Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:1-3

This chapter contains an account, 1. Of the miserable condition of these Ephedrams by nature, ver. 1—3. and again, ver. 11, 12. 2. Of the glorious change that was wrongful in time by answering grace, ver. 4—10. and again, ver. 13. 3. Of the great and glorious privileges that converted Jesus and Gentiles both receive from Christ, ver. 14—22.

1. AND you hath be quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. 3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lasts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Behold the miserable state of every man by nature.

1. We are dead in trespasses and sins: Spiritually dead, as criminals under the curie and condemnation of a broken law, and the life of God extinguished in our souls; and in this state of desperate misery we must for ever continue, till redeemed by the blood, and quickened by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus.

2. Though dead to God, we have been but too much alive to the practice of sin; in which in time past we walked according to the course of this world; our spirit apostate, our ways pervert, conformed to the maxims, and copying the manners of a world that lieth in wickedness, the consequence of which could not but be our condemnation with the world.

3. We were at that time the bond-saves of the god of this world; asking according to the instigation of the prince of the power of the air, the devil, who with his legions is permitted to exercise sometimes his power and agency in the actual regions, and is the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, by himself, and those soul friends his fellows, tempting, seducing, governing, hardening the unbelieving and disobedient. Among whom also we all, Jews as well as Gentiles, even apollies as well as others, had our conversation in time past, endowed by sin, and led captive by the devil at his will; a state how fearful!

4. We then lived in the last of our flesh, indulging every corrupt appetite, and fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, as the beasts which perish; devoted to the gratification of brutal passions, and in our souls filled with pride, envy, malice, hatred, revenge, and the whole train of spiritual wickedness; disposed to every abomination, and only wanting temptation and opportunity to commit every iniquity in which body or soul can be engaged.

5. As the source of all our evil, we are by nature children of wrath, obnoxious to the displeasure of that God who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; born with every evil propensity; and herein there is no difference even between the elect of God and others, all lying in the same corrupted mass, till separated by sovereign grace. The more we are acquainted with this our natural state of desperate corruption, remediless guilt, and hopeless misery, the more we shall value the unfeasible riches of Christ, and be filled with admiration, love, and praise, in the view of an incarnate Redeemer.

6. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) 6. And hath raised us up together,

and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 7. That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. 8. For by grace ye ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast: 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 11. Wherefore remember that ye being in time passed Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands: 12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13. But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:4-13

With realisation and wonder should we contemplate the astonishing mystery of redeeming love. Here in its brightest glories we see it displayed, and God in that delightful attribute of mercy appears exalted in the highest.

1. The fontal cause of our redemption is God’s eternal love and grace, who is rich in mercy, the source inexhaustible of all our blessings; not for any thing done by us, or toresen in us, but purely to magnify his own great love wherewith he loved us, before the worlds were, having fixed upon us forerogally as the objects of his choice, and predestinated us to grace in time, and glory in eternity.

2. What serves as a foil to set off in the most distinguished lustre this mercy of our God, is the state in which we lay, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins; and, instead of any thing to engage his love, had in us every thing to excite his loathing; even then, when we were soul, odious, and in a condition desperate as that of fallen angels, did the God of all grace regard us, and plucked us as brands from the burning. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

3. The inestimable blessings conferred upon such wretched sinners are, [1.] Life in Christ our living head. He hath quickened us together with Christ: forasmuch as in his resurrection we see the sentence of death passed on our nature repealed, and the life which he possesses is for the use of his body mystical, who, as considered in him, are alive before God, and by virtue of union with him will in due time be raised to spiritual life, and conformed to the image of their living Lord. By grace ye are saved, and thus, through the transcendently rich and sovereign love of God, restored to his favour here, and receive a sure title to his glory hereafter. [2.] He hath also raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: for since he, as our forerunner and representative, is for us entered into the heavenly glory; we, as eternally included in him, may be had to be there also, and are thereby assured we shall in due time actually possess the same inheritance, and reign with him for ever. May our affections then be ever placed above with our exalted head!

4. The end God proposes in this great salvation. That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Jesus Christ, encouraging to the latest days of time poor and perishing sinners to come and trust in this boundless mercy revealed in the gospel; and that in the better world, when all the glory of his grace in brightest colours shall appear, he might be the object of ceaseless praise and adoration to men and angels through all the countless ages of eternity.

5. The means appointed to convey all these blessings to us is faith. For by grace ye are saved, freely, fully, everlastingly, the faith, which is the way wherein we receive all the great and precious promises; and that not of yourselves, faith being not the produce of our own free-will, nor the effect of others reasoning; but it is the gift of God, and, like all other blessings, flows from his boundless love, and is the work of his Spirit in our hearts; and both the salvation itself, and the faith which embraces it, are bestowed without the least respect to any works of ours, that the glory of the divine grace might not suffer the least diminution. Not of works, lest any man should boast; for could our fallen creature produce the least thought or action, which would give him a superiority over others, and recommend him to the divine favour, as a more worthy object than they, the salvation would be no more of grace, and the sinner might justly glory.

6. Though our salvation be purely of grace, God hath taken care to engage our hearts to himself by the strongest ties, whilst all the work and all the glory appear to be his own. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus; all that is excellent in us comes from his mere gift; our souls, by divine operation renewed, now produce the genuine fruits of righteousness; he works all that is good in us, and, though he excludes our glorying, secures our obedience and good worth, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them; such being his eternal

purpose, and he hath prepared (vulnour) disposed us to, and enabled us for the practice of them. Note, The doctrines of grace, far from loofening, as some vainly imagine, the obligations to morality, can only effectually engage and enable the soul for the practice of righteousness and true holiness.

7. He reminds the Ephesians of what they should ever keep warm upon their memories, to awaken their gratitude, and bind their hearts to God. Wherefore remember that ye bring in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumfion by that which is called the circumfion in the flesh made with bonds; created by the native Jews with contempt and disdain, and indeed excluded from all the peculiar privileges which they enjoyed: that at that time ye were without Christ, having neither knowledge of him, nor union with him; being absent from the commonwealth of Israel, out of the pale of God’s church, and strangers from the command of promise, which were peculiarly confirmed to Abraham’s natural seed; having no hope, at least no well-grounded one, of God’s favour and life eternal; and without God in the world, athelth, both speculative and practical; even which you worshipped gods many, being without the least knowledge of the one true Jehovah. But now in Christ Jesus, since by faith ye have been united to him, and heard and embraced his gospel, ye who preclines were far off from all good, and all hope, are made nigh by the blood of Christ, received into a state of favour and reconciliation with God, and entitled to the eternal blessedness which he hath purchased. Note, Summers in their natural state are far removed from God, and must, but for the redemption which is in Jesus Christ, remain so for ever.

8. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the creek, having flun the enmity thereby: 17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18. For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizen with the faints, and of the houlhold of God; 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; 21. In whom all the building is formed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22. In whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:14-22

All the blessings in time and eternity, which sinners can ever hope for, show down to them through the channel of a crucified Jesus. For he is our peace, having reconciled us to God by his own blood, who hath made both one, setting Jews and Gentiles together in one body under himself our common head, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, which till now excluded the sinners from the blessings peculiar to Israel; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, that which had been the cause of much enmity between Jews and Gentiles, now the ceremonial law, called the law of commandments contained in ordinances, which, as they pointed all to Christ, were now fulfilled by him, and abrogated, he obliging for to make of twain, of Jews and Gentiles, one new man, cementing them together in one church, and forming his own blessed image alike in their hearts; so making peace between them, as members of one body, united by faith and love in him; and that he might reconcile both unto God, who by nature and practice were alike effranged from him, and must have perished together, but for the same atoning blood which he shed, in one body by the creek, having flun the enmity thereby, sin, the cause of enmity between God and the sinner, being removed, and the ceremonial law, the great cause of variance between Jews and Gentiles, being abolished; and came and preached peace, by his divinely-constituted ministers, to you, Gentiles, which were afar off, inviting you, who were at the greatest distance from his church, to come and find pardon and peace with God; and the like message he sent to them that were nigh, to the Jewish people, who needed the same gracious salvation, and could only through a Redeemer be saved from the course of a broken law: for through him we both have an enmity by one Spirit unto the Father; the same spirit of adoption being shed abroad in both our hearts; the same advocate standing to plead for us; the same gracious God appearing as the Father of mercies, and ready alike to hear and answer our petitions. Now therefore ye Gentiles are no more strangers and foreigners, as before, but fellow-citizen with the faints, partaking of the same privileges, and of the houlhold of God, entitled to the same inheritance; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, who both concurred in the same testimony, leading the souls of sinners to Jesus Christ himself, as being the chief cornerstone, to whom alone they could safely build for eternity; in whom all the building is

formed together, of Jews and Gentiles, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord, daily accessions of converts being made to it; a temple infinitely more glorious than that of Solomon’s; a living temple, where the Lord peculiarly dwells, as in his own house; in whom you also are builded together, and composed part of the glorious fabric, that ye might be for an habitation of God through the Spirit, who takes up his blest abode among you, and in your hearts, until ye shall come to the perfect enjoyment of him for ever in heaven. Note, (1.) There is but one safe foundation on which a foetal soul can build, and that is Jesus Christ. (2.) They who are truly grounded on him, shall never fail, but be growing, by the mighty agency of his indwelling Spirit, more holy and happy, till they arrive at the perfection of blessedness in glory everlasting.