New Life “Together With Christ”: Ephesians 2:4-7
“1) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2) in which you 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. 3) Among them we too 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. 4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7) so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:1-7
We have already looked at the first three verses in this context. We recognize that as nonChristians, we were dead in our trespasses and sin. Verses 1-3 described our lost condition. We walked according to the course of this world, we were under the influence and control of Satan, we were living according to the desires of the flesh and of the mind.
Did you catch that? The flesh and the soul were in control. They were in the drivers seat. Our spirit was dead.
So what happens at the moment of salvation? God does something profound inside of us because He is full of mercy and love.
Let me quote verse 5 for emphasis; “ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”. Did you catch that? We were made alive “together” with Christ. Zoe life started. The human spirit came alive and was filled with the Holy Spirit.
But there is more! We were raised up with Christ, and seated with Him in heavenly places. What does that mean?
This is a direct reference back to Ephesians 1:3; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…”.
Instead of worldly life, we have heavenly life available to us. Instead of being governed by the flesh and soul, we can be governed by the spirit. Instead of the price of the power of the air, we have full access to God and the Holy Spirit. Instead of the kingdom of darkness controlling our lives, we are translated into the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:12-13) The meaning of Zoe life is beginning to take shape.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says; “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Did you catch that? We are new and fundamentally different from our previous non-Christian state.
But there is the problem. Having the spirit come alive at the moment of salvation, doesn’t mean we automatically start walking in the spirit and living on the level of Zoe life. It must be learned and entered. We must put off the old self, be renewed in the spirit of our mind and put on the new self. (Ephesians 4:20-24).
Sadly, nobody taught me this process when I became a Christian! I was born again, but for the most part continued to live on the level of the flesh and the soul. It took me years to understand that the book of Ephesians was written to help new believers step into the full benefits of Zoe life and live and function at a much higher level.
You are about to see the book of Ephesians in a whole new light. You are also going to be radically stretched in your understanding of the Christian life. Get ready to enter the new Promised Land “in Christ.”
Tragically, what you are about to learn will sound strange, foreign and even radical to you. Evangelicals and charismatics alike are about to be stretched.
But what you are about to learn is not only biblical, it was normal for the early Christians. You are about to discover why the book of Acts was filled with continual signs and wonders and why modern western Christianity is so natural, dead and powerless. The blinders are about to be removed from your eyes.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
“1) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2) in which you 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. 3) Among them we too 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. 4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7) so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:1-7
We have already looked at the first three verses in this context. We recognize that as nonChristians, we were dead in our trespasses and sin. Verses 1-3 described our lost condition. We walked according to the course of this world, we were under the influence and control of Satan, we were living according to the desires of the flesh and of the mind.
Did you catch that? The flesh and the soul were in control. They were in the drivers seat. Our spirit was dead.
So what happens at the moment of salvation? God does something profound inside of us because He is full of mercy and love.
Let me quote verse 5 for emphasis; “ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”. Did you catch that? We were made alive “together” with Christ. Zoe life started. The human spirit came alive and was filled with the Holy Spirit.
But there is more! We were raised up with Christ, and seated with Him in heavenly places. What does that mean?
This is a direct reference back to Ephesians 1:3; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…”.
Instead of worldly life, we have heavenly life available to us. Instead of being governed by the flesh and soul, we can be governed by the spirit. Instead of the price of the power of the air, we have full access to God and the Holy Spirit. Instead of the kingdom of darkness controlling our lives, we are translated into the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:12-13) The meaning of Zoe life is beginning to take shape.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says; “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Did you catch that? We are new and fundamentally different from our previous non-Christian state.
But there is the problem. Having the spirit come alive at the moment of salvation, doesn’t mean we automatically start walking in the spirit and living on the level of Zoe life. It must be learned and entered. We must put off the old self, be renewed in the spirit of our mind and put on the new self. (Ephesians 4:20-24).
Sadly, nobody taught me this process when I became a Christian! I was born again, but for the most part continued to live on the level of the flesh and the soul. It took me years to understand that the book of Ephesians was written to help new believers step into the full benefits of Zoe life and live and function at a much higher level.
You are about to see the book of Ephesians in a whole new light. You are also going to be radically stretched in your understanding of the Christian life. Get ready to enter the new Promised Land “in Christ.”
Tragically, what you are about to learn will sound strange, foreign and even radical to you. Evangelicals and charismatics alike are about to be stretched.
But what you are about to learn is not only biblical, it was normal for the early Christians. You are about to discover why the book of Acts was filled with continual signs and wonders and why modern western Christianity is so natural, dead and powerless. The blinders are about to be removed from your eyes.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
