What a contrast! No more sacrifices at the pagan temples! No more participation in drunkenness or sexual abandonment! Practicing honesty in words said and deeds done! No longer being controlled by anger in stressful situations! Surely there was much "room for improvement," but obvious changes were remarkable.
However, an enormous problem basically remained unchanged: the relationship problem between Jewish Christians and gentile Christians. Gentile Christians looked at Jewish Christians suspiciously because many Jewish Christians seemed dedicated to "controlling them." Jewish Christians looked on gentile Christians suspiciously because "they are entirely too materialistic, too governed by physical desires." Jewish Christians saw minimal change in gentile converts, and gentile converts saw lots of arrogance in Jewish Christians. Many in each group did not like Christians in the "other group."
The letter of Ephesians came from Paul and was addressed to Christians who primarily were gentile converts. Because they took note of "a lot of changes" since conversion to Christ, because they disliked many Jewish converts, they had two basic problems [in this text]. (1) They exaggerated their own worth by forgetting who they were prior to conversion. (2) They failed to realize that God reconciled ALL Christians to Himself through Christ as one body of believers.
For God's purpose to occur and prevail, it was essential that these converts not exaggerate their significance. The fact that God saved them in Christ was not proof they were of "special worth and significance." Paul made it plain that it was not a matter of "what you have done for God" but "what God has done for you."
In 2:1, 2 Paul urged them to remember who and what they were before they entered Jesus Christ. Note Paul's words and phrases used to describe their pre-Christ spiritual condition: "dead," "trespasses," "sins," "the prince of the power of the air," and the evil "spirit" who determined the behavior of "the sons of disobedience." Because of their own evil behaviors proceeding from their ungodly minds which were ruled and controlled by evil powers, they were spiritually dead. At that point in their lives, neither way nor means existed that could allow these people to enter God's presence.
Paul did not want these gentile converts to look at him as just another arrogant Jewish Christian who held gentile converts in contempt. His observations about their pre-Christian spiritual condition did not arise from his "superior knowledge and background." Paul acknowledged on behalf of Jewish Christians that "we" also were in pitiful spiritual condition: controlled by physical desires, indulging desires in both mind and body, and were also "children of wrath" because of the way they lived. God was deeply unhappy with both pre-Christian groups!
Paul made it quite clear that the salvation of both groups depended on God's achievements, not human merit. It was God Who was rich in mercy. It was God's great love for all of them that made their salvation possible. Even when they were rightfully dead spiritually because of their own evil behavior, it was God Who permitted them to become alive in Christ. Their salvation existed because of God's grace, not because of their human merit.
What God did for them in their salvation was incredible! Even though they were dead, He resurrected them [just as He did with the crucified Jesus]. He raised them to be seated with the resurrected Jesus [Jesus Christ sits at God's right hand to intercede for them]. What God did for them in resurrecting them from spiritual death was only a down payment on what God's grace would do for them in judgment! Only when they lived in God's presence after judgment would they comprehend the incredible wealth found in God's grace and kindness!
All their faith in God did was to permit God's grace to work. Surely, they were obedient! However, the "bottom line" was this: God's grace saved them, not human merit. Their salvation was God's gift to them, not their compensation for obedience. Human deeds did not produce their salvation. They had nothing to brag about, no reason to place confidence in human efforts.
Astoundingly, this was not an "anti-obedience" statement. It should not be heard as a discouragement against obedience. They were God's creation in Christ [see Ephesians 4:20-24 and Colossians 3:8-11]. God created them in Christ for a reason: to do good works. These good works have their origin in God Himself. He determined the nature of these good works before Christ came. He also determined that all who entered Christ would be dedicated to these good works. Doing God's good works is not an attempt to "earn" salvation. Obedience is an expression of appreciation to God for the grace that placed them in Jesus Christ.
Those good works included gentile converts accepting Jewish converts, and Jewish converts accepting gentile converts. A primary reason God sent Christ was to end the separation between Jews and gentiles. In Christ, God accepts both without hesitation! Christ creates peace between the two groups! Christ destroyed the barrier that separated the two groups! Christ used the cross to reconcile the two groups by destroying their spiritual separation!
A refusal by either group to seek reconciliation in Christ was an active resistance to God's purposes in Christ! Human arrogance, even among the saved, did not and cannot promote God's purposes in Christ! Our failure as Christians to realize we all are 100% dependent on God's grace is human arrogance! Such human arrogance rejects God's holiness!
Thought Questions:
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 12