How Firm A Foundation

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION (EPHESIANS 2)

The world is big, boundless and beautiful, with her geographical places, local peoples and cultural practices. I’m a third generation Chinese whose father was born in Malaysia, but his father was from Dongguan, China. In Malaysia I had a roommate who was Indian.

Into my 20s I went to Dallas for my seminary. In my late 30s, I was pastor of a small church of 70 people with people from at least ten countries – Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Caucasians, American Indian, African American and Caucasians from mixed marriages. Later, I met my wife who left Hong Kong for high school and became a Canadian citizen, and she took me to Hong Kong 10 years after we were married.

Paul in Ephesians chapter 2 skillfully wrote what makes people from all walks of life like each other and what makes us unlike and how we can be both. Ephesus was a melting pot with different cultures, religions, and learning. It was a coastal city that attracted tourists, residents and merchants. Most recipients of Paul’s letters were written to Jews as well as Gentiles. The church Ephesians is renowned for its eight lengthy sentences (1:3-14, 15-23; 2:1-10, 3:1-13, 14-19; 4:1-7, 11-16; 6:14-20), of which chapter 1 has two (1:3-14, 15-23) and chapter 2 has its own, namely Ephesians 2:1-10.

How are believers similar in Christ, whether they be Gentiles and Jews, East or West, immigrants or residents?

Be Converted - Not Works But Grace

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 also 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.

An Englishman who boasted that he did not believe in God once visited the Fiji Islands. As he saw the natives going to church with Bibles in their hands, he exclaimed, “The Bible is no good. Your religion about Christ is false.”

To this a simple native teacher answered, “It is a good thing for you that we left our heathenism and cannibalism and took to our Bibles and Christianity, else you would be clubbed, cooked in a native oven, and eaten.”

Here are the repetitions and contrasts in the salvation experience:

V 1 DEAD in transgressions and sins V 5 DEAD in transgressions

V 2 ACCORDING to the course of this world V 2 ACCORDING to the prince of the power of the air

v 2 the CHILDREN of disobedience v 3 the CHILDREN of wrath

v 3 the lusts of our FLESH

v 3 the desires of the FLESH

and of the mind

V 1, 2 You V 3 Us + our V 3 The rest

There are five markers in the text: four repetitions, including the words “dead” (v 1 dead in trespasses and sins, v 5 dead in sins), “according” (v 2 according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air), “children” (v 2 the children of disobedience, the children of wrath), and “lusts” (v 3 the lusts of our flesh, v 3 the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and finally, the progression of “you” (vv 1-2) to “us/we” (v 3) to “the rest/others” (v 3).

Paul’s focus, however, is not verses 1-3, but in the three points of verses 4-6: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, (1) MADE US ALIVE (su-zoopoieo) with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. (2) And God RAISED (sun-egeiro) us up with Christ and (3) SEATED (sug-kathizo) us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,” followed by two reasons (gar).