Ephesians 2 - A Holy Temple in the Lord

    Last time, we went through the first part of Ephesians 2, and we saw Paul remind the Ephesians where they came from. They were dead in their trespasses and sins, under the devil’s control, and were the children of wrath. Paul includes himself in this group, thus stating this is the plight of all who are outside of Christ. However, God who is rich in mercy that stems from His great love for us has made us alive in Christ. We are saved by grace, through faith, not from our own efforts or righteousness, but it is a free gift from God. We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has actually prepared for us beforehand to walk in them.

Continuing on in chapter 2, Paul is still reminding them where they came from. The Ephesians were once Gentiles, and called the uncircumcision by the circumcision (the Jews). If we recall from Romans 4 in our last study, Abraham received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised. For the Jew, circumcision was a big deal. It was a sign of the covenant that God made with Abraham and his descendants. If you were a Jew, you had to be circumcised or be cut off from your people. If we fast-forward about two thousand years, the Jews had taken this sign of the covenant, and turned it into something God never intended. It became a racial thing in which the Jews hated the Gentiles and called them dogs. Even worse, if you were a half-breed like the Samaritans, you were really hated. This hatred was returned as well: the Gentiles had distain for the Jews who saw themselves as superior.

Truthfully though, the Gentiles were not in a good place. Paul says they were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, without hope, and without God in the world. There was both a racial and a spiritual divide. This may have seemed like an impossible divide from a human standpoint, but not from a divine one.

The answer to this divide was the cross. We who are Gentiles, who were once afar off, have now been brought near by the blood of Christ. The cross is truly the answer to all our problems. And when I say the cross, I’m not referring to the wooden beams, for no doubt people have made idols out of the cross itself with statues, jewelry, etc. However, when the Scriptures speak of the cross, they speak of Jesus and what He accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection.

For Jesus is our peace, who has made both Jew and Gentile one. He doesn’t just bring peace, but He is our peace. He is our peace with God, and He is our peace with each other. It is when we compare ourselves to each other or compete against one another that this unity breaks down. It is when we unite ourselves to Christ by faith, centered around the Scriptures that these differences begin to fade away.

In the temple during the time of Jesus and the apostles, there was a dividing wall between the court of the women and the court of the Gentiles that the Gentiles were not allowed to pass. On the wall there was an inscription that read, “No foreigner is to enter the barriers surrounding the sanctuary. He who is caught will have himself to blame for his death which will follow.” Jesus, symbolically, has broken down this wall between us.

Jesus has abolished in His flesh the enmity, (the law of commandments contained in ordinances). Paul wrote a similar thing to the Colossians, “having wiped out the handwriting of requirements (certificate of debts) that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Col 2:14) Now, this does not mean Jesus abolished the moral teachings of the law, for He said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” What the passages do mean is that Jesus fulfilled the law, and that we are no longer under its sentence because he paid our debts for us on the cross. He also has abolished the legal and ceremonial requirements that distinguished Jews as seen in Acts 15:19-21. They all point to Him, and He has either already fulfilled them or will fulfill them in His second coming.

The Jewish rabbis teach that the law is divided into two parts, the law of God and the law of Moses. Both were given by God, but the law of God is the 10 Commandments given from Mount Sinai in the people’s hearing. They state that it could be heard in multiple languages, thus meaning it is for all people at all times. This law of God was written on two tablets of stone. The law of Moses on the other hand, was given privately to Moses on the mount, and later delivered to the Jewish people only. The Bible doesn’t tell us whether or not this is true, but it is interesting that every one of the 10 Commandments with the exception of the Sabbath is restated in the New Testament as being valid for us today. The author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is our Sabbath rest.

Jesus has abolished the law to make in Himself one new man from the two (Jew and Gentile). Gotquestions.org says the following: “The expression, one new man, is rich with meaning. The Greek word for “new” means “fresh or unused” rather than chronologically new. Here, Paul emphasizes the creative—or re-creative—act of God in Christ that produces a new spiritual community distinct from either former group. This new community, comprised of Jews and Gentiles, is a “new man” who is defined by union with Christ.” Because of this union with Christ, there can be peace between Jew and Gentile. Both have been reconciled to God in one body through the cross, and the enmity has been put to death. As the saying goes, the ground is level at the foot of the cross. It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone comes to God the same way, and has access to the same spiritual blessings. Paul wrote to the Galatians, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This is just as true for us today: Jesus is the answer to racial tension, tension at work, or the battle of the sexes. Again, if we all come to Him by faith and obey His word, our disagreements tend to disappear.

The gospel has been preached to both the Jews and Gentiles, and we all have access by one Spirit to the Father. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Co 12:13) And to the Romans he wrote, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

If we recall, Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman by a well. As I previously stated, the Jews and the Samaritans hated each other, and after the Samaritans were not allowed to participate in the rebuilding of the temple, they built their own temple on Mount Gerizim which was later destroyed by the Jews. During this conversation, she asked Jesus what mountain they should worship at, Mount Gerizim or at Jerusalem? Jesus responded, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (Jn 4:21-24) In order to worship God, we must do it in spirit and in truth. Our walk is a spiritual one, but it can only exist due to the truth of the Gospel. It is the Holy Spirit that indwells us at salvation, making our spirit alive again, and it is the Holy Spirit who works through us to carry out God’s will. However, this is only possible through our faith in the Truth.

I bring up the woman at the well, not only to highlight this truth, but it really shows us God’s heart for the lost, even those who come from a morally and spiritually bankrupt culture. She was an unlikely candidate in the eyes of many, but she needed Jesus just the same. Many of our neighbors or coworkers come from different backgrounds, backgrounds less desirable than what we were brought up in, but that just means they need Jesus.

Because of the cross, Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners to the things of God, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the house of God. Citizens means to be part of the nation, but members of the household means to be part of the family. We have not only been grafted into the nation of Israel, we’re part of the family of God with them if they too have believed in their Mesiah.

Every house has a foundation, and the foundation of the household of God is the apostles and prophets, Jesus being the chief cornerstone. We will discuss apostles and prophets more when we get to chapter 4, but these original apostles and prophets played a foundational role in getting the Church started and off on the right foot. Many of these original apostles and prophets were also responsible for writing our New Testament Scriptures. This foundational role is complete, and does not need to be re-laid. In fact, Paul wrote to the Galatians, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” (Gal 1:8-9) So, if anyone comes to you or me claiming to be an apostle or prophet with a “new” revelation, we can confidently dismiss their claims.

The cornerstone was the principal stone, usually placed at the corner of a structure. It was normally one of the largest, most solid, and most carefully constructed of any in the structure. Once it was set, it became the basis for determining every other measurement, and everything was aligned to it. I think the parallels are obvious: Jesus is our solid rock, and all the Church must be aligned with Him, and the primary way we know how to align ourselves is to regularly be in the word.

So, Paul says we are being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, we are being fitted together, and grow into a holy temple in the Lord. We are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. The Psalmist again writes that God inhabits (is enthroned in) the praises of His people. When we gather together to worship the Lord, it invites His presence among us in a special way. Lastly, Peter writes, “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:4-10)

In closing, we as Gentiles were once far from God, but have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Jesus is our peace, and has brought us all together through the cross. We are no longer under the sentence of the Law, because Jesus fulfilled it for us. Jesus is our cornerstone, and we are being aligned with him and as living stones, are being built into a holy temple and dwelling place of God.

 

Ephesians 2 - By Grace through Faith

Last time, we went through the first chapter of Ephesians, and we discovered what a packed chapter it was. Right out of the gate, Paul covers some major doctrinal issues. We saw how we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. We have been chosen by him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before Him in love. We have been foreknown and predestined (marked out beforehand) to be adopted sons by faith in Jesus Christ. We have been called, justified, and glorified. God has done all this according to the good pleasure of His will. We are highly favored in God’s perfect, divine love. We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and are recipients of His abounding grace. We have been united in Christ. We have been predestined to an inheritance of Heaven and eternal life that is incorruptible, undefiled, does not fade away, and that is being preserved for us. We have been sealed (stamped) with the Holy Spirit of promise, being preserved by God until the day of redemption.

Last time I was struck by just how much God has given us. He hasn’t held anything back from us in Christ. In Romans it states, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:31-32) I believe He has done this for us because of His love for us. Paul writes further in Romans, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39) Paul prayed they would receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God so that they would have a greater understanding of these truths.

Lastly, that we would understand the exceeding greatness of God’s power who raised Jesus from the dead, and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places far above all other power and authority, and gave Jesus to the Church to be its head. It’s truly some amazing stuff. Now, let’s move into chapter 2.

Paul begins the chapter by reminding them where they came from. As believers it is important to remember where we came from. Sometimes, especially if we have been a believer for a while, we become prideful and self-righteous, forgetting what God has saved us from, and we can become overly critical or harsh with others’ sins. He states, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. We ended the last chapter with Paul talking about the exceeding greatness of God’s power who raise Jesus from the dead, and it is that same power that makes us alive again spiritually. We are all born with a sin nature inherited from Adam and Eve, and as a result, are spiritually dead. Trespass has the idea of crossing a line or boundary that God has set. It can be accidental or willful. The word sin is an archery term, and simply means to miss the mark, God’s righteous standards. So, whether we sin ignorantly or willfully, it is still sin.

He reminded them that they walked (past tense) according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who works in the sons of disobedience. First, they used to walk. A true convert won’t be comfortable in their sin any longer, whereas a spiritually dead man does not care. This temporal world is under Satan’s control or influence (Acts 26:18, Col 1:13, and 1 Jn 5:19). He also blinds the minds of those who do not believe from seeing the truth (2 Co 4:4). Next, Paul includes himself in stating how wea all walked after our own lusts, and as a result, were the children of wrath like the others. John the Baptist said of Jesus, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (Jn 3:36) The wrath of God is a real thing, and we should be eternally grateful for what God has saved us from. It’s good to remember what God has saved us from, and it’s good to remember what He has saved us to.

We did not deserve anything, but God, who is rich in mercy because of His great love for us, made us alive together with Christ when we were dead. The word “mercy” is used in connection with feelings of compassion, as well as the actions that result from it. I have heard it said that mercy is not giving someone what they deserve. It is God’s compassion and divine love that causes Him to not pour out His wrath on us, but to give us a second chance. Asaph, in speaking of Israel’s provocations of God in the wilderness, said that God remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again. He knows our struggles, and how difficult it is to do what is right at times. It’s kind of like our own kids: sometimes they deserve more discipline than we give them, but we go lighter on them because we love them and know their struggles.

Paul inserts in parentheses, “by grace you have been saved.” So, we see both mercy and grace at play here in connection with our salvation. Grace means kindness or favor, and is referring to the unmerited favor and kindness of God towards humanity. I have heard it said that it is God giving us what we don’t deserve. Not only have we been spared the punishment of Hell, we have been given the inheritance of eternal life in Heaven with the Lord.

God has raised us up and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ. I think that is interesting, God views us as already seated in the heavenly places because of our faith in Jesus. We tend to view ourselves based off where we are presently, but God views us in light of where we are headed. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” (Judges 6:12) Now, if we recall, Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress in order to hide it from the Midianites. The Lord told him he would save Israel, and when Gideon protested, the Lord told him He would be with him and that Gideon would defeat them as one man. So, we may not feel like we’re seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, but the Lord has told us we are. He is with us in the person of the Holy Spirit. He’s done all this so that He can show us the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ in the ages to come. Again, this is Heaven, and this is where we are headed.

And now we come to one of the most famous passages in Scripture in V 8-10: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” We have been saved by the unmerited favor of God through our faith in Jesus Christ, nothing more, nothing less. The overwhelming Scriptural evidence is that we are saved by faith. This word for faith in the original language (pistij) is a noun, and, in context, means a belief or reliance on Jesus for salvation. Its root is in another Greek word that means to persuade or be persuaded. Paul wrote to the Romans, “There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” (Rom 3:11-12) Jesus said in John, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Jn 6:44) So, this calling and persuasion is itself a gift from God offered to us; it’s only up to us to receive it.

The corresponding verb used by John in his Gospel and by Paul in his epistle to the Romans “believe” is pisteuw, and means to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing). It is to entrust one’s spiritual well-being to Christ. it is referring to the response of the heart to the call of God bringing eternal life.

It's not of ourselves, but it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. There is nothing that you or I can contribute or offer God for our salvation; it is a free gift. I cannot stop doing enough bad things and do enough good things to make myself right with the Lord. Even repentance inn and of itself cannot save a person, because it is not accompanied by faith. As we discussed in Romans, repentance does not erase our previous debts of sin; it merely means we are not adding more debt to our account. We need God’s righteousness imputed or credited to our account by faith to pay our debts in full. To believe justification by our works is to say that Jesus’ sacrifice was not enough, and that I’m not really that bad. However, what does the Scripture say? As we have already read, there is none who does good, no, not one.

I don’t believe we can cover this topic of justification by faith apart from works without covering some ground in the book of Romans. So, if you would please turn with me to Romans 3, beginning at verse 19, and read through 4:16. It states:

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

God’s law stops all our mouths and our attempts to justify ourselves by showing us our guilt.

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.”

The righteousness of God is given to not just some, but to ALL who believe.

“For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

All have sinned, but We are justified freely by His grace. Grace is free to us, but it cost God the life of His only begotten Son. Propitiation means a place or thing used to appease or atone for wrong-doing. This word is used for the lid of the ark in which the blood of the sin offering was sprinkled on the day of Atonement. Jesus appeased God’s wrath toward us by dying on the cross in our place.

“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”

We don’t have room to boast, for we are all justified by faith, apart from the deeds of the law.

Continuing into chapter 4:

“What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.”

Even Abraham, the father of the faith, was not justified by his works. Those who seek to be justified by works end up in debt to God.

“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.’ Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.”

Abraham’s justification came before circumcision, and so our justification comes before our obedience.

“The Promise Granted Through Faith For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

The Law brings about wrath because it can only leave us in debt to a righteous and holy God. “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” This is why salvation must be by grace through faith apart from our works. We must trust in Jesus who is our propitiation. He is where we find mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

We are saved by grace through faith, apart from our works, but that doesn’t mean that works are not important. Paul continues, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” The word for “workmanship” is poihma, and is where we get our word poem. We are God’s work of art. Spurgeon said, “Our new life is as truly created out of nothing as were the first heavens, and the first earth. This ought to be particularly noticed, for there are some who think that the grace of God improves the old nature into the new. It does nothing of the sort.” Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Co 5:17)

I think Paul’s approach here is interesting. He focuses on God’s artistic abilities as it relates to our good works. We are all unique, and the Lord has different plans for each of us that He will work out if we trust Him by faith. If we are God’s work of art, this means that He loves us and takes pleasure in us, and if He loves us and takes pleasure in us, then what He tells us to do or not to do we can believe it is for our good. God’s mercy, grace, and love should be our primary motivation for obeying Him. David Guzek writes, “God’s love is a transforming love. It meets us right where we are at, but when we receive this love it always takes us where we should be going.”

In closing, we were once dead in our trespasses and sins, but we are now saved and made alive by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, and we have been created to do good works which God has already prepared for us beforehand to do.