Monday: We Are Redeemed for Community
As you read Ephesians 2:1-22, seek to answer this question: What has God done for us through His Son Jesus Christ?
“But God … .” Those two words must be the most hope-filled ones known to humankind. In Ephesians 2:1-10,
Image © Philippians McKay at Goodsalt.com
Paul describes the grim past of his audience. Sharing the plight of all humanity, they were bent toward rebellion against God, their lives dominated by sin and Satan (Ephesians 2:1-3). “But God, who is rich in mercy … . ” And what did God do for them and for us? 1. He made us alive with Christ — Christ’s resurrection is our own. 2. He raised us up with Christ — Christ’s ascension is our own. 3. In heaven, he seated us with Christ — Christ’s coronation is our own (Ephesians 2:4-7). We are not just bystanders to the cosmos-shifting events of Christ’s life! God takes these remarkable actions, not because of any merit in us, but because of His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), and He intends believers to live in solidarity with Jesus and practice “good works” (Ephesians 2:10).
If Ephesians 2:1-10 teaches that we live in solidarity with Jesus, Ephesians 2:11-22 teaches that we live in solidarity with others as part of His church. Jesus’ death has both vertical benefits, establishing the believer’s relationship with God (Ephesians 2:1-10), and horizontal ones, cementing our relationships with others (Ephesians 2:11-22). Through His cross, Jesus demolishes all that divides Gentile believers from Jewish ones, including the misuse of the Law to widen the gulf (Ephesians 2:11-18). Jesus also builds something — an amazing, new temple composed of believers. Gentiles, once excluded from worship in sacred places of the temple, now join Jewish believers in becoming one. We too become part of God’s church, a “holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Through the grace of God, you have the privilege of living this day in solidarity with Jesus and your fellow believers.
Ephesians 2:8-10 has played a role in the conversion of many. Martin Luther found in these verses a grace that won his heart, and he discovered as well some central affirmations of the Reformation: salvation comes by faith alone, through grace alone, by Christ alone, and to the glory of God alone. In 1738, eighteen days after experiencing conversion in London’s Aldersgate Street, John Wesley preached at Oxford University, offering “a cry from the heart” and “the manifesto of a new movement.” His text? Ephesians 2:8. (See A. Skevington Wood, “Strangely Warmed: The Wesleys and the Evangelical Awakening,” Christian History [magazine], vol. 5, no. 1 [1984]).
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This week is what we teachers call "reiteration time". We look back over what we have taught in the unit of study and emphasize the essential ideas that we want our students to take away with them. So, it is not surprising that we return to Ephesians 2:8,9
These are the verses that inspired the Reformation and we like to quote them to one another and say amen. But I think sometimes we put all these words in a box because they are too valuable to use. It's a bit like those couples who are given nice wedding gifts but they put them away in a "gift cupboard" because they are so special. What is the point of having a really nice tablecloth if all it does is sit in a cupboard, only to be taken out now and then to show people what a nice wedding present it was? A tablecloth is made for use!
Likewise, these beautiful words about grace and salvation are gifts for practical everyday use. In fact, the very next verse (10) says so:
Grace is the power that runs the motor that does the work called salvation.
I'm interested to hear more daily lessons
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)..." (Ephesians 2:4-5).
We sometimes become so fuzzy that we either give or receive non-meaning gifts. A gift is to be carefully chosen to be meaningful. How come God has given us the most precious gift of all, His own Son, for the forgiveness of our sinful acts, and we still don't appreciate it? May we develop the ability to accept meaningful presents and cherish them; some gifts are simply priceless!
While reading verses 15 and 16 in today's lesson I was wondering if the enmity it is speaking about is the same enmity in Genesis 3:15?
Connie, enmity is described in Unger's Bible Dictionary as deep-rooted hatred, irreconcilable hostility. God established that kind of enmity between the serpent and the woman.
Paul is describing to the Gentiles in Ephesians 2:11-16 that Christ is our Peace; that he is breaking down deep-rooted hatred "irreconcilable differences", hostility, between Jew and Gentile. We can apply that to anything that causes us to be hostile to one another today.
James 4:4 says that friendship with the world is enmity against God.
1 John 2: 15-17 describes loving the world and the results.
Romans 8: 6-8 describes that the carnal mind is enmity against God.
Tom, thank you for the explanation. It makes perfect sense and I had forgotten the many scriptures "emnity" was mentioned in.
2:12
Having been freed
From the darkness of the age
Anointed Jesus has Saved us all
One cannot un-know what one knew or undo what one did, but a redeemed person is in the position to have the nature of his/her heart and mind changed to use this toward facilitating healing - waging peace. To receive the gift of life, our Salvation in Jesus Christ, is the most precious gift anyone can ever receive; it is truly life-changing – a new paradigm based on living by and in the Spirit of God!
Our new life expresses God’s Mercy and Grace born from His Love for His Creation. His Love is in the life-giving Spirit of Holiness - righteousness. Without Christ, mankind would not be able to enter the heavenly family nor unite in the family of fellow believers living in the kingdom of God here on earth.
Regarding redeemed man, all relationships between heaven and earth are build and experienced in one Spirit – the Holy Spirit, demonstrated by His Son Jesus Christ – John 1:1-2; we can know the Father only through His Son! It is good to deepen one’s spiritual understanding of what ‘good works through living by faith to show the Glory of God’ is all about - what it does to the living soul called ‘human’!
Again verse 10 of Ephesians 2. Get busy. Now without dwelling on, being busy, and by pass today's lesson, God indeed is so good to us in verses 1-3, as detailed by the author.
Now back to verse 10. What do we get busy with? The lesson points out, doing good things for others. God has us where He wants us, by doing good things for others we forget selfish motives, and bring home what Paul said in verse 8 and 9.
I leave today by saying. I believe in salvation by faith in God. God made us and saves us. Now if we are working for our Master we are not working for our salvation we are working for our Master. Ephesians 2:10. Oh yes don't forget Ephesians 2:8-9. And now another important issue, what He has done for us. Ephesians 2:1-7.
God has done for us "Gentiles," via His Son Jesus, to be heirs of all He Promises to His people "Israel," and also "Abraham," to be also Abrahams' seed too and also heirs of all God Promised to them to including "Eternal Life," via His Son Jesus too.