Ephesians 2:9-19 Citizens of the Kingdom of God
Ephesians 2:9-19 Citizens of the Kingdom of God
9 God did all the work for us on our behalf, it is a true gift of God. We can’t boast of ourself for we did nothing to earn the salvation we have for it begins and ends with God. All we must do is simply believe and accept that Jesus died for our sins,
10 God created us and at some point brought us to salvation into the new birth where we become alive spiritually to the things of God, we are His workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus, that we would continue the work Jesus started, to reach the lost for God and make disciples of men. He intended all along that we would submit to Him and be obedient and serve Him. How do we walk in these works? Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We must hide His words in our heart and speak those words with boldness by the Spirit of God. Wherever we go we take the gospel of Christ with us, it is a part of us. The work we do is not for our gain, but for the ongoing call that we are called unto, to minister to others what God has already put in our heart. This is a total commitment for God has a total commitment towards us.
11 The gentiles were without hope and with no knowledge of God. Those who were of the circumcision looked down on them, but they themselves were only circumcised in the flesh, when Gods intend was that the circumcision would remind them they had a spiritual life with God, so it would be a continual reminder to serve God. Gods desire was that their heart would be circumcised, however they relied upon the flesh and the works of the flesh, not on God.
12 They had no hope and had no covenant with God. They were ignorant of the things of God.
13 Again God intervened by the sacrifice of Jesus, Now they have been brought near unto God. The blood of Christ applied to their life has given them hope for they are forgiven.
14 All those who accept Christ have become one and all have received the peace of God over their lives. There existed a wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles, but at the death of Jesus on the cross that wall of division was torn down, now there is no longer a wall.
15 There is now no division between the two for we all serve the same God. Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that were against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross. He has made us one, brothers in Christ. Now there is peace between us.
16 Both must go by the way of the cross, for there is no other way. The old testament saints believed God and it was accounted to them for righteousness. We by faith believe that he died for our sins. They were looking towards the cross, we look back upon it, each one with hope and anticipation that God would redeem them.
17 Jesus came and preached the gospel to those who were far off and to the Jews who were near.
18 The same Spirit, the Holy Spirit is our access to God. With the Spirit of God within, we can come before God and have communion with Him.
19 Because of these things we are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens of the kingdom of God, with all the saints of God who have gone before us. We are all members of the household of God.