International Sunday School Lesson November 20 2022 Fall #12

Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV  And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  (2)  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—  (3)  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  (4)  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  (5)  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  (6)  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  (7)  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  (8)  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  (9)  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  (10)  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:1-10

Notes

Background

Continuation of the study of Ephesians

We are NOT earning our salvation. It is the work and grace of God.
We have free-will. Our decisions matter.
The manifestation of salvation is a changed life.

Dead in Sin — Ephesians 2:1-2

• JFB dead — spiritually. (Col 2:13). A living corpse: without the gracious presence of God’s Spirit in the soul, and so unable to think, will, or do aught that is holy.
• 2 Corinthians 4:4 (ESV)In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

All Sinners — Ephesians 2:3

• 1 John 2:15-17 (ESV)Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
• Gill in the lusts of our flesh; by “flesh” is meant, the corruption of nature; so called, because it is propagated by natural generation; and is opposed to the Spirit, or principle of grace; and has for its object fleshly things; and discovers itself mostly in the body, the flesh; and it makes persons carnal or fleshly: and this is called “our”, because it belongs to human nature, and is inherent in it, and inseparable from it in this life: and the “lusts” of it, are the inward motions of it, in a contrariety to the law and will of God; and are various, and are sometimes called fleshly and worldly lusts, and the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life: and persons may be said to have their conversations in these, when these are the ground of their conversation, when they are solicitous about them, and make provision for the fulfilling of them, and constantly employed.

By Grace You Are Saved — Ephesians 2:4-6

• Titus 3:4-6 ESV But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, (5) he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, (6) whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
• JFB — by grace ye are saved — Greek, “Ye are in a saved state.” Not merely “ye are being saved,” but ye “are passed from death unto life” (Joh_5:24). Salvation is to the Christian not a thing to be waited for hereafter, but already realized (1Jn_3:14). The parenthetic introduction of this clause here (compare Eph_2:8) is a burst of Paul’s feeling, and in order to make the Ephesians feel that grace from first to last is the sole source of salvation; hence, too, he says “ye,” not “we.”

Riches of His Grace — Ephesians 2:7

• Isaiah 60:15 ESV Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age.

By Grace — Ephesians 2:8-9

1 Corinthians 1:28-31 ESV God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, (29) so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (30) And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (31) so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

We are His Workmanship — Ephesians 2:10

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.