Ephesians 2

1. You also were raised to life when you were dead because of your sin.

Not only was Christ raised from the dead, but we are raised from the dead life we used to live.

How shall we, who are dead to sin, still live in it? Romans 6:2

2. You used to live your lives according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the evil spirit that now works in the lives of people who are working against God.

We can see two ways of walking: walking the way that the devil suggests or walking in the way that Jesus has shown us. He came not only to die but to show us how life should be lived on the earth.

In them you also once walked, when you were living in them. Colossians 3:7

3. At one time all of us lived this way, in our selfishness doing what our flesh and our minds wanted by our own will. We deserve God's anger just as the rest of men do.

As Paul did ...

For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it... Galatians 1:13-14

4. But God, who is full of mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us...

God loves to have mercy on us. Micah 7:18

5. …brought us back to life together with Christ when we were dead in our sin. It is by His grace that you have been saved.

We were raised from the dead to live a new kind of life with Christ.

Do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:13

6. He raised us up with Him and made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Where else do we see people walking in heavenly places?

See Genesis 3:8, Genesis 5:24, Ezekiel 1:1, Isaiah 6:1, 2 Corinthians 12:2 – 4, Revelation 4:1 – 2.

7. He did this to show, in the years to come, the amazing riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

The amazing thing is that God uses the same resurrection power toward us that He gave to Jesus.

8. It is by this grace that you been saved through faith, and this does not come from yourself, it is God's gift to you.

Think about this, it is NOT because of any good thing that you have done that you are saved, but ONLY by faith in trusting God. Do not stop! Your spirit told you that you were lost without Him to save you from hell. Let your spirit remind you to also trust Him to save you from the problems of daily living.

9. It is not because of anything we do, so that this way no one can boast about how they have been saved.

Abraham found a new idea! He learned that if you trust what God has said, and wait for the promise, you will be accepted by God. Romans 4:1-16

10. We are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do the good things which He wants done on the earth. God prepared these things for us to do so that we can show His way of life to the world!

There are certain things that God wants done on the earth. He moves men into a place where they need to be. It is our privilege to work with God this way.

11. Remember that, because you were not born as Jews, you are looked down on by those who are not really Jews in their heart.

When Nebuchadnezzar took the Jews away to Babylon, the Jews who were left behind in Samaria had children who were half-Jewish. The Jews did not accept these people and would walk seventy miles out of their way to keep from traveling through Samaria.

There was a Jewish saying, “I thank God that I am not a woman or a Gentile.”

They acted this way because they felt that as long as they were outwardly acting as a follower of Jehovah then God would accept them and would not accept Gentiles. Paul is saying that their following of the Law was done in the flesh and not in the heart.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:28 - 29

12. Do not forget that at one time you were strangers without Christ; strangers from Israel, and the promises that were made to Israel. You had no hope and you lived in the world without God.

The Jews were trusted with God's Word so that they could show the world how God intended life to be lived. (Romans 3:2)

In Romans 9:4-5 we see that the Jews were given the position of sons, they were given God's glory, they were given promises, and the law. The Gentiles were not given these things and so did not have the same kind of foundation when they needed power to live.

13. But now, in Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought close by the blood of Christ.

Many false religions have an angry god. They are afraid that their god will do something to hurt them. We have a loving Father who wants us to come close to Him.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

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For He Himself is our peace. He has made Jew and Gentile into one and has broken down the wall which was between us. Because He became a man he sent away the separation based on keeping the law, with all of its rules, so that He made for Himself one new human being, making peace between us.

He brought both of us to God in one body through the cross. In this way, He put the separation to death.

Where did this wall come from? If we study what God says about those who are not Jews we will find that He has always shown His love to all men.

Look through your Bible for examples of those who were not Jews who became followers of Jehovah and were NOT treated as if there was a wall between them or that Jews were somehow “better” believers. For example, Naaman, Ruth, Rahab, etc.

But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. Exodus 12:48

You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt. Exodus 23:9

Do we then do away with the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. Romans 3:31

The difference is that God made certain promises to the Jews that He did not make to any other nation. The problem is that Jewish leaders turned this into a wall that made even Gentile believers to be treated as enemies or not as equal.

A stone has been found in Israel which says that the penalty is death for anyone who is not Jewish and comes into the court of the temple.

Think of how the Gentile Christians felt when Peter moved away from their table in Galatians 2:12. God never intended this.

The amazing thing that Paul is saying in this chapter is that even though the Gentiles were not part of the promises made to the Jews -because of Christ they now ARE included in the promises.

It is sad to see the same kind of walls between Christians today. Some see themselves as better because they have a certain gift or knowledge that others do not have. This kind of thinking is NOT walking in heavenly places.

17. Then He came and said there was peace to those who are far away and also peace to those who are near.

Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal him.” Isaiah 57:19

18. It is because of Him that we both can come in one Spirit to the Father.

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth. John 4:24

19. So now, you are not strangers but belong to the ones who are set-apart and are now members of God's house.

Do not be proud toward the branches; but if you are proud, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. Romans 11:18

20. You have been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets and Jesus Himself is the foundation.

The prophets spoke of the nations coming to Christ.

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. Isaiah 28:16

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For it is in Jesus that this building is put together and is growing into a holy temple for the Lord.

You are also being built together as a place for God to live in your spirit.

Because the Lord lives inside of us, we bring Him with us everywhere we go , and we make Him a part of everything we do.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 1 Corinthians 6:15