NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

1. Saved by Grace Through Faith (Ephesians 2:1-10) 

2. One Body in Christ (Ephesians 2:11-18) 

3. Citizens of God’s Household (Ephesians 2:19-22) 

Central Truth: Salvation by grace unites all believers in Christ. 

Focus: Affirm that salvation is through grace alone and recognize that we are a part of a large body of believers. 

Evangelism Emphasis: Christ’s sacrifice provides salvation to all who believe in Him. 

Text: “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). 

INTRODUCTION 

In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul gave the believers a grand picture of their spiritual riches. These include not only the wonderful things they would see in Heaven, but the wealth that was available to them for this life. This wealth had to be perceived and received—and it could only be done so by faith, and with spiritual senses. In verse 19, Paul prayed that the Ephesians might know the exceeding greatness of God’s power toward those who believe. As a measure of it, he pointed to Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and exaltation. 

Paul’s purpose of referring to Christ’s resurrection and ascension, as a proof of the power at work in us, continues in chapter 2. Paul declares the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles issues from the resurrection of Christ. 

 To further illustrate the mighty power of God and its impact, Paul contrasts the old life in sin (vv. 1-3) with the new life in Christ (vv. 4-10). Like Christ, the Ephesians once were dead, but in Christ they had been raised and enthroned. 

In the second part of the chapter (vv. 11-22), Paul returned to the situation of his readers prior to their incorporation into the Christian community. He reminded them of their Christless, hopeless past and of their unity with the people of God now. 

David Cooper writes: 

One of the greatest needs in our lives is the need for restoration. To restore means “to bring something back into existence or effect again; to bring back to a former or original condition; to put back in a former place or position; to reinstate; to return.” We talk about restoring relationships, renovating antique furniture, reinstating a political leader, and returning something that was stolen or lost. These all demonstrate the idea of restoration. 

The essential meaning of salvation is “restoration.” To be saved means we have experienced the miraculous restoring power of God to make all things new in our lives spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and relationally. 

1. SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH 

A. Dead in Sin (Ephesians 2:1-3) 

 1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 

The former manner of the life of the Ephesians is that of death, as a result of sins and trespasses. Trespasses are lapses, while sins are shortcomings. Such was their awful state, utterly beyond reach of human help. Paul’s mention of “trespasses and sins” leads him to describe in fuller details the Ephesians' former way of life. They were utterly unable to meet the requirements of the divine law. 

By using the word “dead” (v. 1), Paul is not speaking about physical death nor only about the sinner’s ultimate fate in the second death. Nor is the expression merely figurative. As sinners, the Ephesians had lived in a state of spiritual death. 

In his book Be Rich, Warren Wiersbe said, “All lost sinners are dead, and the only difference between one sinner and another is the state of decay. The lost derelict on skid row may be more decayed outwardly than the unsaved society leader, but both are dead in sin—and one corpse cannot be more dead than another!” 

The term rendered “walked” (v. 2) is prominent in Paul’s writings. It recurs in this letter in 2:10; 4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15. The Ephesians’ former walkabout, Paul says, was in accordance with the “course” (literally, “age”) of this “world” (kosmos). He is emphasizing that anyone without Christ is a prisoner of the social and value systems of the present evil age, which radically opposes Christ. John Owen said, “The custom of sinning takes away the sense of it; the course of the world takes away the shame of it.” 

“The prince of the power of the air,” who rules the evil spiritual realm, is Satan, whom Jesus called “the prince of this world” (John 12:31). Paul called Satan “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). Unlike God, however, Satan cannot be everywhere at one time, and neither can he know everything. He is still a created being, and he must use evil tricks to influence people. He holds sway over unsaved humanity, and also seeks to sway believers. He longs for all people to live as “children of disobedience.” 

In Ephesians 2:3, we see human sinfulness is universal. The past life of Jewish Christians, like that of the Gentiles, was dominated by “the cravings of our sinful nature” (NIV). The “flesh” (sarx) is not merely the body but the whole person oriented away from God and toward its own selfish concerns. Because of this, the Jewish converts had once been in as much danger of judgment as anyone else. The phrase “children of wrath” denotes those who deserve God's punishment. Sin brings condemnation. 

• Describe “the course of this world.” How can believers resist the world’s sinful ways? 

B. Quickened With Christ (Ephesians 2:4-7) 

 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 

The phrase “but God” (v. 4) shows the graciousness of God in stark contrast to lost and sinful people. Against human sinfulness and rude rejection of God stands God’s gracious acceptance of us in Christ. Although God cannot approve of sin because He is righteous, He shows His mercy toward us. He loves us and has made possible our reconciliation to Himself. 

“Mercy” is God’s compassion for the helpless, issuing in action for our relief. Had He decided to destroy us, He would have been entirely justified, and nothing could have averted the catastrophe. Instead, God’s “rich mercy” and “great love” brought salvation to Paul, the Ephesian believers, and us. 

Our being “dead in sins” (v. 5, a repetition of v. 1) is a vivid contrast with the foregoing description of God and His love. A close parallel is found in Romans 3:23, which says “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (NKJV). Such use of contrast—especially contrast between past and present—is a favorite literary device of Paul. 

Verse 5 of the text then says God has made us alive with Christ. When we were dead in sins, God “quickened us together with Christ.” The life we now possess is an effect of Christ's resurrection. Christ’s resurrection was by an act of God’s power; our regeneration as believers is by an act of God’s grace. Being “made . . . alive” is a total reversal of all that is implied in the words “dead in our trespasses” (v. 5 ESV). We were once, in consequence of our sins, a spiritual corpse given up to utter corruption and helpless, from which nothing could save us except the life-giving power of God. However, God has pardoned our sins and given back to us the eternal life for which we were created. 

Verse 6 states God has “raised us up together” with Christ, a further proof of the act of God which raised Christ from the grave and brought Him back to the land of the living. And we are “seated . . . with Him in the heavenly places” (NASB)—a phrase that further defines the picture of Christ’s exaltation in heaven and our involvement. Not only do we anticipate resurrection and glorification at the end of the age, we also experience a present realization of the risen life in Christ and of participation with Him in His ascended majesty (see Col. 3:1-4). 

God did everything in Christ with a single purpose in view. It was to demonstrate in successive ages “the exceeding riches of his grace” (Eph. 2:7). 

Look for Christ 

Look for yourself and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.—C. S. Lewis 

C. Saved by Grace (Ephesians 2:8-10) 

 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

Believers owe their salvation entirely to the undeserved favor of God. The means of salvation is faith, which is also its necessary condition. Such faith is simply a trustful response that is itself evoked by the Holy Spirit. Lest faith should be in any way misinterpreted as a person’s contribution to his or her own salvation, Paul immediately explains that nothing is of the believer’s own doing but everything is in “the gift of God.” 

Verse 9 excludes every possibility of self-achieved salvation. As if it were insufficient that he should have insisted in verse 8 “and that not of yourselves,” Paul adds “not of works.” The apostle does not specify these “works” as related to the Law, since he is not thinking only of Jewish Christians. Any kind of human self-effort is comprehensively ruled out by this terse expression. The reason is immediately attached. It is to prevent the slightest self-congratulation. Since salvation is by the sheer unmerited favor of God, boasting is altogether out of place. 

According to verse 10, salvation produces good works that attest to its reality. We are God’s “workmanship”—“poetry” (TPT)—purposed to produce “good works.” Works play no part in the cause of our salvation, but we must demonstrate the consequence of our salvation by works. Here Paul is in agreement with James (2:14-26). 

• Explain the role of faith in salvation (v. 8). 
• Explain the role of works in salvation (v. 9). 

2. ONE BODY IN CHRIST 

A. In the Past (Ephesians 2:11-12) 

 11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye 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. 

In verses 1-10, Paul has considered the moral condition of the Gentiles before their conversion to Christianity. Now he reminds them of their previous deprivation in terms of their religious status as estimated from a Jewish point of view. They had been, and indeed still were, “Gentiles.” They were non-Jews or pagans, so far as their physical descent was concerned (“in the flesh,” v. 11). The rest of the verse elaborates on the distinction by citing the contemptuous nickname attached to them: “uncircumcised” (NIV). Paul does not use it in a derogatory manner; he simply reports its currency. As a Jew, however, he is quick to point out that Jews, who are “called the Circumcision in the flesh,” have nothing to boast about, since an external man-made mark in itself holds no spiritual significance. The real circumcision is of the heart (Rom. 2:29; Gal. 5:6). 

With four successive phrases, Paul describes the state of the Ephesians prior to their conversion (Eph. 2:12). First, they were “without [apart from] Christ.” They had no expectation of a Messiah. Second, they had no rights of citizenship in God’s kingdom because they were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.” They were cut off from any such privilege by reason of their birth. Third, the Gentiles were not entitled to the benefits accruing to the covenantal community. They were in the position of “strangers” who could not claim the prerogatives of nationals. As a consequence, they lived in a world devoid of hope (1 Thess. 4:13). Lastly, they were "without God." They were not atheists, for they worshiped idols. They believed gods existed but did not know the one true God. The moral and spiritual desolation of the Gentiles was complete. 

Hope for All 

 There are none in the humanly “down” position so low that they cannot be lifted up by entering God’s order, and none in the humanly “up” position so high that they can disregard God’s point of view on their lives. The barren, the widow, the orphan, the eunuch, the alien, all models of human hopelessness, are fruitful and secure in God’s care.—Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy 

B. Now in Christ (Ephesians 2:13-18) 

 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 

Paul quickly turns from the tragedy of the Gentiles' former desolation to the joy of their reconciliation in Christ. They are no longer “separate from Christ” (v. 12 NIV), “but now in Christ Jesus” (v. 13). He is the sphere of their new possibilities. Although previously far off, they are now brought near. This is possible “by the blood of Christ.” 

Paul moves from the change in relationship that the readers now had to the means of its accomplishment. “He himself is our peace” (v. 14 NIV) is emphatic. Christ alone has solved the problem of our relationships with God and others. He draws us to God and to each other in His own person. Christ is both peace and peacemaker. 

Christ brought about the reconciliation of Jew and Gentile when He died on the cross. There He made two into one, removing the hostility that existed between Jews and Gentiles. 

There had been a “barrier, [a] dividing wall” (v. 14 NIV) created by hatred. This “middle wall of partition” brings to mind the Berlin Wall that separated West and East Germany until it was torn down in November 1989. Sadly, people are still divided by many barriers today, ranging from race to socioeconomic status to educational attainments. And, the Church has not been spared. It is time to read Ephesians 2 again. 

The removal of the breach between the two great divisions of humankind results from the reconciliation of both Jew and Gentile to God “by the cross” (v. 16). The word “reconcile” here means an exchange of relationships. As a result of Christ’s work of reconciliation, believers are provided access to God’s presence. It is solely through Christ that both Jews and Gentiles now have “access” to God the Father through the Holy Spirit (v. 18). 

• Describe the message that Christ “came and preached” (v. 17). 

3. CITIZENS OF GOD’S HOUSEHOLD 

A. Members of God’s Household (Ephesians 2:19) 

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. 

Paul uses two terms that commonly denote inferiority of status and contrasts them with “fellow citizens.” The first term, strangers, applies to “outsiders” in general, but in particular to short-term transients, something that is equivalent to tourists in our times. The second term, foreigners, were the resident “aliens” (NIV) who had settled in the country of their choice. These are like legal permanent residents (known in the U.S. as green-card holders) who enjoy all the privileges the government provides, but have no right to vote and can be subject to deportation. Such had been the position of the Gentiles in relation to the kingdom of God before the coming of Christ. But now they enjoy all the privileges of God's new people. They are united with the saints of the past (see 1:18) as well as with contemporary Christians. The Gentiles are "members of God's household” (2:19 NIV). 

Unique Fellowship 

The Christian church is a society of sinners. It is the only society in the world, membership in which is based upon the single qualification that the candidate shall be unworthy of membership.—Charles C. Morrison 

B. The Temple of God (Ephesians 2:20-22) 

 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 

When the Ephesians became Christians, they were immediately placed on a firm foundation (v. 20). In 1 Corinthians 3:11, we learn that this foundation is Christ himself, but here He is “the chief corner stone” of the building, which literally means “at the tip of the angle.” It refers to the capstone or binding stone that holds the whole structure together. Here the apostles are the foundation as being closely associated with Christ, the Revealer and Redeemer, in the establishment of the Church. They were the witnesses of His resurrection appearances and the first preachers of the Gospel. As one writer puts it, “The Church rests on the unique event of which Christ is the center, but in which the apostles and prophets, filled and guided by the Spirit, and doing their work in unique closeness to Christ, had an indispensable and untransmissible part.” 

In verse 21 of the text, Paul expounds the significance of the building. The function of the cornerstone is defined as “joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously” (Amp.). This term embraces the complicated process of stonework by which stones are fitted together. 

Paul uses the word naos for “temple” instead of hieron. The former is the inner sanctuary where the presence of God (symbolized by the ark of the covenant) dwells, whereas the latter includes the entire precincts. Paul uses the image of the temple both to refer to the individual and the community. The true temple is the whole church. 

The emphasis on ongoing building is brought out by the present tense of “being built together” (v. 22 NIV). The goal is that the Church should become God’s “habitation,” or residence, a Biblical term that is frequently used to denote the divine resting place either on earth or in Heaven. Formerly, God’s earthly abode was thought to be on Mount Zion and in the Temple at Jerusalem. Now He makes His abode in the Church. This is achieved only in the Holy Spirit, who is the means and the element. 

• What is God building? As believers, what is our part in this project? 

IT’S ALL ABOUT CHRIST 

The temptation to fall back on our own resources and think we can contribute something to our standing before God is all too human. We must constantly recognize that it is “all of grace.” Our new privileged position owes everything to Christ. He is the One who makes access to God possible, the Cornerstone of the structure, and the One who enables us to grow into what we are meant to be. 

Daily Devotions 

M.  Sin’s Consequence (Genesis 3:14-19) 

T.  Unity Invokes Grace (2 Chronicles 30:13-20) 

W.  Forgiveness for Transgressions (Psalm 32:1-11) 

T.  Be Born Again (John 3:3-8) 

F.  One in Christ (John 17:20-26) 

S.  Unity in Christ’s Body (1 Corinthians 12:12-14) 

Adopted from the Evangelical Sunday School Lesson Commentary 2021-2022.

Art: Lance Brown (https://img.artpal.com/856921/6-19-8-21-20-57-32m.jpg)