Ephesians # 8 Eph 2-10 thru 2-14a

Last week we didn’t get to far in the book of Ephesians, so today we’re going to pick up right where we left off.

   I. EPH 2:10

          A. The word “Workmanship” in this V means “Masterpiece.”

                 1. A work that is so valuable and so precious to God that He Himself alone could create through the Lord Jesus Christ.

                        a. It says in that same V that “We are created to do good works.”

                               i. Good works did not make us God’s Masterpiece, because we are God’s Masterpiece then we will do good works.

                        b. He says at the end of this V that God has ordained that we should walk in them.

                               i. God has ordained that we should walk in good works.

          B. In the next few Vs we’re going to be looking at the work of Jesus in removing the barrier between God and man, but also through the work of Jesus God has removed the barrier between races.

                 1. There has always been racial barriers in the world.

                        a. People are going to be prejudice, because they are in Satan’s world.

                               i. The Devil is the author of prejudice in the world.

                 2. There is only 1 place of true equality, and that is in the body of Christ, which is through the New Birth.

                        a. GAL 3:26-28

                        b. In the body of Christ, there is no male or female, black or white, Jew or Gentile.

                               i. At least there shouldn’t be. We are now all 1 family. All of us have the same Father.

          C. EPH 2:11

                 1. This V shows us that races exist only in the flesh. You were “Gentiles in the flesh.

                 2. EPH 2:12

                        a. Before we knew the Lord Jesus Christ we were aliens from the “Commonwealth of Israel” or the “Citizenship of Israel.”

                        b. Meaning that we didn’t have the rights to the COVENANTS that God made with the children of Israel.

                               i. Notice that the word “Covenants” is in the plural.

                 3. There are 4 main covenants spoken of in the OT.

                        a. 1st the had the “Abrahamic Covenant,” 2nd “Palestinian Covenant,” 3rd the “Davidic Covenant,” and 4th the promises of the “NEW Covenant.” (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:24-30)

                               i. All of the covenants pointed to “the promise” of the Messiah and of the blessings through Him.

                        b. There was a time when we were without the “Covenants and Promises of God,” and we were without hope and without God.

                 3. EPH 2:13

                        a. In this V Paul says that “Now we are in Christ Jesus and because of that we are made nigh.

                               i. The Jews used to use the phrase “To make nigh,” meaning “To make a proselyte,” Or to make a Jew.

                        b. In other words what Paul in saying, Is that “we have been brought into the Promises and Covenants by the Blood of Jesus.”

   II. At 1 time there was a great Barrier between God and man.

          A. (JOB 9:32-33 NASB) “For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. “There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.”

                 1. What JOB was saying is that there was no one that could settle the great difference between us. (God and man)

                        a. God couldn’t do it because He is God and not a man.

                        b. Man couldn’t do it because he was a man and not God.

                 2. But there was 1 that could do it and that was the Lord Jesus Christ.

                        a. He could satisfy the claims of God because He is God.

                        b. He could satisfy the claims of man because He is Man.

         B. He was the only 1 that could bring us into salvation, and it came through His precious shed blood.

   III. EPH 2:14

          A. The word here for “Peace” is talking about “Reconciliation.”

                 1. Through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ we have been reconciled back to God.

                        a. Turn with me to 2 COR 5:17-19

                        b. What are the “Old things that are passed away?”

                               i. He’s talking about our spirit man. Our Old Spirit man died, it’s gone and God has given us a brand new spirit.

                               ii. Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

                 2. In (V 18) Paul says, “And all things are of God.”

                        a. All things are not of God. I like how the NIV puts it.

                               i. The NIV says, “All this is from God.” Meaning that this recreation of our spirit man is from God.”

                 3. At the end of (V 18) it says, “Who (God) hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.”

                        a. The word “Reconciled” means “Return to favor.”

                        b. We have been returned to favor with God, but this also tells me something very interesting.

                               i. In order to be returned to favor, we had to be in favor with God at 1 time before.

                               ii. When were we at favor with God before we ever accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

                               iii. Before we reached the age of accountability.

Ephesians #8 Eph2:10-2:14.docx

WOLCC Thurs. 3/28/96