Ephesians Chapter 2
If you were living in Paul’s time, and you were not a Jew, you would look skeptically and what Paul just wrote to you. Why? It is because, knowing well the distinction between Jew and Gentile in those days, you would wonder if what Paul wrote applied just to the Jews, or also applied to you.
You see, before Jesus came, all God’s dealings, and blessings, were applicable only to the Jews. So it would take special convincing to convince you – a Gentile – that all these spiritual blessings that God has made available are also applicable to Gentiles.
Therefore, in Chapter 2, Paul takes pains to point out that all these blessings are also applicable to Gentiles.
In our times, the distinction between Jew and Gentile is not so evident, and therefore, one might think that there is nothing much to learn from the second chapter of Ephesians. But there is!
Why? Because today, people might wonder whether God’s love extends to them because they have done so much wrong, or been so bad in the past.
For every thief, there is a Zacchaeus in the gospel that we can point to!
For every adulterer, there is a Mary Magdalene in the gospel that we can point to!
For every betrayer, there is a Peter in the gospel that we can point to!
For every persecutor, there is a Paul in the New Testament that we can point to!
These blessings are available for the good, the bad, and the ugly – for every sinner who repents!
Ephesians Chapter two explains why you – with all your unique situations – are eligible to all these blessings from God.
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
You were dead – past tense, implies that you are now alive, because of Christ (Col 2:13).
The death referred to here is obviously not physical death, but spiritual death, which is a horrible quality of life. Interpretation tip: The bible is a spiritual book, and we need to use that fact when interpreting things.
Similarly, eternal life, is not living forever (even the lost will live eternally, in hell). Eternal life is more a quality of life, abundant life (Jn 10:10), a true knowledge of God (Jn 17:3) that changes us to be like Him (2 Cor 3:18).
Spiritual death is a result of sin (Jas 1:14,15).
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.
What does it mean to walk in sin? See the picture of an unbeliever below.
The prince of the power of the air is Satan, the ruler of this world (Jn 21:31, Jn16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; 1 Jn 4:4). Satan is currently the ruler of this world, which is why there is so much pain and disease and suffering. That is why Jesus did not call him a liar when he promised Jesus that he would give Him all the kingdoms of this world if He worshipped him (Mt 4:8-10).
You see, before man fell, God gave man to rule over the earth (Gen 1:28) but man lost it to Satan when he fell. When Christ comes again He will rule it (Eph 1:20-22). Christ did not get the kingdom by a short cut (such as the one Satan offered Him). He received it from God by overcoming sin. This is an important spiritual principle. We should never grab power or money or authority or anything for that matter – instead we should let God give it to us.
“Sons of disobedience” (Eph 5:5-6) are those who disobey, those who live in the lusts of their flesh, those who indulge in the desires of the flesh, children of wrath (Eph 2:3). This is a good picture of an unbeliever – one who lives in the lusts of their flesh. Do we live like them? If so, can we still call ourselves believers? See Eph 5:5-6. This is why James says faith without works is dead (Jas 2:14-26).
Notice that believers formerly walked in the lusts of their flesh, implying that they no longer do so.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Take note of the character of God – He is rich in mercy.
Lot tasted God’s mercy (Gen 19:16).
Moses tasted God’s mercy (Exo 34:6; Deut 4:31).
David tasted God’s mercy (2 Sam 22:26).
Paul tasted God’s mercy (1 Tm 1:16).
God’s mercy is an aspect of His glory (Exo 33:18; 34:6). That’s what makes Him great.
God shows mercy to the merciful (Ex 33:19; 2 Sam 22:26,27; Mt 5:7).
God will be harsh in judgment towards those who show no mercy (Jas 2:13).
To be merciful is to:
- Save a person from disaster even when you really don’t have to (Gen 19:16).
- Not turn our backs when someone who has sinned against us wants to return to us (2 Chron 30:9; Jer 3:12).
- Allow a person who has done evil to you to escape even when you have him in your sights. It is to not take revenge when you have the chance to do it (Ps 103:8-10; Neh 9:31).
- Give and lend when the person does not deserve it (Ps 37:21,26).
- Deliver the simple from falling into evil even though He is not obliged to (Ps 116:5-8).
- To not only forgive, but to remember the sins no more (Heb 8:12).
Jesus became man so that He could be merciful towards our sinfulness (Heb 2:17).
Are we merciful at home (to wife and child) and at work (to peers and subordinates) (Lk 6:36)? Do we want to be merciful? Do we judge ourselves and repent when we find that we are not? Are we pressing on to perfection in this area (Phil 3:12)? If we are to be lights in this world then our character should reflect that of God’s as the time goes by.
Pr 11:17 says that the merciful man does good to his own soul.
We should approach God seeking for His mercy instead of approaching Him with self-righteousness (Lk 18:13).
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
God shows His love to those who are dead in their transgressions. That is, He loves the very people who are not naturally appealing to Him, or those who are doing the things that He hates. To love like God is to love those who are naturally do not appeal to us, those who are lowly and seemingly undeserving of our affection and time – the overweight, the ugly, the uneducated, the poor, the unathletic, the misfit, etc.
Note again the centrality of Christ in verses 5-10.
We are saved by grace (help from God). Whatever we can do is insufficient to save us. If God did not help us we would not be saved. The effect of realizing this should bring great gratitude in our hearts towards God.
Why is Paul telling us all this? It is to show us why we should be grateful to God. It is a very important attitude to cultivate, for out of it will flow praise towards God and the willingness to give our lives for Him and His cause. A Christian who has not learnt to be grateful to God is a weak Christian who will never amount to much for God. He who is forgiven much loves much. If you want to know the secret of how to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, it is being grateful to God for all He has done for us. Paul knew that and that was His way of motivating people to live for Christ. We should apply this to ourselves and should motivate others in this way too.
A blind man who sees again would be so grateful to his healer. A lame man would too. Why is it that we lack gratitude? It is because we do not see our hopeless state in sin. We have not tasted the desolation of hell, and so we are so ungrateful.
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
God raised Christ (1:20), but also raised us with Him and seated us too in the heavenly places.
Note the emphasis on heavenly places (1:3,20; 2:6). It is not important where we are seated on earth. It is more important to be seated at the right place in the heavens. Jesus Himself did not have an important seat on earth, but He is seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly places.
He who is first here may be last in heaven. No need to fight to be first here. No need to keep up with the Joneses. No need to have influence or know important people here. It is enough if we know God (Ps 73:25).
Note the tense of the verbs ‘raised’ and ‘seated’ in verse 6 – it is the Greek aorist tense. The aorist tense is used here to speak of something that is certain but not yet happened as if it has already happened. Only when speaking of the acts of God can such a tense truly be used in this manner, for only God can guarantee the certainty of something even though it hasn’t yet happened. Perhaps that is why God chose to use Greek to write the New Testament.
7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
God has done all these things for us so that when we get to heaven He can bless us even more. This is one picture of heaven to keep in mind – it is the place where the surpassing riches of God’s grace will be shown towards us. Not just in one age, but in the ages to come. Knowing this, we long for heaven even more.
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.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
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
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.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
We were without hope in the world. Think of yourself in prison on death row. There is no chance of you getting out. You are doomed to die. That was your condition before you were saved. How would you feel if you were suddenly pardoned and allowed to go free? That is how you should feel when you see that God has saved you from hell.
When we realize that God exists and has an absolute moral code that we have failed to keep, and that the punishment for our sin is eternal death – a death that we can do nothing to avoid, then we see our hopeless state. Our success on this earth does not matter. What does it profit us if we gain the whole world but lose our soul? (Mt 16:26, Mk 8:36, Lk 9:25). You have a billion dollars? What does it matter? When you die you can’t take it with you to hell!
Even though you may (rightly) feel that you are so undeserving, you are eligible for salvation too. It is clear that you don’t deserve it. No one does. But no one is excluded from eligibility. Not even you!
No amount of good things we did can pay for our sin. Rather, God saved us so that we can do good now, and reap an eternal reward for that.
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.
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.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Having believed, not only are you included, but you are also included as equals. God doesn’t include anyone as special, but includes all as equals. It doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor, famous or not, powerful or not, successful or not, intelligent or not, physically attractive or not, educated or not, slave or not, jailbird or not – when you come to Christ, you are as important to God as the next person. The spiritual wealth available to others is also available to you.
Your physical or spiritual ancestry doesn’t matter either. The other guy’s dad may be a big pastor, but that doesn’t make his children any more important to God than you.
It is wonderfully liberating to know that with God there is no partiality. No one has an undue advantage in the kingdom of God. Therefore, you compete with no one, and you only need to compare yourself to Christ, the Author and Perfector of your faith.
|