By Christian Research Network correspondent Rob Willmann of Shepherd’s Heart Bible Study
This is a repost of an original article on Shepherd’s Heart Bible Study

When I was first saved, Ephesians 2 was a part of God’s word that I really cherished. God’s description of unregenerate man is what brought me to my knees. As I read through this chapter, it so convicted me. God was glorified by me being humbled before Him, and He accomplished that through this section of Scripture:

(Ephesians 2:1-10) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

This is a landmark section of scripture, and can be used when discussing salvation with Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and anyone who believes that salvation comes from being good and doing good works.

History: Who was Paul writing to?

Believers – both Jews and Gentiles He was writing to Jews and Gentiles who now believe in Jesus for their salvation. This letter was written for the believers in Ephesus.

How do we know this? Because of the salutation given in Chapter 1:

(Ephesians 1:1) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:

Notice the greeting is ‘to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus‘. Paul’s letter, inspired of God, is written to believers. These believers would have been both Jew and Gentiles living in Ephesus.

Why is this important to the audience Paul was writing to?

Paul was not writing just to a Gentile audience, but to Jews who believed in Jesus as well. He makes the case against works and the Law in this epistle specifically so Jews and Gentiles would not rely on themselves for salvation.

Jews during the time of Paul were often proud of their Jewish heritage and the fact that they were the ones originally entrusted with the Law. Notice also back in Chapter 2 verse 3 that Paul includes himself. He says: ‘Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh…‘

By doing so, he is clearly stated that in his former state (before salvation on the Damascus road) he was also a reprobate, and all of verses 1-3 applied to him as well. He states to the readers of this epistle that the Jews were not given a special “pass” when it comes to salvation.

What is the purpose of this passage?

To show Jews AND Gentiles that Christ ALONE, by Grace ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE (which comes from God alone) is the only way. Our salvation is not through works. And by God being the author and finisher of our faith, God is glorified.

Boiled down this section of scripture teaches us that God is glorified through Christ in us.

The First G: OUR GUILT

(Ephesians 2:1-3) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

What a truthful picture of the human race. Praise God that the Holy Spirit gave Paul this image of us to be written. The great English preacher Charles Spurgeon once wrote about these verses:

“Holy Scripture is not complimentary to unrenewed human nature. You may search it through and through to find a single flattering word to unregenerate man; but you will search in vain.”

This truth directly contradicts the humanistic teachings all around us that say that mankind is good by nature and that we just have to realize our true potential to overcome the problems of the world. This is a lie. And as we keep reading, you will see where this lie comes from.

(Eph 2:1) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…

Can it be more horrid than this? We’re described as being dead.

Here’s the meaning of these words in the original Greek.

Dead – nekros (nek-ros’)From an apparently primary word ?e´??? nekus (a corpse); dead (literally or figuratively; also as noun): – dead.

So when Paul writes “You were dead”… he means spiritually dead. There was no life in us.

Trespasses and sins:

trespasses –parapto¯ma (par-ap’-to-mah) – a side slip (lapse or deviation), that is, (unintentional) error or (wilful) transgression: – fall, fault, offence, sin, trespass.

sins – hamartia (ham-ar-tee’-ah) – From G264; sin (properly abstract): – offence, sin (-ful).

So we see here that our spiritual death is caused both by a lapse of obedience to the ordinances of God (which would be a trespass) and by outright disobedience to those things we know we should do (sin).

In today’s language, we say we have a conscience. In Latin, con = with, science = knowledge. We are ‘with knowledge’ of God’s word. Another way of saying it, is that God has given us a conscience that based upon His law. We know when we are guilty of breaking God’s holy law.

Here’s what Paul wrote in Romans 1 concerning this:

(Romans 1:28-32) And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

And again, here’s Romans 2:

(Romans 2:14-16) For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

Can there be any question that each of us is guilty of breaking the Law of God? Our guilt in the breaking of the law is evident.

Back in our primary text, we read:

(Ephesians 2:2) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

Can it be anything but sin when we walk according to the ways of the world? No. Can we blame anyone but ourselves? No we cannot.

Even though scripture here says that we walked according to the prince of the power of the air, it was our decision to walk in this manner. Those who say that they are born prone to lie, or born with the gene of alcoholism, or people who claim that they are born with proclivity towards homosexuality are missing a crucial step in their thinking:

GOD DOES NOT FORCE ANYONE TO SIN!

Yet if anyone tells you they are born into sin, they’re correct.

How do I know this? Consider the fact that no one has to teach their own children how to lie. Children do this by nature because they are born with a depraved nature. They simply get better at sinning as they grow up.

Here’s what Jesus said of man’s sinful nature

(John 3:19) “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

Also, consider what Jesus said right after the feeding of the multitude:

(John 6:32-35) Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

Why would Jesus need to give life to the world except that the world was already dead?

Again Jesus says:

(John 7:7) “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.

Whose deeds were evil? Who was dead in trespasses and sin? The world.

Jesus yet again:

(John 8:23-24) And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

And again:

(John 15:18-19) “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”

Finally:

(1 John 2:15-17) Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

Do you see the distinction being made between the Kingdom of God and the world? This world we inhabit is not our home. Ephesians 2 lets us know who is currently running this circus: the prince of the power of the air, and his minions, the sons of disobedience.

A Warning: Do not be conceited. We were the same way. Don’t forget where you came from, fellow sinner-saved-by-grace.

(Ephesians 2:3) Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

“..we too” are sobering words. Remember those two words. Paul (through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, writes in verse 12 of this chapter:

(Ephesians 2:12) remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Those of you here who are saved, you were once separated from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world.

Just as Ephesians 2:12, gives us who are saved a reason to remember from where we came, here’s the practical application of these 3 verses:

Jesus’ Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.

(Luke 18:9-14) And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Let me sum up the description the Holy Spirit gives here for those who do not belong to the Lord:

1. Dead in trespasses and sins. (verse 1)
2. Sons of disobedience who are loved by the world and who follow the rulers of this world. (verse 2)
3. Children of wrath. (verse 3)

This description also applies to those of us who are saved as a reminder of our previous condition without God.

We must be humble servants, realizing our past and that we didn’t save ourselves.

The Second G: God’s Grace

The second point I’d like to pull from the Scriptures is that our salvation is all about the grace of God, and His mercy towards sinners.

(Ephesians 2:4-6) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

This is the turning point, and it is so crucial to everything said so far.

Two little words carry such weight. Those words should fill us with hope, especially after reading the first 3 verses. Those two little words: But God shows why He alone is holy, why He is just, why He is separate from all mankind.

But God!

Paul sums it up like this in Romans:

(Romans 5:8-10) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

How amazing. Our God is so magnificent. We do not deserve salvation in any way. Yet God reconciles us to Himself through His Son Jesus the Messiah. And it all happens while we are the enemies of God, in the midst of our rebellion against Him. What mercy He shows His creation.

In order to continue this emphasis on God’s grace towards us, I want to point out what He does in spite of who we are:

Notice OUR Nature in verse 1:

(Ephesians 2:1) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

Compare that with what God did in verses 4-5:

(Ephesians 2:4-5) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)

Let’s boil that down to it’s simplest form:

• Us (v1): dead in trespasses & Sin.
• God (v4-5): But God…… loved us and made us alive together with Christ

It continues to get even better.

(Ephesians 2:2) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

Compared to:

(Ephesians 2:6) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Again let’s simplify it.

• Us (v2):walked in the ways of the world…. as sons of disobedience.
• God (v6): But God…. raised us up with Him, seated us with Him in the heavenly places… in Christ Jesus.

And if that weren’t enough, God showers us with even more grace!

(Ephesians 2:3) Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Compare with verse 7:

(Ephesians 2:7) so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Reduced to the simplest form again:

• Us (v3): we indulged in desires of the flesh and were children of wrath.
• God (v6): showed the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us.

What an amazing God. How tender is his mercy. How gracious is he towards those who are being saved!

Just how long does God show us this kindness?

Eph 2:7 …in the ages to come

For the remainder of the ages to come, which is for ALL ETERNITY!

• Dead in Sin….. God loved us.
• Sons of Disobedience…. God raised us up.
• Children of wrath…. God shows His grace in Kindness toward us.

Before we move on to the final point (God’s glory), let me restate the question:

Where is the Scriptures do we see that we saved ourselves? It’s not there!

But what I do see in these verses is Jesus Christ.

Eph 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Application: How can we use this in our daily lives?

First, we need to live a live of total abandon and surrender to the Lord. Jesus Christ paid it all. All to Him I owe.

And the application of these verses, can be summed up in Romans 12:1-2:

(Romans 12:1-2) Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Because we now realize that our salvation is not from ourselves, we can have the right attitude and fear towards the Lord and our fellow man. We must give Him honor and glory because of what He did for us. We were incapable of saving ourselves. God accomplished it Himself for His glory.

It’s not that we’re any better than the man on the street who doesn’t know the Lord. It’s that the Lord loved us and saved us while we were dead in our trespasses and sins.

The Third G: God’s Glory

(Ephesians 2:7-10) so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

When I first became a Christian, Ephesians 2:8-9 was one of the first sections of Scripture I memorized. My spiritual mentor Gordon Fields had me commit this one to memory fairly early on in my discipleship process. (Thank you, Bro. Gordon!)

Often I would hear that verse misquoted, with either of two phrases often left out: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, or NOT AS A RESULT OF WORKS.

My friends, leaving out either phrase takes some of the glory away from the Lord and what He did. It changes the message of salvation, and the method by which we are saved.

Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

We are not saved BY works, but to GO TO WORK. That’s exactly what Ephesians 2: 8-10 states.

God saves us FOR HIS GLORY. Our salvation is HIS handiwork. HE gets the glory, not us. According to verse 10, we were created in Christ Jesus for what? Good Works.

Who gets credit for the good works? God does. Not only did He prepare US for good works, He prepared the good works for us beforehand.

We walk in the Good works that God has prepared for us, and who gets the Glory?

• The church? No.
• The pastor? No.
• Each one of us for our salvation? NO.

To God be the glory. It’s all about Him.

The original appears complete with a comments section for you to join the discussion right here.

See also:

STRAIGHTENING OUT BETH MOORE ON DISCERNMENT

JAMES ROBISON AND RICK WARREN WORKING TO REVERSE THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION

SBC PASTOR ED YOUNG, JR PAYS HOMAGE TO JOEL OSTEEN