In the second chapter of Ephesians, in the first seven verses, we are shown the greatness of God’s grace. In these few verses, we see our past state, our present state, and our eternal future that the Heavenly Father has prepared for us.
Our past state is seen in verses one through three. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 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. 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.” Ephesians 2:1–3 (NASB95)
Our present state is described in verses four through six. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4–6 (NASB95) Through God’s grace we are saved, made alive, raised up, and seated with Him in the heavenly places.
Our eternal future is shown to us in verse seven. “So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7 (NASB95) God is creating an eternal expression of His grace for all creation to see.
The writer of Ephesians goes on to emphasize that we are saved solely by God’s grace. All we need to do is simply believe and receive – nothing else is required. For in His mercy, the Father reached out to love us – an unworthy people – showing us His grace through Christ Jesus, His Son. And it is God who continues to be at work within us. We are His creative work.
Ephesians 2:10 says that we are His workmanship—His pŏiēma1—God’s poem.2 Those who were nothing are becoming His poem—His magnificent creative work. God intends that through our lives, and throughout the ages to come, that He will continually exhibit “the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us.” This is truly amazing. For we are becoming an eternal expression of His grace.
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1. ποίημαpŏiēma, poy´-ay-mah; from 4160; a product, i.e. fabric (literally or figuratively): - thing that is made, workmanship. #4161. From James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 59
2.The origin of the word poem is from an early variant of the Greek word poiema – a thing made or created – to make or compose. A poem is something that arouses strong emotion because of its beauty.
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