Ephesians 2
The second chapter of this epistle provides a description of the glorious transformation from sinner to saint.
The first seven verses of Ephesians 2 present a structured view of our spiritual journey through time. Verses 1 through 3 reflect on our past, outlining our former state and the grace that called us. Verses 4 through 6 transition into the present, highlighting our current identity in Christ and the blessings bestowed upon us. Finally, verse 7 looks ahead to the future, emphasizing the eternal inheritance and redemption that awaits in the ages to come.
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
All were dead as a result of their trespasses and sins. Some argue that verse 1 refers to inherited sin, rather than personal sin. However, such an interpretation seems inconsistent with the reference to multiple trespasses and sins. Further, such an interpretation is contrary to teachings in both the New and Old Testament:
"Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death" (James 1:15).
"Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself" (Ezekiel 18:19-20).
How then can verse 1 proclaim that all are dead as a result of their own personal sin? Well besides the plain language, scriptue is clear that none are without sin – "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And we know that we earn death as the wages of our sins – "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). All have sinned and that sin brings forth the death of all. Each bears the responsibility for their individual sins and trespasses.
All have walked in the sinful ways of the world, fulfilling the desires of the flesh. All were dead in trespasses and sins. But we can be transformed and made alive through faith.
Summary of 4 through 6: God granted mercy because of His love (Ephesians 2:4) even though we slain by our sins, He made us alive (Ephesians 2:5) and seated us in heavenly places in Him (Ephesians 2:6).
4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Out of God's love flows mercy. His mercy, unhindered by the spiritual death of the sinner, brings the dead to life. These verses do not identify whether His mercy is given unconditionally or only to those who somehow satisfy the conditions under which God exends His mercy. However, these verses follow Chapter 1 in which God expressly reveals the mystery of who and why He chose some for salvation and rejected others. Now, we see that His mercy reaches all who are willing to believe and trust in Christ.
All those who are brought from death to life by His mercy are spiritually seated with the Lord Jesus in the heavenly places. Our bodies may be here upon the earth, but our human spirit is with Christ in the heavenlies! What a transformation!
The Ages to Come
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
What begins with God's mercy extended to us in this life continues by God's grace in Christ Jesus in the ages to come.
Summary of Verse 8 through 10: Through faith we have access to the grace which provides the gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8). We cannot earn the gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:9). Those saved through faith are His workmanship created to walk in the works He prepared for us.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone 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.
There is substantial debate concerning Ephesians 2:8-9. First, it is important to note what is not debated (the recognized view of substantially all Christians):
1) Faith does not originate from humans alone.
2) Faith is only possible because of God's grace.
3) The exercise of the gift of faith is not of works.
These three points are not debated by either proponents are advocates of Calvinism.
What is debated is whether these verses prove, as Calvinism claims, that if God extends the gift of faith to any person, that person cannot resist it — because, if a person had the power to accept or reject the gift, then that decision would be "of themselves" (contradicting verse 8) and "of works" (contradicting verse 9).
There are 3 clear problems to this Calvinist interpretation
✔ Faith is not a meritorious work but a free response to God's grace (Romans 4:5).
✔ If accepting or rejecting faith made salvation "of works," then commands to believe (John 3:16, Mark 1:15) would be meaningless.
✔ Ephesians 2:8-9 refers to salvation as the gift, not faith itself — the word "faith" (in verse 8) in the original Greek is feminine, while "that" (in the following phrase "that not of yourselves") is neuter, meaning "that" cannot grammatically refer specifically to faith. Therefore, these verses do not state that choosing to accept or reject God's gracious gift of faith is "of works," as Calvinism claims.
For those whose minds now wander to the question "Is it possible for someone who is dead in their sins to respond to the gospel?" consider (1) there is nothing in this passage that suggests such a response is impossible, and (2) verse 5 indeed affirms that it is by God's grace that the spiritually dead are made alive, demonstrating that His grace transcends spiritual death. A better question is "Why assume that God does not or cannot extend His grace to those dead in their sins?" Such an assumption conflicts with each of the following verses: