Author Archives: gonelikeashadowatevening

Access, Bible, Blood, Cross, Eternal Life, Salvation, Scripture

THROUGH THE CROSS

EPHESIANS 2:16

“and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility.”

Sometimes the only way to get to something is to go through something. I had to go through four years of college and three years of seminary to get to my Master’s Degree. It was a lot of work, a lot of blood, sweat and tears. It also took a lot of prayer. But at the end of those seven years, I held that diploma proudly.

Paul, however, explains that my reconciliation to God had nothing to do with my human effort. It was solely through the cross of Christ. It was His sacrifice that brought me to God. The Greek word for “through” used here is dia which can mean “by the instrumentality of. The cross of Christ was the only instrument needed to rescue me.

APPLICATION

Have you ever seen the Bridge Illustration? It is a simple way to share your faith with someone. Below is the full diagram showing the gap that separated you from God and how the cross bridges that gap.

I normally use Romans 6:23 to lead someone through this illustration. On the left side of the gap below “us” I would write “wages” an “sin.” Then I write “death” at the bottom. On the right side under “God” I would write “free gift” and “eternal life.” I use a cool app called “Share Your Faith” which walks right through it.

Why am I sharing all this with you? 1. So you can see that it is only through the cross that we can cross that great divide between us and God. 2. So you can have a tool to use to share your faith with someone else.

Don’t take your salvation for granted. Christ’s cross wasn’t some shiny, golden cross. It was a rugged piece of wood covered in blood. He shed His blood, sweat and tears for you. Never forget that. Give Him praise today!

I am so thankful today, Lord, for the sacrifice of the cross.

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Bible, Law, Power, Scripture, Sin

THROWN IN NEUTRAL

EPHESIANS 2:15

“by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace;”

Have you ever driven a manual transmission vehicle? You know, a stick shift. I grew up driving my dad’s three-on-the-column manual transmission pickup. I loved that truck and wanted to buy it from him, but he sold it to someone else. Occasionally that truck would get stuck in neutral. You’d be driving down the road and shift from first to second or from third to second and the mechanism that control the shift would get stuck in neutral. All you could do is coast to the side of the road, get out, raise the hood, yank on the mechanism to loosen it and then start off again. Vehicles in neutral won’t go anywhere. They have been made idle.

The Greek word translated as “abolished” is katargeó, which means to “idle down, rendering something inert (‘completely inoperative’); i.e. being of no effect (totally without force, completely brought down)” (HELPS Word Studies). When Christ came, He rendered the law as powerless. The source of all the hostility between the Jews and the Gentiles now had no power to cause that enmity. They were now one in Christ.

APPLICATION

Over in Romans 6:6, Paul tells us the same thing happens to our sin nature. “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;” When will we realize that sin has no power over us any longer? We can’t use the excuse that we just couldn’t help ourselves. Yes, we can.

1 Corinthians 15:26 says that death will be neutralized one day. “The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” One day there will be no more death. Christ will rule and reign in a New Kingdom here on earth. As believers in Christ, we will be right there with Him. There is no fear in physical death for a believer because we know that our life is really in the hands of the Master.

I am not saying we should sit around in neutral. No! We have work to do until He comes. There are souls to save. There is kingdom work to do. But don’t let the law, don’t let sin rule and reign over you. They are powerless. Christ has rendered both neutral. Now just shift gears with Jesus.

I am thankful that my power does not come from anywhere but You, Lord. 

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Bible, Demolition, Destruction, Eternity, Scripture, Separation, Wall

DEMOLITION

EPHESIANS 2:14

“For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,”

When my wife and I were away recently on vacation, we watched a crew of men over several days demolish a beach house. It was old and in need of a lot, so I guess the owner decided it was cheaper to tear it down and build a new one. The equipment they used to tear off the roof, the walls and the flooring was powerful. Nothing was going to stand in the way of that giant, metal claw that grabbed and destroyed.

Paul reminds us in today’s verse what Christ did for us. He “broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.” You are probably wondering what exactly Paul meant by that. We will look at that shortly. I guarantee you the recipients of this letter understood it. Paul also reminds us that Jesus “Himself is our peace.” No amount of peace talks between two groups is going to be lasting. One or the other will eventually break it. We see that time and time again. But the peace brought by Jesus is eternal.

APPLICATION

So, what was this barrier of the dividing wall all about? If you remember your Old Testament, the temple was built with an outer court and inner court. Gentiles were allowed in the outer court, but there was a dividing wall that separated them and the Jews who entered the inner court. There was an engraving found in 1871 called the Soreg Inscription that reads:

“No foreigner is to enter the barriers surrounding the sanctuary. He who is caught will have himself to blame for his death which will follow.”

It’s no wonder Jesus wanted to tear that down through His shed blood. Christ’s death opened up access to all men to enter the holy of holies, not just the High Priest. We all have a path to God’s mercy seat. That’s what brings us peace – His mercy, as shown through Jesus.

The Greek word used for “broke down” is luo, and it means to loose something so it no longer holds together. In other words, Christ’s demolition of this wall is permanent. No man can rebuild it. Aren’t you glad? I know a few people who would probably try. So, take off your hard hat off. The work has been done. Enjoy the peace.

O God, You have demolished the wall separating me from You. Thank You, Lord.

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Abiding, Access, Bible, Blood, Eternity, God's Will, Hugs, Near, Scripture, Snuggles

BROUGHT NEAR BY THE BLOOD

EPHESIANS 2:13

“But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Okay, I admit it. I’m a snuggler. I like to snuggle. I like close contact. I would go to sleep every night snuggling my wife, but she says I am like an oven. I think she just thinks I’m hot. Lol. But seriously, I like to be close to people. I had much rather be in a room with ten close friends than in a concert with thousands. It’s just the way I am wired.

Did you know God likes to snuggle? It’s true. Look at today’s verse. Paul says we “have been brought near.” God saw that we “were far away” and sent His Son to bring us near. God wanted and still wants to be close to us. I love how Albert Barnes explains this verse. “The Jews came near to the mercy seat on which the symbol of the divine presence rested by the blood that was offered in sacrifice; that is, the high priest approached that mercy-seat with blood and sprinkled it before God. Now we are permitted to approach him with the blood of the atonement. The shedding of that blood has prepared the way by which Gentiles as well as Jews may approach God, and it is by that offering that we are led to seek God.”

APPLICATION

Wow! Isn’t that great? Through the shed blood of Christ, we can approach the mercy seat of God. His blood prepared the path. It was nothing we did. It was all Him. James says this in James 4:8. “Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” The verb used for “come close” is from the same Greek word used in today’s verse for “near.”

Isn’t it sad that so many won’t do that? They won’t come close. They prefer to stay far away. They think they don’t need that kind of intimacy with God. But they shouldn’t tarry. Jesus said so in Luke 21:29-31. “29 And He told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees: 30 as soon as they put forth leaves, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near. 31 So you too, when you see these things happening,  recognize that the kingdom of God is near.’”

Jesus said it, so that settles it. The kingdom is drawing near. Jesus could return in our lifetime. Or He come next century. We don’t know, but we must be ready. If you are living far away today, draw near to Him. He will wrap you in His loving embrace and snuggle you. I promise. I have felt it. It is so comforting. Draw near today!

Father, I welcome Your embrace and snuggles.

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Abiding, Bible, Blessing, Choices, Estrangement, Promises, Purpose, Scripture, Separation

SEPARATE FROM CHRIST

EPHESIANS 2:12

“remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the people of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

Separation from those you love is hard. Whether it is due to death, a move across the country or world or estrangement, it’s hard to deal with. Why? Because our love doesn’t stop just because the person(s) is out of our sight. We continue to love them, but now we can’t touch them (hug, kiss). We miss them. Our heart aches for them. If you have experienced this, you know the deep longing that is with you every day.

Paul reminds us in today’s verse that we were once separate from Christ. We had no part in Him. Most of us never even realized we were separate from Him. We were going on our merry way as if everything was fine. But we weren’t fine. Paul says we were “excluded” for God’s people, we were “strangers” to God’s promises and we had “no hope” because we lacked God’s purpose. No people, no promise, no purpose. That’s separation from God.

APPLICATION

Paul uses a Greek word in this verse for “excluded” which can be defined as “estranged.” The word is apallotrioó, which is only used two other times in the New Testament. Later in this letter (4:18) and in Colossians 1:21. All three times it refers to an alienation or exclusion from Christ before we were saved. What does that mean for us as believers? It means we should be grateful for what we have now. Amen? We should occasionally lookback and give God praise for all He has done for us.

Sometimes our exclusion, our estrangement is of our own doing. We decided to move away from Christ. We don’t live as if He has any part of us. We are actually shunning the Spirit of God that is in us as believers. Listen, beloved, that is dangerous territory. That puts you outside the umbrella of His protection. As for me, I choose to stay under that protection.

Paul says we are “strangers.” That Greek word is xenos.It is where we get “xenophobia” -the fear of people. I don’t want to be a stranger to Christ. I want to be family. Don’t you? We all want our families to be close. We all want to be able to share our love with one another. Christ desires the same with us. He is drawing you close today. Do you feel that tug? It’s Him!

O Father, thank You for drawing me into Your family so I am no longer an alien or stranger.

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Accursed, Bible, Captivity, Circumcision, Darkness, Deceit, Decisions, Evil, Flesh, Light, Rescue, Scripture

ONCE UPON A TIME

EPHESIANS 2:11

“Therefore, remember that previously you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—”

“Once upon a time” has been used to start a lot of stories. Some of those stories ended well and some didn’t. But those first four words told you that this happened in the past. It doesn’t specify exactly, but you know it was back then and not now. Isn’t it sad, though, that so many people live back then in the “once upon a time” period? They are slaves to their past.

Paul reminds the Ephesians today that “once upon a time” they were just considered the “Uncircumcision.” They were looked down upon by the “Circumcision,” the Jews. They were pagans who had no hope of redemption. That little Greek word, pote, is the difference. It means “at one time or other, at some time, formerly.” One definition given is “in the old time.” I like that one. Paul tells the Ephesians (and us) that that was then. Things have changed though because of Christ.

APPLICATION

Think back to how you were before Christ. Aren’t you glad He has changed you? Paul says a few things about our former life in this letter to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 2:2 we saw that we “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.” In 2:3 we “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.” We walked. We lived.

Paul goes on in verse 13 (which we will see in a couple of days) to say we “formerly were far off.” And Paul uses pote one more time in this letter in 5:8 and says we “were formerly darkness.” Look at what we were: we walked in sin, we lived in sin, we were far off in sin, we were in darkness in sin. Sin had that grip on us.

But praise be to God, He has rescued us from this former life. He has given us a new life in Christ. We walk differently. We live differently. We are near to Christ and are in the light. Wow, what a change! Is that you today? Are you brand new in Jesus?

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my life.

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Appearance, Bible, Blameless, Glory, Justified, Modeling, Obedience, Restoration, Scripture, Witnessing

HIS WORKMANSHIP

EPHESIANS 2:10

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

There is no deep definition of the Greek word for “workmanship.” It simply means a thing made, a product. But just look at the product. I have mentioned before how much of a craftsman my dad was. He could look at a picture of something and then build it. I can still see his workmanship in our homeplace. He built that house in the late 50’s. It’s hard to believe that house is almost 70 years old. But my dad’s workmanship still shows.

Paul points out that God made us, fashioned us “in Christ Jesus for good works.” Albert Barnes says this about us being God’s workmanship. “There cannot be conceived to be a stronger expression to denote the agency of God in the conversion of people, or the fact that salvation is wholly of grace.” Because of God’s workmanship in us, we are able to carry out this work of grace into other people’s lives.

APPLICATION

The Greek word for “workmanship” is only used one other time in the New Testament. Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Just as the world should be able to see God in creation, they should be able to see Him in us, as believers in Christ.

Is His workmanship visible in your life? Do others see Jesus in you? That’s a hard question. You can’t just put Jesus on like a suit or a dress for Sunday and go to church smiling and singing hallelujah. God’s workmanship should be visible to others 24/7. When you stop to get gas and the guy behind you keeps honking his horn, let His workmanship be seen. When your order at the restaurant is wrong, let His workmanship be seen.

God’s works are perfect, right? That means His workmanship in you is perfect. We have no right to mess that up with our excuses. I am NOT pointing fingers. I am as guilty as the next guy of falling short of showing God’s workmanship. I want to be a showcase of His glory. Don’t you?

I am amazed that You would consider me worthy to be touched by Your hands.

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Attention, Bible, Boasting, Contentment, Emotions, Humility, Scripture, Works

YOU DID NOT DO THIS

EPHESIANS 2:9

“not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” 

Pride! Boasting! It will definitely get us into trouble. Some ballplayers like to trash talk. They are always talking about how good they are and how much better they are than anyone else. The smart players leave their boasting for the field or court. They just do their job and let the results speak for themselves. Sure, they are proud of what they have accomplished, but they don’t have to brag about it.

In this part two of the passage Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul tells us rather plainly that our salvation had nothing to do with us. He says it is “not a result of works.” It had nothing to do with you. You did not do this! You have no reason to boast. God did this through His Son, Jesus Christ. It was His work on the cross. You can’t boast in that. All you can do is receive the grace He gives you through the faith He gives you.

APPLICATION

The Greek word Paul uses for “boast” is kauchaomai. It can be used in a good or bad sense. It can refer to a God-given confidence or vaunting yourself. Paul uses this word a lot. In fact, of the 38 times it is used in the New Testament, Paul uses it 36. The other two times occur in James.

In 2 Corinthians 11:30 Paul writes, “If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.” Paul knew from the outset of his salvation that he had no reason to boast. He was struck blind and had to be led to a place where he stayed for three days until Ananias came and laid hands on him, giving him his sight back. Paul was brought low in order to be raised up to be used by Christ.

Over in 2 Corinthians 10:17, Paul uses this word again as he partially quotes Jeremiah 9:23-24, which says, “23 This is what the LORD says: ‘Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the LORD.” Again, it wasn’t about Paul. It was all about Jesus.

Paul points to the right place in which to boast when he writes these words in Galatians 6:14, “But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” It is only in the cross! That is where our glory should be directed. He has done all the work. Because of that, we can boast in Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Father God, I boast only in Jesus and the cross on which He died.

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Access, Atonement, Belief, Eternity, Faith, Forgiveness, Gifts, Grace, Scripture

SAVED BY GRACE

EPHESIANS 2:8

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;” 

One of my memory passages is Ephesians 2:8-9. It is basic to our beliefs. In fact, it is fundamental. You are saved in no other way (we will see more on this tomorrow). It is through the grace of God that any of us can claim salvation and a hope for eternal life. In today’s verse, we see part one of this truth. God’s grace is sufficient for our salvation.

What exactly does Paul mean by this statement, “by grace you have been saved through faith”? HELPS Word-studies defines it this way. “Xáris is preeminently used of the Lord’s favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is “always leaning toward them”).” Paul knew, better than most, the magnitude of God’s grace. It had been given to him, a murderer of Christians, to give him access to the Father.

APPLICATION

But we can’t stop with just this one statement about being saved by grace through faith. Look at the last part of this verse – “it is the gift of God;…” Theologians have wrestled with this verse for centuries. Is grace the gift or is faith the gift? I believe if we look at the construction of the Greek, the answer is there.

Paul says “by grace you have been saved.” We saw this same phrase back in verse 5 of this chapter, but I wanted to wait for today’s verse to explain it. The Greek for this phrase reads, “by grace you are being saved through faith.” The verb is in the Present Indicative Active. It is an ongoing event. It is through your faith that God continues to save you because He is always leaning towards us.

I believe, as many others, that the real gift here is not grace, but faith. We are told in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” Isn’t that just like a gift? We hope for it, but we know it’s coming. God’s gifts to us are sure. Faith is one of them. He gives it freely to all who believe. Do you believe? Have you accepted this gift of faith which yields God’s grace to us?

O Lord, thank You for the gift of faith which allows me to tap into Your grace and my salvation.

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Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Glory, Grace, Love, Power, Riches, Scripture

BOUNDLESS RICHES

EPHESIANS 2:7

“so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” 

I am sure you have heard stories about rich people and their luxurious lifestyles. It’s on television all the time. Names like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are usually among the top 10 richest. But who was the richest person ever? Mansa Musa (1280-1337)! They say his wealth was incomprehensible. Ever heard of him? I hadn’t either which goes to show you money isn’t the answer to everything.

Aren’t you glad Paul wasn’t talking about monetary riches in today’s verse? God promises us “boundless riches of His grace.” The Greek word used for “boundless” is huperballó. It’s only used five times in the New Testament, three times in Ephesians (1:9; here, and 3:19) and two times in 2 Corinthians (3:10 and 9:14). I want us to look at what Paul uses this word to describe.

APPLICATION

In 2 Corinthians 3:10, Paul uses huperballó to describe God’s glory. “…because of the glory that surpasses it.” Later in the same letter, Paul uses the word to describe God’s grace. 9:14 says, “while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.” So, we have God’s glory that is surpassing and God’s grace which is surpassing.

Then in Ephesians, we saw back in 1:19 “and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Then the last time Paul uses huperballó is in this letter to the Ephesians in chapter 3 and verse 19. “and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.” That means in Ephesians, Paul uses that word to describe God’s great power, His great love through Christ and the riches of His grace.

Paul really liked that word, didn’t he? Through the Holy Spirit, he penned those words so long ago which still ring true in our ears. God’s surpassing glory, surpassing grace, surpassing riches of His grace, surpassing greatness of His power and His surpassing love. Wow! God’s riches are truly surpassing. Are you an heir to all of this? If you are a believer in Jesus, you are the richest person in the world!

Thank You, Lord, for the surpassing riches of Your grace towards me.

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