Ephesians 2 reminds me of the times in my life when others took credit for my work. When someone pirates my creative solution, or hours of effort without crediting me, I have been ripped off. I do not seek compensation; I simply want to be acknowledged for my work. Today’s lesson is about receiving gifts with gladness. Paul begins with a realistic assessment of our spiritual state before we accepted Christ: “you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” Paul also accurately describes our motivations: “gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.” Paul is not saying that sinners are incapable of kindness, or reason. Rather, we behave as if God is not intimately involved in our lives. Paul continues: “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ.” Before the fall of Adam, God created and implemented His plan for each of us to be fully restored. Some complain, “I am a good person, don’t blame me for Adam’s folly”. But we forget, God’s standard for righteousness is perfection. So, God made a way. In mercy, God pronounced guilt on all of mankind through the sin of one, in order to restore mankind through the perfect sacrifice of One. The penalty for our rebellion was paid by the sinless Savior. Each of us can now receive complete forgiveness, and unity with The Father. Paul calls this “the incomparable riches of His grace”. Many of us were totally unaware that all the work had been completed through Christ, as we proudly pointed to our good deeds.
Paul writes the most concise sentence in the Bible to explain our error. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Salvation is a gift that we cannot afford. It can only be received by trusting that Jesus willingly paid the penalty for our sins. He died and was resurrected and now intercedes on our behalf. We cannot do anything to earn salvation, therefore, we can take no credit for the result. We can only point to the cross with gratitude. Paul explains: “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” God’s grace produces a desire to live out our faith so others will see what God has done in us. It is easy to extend mercy to others when we acknowledge the mercy that we were first given.
The chapter ends with a rebuke to those that divide. Recall that whenever Paul came to a new town, he always began preaching in the Synagogue to the Jews. Ephesus, like every other town, protested the inclusion of the “uncircumcised” Gentiles “to the covenants of the promise”. The Lamb of God is not reserved for the Hebrews only. He writes: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Paul’s catharsis was that the Law cannot make anyone right. In fact, trusting the Law to save robs Jesus of His unique role: “For He Himself is our peace”. His sacrifice “made the two groups one”, destroying the barrier “to reconcile both of them to God through the cross.” Any time you consider yourself more deserving than another, you are taking credit that you do not deserve. Christ alone has made you righteous. The early church was entirely Jewish believers who recognized Christ as Messiah. Paul understood the cross did not require us to first become Jews before we could be forgiven. He wrote: “through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Gentiles “are no longer foreigners and strangers”, but “members of His household… with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.” The church is not a building, it is the individual believers “joined together… to become a holy temple in the Lord.” The church is Jew and Gentile “built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.” Is it time to acknowledge Christ as author of your salvation?