EPHESIANS LESSON 3


     We will begin this lesson in Ephesians 2:1 " And you [hath he
quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;"

     The wages of sin is death. When we are walking in our sin
{unforgiven}, we are marking time to death. Each day becomes a little
more hopeless, because it is one day closer to death. Trespasses and
sin bring physical and spiritual death. Jesus took the punishment of
death on His body on the cross and marked their bill paid in full, for
all who would turn from their sin and accept Him as their Saviour.
Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath
made me free from the law of sin and death." John 5:21 "For as the
Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth [them]; even so the Son
quickeneth whom he will."  Jesus is the Spirit of Life. Though I was
dead, yet shall I live in Him.

     Ephesians 2:2 "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:"

     Before we come to Christ, we are living in sin. The life without
Jesus is a life to please the flesh of man.  Satan appeals to the
flesh of man. All have sinned. We are first of the flesh. We live for
pleasing our own self, before we come to Jesus. These Ephesians were
no different. "The prince of the power of the air" is speaking of
Satan. The world and its ways will send you to hell. To become
Christians, we must repent of our sin, turn away from the world and
receive new life in Jesus. I John 2:15 "Love not the world, neither
the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him."  I John 2:16 "For all that [is] in
the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." I John 2:17
"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth
the will of God abideth for ever."

     Ephesians 2:3 "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."

     Our body of flesh came from the earth and causes us to want to be
of the earth. We must crucify our flesh and put the Spirit of God in
control of our life. The carnal mind is an enemy of God. The battle
that has been raging since Adam and Eve, is the battle for the soul of
man. The flesh wants to control the soul of man. If the flesh wins,
then you are not a Christian. The Spirit of God will come and dwell in
you, if you become a spirit person. The breath of life is the spirit
of mankind. The breath of life within us is of God. He breathed the
breath of life into us, and we became a living soul. The soul is like
the will of man. God will not force you to follow Him. We have a
choice whom we will follow. The soul of man is the decision maker. The
flesh of man, connected with the earth, desires to sin. The battle
comes between the flesh and the spirit over the soul. Which will rule
in your life, the spirit or the flesh? Flesh man brings death and
hell. Spirit man brings life and that more abundantly. Is there really
any choice?

     Ephesians 2:4 "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love
wherewith he loved us,"

     I want to cry, when I see this. Why did He love us? We did not
deserve to be loved. His mercy endureth forever. This love {agape} is
that unconditional love. It is above human love. He loved us in spite
of all the wrong in our life. The following familiar verse is the
greatest proclamation of love that I know of. John 3:16 "For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  While
we were yet in sin, God loved us enough to save us. We were headed for
total destruction, and God blocked the way, and turned us to life
everlasting in His precious Son. God is love. This, that Jesus did for
all of Christendom, is love in action.

     Ephesians 2:5 "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)"

     In Adam all die, In Jesus Christ all live. Jesus is the
Quickening Spirit which brings life everlasting. He is the
Resurrection and the Life. Because He lives, We live also. Jesus took
our sin upon His body on the cross. Our sin died on the cross. In the
place of our sin, Jesus clothed us in His righteousness washed in His
precious blood. We are saved in Jesus, not because we deserve to be
saved, but because He loved us. Grace is unmerited favor. Jesus offers
this to everyone. It is up to us to accept this free gift from Jesus.
I Corinthians 15:45 "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made
a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit." In
Jesus, we live and breath and have my being.

     Ephesians 2:6 "And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us]
sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:"

     It is finished. Jesus did it all for all who believe in Him. He
is seated at the right hand of the Father. If I am in Him, I am seated
there too. My spirit soars to heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I can
easily relate to John, when he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day.
The door to heaven {Jesus} is open to all who will enter in.
Colossians 3:1 "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."
Colossians 3:2 "Set your affection on things above, not on things on
the earth."  Colossians 3:3 "For ye are dead, and your life is hid
with Christ in God."

     Ephesians 2:7 "That in the ages to come he might shew the
exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus."

     Jesus Christ is the mediator.  I Timothy 2:5 "For [there is] one
God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"
Notice in the next verse, that the covenant He mediates is not of the
law, but of grace. Hebrews 8:6 "But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better
covenant, which was established upon better promises."  Hebrews 8:7
"For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then should no place
have been sought for the second."  Our covenant with God {Christians}
is one that Jesus sealed with His own blood. It is the free gift of
grace.

     Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:"

     You can not earn your way to heaven. Just as any gift, to have
it, you must reach out and receive it unto yourself. Faith was counted
unto Abraham as righteousness. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is
what gives us our righteousness in God's sight. Jesus put us in right
standing with God, when He paid our debt in full with His blood at
Calvary.  We must say, thank you Jesus for dying for me. That is why
we are saved. Jesus is our Saviour. The gift of God, to all mankind
who will accept it, is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

     Ephesians 2:9 "Not of works, lest any man should boast."

     There is no room for boasting. The only thing we might consider
boasting of is the greatness of God and His plan of salvation. Work
will not get you to heaven. If we love God, and appreciate what He has
done for us, we probably will work for Him, but our work does not save
us. It just tells Him we love Him.

     Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should
walk in them."

     This is the picture then. We are saved by grace and grace alone.
The fruit of our salvation shows in our actions after we are saved. As
I have said so many times, we must walk in the salvation Jesus
provided for us. These works are in Christ Jesus. In the works that
you do, the world should be able to see Jesus. Even Jesus Himself
said, John 14:11 "Believe me that I [am] in the Father, and the Father
in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake."  He also said,
John 14:12 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father."   Do you believe in Jesus?
Are you fulfilling this Scripture in His own Words?  Matthew 5:16
" Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  Titus 3:8  "[This
is] a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm
constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to
maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men."
There are many more Scriptures on this. Look up good works in your
Strong's Concordance.


                        Ephesians 3 Questions


1.  Quote Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1.
2.  The wages of sin is ________.
3.  Why does each day become a little more hopeless, before we are
    saved?
4.  Quote Romans chapter 8 verse 2.
5.  In time past ye walked according to the course of this _______.
6.  This spirit now works in the children of ___________.
7.  Satan appeals to the ________ of man.
8.  Who is "the prince of the power of the air"?
9.  What must we do to be saved?
10. He that doeth the will of God abideth __________.
11. We were by nature the __________ of ______.
12. Why does our flesh want to sin?
13. The ________ mind is an enemy of God.
14. What must we become for the Spirit of God to dwell in us?
15. What is the spirit of mankind?
16. Which is the decision maker, the body, spirit, or soul?
17. Love in verse 4 is what kind of love?
18. The author thinks what Scripture is the greatest proclamation of
    love in the Bible?
19. Quote 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 45.
20. How do we sit in heavenly places?
21. Who is the door to heaven?
22. What are we to set our affections on?
23. Who is the mediator?
24. The Christian's covenant of God is sealed with what?
25. What causes the Christian to be righteous before the Father?
26. Quote John chapter 14 verse 11.
27. Quote John chapter 14 verse 12.
28. Quote Matthew chapter 5 verse 16.