Ephesians Week 4

Day 1 

READ 

Ephesians 2:6-7 

6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 

Paul reveals how believers are identified with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection. Plus, the believers are now seated with Him in the heavenly realm. This is referred to as “positional truth” for all believers in Jesus. It is a perfect state with Jesus as they are seated with him. Their “practice” is what they are living out on earth and that is not perfect, but it can be victorious. In the future God can point to believers as if to say, "Look what I have done for them.” 

REFLECT 

Do you realize God will someday glory in you as a trophy of His grace? Praise Him for that. 

RESPOND 

Read Romans 6:5-11 to see how Paul views the believer’s identification with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection. 

Day 2 

READ 

Ephesians 2:8-10 

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

Many people want to add to what Jesus did on the cross, thinking His death was not enough to provide salvation. Verses 8-9 in this passage reveal it is impossible for one to merit salvation by good works. It is by grace alone through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. The good works is referred to in verse 10 as believers live in gratitude for all that Jesus has done for them. 

REFLECT 

Is it clear in your mind that good works only follow believing in Jesus and are not a part in earning salvation? 

RESPOND 

Some of the Jewish people of Paul’s time thought that circumcision should be added to believing in Jesus to have salvation. Paul condemned putting any thought of good works in addition to believing in Jesus for salvation. Read Galatians 1:6-9 for a strong statement of Paul about this. 

Day 3 

READ 

Ephesians 2:11-12 

11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 

Paul reminded his Gentile readers how the Jewish people thought of them. The Jews thought circumcision was so significant in being right with God that there was no way the “uncircumcised heathens” could be right with God. Paul says such Jewish thinking was only concerned with the flesh and not with the hearts of people. The Jews considered the Gentiles to be “without God and without hope.” 

REFLECT 

The Jews wanted to add circumcision to believing in Jesus for salvation. Today many Gentiles want to add good works to believing in Jesus. This is the same theological problem. 

RESPOND 

The Jews looked to Abraham as the father of their faith. They seemed to neglect remembering, however, that his circumcision occurred after he believed in God. Compare Genesis 15:6 with Genesis 17:24-26. Abraham believed God for salvation before he had a child; now Ishmael is 13 years old. Circumcision was not part of believing in God. 

Day 4 

READ 

Ephesians 2:13-14 

13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. 14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 

Paul assures Gentiles they have been united with Christ Jesus. This was done through the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus who became a man so He could die for the world. Believing Jews and believing Gentiles are now united in one body—the body of Christ known as “the Church.” Because they are in one body now, they should not have hostility toward each other. 

REFLECT 

Thank the Lord that all believers are part of the body of Christ and there is no reason for ethnic hostility toward each other. 

RESPOND 

With your disciple read Colossians 3:14-15 that tells believers how to live with others in the body of Christ. 

Day 5 

READ 

Ephesians 2:15-16 

15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 

Paul answers how God put an end to ethnic groups being hostile with each other. He did it by ending the Old Testament law system and made Jews and Gentiles “one new people.”  They should no longer be known as Jews and Gentiles but as Christ-followers, or part of the body of Christ. By means of His death, Jesus brought to an end to the hostility between these two groups. If the groups do not act like what has been accomplished for them, they are not honoring the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

REFLECT 

If you know of any antagonism in the body of Christ against each other you can realize they are not living in the harmony that Jesus made possible by His death. 

RESPOND 

Read Colossians 2:16-19 to read what Paul, a former strict Pharisee, said about diet and days.