Ephesians 2:1-10 by Doug Shirley

Introduction
Ephesians is the main epistle of the New Testament concerning Christ and His church. The main theme is Christ. It declares His pre-existence, His coming in the flesh, and His inherent glory. The theme includes the church which gathers together all the people of God, Jew and Gentile. The letter presents a complete picture of the theology of the New Testament.
The epistle was written by the Apostle Paul to Gentile Christians (1:13; 2:1, 11ff; 3:1) who had recently come to Christ (1:13, 18; 2:5; 4:1, 4, 20; 5:14). Because of their newness in Christ they must be strengthened and matured in the Christian life (3:14; 4:13), and be admonished to live separate lives (4:17ff).
Some of the major doctrines in the book include: The doctrine of Christ

The doctrine of salvation

The doctrine of the church

In the first half of the book, Paul lays out the doctrines dealing with our position in Christ. The second half deals with our walk in Christ. Both of these aspects must agree with one another. The first chapter speaks of the believer as God’s child. The second chapter of Ephesians is an extension and elaboration of the first. The first 10 verses in this chapter are among the most evangelistic in the Scriptures, explaining beautifully the steps which occur in salvation. Paul wanted these Gentile believers to be firmly grounded in the knowledge of what they formerly were and in the knowledge of what their lives currently were because of God’s grace. These believers were left with nothing to boast about in themselves, but only in the Lord. He did not want them to be influenced by false teaching, and as a result, not give God the glory due Him. The past and present states of these Christians is common to believers through all the ages, and it is common for saints today. Every believer in Jesus Christ was once dead in sins but has been graciously made alive solely by God’s work through Christ.

I. The former state of all believers – 2:1-3
A. We were dead because of trespasses and sins – 2:1
2:1
To give a better understanding of the doctrine of Divine grace, Paul reminds the readers of their former condition. He first says that they “were dead” and goes on to give the cause of the death: “trespasses and sins.” He does not simply say that they were in danger of death, but he makes it clear that it was an actual and present death in which they walked. This death refers to spiritual death which is the state of separation or alienation from God. We are all born in this state of being dead and continue to live this way until we are made partakers of the life of Christ. While it is true that those in this state do live their lives, but it is done at a distance from Christ. And it is a life marked by death as every thought, act, and will is death and ultimately leads to destruction. Union with God is the only true life, and those outside of Christ are altogether dead because of sin which reigned in us.
Paul’s use of the word “you” refers to his Gentile readers, but his use of the word “we” in verse 3 points out that the Jews are in no better condition. The condition of all who are without Christ is shared by all mankind (Romans 2), and being spiritually dead characterizes man without God (Colossians 2:13). Not only that, but we will see that we are unable to meet the requirements of God’s law (Romans 7:9).

B. Jews and Gentiles all walked in sin (death) – 2:2-3
2:2
The mention of “trespasses and sins” in verse 1 leads Paul to expound on the readers’ former way of life. He will pick up his thought again after this account, where in verse 5 we see the dead being “made alive.”
In the mean time, this verse continues with the description of our lost condition. It specifies the forces working against us and gives proof that sin reigned in them by the phrase “in which you formerly walked.” When he goes on to say “according to the course of this world,” he is not referring to the earth or the heavens that God created. It is saying that this death is a universal disease and has infected the nature of mankind. Sinful depravity does not just affect a few, but is common to the whole world. In other words, unbelievers live out their state of spiritual death by living lives of enslavement to the world’s values. These values are always human-centered and never God-centered.
Paul goes farther and gives us the cause of this disease: the realm which Satan reigns over us. The devil is the “prince” or ruler of the realm of death. He is declaring that those without Christ are slaves to Satan and are his subjects. A more horrible and hopeless condition could not have been pronounced. All men and women who live “according to the course of this world” are living under the reign of Satan.
Keep in mind that Paul does not give Satan authority over God, who has the highest authority. He only operates in areas in which God permits, and his successes here are limited to unbelievers. So Satan does not have unlimited power, and he acts under the control of the Supreme Authority. It is also worth noting that man cannot blame the devil for his condition. The very reason he is a subject of Satan is because he is rebelling against God and refuses to yield to His authority.
The last phrase in the verse, “sons of disobedience” refers to being stubborn. Because of stubbornness they have refused to believe.

2:3
So far Paul has been describing the former state of the Gentile Christians. Here Paul uses the pronoun “we” to show that the sinful condition he had just described applied to Jews as well as to Gentiles. He also does not exclude himself from this indictment by saying “we too all.” It may seem surprising that Paul said this of himself when in other places he claimed to be technically blameless under the law (Philippians 3:6). But here he says that it applies to all who have not been given new life in Christ. No matter how good or praiseworthy an unbeliever’s life may appear, they are still dead in their sins. And just because their sins do not seem to be as evident in the sight of men, there is nothing good or holy that does not come from the Holy One.
“Indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind” is to be guided by our natural disposition and our mind. Unbelievers naturally and habitually yield to the cravings of the sinful nature with which they were born (Romans 5:12). As a result, they “were by nature children of wrath.” All of mankind, without exception, no matter what nationality are here pronounced to be guilty. This is their state until they are redeemed by Christ. There is no redemption or righteousness outside of Christ. “Children of wrath” are those who are dead in their trespasses and sins, and as such, lost. They deserve eternal death. The word “wrath” speaks of God’s judgment (Matthew 3:7; Romans 1:18), so they are condemned before God. This is the current state of all those who are without Christ. It was also the former state of all followers of Jesus Christ through the centuries including this those in this church. We were all living lives marked by death because of sin. This was our nature from our very beginning. Every believer in Jesus Christ was once dead in sins but has been graciously made alive solely by God’s work through Christ.

II. The salvation of God’s chosen is His work alone – 2:4-10
A. Salvation by grace, not human efforts – 2:4-9

2:4
The first three verses of chapter 2 tell us what we once were. Now the next few verses tell us what God has done. Paul begins his picture of the present condition of Christians with “but God.” This begins a section that marks the amazing contrast between the state of death and the state of life. Paul says that God had delivered the believers from the destruction to which they were previously guilty. This state is completely different from the former. It says that God is “rich in mercy.” One commentator describes this as God being “exceedingly bountiful and liberal in the exercise of mercy.” In verse 5 we see the result of that phrase as “God, being rich in mercy, made us alive together with Christ” meaning that there is no other life than that which is given to us by Christ. We only begin to live when we are brought into Him and share the same life with Him. Only now can we begin to see what is meant by our former state of death, for it is here that death and life are brought into contrast. What a priceless gift it is to be partakers of the life of God the Son, Jesus Christ!
Paul is full of praise to God for His mercy that has been poured out as he describes Him as being “rich in mercy.” Every part of our salvation has its roots in God’s mercy. The passage goes on to add that it is “because of His great love with which He loved us.” This is an astounding statement showing that our state of life, as opposed to death, is totally due to undeserved goodness. God loved us (I John 4:10).
Man does not have to continue to live the life just described. God made it possible to live a higher and better life for those who accept it. God intervened because of His great love, which is the motivating force. In fact, His love gives us the ability to love (I John 4:19). This love caused God to act in mercy, which demonstrates His love in action. Because He loves us so much, God performs specific acts of mercy. The verses show God’s marvelous remedy in Christ. Mercy is God’s love in action, resulting in grace, which is His undeserved favor toward the lost, the objects of His love.
The first three verses of the chapter show the awful condition that we were in, and if God had decided to destroy us He would have been completely justified. Instead, God acted in mercy because of His love.

2:5-6
These verses explain God’s greatest act of mercy. It is very similar to Romans 5:8. Even though we were dead in our sins, He “made us alive together with Christ.” The language describes the readers new position in Christ. This is called the regeneration of believers, and Paul ends the verse by saying that it is by an act of God’s grace. He will restate this in verse 8. It is as though he cannot adequately proclaim the riches of His grace.
The verb in the phrase “made us alive together with Christ” is the first of three in the context that has the prefix sun which is translated “with.” The second is in vs. 6: “raised us up with Him”, and the third is later in the same verse: “seated us with Him.” These verbs beautifully summarize what God does for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to being made alive, He has “raised us up with Him.” Christ was raised from the dead by God’s power and actually appeared to many people. He has also “seated us with Him in the heavenly places.” As believers, we do not currently have all that God has in store for us, but they are so sure that they are mentioned as if we already had possession of these blessings. It illustrates the change that has taken place in our condition. John Calvin put it this way: “It is as if we had been brought from the deepest hell to heaven itself.” Christ is the One that we already possess and is also our object of hope for the future. And it is only in Christ that these blessings can be found.
The results of God’s action toward us as threefold: past, present, and future. We were raised from the dead with Christ. In God’s plan this occurred when Christ was raised. As a result of our union with Him by the baptism of the Spirit (Rom. 6:3-4) we were raised with Him. So all in the Body have been awakened from spiritual death, and also have been baptized by the Spirit into union with Christ. This is true because we have been baptized by the Spirit into Christ’s Body. Our union is with all other believers in Him (I Cor. 12:12-13), and into union with Him, the Head of the Body (Rom. 6:3-4). Therefore we share the death, burial, and resurrection position of the Body. From these verses it is easy to see the great contrast between the believers former lost condition and their present situation in Christ. Every believer in Jesus Christ was once dead in sins but has been graciously made alive solely by God’s work through Christ.

2:7
In verse 7 we see the future and why God did these things (vs. 4-6). It starts with a strong statement of purpose, “in order that.” It was all done with the purpose of “showing the surpassing riches of His grace.” Throughout all eternity the Church will be a demonstration to all creation of God’s grace. This is a plan that is destined to be remembered through all ages. We too must continually remember this astonishing work and be prompted to hand down these truths to the generations. So God will display to the universe the unfathomable wealth of His gracious kindness to us through Christ. His triumph over sin will be exhibited to every created being, fallen and unfallen, and God will be glorified.
God’s mercy is again seen here as He does these things in “kindness.” It is love in tender action. God showed his kindness to man when he needed Him most. The love of God is free and undeserved, and He displayed it in the extraordinary riches of His grace. Again notice that this grace exists only in Christ Jesus.

2:8
Paul again reminds his readers that they owe their salvation entirely to the undeserved favor of God. Verse 5 has already amplified the statement: “by grace you have been saved.” Verse 8 begins with the word “for” indicating that grace is the cause for the salvation from God. The verse emphasizes this divine method of salvation: “by grace.” The salvation of the Ephesians was entirely the gracious work of God. We are owed nothing from God so salvation is not a reward. The text answers the question of how men receive this life offered by God: “through faith.” This is the personal medium for the process of salvation, so it is a necessary condition. Faith involves knowledge of the gospel (Rom. 10:14), acknowledgment of the truth of its message, and personal reception of the Savior (John 1:12). This is the way in which salvation is received, therefore the usual means that man relies on are thrown out. Some would falsely say that faith is man’s contribution to his own salvation, so Paul immediately explains that it has nothing to do with our efforts, but is “the gift of God.” Salvation by grace, through faith is “not of yourselves.” We can claim nothing to our own doing, so that we may acknowledge God alone as the author of our salvation.
The next two verses continue to show us that works cannot save, but good works always accompany salvation (James 2:17).

2:9
Paul continues the idea of salvation and its non-meritorious nature. He firmly excludes any possibility of self-achieved salvation, and therefore leaves no reason for boasting. Notice how abundantly clear he is. He has just insisted that this salvation is “not of yourselves,” and now he adds “not as a result of works.” Any kind of human self-effort is completely ruled out by this statement. Given the holy nature of God and the sinful nature of mankind, there could never be a human work or achievement that could possibly satisfy God. Paul immediately gives the reason with the phrase “so that no one may boast.” God demands the glory and will not share it. If our works had anything to do with our salvation, then we would have cause for boasting in ourselves. Since it is because of God’s unmerited favor all boasting must be toward God, the author of salvation (Romans 3:9-28).
The three phrases “not of yourselves,” “it is the gift of God,” and “not as a result of works,” capture the doctrine that Paul taught in Romans and Galatians. They reveal to us that righteousness comes to us from the mercy of God, it is made available to us in Christ, and it is received by faith alone without any human efforts. This involves more than just a starting point in our lives as believers, but it includes the whole of our salvation. If our deeds were totally inadequate to lead to salvation, then they are equally inadequate to complete it. Remember our former deeds and condition, and realize what God has done and is doing. Every believer in Jesus Christ was once dead in sins but has been graciously made alive solely by God’s work through Christ.

B. The believer is God’s workmanship – 2:10

2:10
This verse is not just thrown in for good measure. It is the outcome of the change that has occurred in our lives. Even though it is not possible to earn salvation, this verse reminds us that work indeed is part of the process, that is, God’s work. We are saved apart from works, but unto good works. We are the result of God’s work, which is intended to produce good works that attest to its reality. Our works themselves are a part of grace. Here we see the consistency between Paul and James (James 2:14-26).
The total passage (vs. 1-10) has come full circle. Verse 2 reminds us how those in a lost state live, and indeed, how we formerly lived. The word “walk” in verse 2 is now repeated in verse 10, only here the walking of the believer is as His “workmanship,” as products of what God’s grace can do in people. We are a new creation. Christians are God’s “work of art,” His “masterpiece,” so they may “walk” in good works. In fact, believers were emphatically “created in Christ Jesus” for that very purpose. It must be noted that this passage applies solely to believers in Jesus Christ. It is the believer that has been regenerated, and everything good in him is the gift of God. This verse gives us further evidence that the Christian has nothing to boast about, for even the good the believer now does has its source in God, who made it possible.
Let us be careful that we understand the Word of God. Some would say that we were assisted by God, or that we are left to continue on our own strength. But this is directly opposed to what the passage teaches. Even an effort to promote our own ability to choose can lead to undermining the grace of God. The Apostle Paul teaches his readers that we are God’s work, and everything good in us in His creation. Our very being is formed by His hand for good works. Man cannot receive salvation for himself, but he receives it as a free gift of God.
Some very important truths are brought out in this verse. To be saved, or “created in Christ Jesus,” is for the purpose of coming into God’s plan for the Christian life, or “for good works;” and this plan has been divinely pre-determined for us, and is not a hit-or miss proposition: “which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
So what does Paul intend to teach in this matter? He intends to show that we have brought nothing to God, and therefore, deserve nothing in return. And he also points out that even the good works that we perform come from the hand of God. As a result, we are nothing except through the pure display of His kindness.

Conclusion:
All of us here who are united with Christ were once dead in sins but have been graciously made alive solely by God’s work through Christ. Paul, in this passage, gives us some graphic details of our former condition. He clearly states that we were dead in our sins and alienated from God. Our every thought and action was marked by death. We were not unique in that position as all of mankind was either in that state or is currently in that state. It is a state of rebelling against God and refusing to yield to His authority causing one to be a subject of Satan. These facts are very sobering as it leaves no hope in ourselves to change from our state of being dead to a state of being alive.
But God stepped in and provided the only acceptable work in which life can be found: His work. There is no amount of human effort that can be done that could have ever made us alive. It is only because of the rich mercy and kindness of God that this life even exists. Salvation is by God’s grace and through faith. He has done a complete work in the life of the believer so that “in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Christ died on the cross and was raised from the dead for us, and we, as His Body, share in that position. It is a position that is attributed entirely to God’s grace, and as such, He deserves all the glory.
God’s work continues in the Christian’s life, for even the good works we do are in reality His work in our lives. They are the outworking of the change that has been brought about by God. It is a work that was pre-determined for us “that we should walk in them.” What a merciful and gracious God we have! May we spend our lives proclaiming His grace with our mouths and in our deeds.

Made Alive by God’s Grace: Ephesians 2:1-10

Doug Shirley

I. The former state of all believers – 2:1-3

A. We were dead because of trespasses and sins – 2:1
B. Jews and Gentiles all walked in sin (death) – 2:2-3

II. The salvation of God’s chosen is His work alone – 2:4-10

A. Salvation by grace, not human efforts – 2:4-9
B. The believer is God’s workmanship – 2:10