Ephesians 2:1-10

E. Doxology (orderly praise): The glorious Father raised Christ from the dead, subjected everything under his feet, and is he the head of the church (praise/response) (1:20-23)

Now for some questions

Does a person have more rules to follow inside or outside of prison? Where is a person more free?

Tolstoy

If all things are put under Jesus’s feet, does Satan have any power? What power does he have?

Should you advertise that you are a Christian?

Paul prayed for them to receive “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” in 1:17. He’s going to give them a head start with the rest of the book, especially chapter 2.

Ephesians 2:1–10 CSB

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Ephesians 2:1–2 CSB

What were we dead in?

What two ways did we used to walk?

The remedies that Jesus has provided for us address these two items:

ways of this world

ruler of air/god of this age/Satan/the devil/the evil one (armor of God ends the book)

Ephesians 2:3 CSB

3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

This was the result. But....

Ephesians 2:4–5 CSB

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

Salvation is not a dry theological topic. Not to God, at least. He is RICH in mercy, with GREAT love.

He turned us from dead in sin to ALIVE with Christ. By grace (unmerited favor)!

Verses 6 and 7 have a “what” and a “why”. Let’s see if we can identify the what and the why...

Ephesians 2:6–7 CSB

6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8–10 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

For (because of everything he has said so far)

You are saved

by grace (unmerited favor)

through faith (belief)

(faith is not a cause, but a means) not from yourselves

(grace explained) it is God’s gift

(consequence of it being a gift) so that no one can boast

For (because of this salvation in this way)

we are his workmanship (trade skill, quality of product; could be translated “masterpiece”)

(how are we this?) created in Christ Jesus

for good works

God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Faith is the means, not the source, of our salvation.

Good works don’t earn salvation. Salvation earns good works!!

As God’s images, and as his adopted children, God has allowed us to act like him.

Application

THIS PASSAGE DOES not instruct the readers to do anything; it only states what God has done in Christ. The implications, however, are enormous for what Christians should do and think. Surely proper application of this text starts with speechlessness, then moves to wonder and worship, and finally to obedience and service. The astonishment reflected in the repetition “dead in transgressions” (vv. 1 and 5) and the expansive language describing God’s grace should be confessed. The contrast between the plight of humanity without God and the privilege of humanity with God is remarkable. The salvation and grace described here are the reasons why the letter started in 1:3 with the doxology. Worship—a worship that embraces all of life—is the proper response.

This passage contrasts two ways of living, the former life in sins and the present life in Christ. By implication the text asks, “Where will you live?” What are the defining markers of the path along which we walk and who laid out the path? This passage provides a description of reality, as if to say, “This is what life in the world is really like and this is what life with God is really like.” The focus of the text is identity. Who are we and who is God? From knowing who we are, we know how to live. This passage thus reveals the identity of people without God, the identity of people in Christ, and the identity of God.