SALVATION BY THE
GRACE OF GOD
Ephesians chapter 2
Introduction.
“He gave you life” (v. 1). - behold the great love of God, shown by His wonderful gift - eternal, spiritual, divine life (Romans 6:23).
What we were – verses 1 to 3
Before we were saved by Christ, we were all spiritually dead, following the way of the world, guided by the Devil ("Prince of the power of the air"), who now leads the unbelievers - religious or not.
At that time (prior to our conversion to Christ), we walked following our carnal and intellectual desires. We were unaware of - or wilfully disobedient to - the will of God (revealed in His Word, the Holy Scriptures) and we were - like all mankind without Christ - in peril of divine wrath, eternal damnation.
What we are, as believers in Christ - verses 4 to 6
Through the great love of God, who wished to have mercy on us:
a) We are alive and resurrected with Christ, rather than dead in our sins;
b) We are already seated with Christ in heavenly places;
c) We are saved from the wrath of God and of Satan's dominion.
Do we understand this great wonder? And all because of the love of God and not by our merit! (2nd Samuel 9:8,13).
The motive and purpose – verses 7 to 10
God offers this perfect salvation to men:
a) To show in the coming centuries (i.e., forever) His love and His grace to us:
- Salvation is His free gift;
- It is not by merit, or works on our part.
b) To be "His workmanship”, made anew in Christ Jesus for the purpose of doing the “good works” of true Christianity: a good character, as "sons of God "in Christ Jesus.
Do we, the believers through faith in Christ as our Saviour and Lord, show in this way that we are " His workmanship "?
Christ, our peace – verses 11 to 18
One of the great truths taught in this epistle is that Jew and Gentile are united by faith in Christ, to form a single people - the Church, the Body of Christ (see 1:23).
The Gentiles (v. 11-12). Here is a description of the Gentiles before their conversion to Christ. The Ephesians, and probably the vast majority of readers, being Gentiles - that is, not Jews - are described in these two verses with respect to our position before the coming of the Lord Jesus:
a) "Without Christ" (as Lord and Saviour); separated from Israel, the people who had relations with God through the old Mosaic covenant, without circumcision (the sign of the Mosaic Covenant); with no hope of salvation; without God (as a reality of life).
b) In Christ Jesus (v. 13-16). "Now in Christ Jesus”, the Gentiles are brought near to God, through the death of Jesus. He is our peace (with God) and made one people of believing Jews and believing Gentiles - the Church. He broke down the middle "wall" between them (the Mosaic Law, with respect to the priesthood, sacrifices, holy days), all this was accomplished at once, in fact, by Christ on Calvary - for the temple, the Jewish priesthood, the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the Law were only "figures" (types) of the Kingdom of God that the Messiah would bring to the world.
c) Peace announced (v. 17-18). Christ (the Messiah) announced that peace (John 20:19,26) and commanded the apostles to announce the Gospel of this peace to the Jews ("near") and Gentiles ("far") - see Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8, 10:43. Note that all this is the work of the Trinity - "through Him (Christ) we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (v. 18).
Family and building of God – verses 19 to 22
Instead of being "strangers and pilgrims”, Gentile converts to Christ are, along with the converted Jews, members of the" household of God "and fellow citizens of the heavenly city. They also form a spiritual "building", which is based on the "apostles and prophets" with the "cornerstone", the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophets mentioned here are those of the NEW Testament, which guided the churches in apostolic times (see Ephesians 4:11-12; Revelation 21:14).
This spiritual building, composed of all believers among the Jews and Gentiles, from Pentecost until the Coming of the Lord (1st Thessalonians 4:13-18), "grows into a holy temple in the Lord," in which God dwells in the Holy Spirit. Such is the Christian Church.
Richard Dawson Jones (1895 - 1987)
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—
12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians chapter 2