Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22
Racial and religious conflicts occurred throughout history. We see see them in past events; we see them today. Yet in the midst of great conflict, Christ became the peace and established a new humanity / entity from two groups of people who once held hostility against each other. If the Jews and the Gentiles could have peace and love one another in Christ, there is a great lesson that we can all learn today. Continue reading
Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22
God, in his love and mercy, has made us alive while we were spiritually dead. We are his handiwork, a creation that will continue to display of the incomparable riches of his glory. This is a wonderful creation! But while we might be thinking of individual believers, the text continues1 to explain that the topic under discussion is the new entity that God has created, the New Testament Church (called a “new humanity” in v. 15).
The Church is a mystery that was not revealed to the generation before but now revealed to the New Testament believers. It is an important revelation, and a proper understand of it will enable us to properly understand the Bible and the will and plan of God. Continue reading
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
“Saved by grace through faith” is a phrase that all Christian have heard. While it is important to study the meaning in details, here we are going to simply look at the context as it gives sufficient details on what is being taught.1 Continue reading
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
We were once spiritually dead but have been saved by grace. In the book of Ephesians, Paul likens our salvation as being raised up with Christ and being seated with him in the heavenly realms (v. 6). Although being seated with Christ in the heavenly realms sounds mysterious, it is most likely a metaphorical usage meaning that we have the life of Christ and that one day we will be with him in the heavenly realms.1 Continue reading
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
We have mentioned that Ephesians 2:1-10 is one long sentence, and although we have look at some details of this sentence, it is time now to look at the overall sentence structure.
I understand that some people are a little resistant to this kind of study. To them this kind of reading seems unnecessarily academic but has no life. To that thinking, I would like to explain that all we are trying to do here is simply to read a sentence as a sentence. That is all. It is not really a complicated or highly intellectual matter.1 Continue reading
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
We were spiritually dead, but God, out of his mercy and love for us, made us alive in Christ!
That God made us who were dead alive shows his power, and his willingness to save us, because of his mercy and love, shows his grace.
Understanding God’s blessing and his grace is part of Paul’s prayer for believers in Ephesus, and it is a reminder for us as well. Continue reading
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
The Bible says that before God saved us, we were dead in transgression and sins. Clearly it is not talking about physical death because we were all living our lives before we came to Christ. So we understand it to mean spiritual death. Still, what does it mean to be spiritually dead? While a lot can be said about the condition of being spiritual dead, the context actually describes it for us. Continue reading
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
Paul describes our condition as being dead in transgressions and sins before God made us alive in Christ. It does not mean that everyone was terribly evil and committed all wrongdoings before they came to Christ, but the context says that we were not under our own control and were completely led by other forces. But God who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us, made us alive in Christ while we were dead. Continue reading
Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23
Most of us are familiar with the saying “be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”1 Although the quotation is supposed to remind us to understand others and to be kind to others, it often resonates with us in the other way: we feel that we are fighting a battle that others do not know or understand.
At times we feel strong and energetic, but all of us have, at some other times, felt defeated, overwhelmed, weak and helpless. Continue reading
Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23
The feeling of newness and freshness when we obtained or experienced something new is unforgettable. We remember that feeling when we bought our first car, how we closed the door lightly, and how even the sound of the closing door felt good to our ears. We remember the feeling when we bought our first house, that feeling when we opened the door after we got the keys after signing the papers. Continue reading
