CHAPTER 2

1
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Paul is about to launch into a deep knowledge of: Salvation, by God's GRACE,
through FAITH (received by receiving Christ as Lord).

So, before we begin looking at Paul's statements here, let's remember a few
things.
1st Ephesus was a well known city full of pagan ritualistic worship and behavior.
2nd Paul preached there and many were saved.
3rd Paul left there, and STILL many were BEING saved, by the gospel
preached and lived through those who had received FAITH.
4th Later, Ephesus dwindled to near nothing. All that is left now are a few
cottages where despondent people exist with great difficulty!

WHY? WHAT HAPPENED?
Revelation Chapter 2 begins with our Lord speaking to the church at Ephesus.
They had begun well, but they had "left thy first love!" (Rev. 2:4)
Our Lord continued with an admonishment to the church there.
"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the
first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick
out of his place, except thou repent."(Rev. 2:5)

The love of Christ should be first educational to believers.
Secondly it should be edifying to the body of the church.
Third it should be evangelistic toward the people around the church!
And, THAT'S what the church at Ephesus FORGOT!

Now, let's look how Paul starts the discussion.
The words "hath He quickened" have been inserted into the translation
for the purpose of meaning.
And, those words mean He (Christ) has MADE them ALIVE!

When a person surrenders to Christ, he/she is made ALIVE SPIRITUALLY.
The body has existence and can see, hear, smell, taste and feel.
Yet, the spirit, or heart, of the person may not be given to living for Christ.

Now, upon repentance and surrender to Jesus, a person is born again
not physically but spiritually.
The heart, or spirit of the person begins to experience CHANGE.

And, the person is ALIVE to God's love and will, whereas he/she was DEAD
"in trespasses and sin."

NOT being spiritually alive to Christ and His will for our lives,
IS being dead ( meaning SEPARATED) spiritually from Him!!

2-3
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
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 the children of wrath, even as others.

BEFORE receiving Christ as Lord: We ALL "walked according to the course (manner) of this world."
We ALL allowed the spirit of disobedience to God in our lives.
We ALL lived ("had our conversation") doing what pleased ourselves.

And I love these next two words.

4-5
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
(by grace ye are saved;)

BUT GOD!!!
God's MERCY and LOVE called us to Christ for salvation.
He made us aware of His love through Calvary's cross!
His Spirit spoke to our hearts and told us we were living for SELF
and not for Christ Who MADE us!

And, now, by God's GRACE, exhibited in His mercy and love has
"quickened" us -- made us alive spiritually to the things of God!

Not only has God made us ALIVE, but also "together with Christ!"
Just as Jesus was raised from the tomb and made alive again by the
power of God's Holy Spirit, those who receive Jesus as Lord, are
raised to live FOR HIM!
Not only that, but there is a promise there of ETERNAL life with God
after the physical body has died!

You see, when we are made alive together with Christ, we BEGIN
ETERNAL LIFE, or living with and for God at that moment!

6-7
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in
his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

I don't know about you, but I like that phrase "made us sit together in
heavenly places IN Christ Jesus."

Let's use an illustration.
Once a very heavy set man had been doing flips off the 3 foot high board
into a public pool.
He decided to go to the 10 foot high board and do the same.
But, in his flip, he lost balance and landed on his stomach.
He lost his breath, went under water, and tried to gulp air.
Now, he is DROWNING.
But a lifeguard (small and light) dove off his platform and somehow,
pulled the heavy man to safety.

That man would have DIED if it had not been for the lifeguard!
But now, he can sit on the side of the pool ALIVE!

Surrender to Jesus allows us to share in connection between HIM and
"heavenly places" NOW!
Prayer is a heavenly place!
Bible study is a heavenly place!
Church is a heavenly place!
Singing worship to Christ is a heavenly place!

Jesus Christ is the ONLY conduit between SEPARATION from God
and sitting in HEAVENLY PLACES!

Here on earth, Christians do suffer at times - physically, mentally and
emotionally.
But also, here on earth we are able to share Christ's peace and joy!

It's an INSIDE thing!
Because we KNOW that "in the ages to come" Jesus will show
"the exceeding riches of His grace" in OTHER places!!
I'm looking forward to that!
Are YOU?

8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

It is:
By GRACE ALONE,
Through FAITH ALONE,
In CHRIST ALONE,
that ANYONE can be saved, and live in a troubled world with
peace and joy!

God PLANNED that -- He "purposed" it! and "predestinated" it!
(see Eph. 1:4-6)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. (John 3:16)

One cannot BUY that faith!
One cannot EMPLOY that faith within himself or herself!
It is "the GIFT of God" by His GRACE to those who surrender
to Christ as Lord!

The word "faith" is derived from the Greek noun pistis.
It is a noun and signifies possession.

Once a person receives Christ, that person receives REAL FAITH!
That faith is a spiritual moral conviction to STRIVE toward LIVING FOR Christ
in an immoral world.

You and I have a physical faith naturally.
We see the bridge, and we consider it safe; so we get ON it!

Well, Jesus is the bridge to eternal life.
If you TRULY believe in Him, you will LIVE TRAVELING that bridge!

I wrote a small book about that, only about 30 pages.
You might want to take time and read it.
It can be found with this link: (https://www.linktojesus.org/page10a.html)

THEREFORE ---

10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Faith can be related to God working IN us!
Paul says here "we are His WORKMANSHIP."

In other words, we (who are surrendered to Christ) are an ONGOING PROJECT!
"For it is God which worketh IN you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
(Philippians 2:13)

When we receive Christ, we receive the indwelling presence of God's Holy Spirit.
(Go back and read Eph.1:13)
It it through God's Holy Spirit then, that we receive FAITH!
And having received faith (from God) we are to "walk," or LIVE, in the
"good works" that God has outlined in His Bible!

What ARE those good works?
1) PRAYER -- daily, or more;
2) BIBLE STUDY --- daily;
3) ATTENDANCE -- in a Bible believing, teaching, preaching church;
4) GIVING -- to and through the church for help to the misfortunate, and
providing a system to further the Gospel in the world;
5) SHARING THE GOSPEL --- whenever, and wherever God provides
an opportunity.

11-13
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh,
who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in
the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and
without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ.

In this instance, Paul describes "Gentiles" as all people groups in the
world who do not adhere to the Biblical truths of God.
And, he describes the Jewish people as the "Circumcision" who call
Gentiles the "Uncircumcision.:"

In that analogy, Jewish people were those who believe in God as the ONE
and ONLY God of the universe.
And, they went by the rite of circumcision.

So, Paul continues in verse 12, that Gentiles were without God and "strangers"
to the "promise" of God for eternal life.

But by God's mercy and grace, even these Gentiles were called to be
participants in God's salvation through Christ Jesus!
And, now, those who believe in Christ are "made nigh" (or close) to God
because they believe that the "blood of Christ" is the ONLY
acceptable atonement for man's sin!

14-17
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle
wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained
in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the
enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

According to Romans 8:7, "...the carnal (worldly - without Christ) mind is ENMITY
against God."
That word ENMITY means AT WAR!

BUT GOD!
Jesus BROKE DOWN that wall of ENMITY between man and God!
He "abolished in His flesh" the war that man has with God through sin.
His sacrifice ATONED for ALL the sins of ALL mankind for ALL ages!!

Jesus sacrifice was to "reconcile" God and man, and bring them TOGETHER
in the cross of Christ!

((Now, that ALL sin was forgiven, does not men ALL people will be saved!))
((Go back and read Eph. 2:8-9))

Jesus came and preached salvation by repentance to those (like you and me)
who were "afar off" from living with God!

Jesus SLAYED the war by CONQUERING the penalty of death!
HE AROSE!!

And He offers a RISEN way of life to "...whosoever believeth in Him..."

BECAUSE.....

18
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

"For THROUGH Him," JESUS, we have "access" by God's
Holy Spirit to the eternal Father God!

Jesus paid the price of our slavery to sin.
He bought mankind with His blood.

Therefore, those who have received Christ, can "..come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
(Heb. 4:16)

When Jesus died on that cross, His Spirit, God's Spirit, flew through the temple
and SPLIT the veil of separation!!
And, being "in Christ," we have His Spirit by Whom we can call on God at ANY time!

19-22
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the
saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

The saved sinner is no longer estranged from God, but has become "fellowcitizens
with the saints, and of the household of God!"

Jesus is the "chief cornerstone" of that "household of God!"
It is BY Him and OF Him and FOR him the household is built!
And, ALL saved sinners are PART of the "building!"

ALL saved sinners are "builded TOGTHER" to be "an habitation of
God through the SPIRIT!"

In another place, Paul says, "Know ye not that YE are the temple of God, and that
the Spirit of God dwelleth IN you?" (1Cor. 3:16)

OH! HALLELUJAH!!
The Chrisitian is the TEMPLE of our Glorious God, built SOLELY by the Lord
Jesus Christ!

If you are truly saved, then God's Holy Spirit is working IN and THROUGH you!
The question is: are you working WITH Him?

Peter presented a letter from God, and in it stated:
"But GROW in grace, AND in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To HIM be glory both now and forever. AMEN!" (2Pet. 3:18)

By the way, those were the LAST words Peter wrote from God to Christians.

Let us not be like the church at Ephesus and lose our "first love!"
Let us be REVIVED every day by working WITH God's Holy Spirit in His wonderful gift of "FAITH"!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.
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