Ephesians 2

     2:1-10.  The natural man is: 1. Spiritually dead; 2. Walking in sin; 3. In bondage to Satan; 4. The object of God’s wrath; 5. Totally unable to save himself (credit J.G.Vos).

The truth of these five points set forth here is so repugnant to our old nature that man will by any subtlety reserve a part of salvation unto himself, even if it is only “by deciding to reach out in faith to receive God’s free gift.”  The point of all true preaching of the gospel is to call men to do exactly that, of course.  But whether a spiritually dead man responds to such a call or not is dependant completely on the mercy and grace of God (5, 8-9).  “You must be born again” (John 3:7).  Faith is as much a sovereign gift of God as any other part of our salvation (8; cf. Ps. 27:8; Ro.12:3; Php.1:29; Heb.12:2; 2 Pet.1:1).  Our true condition and inability, and the necessity of God’s act of regeneration, is demonstrated in Ezekiel’s preaching to the dry bones (Ezek.37:1-10), and in Jesus’ command to the dead and stinking body of Lazarus to come forth from the tomb (John 11:43-44).  “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63).

     2:3.  We too; i.e., we Jews.  The rest; i.e., the rest of mankind, the Gentiles.  Indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind; includes the corruption of all our doing and all our thinking.

     2:11-22.  Circumcision was a sign and seal of the old dispensation.  In and of itself, it did not save anyone, being only a manmade mark in the flesh and powerless unless accompanied by faith (11).  Yet it separated the chosen people from the world.  Under the old covenant, the Gentiles were: 1. Separate from Christ; 2. Excluded from the commonwealth of Israel; 3. Strangers to the covenants of promise; 4. Having no hope; 5. And without God in the world (12).  But now, in this new dispensation suitable to the fullness of the times (1:9-10), in these last days (Heb.1:2), none of these things are any longer true.  The cross of Christ has abolished all enmity erected by the Law.  There is no longer any such barrier between people (13-16), for the gospel of peace is for all (17).  Through Christ, both Jews and Gentiles have access equally in one Spirit to the Father (18).  So then, the Gentiles are no longer subject to any of those exclusions listed in v.12.  In Christ we are all one body, being built together into one commonwealth of the faithful, one family of God (19).  Christ is the cornerstone of all revelation (20).  His body, the church, is the temple of God, the dwelling place of God in the Spirit (21-22).

     God calls us individually, but he calls us into the Israel of God (Gal.6:16).  “If you are Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise” (Gal.3:29).  There is no salvation outside of the body of Christ, his church (1:22-23), for either Jew or Gentile.  You are either being built together, or you are a stranger and an alien.