Bible Studies For Life
The Path to Forgiveness Beauty of Forgiveness Session 5 15 NOV 26
EPH 2:1 In verses 1-10 Paul gives three reasons why God wanted to save people: (1) to show His love (vv. 1-6); (2) to show His grace (vv. 7-9); and (3) to show His workmanship by our doing good works (v. 10). Peter emphasized this in (2 Pet 3:9 RSV) "The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." Jesus first declared this to Nicodemus: (John 3:16 RSV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
The “Dead” are separated from God because of sins. This is spiritual death. If a man continues in this state, by continuing to reject Christ, spiritual death becomes the second death, eternal separation from God (Rev. 20:14). (John 3:16 RSV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (Eph 1:13-14 RSV) "In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
EPH 2:2. Both words “prince . . . spirit” refer to Satan. “Sons of disobedience” is a Hebraism for "disobedient people."
EPH 2:3 Man's basic nature has been affected by sin. “Children of wrath” is a Hebraism difficult to translate but meaning "deserving of wrath."
EPH 2:4-5 Dr. Herschel H. Hobbs in his Studying Life and Work Lessons, April-June 1991, page 45 wrote “”But God” makes all the difference in the world. By beginning the sentence with these words, emphasis is being given to them. God “is rich in mercy.” This means His mercy is exhaustless…. “Us” and “we” refer to both Jews and Gentiles alike to whom God shows His mercy.” (Gen 12:3 RSV) "I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves."" Grace saves when responded to by a sinner in the manner specified by God. That manner is (Acts 20:21 RSV) "testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." A personal action in light of the grace-opportunity made possible by Jesus, our Lord and Messiah. Dr. Hobbs makes the truth of Rom 10:9-10 perfectly clears in his comments from page 46: “In verse 5 Paul repeated the thought found in verse 1. Outside of Christ we were dead in sins. But as God raised Jesus from the dead, so He has raised from death of separation from God all who have received Jesus as Savior.” Every Easter most pastors, teachers, music directors, plays, people lose the ability to use the English language. So far this season I have only heard “He is risen.” Do these not know that risen is an action taken by the individual and raised is an action done to an individual? Since when in our language has raise and rise had the same interchangeable meaning? If Jesus is risen, then Jesus got Himself out of death. This addresses the fact that English translations are nit error-free.
Dr. Hobbs wrote “God Raised Jesus from the dead.” Then Jesus is RAISED, not risen. What does the Bible say? Paul wrote (1 Th 1:10 RSV) "and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." Peter said (Acts 3:15 RSV) "and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses." (Acts 5:30 RSV) "The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree." Paul wrote (Rom 8:11 RSV) "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you." (Rom 10:9 RSV) "because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Wow! If I don’t believe God raised Jesus from the dead, I will not be saved! I think this makes it a critical issue of doctrine, and not merely a sloppy use of English.
It is very fundamental to Paul. (1 Cor 6:14 RSV) "And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power." Connect this to (Rom 6:4-5 RSV) "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. {5} For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." (Gal 1:1 RSV) "Paul an apostle -- not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead--" (Eph 1:20 RSV) "which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places," (Col 2:12 RSV) "and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead." And there is Peter who much later wrote (1 Pet 1:21 RSV) "Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." JESUS IS RAISED! If you believe otherwise, the Bible is clear about that as well.
EPH 2:6-7 Note what the verse reads: “and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” Dr. Hobbs, page 46 “Note the parallel between 1:19-20 and 2:5-6. As He raised Christ from physical death, so He raised believers from spiritual death. And He did so for a purpose. As Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand, so in Christ we will sit in heavenly places.” Jesus is RAISED. We will be raised in like manner! That, my friends, is the Gospel Truth.
EPH 2:8-9 These verses must likewise be read as the Greek has it, not as most English translated word them. Dr. Hobbs is very specific about the Greek. Dr. Hobbs, page 47 “The basic meaning of the word [grace] is to make a gift, to forgive a debt or a wrong, or to forgive sin…. You cannot earn or buy salvation. It is wholly God’s gift to believers.” Did you note that? “To BELIEVERS! Unless a sinner Greek-believes in Jesus by ACTS 20:21, there is no grace given. The Bible does not read that salvation is “by grace are you saved” as the Calvinists and many other preach, but instead “by grace are you saved through faith”!
Without Faith, there is no grace given! God’s gift is grace through faith. Grace is a free gift. Faith is not free. This “grace” is the opportunity to repent and have personal faith. Faith costs you your life in commitment to Jesus as Lord and rejection of a life of sin!
So Dr. Hobbs pointed out that “Are ye saved” would better read “have you been saved.” The Greek verb tense is a perfect tense of completeness and permanency. “Been” denotes the passive voice, which means that we are saved by God, not by ourselves.” Therefore the Greek reads “by grace you have already and permanently been saved because of your faith.”!!! So the proper translation is the Greek meaning reading: EPH 2:8 “By God's grace you have already and permanently been saved because of your faith. Without Faith, there is no grace given! God’s gift is grace through faith.”
God has elected all who have saving faith [ROM 10:9-10] to be saved and have eternal security for it. Once adopted, always adopted! This is protected by the same power who raised Jesus from the dead and gave us life to our mortal bodies!
EPH 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” is stated in a different way by Paul in (Rom 12:2 RSV) "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
In either case, Christians are the ones to make it happen! God does not do it for us! (Rom 6:5 RSV) "For if we have been united with him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like His."
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Best Study Guide: How to Study the Bible Principles with Bible, A Study Sources by Orin T. Binkley.
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