There is good news for every human being in Ephesians 2:4–6 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 and we being dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), 6 and raised us together and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. There is no longer any Jew or Gentile, only those that are in Christ. And, there is no longer any separation from God because those in Christ, the church, in Ephesians 2:22 “are built up together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit”.
Adoption Through Jesus Christ
Ephesians 1:1–14
The Hope of His Calling
Alive Together with Christ
Ephesians 2:1–10
There is a stark contrast between the life we once had and the life we now have in Christ. Everyone born into this fallen world has a short time, they are the walking dead, under “the ruler of the authority of the air”, as it says, “you … also the rest of them” in
Ephesians 2:1–3 And you, although you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the will of the flesh and of the mind, and we were children of wrath by nature, as also the rest of them were.
But God … in Ephesians 2:4 “because of his great love with which he loved us” in Ephesians 2:5 “made us alive together with Christ” then in
Ephesians 2:6 and raised us together and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
Now, we are no longer walking “according to the course of this world” because in
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.
He Broke Down the Dividing Wall
Ephesians 2:11–22
If we had talked to the Jews of Paul’s day, “the so-called circumcision in the flesh, made by hands” in Ephesians 2:11 they would have called the people of Ephesus, and everyone else not born of Israel (or the few proselytes) “the Gentiles in the flesh, the so-called uncircumcision”. Everyone, Jew and Gentile understood in
Ephesians 2:12 that you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, not having hope, and without God in the world.
There was no hope for the Gentiles. There was no redemption for the Gentiles. That is, until Jesus Christ came in
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you, the ones who once were far away, have become near by the blood of Christ.
This was the mystery hidden from the foundation of the world, that God would redeem all of mankind in
Ephesians 2:17–18 And coming, he proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to the ones who were near, 18 because through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
But it was not just that we could have access to God, it was that God also could dwell with us in
Ephesians 2:22 in whom you also are built up together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
In Other Generations Was Not Made Known
Ephesians 3:1–13
What is this mystery that Paul is talking about? He says it was given to him by revelation in
Ephesians 3:3–4 According to revelation the mystery was made known to me, just as I wrote beforehand in brief, 4 so that you may be able when you read to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ
It had to come to Paul by revelation because Paul was not one of the apostles, he was not one of the disciples that had been with Jesus to witness his life and earthly ministry in
Ephesians 3:5 (which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit):
and this is the mystery in
Ephesians 3:6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow sharers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel
It was, and is, God’s plan to declare redemption through Jesus Christ, not through angels, but through the church as it says in
Ephesians 3:10 in order that the many-sided wisdom of God might be made known now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places through the church
God not only redeemed mankind through Jesus Christ, but He also revoked the devils’ authority, replacing him and announcing to “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” that man, the church would “reign on the earth” in
Revelation 5:9–10 And they were singing a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and bought people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Strengthened With Power Through His Spirit
Ephesians 3:14–21
Worthy of the Calling
Ephesians 4:1–6
Study Verses
- Ephesians 2:1–10 Alive Together with Christ
- Ephesians 2:11–22 He Broke Down the Dividing Wall
- Ephesians 3:1–13 In Other Generations Was Not Made Known
Today’s Reading
- Ephesians 1:1–23
- Ephesians 2:1–22
- Ephesians 3:1–21
- Ephesians 4:1–6