Ephesians 2

Things to remember from chapter 1

There are important things we need to Remember from
Chapter 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the
saints which are at Ephesus (Not in the older Greek Texts)
and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: This means you already
need to have Romans thru Galatians operating in your life
you can’t be arguing about how salvation is  achieved as
well as do we need salvation and what we are saved from.
You have to be operating all 9 manifestations and you know
they are spiritual matters not gifts. You need to know
salvation does not come by works of the law. You need to
know that Romans thru Thessalonians all should be in red
letters because this is what Jesus told Paul to write.
That is a good deal of information from just 1 verse

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ:

We already have all spiritual blessings that are available.

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by
Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of
his will,

You will notice the the pronouns are all we or us meaning
this is addressed to the body of Christ not individuals as
some of us were taught. It applies that way God
predestined the church of the body not the individual's of
that body to to the adoption of children.

We by our freedom of will chose to become members of
the body of Christ God did not say oh well Don Culp there I
choose you in fact Don chose Jesus Christ to get into this
body. The sames with all of us we chose to believe that God
raised Jesus from the dead and we made him lord of our
lives and now we are stuck with .everlasting life, having all
spiritual blessings, ect.

The reason for this:

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath
made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having
made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to
his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might
gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are
in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom
also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things
after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to
the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In
whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that
ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy S(s)pirit of
promise,14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until
the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the
praise of his glory.

The word earnest in verse 14 means token. If you ever
travelled on public transportation in NYC before 2000 you
will know what a token is.

You put the token in the machine and you could ride a place
in NYC. A very small thing that represents something very
large.

Now we have a prayer coming up:

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord
Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give
thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory
, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in
the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding
being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of
his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according
to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought
in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at
his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that
which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet,
and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in
all.

Okay now we can move onto chapter 2

1 And you hath he quickened, 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 lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4
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 shew the exceeding riches of his
grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For
by grace are 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.

As you can see the wording from the Greek in verse 1 is a
bit awkward which is why they changed it so it would make
more sense in the English. Sometimes they got it right when
they do this sometimes they didn’t.

We followed the course of this world which we are told no
longer to do in Romans 12:

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And
be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

See why I say you need to have Romans already in operation
in your life to get Ephesians.

Look at verses 5, 8, and 9. It is by grace we are saved. That
puts salvation in the past tense Jesus walked a sinless life
and then sacrificed himself so our sins all of them were
paid for. It doesn’t mean we suddenly stop sinning it says
that in 1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so
that you will not sin. (that means we still can sin) But if
anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father
Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning
sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for
the sins of the whole world.

Not bad the guy who paid the price for our sin is our
advocate or defense attorney.

In verse 10 it says we are God’s handiwork. Some
translation translate this as master piece.

International Standard Version

For we are God's masterpiece, created in the Messiah
Jesus to perform good actions that God prepared long ago
to be our way of life.

Notice it says

created in Christ Jesus unto good works not by good works. You have to be operating all nine manifestations to really be doing this yet even those who do not believe that are operating some good works.

11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past
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. 14 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 cross,
having slain 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 access by one Spirit
unto the Father.

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of
God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner
stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together
groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye
also are builded together for an habitation of God through
the Spirit.

We are God’s habitation. I don’t fully understand it but I
do my best to believe it.