Ephesians 2:1-10

Our reading this week is Ephesians 2:1-10. This passage is packed with power and meaning for our lives today. Instead of a link to the passage, it's here for you from the Amplified Version.

"AND YOU [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins in which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God]. Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God's] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of humankind." Ephesians 2:1-3

It wasn't until quite recently that I began reading the Amplified Version of the Bible. And before hand I really had no clue what was meant by "amplified", in essence, as you may have noticed, it's not a matter of just adding more descriptive words just to do so, but they went back to the original language and expanded on what those original words would have meant to the original readers. They added more context to the passages we would normally read and perhaps miss little things. It is a really neat version of the Bible and available at www.biblegateway.com if you're interested in reading more of it.

Let's remember that Paul is writing to believer's in the city of Ephesus. These believer's lived in what could be called a pagan megacity of the time. They were submersed in a culture of perversion and sin and no doubt struggled in their faith. Not so much different from us today. We also learned last week that Paul sincerely loved these Christians. He prayed for them passionately and fervently. So Paul in this part of the letter starts writing to them about the things that God saved them from. He's reminding them of where they came from.

Often today, we spend a lot of energy running from the past, hiding where we came from or who we are or the things that we did. And somehow we sometimes find ourselves forgetting why we needed God's forgiveness in the first place. Oh, it's not intentionally. It just happens. We forget that we were once like those that surround us, until someone became our Hope, until someone named Jesus Christ reached out and touched us.

I don't think we have it right. I don't think we are supposed to forget our sins and our pasts. I believe God calls us knowing who we are and He calls us with a promise to use that brokenness for His glory. How, if we've left it all behind, forgetting it ever happened, can He use our story to touch the life of someone else? This is what Paul's doing here in this passage. He's reminding them of who they were. He's reminding them that all this sin that is going on around them, was once their lifestyle and once their reality. As we'll see a little later, Paul was telling the Christians in Ephesus to remember who they were, so they can know who they are now in Christ and use that power to change their world, to be someone else's hope.

So let's like Paul take a stroll down memory lane:

Think back over your past, before you met Christ in what ways were you dead?

Paul talks about following the course and fashion of this world and how that influences our lives. What are some of these behaviors and how do they impact your behavior? How do those behaviors reflect Christ in your life or not?

Fred Allen said, "Most of us spend our first six days of the week sowing wild oats; then we go to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure." Think about it. Are we still living with one foot in the world? Are there areas in your life that you have felt the displeasure of God? Rev. 3:15-17 talks about God spitting the lukewarm out of His mouth. Or have you completely 'sold out' for Jesus Christ seeking Him at every turn and moment in your life?

Paul didn't just throw their past in their face and run away, leaving them to fester in guilt or shame. In keeping with the spirit of remembrance, he showed them their past and reminded them of their present and the future in Christ. You know, the after picture is always much better than the before picture. Who we are after the Christ encounter is so much prettier than who we were before and it is only because of God's love, mercy and grace.

"But God-so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him,] for it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation), And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of tiem], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live." Ephesians 2:4-10

Think about it, we are raised up and sat down together with Christ! What does that mean to you? Does it give you hope and optimism?

God's grace is the most optimistic thing in the entire world. Grace gives us hope and it allows anyone to be changed. We leave this passage with hope. The last portion tells us that God is preparing us for something good. Can you feel it? Are you conscious of what God is doing in your life? And are you being obedient to His plan for you?