Introduction

I wonder how we would feel if the content of our prayers was published for all to read about. Do you think we would qualify, like Paul, to make the pages of the Scriptures, or would our prayers be better printed in the National Inquirer?

Paul does not hesitate to tell his readers that he is praying for them, nor is he reluctant to tell them what he is praying for. The prayer of Paul in Ephesians chapter 1 is but the first of two of his recorded prayers in the epistle.³⁴ It establishes a standard for prayer which few of our prayers meet. If taken seriously as a model for our prayers, our prayer life would have to be radically transformed. This lesson will be a study of Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church, and its implications for the church today.

Our text has a great deal to offer to us. It also instructs us concerning the vital link between the Word of God and prayer. In the early days of the New Testament church, the apostles determined that their priority was the “prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). Our text helps to clarify the relationship between the two.

Finally, our text identifies three vital elements of the Christian faith and doctrine. These are truths which are taught only in the Word of God, which are foundational to our daily Christian walk.

As we come to our text, let us do so with the same prayer which the apostle prayed. Let us look to the “God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,” that He might give to us “a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him,” so that “the eyes of our heart may be opened, and we might know what is the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

The Context of our Text

Paul has just summarized the purpose of God for history and the blessings which God has provided for the believer in Christ (verses 3-14). He has spoken of the activity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He has spoken of God’s purpose in eternity past, in history, and in eternity future. If verses 3-14 focus on the eternal purposes of God as they relate to Christ, the church, and His glory, verses 19-23 will concentrate on the power of God in Christ, toward His church.

In the middle of these two texts, Paul records the content of his prayers for the church at Ephesus. Viewed as a whole, chapter one contains three summaries:

(1) Paul’s summary of the purpose of God for His church.

(2) Paul’s summary of His prayers for the Ephesian church.

(3) Paul’s summary of the power of God directed toward the church.

I believe that it would be safe to say that Paul’s prayers for the church at Ephesus were based upon his understanding of God’s purposes for the church and His power directed to the church.

While there would be considerable merit in seeking to interpret verses 15-23 as a whole, time will simply not permit it. In this lesson we must focus on the prayer of Paul, and in the next we will give attention to the power of God. Let us not forget, however, that God has placed these together is such a way as to remind us that one cannot be understood rightly apart from the other.

The Reason For Paul’s Prayers

Paul informs his readers that he constantly prays for them. He “does not cease” (verse 16) to do so. He begins by telling them the reasons for his prayers. As I understand this text, there are two primary motivating factors for Paul’s persistence in praying for this church.³⁵

The first reason is not stated because Paul assumes that we will readily understand it. He prays for the Ephesian church “for this reason” (verse 15). In verses 3-14, Paul has stressed the sovereign purposes of God for His church. It is clear from these verses that the church is “from Him,” “through him,” and “unto him” (see Romans 11:36; Colossians 1). Paul gives thanks to God because He has given birth to all who are members of His church. Paul makes his petitions to God because God is sovereignly working in and through His church. God gives life to the church, directs its growth, and controls its destiny. And so Paul prays to God on behalf of the church.

The second reason that Paul gives for his prayers is stated in verse 15 as well. He prays for the Ephesian church because there are genuine saints there. The lives of the members of the Ephesian church bear witness to the genuine faith which they have in Jesus Christ. The evidence is two-fold: (1) they have faith in the Lord Jesus; and, (2) they have a love for all³⁶ the saints. Loving God and loving others are the marks of the true Christian. What Paul has recently heard³⁷ concerning the Ephesian church convinces him that there are genuine believers there. Since God has purposed and provided for the blessing of true believers, and since the Ephesian saints are true believers, Paul prays on their behalf.

There are those who would argue that the doctrine of the sovereignty of God undermines the doctrine of human responsibility of man. Ephesians 1:3-14 emphasizes divine sovereignty (God’s eternal plan). Verses 15-19 demonstrate human responsibility (Paul’s prayers). For Paul, as for every Christian, the sovereignty of God is the reason for human responsibility. What better motive for my obedience than to know that God not only commanded my obedience, but He also purposed it, along with the results He would accomplish through it:³⁸

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that you fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you” (John 15:16).

The Nature of Paul’s Prayer

Paul describes his prayer in general terms, so that while we do not have the exact words of his prayers, we are able to discern the essence of them. Consider these characteristics of Paul’s prayers, as described in our text:

(1) Paul’s prayer was addressed to God the Father. His prayer is to “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory” (verse 17).

(2) Paul’s prayer was continual. Paul says here and elsewhere that his prayers were made “without ceasing” (verse 16, see also Romans 1:8-10; Colossians 1:9-12).

(3) Paul was not alone in praying for the church at Ephesus. Note the little word “too” in verse 15:

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints.

We learn from Paul’s epistle to the Colossians that there were others who, like Paul, prayed for the saints in certain cities:

Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis (Colossians 4:12-13).

(4) Paul’s prayer included thanksgiving for the saints at Ephesus. This may not sound like a very significant statement, but it is. Paul was a Jew, and the Jews as a nation were not eager to see the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles, even though it was a part of the eternal plan and purpose of God.

The people of Jesus’ home town were transformed from enthusiastic approval to an angry murderous mob when Jesus made it clear to the people of Nazareth that His coming as Messiah included the blessing of the Gentiles (see Luke 4:16-30). The Jews of Jerusalem listened quietly to Paul’s personal testimony of his conversion to faith in Jesus as the Messiah, until he added that God had called him to preach to the Gentiles (Acts 22:1-23). The Jewish saints at Jerusalem only reluctantly granted that God had purposed to save Gentiles as well as Jews, but after having done so, kept on preaching the gospel to Jews alone (Acts 11:1-19).

Paul was called as an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 1:5). He, like his co-worker of previous days (Acts 11:22-24), rejoiced when Gentiles came to faith. Like John the Baptist, he rejoiced in seeing the fulfillment of his calling (compare John 3:22-33).

(5) Paul’s prayer was a petition that the Ephesian saints would come to a deeper and fuller grasp of the truth of God as revealed in Scripture. He prays,

… that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe (Ephesians 1:17-19).

Paul’s prayer of petition moves from the general to the specific:

• Prayer for a “spirit of wisdom and of revelation” (verse 17)
• Prayer that the “eyes of their heart may be enlightened” (verse 18).
• Prayer that the Ephesian saints may come to grasp …

… the hope of His calling
… the glory of His inheritance in the saints
… the surpassing greatness of His power

Paul generally prays that the Ephesian saints may be given a “spirit of wisdom and of revelation” (verse 17). The first question we must answer is whether or not to capitalize the word “spirit.” I believe that we must. Repeatedly, wisdom and revelation are described as the result of the ministry of the Holy Spirit:

“But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task” (Acts 6:3).

And yet they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking (Acts 6:10).

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (Luke 2:26).³⁹

For to us God revealed {them} through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit (Ephesians 3:5).

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look (1 Peter 1:12).

It is my understanding, then, that Paul is praying for a particular ministry of the Holy Spirit. What, then, is this ministry? Several lines of evidence tend to make this clear.

Some might think that Paul is praying for the Holy Spirit to give the church wisdom and revelation which is beyond that found in Scripture. I think this is both unnecessary. The Word of God is sufficient for all of our spiritual needs:

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world (Hebrews 1:1-2).

3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will (Hebrews 2:3-4).

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust (2 Peter 1:2-4).

It is true that the Scriptures produce wisdom:

O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Thy precepts (Psalm 119:97-100).

And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15).

Nevertheless, I do not think that this is what Paul prayed for. There are several reasons for this. First, there is the order of the terms “wisdom” and “revelation.” Paul prayed for a “Spirit of wisdom and of revelation,” not for a “Spirit of revelation and of wisdom.” It would seem as though “wisdom” was meant to be understood as preceding “revelation.”

Second, I understand the first words of verse 18—“that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened”—are an amplification, an explanation of the words of verse 17—“a Spirit of wisdom and of revelation.” Other texts of Scripture reveal a strong emphasis on the fact that divine “wisdom” is necessary to understand God’s inspired “revelation” in Scripture. In the Old Testament, the psalmist prayed for the wisdom required to understand the Law of God:

Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy law (Psalm 119:18).

Make me understand the way of Thy precepts, So I will meditate on Thy wonders (Psalm 119:27).

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy law, And keep it with all my heart (Psalm 119:33-34).

Thy hands made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments (Psalm 119:73).

Solomon indicated at the beginning of the Book of Proverbs that wisdom was necessary to understand difficult truth:

To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion, A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles (Proverbs 1:1-6).

When Jesus came to the earth as the promised Messiah, He came as God’s full and final revelation, God’s “last word” (see Hebrews 1:1-3). And yet He was not understood by men. He was not even understood by His disciples. Repeatedly in the gospels, the disciples and others failed to grasp the meaning of what Jesus was saying at that time (see John 2:17; 6:22-71; 7:37-40; 13:18-38; 14:1-5). Jesus understood this completely. They could not understand. Just before His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus spoke of His departure. He instructed them to abide in Him by abiding in His Word and keeping His commandments. And yet they did not understand His words. He assured them by promising the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would not only bring His words to their remembrance, but who would make their meaning clear to them as well (see John 14:25-26; 16:1-15). It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in communicating and clarifying the Word of God of which Jesus is speaking.

In the New Testament epistles, the Apostle Paul takes up this same theme. Paul contrasted the wisdom of God with the wisdom of men, showing that only by means of the illumination of the Holy Spirit could Christians grasp the meaning and application of God’s Word:

1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:1-15).

In the light of this, I understand Paul’s general prayer of petition in Ephesians 1:17 and 18 to be his request for God to illuminate the minds of the saints in Ephesus, so that they could grasp the depth of the riches of God’s Word. This epistle to the Ephesians was, in part, an answer to Paul’s prayer. Paul prayed for a deeper insight into God’s plan and purpose for the saints, and the Epistle to the Ephesians takes us further into the “mysteries” of God’s working than any previous book of the Bible has done.

Specifically, Paul prays for a greater grasp of three avenues of biblical revelation. Paul has spoken of the first two already in verses 3-14, and he will expound upon the power of God in the final verses of chapter 1. These three truths are found only in the Scriptures. You may read the daily newspaper from the front page to the last, and you will never find these truths. You may read the secular writings of great minds, and you won’t hear a word about these foundational facts either. You will read of them often in the Bible. Let us pause to consider the truths which Paul believes to be so essential to the spiritual lives of these saints, and then to consider their importance to us as well.

The Hope of His Calling

The first fundamental truth is that of the hope of God’s calling. I understand the “calling” here to be one’s calling to faith in Jesus Christ.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).

Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12).

Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity (2 Timothy 1:9).

And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15).

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

This “calling” to salvation was a calling to “blessing” and to “eternal glory:”

Not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:9).

And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen {and} establish you (1 Peter 5:10).

Many of the benefits or blessings of our salvation are yet to be fulfilled. It is these benefits which make up the “hope” of which Paul speaks, and for which he prays. Paul’s prayer is that the Ephesian saints will begin to grasp all of the blessings which God has in store for them, blessing which are beyond the ability of the human mind to grasp, and thus the ministry of the Spirit is required in order for us to comprehend them:

9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

The Glory of Being God’s Inheritance

Paul has already spoken of our inheritance in Christ in verses 11 and 14. In these verses the emphasis falls on the fact of our inheritance in Christ. In verse 18, Paul reverses the emphasis. Now, what is in view is Christ’s inheritance in us. Those of us who are in Christ are the people of God, God’s inheritance. The glory of which Paul speaks is the glory of being God’s own possession:

“And I prayed to the Lord, and said, ‘O Lord God, do not destroy Thy people, even Thine inheritance, whom Thou hast redeemed through Thy greatness, whom Thou hast brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand” (Deuteronomy 9:26).⁴⁰⁴¹

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance (Psalm 33:12).

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:11-14).

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

The people of God’s inheritance are also the people of Christ’s inheritance:

“‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Thy possession’” (Psalm 2:8).

For Thou hast heard my vows, O God; Thou hast given me the inheritance of those who fear Thy name (Psalm 61:5).

The church is the glorious bride of Christ, which is now being prepared, and which will someday be presented to Him at the heavenly marriage feast (Revelation 19:7-9). What a glorious privilege, to be God’s own possession!

The Greatness of His Power, Directed Toward the Saints

The third and final unfathomable truth is that of the great power which God has directed toward His church. This is the subject of our next study, and so we shall only briefly seek to deal with it here.

The character of God assures us of the goodness of God’s plan:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will (Ephesians 1:5).

The power of God is what assures us that the plan of God will be fulfilled, just as He has planned it and promised it to us. This power is summed up in Christ, demonstrated in His resurrection from the dead, and directed toward the well-being of His saints. This power is beyond human comprehension, and thus it requires divine illumination to grasp.

Conclusion

Here, then, are three fundamental and foundational truths, truths which should transform the perspective and the practice of the saints. They are truths which would not be known apart from the divine revelation of the Scriptures, and cannot be grasped apart from the wisdom which the Spirit of God grants to the believer, to comprehend the incomprehensible. And this is why Paul not only declares the truth to the Ephesian saints, he then prays that God would given his readers a comprehension of that truth through the ministry of His Holy Spirit.

The verses which we have been studying all pertain to Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian saints. As I understand this text, Paul’s prayer is his response, not only to what he has recently heard concerning this church, but also to what he has just written to them. In other words, I find a close relationship between the Word of God and prayer. This should not be surprising in the light of the decision of the apostles, recorded in the sixth chapter of the Book of Acts:

1 Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 2 And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 “But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:1-4).

The two priorities of the apostles were prayer and the ministry of the Word. These should surely be high priorities for those of us who serve as elders. The question which we have not answered is “Why?” Why does prayer play such a vital role in the church, in relation to the Word of God? As we conclude, I would like to suggest some of the reasons why the early church recognized the priority of prayer in relationship to the Word of God.

(1) The Scriptures not only prescribe the ideal, that God’s Word would richly dwell in us, and that we would walk in its truth.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16).

3 For I was very glad when brethren came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth (3 John 3-4)

(2) The Scriptures are one of the primary means, not only of our salvation, but also of our sanctification

18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures (James 1:18).

23 … for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God (1 Peter 1:23).

1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, (1 Peter 2:1-2).

17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth (John 17:17).

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will (Hebrews 2:1-4).

3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust (2 Peter 1:3-4).

(3) The Scriptures alone give us the promises and assurances of the future blessings which make up our hope.

3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust (2 Peter 1:3-4).

15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind. 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:15-19).

1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1).

(4) The Scriptures are not passive, but an active discerning force which reveals matters as they are in truth.

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:12-13).

21 Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless (James 1:21-26).

(5) The Scriptures are one of the weapons the Christian is to employ in the spiritual warfare in which we are engaged.

14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17).

(6) The unsaved are unable to understand and unwilling to accept what the Bible teaches.

25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. … 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, (Romans 1:25, 28).

1 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, …1 Corinthians 1:14).

14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. 17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind (Ephesians 4:14-17).

(7) Satan actively seeks to blind men concerning the truth, or to distort it.

3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and it came about that as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up (Mark 4:3-4).

14 “The sower sows the word. 15 “And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them (Mark 4:14-15).

1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth (1 Timothy 4:1-3).

4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4).

(8) False teachers distort the message of Scripture, twisting its message to appeal to fleshly desires.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. 18 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved (2 Peter 2:17-19).

3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (2 Peter 3:14-18).

4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (Jude 4).

(9) Paul’s refused to use the secular marketing methods of his day, which were thought to be persuasive and effective, dependent upon the Holy Spirit to convince men of the truth. Paul’s method of teaching and communicating the truth was dependent upon the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

17 For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 2:17).

2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 4:2).

(10) Even those who once held and taught the truth may distort it, for their own gain. Notice the warning that Paul previously gave the elders of the church at Ephesus in his final charge to them:

25 “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see my face no more. 26 “Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32 “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified (Acts 20:25-32).

1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him (Colossians 2:1-6)

18 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:18-22).

(11) Christians tend to forget what we have learned from the Scriptures, and need constant reminding of what they teach.

12 Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. 13 And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder (2 Peter 1:12-13).

1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder (2 Peter 3:1).⁴²

(12) Those who acknowledge the Bible to be the divinely revealed truth of God can lose their focus, concentrating on incidentals, rather than on fundamentals, on matters of debate and speculation, rather than on matters which are clearly, repeatedly, and emphatically revealed.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! (Matthew 23:23-24).

20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you (1 Timothy 6:20-21; see 2 Timothy 2:14-18, 23; Titus 3:9).

(13) The Scriptures reveal the unseen things which faith is to lay hold of, while at the same time reminding us that the things which are seen are short-lived.

9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised; 12 therefore, also, there was born of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. 13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:9-16).

(14) The promises of the Word of God do not profit us unless we believe them and receive them by faith, just as the revelations of Scripture have no value to us unless we respond to them in obedience to the Word:

1 Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard (Hebrews 4:1-2).

21 Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does (James 1:21-25)..

(15) Prayer lays hold of the promises of God which the Scriptures declare. The Scriptures declare God’s purposes and promises to men. Faith believes these promises. Prayer lays hold of them.

In the light of the crucial contribution which the Scriptures make to the spiritual life and growth of the believer, and of the barriers and dangers to our correct assimilation, interpretation, and application of the revelation of the Bible, one can see why prayer is intimately linked with the Word of God.

Paul’s prayers strongly imply that Biblical truth is not the exclusive property of the preacher. Those who communicate the Word of God are to do so faithfully and accurately. But in the final analysis, we must study, meditate, pray, and conclude what God is saying to us. We are responsible for the truth which we have chosen to believe, and which we have decided to obey or ignore, protect and preserve or distort.

Left to ourselves, the Bible will mean whatever our fallen humanity (the flesh) wants it to mean. But when studied and applied through the wisdom which God supplies by His Spirit, we come to the truth which God conveyed by divine inspiration, and which He intends for us to believe and to obey. Just as God did not leave men to their own devices, to convey His truth to mankind, so He does not leave us to our own devices to determine the message and meaning He has revealed to us in His Word.

19 And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:19-21).

Paul’s words are not just relevant and applicable to preachers and teachers of the Word. They apply very directly to us. Just as Paul prayed that his readers would grasp the depth of meaning in his words,⁴³ each of us must depend upon the ministry of the Spirit as we share our faith and biblical truths with others. It is not our ability to communicate, persuade, and convince which we are to depend upon, but the ministry of the Spirit, who will bring about God’s purpose for His Word:

6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:6-11).

7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come (John 16:7-13).

As Paul prayed for his readers, we should always approach our own study of the Word of God with prayer, asking Him to open our hearts and minds to the riches of His Word. This is what the psalmist of old did, which enabled him to discover in the Law the wonders of His word:

17 Deal bountifully with Thy servant, That I may live and keep Thy word. 18 Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy law. 19 I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Thy commandments from me (Psalm 119:17-19).

25 My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Thy word. 26 I have told of my ways, and Thou hast answered me; Teach me Thy statutes. 27 Make me understand the way of Thy precepts, So I will meditate on Thy wonders (Psalm 119:25-27).

33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of Thy statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy law, And keep it with all my heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Thy commandments, For I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to Thy testimonies, And not to dishonest gain. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Thy ways. 38 Establish Thy word to Thy servant, As that which produces reverence for Thee. 39 Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Thine ordinances are good. 40 Behold, I long for Thy precepts; Revive me through Thy righteousness (Psalm 119:33-40).

123 My eyes fail with longing for Thy salvation, And for Thy righteous word. 124 Deal with Thy servant according to Thy lovingkindness, And teach me Thy statutes. 125 I am Thy servant; give me understanding, That I may know Thy testimonies (Psalm 119:123-125).

May God give us His Spirit of wisdom and of revelation, so that we may gain from His holy Word a deeper and fuller grasp of the hope of our calling, the glory of His inheritance in us, and the mighty power which is at work for those who believe.

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34 The second prayer is recorded in Ephesians 3:14-19, with the benediction of verses 20 and 21.

35 I cannot prove it, but it is my sense that Paul’s prayers are not so much for specific individuals here in Ephesians, but rather for the church as a whole. The two elements are closely related, but the focus of Ephesians seems to be broad, rather than narrow, corporate and collective, rather than individual.

36 It is contrary to the gospel to have a prejudicial “love” for some of the saints, as both James (chapter 2) and Paul (Galatians 2) declare.

37 Some contend that the fact that Paul speaks only of “having heard of” the faith of these saints requires us to conclude that Paul cannot be writing to the church at Ephesus, since Paul was there personally. They maintain that Paul is claiming only to have “heard of” these saints, and not to have known them personally.

Paul’s words are very natural for a man who was once in Ephesus, and has been absent from them for some time. They sound exactly like the words which we read from missionaries who are abroad, whom we have sent out from our church. Paul’s speaks of that encouraging information he has recently received, of their on-going faith and love, which is evidence of their genuine conversion.

It is one thing to say that Paul’s words leave room for his never having been physically present among those to whom he writes; it is quite another to conclude that his words must mean this. In my opinion, there is no compelling reason to reject the long-held belief that Paul was indeed writing to the Ephesian church, as indicated in the introduction by an overwhelming majority of the Greek manuscripts.

38 And, if I disobey, as Jonah (Jonah 1-4) and Israel (Romans 11), God will still use that to accomplish His sovereign will. The difference between my obedience and my disobedience is not the achievement or failure of God’s eternal purpose, but my joy or my dismay, my blessing or my chastening.

39 See also Luke 10:21.

40 See also Matt. 4:1-11.

41 See also 1 Kings 8:46-53.

42 See also Romans 15:5; 2 Timothy 2:14; Titus 3:1; Jude 5.

43 I believe that Paul realized the meaning of his words in this epistle went far beyond his own grasp, as was the case with the Old Testament prophets before him (see 1 Peter 1:10-12).

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, 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 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Introduction

It isn’t often that one finds good theology written on the back end of an 18 wheeler. Nevertheless, I encountered a truck this week which had some good theology written on its tailgate. The truck was one of those extended dump trucks, belonging to a demolition company. The truck passed me quickly, and all I had time to do was to read the signs painted on the tailgate. The first sign was written in large letters, and it read: “We Could Wreck The World.” The second sign was on the bottom of the tailgate, written in smaller letters. It read: “Jesus Saves.”

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Did the owner of the truck intend for these two signs to be read and understood separately, or were they meant to be understood together? The lettering on that truck expressed some mighty good theology. I don’t know how one could sum up the contrast between men and God more concisely. Men could wreck the world, and only Jesus can save it.

The Apostle Paul’s theology is not written on the back of a truck; it is recorded in the New Testament epistles which he wrote. In the second chapter of Ephesians, Paul will summarize the condition of mankind, the kindness of God, and the nature of the salvation which He has provided for lost men in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-10 contains three main segments: (1) Verses 1-3; (2) Verses 4-6; and (3) Verses 7-10. Verses 1-3 focus on fallen man, and his hopeless condition (dead) as a result of his sin. Verses 4-6 focus on God, and on His mercy and grace in making a provision for man’s salvation in Christ. Verses 7-10 focus on the purpose of salvation, to the praise of the glory of His grace. All together, they spell out the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Context

In Ephesians chapter 1 Paul focused our attention on the purpose of God and on the power of God, which assure the believer of the blessings which God has provided in Christ. The final verses of chapter 1 concern the vast power of God which He has vested in Jesus Christ, through His resurrection and ascension.

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

Although He had died for the sins of the world, God raised Jesus from the dead, and taking Him back into heaven where He seated Him at His right hand. He invested Him with authority and power greater than any and all other authorities. Along with this authority and power, He was appointed as Head of the church, which is the earthly manifestation of His presence and which fills up that which remains of His ministry on earth before His second coming.

Man’s Problem: Dead in Sin
Ephesians 2:1-3

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

If Ephesians 1:19-23 takes us to the heights in exploring the power and authority of the risen and ascended Christ, Ephesians 2:1-3 takes us to the very depths, as Paul expounds the powerless, hopeless, lifeless condition of fallen men, enslaved by their own fleshly desires, and dominated by the world around them and by Satan.

The first words of chapter 2 indicate Paul’s intention to contrast the condition of lost men with that of the risen and ascended Christ. Verse 1 begins, “And you …” The NIV does an excellent job of catching and communicating the thrust of Paul’s words, when it renders the first words if verse 1, “As for you …”

Consider the contrast between Christ’s position and ours. Christ is alive because of His righteousness, but we are dead, because of our sins. Christ is exalted, seated in the heavens; we are on and of the earth. Christ has been given power and authority over all other powers and authorities; we were subject to the powers and authorities.

The irony of fallen man’s dilemma is that he doesn’t even realize his condition until after he is saved. Lost men, blinded and deceived by Satan, think they are really “living it up,” when in reality they are dead. They think that by living in sin they are enjoying life to its fullest, but they are not. They suppose that they are free, subject to no one,⁴⁸ but they are really enslaved.

Paul sums up the condition of lost men in one word: dead. To be dead is to be lifeless. To be dead is to be unable to help oneself. To be dead is to be absolutely powerless. To be dead is to be beyond hope (in the eyes of the world).⁴⁹

Death is ultimately the result of sin. But in our text, Paul examines some of the contributing factors to our sin. First, men are sinners because they are born that way. We were, “by nature, children of wrath.” We were sinners, subject to the wrath of God because of our sin nature, which we obtained at birth. The unbelieving world looks at children as innocent, contaminated only by their environment. The Bible informs us that we were born in sin, having inherited the fallen nature of our forefather, Adam (see Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12).

Second, men sin and are therefore sinners because they follow the world in its course of sin and rebellion. Sinners love and seek companions, co-sinners, to share in the excitement and (unknowingly) in the penalty of sin (see Proverbs 1:8-19). This is why the Bible instructs us to avoid being pressured by the world to conform to its values and lifestyle:

I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2, emphasis mine).

Third, unbelievers sin because they are unwittingly subject to the influence of Satan.

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the dumb idols, however you were led (1 Corinthians 12:1-2).

And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

He who practices sin belongs to the devil, for from the beginning the devil sins (1 John 3:8, Berkeley Version).

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19).

Finally, men are sinners because they follow the dictates of the flesh. Elsewhere, Paul much more fully explains the role of the flesh in relation to sin (see Romans 7:7-25; Galatians 5:16-21). These are the natural, self-serving impulses and desires of fallen men. The flesh includes not only the sinful passions of the body, but also of the mind.

What is most interesting is that it is here that Paul chooses to unite the Jews and the Gentiles in the common condition of sin and death. In verses 1 and 2, the pronoun “you” is employed, but in verse 3 Paul changes to “we.” The “you” refers to the Gentiles; the “we” refers to the Jews. Paul’s statement in verse 3 is crucial to our understanding of the gospel. It is one thing for Paul to have said these words concerning the Gentiles. No Jew would disagree with him on that point. But Paul says these things about the Jews. The Jews thought that they were born “special,” that they were, because of their physical descent from Abraham, better than the Gentiles:

9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham (Matthew 3:9).

The self-righteous claim of the Jews, “We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from among the Gentiles” (Galatians 2:15), is not only challenged, but reversed by Paul, when he writes, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” (Ephesians 2:3, emphasis mine).

The Jews thought that of fleshly sins as those in which the Gentiles indulged themselves. In some ways it was true that the Jews were less addicted to the fleshly sins of sexual immorality and idolatry compared to the Gentiles. In the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere, Jesus indicted the Jews for being guilty of committing many of the fleshly sins mentally, if not literally (see Matthew 5:21-32). Often times, the Jews were guilty of the same sins, but found pious ways of justifying them (see Matthew 23).

As a friend of mine likes to say, “There is a difference between sin and crime. There are many sins which are not crimes, and many crimes which are not sin.” The self-righteous often pride themselves for living in a way that is socially respectable, but which is sin in the eyes of God (see Luke 16:15). As he has done in greater detail in Romans 1-3, in our text Paul demonstrates that the Jews, like the Gentiles are “dead” in their transgressions and sins, born under divine condemnation, and desperately in need of divine grace. In their fallen state, Jews and Gentiles are equally guilty, equally condemned, and equally hopeless apart from God’s grace.

Our condition as unbelievers is so foundational to our Christian belief and practice that Paul repeats it again in Ephesians chapter 4:

17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness (Ephesians 4:17-19).

In and of ourselves and apart from God, we are desperately and hopelessly lost. We are not “sick,” we are “dead.” We are without life, without hope, without potential, without “worth.” Any value we may have, or any hope, must come from outside of us. And so it does come, in Christ. This is the good news of the gospel, and that which Paul explains next, in verses 4-6.

God’s Grace: Alive in Christ
(2:4-6)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, 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,

The words, “But God …” are a beacon of light and hope in a sea of despair. The condition of men in sin is not hopeless or terminal because God has come to the rescue of fallen men through His provision in Jesus Christ.

Paul begins with the motivation of God, which prompted Him to provide a way of escape from our condition of sin and eternal death. God was motivated by His mercy and His love for us. This divine motivation will do very little for our self-esteem, however. It will do much to promote humility on our part, and deep gratitude toward God.

Our love for God is prompted by His love for us, a love which initiates our love in response: “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). God’s love for us is vastly different from our love for Him. He loved us while we were His enemies, while we were still dead in our sins and transgressions:

5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:5-8).

God’s love is not a response, but a cause. God’s mercy is not prompted by our potential or by any qualities we think we possess, but by our own pathetic condition. Divine grace was not bestowed on us because we were so worthy, or because God found anything good in us, but because of the goodness which is in God Himself. The goodness is in the giver, not the recipient.

Suppose that you were called by one of those beauty businesses which specializes in “make-overs.” If you were offered a free “make-over” should you feel flattered? Should you take pride in your beauty? I think not. The make-over is needed because of your lack of beauty. No beauty business is going to advertise its work by selecting a beautiful woman and then making only slight improvements on her beauty. They are going to take the most hopeless case they can find, and then take the credit for the transformation.

If a plastic surgeon called you, offering you free cosmetic surgery, so that he could use you for advertising, you should feel grateful, but not proud. He did not choose you because you were so attractive, but because you were so ugly, and could demonstrate the marvelous skills he has as a plastic surgeon.

So it is with God’s grace. God sent Jesus Christ to the world, to suffer and to die in the sinner’s place. He did this because we were in such terrible shape. He did this so that He could demonstrate His grace, and His power in transforming a “dead” man or woman into a living sacrifice, a living testimony of His grace and power. God’s motivation in saving us should not flatter us, but it does glorify Him.

God’s grace and salvation does not come to us in various forms, from which we may choose. His grace has been poured out to us lavishly in Christ, and in Him alone. It is through our union with Him that we are transformed from what we were to what He is. Our separation from God through sin has made us what we were in Ephesians 2:1-3. Our identification with Christ, through faith, makes us all that Christ is, as described in Ephesians 1:19-23.

Though on account of our sin we were dead, in Christ we are made alive (verse 5). Though we were formerly dead, we have been raised up in Him (verse 6). And although we were formerly enslaved to our own passions, to the world, and to Satan, in Christ we are seated in the heavenly places, now free from all heavenly and earthly powers that oppose God, and have become enslaved to Him who by love delivered us from our bondage to sin and to death.

God’s Purpose:
The Praise of the Glory of His Grace
(2:7-10)

7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

It is most unfortunate that in most of our minds the thought unit is not Ephesians 2:7-10, but rather 2:8-10. Verses 8-10 are two statements, introduced by the word “for,” in support of Paul’s main statement in verse 7. The primary purpose of God for sending His Son to die in the sinner’s place, was not to produce the happiness of the sinner, saved by grace, but rather the demonstration of the grace of God for all eternity.

God’s purposes are not merely temporal, they are eternal. God’s purpose in saving sinners is not just to make men happy, to provide blessings, or to enable men to escape the torments of hell. The fact is that God is just as glorified by the punishment of the wicked as He is the salvation of those whom He makes righteous (see Romans 9:14-23; 1 Peter 2:12; Revelation 16:4-7). Whether it be in the punishment of the wicked or in the salvation of sinners by grace, God is working out all things to His own glory. The salvation of sinners is thus subordinate to God’s ultimate purpose of bringing glory to Himself. In the case of the salvation of sinners, it is the grace of God which is on display. In the case of the judgment of the wicked, it is the holiness and justice of God which is demonstrated.

It should be pointed out that if, as Paul writes, it is the riches of the grace of God which is to be displayed for all eternity, then salvation must be all of God’s doing, and not of our own. Grace is divine favor which is undeserved. God will not share His glory with any other being, and thus the work of salvation is entirely His work.

Paul gives two lines of supporting evidence for his statement that God has saved us for the demonstration of the riches of His grace. Each of these begin with the word “for.” The first is found in verses 8 and 9, the second in verse 10. The first concentrates on the cause of our salvation; the second on its effects. Whether in its cause or in its effects, salvation is all of God, and all of grace.

In Ephesians 2:8 and 9 Paul contends that salvation is not of man’s doing, but of God’s. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” Men are saved by grace, not by works. This would come as more of a revelation to the self-righteous Jews than to the Gentiles. Men do not enter into eternal life because of their good deeds, but because of God’s goodness, in Christ. We have been saved by grace, through faith. This salvation is God’s gift, and not compensation for our efforts. And this is so that we will not boast, but will rather give glory to God. One cannot boast because of what we have done, but only in what He has done. As Paul writes elsewhere,

26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, 29 that no man should boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

The second reason why God will be glorified for all eternity for His grace toward men is that any good deeds which result from our salvation as also the result of God’s grace:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).

As saints, we are what we are because of His doing. We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), but we are His creation. He created us in Jesus Christ. Any good works which we might do as Christians are the works which He foreordained, which He planned and prepared in eternity past. We dare not take credit for them. We are simply to “walk in them.” Good works will not save us, and neither will they be the cause for our boasting, except as we boast in the Lord.

Conclusion

The passage before us sets before us the glorious difference between what we once were, apart from Christ, and what we now are, in Christ. The good news of the gospel is that we need not remain dead in our transgressions and sin, separated from God and destined for wrath. God has provided a way of salvation—one way—by which sinners can become saints. And this “way” is Jesus Christ:

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6).

Christ died for our sins, so that we need not suffer the penalty of death. Christ rose from the dead and was ascended to the right hand of the Father. In Christ, we too are assured of our resurrection from the dead, and of our position with God in the heavenlies. All we must do is to agree with God concerning our condition, as outlined in Ephesians 2:1-3, and to receive Jesus Christ as God’s provision for our salvation, as explained in verses 4-6. In Christ we cease to be what we once were, and we forever continue to be what Christ is.

If you are a Christian, this text should serve as a reminder of what you once were, and of what you now are, in Christ. It should produce both humility and gratitude. It should stimulate you to love and good deeds, knowing that even the good works which you do are those which God has accomplished in and through you, for His glory.

If you cannot rejoice in these truths, then now is an opportunity for you to receive them for yourself. Verses 1-3 make it clear that you are no worse and no better than any other sinner. Apart from Christ, you are dead in your sins, without life or hope. But in Christ, you enter into the blessing of eternal life. You cease to be the pawn of your own fleshly desires, the world’s pressure, and Satan’s power. If you acknowledge verses 1-3 as an apt descriptive of your own condition, and if you trust in Christ as God’s provision for your salvation, you will come to experience God’s grace personally. I pray that today will be your day of salvation.

Ephesians 2:1-10 presents us with the gospel as a God-centered gospel. It contains no opportunity for human boasting, but only the grace of God, resulting in the glory of God. It presents a salvation which is all of God. The words of the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 11 are surely fitting, as related to God’s salvation:

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36).

As clear as it is in Scripture that salvation is God-centered, that it begins with, is achieved through, and is for the glory of God, this point continues to be one that is lost to some Christians. We sing of this salvation as though it was initiated by man, and not by God. We sing that the “Savior is waiting … for us to open our hearts,” and that if “we take one step toward the Savior, we’ll find His arms open wide.” This gives men too much credit, and God too little.

Worse yet, contemporary Christian songs paint a very different picture of man’s condition in sin. God says we are dead in our transgressions and sins; some Christians believe that we are only sick. Other Christians seem to have gone even further. They cease to portray man as dead, desperately in need of God, and speak of God as though He were desperately in need of man. And so we hear these words being sung:

Could it be that God would really rather die than live without us?

Imagine it, God needs us, apparently more than we need Him. And if God can’t have us, He’d really rather die? What is this? Where does this come from? Surely not from Ephesians, or from the Scriptures. How easily we project our weaknesses on God.

The gospel, as summed up in Ephesians 2:1-10, unites Jews and Gentiles. The Jews, like the Gentiles, are dead in their sins. Both are lost and without hope, apart from Christ. Neither can be saved on the basis of works. All men, regardless of race or “religion” or status in life, are sinners, in need of God’s saving grace in Christ. Apart from faith in Christ, they are hopeless, doomed for an eternity in hell.

In Christ, all men are equal as well. Because it is not of our doing, but of God’s doing, there is no privileged class in the body of Christ. The only basis for boasting is in the work of Christ. And so the gospel destroys the myth that Jews are better than Gentiles. This is the teaching of the Apostle Paul in Romans:

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one. “ 13 “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 Destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 And the path of peace have they not known. “ 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; (Romans 3:9-24).

This equality is the reason why the New Testament writers are so opposed to discrimination. James will have none of it, and condemns its practice in the church (see James 2:1-1-13). And when Paul finds discrimination in the church, he reacts strongly, insisting that it is a denial of the gospel, which makes all men equal, whether in their sins or in Christ (see Galatians 2:11-21). Let us not only acknowledge the equality of all men in Christ, let us also practice it, to the glory of God.

Our text has something to teach us in the matter of deliverance from the “addictions” of sin. There are many Christians who seem to think that secular deliverance systems really work. As I understand it, my sinful “addictions” (I really don’t like this term) can only be remedied in Christ. The one thing these addictions share in common is that they all originate with the flesh. Only my death, burial, and resurrection in Christ can deliver me from the domination which sin has over my flesh, and only walking in the Spirit gives me the power to live righteously (Romans 6-8). The best that human deliverance (for example, “12 step”) programs can do is to convert one form of addiction which is socially unacceptable to one which is acceptable. Christ is the answer to sin, to only answer. Not a program plus “God as you know Him,” but God as revealed in Christ.

In our text, I find Paul dealing with the past in a way that is quite different from the approach which is common today. In the first place, Paul does not allow his readers to think of themselves as victims. While there are many factors beyond the control of the individual, the fact is that the desires of the flesh and of the mind are involved, too, for which the individual must take responsibility. I do not do well to seek other explanations for my sin which are beyond my control, but to take responsibility for decisions I have made and actions I have done. My guilt is forever removed by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. As long as I focus on the guilt of others, I will ignore and avoid the grace which God has provided for my own.

Finally, I believe that our text has something to say in relationship to the current “lordship” controversy. Can one be saved without understanding the Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and accepting Him as such? I am sure that few grasp all that they could at the point of their conversion. Nevertheless, in our text it is difficult to see how, in Paul’s mind, one can be truly delivered from their bondage to their own flesh, the world, and Satan, if Jesus is not Lord of all. It is the power and authority of Christ which delivers us from the dominion of darkness. If people fail to understand this at the moment of their conversion, it may be because we have chosen to play down His sovereignty. In my opinion the only form of grace which God bestows is sovereign grace. To preach God’s grace apart from His sovereignty is to preach less than the whole truth.

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48 The Jews of Jesus’ day were so blinded as to refuse to acknowledge their subjection to the power of Rome. See John 8:31-34.

49 The statement, “Where there’s life, there’s hope,” sums up the thinking of the world. The disciples, Mary and Martha, and those who knew Lazarus all thought that there was hope for Lazarus as long as Jesus got to him before He died (see John 11:21, 32, 37). Jesus wanted to teach them that, in Him, there is hope for those who are dead. In fact, only in death is there hope, for we must die to sin and to the Law’s condemnation if we are to live. We must die daily to sin, temptation, and the flesh.

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10 in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Introduction

God is a mysterious God. Throughout history, God has had both men and angels scratching their heads, trying to figure out how He would accomplish what He promised. God’s ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). The things God has prepared for His children are those which our eyes have not seen, and of which our ears have not heard. They have not entered the hearts of men (see 1 Corinthians 1:9). When the plans and purposes are completed, men must marvel at the wisdom which He has displayed, a wisdom which did not require our counsel, and which was conceived and accomplished by God alone (see Romans 11:33-36).

Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His rising from the dead, one of the great mysteries of the Bible is suddenly solved, and the implications are indeed glorious. Easter is therefore not only a celebration of our Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection, but the celebration of the certainty of our own, at the second coming of our Lord.

In Ephesians, Paul speaks of a related mystery, the mystery which centers on Jesus Christ, and on His church. Because God is a God of mysteries—a mysterious God—we need to understand what a mystery is. Contrary to popular thinking, a mystery is not something which has never been the subject of biblical revelation. This may seem to contradict Paul’s words in our text:

4 And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (Ephesians 3:4-6, emphasis mine).

The mystery, Paul tells us, is Christ. Certainly we can all agree that Christ is the subject of Old Testament revelation. There was, however, much about the Lord Jesus which was mysterious, and which was only clear after His first coming and the inspired commentary on His life in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies by the apostles. Specifically, it was not understood that in Christ Jews and Gentiles would become one, and that all racial distinctions would be nullified in the church.

A biblical mystery is something like a treasure hunt. In a treasure hunt, you are given clues. You must figure out one clue in order to discover the next. Finally, after finding all the clues, you arrive at the treasure. It is not until you find the treasure that the mystery is solved.

Our Lord Jesus is the treasure. In the Old Testament God gave men many clues about the Messiah. Nevertheless, men did not understand how all the clues fit together, like pieces of a puzzle, to make a complete picture. Even the Old Testament prophets themselves did not understand their own prophecies, and thus found them to be a mystery (see 1 Peter 1:10-12).

Early in the Book of Genesis, we find that death is the penalty for sin. From Genesis chapter 3 onward, all men die. It was also in Genesis chapter 3 that we are told that through the offspring of Eve, salvation will be provided. Who would have ever imagined that this salvation would come about by His death? And when the Old Testament prophecies began to foretell the death of Messiah (see Psalm 22; Isaiah 52:13–53:12), no one could understand how this could be true. Even the disciples could not understand how Jesus could speak of His death (see Matthew 16:21-22). It was not until after our Lord’s resurrection from the dead—a mystery to the disciples—that they came to understand the significance of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, all of which the Old Testament prophecies spoke. The pieces of the puzzle were revealed, but the big picture was still a mystery, until after these prophecies were fulfilled.

In Ephesians chapter 3, Paul returns to the mystery of which he has been speaking in the first two chapters of this epistle. In chapter 1, Paul indicated that the mystery was the purpose of the Father in summing up all things in Christ:

In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth (Ephesians 1:8b-10).

In chapter 2, the term “mystery” is not found, but the mystery is there, and is explained by Paul in chapter 3, in our text. Our task, as we approach Ephesians chapter 3, will be to discover what the mystery is, and how it effects the life of the Apostle Paul. From this, we will gain insight into the way in which this mystery also relates to our own lives. Let us look to the Spirit of God, through whom the mystery is made known and communicated to the sons of God (see 1 Corinthians 2:6-16).

The Structure of our Text

Our text has three major divisions. Verses 1-13 describe the mystery which has been entrusted to Paul and its relationship to his ministry. Verses 14-19 contain Paul’s second prayer for the Ephesian saints, a prayer based upon the revelation of chapter 2. And verses 20 and 21 conclude the first half of the Epistle to the Ephesians with a benediction.

Paul’s Chains and Paul’s Calling
(3:1-13)

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10 in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart⁵⁸ at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

We know from the first three words of chapter 3 that this chapter is directly related to chapter 2. Paul begins, “For this reason …” We find the same expression in verse 14. Paul is about to pray, as he has already done in chapter 1. It would seem, as though Paul may have moved his hand in writing, and that the chains by which he was bound may have somehow caught his attention.⁵⁹ Perhaps they were clinking as Paul’s hands moved from his ink supply to his parchment. Perhaps the links of his chain became tangled, keeping his hands from moving freely. Nevertheless, Paul was somehow reminded of his status as a prisoner, not only a prisoner for Christ, but also a prisoner for his Gentile readers.

Paul’s words concerning his imprisonment in verses 2-13 are prompted by his concern for the impact his incarceration might have on his readers. They know, of course, that he is writing from prison. We know from the first chapter of Philippians that there were some who sought to capitalize on Paul’s imprisonment by implying that his suffering was divine discipline. They wanted it to appear that Paul was wrong, and that God was chastening him. They, of course, were right and would be more than happy to give the saints the “truth.”

The final words of Paul concerning his imprisonment, recorded in verse 13 reveal his motive for bringing up the matter of his own personal situation. Paul does not, by any means, wish for sympathy, but rather he seeks to share the truth which will enable the Ephesian saints, like the Philippians (see Philippians 1:14), to become even more bold in their proclamation of the gospel. Let the Ephesian saints not be discouraged by his imprisonment, but rather let them take courage, knowing that his suffering is for their glory.

Paul’s chains were the result of his faithfulness to his calling, to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. There was no doubt in Paul’s mind as to what his calling was:

16 ‘But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me’ (Acts 26:16-18).

5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name’s sake, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; (Romans 1:5-6).

15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points, so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:15-16).⁶⁰

Paul’s calling was a stewardship, a stewardship of God’s grace (verse 2). He understood his calling to be prompted by the grace of God. God was gracious to take one who formerly persecuted the church and to make him a preacher of the gospel. God was gracious in sending Paul to the Gentiles, so that those who believed might become partakers of His blessings, by grace.

Paul’s ministry was the stewardship of a mystery. Broadly speaking, the mystery was about Christ, and about the salvation which He would accomplish on the cross of Calvary for both Jews and Gentiles. These things were spoken of in the Old Testament, even though they were not fully understood. What was utterly new and unexpected (a complete mystery) was that Jews and Gentiles would be reconciled to God as “one new man.” No one expected the equality of Jews and Gentiles, and no one expected the birth of the church.

It was not a welcome thought to unbelieving Jews. It was not even quickly or enthusiastically accepted by Jewish believers. Let us pause momentarily to trace the revelation and development of this mystery through history, and its reluctant acceptance by the Jewish Christian community.

The “mystery” of salvation, of which Paul speaks in Ephesians chapter 3 is illustrated in the relationship of two statements, both of which are found in the Scriptures. These statements are:

(1) Salvation is of the Jews (see John 4:22, KJV), and

(2) Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9, KJV).

When Adam and Eve fell into sin, God promised that salvation would be provided through the “seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15). Later, God specified that His promised blessing (which included salvation) would come through the “seed” of Abraham:

And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3).

When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, He indicated to her not only that “salvation was of the Jews,” but that He was the Jew through whom salvation was to be provided:

“You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit; and those who sonship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:22-26).

Later, the Apostle Paul indicates that the promised “seed” of Abraham, through whom all the nations would be blessed, was not the Jews in general, but one Jew in particular, Jesus:

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed, He does not say, “AND TO SEEDS,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “AND TO YOUR SEED,” that is, Christ (Galatians 3:16).

Judaism misinterpreted the Old Testament promises concerning blessing and salvation. They wrongly interpreted the expression, “salvation is of the Jews.” They thought that salvation was the automatic possession of all Jews. This error was exposed by many, including John the Baptist and Paul:

9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 “And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 3:9-10).

1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named” (Romans 9:1-7).

21 He said therefore again to them, “I go away, and you shall seek Me, and shall die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 Therefore the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 “I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins” (John 8:21-24).

The Jews further believed that only those Gentiles who became Jews could be saved:

1 And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1).

You can imagine the shock and horror of the prophet Jonah when God instructed him to preach to the people of Nineveh, Assyrians who were Israel’s dreaded foes. He knew that they would be saved, and he sought to prevent it. Only after his ordeal did Jonah begrudgingly confess, “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). And even here he still evidences the pride and prejudice of a self-righteous Jew, looking down on the pagan Gentiles:

“Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, But I will sacrifice to Thee With a voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord” (Jonah 2:8-9).

Jonah did not delight in God’s mercy and compassion, he resisted it. He did not praise God for His grace, he protested against it:

1 But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry. 2 And he prayed to the LORD and said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore, in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that Thou art a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 3 “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life” (Jonah 4:1-3).

The reason for Jonah’s protest is clear. He did not think that he, as a Jew, needed grace. He believed that Jews deserved God’s blessings. Here is self-righteousness in its most crass and ugly form. And Jonah is not the exception, he is the rule. He typifies the reason why the Jews resist the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles. They do not want to be saved by grace, on the same basis as the Gentiles. They expect God to bless them because of who they are—Jews, as though they are superior to Gentiles. They fail to understand that the Law was given to them, not to make them superior to the Gentiles, but to condemn them as sinners, just like the Gentiles, so that they can be saved by grace:

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one. “ 13 “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 Destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 And the path of peace have they not known. “ 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:9-26).

Salvation, as Jonah reluctantly confessed, is not the private possession of the Jews, but it is the possession of God. He is the one who has accomplished it through the cross of Jesus Christ. And He is the One who has the right to bestow it upon any whom He chooses, by grace.

The reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles in Christ and in His church was a mystery which no Old Testament saint (including the prophets) understood. It was a reconciliation accomplished by our Lord on the cross of Calvary, and the message of the apostles and prophets (including Paul), who proclaimed it. It was a message which self-righteous Jews hated intensely, and this is why the Apostle Paul found himself writing to his readers from a prison cell.

When Jesus introduced Himself to the nation Israel as her Messiah, He made it clear that He had come to save Jews and Gentiles. This was a message the Jews were not eager to hear (see Luke 4:16-30). The Great Commission, given to the apostles by our Lord before His ascension, was a command to take the gospel to all nations (see Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Nevertheless, the Jewish apostles were reluctant to carry out this command.

It was not through the planning or program of the Jerusalem church that Gentile evangelism commenced, but rather through the sovereign work of God. The vision God gave to Peter prompted him to take the gospel to the household of Cornelius, a Gentile. As a result, the leaders in the church at Jerusalem came to acknowledge the work which God was doing among the Gentiles (Acts 10:1–11:18). The stoning of Stephen brought about great persecution on the church in Jerusalem, which caused these saints to scatter abroad. Most of the Jewish saints shared the good news only with their fellow-Jews, but a few intrepid souls began to evangelize the Gentiles, which brought about the birth of the church at Antioch (Acts 11:19-26). Before long, the church at Antioch was instructed by the Holy Spirit to send out Barnabas and Saul to commence evangelism among the Gentiles (Acts 13:1-4).

As the number of Gentile converts increased, certain Jewish legalists began to insist that the Gentile believers must become Jewish proselytes. They insisted that these Gentile believers must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses to be saved. And so the Jerusalem Council was convened to determine what was to be required of the Gentile saints. It was determined there that since the Jews were not able to be justified by the law, but only by grace, the Gentile believers must not be placed under the law either (Acts 15:6-29).

Even after the decision of the Jerusalem Council, some of the Jews persisted to resist Gentile evangelism, or they sought to “Judaize” them as much as possible. The epistles of Paul to Timothy, along with others, warn of the speculative and heretical teachings of such Jews (see, for example, 1 Timothy 1:5-11). Peter, followed by Barnabas and others, were intimidated by certain Jewish brethren, and began to disassociate with the Gentile believers, and Paul strongly rebuked them for this (Galatians 2:11-21). The centuries old hostility between the Jews and the Gentiles would not quickly or completely be eradicated. And so it is that Paul finds it necessary to write this epistle to the Ephesians, describing the new unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ.

Proclaiming this mystery of the unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ was Paul’s stewardship, even though it involved suffering (see also Colossians 1:24-29). It was a privilege, a gift of God’s grace, both to Paul and through him to the Gentiles. Let not any of his readers misinterpret the glorious privilege Paul had of suffering for the sake of the gospel. And let not any of them allow his suffering to deter them in rejoicing with him, to the glory of God.

Paul’s Prayer
(3:14-19)

14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

Paul’s prayer, begins with the expression, “For this reason …” By these words, Paul is telling us that his prayer is based upon good reason, and that reason is the purpose of God, as previously described by Paul in the first two chapters of this epistle. The purposes of God are the basis for Paul’s prayers.

God had purposed to redeem fallen men, both Jews and Gentiles, for the praise of His glory and grace (see Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). Prompted by His kind intentions, God provided a redemption for sinners through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who He saves, He seals with His Holy Spirit, securing our salvation for all eternity. And those whom He saves He gives the blessed hope of dwelling in His presence forever, holy and blameless.

God has purposed to save and to sanctify both Jews and Gentiles, and to reconcile them to Himself in one body. He has purposed to “sum up all things in Christ” (1:10), who indwells His church, who serves as its head, and who fills it with all of His fulness (1:22-23). Because God has purposed and provided for the salvation and sanctification of Gentiles, as well as Jews, and because God has called Him to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles, Paul now prays for the Ephesian saints, to whom he writes. Paul’s prayer is consistent with God’s purpose.

The motivation and confidence of Paul’s prayer is indicated by these words: “from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name” (verse 15). The paraphrase by J. B. Phillips more accurately conveys the thrust of Paul’s choice of words: “From whom all Fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name.”

It is not the “familihood” of earthly creatures that is in focus, but the supreme “fatherhood” of God which Paul has in view. The earth knows of natural fathers, and of the families which they produce, but above and beyond every other “father” is the ultimate and supreme Father, God the Father. It is to this “father” that Paul prays.

And why does Paul find assurance and confidence in praying to the “Father in heaven”? Because we have been instructed to address our prayers to Him:

“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do no be like them; for you Father knows what you need, before you ask Him. Pray, then, in this way: “Our Father, who art in heaven …” (Matthew 6:7-9a)

In the next chapter of the Gospel of Matthew Jesus encourages His disciples to pray by reminding them about their heavenly Father, to whom they address their prayers:

7 “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. 8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. 9 “Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 “Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:7-11).

No wonder Paul reminds us of the Fatherhood of God. He is not just the “Father” of the Jews, but the “Father” of all who call upon Him through faith in the person and work of His Son.

Paul’s prayer does not sound very similar to many of the petitions which we address to the Father. The reason is that Paul’s prayer is shaped by the purpose of God, as revealed in the earlier chapters of Ephesians. Note the things for which Paul does not pray, the very things for which we often pray. Paul does not pray for …

• The material prosperity of the Ephesian saints
• Their prevention, removal, or quick relief from pain
• Their physical health and well-being
• Their emotional or psychological well-being
• A transforming or ecstatic spiritual experience

Paul cannot pray for these things because they are often inconsistent with God’s purposes and with the way in which He works in the lives of His children (see, for example, Romans 5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 4-5, 11; 2 Timothy 3:10-12; Hebrews 11-12; 1 Peter 4). What he can pray for is that which God has purposed and promised, and which He has assured us He will accomplish, to His glory and to our good.

Paul prays for the spiritual strengthening of the believers in the power of the Holy Spirit. We often pray for the “outer man,” which is perishing; Paul prays for the “inner man,” which is being renewed day by day. It is as the outer man perishes that the inner man gains strength:

16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Paul prays also for that as a result of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Christ will dwell in the hearts of his readers, by faith. Every Christian has been united with Christ, by faith. Every believer is “in Christ,” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:1-11) and yet our Lord instructs His disciples to “abide in Him” (John 15:1-11). Even so, Christ is in every true believer, but Paul prays that His dwelling in us might be enhanced. Paul desires spiritual growth, so that each day God is more evident in our lives, and that we are more aware of and devoted to Him.

Prominent in this pray of the apostle for the Ephesian saints is his request that the saints come to a greater knowledge, appreciation, and manifestation of the love of God:

And that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:17c-19a).

God’s love is the starting point. It is also the life-long pursuit of the saint. And it is the goal. The love of God is infinite, boundless. Exploring the love of God is something like studying the universe. The more of it we know, the more of it we find is still unmapped and unexplored. We can spend our whole lives exploring its boundaries, but then discover that we have not pressed its true boundaries at all.

Finally, Paul prays that the Ephesian saints will be “filled up to all the fulness of God” (verse 19). In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul spoke of the relationship which exists between the Lord Jesus Christ and the church: “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23). The church is the “body of Christ” and He is its “head.” The church is the fulness of Christ, who fills all in all. In chapter 3 Paul therefore prays that the church would be filled with all the fulness of God in Christ.

Before we leave this prayer of the Apostle Paul, let me make several additional observations about this prayer.

(1) Paul’s prayer was for other saints, for their spiritual growth and edification.

(2) Paul’s prayer concerns that which God has purposed. His prayers are shaped by what he has learned of God’s will for all creation, and especially for the church.

(3) Paul’s prayer is for what is infinite. These requests of Paul are permanent, never to be removed from Paul’s “prayer list.” This is because they are never fully answered in this life. Just as he could pray these things all his life, so we can pray for them life-long too, because these prayers will never be fully answered until we are with Christ in the kingdom of God. In this life, we will never fully fathom the love of God and yet we can pray for it life-long and continue to grow in our grasp of that love every day of our lives.

(4) Paul’s prayer is for what is already true, in measure, but which God has purposed for us to comprehend and appreciate in even greater measure. Christ does abide in us, yet Paul prays that He will abide in our hearts. We are strengthened by the Holy Spirit, who has sealed us and who constantly indwells us, and yet Paul prays that we will be strengthened. Paul prays here, not for something which we do not possess, but for something we do possess, and should possess even more as we grow in Christ.

Paul’s Doxology
(3:20-21)

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

These last two verses are a benediction of praise. Here is the close of the first half of Paul’s epistle. Paul’s words are not unlike the closing words of our Lord in the so-called “Lord’s prayer”: “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen” (Matthew 6:13). Note the emphasis of this benediction. First, it is God-centered. Paul will not end other than with his eyes fixed on God, and with these words he seeks to turn our eyes on Him as well. Second, Paul’s words focus on the goal of the church, and of every true saint, and of all creation—bringing glory to God. The ultimate goal of the church and every Christian is to bring glory to God. Christians differ from unbelievers in this matter. They, too, will bring glory to God, not by their obedience, but by their disobedience (see Romans 9:17). But while God’s purpose is to glorify Himself through sinners, it is only the saint who has the glory of God as his or her goal. We should strive to bring glory to God as our ultimate goal (see 1 Corinthians 10:31). Unbelievers unwittingly glorify God, in spite of themselves.

Third, Paul’s words focus our attention on the power of God which is at work in us. God’s power is the means by which His glory is achieved. It is He from whom, through whom, and to whom are all things (Romans 11:36). The power of God is infinite. The power of God is at work in us. The infinite power of God is at work in us to bring glory to Him. To God be the glory! This should be the theme of our lives, as it was with the Apostle Paul.

Conclusion

The third chapter of Ephesians is dominated by three dominant themes: (1) Paul’s prayers; (2) Paul’s imprisonment; and, (3) Paul’s calling. Paul’s prayers were a reflection of the divine purpose of God and His provision in Jesus Christ. His prayers were not for himself, but for Gentile believers. He prayed for those whom he would have tortured or put to death before his conversion, he now prays for as an apostle. What a marvelous conversion Paul’s salvation was. And when Paul prayed for the Ephesian saints, it was for their spiritual growth, not for their physical and material well-being. He prayed for what God purposed in the lives of His elect.

Concerning his status as a prisoner for Christ, Paul avoids speaking of his circumstances, or of the details of his suffering. He speaks rather of the reason for his incarceration. His imprisonment was due to his faithfulness to his calling. His arrest in Jerusalem (which led to his incarceration in Rome, see Acts 21-28) was brought about by unbelieving, legalistic Jews, who understood the nature and implications of Paul’s calling and wanted to kill him to keep the gospel he preached from spreading (see Acts 22:21-22). While Paul did not take a Gentile into the temple precincts, as he was accused (Acts 21:28), he could have. Paul chose not to focus on the negative aspects of his circumstances, but on the positive dimension of the mystery which had been revealed to Him. If Paul were to have written a book for publication, expounding the mystery of the gospel, it could have been entitled, How To Be A Christian Without Becoming a Jew.

Paul’s imprisonment was mentioned as a part of his credentials, showing him to be divinely appointed to proclaim the gospel. Unlike some television evangelists who promise prosperity to their followers and who flaunt their own extravagance as proof of their message, Paul points to his prison chains as proof of his calling, showing that the gospel does not promise present prosperity, but does assure the Christian of eternal blessing. How different Paul is from the religious hucksters of our time. They have leaned the “secret to prosperity;” Paul learned the secret of the gospel which led to suffering. Let the frauds be compared with Paul and see how they and their message stand up to the scrutiny of Scripture.

Paul’s calling was, first and foremost, to become a believer in Jesus Christ. His conversion delivered him from the condemnation which he rightly deserved as a self-righteous Pharisee, making him an unworthy soul saved by grace (see Philippians 3:1-16; 1 Timothy 1:12-17). Beyond this, Paul’s calling was as an apostle to the Gentiles (see Romans 1:5; Galatians 2:9).

In addition, Paul’s calling was to proclaim the mystery which was not fully disclosed in the Old Testament, and which the Jews so strongly opposed. This mystery was that of the gospel, that in Jesus Christ Jews and Gentiles would be reconciled to God and to each other, not as two different categories of Christian, but as “one new man,” as “one body” in Christ.

25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, {leading} to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. 25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me (Colossians 1:24-29).

Finally, the third chapter of Ephesians focuses our attention on Paul, and upon his calling as an apostle to the Gentiles. The last half of chapter 2 dealt with the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles to God and to each other, but Paul is not content to leave this matter alone. It is an essential element of the gospel, and one of the reasons for the strong Jewish reaction to Paul and the gospel which he preached.

In chapter 1, Paul spoke of the gospel as a “mystery,” as the “summing up of all things in Christ” (1:9-10). In chapter 2, the term “mystery” is not used, but it is a prominent theme in chapter 3. While God had clearly revealed the fact that He purposed to save and to bless both Jews and Gentiles through the seed of Abraham, it was not revealed that this would be accomplished in such a way as to make Jewish and Gentile saints one in Christ and to unite them in the church, the body of Christ. This was indeed a mystery which no Old Testament saint or prophet anticipated. No wonder that the Jewish apostles required some time to grasp this fact and to see it as a vital part of the gospel.

As I have reflected on this “mysterious” dimension of the gospel, I have concluded that it is a significant truth which many Christians (including myself) have failed to understand and appreciate. As we conclude this lesson, let me focus our attention on the mysterious element of our Christian faith.

(1) The gospel is mysterious.

25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, {leading} to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. 25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me (Colossians 1:24-29).

(2) All spiritual truth is mysterious.

6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words (1 Corinthians 2:6-13).

(3) Christianity is mysterious because God is mysterious. God is infinitely wiser than we. He is all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful. He often employs things which are paradoxical or even incompatible to us. He can use sinful men to achieve His purposes and to demonstrate His power and majesty (Romans 9:17). He chooses the weak and foolish things to confound the wisdom of the wise (1 Corinthians 18-31).

6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD (Isaiah 55:6-8).

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:33-36).⁶¹

(4) The Christian life is mysterious because God has chosen to reveal Himself and His purposes progressively. The term “progressive revelation” is often used with reference to the Bible. God does not reveal His plans and purposes immediately in the Bible, but progressively. And so we find the first promise of Messiah in Genesis 3:15, and throughout the rest of the Old and New Testament more and more is revealed about God’s purposes for Messiah. What we may fail to see is that God’s revelation is still partial and incomplete:

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known (1 Corinthians 13:9-12).

2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is (1 John 3:2).

God is not only revealing Himself to men, but also to the angelic host. The angels are stooping to see what is happening (1 Peter 1:12). The angels are learning from what is going on in the church (1 Corinthians 11:10). Paul tells the Ephesian saints that the church is the classroom for angelic beings (see Ephesians 3:10). You may never have thought about it, but many of the mysteries for us as saints are also mysteries for the angelic host. God is keeping the angels in suspense. He is keeping the angels “on their toes” because He is progressively revealing the mysteries of His will to them throughout history and into eternity.

(5) The Christian life is mysterious because there is much going on of which we are ignorant, which is beyond the scope of our knowledge and understanding. Job did not know that God was teaching Satan through his sufferings (Job 1 and 2). Elisha’s servant was not aware of the involvement of the angelic hosts in the affairs of men (see 2 Kings 6). Finite men are not naturally aware of those things beyond our own understanding and frame of reference. We think in terms of time, and not in terms of God’s eternal purposes. We think in terms of what is seen, but there is much that is going on that is unseen (see Hebrews 11:1). And so it is in Ephesians that Paul speaks of God’s plans and purposes, established before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-14). He speaks of their fulfillment, which is yet to occur at the second coming of Christ (see Ephesians 1:10-14, 18). He tells us of the instruction of the angelic hosts, which are unseen to us, and of the spiritual war which is currently going on and in which we are engaged (Ephesians 2:7; 3:10; 6:10-20).

(6) The Christian faith must therefore rest on divine revelation, not on human reasoning. Men will not find God on their own because they do not seek Him. There is none who understands God’s ways (Romans 3:9-18). We would not know God apart from His self-revelation in nature and in His Word (see Psalm 19; Romans 1-3; Hebrews 1:1-3; 2:1-3; 4:12-13).

(7) Even the revealed Word of God is beyond the grasp of man’s understanding, apart from divine illumination of the Holy Spirit.

11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:11-16).

7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you (John 16:7-14).

There are several implications to this mysterious nature of God’s dealings with His creation. Let me close with several of them for you to consider.

(1) If God and His working is mysterious, then we should expect that there will be much we do not understand. If we expect to understand all that God is doing we are self-deceived. We do not need to understand why God has commanded us to act in a certain way, but only to know that He has commanded it, and that we are to obey.

(2) We should not focus our attention on the things which God has chosen to conceal, but rather endeavor to understand and obey what He has clearly revealed to us in His Word.

29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29).

6 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. 7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness (1 Timothy 4:6-7).

14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless, and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:14-15).

23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels (2 Timothy 2:23).

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

(3) We should expect to live by faith, not by sight, in obedience to the Word of God, as illuminated by the Spirit of God.

Think of all the times in the Bible when the people of God were called upon to act, solely on the basis of God’s Word and God’s faithfulness. Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat of one tree, when that tree would have given them the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). Abraham was directed to leave his homeland and family, and was not even told where he was going (Genesis 12:1). He was promised a son through Sarah, when this couple was “as good as dead” with respect to child-bearing (see Romans 4:17-22). By faith, Abraham was ready to take the life of this child, when all of God’s promises rested on him (Hebrews 11:17-19). All of the Old Testament saints lived as though God’s promises were true even though they did not receive them in their own lifetime (Hebrews 11:13-16).

You and I are called upon to live in time in the light of eternity. We are to live on earth in the light of heaven. We are commanded not to lay up treasures on earth, but to lay up treasure in heaven. We are told not to take revenge, but to leave justice to God. We are to walk by faith, and not by sight.

(4) We should not be as intent to know the particulars of God’s plan as we are to understand the overall plan and purpose of God as He has revealed it, and to live in a way that is consistent with that plan. More and more I am convinced that Christians are too self-centered. They wish to know “God’s will for their life,” and they ignore God’s plan for creation. As I understand Paul’s life and writings, Paul sought to understand God’s plan—the big picture—and then endeavored to live his life consistent with the big plan. Let us take heed, then, to this exhortation of Paul, and seek to practice it as he did:

15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-17).

(5) If the angels are being instructed by the conduct and the practice of the church, it is imperative that we obey God’s imperatives for the church, whether we understand and agree with them or not. If the angels learn from the conduct and the practice of the church, then what we do is vitally important. If we only practice the Scriptures we understand and agree with, we limit ourselves to obeying only what is not a mystery, of acting only apart from faith, and of trusting our own judgment above God’s Word.

10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels (1 Corinthians 11:10).

(6) Finally, if God’s ways are a mystery to men, which men will not arrive at through their own reasoning, we should be diligent to faithfully proclaim the Word of Truth, the good news of the gospel, to those who are perishing. The gospel was not merely Paul’s stewardship; it is our as well. Let us seek to be good stewards of the gospel as we proclaim it to a lost and dying world.

14 How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15).

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58 “The infinitive (present active) enkakein is a late and rare word (see already Luke 18:1; II Thess. 3:13; II Corinthians 4:1, 16; Gal. 6:9) and means to behave badly in, to give in to evil (en, kakos).” A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1932) IV, p. 532.

59 For referemces to Paul’s imprisonment see also Ephesians 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:8; Philemon 1:9.

60 See also Acts 13:1-4; 15:12; 21:17-19; Romans 16:25-27; Galatians 1:11–2:10.

61 See also Job 38-41.

17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Introduction

I have always been one who enjoyed taking things that others threw away and finding a use for them. Our daughter Amy is just like me in this regard. The other day she called home from college. She reported that she and her roommate Gena were on their way to town to go out to dinner. It was about a mile walk. On the way, they observed a man carrying some items out to the street for the trash men. He must have been remodeling because among his “treasures” was an old toilet and a kitchen sink, still attached to the cabinet.

The girls both looked over the throw-aways, and gave a momentary thought to making use of them. Knowing how far it was from their dorm room, they decided not to try to take anything with them. After dinner, they once again passed by these same items, only this time the temptation was too great. They decided the toilet was too grungy to try to carry and fixed their efforts on the kitchen sink. Gena took the sink end while Amy crawled into the cupboard part. Away they walked with their find.

They carried this sink all the way home, until they reached to edge of their college campus. It was still a good distance to their dorm room and so they called campus security and requested a ride. Fortunately the van was dispatched. At first the driver was going to pass by the girls, thinking that they could not possibly be his callers. They flagged him down, loaded the sink in the back, and gratefully rode the remaining distance to their dorm room, where the sink and cupboard became a planter.

The campus security guard radioed in on his way to the dorm. “I picked up the girls,” he reported, “and the kitchen sink.” Needless to say, the security folks had a good laugh.

Often when I find something in the garbage, I do not use it for its originally intended use, but I adapt it for some other use. God has done something similar to every Christian. So far as our usefulness to God is concerned, when we are in our natural sinful state, we are fit for nothing else than the trash. But when God saves us through the person and work of His Son, He transforms us into something entirely new. Through His Spirit, which works in us personally and through other members of the body of Christ, He equips us for serving Him. He gives us a new identity and a new function.

In chapters 1-3 of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, Paul has spoken of the change which God has brought about in our lives, for our good and for His glory. In chapters 4-6, Paul exhorts us as Christians to carry out our calling as Christians. Our text in Ephesians 4:17-24 describes in very general terms the changes in our thinking and behavior which being “in Christ” requires.

Our text falls into three divisions. In verses 17-19, Paul writes concerning our new relationship to the world in which we live. In verses 22-24, Paul describes the Christian’s relationship to the flesh, our old nature. And in between, in verses 20-21, Paul reminds us that in coming to faith in Christ we learned a new way of life through Him who is the truth.

Verses 17-24 are general in nature. From verse 25 on Paul gets very specific, describing those things which the Christian must put off and those which he must put on. By putting off and putting on the things Paul identifies, we conduct ourselves in accordance with our calling.

Let us listen carefully to these vitally important truths, which are foundational to our Christian thinking and conduct.

Putting the World Behind Us
(4:17-19)

17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

As we approach this passage, we need to remember what Paul has already said about our previous condition as unbelievers:

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest (Ephesians 2:1-3).

We were lifeless apart from Christ, dead in our trespasses and sins. Paul will take up this “lifeless” dimension of the unbelievers in our text in chapter 4, in verse 18. But what is central to our study is what Paul has to say above concerning the unbeliever’s relationship to the world and to the flesh. As unbelievers, we were the pawns of Satan, under his dominion, carrying out his dictates. We were unaware of this because he controlled us through the influence of the world and the flesh. We once walked “according to the course of this world” (2:2) and in accordance with the “lusts of our flesh” (2:3).

Now that we have been born again, in Christ we have been raised from our dead state spiritually to newness of life. And because of this, we are to renounce the world and its dominion over us. This is what Paul urges every believer to do in 4:17-19. We were also slaves to our own fleshly desires, and now as believers we are to “put off” fleshly things and “put on” the things of the Spirit (4:22-24). Being born again is meant to reverse the way we once were, apart from Christ.

In verse 17 of chapter 4, Paul introduces his teaching with a solemn reminder of the importance of what he is about to say: “This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, …” The term “affirm” means “to bear testimony” or “to serve as a witness.” It is used elsewhere in the New Testament only by Paul.⁶⁹ In every instance Paul employs this term to convey a sense of importance and urgency. When our Lord sought to convey this same sense, He employed the expression, “Truly, truly …”

Paul goes one step further in verse 17. He claims that his words are not his alone. What he is about to say is the instruction of the Lord Himself. Paul’s command is Christ’s command.

Now Paul lays down the command⁷⁰ which all Christians are to heed: “That you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk …” Several things are implied or clearly stated by this command. Let us consider them one at a time.

First, faith in Christ demands a radical change in the lifestyle of the believer from the way he once behaved. The words “no longer” and “also” indicate that Paul’s readers once lived the way they are now to renounce and reject. Paul’s command is to cease living the way they used to live and to live in a way that glorifies God.

Second, this command deals with the Christian’s new relationship to the world. Once, as a part of the world system, we were alienated from God and strangers to His kingdom. Now, as those in Christ, we are citizens of God’s kingdom and members of His body, but we have become strangers and pilgrims to this world (see Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:11).

Third, this command deals with the Christian’s relationship to the culture in which they live. While the Ephesians saints once lived like Gentile heathen, their fellow-Ephesians still do live this way. This may very well result in the persecution of the Gentile saints, since their godliness poses a threat to the sinful ways of their peers (see 1 Peter 4:1-6). But in addition there will be considerable pressure on the Gentile believers to continue to live as they used to.

Paul does more than to simply command his readers to cease living like unbelievers; he commands them not to conduct themselves as their unbelieving Gentile peers. Why didn’t Paul command the Ephesian saints not to live like the unbelieving Jews? Because these Gentile saints were a part of the Gentile culture. It was this culture which threatened to influence them to live as they formerly did. The “world” is, to a great extent, the culture in which we live, which seeks to pressure us to conform to its values, standards, goals, and conduct. The “world” which most influences us is the culture in which we have grown up.

Christianity, Paul implies, often runs across the grain of our culture, and thus we must determine to follow Christ and to cease to march to the drum of the world in which we live. Peer pressure contrary to God’s will and His Word is to be expected and rejected by the Christian, in order that he or she may walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called (4:1).

Fourth, Paul maintains that the moral conduct of men is the outgrowth of his mental processes. The dominant thought here, as we find elsewhere in Ephesians, is that doctrine determines conduct. What we believe affects the way we behave.⁷¹

I am not a student of philosophy, but there are men like Francis Shaeffer who have done considerable work in this area. I think that it is safe to say that the immorality which is so rampant in the western world has been conceived by godless philosophers, and has been skillfully propagated by institutions of “higher learning.” Paul’s warning about the dangers of philosophy can be better understood in the light of his teaching on the relationship between fallen man’s reasoning and his conduct. The way a man thinks does bear heavily on the way he acts.

The Way Gentiles Walk

The final statement of verse 17 through verse 19 describes the way in which Paul’s readers once walked as Gentiles, the way in which their peers still walk, and the way in which the Ephesians saints must no longer walk.

… that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

The lifestyle of unbelieving Gentiles is characterized as a walk which is …

in the futility of their mind
being darkened in their understanding
excluded from the life of God

The conduct of the Ephesian saints before their conversion to faith in Christ was the outgrowth of wrong doctrine. Paul speaks of their impairment as the “futility of their mind.” Futility is not to be mistaken for stupidity. Futile efforts are efforts which do not materialize into something worthwhile. Paul would not call Plato, Aristotle, or Socrates stupid. These men were Gentiles of great standing and of brilliant intellect. Nevertheless, their beliefs and philosophies were futile. They were futile because they failed to produce anything of lasting or eternal value.

Paul is taking us back to the very foundations of man’s thinking. The premises on which we base our thoughts determine what the results of our thinking will be. For example, the unbeliever (as a rule) thinks that life ends with death. Consequently, suffering is avoided and pleasure is pursued (see 1 Corinthians 15:32). The Christian believes that real life begins with faith in Christ and never ends. Because of this, suffering is joyfully endured for Christ’s sake, with the assurance that we will eternally enjoy the glory which awaits us (see 2 Corinthians 4:13-18).

The believer in Christ understands that he or she has been chosen for salvation for a purpose, to bring glory to God. Consequently, all that is done should be to His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). The unbeliever sees all of life revolving around his own personal interests, and so self-interest is always the focus and servanthood is viewed with contempt. Furthermore, the thinking of the believer is based upon the revelation of truth in the Scriptures, while the thinking of the unbeliever is based only upon the individual’s subject perception of truth and reality. It is no wonder, therefore, that the mind set on the flesh is vastly different from the mind set on the Spirit (see Romans 8:5-9). And so it is that a believer’s thinking must be radically transformed (Romans 12:2).

The root cause of the distortion of Gentile thinking is also identified:

because of the ignorance that is in them
because of the hardening of their heart

After describing the mental condition of heathen Gentiles, Paul presses on to disclose the causes of their mental dullness. Their thinking is futile because they are ignorant. Ignorance here surely does not refer to one’s intelligence. Neither does ignorance seem to refer to what one does not know. Ignorance, as Paul uses the term, refers to the “knowledge” which unbelievers possess, in which they place their trust, and from which they base their actions. It may be brilliant ignorance, but when compared with the truth of God, it is ignorance.

The mind of man and the heart of man are closely inter-twined. When Paul speaks of the “hardening of their heart” he refers to the impact which the hardened heart has on the minds of fallen men. Hardness of heart keeps one from seeing things as they really are. This was true of Pharaoh, who could not see the “finger of God” in the plagues of the Exodus, even when his own servants pointed it out to him (Exodus 8:19). It was even true of the Lord’s disciples, who could not understand what He was teaching them (Mark 6:52; 8:17).

The mental condition of fallen Gentiles ultimately works itself out in the moral lives of these unbelievers. Men who are excluded from the life of God do not reflect the righteousness of God in their conduct. And so Paul describes the moral outcome of the Gentiles’ mental decadence: “And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness” (verse 19).

Those who are mentally blind become morally callused. They lose any sensitivity to what is right or wrong. Consequently, they give themselves over to the pursuit of fleshly pleasure.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-4).

Such men are not merely overcome by strong fleshly passions, they actively engage in the pursuit of these passions. They do not dabble in sin, they immerse themselves in it. They pursue the satisfaction of their fleshly appetites with a passion. They are greedy for fleshly pleasure. They can never get enough of it. They are, we would say, addicted to the pursuit of satisfying their fleshly urges.

Living According To What You Have Learned
(4:20-21)

20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus.

Paul has already begun the transition from the mental decay of the Gentiles to their moral decadence. He has begun to shift his attention from the Christian’s obligation to resist and reject the ungodly pressures of the world system. He is already turning from the Christian and the world to the Christian and the flesh, from external temptation to internal temptation. But before he deals with the “old self” and the “new self,” Paul will remind his readers that what he is teaching them is not really new at all, but rather the reiteration of what they had already learned.

I believe that Paul is referring to the conversion experience of the Ephesian saints in verse 20. Paul may not even be attempting to distinguish between evangelism and discipleship here, but rather is only seeking to show the continuity between his teaching in this epistle and that which they had already received.

“Learning Christ” is not the typical way of referring to one’s coming to Christ in the Bible. It most certainly is not the normal way of referring to conversion today. Biblical terms such as “born again” are sometimes used, but more often unbiblical expressions are the norm. We talk, for example, of “inviting Christ into our lives,” which is both existential and self-oriented. We talk little of “learning” and we think that doctrine and evangelism are not closely related. “Let them first get saved, and then let them learn doctrine,” is the way many Christians seem to think.

Paul assumes otherwise, perhaps because some of those to whom Paul was writing came to faith directly or indirectly through his ministry at Ephesus (see Acts 19). Coming to Christ, as Paul believed and practiced, was not just an experience. It was learning. It was learning Christ.

One of the most foolish statements I have ever heard is, “I don’t worship doctrine, I worship Jesus.” Paul would never tolerate such mindless talk. How does one “learn Christ” without learning the doctrines which tell us who He is? Is Christ only a man, or is He also God? The difference is of great importance, and it is only from learning the doctrines of Christ in the Scriptures that we will know the answer.

I wonder how biblical our evangelism is, compared to that which we find in the Scriptures. Our method of evangelizing seems to be more of a sales presentation, which seeks to get as quickly as possible to the “bottom line”—some kind of assent to trusting in Christ. When Jesus evangelized, He taught. Everywhere we find Jesus speaking in the gospels, He taught. It often took a considerable period of time for the truth He was teaching to be grasped, and this was only through the ministry of God’s Holy Spirit (see Matthew 16:17).⁷² When Paul went to the synagogues, he taught from the Scriptures, demonstrating that Jesus was the promised Messiah (see Acts 9:19-22; 13:5, 14ff.).

As I understand Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:20 and 21, Paul assumes that those who have come to Christ have already learned much about Him, and about the nature of the Christian life which should result from trusting in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Suffering should come as no surprise, if our evangelism has been true to the teaching of God’s Word (see Luke 9:23-26; Acts 14:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12). There is no “small print” left out of our gospel, which comes unexpectedly after conversion.

There is a reason why faith in Christ and learning are closely related. This is explained in verse 21: “If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, …”

Jesus is not just a teacher; He is even more than the teacher. Jesus is the truth: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me’” (John 14:6). Jesus is the truth. To come to Him in faith is to come from death to life, from condemnation to justification, from sin to sanctification, and from ignorance to true wisdom. You cannot come to faith in Jesus Christ without changing your thinking. This is what true repentance is all about—changing your mind, and coming to see things as God does. And so it is that Paul links evangelism and discipleship. Coming to Christ by faith is the result of learning about Him (see Romans 10:13-17), just as it is also the beginning of learning.

The lifestyle which Paul sets out as God’s standard for Christians should come as a surprise to no convert to Christ, as radically different as it is from our former way of life. Our relationship to the world and to our own flesh is simply the outworking of the gospel which we should already have learned in coming to Christ. If, as may be the case today, some have not learned these general things of which Paul speaks in verses 17-24, then the gospel has not been fully or faithfully proclaimed.

Putting Off the Old and Putting On the New
(4:22-24)

22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

In the first verses of Ephesians chapter 2, Paul described the unbeliever as being subject to the world, the flesh, and the devil. In most instances, the devil exercises control over lost men by means of the external pressure of the world and corresponding internal inclinations of the flesh. In Ephesians 4:17-19 Paul has instructed the Christian to turn from the corrupting influences of the world in which we live (our culture). Now, in verses 22-24, Paul turns to the subject of our flesh, urging us to put off the “old man” and to put on the new.

I understand Paul to refer to the flesh as our “old self,” or as the marginal note in the NASB indicates, our “old man.” In Romans chapter 8 this “old self” would be synonymous with the “mind set on the flesh” (Romans 8:6-7). The “new self” would be our new “inner man” (Romans 7:22; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Ephesians 3:16), the “mind set on the Spirit” (Romans 8:6).

Beginning at verse 25, Paul will specifically identify those attitudes and actions which we should “put off” and those which should be “put on” in their place. But here Paul is dealing with our manner of life in principle, in general terms. Our fleshly behavior is the outgrowth, the expression, of our inner fleshly nature, just as Christian conduct is the outgrowth and expression of the inner man, created and empowered by the Holy Spirit:

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:16-24).

Paul persists in emphasizing the continuity between our conversion to Christ and our conduct in Christ, which should be evident in our manner of life.

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:1-14).

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, (Colossians 2:6).

In Christ, our old man has been crucified, put to death. In our daily conduct, we should crucify the flesh daily, and put aside the conduct which springs forth from fleshly desires. In Christ we were made alive, raised from the dead and seated with Him in the heavenlies (see Ephesians 2:5-6). We should therefore walk in newness of life, manifesting the work of the Spirit of God in and through us. It is by His power that we are both motivated and enabled to live in a way that pleases God:

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.… 10 And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you. (Romans 8:1-4, 10-11)

20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

This expression, “lusts of deceit” is somewhat puzzling as to its precise meaning. What we can be sure of is that there is a direct relationship between “lust” and “deceit.” I believe it is safe to say that “lust” is “deceitful,” and also to say that “deceit” is “lustful.” Lust is deceitful in that it does not produce what it seems to promise. Lust promises pleasure, but it ultimately produces death (see Romans 6:15-23, especially verse 21). Deceit is lustful in that it never seems to be satisfied, it always wants more victims (see Proverbs 1:10-19).

Jesus warned of the danger of attempting to remove evil, rather than replacing it (see Luke 11:26). Paul’s words indicate that our old nature and its deeds are not merely to be rejected, they are to be replaced. We must “put off” the old man and at the same time “put on” the new. While the old nature is continually being corrupted by the lusts of deceit, the new nature is renewing us, in accordance with the nature of God and His righteousness and truth. The old nature is being corrupted, the new is being renewed. The old is deceitful, the new deals in truth. The old is sinful, the new is righteous. The old is driven by lusts, the new by the character and purposes of God.

Conclusion

Christ did not save us in order that we may live any way that we choose. He saved us to live godly lives, and thus to live in a way that is radically different from our lifestyle as unbelievers. Our conduct, as Paul has indicated in verse 1 of chapter 4 is to conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of our calling in Christ.

The conduct which God requires of Christians should not come as a surprise to them after they have been saved. The gospel, as preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles, called men to repentance as well as to faith in Christ. Men were required to turn from their sin to Christ, and it was clear that this meant a new way of life. The “gospel” of our day is not so clearly stated. It is as though we fear that men will be receive Christ if they know what is involved. The irony is that the gospel, the true gospel, is the power of God unto salvation. The more we seek to rid the gospel of its unappealing aspects (from the unbeliever’s point of view) the more we rob it of its power. We then rely more on our cleverness and deceit than on the power of the Holy Spirit to convince and convert lost sinners. When we share our faith, let us tell it like it is.

This text, and those which follow in Ephesians, make it clear that while salvation and sanctification are the work of God, they require man’s response. God is sovereign in the salvation and spiritual growth of those whom He has chosen. He also ordained that men are to be informed of the gospel and of God’s standards of conduct, and that we are to act in obedience to His commands, not in our own strength, but in that which He supplies. Let us not leave this text with a passive view of our spiritual life. God has made every provision for our sanctification, and we are to obediently make use of them, for His glory and for our good.

It is almost impossible to overestimate the importance of the truths conveyed in the passage before us. While the verses which follow it will spell out specific conduct which befits the Christian, this text speaks of the basis for our conduct in general terms. It is our commitment to the general exhortations of this passage which will greatly affect our compliance with the commands that follow.

The Christian lifestyle will not be lived out by those with a pagan mindset. It is the Christian mindset of our text which works itself out in the conduct which befits our calling in Christ. Allow me to point out some of the inferences of Paul’s teaching in our text and its implications in our practical daily living.

Our pagan culture believes that the past is the key to the present. What we think and how we act, we are told, is the result of our past. It is only by understanding our past that we can live as we should in the present. In other words, the past controls the present.

The Bible reverses this. Paul teaches us that our thinking and conduct in the past was the outworking of our unregenerate thinking. Paul insists that we refuse to allow our past to control us in the present. Instead, Paul teaches us that what we now are, in Christ, is what should override and overrule our past thinking and behavior. What we now are in Christ should cause us to put away what we once thought and did as unbelievers. Our past should not be resurrected, analyzed and dwelled upon, it should be buried in an unmarked grave. It is not what we were that matters, but what we are. Let us ponder what we are, in Christ, and not what we were without Him.

In our culture, what you believe seems to have taken second place to how you feel. The sensitive, intelligent, and probing thing to ask these days is, “How do you feel about that?” Paul would rather have us focus on what we believe. What we feel is often a far cry from what is true, and even from what we believe. Faith, as I understand it, calls upon men to act on the truth God has revealed in His Word, not on how we feel. Abraham did not “feel” like leaving his homeland and relatives to go to an unnamed place, but he obeyed God. Neither did he feel like offering up his son, Isaac, but he was willing to obey. Our Lord did not feel like going to the cross of Calvary, but He obeyed the will of His Father. Let us act on what we know to be the truth as revealed in the Word of God, more than on how we happen to feel. As a rule, faith acts on the facts of God’s Word and disregards our feelings.

If the renewing of our minds is so vital to our Christian life, how is it done? The Bible is not a book of formulas, but I would like to focus your attention on one key element: the Word of God. When a person wants to learn a foreign language, what is the most effective way to do so? It is to enter into that culture and language and become saturated with it. This is how our children learn to talk and to think as we do. If we would desire to have our minds renewed, then we must find God’s thoughts and immerse ourselves in them. His thoughts have been incarnated in Christ, the Living Word, and recorded in the Bible, His inspired written Word.

I dare say that most Christians spend more time in front of their television sets, radios, magazines, and books than they do in their Bibles. Even many Christian stations and publications contain much that is secular thinking sprinkled with a smattering of spiritual jargon. If we would think God’s thoughts after Him, we will find them only in His Word. Let us become so saturated with His Word that we begin to reflect His ways, His values, His goals, His methods. This is the renewing of the mind which Paul calls for.

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69 See also Acts 20:26; 26:22; Galatians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:11.

70 In the original text, the imperative mood is not used, but most Bible students would probably agree that the sense is that of a command. It is what A. T. Robertson, the Greek scholar, calls an “indirect command.” The same would be true of the parallel infinitives that convey the commands in verses 22 and 23. In each instance the imperative is preceded by the word “that.” See A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1931), IV, p. 539.

71 The reverse is also true. Men’s behavior affects the way they think. Just as bad thinking leads to wrong conduct, so wrong conduct leads to bad thinking. Solomon is an example of this. Although the wisest man in the world, Solomon disobeyed God in several ways. Among these was his marriage to foreign wives. I believe that as his moral conduct deteriorated, so did his mental acuity. What results is a downward cycle. Bad thinking leads to wrong conduct, which leads to further deterioration in one’s thinking, which leads to further moral decay. An illustration of this cycle can be found in Romans chapter 1.

72 The fact of the matter is that most of what Jesus taught was not understood by anyone until after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit (see John 14:25-26; 16:7-15).