Ephesians 2

Sunday School

Ephesians 2:1 (NASB95PARA) — 1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

We were dead refers to us being dead spiritually to God prior to our salvation - we had no communication with God

Romans 5:12 (NASB95PARA) — 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Romans 7:10 (NASB95PARA) — 10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;

Colossians 2:13 (NASB95PARA) — 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

Ephesians 2:2–3 (NASB95PARA) — 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Prior to salvation we followed the way of the world

“world” - a system organized by Satan

when we get saved the world hates us just like it hates God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit

John 15:18 (NASB95PARA) — 18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.

John 15:23 (NASB95PARA) — 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also.

The unsaved follow Satan “the prince of the power”

1 John 5:19 (NASB95PARA) — 19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NASB95PARA) — 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

We all once followed the world and satan prior to our salvation

Ephesians 2:4–5 (NASB95PARA) — 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

“But God” - I am so thankful for that “But God”

He is rich in mercy and grace towards us

Ephesians 1:7 (NASB95PARA) — 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Ephesians 2:7 (NASB95PARA) — 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Gods Love did three things

made us alive with Christ

Colossians 2:13 (NASB95PARA) — 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

raised us up with Christ

Ephesians 2:6 (NASB95PARA) — 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

seated us with Him in the heavenly realms

Ephesians 2:6 (NASB95PARA) — 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

When we are saved, we have been “positionally resurrected”

Given this new life in Christ we will have a new set of values

Colossians 3:1–2 (NASB95PARA) — 1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Ephesians 2:6 (NASB95PARA) — 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

When we are saved we are now “seated” with Him in the heavenly places

Ephesians 1:20 (NASB95PARA) — 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Ephesians 2:6 (NASB95PARA) — 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Our citizenship is also in heaven (dual citizenship)

Philippians 3:20 (NASB95PARA) — 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

God is doing for us what He did for Jesus

Ephesians 1:20 (NASB95PARA) — 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

The difference was that Jesus died physically and we died spiritually

Jesus was raised physically we we were raised spiritually

Ephesians 2:7 (NASB95PARA) — 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

So this verse explains why He raised us up

Ephesians 2:8–9 (NASB95PARA) — 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Our salvation by His grace through our faith- it is a gift - not by anything that we could do (our works)

Ephesians 2:10 (NASB95PARA) — 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

We were created through Jesus for good works?

we were prepared “beforehand” - I could not help but think about our excuses of why we can’t do something for for God when it laid on our hearts to do something - where He would do something through us - we think that we are not prepared - this verse indicates otherwise

Philippians 2:13 (NASB95PARA) — 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Ephesians 2:11 (NASB95PARA) — 11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—

Paul reminded them that prior to salvation they were just called the “uncircumcision” by the “circumcision”

Ephesians 2:12 (NASB95PARA) — 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Their was a big difference between the Gentiles (uncircumcision) and the Jews (circumcision) - five advantages

as the uncircumcised they would have no hope of a relationship with the Messiah

they would not of belonged to the nation of Israel

they would not have been able to have participated in any of the covenants regarding the Messiah

they would have been without hope

they would have been without God

Ephesians 2:13 (NASB95PARA) — 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

As believers they would no longer be far off

Ephesians 2:14 (NASB95PARA) — 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

Jesus breaks down the wall between Jews and Gentiles

Ephesians 2:15–16 (NASB95PARA) — 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

Both Jews and Gentiles would be made one - peace between the two

It would reconcile both Jews and Gentiles to God (remember we were once enemies of God)

Romans 5:10 (NASB95PARA) — 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Ephesians 2:15–16 (NASB95PARA) — 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

Ephesians 2:17–18 (NASB95PARA) — 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

We both are given this access to God in “one Spirit”

We are both placed into “one body”

1 Corinthians 12:13 (NASB95PARA) — 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19 (NASB95PARA) — 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,

We are no longer “strangers and aliens”

This does not mean that we inherit the promises given to Israel for three reasons

It is referring to us being a part of God’s household not Israel

he does not split them into Jew and Gentile

this relationship is based on “the foundation of the apostles with Christ Jesus being the cornerstone” - this began on the day of Pentecost not in the old testament

Ephesians 2:20 (NASB95PARA) — 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

The foundation of this one body was built on both the apostles and the prophets with Christ being the cornerstone (measuring stone-building)

Ephesians 2:21 (NASB95PARA) — 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,

The whole body is built and fitted together based on Jesus the cornerstone

Ephesians 4:16 (NASB95PARA) — 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Ephesians 2:22 (NASB95PARA) — 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

We are being added or fitted into this building “in the Spirit”

John 14:17 (NASB95PARA) — 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

Romans 8:9 (NASB95PARA) — 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.