Review - Ephesians 2

We turn now to Ephesians 2. We have completed our survey of Ephesians 1 and perhaps at this point it would be good for us to review and find out where we have been and where we are going. The book of Ephesians divides itself into two parts. Ephesians 1, 2, and 3 we have doctrine. Ephesians 4, 5, and 6 we have duty. In the first three chapters, God tells us what He has done for us. In the last three chapters, God tells us what we must do for Him. The key thought of the first half of the book is blessings, the blessings that we have in Christ. The key thought of the last half of the book is behavior, or walk, our walk in Christ. Several times the word walk is used in Ephesians 4, 5, and 6.

Now in Ephesians 1, Paul has outlined for us our possessions in Christ. The blessings from God the Father in Ephesians 1:1-6. The blessings from God the Son in Ephesians 1:7-12. And the blessings of God the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:13-14. These are some of our possessions in Christ. Then he pauses to pray in Ephesians 1:15-23, that the eyes of our heart might be enlightened. It's a prayer for enlightenment, that we might know the hope of His calling, the wonderful future we have in Christ, the riches of His inheritance, how wealthy we are in Christ, and the power that is available to us, Ephesians 1:19-23, the very power that raised Jesus from the dead. Paul's prayer for enlightenment.

Now in Ephesians 2, Paul discusses our position in Christ. And in Ephesians 3, he pauses to pray once again, and this is a prayer for enablement, that knowing these things we might be able to live them to the glory of God.

Let's quickly look at Ephesians 2 in an overview to find out what it has to say. Remember now the key thought in Ephesians 2 is our position in Christ. Now a man's position determines his power. The man who sits in the White House sits in a place of power. The king who sits on a throne sits in a place of power. Now the Christian's position is a very wonderful thing. In Ephesians 2:1-10, Paul tells us that Christ has raised us from the dead and seated us on the throne. Ephesians 2:1, "and you hath He quickened, or made alive, who were dead in trespasses and in sins." Then he goes on to tell us in Ephesians 2:5, that He has quickened us, Ephesians 2:6, He has raised us up together with Christ, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ. We were in the grave of sin, but the Lord has made us alive, and He has raised us, and we are seated on the throne with Christ, Ephesians 2:1-10. But this isn't all. In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul discusses the Gentiles. Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians are all one in Christ. There's no difference in the Lord Jesus Christ, there's neither Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free, male nor female, we are all one in Christ, spiritually speaking. But the Jewish sinner had much more light and much more opportunity than did the Gentile sinner.

And in Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul uses the word Gentiles several times, and he explains that the Gentiles were afar off. They were strangers from the covenants of promise. They were without Christ, without hope in the world. The Jews had a temple. The Jews had the law. The Jews had a priesthood. They were called to be nigh unto God. Now that didn't save them. In fact, it made their condemnation the greater, because to whom much is given, much shall be required.

But in Ephesians 2:1-10, we are raised and seated on the throne. In Ephesians 2:11-22, we are reconciled and placed in the temple. Christ is the chief cornerstone. Ephesians 2:21, all the building is fitly framed together, growing unto a holy temple. In other words, in Ephesians 2:1-10, he talks about all sinners in general. All sinners were dead in sin. All who have trusted Christ had been raised and seated on the throne. In Ephesians 2:11-22, he talks about Gentile sinners in particular. They have been reconciled and placed in the temple.

Now look with me at Ephesians 2:1-10. We have here in Ephesians 2:1-3, what we were. Ephesians 2:4-9, what God did. And in Ephesians 2:10, what we are now. So in Ephesians 2:1-3, we have our past. Let's look at it. "And you hath He quickened, made alive, who were dead in trespasses and in sins." We were spiritually dead.

Now there are two kinds of life in the Bible and there are three kinds of death. Strictly speaking, there are three kinds of death. There is physical death, which is the separation of the spirit from the body. There is spiritual death, which is the separation of the soul from God. And there is eternal death, which is hell, the second death, the lake of fire. Now spiritual life comes through faith in Christ. The word of God says, the unsaved man is not sick, he's dead. He's dead. He is in the grave of sin, spiritually dead.

Now what a man needs who is dead is resurrection. He needs life. This is why the word of God says over and over again that Jesus Christ comes to give life. He didn't come to be an example. A dead man is not helped by an example. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't come to be a teacher or a philosopher. A dead sinner cannot be helped by a teacher or a philosopher. Jesus Christ came to give life. In John 10:10, He said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." In 1 John 5:11-12, the Lord Jesus Christ, we are told, "is life." He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Now you can have religion and not have life. You can have church membership and not have life. You can have good works, moral works, you can help your neighbor, and not have life. There are multitudes of people who are physically alive, who are spiritually dead.

Now when a man is physically dead, he does not respond to physical things. If you go to a funeral and you wave a $20 bill in front of the corpse, he won't respond. A man who is physically dead does not respond to physical things. You can't make him feel heat or cold. You can bring a delicious steak dinner to the funeral home, he won't respond. A man who is physically dead does not respond to physical things. When a man is spiritually dead, he does not respond to spiritual things. He doesn't understand the Bible. He doesn't want to go to church. He doesn't want to pray. He isn't interested in missions. He's not concerned about unsaved people going to hell. There are a lot of people who have church membership, but their religion is only on the outside. They have never received life on the inside.

Now, the Lord Jesus Christ raised three different people from the dead. He raised a young girl from the dead in Luke 8. He raised a young man from the dead in Luke 7. And raised Lazarus, an old man, from the dead in John 11. The little girl had just died. She was 12 years old. And her father came to the Lord Jesus. He said, "My daughter is at the point of death, come and heal her." And our Savior was delayed. The crowd, a woman was in the crowd and she delayed the Lord Jesus. And by the time our Savior got to that little girl's home, she was dead. She had just died. She had just died.

The young man had been dead for a day. They were about to bury him. Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. Now listen carefully. The little girl had been dead just a few minutes. The young man had been dead for a day. Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. But all three of them were dead. Now, a person cannot be more dead than somebody else. The only difference was the state of decomposition. The little girl had not even begun to decay yet. Just died. The young man was just beginning to show evidence of decay. Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. And when Jesus said, "Roll back the stone." His sister said, "Now by now, he smells." We don't want to roll back that stone, he's decaying.

Now, we have all kinds of dead sinners in this world. They're all dead. Any man who has never accepted Christ as his Savior is spiritually dead. The only difference between this man and that man is the degree of decay. He's been dead since the day he was born.

Now, the Lord Jesus Christ raised these people from the dead. This is salvation. John 5:24, "He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." That's resurrection. When somebody passes from death unto life, that's resurrection.

Now, Jesus walked into the bedroom of this little 12-year-old girl and said, "Little girl, I say unto you, arise." And she did. She arose from the dead and she was hungry. And Jesus said, "Give her something to eat." You know, one of the evidences that a person has been raised from the dead spiritually is that they have an appetite. They have a spiritual appetite. They want something to eat. They want that which is holy. Jesus raised the little girl from the dead and she wanted something to eat. How did he raise her from the dead? By the power of His word. He said, "Little girl, I say unto you, arise." And His word effected the resurrection.

You know how you can be raised from the dead? Just receive His word. The young man was being carried out to the cemetery. He'd been dead about a day. Jesus stopped the funeral procession and said, "Young man, arise." He spoke to the corpse, and the corpse came alive again. And the man arose, and he began to speak. This is another evidence that he had been raised from the dead, because he began to speak.

Now, this is one of the evidences of salvation. You can tell a person has been born again because he speaks. He starts to say that which belongs to the things of the Lord. "What things soever we have seen and heard," said the apostles.

What do you talk about? What you talk about is evidence of whether or not you've been raised from the dead. Now, all the unsaved corpse can talk about is dead things. The dead old world and dead sinners and death. But all the Christian, the one who has been raised from the dead, who no longer is lying in a grave, rather he is seated on the throne of glory with Jesus Christ. He talks about the things that are heavenly and the things that are spiritual and the things that are wonderful.

The Lord Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. John 11. Jesus stood outside the tomb and cried aloud, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he did. Now, he was bound, head and foot. They'd wrapped the grave clothes around him. He floated to the door of that tomb. And Jesus said, "Loose him and let him go." You can always tell when a person has been raised from the dead because he wants to get out of the grave clothes. He wants to get rid of these old grave clothes of sin, and hatred, and malice, and lying, and stealing, and cheating, and meanness. He wants to put on instead the grace clothes of love and kindness and blessing and joy and holiness.

Now let me remind you that Satan often appears as an angel of light. Paul tells us this in 2 Corinthians. Satan doesn't come staggering down the street. People wouldn't appreciate that. No, Satan appears as a clean, moral angel of light, and people can't tell his righteousness from the true righteousness that is in Jesus Christ. It may shock some of you to know that much of religion in this world is but a Satanic imitation. There are religious groups that teach that Jesus is not the Son of God, but do the best you can, obey the sermon on the mount, keep the ten commandments, and maybe you'll go to heaven. That's the devil's substitute. Satan is the prince of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the children of disobedience. Why does an unsaved man act like an unsaved man? Because the spirit of disobedience is at work in his life.

Now, when a person becomes a Christian, a new spirit moves into his life, the Holy Spirit. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?" Over in Philippians 2:13, Paul says, "It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Who is working in your life? Who controls your tongue, your eyes, your hands, your feet? Who controls the members of your body? Who is it working in your life? Is it the spirit of disobedience, or the spirit of obedience? Are you walking according to the course of this world, satisfying the lusts of your flesh, Ephesians 2:3, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath." We are born children of wrath. We are born with a sinful nature.

Then we can become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:1-3 tell us what a Christian used to be. But for some of you, this is what you are right now. You're living for the world, the flesh, and the devil. It's wrecking your life, it's wrecking your home, it's wrecking your job. You need to turn to Jesus Christ and let Him set you free.

And to work in your life to make you what God wants you to be. Father, if some are listening who fit this description, help them to turn their hearts to Christ, and trust Him as their Savior, to be raised from the dead, and to become children of God. We pray in our Savior's name. Amen.