The Book of Ephesians Continued: Part 5-8

Part 5

THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS

The main message of Ephesians is that believers in Christ are reconciled not only to God, but to each other. They are to maintain unity of purpose within their families and church, while resisting the temptation to fall into the sin of the world surrounding them.

God Did It All

We’re moving through some of the most important doctrine in all the New Testament. You can’t wade into matters like predestination or election without feeling challenged, and the reason these things are so challenging is because what the Bible teaches about spiritual matters is often different than what we experienced personally. For example, we remember choosing to place our faith in Jesus at a certain moment in our life, but we learned in Chapter 1 that the Father chose us for salvation from before the world began. We remember doing good works for other people before we became a Christian, thinking God would be pleased by them, but we learned at the beginning of Chapter 2 that our good works were merely selfish products of a sinful heart so they could not please the Lord. That’s why we have to study scripture, because through His word God reveals truths to us that we never could have discovered on our own. Last month we discovered another of these world-rocking truths; we learned that prior to faith, we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were dead in the sense that we were under judgment for our transgressions, but more than that, Paul said we were incapable of doing anything spiritually good.

We had to be raised spiritually…………………………

Somehow, we left our state of spiritual deadness and became alive spiritually so we could accept Christ in faith, and Paul says that power was not our own. Just as the Father raised Christ from the grave, we likewise had to be raised spiritually before we could come to faith. Paul explains how that happened in the next part of Chapter 2.

Eph. 2:4- But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, Eph. 2:5- even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), Eph. 2:6- and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Eph. 2:7- so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Paul explains how we moved from death to life, that is how we came to having faith in the Gospel even though we were spiritually dead. Since we didn’t possess the power to respond to spiritual truth, Paul says our salvation once again began with God (v.4). Paul says God made us alive together with Christ. The phrase “made us alive together with” is a single Greek word. It occurs only one other time in the New Testament in Colossians, where Paul uses it to describe the same concept.

Col. 2:13- 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, Col. 2:14- having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Note: Paul emphasizes that our coming to life spiritually in Christ was something God made happen. We did nothing to prompt God to take this step. We didn’t ask for it, and we certainly didn’t initiate it; God did it all.

No matter what else in life we choose, we are all expected to give Christ our lives in service  whether as a vocation or as a volunteer. He gave His life for us, so we give our lives to Him. He should remain our first love, our priority, and that brings us to v.10 of Chapter 2, where Paul explains how we are to live in service to Christ.

Eph. 2:10- For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Paul says God did these things because the Lord desired to be glorified through us. We are His workmanship, created in Christ so we could walk in good works, and these works were prepared beforehand for us. If we are going to fulfill our purpose, we have to show the world the work He has done in us. How do we show off God’s handiwork? He has given us a new spirit, a living spirit with the potential to obey His word.

Part 6

THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS

His Craftsmanship

Prov. 16:9- The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

Prov. 19:21- Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the Lord will stand.

How is the craftsmanship of God to be appreciated?

Paul explains that God’s miraculous work in us is to be seen and appreciated by our “good works.” We learned that a human work is anything we might do or say or even think, and that these works had nothing to do with our salvation. The works of unbelievers are like filthy garments to God; Furthermore, our works had nothing to do with our salvation. We were saved by the grace of God alone, Paul said, for no one will be permitted to boast of how they arrived in Heaven. Now we learn that our good works aren’t irrelevant to our salvation.

Note: Works are the way we bring glory to the God Who saved us, and if so, then it stands to reason that the kinds of things we think and say and do following salvation should be different than those we did prior to salvation. If we are to bring glory to the Father by showing His craftsmanship in Christ, we must reflect that change in our works.

We may be tempted to think we just need to get busy serving Christ. Let’s go do something! Let’s do works! Let’s start acting different, let’s start talking different, let’s look like Christians; Well not so fast! That’s called acting or worse, it’s hypocrisy, and it’s the farthest thing from good works. In a way, it’s the equivalent to trying to earn your salvation. The Lord said you can’t earn salvation, since our works do not please Him, and likewise, you cannot bring Him glory by trying to work your own sanctification. God brings us the faith that saves, and He brings us the works that please Him. Paul says the good works we do to bring God glory are works prepared beforehand by God so that we might walk in them. So far in this book we’ve been confronted, and maybe challenged, by the sovereignty of God. We’ve learned that God predestined us to salvation.

We realize that even the plans we make are controlled by the sovereignty of God. We didn’t sense His control, certainly, because that’s not how God works. He’s so powerful, He can direct our thoughts and actions to accomplish His desires without us even knowing it.

Being busy isn’t the same as being obedient……….

We must seek to remain in His will. One thing we can say though…no Christian has the option to get out of line; After all, we were created specifically for good works. You were saved for that very purpose. If you’re just nibbling at the buffet of good works God has placed in front of you, you’re missing out on something special. Perhaps you weren’t aware that God has prepared good works for you. Perhaps you didn’t know that every believer has this expectation, that good works is not optional. Well, now that you’ve heard the counsel of God’s word on this point, what excuse will you offer the Lord in that future day? What excuse can we have for sitting on the sidelines?

Let’s not pursue our own agenda in life. Let’s fulfill our purpose in the salvation we’ve been given. Let each of us make it our goal to understand what gifts we’ve been given, and what works God has prepared beforehand for us to accomplish. Let’s put our hand to the plow, as it were, and serve the Master Who bought us by His blood.

Part 7

THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS

Our understanding of doctrine informs our behavior. Our outlook on life, the choices we make, the priorities we set are all driven by what we understand about our relationship with Christ. Knowing the doctrines of our faith develops within us an eternal perspective on this life and the one to come. Conversely, we can’t expect to rise above worldly temptations and our own sins unless we seek that eternal perspective.

Remember- In Chapters 1 and 2 we’ve studied Paul’s teaching on the means of our salvation in Christ and now the meaning of our salvation. Last time we studied v.10 to learn we were saved for a purpose, to accomplish good works.

Eph. 2:11- 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 - Eph. 2:12- 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.

We should notice that v.11 starts with “therefore” indicating that Paul is making an application based on his prior teaching. In v.10 Paul said we’ve been created for good works, and now he applies that truth to the church in Ephesus. The first and most important work any church must perform is to live and work as one body as a witness of the love of Christ. In the case of Ephesus, the church seems to have been divided, and not just by their affections for the world. They were also divided along the lines of Jew vs. Gentile. Ephesus was a Greek city, but it was also part of the diaspora. The word diaspora means dispersion and it refers to the settlement of Jews throughout the Gentile world. The cities of the diaspora dotted the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, including the city of Ephesus.

The Jew was taught that Gentiles were “dogs” and unworthy of God’s love. They said that God created Gentiles merely to fuel the fires of hell. They had a saying that even the best of serpents still crush, and even the best of Gentiles still kill. Paul draws his Gentile readers attention to this separation in v.11 when he says, remember what you lacked prior to coming to faith in Christ.

Note: Paul says remember you were once despised by Jews because you lacked the mark that made you part of God’s family, but then Paul adds that this mark came through human hands, referring to the way circumcision was accomplished. Remember, Paul just established that no one enters the family of God through a human work; so if circumcision is a mark in the flesh made by human hands, then it cannot be the means of salvation for anyone, whether Jew or Gentile. It served a purpose of uniting a group of people as one nation under a covenant, but it was never a substitute for faith; Nevertheless, it did create a separation. In v.12 Paul reminds his Gentile readers of all they were separated from. They were separated from the promises of the Messiah. They had no knowledge of a coming Messiah nor any interest in what He offered.

The Lord accomplishes everything through His word, which He gives to men in the form of covenants, or promises. The Lord makes promises and gives assurance to men, and then by His word, He fulfills these things by His own power. If we are to receive the things God promises, then we must first become party to the covenant by which He promises. The Lord gave His promises of a Messiah and a commonwealth to Abraham and to his descendants. Gentiles are not the natural descendants of Abraham; Therefore, Gentiles are not members of that covenant by birth. God later gave Israel other covenants, and we were strangers to all of them by birth. As a result, Gentiles had no hope and were without God in the world.

He’s describing the unique hope that is made possible by a true knowledge of the Living God. It’s a hope of the Creator’s promise that we will live again, that we will not receive the penalty for our sin.

Note: His purpose continues even today among unsaved Jews still bound under the Old Covenant, and it was in the midst of this culture of separation that Christ came to inaugurate a New Covenant in His blood.

Eph. 2:13-But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Paul says in v.13 that Jesus opened the door for Gentiles to receive the promises given to Israel. A New Covenant inaugurated in Christ’s blood brought the Gentile “near.” The word near stands in stark contrast to being separated from God, far from Him and without a knowledge of Him. That divide was healed by Christ’s suffering and death, and now by faith in Christ, we are brought near to God!

Part 8

THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS

Peace and Unity

Eph. 2:14- For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, Eph. 2:15- 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, Eph. 2:16- and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

Note: Paul says Christ brings peace for Jew and Gentile. Christ brings us peace with the Father. He reconciles us to the Father having taken the Father’s wrath for our sin, but Christ also brings peace for Jew and Gentile in the Church. Obviously, God never expected Jew and Gentile to war with one another, but neither did He call them to unite.

How does division begin…………

Anytime we focus on our earthly differences rather than on our eternal union in Christ, we are at risk of erecting new dividing walls. It happens when we forget our place as a part of the body of Christ. When our individual desires and concerns become more important than the needs of others and the unity of the body, division has begun.

When preserving our past identity becomes more important to us than living out our new identity in Christ, then we’re dividing; when we’re asking what we can get out of the body rather than asking what we can invest in the body. We’ve only just begun to study Paul’s teaching on the importance of unity in the body, but already we can understand that Christ wants unity.

We must correct our lenses………

We’ve been called to serve Christ by our works within the body of the Church. Many of our works are individual accomplishments, of course, but even then, our individual works are to be directed to the needs of others in the church body. If we’re divided one from another, the very purpose in our good works disappears. Christianity is a team sport!

When we allow our pride or ego to erect dividing walls, then we’re only hurting ourselves in the long run. We risk denying ourselves the benefit of spiritual gifts from others in the body, and we deny ourselves the opportunity to serve others. Both are a serious spiritual loss.

As we continue through Paul’s teaching on unity in the body, the challenge is for us to consider where we may be erecting barriers, whether intentional or otherwise, with other believers. Where are we letting things like age, money, race or other meaningless differences divide you from other Christians? Or do we divide too easily over differences of opinion about meaningless things? Are we quick to be offended and slow to forgive? It can happen faster than you expect, and it works against God’s purposes in the church.