Ephesians 2:11-22 Jew & Gentile

But now in Christ Jesus you [Gentiles] who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

We have seen how the first half of the second chapter of Ephesians speaks of the spiritual death of all men (Jew and Gentile) and our subsequent resurrection as individuals in Christ. Now in the second half of the chapter we find the corporate experience explained, as the apostle Paul writes how, through redemption in Christ, Jews and Gentiles are made into “one new man.” While the relationship between these two groups may be of lesser concern in the 21st Century, this was the burning issue of the first Century. This is illustrated in the Apostle Peter’s initial hesitancy to fellowship with the Gentile, Cornelius (Acts 10:17-29), and his later hypocrisy in refusing to fellowship with Gentiles while other Jews were present (Gal 2:6-16). F.F. Bruce observes: “no iron curtain, colour bar, class distinction, or national frontier of today is more absolute than the cleavage between Jew and Gentile was in antiquity.” He called the unity between Jew and Gentile in Christ the “greatest trial of the Gospel in the apostolic age.” John Calvin wrote:

“… God, who was pleased to admit our fathers into the number of his own people, deserves to be held in everlasting remembrance. The calling of the Gentiles is an astonishing work of divine goodness, which ought to be handed down by parents to children, and to their children’s children, that it may never be forgotten or unacknowledged by the sons of men.”

The matter of Gentiles being saved weighed upon the apostle Paul’s thoughts in the book of Romans, where he wrote: … 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. (Rom 3:29-31). In chapter one, he made the unprecedented statement that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (Rom 1:16). In the first and second chapters of this epistle, Paul proves that both Jew and Gentile are likewise under sin; but in Christ, Paul concludes in Galatians 3:28-29: 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. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Why is that which is astonishing, taken so much for granted in our age? First because it has been 2000 years since the dividing wall, which kept Gentiles for the most part from receiving salvation, has been removed. For two millennia, Gentiles have been coming to Christ, becoming fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, so the idea of the exclusion and alienation of the Gentiles from God’s kingdom seems remote to us. Also, today’s church emphasizes the Gospel’s work toward the individual coming to Christ and making a personal choice to follow Him; there is far less concern in the modern church for the corporate expression of the unity among the people of God. Paul writes: For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, … so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity (Eph 2:14-17). Amidst the emphasis on the individual’s atonement, the atoning or peacemaking work of Christ in bringing separated people together in Him, has been neglected in evangelical churches. Over 100 years ago, James Denney wrote:

Is the great appeal of the Cross one which is intelligible only to men of a single race …? On the contrary, there is nothing in the world so universally intelligible as the Cross; and hence it is the meeting-place not only of God and man, but of all races and conditions of men with each other. There is neither Greek nor Jew, male nor female, bond nor free, there. … But of all Christian truths which are confessed in words, this is that which is most outrageously denied in deed. There is not a Christian church nor a Christian nation in the world which believes heartily in the Atonement as the extinction of privilege, and the leveling up of all men to the same possibility of life in Christ, to the same calling to be saints. The spirit of privilege, in spite of the Cross, is obstinately rooted everywhere even among Christian men.

How tragically accurate this statement is. While the grandeur of the Biblical vision for a new and unified society cannot be overstated, today Christians continue to erect new barriers of denominationalism, racism, prejudice, jealousy, and divisive class and caste systems. Personal animosities engineered by pride separate human beings, while Christ is most glorified where there is unity and love among of His people. May this text challenge us to live as we indeed are – with all barriers which separate us from each other, torn down by Christ’s peacemaking cross-work.

Judges 10 R.S.V.P.

The oppression against the Israelites had shattered their lives. They were subjected to a foreign nation; their homes were destroyed; their property and crops confiscated, possessions stolen, and spouses and children abused. People were brutalized and often killed. Under this cruel, savage treatment, the hearts of God’s people were crushed and broken. At long last, helpless and hopeless within themselves, the Israelites cried out to the Lord, confessing their sins. Crying out to the Lord for help was the result of the chastisement of the Lord, a clear picture of calling on the Lord only in times of emergency. They confessed their terrible desertion of God and their having engaged in false worship and idolatry. But note the response of the Lord. Shockingly, He did not accept their confession. Why? – because it did not include repentance. They were confessing

their sins, but they were not turning away from their evil. They wanted forgiveness and acceptance, but they wanted to continue in the ways of the world. They wanted the pleasures, wealth, and comfort of the world without having to suffer the oppression and evil that permeated the world and that is so characteristic of heathen nations.

Confession without repentance is never accepted by God. God reminded the Israelites that He had repeatedly rescued them from the oppression of their enemies In fact, He had rescued them from seven major enemies, the very enemies whose gods they were now worshipping. Because of their terrible evil of false worship, God charged them with repeated apostasy. He charged them with having forsaken Him and turning to the false idols and worship of this world. Consequently, He refused to hear their confession and to rescue them. And He challenged them to cry out to the false gods they were following. Let these false gods deliver them from their distress! Their trust in false religion and false gods was a perversion, a deception and a lie; for these false gods could do nothing to help the Israelites. God’s children had done the unthinkable: they had forsaken the Lord God Himself in order to worship the false gods of this earth – gods created in the minds of men. God issued His challenge for the Israelites to cry out to the false gods they had chosen over Him. In the past, He had responded to their cry, but no more. There had to be more than just crying out: there had to be genuine repentance.

The Lord’s rebuke or chastisement was all the Israelites could bear. In desperation, they again confessed their sins, but this time they repented. They totally surrendered themselves to God and to His will for them. They cried out for God to do with them whatever He thought best, but begged Him to rescue them immediately. They clearly could bear no more. Their repentance was not just a verbal confession; but they turned away from false worship, destroyed the false gods they had been worshipping, and they began to follow God in a renewed commitment. Once the Israelites had confessed and repented, God responded in compassion. He heard their cry and began the movement to deliver His dear people from their cruel, crushing oppression.

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Ephesians 2:10 Faith Works

For we are his workmanship , created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

In vs. 10 of chapter 2 of Ephesians, Paul concludes the thought which he began back to chapter 1, where he expresses the content of his prayer for the church: that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe … The hope, riches and power of which he writes, were first demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and then the resurrection of all those who are join with Him, by faith. It is God’s intention to display His glorious grace by raising dead men, who are bound in sin, walking according to the course of the world, to life by His grace. We become the beneficiaries of being the objects of God’s lavish love and mercy – a love which we not only receive but one that actually transforms us into the image of His Son from glory to glory. As trophies of His grace, the effect of God’s undeserved favor toward us will shine out of God’s ‘china cabinet’ for all eternity.

Paul is quick to remind us that this glory which we display is not from ourselves as a source of origin. Our salvation is a gift of God, so that no one may boast as having deserved or earned it. It is also received through faith which excludes boasting. This is stated in one of the clearest passages on how one is saved in all the Bible – Ephesians 2:8,9: For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Rather than working for our own salvation, Paul continues in verse 10, for we are His workmanship. As God’s workmanship – the product of His hands – His masterpiece – we understand that we are displays of His glory, not only in the ages to come, but in this age, where we are created in Christ Jesus for good works. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that our good works are meant to be on display to the world. Read Matthew 5:14-16. The light of good works which the church reflects, displays the glory of God. The time for final exhibition is yet to come; heaven is the final showroom, but here on earth God is already showing what He can do through His church.

Lest anyone think that these works are of human origin, Paul concludes the statement confirming what he has already said about our salvation. That just as God chose us for salvation from the beginning (2 Thess 2:13) and we are elect according to grace, likewise our ensuing sanctification and conformity to the image of Christ are also the work of God and not of man. Paul writes that the works for which we were created in Christ are prepared beforehand. While it is true that this preparation came both in His giving of the law, and was fulfilled in Christ, the text is quite clear that the very particular good works that we perform as individuals have been predestined for us to do. God guarantees that these works will be done, not merely by teaching us what is good and by providing Christ as an example, but by recreating us with a new heart and the power to perform these works. Until God has done this, any virtue that any man may have of his own accord is useless – as the prophet Isaiah wrote, all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags (Is 64:6). So there is no meritorious work that anyone can do to please God prior to being recreated by God. Legalists have always tried to hang the accusation of antinomianism over sola fide (faith alone), but what they seem incapable or unwilling to understand is that, it has been the understanding of the Gospel from the time of the Reformation that: “justification is by faith alone, but not by the faith that is alone.” In other words, good works (sanctification) is the necessary product of true saving faith.

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Judges 9:22-57 A Kingdom Divided

After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years, God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech … Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

Judges 9:22-23, 56-57

Judges chapter 9 verses 22 – 57 deal with the rebellion against Abimelech. What now happens is a clear picture of division, of a divided kingdom that could never stand. In the words of Jesus Christ: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew 12:25)

The root of the rebellion was a spirit of division aroused by God between Abimelech and Shechem. Note that the “evil spirit of division” was sent by God Himself. God’s purpose was to execute judgment upon this tyrant and upon the citizens of Shechem because of their horrible sin and evil. Abimelech’s rule had been brief, lasting only for three years. No doubt, his rule had been that of a tyrant, and opposition against him was soon aroused. In direct opposition to Abimelech, the leaders of Shechem hired bandits to ambush and rob the traitors (caravans) doing business with Abimelech. By being a major city, Shechem sat on one of the major routes of trade; therefore, the merchants passing through or spending the night in the city were an easy mark for bandits. But this was not the only problem created for Abimelech.

A conspiracy was being plotted by a man named Gaal who moved into the city with his brothers. He set out to exploit the displeasure of the citizens with their renegade king by seeking their political support. God was about to apply the principle of sowing and reaping in Abimelech’s life.

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Ephesians 2:8-9 The Gift

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.

This is perhaps the clearest description of what it means to be a Christian in the whole Bible. Whether one is saved or unsaved is determined by the application of this single verse. Historically, most of the trouble and dispute in the church over how one is saved has arisen at this point. It is because so many have never been clear on this foundation, that they are still confused about so many things. Confusion often arises when people take clear, great statements such as this and make them matters of controversy; and this verse has been used to stir up much confusion.

Let us look at what this verse clearly says. First, this verse tells us that we are Christians entirely and solely as a result of the grace of God. He is not obliged to save anyone; He is fully within His right to apply His law and have its penalty fully inflicted upon us as children of wrath. We have already seen in the previous verses, that our contribution to our regeneration is our trespasses and sins, in which we were dead – until God, by grace, makes us alive (v. 1-5). There is no indication whatsoever that salvation is God’s response to anything in us; we have no right to it nor can we merit it; we have no plea with God, His justice or His holy law. But God in His own wondrous and sovereign mercy, love and kindness has granted us the gift of salvation. Spiritually dead creatures have been made alive – how has it happened? God has done it! Salvation is of the Lord! That is what grace means. And so, we are in the words of the great hymn, “debtors to mercy alone.”

We have also seen that our salvation is an eternal display of grace (v. 7); it is so, because it is all of grace. “By grace” (the Greek preposition, gar = by) suggests the source or origin of salvation. But then it comes “through faith,” (the preposition dia = through) denotes the subjective means or instrument of its operation. Grace, which is completely objective, takes its place in the human heart, and thereby activates faith, which is the human conduit through which we are saved. It is clear from this verse that faith is not the first cause of salvation, but the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ is. Thank God that it is this way – God forbid that I should glory in anything but the cross of Christ! By grace, through faith eliminates any and all grounds for boasting.

Ephesians 2:7 Grace on Display

… that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Having considered how God has blessed us – made us alive, raised us up, and seated us with Christ in heavenly places – now, in verse 7, we come to the designed reason that God has done all of this. A part of God’s motive in salvation has already been stated in verse 4: because of the great love with which He loved us. But now we come to His actual intent and purpose. The first word of verse 7 is the Greek word hina, which suggests a conclusive statement about the designed intent is to follow. This designed purpose, revealed in verses 7-10 is two-fold, and both reasons are related. First, in verse 7 we find God’s intention to make His children the objects of endless displays of grace. This is both to our eternal benefit and for His eternal glory. The second intention is that His people would manifest His saving grace by doing good works – the ultimate object again being that these works would manifest God’s glory on earth (Mt 5:16).

The words, “He might show” translate a Greek verb suggesting to display or exhibit. In the New Testament this verb is always in the middle voice meaning “to show for oneself.” In the eternal life of His people, God purposed to place the exceeding riches of His grace on exhibition. Thus believers can be considered trophies of God’s grace, created in Christ Jesus, to display that grace now – in this life – and forever. The kindness toward us, described here, is more than the general providential goodness and mercy that God extends to all creation, but is specifically a saving kindness found in Christ Jesus. Notice how Paul lingers long and lovingly on the themes of God’s amazing goodness to those who deserve condemnation. His mercy is rich; His love is great; His kindness immeasurably gracious!

It is also important that we not fall into the error of thinking that the love, grace and kindness of God toward us are because of Christ’s work; in fact, the opposite is true – God demonstrates His prior love for us in Christ’s death (Rom 5:8). The atoning work of Christ did not need to persuade an otherwise angry Father to love His children. On the contrary, the Father loved us and did not spare His own Son to save us as a result. Let us not miss the message which Paul is emphasizing here – that the lavish kindness of God displayed in Christ toward an undeserving people is the best manner in which God fulfills His ultimate purpose to display His glory. It’s a win-win scenario – human blessing and God’s glory are in perfect accord.

Further, we see that this display of grace will be for “the ages to come.” This has been understood in one of two ways. First, it refers to the future generations between Paul’s writing until the second coming of Christ. Every generation can look back to God’s grace and mercy in saving a remnant before them – and so can have hope that God is indeed mighty to save. But then, beyond this earth, “ages to come” describes the future of believers in eternity with Christ. God’s utmost end in the salvation of His people is not fully attained until we come to this. The Gospel reveals infinite grace to us, but there is, in the realm of our experience, an aspect of grace which is reserved for eternity, which we cannot fully comprehend now – one in which the present blessings, as great as they are, are only preparative. The effect of grace in our lives will shine out of God’s display cabinet for all eternity, and you are beneficiary of it!

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Ephesians 2:5-6 You A.R.E. With Christ (Alive, Raised, Enthroned)

But God … made us alive together with Christ … and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places Ephesians 2:4-6

We last left mankind, dead in his trespasses and sins; but despite this, God, because of His rich mercy and the great love with which he loved us, does three things: He 1) makes us alive, 2) raised us up, and 3) enthroned us with Christ. These are the spiritual counterparts of Christ’s own quickening, resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father. As Paul speaks of our experience with Christ, he does not mean to suggest that we experience the exact same thing that Christ did, but that our new life is made possible by Christ’s resurrection and our union with Him – the believer shares in what God has done for Christ. This is a truth almost too glorious to believe!

Each of the three principle verbs, made alive, raised and seated, are compound verbs beginning with the Greek prefix, ‘soon’ – meaning together with. These verbs are single Greek verbs meaning, “made-alive-together-with,” “raised-together-with,” and “made-to-sit-together-with.” Each of these verbs are in the aorist form, so they speak of a living reality, secured in the past. Paul does not speak of these in terms of future blessings; he affirms that though we were dead, our resurrection and exaltation with Christ are not merely potentially secured and reserved for future enjoyment, but are for our pleasure and satisfaction in the here and now. Paul’s goal in telling us this is not merely that we might know this doctrinally or theologically, but in truth and life.

On the surface it might appear that these three main verbs all describe the same experience, but in fact, just as Jesus’ quickening in the tomb, and subsequent resurrected life and ascension were three distinct actions, likewise we are not only made alive, but raised and enthroned with Him as well. We not only are quickened to life, but there follows a resurrected life. Upon being quickened, we do not continue to live in our graves bound in grave clothes, but are resurrected to a life among the living – and then beyond that a heavenly life – seated with Christ in the heavenly places.

Just as the spiritual death described in verse 1 is real and personal, so the life described herein is not some theological abstraction, but is as real a blessing, as our spiritual death was in actuality, a curse. The life given corresponds to the death described, so as the death described is spiritual, so the life is as well. So when Christ was raised from the dead, all of His people were in actuality, spiritually quickened and raised as well – we know this by faith, not by sight, but it is no less genuine an experience.

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Judges 8:22-35 The Ruler

Remember, the book of Judges is the story of the inconsistency of the Israelites and the permissive lifestyle in which they lived. Looking around at their neighbors, they were attracted to the bright lights and pleasures, and the possessions and wealth of their neighbors. Instead of living a life of holiness, righteousness, and spiritual separation, the Israelites began to compromise with their neighbors and live the very same permissive lifestyle as the unbelievers who surrounded them. They gave in to the immoral, covetous, and idolatrous ways of the Canaanites, even to the point of intermarrying with them. And once intermarriage took place, it was just a short step to serving and worshipping the false gods of the Canaanites.

This compromising, permissive lifestyle even had a significant impact upon Gideon, influencing him greatly. Despite the wonderful growth and victorious faith experienced by Gideon, he too began to demonstrate a heart that was not pure toward God, and a life that was not totally committed to Him. Tragically, as Gideon aged — from this point on until his death — he slipped more and more into the permissive, wicked lifestyle of his unbelieving neighbors. He compromised more and more until by the time of his death he became an utter disgrace to the holiness demanded by God. He had rejected the throne, but he had lived like a king: requesting wealth from the people, securing a large harem and family, acquiring the royal, purple robes worn by kings and making an ephod, a breastplate to be worn only by the priests. Gideon did not exalt himself to be king, but he lived like a king. The permissive, compromising life he lived up until his death is clearly spelled out by Scripture. Gideon had become a man who, like the world around him, had an inconsistent testimony and witness.

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Ephesians 2:4 … But God

After two weeks of meditating on our condition before coming to Christ, we now begin to consider the work of God in raising us from our desperate condition. In verse 4, Paul returns to the splendid theme which he began to develop back in chapter one – the exceeding greatness of the power of God toward us, as demonstrated in the raising of Christ from the dead. In chapter 2, recall that the Holy Spirit has purposefully delayed the main verb of this sentence, “made us alive,” until verse 5. Well the subject of this main verb is God. It is God who saves – He does for us what we could not possibly do for ourselves. By His Spirit He unites us with Christ. “But God … made us alive … raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places.”

The word but is a conjugation; it links what follows to the previous sentence; it also suggests a contrast. In our text, God stands in contrast to man. While man is both dead in sin and a powerless slave, dragged along by the course of this world, God is powerful; He is able to raise us from spiritual death and cause us to live in Christ. Jesus is the resurrection and the life – His death grants us pardon so that we are forgiven, but then His life grants us liberation so that we might live for Him.

These two words, “but God,” in a sense contain the whole Gospel. They emphasize what God has done to initiate and secure the salvation of His children, because of His rich mercy and love with which He loved us. Salvation is something which comes completely from outside of one’s self. The manner in which this is done is going to be magnificently described in verses 8-10; but first Paul wants to be sure that his Gospel begins with a powerful and loving God and not with hopeless mankind.

For those familiar with the Scriptures, these two words, “but God,” are familiar. In Psalm 41:4-13 for example, David is surrounded by enemies, is betrayed by a friend, and his outlook is bleak; there appears to be no way out. But as he looks up and by faith sees God – “But you O God …” (v. 10) – his outlook changes. Likewise in Psalm 102:1-11 the Psalmist pours out his sense of despair, until a moment of illumination lifts his gaze beyond his hopeless circumstances. Above all of the chaos, He sees the Almighty and sings, “But you O Lord,” and his demeanor changes. Again in Psalm 130, the Psalmist begins overwhelmed by a sense of his own sin. If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, who could stand? As he puts his focus upon God, he finds relief and deliverance in what God has done: But there is forgiveness with You (Ps 130:3-4). This week, in addition to these Psalms read Acts 7:9-10, 13:28-30; Rom 5:8, 1 Cor 2:9-10, 10:13, Gal 3:18, and Phil 2:27 taking note of the change that “but God” brings about.

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Ephesians 2:3 Children of Wrath

… and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Eph 2:3

We could probably not think of two more incompatible words than children and wrath. When we think of children, words like innocence come to mind, not wrath. Yet the first three verses of Ephesians chapter 2 teach us that every human being ever born of man and woman is, by nature, characterized or marked by the wrath of God. David confirms that our condition is one of nature rather than nurture: Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. (Ps 51:5). We come from the womb into the world as sinners. This is very different from how psychological ideas have understood “tabula rasa,” that is the concept that men are born with a “blank slate” upon which they write their experiences which then frame their personalities. On the contrary, Scripture teaches clearly that sin is the universal opponent of mankind, by nature – that is the origin of our condition from birth.

Yet there is an even greater catastrophe than this. Because of sin, there is the more serious problem of being under the wrath of God himself. Sinclair Ferguson writes: “Wrath is the settled hostility of God’s holy will towards everything that rebels against Him.” God’s wrath is not like that of man. It is not the result of a bad temper, spite, malice or revenge. Unlike the wrath of man, God’s wrath is neither arbitrary nor dependent upon mood. Some have argued that wrath is not personal, that is, it is not directed toward any specific human being, but is in general against sin. In truth, just as grace is personal, wrath too is God’s personal, righteous resolve to condemn evil in every form – it is already a present reality revealed from heaven (Rom 1:18, Jn 3:36). Further, God’s wrath is completely compatible with His love and mercy (if there is any doubt of this, read on in verses 4-6). In fact, God cannot truly love unless He is able to purely hate that which rebels against His love. And if you reject God’s love as received in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, then only wrath remains. But for those who are in Christ, the wrath of God is satisfied for every sin was laid upon Christ, who bore the wrath that we, by right, deserve. On the cross, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (Gal 3:13). This is what “propitiation” means, the removal of wrath by spending it upon a substitute. God’s wrath was not disregarded, but was diverted to Christ, and willingly absorbed by Him.

Today many Christians find wrath to be offensive, and some have sought to eliminate the idea of a propitiatory sacrifice from their understanding of atonement. But as much as we might like it to be otherwise, wrath is a dominant theme of Scripture. It’s difficult to read a single page without coming up against the subject of God’s wrath, and unless wrath is personally dealt with by Christ, you remain an enemy of God, forever guilty and shamed. But, brothers and sisters, if there be any joy, it flows from Christ’s personal wrath-absorbing work on your behalf. Full atonement can it be?!?

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