Ephesians # 7 Eph 2-7 thru 2-13
We’re going to continue on the book of Ephesians. Last week we ended on (EPH 2:6).
I. So let get right into it with EPH 2:7
A. The word “AGES” in that V means, “For ever, an unbroken age, eternity.”
1. This V is talking about the future state of believers.
B. In (V 7) it refers to “Grace” again. In (V 6) Paul says that we are saved by Grace. According to (JAMES 4:6) “He giveth more Grace in our lifetime.”
1. But in (EPH 2:7) He says that in the ages to come (or in eternity to come and forever) He’s going to show us the exceeding riches of his grace.
a. The word “Shew” in this V means “Demonstrate.”
b. He’s going to Demonstrate His Grace.
2. How is God going to “Demonstrate the exceeding riches of his grace?”
a. “In his kindness toward us.”
b. Because of God’s kindness toward us, He is going to Demonstrate the exceeding riches of his grace through all the blessings that he has in store for us.
i. (1 COR 2:9) Says, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
ii. God has prepared things for us in heaven that our minds can’t even comprehend.
C. EPH 2:8-9
1. In (V 8) Paul goes on to expound somewhat on God demonstrating the exceeding riches of his grace.
a. But all Paul could elaborate on is that this comes by salvation.
i. Then he goes on to explain how salvation comes.
2. He says, “By grace are ye saved through faith.”
a. Faith is not what saves you, faith is not what gives you prosperity, or healing, or any of the promises of God.
i. Faith is the avenue by which you RECEIVE salvation and the promises of God.
b. When someone wants to give you a gift, it’s not your hand that earns it, your hand RECEIVES it.
c. Grace is the hand of God reaching out to you with the blessings of God.
i. Faith is you hand reaching out to receive.
3. Still in (V 8) Paul says, “not of yourselves,” meaning that there was nothing that you did or could do to bring salvation to the world. He talks about that more in (V 9).
a. At the end of (V 8) he says, “ It is the gift of God.”
b. Some have argued the question, “What is the gift of God?”
i. 1 says that GRACE is the gift, others have said that FAITH is the gift.
ii. They both are GRACE is a gift from God, and so is FAITH.
iii. The Bible says that God has given us the Measure of faith. So even our faith is not ours, It’s a gift from God.
c. The point that Paul is trying to make is that SALVATION is the Gift.
4. In (V 9) Paul says, “Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
i. Salvation is not by works, and the reason for that is so that you can not boast or brag about what you have done.
ii. So that you will not thing of yourself as better than anyone else.
II. EPH 2:10
A. The word “Workmanship” in this V means “Masterpiece.”
1. A work that is so valuable and so precious to God that He Himself alone could create through the Lord Jesus Christ.
a. It says in that same V that “We are created to do good works.”
i. Good works did not make us God’s Masterpiece, because we are God’s Masterpiece then we will do good works.
b. He says at the end of this V that God has ordained that we should walk in them.
i. God has ordained that we should walk in good works.
B. In the next few Vs we’re going to be looking at the work of Jesus in removing the barrier between God and man, but also through the work of Jesus God has removed the barrier between races.
1. There has always been racial barriers in the world.
a. People are going to be prejudice, because they are in Satan’s world.
i. The Devil is the author of prejudice in the world.
2. There is only 1 place of true equality, and that is in the body of Christ, which is through the New Birth.
a. GAL 3:26-28
b. In the body of Christ, there is no male or female, black or white, Jew or Gentile.
i. At least there shouldn’t be. We are now all 1 family. All of us have the same Father.
C. EPH 2:11
1. This V shows us that races exist only in the flesh. You were “Gentiles in the flesh.
2. EPH 2:12
a. Before we knew the Lord Jesus Christ we were aliens from the “Commonwealth of Israel” or the “Citizenship of Israel.”
b. Meaning that we didn’t have the rights to the COVENANTS that God made with the children of Israel.
i. Notice that the word “Covenants” is in the plural.
3. There are 4 main covenants spoken of in the OT.
a. 1st the had the “Abrahamic Covenant,” 2nd “Palestinian Covenant,” 3rd the “Davidic Covenant,” and 4th the promises of the “NEW Covenant.” (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:24-30)
i. All of the covenants pointed to “the promise” of the Messiah and of the blessings through Him.
b. There was a time when we were without the “Covenants and Promises of God,” and we were without hope and without God.
3. EPH 2:13
a. In this V Paul says that “Now we are in Christ Jesus and because of that we are made nigh.
i. The Jews used to use the phrase “To make nigh,” meaning “To make a proselyte,” Or to make a Jew.
b. In other words what Paul in saying, Is that “we have been brought into the Promises and Covenants by the Blood of Jesus.”
III. At 1 time there was a great Barrier between God and man.
A. (JOB 9:32-33 NASB) “For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. “There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.”
1. What JOB was saying is that there was no one that could settle the great difference between us. (God and man)
a. God couldn’t do it because He is God and not a man.
b. Man couldn’t do it because he was a man and not God.
2. But there was 1 that could do it and that was the Lord Jesus Christ.
a. He could satisfy the claims of God because He is God.
b. He could satisfy the claims of man because He is Man.
B. He was the only 1 that could bring us into salvation, and it came through His precious shed blood.
Ephesians #7 Eph2:7-2:13.docx
WOLCC Thurs. 3/28/96