EPH.2:1-14 OUR PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE 9-3-11
1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Paul here points out man's condition outside of Christ-- the unsaved person is the same as a corpse, a walking dead man, --Jesus told Nicodemos in
John 3:17-18 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, (the unsaved person is controlled by the attractions of the world) according to the prince (ruler) of the power of the air, (Satan) the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (the sin nature) 3Among whom (lost sinners) also we all (Jews as well) had our conversation (passed behavior, how we once lived)-- 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.
By nature means, the natural unsaved person, one not yet born again supernaturally.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
let me tell you about a man where I worked back in 83, when our 16 year old youngest son along with two other young boys were killed in a car wreck, I of coarse stayed out of work for a few days, the 1st Sunday after the funeral when I woke up I told my wife that I believe I'll go to church, she didn't say a word, she got up and we both got ready, I was 40 years old and couldn't have told you what book John 3:16 was in, and let me say that when we went to bed that Saturday night it never crossed my mind to go to church in the morning, as I look back on it I realize that God was in it all the way, I remember the Preacher was Brother Burl Hendrix but I couldn't tell you what he preached, but I can tell you that know how the drawing power of the Holy Ghost feels, so I made things right with God that morning and it so happened that' that night they were having a baptismal service, so I was Baptist that same night with 4 or 5 others, I'll have to say that I had no idea about what it meant, but I wanted to do what was right, and I knew it was the right thing to do.
I was saved at an earlier time when I was about 8 years old but never had any one to take me under their wing and take me to church and so when I was old enough to get out into the sinful things of the world I did, but any way, this man at work didn't know that while I was out those few days that I turned my life over to Jesus so he came out to the department that I worked in and proceeded to tell me a dirty joke like he had before all this happened, I knew that he didn't know about me going to church and asking God to forgive me and help me to do right so I was not at all offended by what he said, so I listened to his joke and then I ask him to go to church with me this coming Sunday, and to my surprise he said, "I go to church, I teach Sunday school" ---he was a member of a Baptist Church--
I said to him did he know that he was a hypocrite, he turned red in the face and said yes, and from then on he was a different person when I talked with him, we were friends so it didn't make him mad when I said that, I haven't seen him in many years, and as for as I'm concerned we're still friends.
I've said all that to say that the ways of the world are still all around us even after we're saved, in fact even more so, the devil will send things our way that before we never thought very much about, he knows he can't damn our soul once we're saved but he will never leave us alone, he wants to ruin our testimony, but I'm so glad that we read in
1 John 1:7 -10 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. It matters not who you are or how holy you might think you are we just read from the word of God --10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Let us never to be too hard on a fellow believer when he or she sins, it might very well happen to you or me.
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
„« Now let's get back to our text found in Eph.2:
4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved ;)
Paul points out that a lost person must understand 1st of all his lost, spiritually dead, and helpless condition before he can fully appreciate what being saved really means, a person will never be saved until he first realizes he's lost and on his way too hell.
6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
In Christ we have been made alive spiritually, raised up, and seated in heavenly places.
All this is true now, but one day we'll see first hand just exactly what this means.
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
People can not do any thing to save them selves, no part of salvation is "of ourselves" or because of what we might do-- the entire matter of salvation is the gift of God.
We are saved "by grace" that is, by the kindness of God in having Jesus die for our sins.
And the only way we can receive this grace is through faith, that is, we believe what God has done for us and understand that only Christ's atoning Blood is the agent that blots out our sins and that in this way and only this way can we have a proper relationship with God.
The grace of God is the expression of His goodness toward the undeserving. Grace means unmerited favor, Christ paid it all. He said in John 19:31 --it is finished--
He didn't make the down payment and then leaves it up to us to keep up the installment payments.
In this salvation the truth is; men who deserve hell obtain heaven, and we can not come up with a better meaning or explanation apart from God's grace.
Saving faith is our response to God in this salvation experience. What people need to remember is, [Jesus is the Savior, not us]
There are even those in the world that look to Mary for salvation, well, who was it that died on the cross in the stead of lost sinners?--Gabriel said to Mary in
Luke 1: 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. -- Not above women
And Elizabeth also said in
Luke 1:41-42-- and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women,--not above women
We'll not get off into that today.
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
One reason salvation is not appropriated by personal works is because when we get to heaven we'll not be able to strut around and brag that we did this or that to help get us there, and besides that how would we know when we have done enough good works to be saved, I thank God that I will never be lost again, I thank God that He is the One holding on to me and not me holding on to Him.--Jesus said in
John 10: 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
If God could lose one of His children He could lose them all.--Jesus prayed in His prayer in
John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God has made us complete in Christ Jesus, not we made our selves complete because of some thing we may or may not have done, and now that God has saved us AND NOT WE OURSELVES, we are now ready to do good works, we don't do good works to save us or to keep us saved, we do good works because we are saved, he wants us to walk in good works, that is continue to do good things the rest of our lives that others may see a vast difference and desire to have what we have, only God can convict a lost sinner of his or her sins but God uses His children to win other to Christ, Jesus always is the One that gives the increase but He allows us to have a part in reaching out to the lost and good works is a standing testimony that we are saved, we're new creatures in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, (brought us back into fellowship with God) and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (we're to bring other into this reconciliation with God) 19To wit, (to tell others what God is doing) that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed** unto us the word of reconciliation. (Appointed unto us this task of telling and explaining to others)
20 Now (consequently) then we are ambassadors for Christ, (an Ambassador is a person that is in a foreign country representing his King and country) as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, (we're speaking to you in behalf of Christ) be ye reconciled to God.
21For HE hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
11Wherefore 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;
These Ephesians were by way of reproach and contempt called uncircumcised people by the Jews, circumcision was a Jewish ordinance, the Jews were to be circumcised when they were 8 days old.
Genesis 17: 9-14 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
There was none that were more abominable to the Jews and hated by them than gentiles who were not circumcised.
Jesus said in
Matt.5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
He did not come to destroy the writing of Moses or the writings of the Prophets, He come to fulfill.--when we are in Christ, "saved" we keep God's law through Christ, the law is good, it has not been done away with, it has all been fulfilled in Him.
Colossians 2:10-11 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: --
The Jewish circumcision was an out ward work, the circumcision that Christ worked was an inward change. ---with out hands--
12That 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: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
. 14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, (Jew and gentile) and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, (hatred) even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain* (both Jew and gentile) one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18For through him we both (Jew and gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In 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.
All saved Jews that believe on Jesus, and gentiles are the Temple of the Holy Ghost.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
2:14 the "middle wall of separation" refers to the Mosaic Law, but may be symbolized by the wall in the temple which separated the court of the Gentiles from the court of the Jews--the wall beyond which no Gentile was permitted to pass. Stone markers, engraved in Hebrew and Greek, warned Gentiles against crossing the line on pain of death.
Now, because of "GRACE" all are saved the same way, Jew and Gentile.
