1 Claim Your New Status Called to Oneness in Christ Ephesians 2:1-22
2 CLAIM YOUR NEW STATUS Called to Oneness in Christ Text: Ephesians 2: 1-22, 1. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2. in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3. All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5. made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. 6. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7. in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God 9. not by works, so that no one can boast. 10. For we are God s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 11. Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by those who call themselves the circumcision (that done in the body by the hands of men) 12. remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the
3 covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15. by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16. and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17. 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 access to the Father by one Spirit. 19. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God s people and members of God s household, 20. built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.* * All scriptural references in this lesson are quoted from the New International Version. Introduction: I. The identity axiom in mathematics says: If A=B and B=C, then A=C. This is very simple.
4 A. We could extrapolate this further by saying: If Nate is a Christian and Steve is a Christian, then Nate and Steve are both alike Christians. B. Regrettably, the church through all its history has had trouble with equality of believers; that is, Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, male Christians and female Christians, black Christians and white Christians, North American Christians and Latino Christians, Irish Christians and British Christians, Catholic Christians and Protestant Christians, Serbian Christians and Croatian Christians, rich Christians and poor Christians. II. We see advertisements of people before and after dieting, exercising, etc. and are often astounded by the changes we observe. A. How much difference has Christ made in our lives? B. How universal are these changes among believers? III. In this lesson, Paul continues to emphasize the glorious blessings of the saved in Christ as contrasted with their former state, in which they were without hope and without God in the world. Commentary: Ephesians 2:1, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, I. To be dead in trespasses and sins (all kinds of evil) means we are insensitive/non-responsive to righteousness and buried in evil deeds.
5 II. Those who were in that terrible lost condition, those now known as saints and faithful, had been made alive to righteousness through Christ Jesus. A. Unregenerate men must be born again to be saved. B. Their lost condition came about because of their own trespasses and sins, not Adam s sins. C. John 3:3, In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. Ephesians 2:2, 3, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. I. We and the Ephesians, before conversion; A. walked according to the course of this world. B. walked according to the prince of the power of the air/darkness. 1. Colossians 1:13, For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 2. Ephesians 6:12, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
6 3. 2 Corinthians 4:4, The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 4. John 14:30, I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 5. John 16:11b, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. C. walked according to the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience. II. Before conversion, we were one of them, one of the sons of disobedience, who: A. lived in the lust of the flesh. B. did the desires of the flesh. C. did the desires of the worldly mind. D. were by nature children of wrath. Man cannot save himself. Human nature leads downward. God s spirit leads upward. III. We at times were very ordinary in that we lived like every other sinner around us. A. God s will did not then matter to us. B. We were only concerned about our own selfish desires.
7 C. One of the greatest lies ever perpetuated/promulgated is that the devil does not exist. IV. Christians are not to live according to: A. the world s standards. B. the world s values. C. dictates of the devil. D. disobedience to God. E. physical desires. F. fleshly desires. Ephesians 2:4, 5, But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. I. God mercifully loved sinful men and, even though we were a sad lot, gave his priceless Son as the gracious means of our salvation. A. We were dead in and because of our trespasses. B. Romans 5:10, For if, when we were God s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! C. By God s grace we were elevated from that pitiful state to a life of righteousness.
8 D. From our past sins we have been saved, but we must persevere to inherit heaven. 1. Revelation 2:10, Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. Ephesians 2:6, And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, I. God raised us from our sinful and lost condition just as he raised Christ from the literal grave. A. Romans 6:4, We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. B. Colossians 2:12, 13, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, II. By this process of regeneration, we became partners with Christ and received the full rights and privileges of the heavenly kingdom. Ephesians 2:7, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
9 I. God s grace would be available to mankind for a long time on this earth, for ages to come. II. The exceeding riches of God s grace, his unspeakable kindness to sinful man, is beyond our comprehension, but it is all available through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:8, 9, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. I. We have been saved: A. by grace. B. through faith. II. Salvation is not something we have earned. A. It is a gift from God. B. If we had earned salvation, we could boast. C. Because salvation is an undeserved gift that was not/could not be earned, we receive it humbly and gratefully as God s gift. III. The faith by which we are saved is an obedient unwavering belief in and devotion to God. A. James 1:27, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
10 B. James 2:14-26, What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. C. The devils also believe and tremble, but remain lost! Ephesians 2:10, For we are God s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. I. We are the product of God s work. He manufactured us. A. Our function is to perform good work.
11 B. God afore prepared a set path in which we should walk, a prescribed manner in which we are to conduct ourselves. C. John 9:4, As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. D. Romans 2:6-11, God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. E. 2 Corinthians 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Ephesians 2: 11, 12, Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by those who call themselves the circumcision (that done in the body by the hands of men) remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. I. Gentiles such as you and I and the non-jewish Ephesians were: A. called uncircumcision. B. separate from Christ.
12 C. alienated from the commonwealth of Israel. D. strangers from the covenants of the promise. E. hopeless. F. without God in this world. II. These verses describe the pre-christian state of Gentile Christians. A. Physically, they lacked the ancient sign of covenant relationships with God; i.e., circumcision. B. Politically, they had no part in Israel s national or religious life. C. Spiritually, they had no knowledge of the one true God. III. It would do us all good to compare our former lost state with the blessings of our present saved state. Ephesians 2:13, But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. I. The (Gentiles) who once were far off (removed from the covenants of promise) have now been brought near to God by the blood of Christ Jesus, the cleansing agent to rid us of our sins. A. Isaiah 57:19-21, creating praise on the lips of mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near, says the Lord. And I will heal them. But the wicked are like the tossed sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.
13 B. The salvation of the Gentiles has always been in God s plans. C. Acts 2:39, The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off for all whom the Lord our God will call. Ephesians 2:14, For he himself is our peace, who made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, I. God through Christ made both Jews and Gentiles equal before the throne of grace. A. Christ is the means of our peace with men of all races and peace with God. B. The middle wall of partition, the law of Moses, ended at the cross. C. Matthew 27:51, At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Ephesians 2:15, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, I. Christ on the cross abolished in his flesh the enmity that existed between Jews and Gentiles. A. By creating a new man, a Christian, Jesus made peace between Jews and Gentiles.
14 B. The Law of Moses (the law of commandments found in ordinances) caused the division/enmity between Jews and Gentiles. 1. Hebrews 10:20, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, II. Jesus abrogated/annulled the Jewish system and introduced the Christian system in which all men are to be at peace with each other and with God. Ephesians 2:16, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. I. Jews and Gentiles are united in one body (one universal church). A. By the cross, the enmity between Jews and Gentiles ended. B. The perfect solution had been provided. Ephesians 2:17, He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. I. The gospel (peace) was preached to Jews who were near and to Gentiles who were far away from salvation. A. Jesus came to earth and preached peace among men as well as peace between men and God. Ephesians 2:18, 19, For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God s people and members of God s household,
15 I. Through Christ, we all have access to God by means of the Holy Spirit. A. In this verse, all three members of the Godhead are clearly mentioned. II. In Christ, we are no longer: A. strangers. B. pilgrims/sojourners. III. All can be: A. fellow citizens. B. saints. C. members of the household/family of God. IV. Paul knew the benefits of Roman citizenship and he knew the blessings of Christian citizenship. Ephesians 2:20, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. I. The New Testament speaks of five foundations on which the church was built. A. The teachings of Christ as delivered by the apostles and prophets. Matthew 7:24-26, Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that
16 house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. B. The fact of Christ s divinity. Matthew 16:13-20, When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. C. The person of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11, For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. D. The work of the apostles and prophets. Ephesians 2:20, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. E. The doctrine of Christianity. Hebrews 6:1, 2, Therefore, let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
17 II. Christ is the: A. cornerstone, that which holds the entire building together, the keystone in the arch. B. bridegroom. Ephesians 2:21, In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. I. Each several building is translated by other versions as the whole structure, the whole building, and all the building, indicating the unity of the church and of all members within the church. II. All congregations and each member of each church grows into a wondrous unified temple of God. Ephesians 2:22, And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. I. We are built together for a dwelling place of God and the Holy Spirit. II. 1 Corinthians 3:16, But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Conclusion: I. What are some modern walls or barriers that need to be removed? II. How can we help remove them?
18 Questions Ephesians 2:1-22 1. The church through the ages has had difficulty with the concept of the equality of believers. Give example of this fact. 2. In your experience, how do Christians and non-christians compare in regard to honesty, dependability, kindness, and helpfulness? 3. Through those who were in and had been made to through. 4. Before their conversions, the Ephesians had followed: (1) (2) (3).
19 5. What is the spiritual condition of the sons of disobedience? (1) (2) (3) (4). 6. Christians are not to live according to: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6). 7. God loved men and, even though we were a, gave his as the means of our. by you have been. 8. raised us from our and just as he from the and us with him in the in.
20 9. For it is by you have been, through - and this not from, it is the of - not by, so that no one can. 10. is not something we have. It is a from. Therefore, we cannot. 11. The also and, but. 12. We are s, in to do, which prepared in advance for us to do. 13. What is the relationship, if any, between grace and faith on the one side and good works on the other? 14. What was the condition of the Gentile Ephesians before their conversion? (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
21 (6). 15. through made all converts, both and, equal before the of. 16. Christ is our, who made the two, and, one and has destroyed the barrier, the of by abolishing in his the with its and. His was to in himself new of the, thus making. 17. What was this barrier and when did it end? Cite scriptures in support of your answer. 18. What is the one body in which both Jews and Gentiles are peacefully reconciled? Explain.
22 19. Through whom and by what do Christians have access to the Father? 20. Upon what is God s household built? 21. In what ways are Christians like a holy temple in the Lord? 22. What are present day barriers that need to be removed from among God s people? 23. How can these barriers be removed? _
23 24. Christians are created in Christ Jesus to do good works. What good works are of special interest to you and for which do you have an aptitude? 25. Why do you do good works? Think. Be honest.