workmanship, His new creation (). Read and dare to believe that God works in you! What does the future hold? We do not know, but we do know who holds the future. The same loving Father that chose me, called me, and saved me has also marked out a wonderful plan for my life! “Oh, to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!”
II. We Are Reconciled and Set into the Temple (2:11–22)
In the first half of this chapter, Paul has been telling us what God has done for sinners in general; now he discusses Jews and Gentiles in particular. God had made no messianic covenants with the Gentiles, but God had promised the Jews a kingdom. What is the status of Jews and Gentiles in God’s program today?
A. What the Gentiles were (vv. 11–12).
God makes a distinction between Jews and Gentiles racially (), but not individually (). The Gentiles were without Christ; that is, they had no promise of a Messiah. They were not a part of the nation of Israel; in fact, the OT laws put a great gulf between Jews and Gentiles. Instead of being “the people of God,” the Gentiles were aliens. They were strangers, without hope and without the true God in the world. Contrast this sad plight with the privileged position of Israel described in . Verse 13 sums up the Gentiles’ condition in two words: “far off.” While the problem of sinners in general (vv. 1–10) was spiritual death, the problem of the Gentiles in particular was spiritual distance from God and His blessings. Note in the Gospels that whenever Christ helped a Gentile, He did it at a distance (; ).
B. What God did (vv. 13–17).
“But now” in v. 13 parallels “But God” in v. 4. When Christ died on the cross, He broke down every barrier that stood between Jews and Gentiles. In the Jewish temple, there was a wall that separated the “Court of the Gentiles” from the rest of the structure; and on this wall was a sign giving warning that any Gentile who passed beyond it would be killed. Jesus Christ tore down that wall! He tore down the physical wall, for in Christ all are made one (v. 15, and see ). He tore down the spiritual wall and brought the “far off” Gentiles near (v. 13). He tore down the legal wall, for He fulfilled the Law in Himself and ended the reign of the Mosaic law that separated Jews and Gentiles (vv. 14–15). Christ not only made peace between sinners and God (), but He also made peace between Jews and Gentiles. He took sinful Jews and sinful Gentiles and through His cross made a “new man”—the church.
Keep in mind that the mystery of the church was revealed through Paul (as we shall see in chapter 3), and that it took some time for the Jewish Christians to understand God’s new program. For centuries, God had kept Jews and Gentiles separated, and the Jews had taught that the only way a Gentile could be brought near to God was by becoming a Jew. Now the truth was revealed that the cross of Christ condemns both Jews and Gentiles as sinners, but also reconciles to God in one body those that believe on Jesus.
C. What the Gentiles and Jews are now (vv. 18–22).
Both have access to the Father in the Spirit. Under the Jewish economy, only the high priest could go into the presence of God, and that only once a year. But in the new creation, every believer has the privilege of coming into the holy of holies (). Both Jews and Gentiles now belong to the household of God, and the Jew can no longer claim greater privileges. It is through faith in His blood that Jews and Gentiles are justified.
Paul closes by picturing the church as a temple. This would be a fitting image not only for the Jews, who revered their holy temple at Jerusalem, but also for the Ephesians, who had the great temple of Diana in their city (). Each believer is a living stone set into the temple (). The apostles and prophets (NT prophets, 4:11) are not the foundation; they laid the foundation since they were the first to proclaim the message. Christ is the foundation of the local church () and the chief cornerstone of the whole building. The church today is a living, growing temple; when it is completed, Christ will return and take the temple to glory. God dwelt in the Jewish tabernacle (), in Solomon’s temple (), in the temple of Christ’s body ( and 2:18–22), and today in the individual believer () and the church (). What a privilege to be the very habitation of God through the Spirit!
II. Blessings from the Son (1:7–12)
A. He has redeemed us (v. 7a).
By giving His life on the cross, Christ purchased us from the slavery of sin. We have a present redemption in that He has delivered us from the penalty and power of sin; we shall have a future redemption (v. 14) when Christ delivers us from the presence of sin at His return.
B. He has forgiven us (v. 7b).
The word “forgive” literally means “to send away.” Sin is a terrible burden that is sent away when a sinner turns to Christ. Christ carried the burden on the cross (). It is pictured by the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, taken into the wilderness ().
C. He has revealed God’s will to us (vv. 8–10).
A “mystery” is a divine truth known only by God’s people through revelation. In Christ we are a part of God’s eternal purpose to gather together “all things in Christ” (v. 10). This present world is falling apart with war, strife, and sin. But one day God will usher in a new creation, with all things united in Christ.
D. He has made us an inheritance (vv. 11–12).
God has not only given us an inheritance in Christ (), but He has made us an inheritance for Christ. The church is His body, temple, and bride; we shall some day share His glory.
III. Blessings from the Spirit (1:13–14)
A. He has sealed us (v. 13).
This important verse outlines the way of salvation. The sinner hears the Word of Truth, trusts in Christ, receives the Holy Spirit, and is sealed forever. “After that ye believed” ought to be “when ye believed,” for the Spirit enters the heart the instant the sinner trusts Christ. This sealing means God owns us and will keep us. Nobody can break God’s seal!
B. He has given us an earnest (v. 14).
“Earnest money” in business means money given as a down payment for a purchased possession. Christ has purchased our future for us, but we have not yet entered into all the blessings. God has given us His Spirit as the “down payment” to assure us that we will experience total redemption and receive God’s promised blessings in glory.
Please note that at the end of each of these three sections, Paul tells why the Father, the Son, and the Spirit have given us these blessings: “To the praise of His glory” (vv. 6, 12, 14b). Salvation is by God’s grace and for God’s glory! God does not have to save anybody; when He does save the sinner, He does so for His own glory.
IV. Prayer for Understanding (1:15–23)
There are two prayers in Ephesians: (1) “that you might know,” 1:15–23; and (2) “that you might be,” 3:13–21. The first is for enlightenment, the second for enablement. Paul prays first that we might know what Christ has done for us; then he prays that we might live up to these wonderful blessings and put them to work in our daily lives. Notice Paul’s requests:
A. That God may give you spiritual understanding (vv. 17–18a).
Spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned (), and this understanding can come only from the Spirit. He wrote the Word; He alone can teach us what it says.
B. That you might know the hope of His calling (v. 18b).
Because God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, we have a blessed hope for all eternity that depends not on our goodness but on His grace. Review vv. 4–6, where this calling is summarized for us. The Christian who does not know his high calling (), holy calling (), and heavenly calling () will never be able to walk worthy of that calling (, where “vocation” is “calling”).
C. That you might know the riches of His inheritance (v. 18c).
We not only have an inheritance in Christ, but we are an inheritance to Christ (see v. 11). The word “riches” appears often in Ephesians, suggesting that there is nothing lacking, nothing more that we need. Christians mature in the Lord when they learn how much they mean to Christ and then start living to bring joy to His heart.
D. That you might know His power (vv. 19–23).
The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available for our daily lives! Christ has already won the victory over sin, death, the world, and Satan. God’s people do not fight for victory but from victory! We are seated with Him in the heavenlies, where there are power, peace, and victory.
Of course, all these blessings are only for those who meet the conditions set forth in vv. 1–2. Note that Paul writes to living saints (not dead ones), people who have put faith in Christ. These saints (set-apart ones) have experienced God’s grace and now enjoy God’s peace. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the church makes people saints; only God can make a sinner a saint. And the sinner must become a saint while he is still alive, for after death is the judgment ().
Chapter 1 emphasized our possessions in Christ; chapter 2 emphasizes our position in Christ. Your position determines your possessions and authority. Regardless of where the President of the United States may be physically, his position as the man who sits behind the desk in the White House gives him power and authority. So with the Christian. Regardless of where we might be physically (Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter), we have power and authority in the spiritual realm because of our position in Christ.
I. We Are Raised and Seated on the Throne (2:1–10)
A. What we were (vv. 1–3).
What a picture of the lost sinner! To begin with, sinners are dead spiritually; that is, the inner man is dead to spiritual things and cannot respond to them. The Gospels describe the resurrections of three people that Jesus raised from the dead: (1) a twelve-year-old girl, ; (2) a young man, ; and (3) an older man, . Each of them was dead; the only difference was their state of decomposition. Lazarus had been buried for four days and had begun to smell! All sinners are dead, regardless of age; the only difference between the unsaved church member and the vagrant on skid row is the state of decay. Sinners are not only dead, they are enslaved by the world and live for its pleasures and fashions. Tell them that this world is under the condemnation of God and is passing away, and they will laugh at you. They are also enslaved by Satan, who is at work in the lives of unsaved people. This does not mean that he necessarily makes them drunkards or murderers; his usual tactic is to give people false security through self-righteousness. Jesus called the Pharisees “children of the devil” (), yet they were religious, upstanding citizens.
We are born by nature children of wrath; when we reject Christ knowingly after reaching an age of accountability, we become children of disobedience by choice. When we trust Jesus Christ, we become children of God.
B. What God did (vv. 4–9).
“But God!” These words are among the greatest in the Bible. God could have allowed us to go on in sin and live eternally with the devil in hell, but instead He chose to save us. He gave us life (quickened us), raised us from the grave of sin, and took us out of the graveyard! More than that, He made us members of Christ! We have been quickened together, raised together, and we sit together in the heavenlies. God did this because He is rich in mercy and great in love. Mercy means that God does not give me what I do deserve; grace means that He gives me what I don’t deserve.
C. What we are now (v. 10).
We are His workmanship, His new creation (). Read and dare to believe that God works in you! What does the future hold? We do not know, but we do know who holds the future. The same loving Father that chose me, called me, and saved me has also marked out a wonderful plan for my life! “Oh, to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!”
II. We Are Reconciled and Set into the Temple (2:11–22)
In the first half of this chapter, Paul has been telling us what God has done for sinners in general; now he discusses Jews and Gentiles in particular. God had made no messianic covenants with the Gentiles, but God had promised the Jews a kingdom. What is the status of Jews and Gentiles in God’s program today?
A. What the Gentiles were (vv. 11–12).
God makes a distinction between Jews and Gentiles racially (), but not individually (). The Gentiles were without Christ; that is, they had no promise of a Messiah. They were not a part of the nation of Israel; in fact, the OT laws put a great gulf between Jews and Gentiles. Instead of being “the people of God,” the Gentiles were aliens. They were strangers, without hope and without the true God in the world. Contrast this sad plight with the privileged position of Israel described in . Verse 13 sums up the Gentiles’ condition in two words: “far off.” While the problem of sinners in general (vv. 1–10) was spiritual death, the problem of the Gentiles in particular was spiritual distance from God and His blessings. Note in the Gospels that whenever Christ helped a Gentile, He did it at a distance (; ).
B. What God did (vv. 13–17).
“But now” in v. 13 parallels “But God” in v. 4. When Christ died on the cross, He broke down every barrier that stood between Jews and Gentiles. In the Jewish temple, there was a wall that separated the “Court of the Gentiles” from the rest of the structure; and on this wall was a sign giving warning that any Gentile who passed beyond it would be killed. Jesus Christ tore down that wall! He tore down the physical wall, for in Christ all are made one (v. 15, and see ). He tore down the spiritual wall and brought the “far off” Gentiles near (v. 13). He tore down the legal wall, for He fulfilled the Law in Himself and ended the reign of the Mosaic law that separated Jews and Gentiles (vv. 14–15). Christ not only made peace between sinners and God (), but He also made peace between Jews and Gentiles. He took sinful Jews and sinful Gentiles and through His cross made a “new man”—the church.
Keep in mind that the mystery of the church was revealed through Paul (as we shall see in chapter 3), and that it took some time for the Jewish Christians to understand God’s new program. For centuries, God had kept Jews and Gentiles separated, and the Jews had taught that the only way a Gentile could be brought near to God was by becoming a Jew. Now the truth was revealed that the cross of Christ condemns both Jews and Gentiles as sinners, but also reconciles to God in one body those that believe on Jesus.
C. What the Gentiles and Jews are now (vv. 18–22).
Both have access to the Father in the Spirit. Under the Jewish economy, only the high priest could go into the presence of God, and that only once a year. But in the new creation, every believer has the privilege of coming into the holy of holies (). Both Jews and Gentiles now belong to the household of God, and the Jew can no longer claim greater privileges. It is through faith in His blood that Jews and Gentiles are justified.
Paul closes by picturing the church as a temple. This would be a fitting image not only for the Jews, who revered their holy temple at Jerusalem, but also for the Ephesians, who had the great temple of Diana in their city (). Each believer is a living stone set into the temple (). The apostles and prophets (NT prophets, 4:11) are not the foundation; they laid the foundation since they were the first to proclaim the message. Christ is the foundation of the local church () and the chief cornerstone of the whole building. The church today is a living, growing temple; when it is completed, Christ will return and take the temple to glory. God dwelt in the Jewish tabernacle (), in Solomon’s temple (), in the temple of Christ’s body ( and 2:18–22), and today in the individual believer () and the church (). What a privilege to be the very habitation of God through the Spirit!
C. He has accepted us (v. 6).
A. He has chosen us (vv. 3–4).
He picked you for his team. Nothing worse than being in school and not being picked for kickball...
vs 3 (The heavenly realm means these blessings are eternal not temporal.)
(The heavenly realm means these blessings are eternal not temporal.)
vs 3 (The heavenly realm means these blessings are eternal not temporal.)
God did not choose us in ourselves; He chose us in Christ, by grace.
He wants us to choose to walk with him and live out our faith.
B. He has adopted us (v. 5).
“Adoption” in the NT refers to the official act of a father who bestows the status of full adulthood on a son of minor status. It is not the taking in of an outsider; it is the placing of a family member into the privileges and blessings of adulthood. This means that even the youngest Christian has everything that Christ has and is rich in grace.
vs 5: Predestined means marked out beforehand. This is another way of saying that salvation is God’s work and not our own doing. He gave it to us freely… because of Christ’s sacrifice.
C. He has accepted us (v. 6).
In ourselves, we are not acceptable to God, but in Christ, we are “made accepted.” Read the Epistle to Philemon for a beautiful illustration of this truth. Paul wrote, “Receive your slave Onesimus as you would receive me” (). Though we have sinned, Christ says to the Father, “Receive this disciple as you would receive Me.” It’s a cool study to trace that wonderful phrase “in Christ” throughout Paul’s letters—great study if you are looking for one.
First set of blessing is blessing from the Father, the second is...
II. Blessings from the Son ()
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
A. He has redeemed us (v. 7a).
B. He has forgiven us (v. 7b).
C. He has revealed God’s will to us (vv. 8–10).
D. He has made us an inheritance (vv. 11–12).
A. He has redeemed us (v. 7a).
A. He has redeemed us (v. 7a).
By giving His life on the cross, Christ purchased us from the slavery of sin. The idea of redemption is to buy back, to pay for in full. We have a present redemption in that He has delivered us from the penalty and power of sin; we shall have a future redemption (v. 14) when Christ delivers us from the presence of sin at His return. No more struggling with sin, no more lust, anger, rage, laziness or the like. We will be free from all sin.
B. He has forgiven us (v. 7b).
The word “forgive” literally means “to send away.” Sin is a terrible burden that is sent away when a sinner turns to Christ. Christ carried the burden on the cross (). It is pictured by the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, taken into the wilderness ().
C. He has revealed God’s will to us (vv. 8–10).
A “mystery” is a divine truth known only by God’s people through revelation. In Christ we are a part of God’s eternal purpose to gather together “all things in Christ” (v. 10). This present world is falling apart with war, strife, and sin. But one day God will usher in a new creation, with all things united in Christ.
D. He has made us an inheritance (vv. 11–12).
God has not only given us an inheritance in Christ (), but He has made us an inheritance for Christ. The church is His body, temple, and bride; we shall some day share His glory.
III. Blessings from the Spirit ( )
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
A. He has sealed us (v. 13).
B. He has given us a down-payment (v. 14).
This important verse outlines the way of salvation. The sinner hears the Word of Truth, trusts in Christ, and is baptized we receive the Holy Spirit, and is sealed forever. This sealing means God owns us and will keep us. Nobody can break God’s seal!
This important verse outlines the way of salvation. The sinner hears the Word of Truth, trusts in Christ, receives the Holy Spirit, and is sealed forever. “After that ye believed” ought to be “when ye believed,” for the Spirit enters the heart the instant the sinner trusts Christ. This sealing means God owns us and will keep us. Nobody can break God’s seal!
“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (, NIV)
B. He has given us an Downpayment (v. 14).
“Earnest money” in business means money given as a down payment for a purchased possession. Christ has purchased our future for us, but we have not yet entered into all the blessings. God has given us His Spirit as the “down payment” to assure us that we will experience total redemption and receive God’s promised blessings in glory.
Now we should note that at the end of each of these three sections, Paul tells why the Father, the Son, and the Spirit have given us these blessings: “To the praise of His glory” (vv. 6, 12, 14b). Salvation is by God’s grace and for God’s glory! God does not have to save anybody; when He does save the sinner, He does so for His own glory.
IV. Prayer for Understanding (1:15–23)
There are two prayers in Ephesians: (1) “that you might know,” 1:15–23; and (2) “that you might be,” 3:13–21. The first is for enlightenment, the second for enablement. Paul prays first that we might know what Christ has done for us; then he prays that we might live up to these wonderful blessings and put them to work in our daily lives. Notice Paul’s requests:
A. That God may give you spiritual understanding (vv. 17–18a).
B. That you might know the hope of His calling (v. 18b).
C. That you might know the riches of His inheritance (v. 18c).
D. That you might know His power (vv. 19–23).
A. That God may give you spiritual understanding (vv. 17–18a).
Spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned (), and this understanding can come only from the Spirit. He wrote the Word; He alone can teach us what it says.
Spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned (), and this understanding can come only from the Spirit. He wrote the Word; He alone can teach us what it says.
Spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned (), and this understanding can come only from the Spirit. He wrote the Word; He alone can teach us what it says.
B. That you might know the hope of His calling (v. 18b).
Because God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, we have a blessed hope for all eternity that depends not on our goodness but on His grace.
What is God calling you to? Where is God calling you to go? There is a hope in that calling, it can be in your highschool, or at your job. God is calling you to something.
Review vv. 4–6, where this calling is summarized for us. The Christian who does not know his high calling (), holy calling (), and heavenly calling () will never be able to walk worthy of that calling (, where “vocation” is “calling”).
C. That you might know the riches of His inheritance (v. 18c).
We not only have an inheritance in Christ, but we are an inheritance to Christ (see v. 11). The word “riches” appears often in Ephesians, suggesting that there is nothing lacking, nothing more that we need. Christians mature in the Lord when they learn how much they mean to Christ and then start living to bring joy to His heart.
D. That you might know His power (vv. 19–23).
The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available for our daily lives! Christ has already won the victory over sin, death, the world, and Satan. God’s people do not fight for victory but from victory! We are seated with Him in the heavenlies, where there are power, peace, and victory.
Of course, all these blessings are only for those who meet the conditions set forth in vv. 1–2. Note that Paul writes to living saints (not dead ones), people who have put faith in Christ. These saints (set-apart ones) have experienced God’s grace and now enjoy God’s peace. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the church makes people saints; only God can make a sinner a saint. And the sinner must become a saint while he is still alive, for after death is the judgment ().
Chapter 1 emphasized our possessions in Christ; chapter 2 emphasizes our position in Christ. Your position determines your possessions and authority. Regardless of where the President of the United States may be physically, his position as the man who sits behind the desk in the White House gives him power and authority. So with the Christian. Regardless of where we might be physically (Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter), we have power and authority in the spiritual realm because of our position in Christ.
I. We Are Raised and Seated on the Throne ()
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 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. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 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. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
A. What we were (vv. 1–3).
What a picture of the lost sinner! To begin with, sinners are dead spiritually; that is, the inner man is dead to spiritual things and cannot respond to them. The Gospels describe the resurrections of three people that Jesus raised from the dead: (1) a twelve-year-old girl, ; (2) a young man, ; and (3) an older man, . Each of them was dead; the only difference was their state of decomposition. Lazarus had been buried for four days and had begun to smell! All sinners are dead, regardless of age; the only difference between the unsaved church member and the vagrant on skid row is the state of decay. Sinners are not only dead, they are enslaved by the world and live for its pleasures and fashions. Tell them that this world is under the condemnation of God and is passing away, and they will laugh at you. They are also enslaved by Satan, who is at work in the lives of unsaved people. This does not mean that he necessarily makes them drunkards or murderers; his usual tactic is to give people false security through self-righteousness. Jesus called the Pharisees “children of the devil” (), yet they were religious, upstanding citizens.
We are born by nature children of wrath; when we reject Christ knowingly after reaching an age of accountability, we become children of disobedience by choice. When we trust Jesus Christ, we become children of God.
B. What God did (vv. 4–9).
“But God!” These words are among the greatest in the Bible. God could have allowed us to go on in sin and live eternally with the devil in hell, but instead He chose to save us. He gave us life (quickened us), raised us from the grave of sin, and took us out of the graveyard! More than that, He made us members of Christ! We have been quickened together, raised together, and we sit together in the heavenlies. God did this because He is rich in mercy and great in love. Mercy means that God does not give me what I do deserve; grace means that He gives me what I don’t deserve.
C. What we are now (v. 10).
We are His workmanship, His new creation (). What does the future hold? We do not know, but we do know who holds the future. The same loving Father that chose me, called me, and saved me has also marked out a wonderful plan for my life! So what is God created you to do? What plans does he have for you?
You need to figure out what and who you can help.
Do any of you like jeeps? maybe wish you could have one? I’ve got several neighbors that have jeeps, they are super nice and very pretty. You know what is frustrating to me about them though?
They are always perfectly clean, but cause the never take them four wheeling. They don’t use them for what they were created for… It’s sad to me, cause I know what they could do.
Same with God, he knows what you can do, what he created you for and how good you would look with some mud up in those fenders!
II. We Are Reconciled and Set into the Temple (2:11–22)
In the first half of this chapter, Paul has been telling us what God has done for sinners in general; now he discusses Jews and Gentiles in particular. God had made no messianic covenants with the Gentiles, but God had promised the Jews a kingdom. What is the status of Jews and Gentiles in God’s program today?
A. What the Gentiles were (vv. ).
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
God makes a distinction between Jews and Gentiles racially (), but not individually (). The Gentiles were without Christ; that is, they had no promise of a Messiah. They were not a part of the nation of Israel; in fact, the OT laws put a great gulf between Jews and Gentiles. Instead of being “the people of God,” the Gentiles were aliens. They were strangers, without hope and without the true God in the world. Contrast this sad plight with the privileged position of Israel described in . Verse 13 sums up the Gentiles’ condition in two words: “far off.” While the problem of sinners in general (vv. 1–10) was spiritual death, the problem of the Gentiles in particular was spiritual distance from God and His blessings. It is interesting in the Gospels that whenever Christ helped a Gentile, He did it at a distance (; ).
B. What God did (vv. ).
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
“But now” in v. 13 parallels “But God” in v. 4. When Christ died on the cross, He broke down every barrier that stood between Jews and Gentiles. In the Jewish temple, there was a wall that separated the “Court of the Gentiles” from the rest of the structure; and on this wall was a sign giving warning that any Gentile who passed beyond it would be killed. Jesus Christ tore down that wall! He tore down the physical wall, for in Christ all are made one (v. 15, and see ). He tore down the spiritual wall and brought the “far off” Gentiles near (v. 13). He tore down the legal wall, for He fulfilled the Law in Himself and ended the reign of the Mosaic law that separated Jews and Gentiles (vv. 14–15). Christ not only made peace between sinners and God (), but He also made peace between Jews and Gentiles. He took sinful Jews and sinful Gentiles and through His cross made a “new man”—the church.
Keep in mind that the mystery of the church was revealed through Paul (as we shall see in chapter 3), and that it took some time for the Jewish Christians to understand God’s new program. For centuries, God had kept Jews and Gentiles separated, and the Jews had taught that the only way a Gentile could be brought near to God was by becoming a Jew. Now the truth was revealed that the cross of Christ condemns both Jews and Gentiles as sinners, but also reconciles to God in one body those that believe on Jesus.
C. What the Gentiles and Jews are now (vv. ).
18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Both have access to the Father in the Spirit. Under the Jewish economy, only the high priest could go into the presence of God, and that only once a year. But in the new creation, every believer has the privilege of coming into the holy of holies . Both Jews and Gentiles now belong to the household of God, and the Jew can no longer claim greater privileges. It is through faith in His blood that Jews and Gentiles are justified.
Paul closes by picturing the church as a temple. This would be a fitting image not only for the Jews, who revered their holy temple at Jerusalem, but also for the Ephesians, who had the great temple of Diana in their city . Each believer is a living stone set into the temple .
The apostles and prophets (NT prophets, 4:11) are not the foundation; they laid the foundation since they were the first to proclaim the message.
Christ is the foundation of the local church and the chief cornerstone of the whole building. The church today is a living, growing temple; when it is completed, Christ will return and take the temple to glory.
God dwelt in the Jewish tabernacle, in Solomon’s temple, in the temple of Christ’s body, and today in the individual disciple of Jesus and the church. What a privilege to be the very temple of God through the Spirit!
1. What are the blessings that you think of first that help you to be grateful for your relationship with God?
2. Share with each other prayer request so that you can be lifting each other up in prayer this week.
3. Read “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” (, NIV) What sin do you need to be open about tonight? Share and pray for each other.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” (, NIV)
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” (, NIV)
What sin do you need to be open about tonight? Share and pray for each other.
Homework
This week in your quiet times Rewrite Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in 1:15-23 in your own words.
Read and 4 for our next women’s midweek 3/6