Ephesians 2:1-10

From Death to Life in Christ

In chap. 2, Paul continues his main purpose to do everything within his ability to convince you of your assured standing in Christ.  But here Paul raises his work of assurance up to another level.  Paul has spent all of chap. 1 striving to logically build his case that God is summing up all things in Christ and how you have wonderfully been included in that glorious work of redemption. 

"And" in 2:1 signals a connection between what God is doing in chap. 2 and what God has done in Christ for you (chap. 1). 

1.  God's mercy and love for those who were dead in trespasses (vv. 4-5 -- 1:7)

2.  Riches of God's grace (v. 7 -- 1:7)

3.  Seated in the heavenly realms (v. 6 -- 1:3)

Not only is all of chap. 1 truly yours in which God, according to his power which surpasses greatness, has lavished his mercy and love upon you according to the riches of grace, but now Paul is going to show that God plan, execution, and application of his rescuing you all took place while you were in an awful condition.  God did not come to purchase things that were lovely so that he could simply display his trophies upon the mantle.  Rather, Paul tells us that God has found us as diamonds in the rough and while we remained dirty and loathsome, he has declared us to be diamonds and he has given us everything in heaven and all earth to shape us to become what we already are in Christ.

But before Paul could drive home to us how God truly sees us in Christ, he had to take the time to patiently lay out for us what God, by his grace, has first done for us in Christ.  Paul began his letter by focusing our attention upon the work of God in Christ.  He has taken his time to display before our eyes the glory of our savior.  But now he takes what is before, in all of its eternal brilliance, and says that when God looks upon us what he always sees is only what he sees in Christ. 

Now in order to impress upon us the marvelous mercy of God who has rescued us from a kingdom of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of his marvelous light, Paul must first show two worlds, or two creations.  Imagine if you lived your whole life and then died and this whole world as you once knew it simply passed away.  Immediately, being in Christ, you were transferred into the glory of heaven and entered into the immediate presence of God.  Heaven is now the world you know.  You now live according to your new existence in which everything you do or say is done to the glory of God and always before the face of God.  All your old works in that former life have come to completion and now you are at perfect rest in the bosom of Christ.  Truly, your good Shepherd has made you lie down in green pastures where you feast on the tree of life and gives you the water of life from the quiet waters that flow from his eternal throne.  In one moment you have left one world, of sin and decay, and you have now entered into a new world of everlasting life.

For Paul, this is not simply something that awaits you in the future, but is your present experience spiritually in union with Jesus Christ.  Paul tells the Galatians:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in men; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Gal. 2:20).

What is now true of Christ physically is already true of you Spiritually.  And what is true of you in the Spirit truly belongs to you and in order for you to have the assured hope of eternal life, God has given you his own Spirit as a pledge of your inheritance so that you will know that what is yours now Spiritually is but a foretaste of what is to come.  For Paul promises:

I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6).

But how are you ever going to know and fully appreciate what God has really done for you without seeing the hopelessness of your previous condition under God's wrath.  J. I. Packer once said, "If you don't see deep into the problem, you don't see deep into the solution" (MR July/August 1993, 20).  In other words, if Paul wants you to understand the amazing height, width, and depth of the love of God for you, then the illuminating light of God's grace will most clearly be evident against the backdrop of the dreadful state of your previous condition of death, bondage, and condemnation under the fury and terror of God's wrath.  Therefore, Paul presents two worlds:  the world of your former existence under the wrath of God and through the glorious work of God's grace, the world of your present existence upon which God's love and mercy is lavished upon you.

The Radical Antithesis of the Two Worlds (Two Ages)

The reader's past existence (and what is true of all humanity) "formerly/once":

1.  Dead through trespasses and sins (v. 1) [NOTE TENSE]

(a) lived in the lusts of the flesh (v. 3);

(b) indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind (v. 3)

"Flesh" -- not used by Paul in individual sense, but redemptive historical category to refer to this fallen age under Adam (cf. Rom. 8:4-13; cf. Gal. 3:1-3; 5:16-24). 

Walked -- "dead men walking" -- spiritually dead -- Rom. 7:9, 10, 13 -- Man's conduct under the law; belongs to this age -- lived in pursuit of your own ends; independence, rebellion against God's law, which could not produce the fruit of righteousness (Rom. 7:4 -- but cf. Rom. 7:5 -- fruit of death). (Christ will answer this 2:14-15; cf. Col. 2:13-14). 

2.  In this world (in Adam), under the dominion of Satan (v. 2; 4:27; cf. Col. 1:13, 16 -- however, 1:21 Christ has dominion; at one time we were under the Satanic spirit of the air "earthly realm" but now we are filled and walk in the Holy Spirit (1:3, 13); though Satan has been defeated, he still poses a threat to us by attempting to cause us to doubt the gospel; 6:11, 16 -- put on the armor of God -- the Gospel)

3.  God's wrath (v. 3) -- (totally hopeless condition)

4.  By nature children of wrath (v. 3) -- born in Adam (Rom. 5:12-21) -- Christ takes it!

The believer's present existence "now":

1.  Made alive (v. 5)

2.  Seated in the heavenly realm, under the dominion of Christ (vv. 5-6; 1:20-21)

3.  God's mercy, love, grace, kindness (piling on terms -- vv. 4, 5, 7)

4.  By "supernature" being saved by grace (vv. 5, 8)

God's Rescue Operation

What is the one thing that alone determines your present experience of life in direct contrast to your previous existence in death?  BUT GOD!  God has translated us from one kingdom that is falling apart to a kingdom that cannot even be shaken (cf. Heb. 12; Col. 1:14). 

The entire text pivots on v. 5 "But God" -- (3 Main Verbs)

Looks back to v. 1 "dead in our transgressions"

Looks forward to v. 8 -- interruption -- "by grace you have been saved"

Even while you remained in this terrible condition, God has saved you (cf. Rom. 5:6-11).

1.  Made us alive together with Him (v. 5)

2.  Raised us up with Him (v. 6)

3.  Seated us with Him (v. 6)

4.  Show  . . . his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (v. 7)

Jesus Christ is absolutely central to God's work of grace!  No longer "in Adam" but now "in Christ."  God is the subject of the sentence (vv. 4-5) followed by three main verbs (vv. 5-6) and you are the object of God's salvation in which he has shown to you his:

1.  Rich(ness) in mercy (v. 4)

2.  Great love (v. 4)

3.  Surpassing riches of His grace (vv. 5, 7, 8) -- cf. surpassing power (1:19)

4.  Kindness (v. 7)

Parallel to Life of Christ

We must now look at our new life in Christ to understand how God see us.  From his vantage point God forever now sees us only by what he has wonderfully accomplished in Christ.

2:5-7 --> 1:20-21

1.  Raised from the dead (1:19; 2:5-6) -- Spiritually, not physically (like Christ) -- foretaste of physical resurrection -- (1:13-14)

2.   Seated in the heavenly places (1:20; 2:6); in the age to come (1:21; 2:7 "already upon us"); Christ's exaltation unique "at right hand"

This is what is true of Christ, therefore it is equally true of you.

Why?

1.  We must walk by faith in the grace of God so that we no longer labor striving to win God's favor (to adults and children).  We must walk day by day in the absolute assurance that God is eternally pleased with us to the degree that he is pleased with Christ.  Jesus Christ is your true Sabbath rest and you must learn to daily put away all your attempts to merit God's grace and rather, you must learn to rest in the perfect and sufficient meritorious work of Christ.

2.  But your resting in Christ and your new heavenly experience will work its way out by the Spirit taking from what is true of Christ and applying it to your daily walk so that you now walk and become what you are in Christ.

Walking in good works (v. 10) -- Heavenly realm (cf. 4:17-24; 5:7-10)

Vs. walking in trespasses and sins (vv. 1-2; total absorption in the things of this world)

Connection to chap. 1 -- holy and blameless (1:4, 11-12)

Good works are those works produced by God's Spirit in us who are in faith union to Jesus Christ, and are done to the glory of God (cf. Ursinus' treatment of good works).

Notice Paul's concentration on works:

1.  We have not been saved as a result of works (v.9) -- we are not gaining the promise of life through a covenant of our works, like Israel.

2.  But we are saved for good works (v. 10)

Notice that we have been recreated (workmanship -- craftsman's work) in Christ Jesus for good works -- but those works are good only because they are God's works in and through us so that no one can boast ("all to God's glory -- cf. vv. 4, 7 "so that . . . ;" "in the ages to come" -- not only now, but even for all eternity).

We are not created out of good works, but for good works.  Therefore, not only is our faith (and salvation) the work of God, but even our good works that flow from that faith (the fruit of faith, love, Holy Spirit) are entirely the works of God's free grace:

"For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

3.  Baptism -- we need a greater appreciation of God's sacraments

We could look up many cross-references where Paul contrasts these two lives, or worlds of your previous and present existence.  But of great interests are especially three passages that most clearly parallel Paul's thinking (Titus 3:3-7; Col. 2:10-13; 3:1-4; Rom. 6:1-4). 

And there is one thing that all of them have in common and that is a reference to baptism.

Baptism is God's sign and external seal placed upon you to assure you of your incorporation into Christ by grace and all of the benefits that flow from Christ and are enjoyed in the Holy Spirit (cf. 1:13-14).

Amen!

-SDG-