Ephesians 2 - It is By Grace You Are Saved Through Faith!!!

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Made Alive in Christ

Chapter 2 is very theological in nature. As we said yesterday, chapters 1-3 are more doctrinal, and chapters 4-6 are more application oriented. Ephesus was one of the most influential churches in the 1st century. So Paul is especially interested in making sure they have their doctrine straight. 

These first eight verses are power packed with three of the most important verses in the New 
Testament. 

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5

Paul says we were once dead in our transgressions, which he also says in verse 1. What does it mean to be dead in a spiritual sense?

To be spiritually dead does not mean that we are physically dead, socially dead, or psychologically dead. Yet it is a real death, a “dead death” nonetheless. “The most vital part of man’s personality – the spirit – is dead to the most important factor in life – God. - Charles Spurgeon

The irony about this kind of deadness is that some people in this state often think they are really living. There is a time when living in the flesh seems to be a lot of fun, as we revel in the pleasure it might bring. But this does not last forever. Eventually this lifestyle will get old, if we don't self- destruct. There is an emptiness that leaves our souls thirsy. Is this really all there is, we might say? Isn't there more to life than this? This is the sense in which we were dead in our sins. 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

This is definitely a top-ten bible verse. In its essence this verse captures the whole gospel in one sentence. This verse was the rallying cry for Martin Luther in the 16th century Protestant Reformation.  We are saved by grace. It is a free gift, we could never earn it. The grace God gave us was His Son, who died on the cross to save us from our sins. By faith. Though it is a gift, we still need to receive it and believe it. It is just like a gift which is unopened under a tree. It is of no value unless put our trust in it. Faith is trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation. It is putting no faith in ourselves to earn our salvation. 

This is why it finishes by saying, "This is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God!" If we could earn our salvation, we wouldn't need grace, and we wouldn't need faith. We would only need self-reliance. But we know that our salvation comes from outside of ourselves. It is a gift of God. The greatest gift you will ever receive in your life is faith in Jesus Christ. It is the gift God wants you to have more than anything else. 

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10

This verse then gives us the right context for good works. It is not like God is against good works, they just can't save us. But. in fact, God has created us for good works, which he already had in mind when he created us. Or it might more aptly be put "re-created us!" I love that the word "handiwork" comes from a Greek word that means "poem". No two poems are alike. The poet is inspired to write each of them uniquely. They are his work of art! And we are God's work of art, His handiwork! No two of us is alike

When we do good works because we are saved not to be saved, we reflect's God's love through how he made us! 

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

Another big issue for Paul in this letter to the Ephesians was the unity in the church. He realilzed like in his other letters that Jews and Gentiles would have to focus on what united them not what divided them. Formerly the Gentiles would have been considered uncircumcised, and excluded from Israel by the Jewish people. But now Christ had brought them near by His blood. The reality was that both Jews and Gentiles needed the same thing, to be reconciled to God through Jesus' innocent blood shed on the cross. 

Many people suggest different ways to come near to God. Some think you can come by keeping the law or by belonging to a group (such as Israel or even the church). But the only way to be brought near to God is by the blood of Christ. What Jesus did on the cross, suffering as if He were a guilty sinner in the place of guilty sinners, brings us near to God. - Guzik

For through him (Jesus) we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Ephesians 2:18

Here again is another excellent example of the doctrine of the Trinity as laid out in the bible. We come to God the Father, through God the Son, by the Holy Spirit. 

So though the Jewish people were the people of the promise, the promise was both to Abraham's family and to all the nations. God's words to Abraham were, "Through you all nations will be blessed!" Genesis 22:18

There is one way to God and that is through Jesus. It seems narrow minded, and yet that way is open to all who would walk through it by faith. And, importantly it is the Holy Spirit that brings us faith to accept Jesus as our Savior. This why we can't take credit from God for our salvation. All three persons of the Trinity were involved in our salvation! 

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. Ephesians 2:19-20

This is a beautiful picture of the church. Jesus is the cornerstone of the church. As the old hymn goes, "The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord! She is the new creation by Water and the Word!" 

Paul also gives us this wonderful descriptive metaphor that we are being built into this foundation, which started with the apostles and prophets. Think of it, there are 20 centuries of Christians who have gone before us and have been built into the Church. This is why Jesus says to Peter, "On this rock I will build my church". And that rock was our confession of Jesus as Lord!

Has there been a time in your life where you realized you were saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ? It is the most important thing you will ever realize and believe in. God has given you the gift of eternal life through the grace he gave you when he sent Jesus to earth to live and die for you! Do you believe this? It is the foundation the church was built on and there is no other foundation which the church can stand!