Day 2: Ephesians 2:1-22
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next Sunday, we are jumping into the book of Ephesians before completing the book of Acts. Comment what sticks out to you from the chapter(s) each day this week!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reading: Ephesians 2:1-22
Made Alive in Christ
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in 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 once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Next Sunday, we are jumping into the book of Ephesians before completing the book of Acts. Comment what sticks out to you from the chapter(s) each day this week!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reading: Ephesians 2:1-22
Made Alive in Christ
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in 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 once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Recent
Archive
2026
January
February
The Power of God's NameSurrendering To God's PlanDeclared InnocentWhat Is Truth?Evidence of His GoodnessIt Is FinishedThe Empty TombJesus AppearsBreathe and BelieveBlessed Are Those Who BelieveThe Invitation To FollowWhen Waiting Becomes WorshipThe Gift of Second ChancesFrom Darkness To LightThe Mission Of Love
March
From Disciple To ApostleThe Power Of The Holy SpiritWitnesses Of The ResurrectionSigns That Point To JesusMaking Discipleship Your Life MissionThe Cost Of DiscipleshipJesus or Jesus Plus?Get Behind Me SatanTrusting Jesus With EverythingHope Has A NameThe Identity ShiftThe Cost Of FollowingLiving For Christ AloneAmbassadors Of ReconciliationWait Actively On The LordThe Power Of Worship In WaitingObedience Before UnderstandingThe Danger Of DistractionCommunity In The WaitingInviting God To InterruptSheep of Goats? Examining Our IdentityTriumphal Entry - Misplaced Hope
April
From Hosanna to Crucify - The Fickleness of Human HeartsLove in Action - Serving The Least Of TheseReturning To The Good ShepherdThe Empty Tomb - Evidence of VictoryWhy Do You Look Among The Dead?Crucified With Christ - Your Personal ResurrectionFrom Fear To Faith - The Disciples' JourneyLiving Resurrection Life DailyDay 1: The Heart of DiscipleshipDay 2: The Power of Your StoryDay 3: Waiting with PurposeDay 4: Community Makes DisciplesDay 5: Healing and Purpose in JesusDay 1: The Consuming Fire of God's PresenceDay 2: Waiting in WorshipDay 3: When God's Timing Exceeds Our PlanningDay 4: Baptized and Filled with the Holy SpiritDay 5: Pierced Hearts and Transformed LivesDay 1: Waiting in WorshipDay 2: Unqualified but ObedientDay 3: The Holy Spirit's PowerDay 4: Church as Family
May
Day 5: Your Life MissionDay 1: What Do You Have to Give?Day 2: Community Over CharityDay 3: Discernment in GivingDay 4: Walking in the LightDay 5: Mission-Focused HelpingDay 1: What Do You Have to Offer?Day 2: Faith That Helps Others StandDay 3: Healing as a Sign Pointing to JesusDay 4: Different Kinds of Healing We All NeedDay 5: Becoming a Healing CommunityDay 1: The Power of the SpiritDay 2: Rejoicing in PersecutionDay 3: United in MissionDay 4: Generous Hearts, Growing ChurchDay 5: Obedience Over ComfortDay 1: Everything Belongs to GodDay 2: The Heart Behind the GiftDay 3: Unity Through the SpiritDay 4: Obedience Over ObligationDay 5: Trusting God's Provision
June
Day 1: The Foundation of Our MissionDay 2: United in PurposeDay 3: God's Heart for the VulnerableDay 4: Sustained by CommunityDay 5: Your Mission FieldDay 1: The Battle Belongs to GodDay 2: The Cost of Following JesusDay 3: Separated for a PurposeDay 4: Spirit-Filled and Spirit-LedDay 5: Hope in the DepthsDay 1: Scattered But Not SilentDay 2: From Slave to ChildDay 3: The Beautiful FeetDay 4: Waiting in HopeDay 5: Living Testimony
Categories
no categories
2 Comments
In reading Eph. 2:6-7, I went back and re-read Eph. 1:17-20. My heartfelt prayers are that the eyes of our hearts will be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which He has called us and His incomparably great power for us who believe! Praise God, for that same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the heavenly realms is ours as believers for God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. Wow! That is powerful! I believe the heavenly realm here refers to the spiritual realm where we communicate with Christ through the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God!
What sticks out to me in chapter 2 is how the writer of Ephesians contrasts life before salvation to life after being saved - something I very often think about. Last night I was going through some items we had in the storage unit that we are separating into “keep, trash, or donate” piles, and I came across my farewell letters from my sorority in college when I graduated. Let’s be clear, other than the obligatory memorization of Philippians 4:8, a meek attempt at seeming Holy, there was nothing genuinely “good” about this sorority. In these letters, my “friends” (that I paid almost $500 a semester for) commended me on what a wonderful person I was and how they learned so much about me and how I inspired them to just be theirselves What stuck out to me the most were the letters that reminisced on the things we did together. My heavens. Things I forgot all about. Things that this new creation, Sefy Lawyer (not Febus) scoffs at and shakes her head at in shame. I stood there and I debated internally if I was going to throw this away or not because there were some fond memories in there. Sort of. But reading Ephesians 2 today, I am reminded that version of me is dead. Sefy Lawyer is alive, raising 2 children to be disciples in Christ (Lord willing), with a loving husband, family, and my CHURCH. My family that encourages me to be like Christ, not to bar crawl or binge drink. Ephesians 2 reminds me of the gift of salvation. It reminds me how lost I was and how thankful I am that now I am found, and recognize it! It reminds me that no matter how far one is from God, He will come to get you if you allow it. I’m trashing the notebook of farewell letters today.