Bible Study - Connected (1) - Connected in CHRIST - Ephesians 2:17-22 - September 7, 2014

Bible Study – Connected (1) – Connected in CHRIST – September 7, 2014

This is lesson one in our series entitled “Connected: My Life in the Church.”

Our focus scripture for this lesson in Ephesians 2:17-22.

Church Membership does not make a person a Christian. CHRIST in the person is what makes him or her a Christian.

This begins a six-week series regarding the institution, we call “Church.” The focus scripture will be in the Book of Ephesians. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter while he was in prison either in Rome or Caesarea. Most Bible scholars believe Paul was in Rome. Paul wrote Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians while he was in prison.

The letter to the Ephesians was likely delivered by Tychicus, Ephesians 6:21-22:

21 Tychicus, our dearly loved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me so that you may be informed. 22 I am sending him to you for this very reason, to let you know how we are and to encourage your hearts.

The true church is not a physical structure but a Spiritual structure of which CHRIST is the head. The apostles, prophets and born-again believers are the living stones that make up the Spiritual structure. The Spiritual structure functions as one because of the indwelling Holy Spirit. CHRIST is the head. Those who have received CHRIST, through faith in HIM, are gifted by GOD with Spiritual gifts to be used as led by the Holy Spirit. Thus the Spiritual body functions in unity to benefit the Spiritual body just as the human body functions as one to benefit it.

The Apostle Paul discusses this in 1 Corinthians 12:12-20:

12 For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body —so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body —whether Jews or Greeks, whether • slaves or free —and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 So the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. 19 And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? 20 Now there are many parts, yet one body.

Those who belong to the Spiritual body also belong to the physical church. The degree that the physical church allows the Holy Spirit to lead and direct it determines the spiritual nature of the physical church. The indwelling Holy Spirit and HIS leadership results in Spiritual growth, maturity and balance. Balance relating to in-reach and out-reach. Meeting the Spiritual needs and physical needs both inside and outside of the church through the use of Spiritual gifts. No Christian will boast because he or she has a certain Spiritual gift neither will others be jealous or envious of those who have certain Spiritual gifts. Because each will realize and understand that the gift or gifts are from GOD to be used as HE directs according to HIS plan and purpose.

Let’s explore!

We will begin with background. The Apostle Paul builds upon the fact that his readers will be a mix of religious cultures - Jewish, Jewish-Christian, Christian, nothing and pagan.

Let’s read Ephesians 2:1-3:

From Death to Life

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously • walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

Paul begins by reminding his readers, which includes us today, that before we accepted CHRIST as our Savior, we were dead to GOD because of sin. Sin is a barrier between mankind and GOD. In our sinful state, we were not concerned about GOD or the things of GOD. We were interested in the things of the world or the things that pleased our human nature, the flesh. We were disobedient to the things the true one GOD desired for us. We were obedient to the ruler of the lower world, earth, who is Satan. Satan and his demons do all they can to prevent us from focusing upon the One True GOD and especially CHRIST.

There has always been spiritual/Spiritual warfare but has it intensified? Readers, we must keep in mind that GOD is in charge and the victory has been won by CHRIST. Christians must not let the raging storms around them distract them from the truth – GOD is in control and HE has a plan and a purpose. 

Let’s continue Ephesians 2:4-10:

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, 5 made us alive with the • Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, 7 so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

GOD’S desire is for mankind to be redeemed and restored to HIS original intent before sin entered the world. John 3:16-18 captures the heart of GOD toward mankind:

16 “For God loved the world •in this way: He gave His •One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

GOD reached down to mankind by allowing HIS only Son to come to earth, to live and function as a human. HE allowed HIM to live fully human and to be tempted as humans are tempted. HE lived a sinless life and as such HE became the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for sin that GOD had imposed upon mankind. GOD reached down to mankind but GOD made mankind with the freedom to choose. Will mankind accept GOD’S free gift of salvation from sin and death by placing their faith in JESUS?

When humans reconcile their relationship with GOD by accepting CHRIST as their Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells them. When humans are reconciled with GOD through CHRIST, their flesh nature is changed through the renewing of their minds. They see the world through changed eyes and reach out to fellow humans around them with the Good News of salvation because of the love that GOD and CHRIST has revealed to them.

Reconciliation with GOD through faith in CHRIST and a changed human nature results in unity and peace among those who have placed their faith in CHRIST. Are we, as Christians, in unity and have peace? If not, why not?

Let’s read Ephesians 2:11-16:

Unity in Christ

11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh —called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which iss done in the flesh by human hands. 12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.

The “uncircumcised” referred to non-Jews/Gentiles and the “circumcision” referred to Abraham, his descendants and the Jews. GOD established a covenant with Abraham which was confirmed by the ritual of circumcision. Circumcision was to identify those who placed their faith in the One True GOD. Circumcision was performed by man.

When the Israelites, descendants of Abraham, were in bondage in Egypt, GOD remembered the covenant HE made with Abraham, HE came to their rescue. GOD revealed Himself physically to the world through the Israelites. After GOD freed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, HE led them safely to Mount Sinai. It was at Mt. Sinai that GOD revealed that HE had chosen the Israelites to be HIS people, if they agreed. They agreed and GOD gave them the laws and commandments they were to follow. Exodus 24:6-8:

6 Moses took half the blood and set it in basins; the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, “We will do and obey everything that the Lord has commanded.” 8 Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.”

This covenant lasted until the ultimate and permanent covenant was revealed to the world and established through the shed blood of JESUS for all people who would place their faith in CHRIST, the Promised Messiah. Faith in CHRIST results in the circumcision of the heart which only GOD can do because of the faithfulness of CHRIST. CHRIST did for mankind what mankind could not do by any effort it made. CHRIST gave HIS life in substitution for those who place their faith in HIM as their Savior. CHRIST paid the penalty GOD imposed on mankind for sin. Each human, because they are human, this penalty of eternal death. The shed blood of CHRIST redeems all who place their faith in HIM from eternal death and gives them eternal life through the miracle of rebirth.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21:

16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. 18 Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses   20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He (GOD) made the One (JESUS) who did not know sin to be sin for us (those who place their faith in HIM), so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Those who place their faith in CHRIST become the righteousness of GOD. Since GOD has declared those who place their faith in CHRIST righteous, the Holy Spirit can indwell them. Christians are set aside for the purposes and plans of GOD, which makes them saints. They have direct access to GOD.

Let’s read Ephesians 2:17-18:

17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

CHRIST gave HIS life by the shedding of HIS blood to pay, in full, the penalty for sin which broke the sin barrier between mankind and GOD. In doing so, HE reconciled all of the covenants into one new covenant which included all people. This new covenant was based upon any person, placing his or her faith in CHRIST as his or her Savior, would be reconciled with GOD and as such has direct access to GOD.

Let’s read Ephesians 2:19:

19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the • saints, and members of God’s household,

CHRIST established a new everlasting covenant which includes all people who place their faith in CHRIST. JESUS said in Luke 22:20:

20 In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood; it is shed for you.

Through the miracle of rebirth, those who place their faith in CHRIST become members of GOD’S household and eternal citizens of HIS Kingdom. This was directed to both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. Many of the Jews thought they were special because of their heritage but Paul wanted them to know that whether a person was coming from a Jewish or Gentile background, that by placing their faith in CHRIST, they were all members of GOD’S household.

Let’s read Ephesians 2:20-22:

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. 22 You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

GOD’S redemptive plan has been revealed by the apostles, who witnessed the ministry, teaching, miracles, death, resurrection and ascension of CHRIST. The prophets throughout the ages have recorded GOD’S plan which has been fulfilled in CHRIST. GOD’S Word, the Bible, reveals these truths to those who seek truth.

GOD is not building a brick and mortar church but a Spiritual church of which CHRIST is the cornerstone. The cornerstone of a building is the foundational stone which sets the architectural intent of the building. The cornerstone connects two walls. GOD is the architect of this Spiritual building. CHRIST is the cornerstone and the apostles and prophets have their place in relation to CHRIST. Christians are living stones used in this Spiritual structure to accomplish GOD’S intended plan and purpose for HIS Kingdom. GOD has a plan and purpose for every person but in order for a person to achieve HIS plan and purpose, he or she must place his or her faith in CHRIST. When a person receives CHRIST as his or her Savior, the abundant life comes by allowing the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead and direct his or her life.

The Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse of the importance of allowing GOD to direct our lives in 1 Corinthians 3:9-17:

9 For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire. 16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.

Verse 21 in Ephesians and 16-17 in 1 Corinthians 3 reveal that born-again Christians are GOD’S sanctuary or the Holy of Holies, where GOD resides. GOD resides within every born-again Christian and when someone harms him or her, GOD will respond.

Have you accepted CHRIST as your Savior? If not, now is your opportunity. Blessings!!!