Ephesians 2:19-22—Built into a Holy Temple

Ephesians Study
Chapter 2

Amplified Bible:

19 Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God's own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God's [own] household.

20 You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone.

21 In Him the whole structure is joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously, and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord].

22 In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit.

Again, we find ourselves hearing Paul talk about how the two (Jew and Gentile) have been made one.  He tells us what they were.  He tells us how the new creation has changed them.  It reminds me of when God brought the children of Israel from Egypt to the wilderness.  One of the first things He did was define their identity.  He is doing it again through the effort of Paul.  

Just like He gave them a sanctuary in the wilderness to explain the plan of salvation, the roles of God, and the method of becoming one with Him, Paul is doing the same here.  If we could more clearly see the golden thread of love that goes all through scripture, we would recognize the similarities in the stories.  We would see the oneness of all things even there.  

God intended for His people to be a positive influence to others after they entered the promised land.  They settled down, wanted to be like the world in wanting a king, and worshipped themselves in the form of whatever idol that they chose at the time.  The oneness that God wanted to happen did not.  

Paul is telling us that we belong to the household of God.  Verse 21 really amazes me.  “In Him the whole structure is joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously, and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord].”  This wonderful holy temple is being built up in Him.  It is sacred to the presence of the Lord.  

What I see in this is that it does not happen unless in happens “In Him.”  It is bound together harmoniously.  It continues to grow.  This is not a static place.  It has life.  Its growing and increasing is in Him, and it is sacred to His presence.  

 John 14:2 says in the King James Version, "In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."  In the NASB it says, "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you."   In the ancient culture, a father's house was where the extended family lived.  Rooms were often added on as the family grew through birth and marriage.  What Jesus was doing was using the present day illustration of a loving, tight, family community.  

The word translated “mansions” or “rooms” means literally “the act of staying or residing.” So, putting the Greek together, Jesus is saying that in God’s home there will be many people in the family of God all abiding together. Within God's heavenly house, God's children will live in the presence of the Lord. This is quite different from the idea of rows of mansions on streets of gold, which is the image many people have of what Jesus was saying. 

Here another author, Derek Prince, has a beautiful take on the idea of God’s dwelling. Thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3 KJV

“Praise is God’s address; it is where He lives. If you want to be where God lives, you must offer Him praise. John 14:2 says in the King James Version, "In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."  In the NASB it says, "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you."   In the ancient culture, a father's house was where the extended family lived.  Rooms were often added on as the family grew through birth and marriage.  What Jesus was doing was using the present day illustration of a loving, tight, family community.

“The Hebrew word that means ‘to live in a place’ is the same word for ‘to sit.’ A settlement, for instance, is a place of sitting. The New King James Bible has beautifully translated that verse as: “You are holy; enthroned in the praises of Israel.” Praise is God’s throne. Our praise does not make Him a King; He is a King whether we praise Him or not. But when we praise Him, we offer Him His throne. We welcome Him and recognize His Kingship. Praise is God’s dwelling place and His throne.”

Verse 20 tells us that this dwelling is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus, the corner stone.  Like the book of Matthew stresses the authenticity of Christ in the lineage of David, this reminds us that the corner stone is Jesus and that it has been foretold by prophets and the apostles.  Two or three witnesses is a concept that is important in the Bible, and here you have the second and third witnesses.  There is nothing coincidental in the Bible.  

Verse 22 ends by telling us: “In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit.”  I sit and look at these words and am amazed.  The unity / oneness idea is so much a part of this dwelling place for the Godhead and us.  It comes through the Spirit.  This type of oneness has no room for anything selfish, self-centered, and ego-centric.  John 3:30:  “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  If you look at this, it is a type of coming together.  I believe it is a coming together in the oneness that is longed for by Heaven. 

We have reached the end of Ephesians 2.  I do not begin to think that I have done justice to everything that is here.  I can put words on the paper.  I would like to think that some of the passion of Paul is put on the paper, too.  To do justice to the mystery of God may be very much beyond me.  Just once in a while do I see a glimpse of it.  I commend you for staying with this Ephesians journey with me.  Often, when we move from devotional thoughts to Bible study, the interest falls.  Physical recovery from this thing that overtook me in January gives me the time to do this study.  Spiritual recovery and renewal we all need.  My hope is that this Ephesians journey has been helpful to you in that way.  A change of perspective is often what is needed.  God bless.

Ephesians 2:16-18--Killing the Mutual Enmity

Ephesians Study

Chapter 2

Amplified Bible:

16 And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end.

17 And He came and preached the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off and [peace] to those who were near. 

18 For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] now have an introduction (access) by one [Holy] Spirit to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him].

Killing the mutual enmity:  These are strong words.  When we build walls between groups, it is usually due to enmity…differences.  We can allow the enmity to kill us, or we can accept what Christ has done to bring down the walls and kill the enmity.  

This is a huge idea.  Strong words for a huge idea.  Paul’s words are strong because he understands how God feels about the enmity between His children.  This says a lot to you and me.  He calls it a feud.  Somewhere along the way, this feud began because all the children had lost their identity in God.  They no longer recognized themselves as His children and they did not acknowledge any others as His.  What happens?  Walls!  

Let me give you an example of walls.  I was thirteen and was with a group of young people collecting money for disaster relief.  We were out with adult supervision to do this. We were in downtown Nashville at the Municipal Auditorium.  As I asked people for donations (that took courage), I had a man come hard-charging up to me.  He was so angry.  He said, “Young lady, are you saved?”  I said respectfully, “Yes sir,  I am.”  That took him off guard.  He stuffed a witnessing brochure into my hand and said, “Read this!  It will tell you where young ladies who stand on street corners are going.”  

After saying these words, he stormed away.   

That was the second time in two years that a christian had judged me as not going to heaven because I did not belong to their “club.”  I am glad my innocence did not let me get the full impact of what he was saying.  It shows how ugly and hurtful the walls can be.  It really is a wonder to me that I did not give up!  It seems like I was always on the wrong side.  Like when the lady told me that I could not go to heaven because I was not a member of her church.  Today, we would call it spiritual abuse.  We did not have that word then.

He came…two words that changed everything.  Thank you, dear Jesus, for coming.  He knew that we did not know what we were doing to each other with this “wall” thinking.  He knew this measuring was missing the point.  This thinking and believing keeps us separated from the Father, too.  In as much as you have done it to the least, you have done it to Him.  He came into all the walls and hatred.  He came.  He allowed this ugliness to crucify Him.  The shame they dumped on me, He handled through the cross.  Praise God!

Access by one spirit to the Father—Cambridge Commentary: “by one Spirit] Lit. and better, in one Spirit; surrounded, animated, penetrated, by the Spirit. This is undoubtedly the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete (advocate, comforter), so largely in view in this Epistle.”  

What amazes me about this is the thought that until the enmity was broken down, there was no approaching God in the way that we now have.  Again, this is huge.  The spirit of enmity and hate keeps people away from God.  See the Father of the prodigal again…He longs for restoration.  His heart is in the party given to the broken who rejoice in being welcomed back home in oneness/redemption.

Ephesians 2:13-15—Oneness by the Blood

Ephesians Study

Chapter 2

Amplified Bible:

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were [so] far away, through (by, in) the blood of Christ have been brought near.

¹⁴ For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us,

¹⁵ By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the law with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace.

Paul keeps bringing us back to the blood of Christ…we have been brought near!  What is good to see is that this again is talking about Christ’s relationship with us and us with Him.  It is so easy to turn this into religious theology instead of relationship with Christ.  I believe this is another reason we are told to rightly discern the body and blood of Christ.  Take eat…all of it.   Internalize what it means on this level…the physical/relational level.  We Westerners are so in our head about things.

The angels declared, “Peace on earth, good will to men.”  Is not this saying the same in different words.  Christ is our peace (bond of unity and harmony).  Harmony is a beautiful feeling and expression.  I like that it is another way of explaining “peace.”  The angel’s declaration lets us know that it is time for all of us to embrace a change of belief from disharmony to harmony, and it has come through the Messiah.  He was a man of peace who lived and walked in times on no peace and with those who were bent on war and dividing walls.  

All dividing walls are hostile.  God puts up no dividing walls.  Even the utilization of the Children of Israel was to bring others to oneness.  They so often let Him down because they thought they were “better than.”  They built up dividing walls.  Such a lesson here for us as we compare one church against another and unchurched folks against churched folks.  It all misses the point of His blood was shed to usher in peace.  The greatest place that this peace is needed is within.  When we are at peace with self, we will not be trying to change others to look like ourselves.  We will be content with allowing God to do what He needs to do with others.  Like in John 21:22 when Peter asked Jesus about John’s future and Jesus said: What is that to you?  So much that we can take to heart here.

Oneness peace…what an important visual aid the scripture can be to us.  We can see the impact of the dividing walls.  We can see the impact of all that says that one group is better than another.  We can see how much there was to overcome as Paul tried to bring the two into oneness.  

Sometimes we feel like we are two different people…a house divided against itself…like we have both Jew and Gentile in us.  Sometimes the walls erected are within us, within and around our hearts; not some thing built outside.  Sometimes convincing the heart to be “for” us instead of “against” us is the issues to be addressed.  Self-hate, rage, low self-esteem, and on and on.  These things are the old man of sin.  They can raise up and try to intimidate the new man in God.  We need to hear the words of Jesus: It is finished.  What part of this do we not believe?  We can get so caught up in fighting the old man.  The best way to fight the old man is to be wrapped up in the love that is God’s.  Do not give the old man your attention, but rather, live out the new man that is Christ within.

It is interesting that Paul points out that what has been abolished is what man has done to the law.  It is what Jesus was saying on the sermon of the mount and in the Beatitudes.  The word "ordinances" in these passages does not refer to God's laws. It is translated from the Greek word dogma and refers generally to opinions, judgments, and decrees. Such ordinances could be public decrees by government officials or religious decrees by religious officials.

The New King James version has rendered dogma as “requirements.   Its basic meaning is "a written statement of obligation," much like a traffic citation, which lists the laws that its recipient broke. Thus, it is a record of wrongdoing or guilt.  

What Paul is telling the Colossians is that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ has "wiped out" all record of their guilt in breaking God's law. That is good news!  They had gotten so caught up in keeping man’s laws that they lost their way confusing “dogma” of man with the guideposts / markers that God has given us on Mt. Sinai and which was reinforced on another mountain…the one on which Christ spoke the Beatitudes.  We can do the same with the traditions of men…the dogma of our day.  The flesh tends to get taken with the things of this world.  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death Proverbs 14:12.”  We are having to learn to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit instead of the voice of man.  This is not so easy when we think we have all the answers or we have been enamored by the ways and words of man.

I share these thoughts to bring us closer to the Lord.  Not that I have all the answers.  I have more questions than answers.  But, this I know, our Messiah came, died for us, and lives again.  I want the answers to be easy and comfortable.  So much of what is promised on the religious front today is about easy and comfortable.  It makes people who are less than perfect feel like something is wrong with them.  I look at Paul’s life and see that it was neither easy or comfortable.  I have an unsettling idea growing within me that we are missing the mark.  Paul teaches me daily.

Ephesians 2:12—Extending Grace/Receiving Grace

Ephesians Study

Chapter 2

Amplified Bible:

Ephesians 12: [Remember] that you were at that time separated (living apart) from Christ [excluded from all part in Him], utterly estranged and outlawed from the rights of Israel as a nation, and strangers with no share in the sacred compacts of the [Messianic] promise [with no knowledge of or right in God's agreements, His covenants]. And you had no hope (no promise); you were in the world without God.

This verse was spoken in regard to Gentiles; those who had not shared the sacred compacts of Messianic promise…because they did not know.

• They were in a state of being separated and estranged.
• They had no knowledge of God’s agreements.
• They had no hope/no promise.
• They were in the world without God.

Do you see the progression that is here?  It starts with where they were at the time and shows the path to that place.

We have all kinds of science today that reinforce what scripture tells us that “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”  And the issues of life flow from the heart.  Much of this science has been manipulated to create other works oriented beliefs.  We have to be careful of this.  Instead of turning it into a man centered work, let us praise God that He is in all of this truth and completing that which concerns us.  Scientific validation, as good as that is, is not our god.  

The bullet points are a picture that tell us the path of a person with no hope or promise?  What is the heart going to do.  They are going to live life based on those beliefs and hopelessness.  It makes it easier to see why the Lord said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”  He not only knows what we are doing but why we are doing those things.  It is all a matter of heart.

The fact that He spoke forgiveness over His people (not Gentile) is very telling.  Jew or Gentile in the same state have the same forgiveness.  It helps us all extend more grace.  It is telling us that God’s forgiveness has all of us covered while we are coming to the truth about God and His plans.

This tells me that we all need to live in grace and extend grace to those who do not know.  So often, those who do not know are seen as less than.  That really makes us who would judge them as such the ones who are less than.  We are being like the publican who said that he thanked God he wasn't like the sinner.  The so-called sinner  is not likely to see God in this judgmental modeling.  Encouragement that reduces fear is that which helps touch people.  The reason we want to be “more than” is because we fear being “less than.”  

The bullet points above can serve as a reminder of what really takes down the separation between man and God.  That is the work of the Messiah.  It is all about God and knowing Him.  I was amazed at the story that the bullet points tell!  Instead of seeing ourselves and others through a lens of rejection (like the publican), let us recognize that oneness is God’s goal.  Starting with that belief/hope, our lens can change to something filled with God’s forgiveness and God’s grace.  His model is for all.

Ephesians 2:11--A Mere Mark in the Flesh

Ephesians Study

Chapter 2

Amplified Bible:

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore, remember that at one time you were Gentiles (heathens) in the flesh, called Uncircumcision by those who called themselves Circumcision, [itself a mere mark] in the flesh made by human hands.

There is so much humor in this verse!  It is plain to see that Paul does not think much of man’s ways to measure identity of self at this time.  One group thinks they are superior to the other group.  Why?  A mere mark in the flesh made by human hands.

God established circumcision.  It was to set apart His people.  They were to have been a witness to the entire world bringing the heathen to understanding and oneness with them.  In all that makes a Christian unique, the uniqueness may become a God replacing God.  Often, it is the experience that becomes God rather than God being found in the truth of God.  You have an experience of church attendance, church fellowship, tongues/no tongues, days of worship, rituals, creeds, and theology.  Has any of that done what God has done to bring us salvation and into Christ?

All of these things can become a mere mark in the flesh (spiritually) made by human hands.  We can take these things and set ourselves up as superior to others because they do not have this mark. It is funny by what we measure ourselves as “better than”…mere marks in the flesh.  I had never thought of it like this.  We are told that people will know we are Christians by how we love…love each other.  No measuring here!

Although these marks can lead to arrogance, it all starts out as an attempt to be “as good as.”  This world teaches us to “measure.”  That is how we know we are doing ok…if we have gotten the “A” or not, or the job, or the car, or the initials behind our name, or…  All of these, as good as they can be, are mere marks of the flesh.  They all tend to say, “I’ve got what you don’t have.”  We carry that tendency into the Church environment.  Does not getting nominated for a certain job in the church bring distress to self and bad feelings toward others?  It is because we are measuring not only ourselves but happiness by these externals.  Privilege, prestige, power.  All of these marks of the flesh are of human hands.  They are building a kingdom on earth and not heaven.  Obviously, there are positions that need to be filled.  It is not the job or position.  In and of itself these are not evil.  It is the motivation.  Am I measuring myself against another?  This is not where happiness is.  

"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.  There is no such thing.  --C. S. Lewis

You are everything already to God.  He gives us His life, His heart, His mind, His fulness.  No marks of the flesh. 

Ephesians 2:9&10--The Problem with Prison

Ephesians Study

Chapter 2

Amplified Bible:

Ephesians 2:9

Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] 

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. 

It is a good thing to put it into your heart that what God has done is not the result of what anyone can do.  We are raised with all sorts of checklists and learn very quickly that there is something to be done to accomplish anything.   If we do not have someone else’s checklist, we make up our own based on our perceived inadequacies.  No so when it comes to what God has accomplished for us.

Just today, I heard the Lord say that I believed at a deep level that I was no good to God.  It came from that event that happened at age eleven when I was told by a Sunday School teacher that I could not go to heaven if I did not belong to “that” church.  All these years I have been carrying this lie, and I can tell you about making up check lists to hide my inadequacies and the pride and self-righteousness (did not know it) that was the motivator for those lists.

There are no coincidences!  Do you think that it is a happenstance that I am hearing this message from Ephesians at this time?  No, it is meant for my freedom.  I hope you are finding your own places of freedom, too. I hope and pray that you do not think I am selfish for asking you to come along on this good news journey.  Hopefully, it will put a different perspective on many things.

I keep being reminded that when Paul is writing this, he is in prison.  We have different types of prison.  Somehow there must be an answer for how life can hand me prison and, yet, God intended that I walk and live the good life.  Is it all about a matter of perspective?  “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4.”  This does not mean that there is no prison time.  Like any survivor of anything, attitude and perspective play into it.  I would rather not be discomforted!  I would rather not be sick.  You have had your own trials and maybe sickness.  It is hard to rejoice when you are in prison.  Then I notice this: Rejoice IN THE LORD.  It is not the situations in which we are to rejoice.  Now, that does put a different perspective on things. 

Paul said, ! Corinthians 13:31: “For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you.”  I am so thankful for Paul’s experience.  The fact that he faced death daily is not where Paul has his investment.  It is in what the Lord has done for others.  Do you not think that Paul had his questions about all this?  I do.  We want to shout “it isn’t fair, or there is so much good I could be doing instead of being in prison.”  

Another human trying to understand these things wrote this:  “Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free-wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life itself” 

― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.

Ephesians 2:7&8--Your Perspective of God

Ephesians Study

Chapter 2

Amplified Bible:

Ephesians 2:7: He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8:  For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;

God demonstrates His love through the Savior through the ages to come.  He knew that just as those at the cross and those nearer the cross were going to need this demonstration of God’s love and free grace, we who are a long way from the cross, would need it, also.  It touches my heart that He chose Paul the persecutor to preach such a glorious message.  That does speak to all of our hearts right now because at some point, we all have persecuted.  

It says to me that He knows the ways of mankind.  He knew we would need this demonstration reminder through the ages to come.  He knew we would need to see and hear the story again and again of the surpassing riches of His  FREE grace in His kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.  God’s kindness is shown in Christ the Lord.  

Can you imagine Paul coming face to face with the Lord?  Paul held the coats of those who stoned Stephen.  Paul took many lives in defense of what he thought was the correct way…the way to be defended.  Perhaps he was one who shouted “crucify him.”  This face to face encounter with the Lord showed him the goodness of the heart of God in the gift of the Son.  Have you ever been broken because of what you have done?  Like Peter when he denied the Lord, he saw what was in himself.  It was a life changing event for him.  He was so broken that he went back to fishing.  It took a resurrected Savior to get Peter back on track to do what he was called to do.  This was the dying to self of Peter.  Peter had his face to face when the Lord asked him three times (once for the three denials) “do you love me?”  Then the Lord told him to feed His sheep.  

Our journey from the Garden of Eden mirrors an experience of being deceived and tricked.  Verse 8 says that this gift of the Savior did not come by our own doing and striving.  What the evil one took away from us, the Savior has restored.  None of it had to do with us.  Some will object…we were disobedient.  I say that we were deceived.  There is a huge difference.  Ever since, mankind has either been in the works orientation of the Jew or the Gentile, and it gives us something about which to be proud. 

It is so easy to read these words and miss the love that is here.  I have done it for years.  Thinking that the knowing of facts and scripture is the same as KNOWING Him.  We can be committed to reading the Word and not be in love with the Lord of those words.  Is it something we do on our checklist or is it a pathway to loving and knowing Him?  Do we even want to KNOW Him if He is the mean and vengeful god that we are often taught in church?  The disparity between that god that we often have presented to us and this, the real God, is the difference between love and fear.

What is your perspective of God.  Is He the Father who is represented in the prodigal son’s story?  Is He the Father who is represented in the older brother’s story?  They each have a perspective of the Father which is incorrect.  The Father goes on being who He is…loving, compassionate, kind, forgiving, giving.  Paul, on the other hand, has accepted that in the flesh, he is unworthy (younger son).  In the spiritual new life that is his through the Lord, he received the robe, sandals, and ring from the  Father and goes in to the party.  It isn’t about us.  It is about the Father and Son.  No wonder Paul’s heart is overflowing with love as he shares a new perspective free of what he had been taught! 

Ephesians 2:5-6—Redeemed and Restored

Ephesians Study

Chapter 2

Verse 5: Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).  

Verse 6: And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).  Amplified Bible

Even when we were dead:  It is so easy to look over these words.  We were dead in our shortcomings and trespasses.  It is our state of being without Christ.  Paul is describing the condition of Jew and Gentle  without Christ.  We had the devil’s death sentence from the Garden of Eden that the Lord has broken.  Jew and Gentile were the same in their legalism.  David, in Psalm 119:34, says: “Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law.”  Something went terribly wrong in man’s relationship with God that the law became something burdensome instead of the counselor and delight that David speaks of in Psalm 119 and other places.  The Jew chose  the law to save themselves and the Gentiles were lawless which means that the rules were theirs…just another type of legalism.  It might have “felt” much freer than keeping a law, but freedom is in the Lord.  This is one of those paradoxes…the dying to be alive.  Self is all about either keeping the law from legalism or making it up as we go.  The Jew had an arrogance that they were better.  Legalism tends to measure self as better than others.  On the other hand, the Gentile’s arrogance comes from self-sufficiency and independence.  Either way, without the Lord, we are the walking dead.  

Alive together in fellowship and union with Christ—Rather than being dead, the Jew and Gentile were together in fellowship with each other and in union with Christ.  This is beautiful.  There is no true fellowship with one another unless there is oneness/union with Christ.  This process of not being dead but alive is relational.  It starts with a relationship with the Lord called union.  It is more than knowing about him, it is KNOWING Him with such intimacy that we have the mind of God, the heart of God. the fullness of God. Often God said His people had committed spiritual adultery.  He is serious about our relationship with Him.  When we turn it into rules and regulations, this is one type of adultery.  When it is about the other extreme of legalism, this is another type of adultery.  You cannot serve two masters.  We are only alive when we are in union with Him.

New life for our old life—We do not get a new life of flesh.  We are offered the very life of Christ.  The life of the resurrection; the spiritual life.  Taking on the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ…the dying to live…is this mystery that cannot be explained.  It can only be experienced and experienced continually.  The new spiritual life will speak truth to your spirit and heart.  Those “laws” which David called a counselor will do just that for the internal life showing/telling you the truth about yourself so that you are able to die to the old agenda.  Paul weaves all this beautifully together.  It is definitely a mystery of love.

Favor and mercy—The Lord has extended to us  favor and mercy.  He did it from the foundation of the world, and this means that He did it before we came along to try to deserve anything.  He knows us so well.  Guilt has us trying to be good enough and do enough.  Guilt and shame from the Garden forgets their Genesis 1 beginning…everything was good.  Since then it has been a works orientation.  Favor and mercy would have us hear the “It is finished” that God speaks over   the situation because of Christ’s death on the cross.

Saved, delivered from what evil had planned—The evil one is represented in the story of the woman caught in adultery.  The evil one in the garden did in the beginning what those men did to that woman…they set her up to catch Christ in a dilemma.  Judging and death.  We are saved and can hear the words: I do not condemn you, go and sin no more.  What beautiful freedom.

Made partakers of Christ’s salvation—This is so beautiful!  There is nothing that involves the work of man.  We are made partakers!  God has done this for us.  

We are raised up with Christ—Hallelujah!  His death, burial, and resurrection are ours.  Only God has the power to call anyone from the tomb…even spiritually.  Here is Paul trying to explain this mystery to them and to us.  It is spiritually discerned!  That still small voice that speaks to us of heavenly matters, our counselor, reminds us that we are raised up with Christ.  

Sit down together in heavenly places—The word I love here is “together.”  It is all good, but together again speaks of the relationship.  Where He is, He wants us to be.  This is more than a physical being somewhere.  It is also spiritual.  The Lord said He would write the law on the heart and mind.  Here is the symbolism of the ark of the covenant which contained the law (counselor/guidepost/markers).  That most holy place which represented the throne of God is the place of sitting down together in heavenly places…on earth as in heaven.  

What a beautiful gift is ours.  We are redeemed children.  We are given back what we lost.  What we lost was a beautiful relationship experience of oneness with God.  That is what He restores to us when we seek Him with all our heart.  Thank you, Lord 

Ephesians 2:3&4---But God, So Rich in Mercy

Ephesians Study

Chapter 2

Ephesians 2:3 & 4:  But God—So Rich in Mercy!

Ephesians 2 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Verse 3:  Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God's] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind.

Notice that it says that we as well as you once lived…this description covers Jew and Gentile.  The point to be seen is these words: passions of our flesh.  Behavior is motivated by what we believe from our hearts.  We often think in terms of behaviors or specific ways of being, but what is more to the point is that the flesh, cravings, passions, sensual living is all about the ego life…self-centered.  It is so easy to point a finger at specific sins (living in death or separation from God) and think that others are worse than we are…using people, instead of Christ’s righteousness, as the covering that is ours to wear.    So much of what we focus on involves the way of the world which calls us away from who we really are as children of God.  On all levels we flee the discomforts of the flesh.  These discomforts have messages of freedom for us if we will hear them.  We are promised that in this world we will have trouble.  We keep trying to create a life that is trouble-free.  Our happiness comes from being in Christ.  Remember, Paul wrote Ephesians from prison.

What motivates us?  Neediness.  The need to be appreciated, wanted, significant, secure, safe, comfortable, and on and on.  The underlying neediness is another way of saying “passions of flesh.”  When we see it this way it opens up our understanding and helps us go a little deeper.  More than that, this honesty about self (which is usually incremental) makes us aware of how unloved and unlovely we really feel that we are.  We would not be trying to “buy” our way if we did not feel this emptiness.  What is our price?

This is our predicament.  We are never left there!  I heard someone say:  The hardest world to leave is the one within the heart  And, we have help.  The first two words of the next text makes me so happy.  It doesn’t leave me looking at me or others.    

Verse 4: But God–so rich is His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,

But God in His mercy, because of and in order to satisfy love.  What a beautiful statement is this.  Not just satisfy…satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us.  The heart of God is being poured out by Paul.  What a beautiful love letter!  In his encounter with Christ on the highway, he was face to face with his savior.  He understood his own neediness and motives when he saw the Lord.  That is what that vision does for us.  One of the kindest things that the Lord does for us is show us the truth about where we are.  Once our self-illusions are broken, we can see the Lord and understand how we are persecuting Him in how we overlook Him and how we misjudge and persecute others.  Whatever we have done, we have done to Him. In Christ, our identity moves from what it was to what it is in Him.  God delivers us because He delights in us!  (Psalm 18:19.)

We do so much to try to find satisfaction.  God loves and is satisfied.  It is why we were created.  I will not say that I want this satisfaction.  I will say that I want to be satisfied because I love as He does.  That takes a oneness experience.  Is our communion with God moving us into this intense love that leaves us with God’s satisfaction in our hearts?  This is not something that we work up.  It is His work within us through relationship with Him.  It is love’s response.

Ephesians 2:1-2: Two Different Places, One Answer

Ephesians 2 Amplified Bible (AMP)

1 And you [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins

2 In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God].

It is so helpful to know who is speaking in a text and to whom it is being spoken.  Here we have Paul speaking or maybe someone who helped him write.  The audience to whom he is speaking are the Gentiles and the Jews.  This  puts things in perspective and can be very helpful.  One day, I was reading a chapter of the Bible and suddenly it dawned on me that this was being spoken to the church (God’s people) instead of to the non-churched.  That made a big difference to my understanding. 

The following comment about trespasses and sins is really insightful, too.  I know there is a difference, but until I read the following comments, I did not know that they described states of being for Gentile and Jews.  Makes a big difference.

From John Wesley’s Explanatory comments  Who were dead — Not only diseased, but dead; absolutely void of all spiritual life; and as incapable of quickening yourselves, as persons literally dead. In trespasses and sins-Sins seem to be spoken chiefly of the gentiles, who knew not God; trespasses, of the Jews, who had his law, and yet regarded it not, Ephesians 2:5.  The latter herein obeyed the flesh; the former, the prince of the power of the air.  http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=wes&b=49&c=2

Two different groups of people were made alive from two different states of being…both of which meant that they were living in death.  This says a great deal to us.  Often, the Christian, points a finger at those they judge as lost.  It may be that the “Jews” of this age are just as lost as the “Gentiles” of this age.  They just do not know it.  Neither rightly discerns their situation.  There is a lot of good news here because no matter which group we are (lost spiritual Jews or Gentiles), God has made a way for all to understand their predicament, Him and His plan through Christ.  How quickly the truth about ourselves and our situation changes our world view and our view of ourselves.  A point to be considered is the description of those who considered themselves righteous.  They thought they were keeping the law and that was their safety.  It had nothing to do with relationship with God in the sense of knowing Him intimately.  Sometimes our doing, even law keeping, is the check list of things.  Our motives are to do...not to know Him.    

To me, the most important words are in Verse 1…and you He made alive!  As in Chapter 1 we saw the cosmic plan unfolding because of love and love’s response, so in Chapter 2, we are reminded of our glorious calling…what we were created to fulfill (Romans 8).  The Word of God is a living Word…it becomes flesh in our lives as it finds application to us in KNOWING Him.  Often, the checklist keeps us self-focused.  How can I see you if I keep tripping over myself.  How can I know God personally when I'm so involved in me.   So much of our doing is centered in self-love.  Are we studying His word to know things...information, facts, more?   Are we studying His word to know Him?

The opportunity of studying Ephesians (and any other scripture) is an opportunity to watch God and be changed by beholding.  It is not so much the facts that will change us as the beholding, meditating, seeking.  Pursue God.  I am excited to continue the Ephesians study and our journey of becoming more like the Lord as His Word becomes flesh in us.  May this time be a quiet spot in your day bidding you to come apart and be with Him a while.  There is a saying: wherever I go, there I am.  Let Paul's words show us ourselves....no finger pointing.  Let Paul inspire you to see God, know God, and love God.  We love because He first loved.  

Ephesians--Being Filled By Him

Ephesians (Amplified Bible)

1:21 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.

1:22 And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church],

1:23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself]

Christ is seated in the heavenly places far above everything and every power in this age and the age to come.  This is really interesting.  The New Testament Greek word for age is Aion which has multiple meanings like spirit of the age, or a period of time or era with a beginning and end.  It does not mean forever.  This mirrors what we understand from the prophets.  Verse 21 indicates two “ages” which are the age that “is” and the age “to come.”  

The blessing that I get from this is that He has all authority and power and dominion.  Everything that has been the result of the deceit that started all of this drama is under his feet.  Everything which is truth and life has been appointed to Him as the head…our head.  The body (all of us) makes up the church.  This body, the full measure of Him, fill everything everywhere with Himself.

This is really a beautiful end to Chapter 1.  We have looked at who He was and who He is.  We have seen how much He loves us.  We have only started looking at the mystery which is the whole story.  We tend to take our theology or doctrine and think that is the whole story.  It is only man’s ways.  

His body fills everything and everywhere with Himself.  Talk about the divine communion.  Yes, we need to rightly discern this body and blood.  We want to experience the mystery of being made complete by being filled up with Himself.  God loves us beyond what words can express.  From the beginning of the drama to the close of the drama.  We have the privilege of knowing Him and being filled up by Him.  

We try so hard to DO something to be worthy of Him.  He never asked for that.  He knows and understands the drama.  All He wants is for us to receive His love and be filled with Him.  Then telling the good news will be a pleasure and easy.  It will not be hard and something on a to do list.   Pointing others to Him and what He  said and what He did when you are in love with Him is an easy assignment.  We can love because He first loved us.  Love's response!  That is the end to the drama.

Ephesians--To Live is to Die

Ephesians 1:19&20:   And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,

Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places],

The Bible seems full of paradoxes.  The last shall be first.  The weak are the strong.  You must die to live.  Have you ever wondered what you really embraced when you decided to be a Christian.  It is so easy to find the scriptures that make us feel good.  I do believe in God’s promises.  There are the messages, too, that are very sobering…you must die to live.  What does it mean?   

God wants us to “know and understand” what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power IN and FOR us who believe…  So many superlatives describe His power IN and FOR us who believe!  In and for us.  Often we think of His power…what He does, who He is, how He works as being powerful.  This scripture tells us His power is IN and For us who believe.  What does it mean?  I believe it means that His bidding is His enabling.  He is on our side.  He is not mad at us and withdrawn.  

He is sufficient!  We are not!  He knows and understands that we have NO power.  In this world, we fight for control.  Control is not power.  The Lord had all power but did not seek to control people or things.  In and For us who believe…the believe means something more than knowing all the answers.  We want all to be in a tidy box.  We really do not care to leave much to faith.  Not knowing the outcome of things does not make us happy.  Sometimes you only “know” something because you know.  If I know my husband well, I automatically know his response.  God knows us very well, and He knows our response.  Do we know Him so well that His response is based on knowing His character and not the immediate facts? 

This power in and for us is based on the Lord’s resurrection.  His power is life-giving when life has been taken.  When man has done all he can do in crucifixion, God steps in and resurrects.  Not only that, but He seats us in heavenly places.  Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection is ours, too.  So is the seating in heavenly places.  Our challenge in this scripture is to “know and understand” that which seems to defy the understanding.  His power in the paradox (to live you must die, etc.) is faith…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of the unseen.  We say these words so easily as a definition for faith.  Look at all the unknowing that is within even the definition of faith.  In all this unknowing, there is something that we believe.  He resurrected Christ and seated Him in the heavenly places.  

What amazes me in this scripture is that we are invited into this knowing of God and Christ…and ourselves.  We have a crucifixion to attend, and it is ours.  Then we are in the tomb (waiting room) for a while.  Then we are resurrected and seated with Christ in the heavenly  places.  Think in terms of spiritual and not literal scenarios.  

In and For us is very good news.  When we are at our wits end, the end of our reserves, the end of seeing a way out, when we are in the middle of the dark night of our soul, it is such good news to know He is In and For us always.  This is a personal knowing which is powerful but does not seek to control.  Control is really an illusion anyway.  Another paradox, His power within,  is made strong in our weakness which trusts.  I do not have the answers. I just seem to have questions that are  having to wait and trust the In and For us God.