“Tell it like it is” is a phrase that became common in the decade of the sixties, and carried on into the seventies. It had its origin in the personal growth movement, i.e., sensitivity training, when the emphasis was on personal confrontation, honesty, and no-holds-barred sharing of feelings and responses. It spilled over into other areas of life. Politicians, news commentators, and other public communicators have been fond of claiming to “tell it like it is.” One popular newscaster on national TV closed his show by saying, “And that’s the way it is.”

Paul needed no encouragement to “tell it like it is.” But not only that, he “told it as it could be.” This section of chapter 2 is a graphic presentation of God’s power for redemption. The chapter division is arbitrary. There is no break at this point with what he has been saying in chapter 1; the working of God’s mighty power is still the theme. That power was wrought in Christ Jesus, raising Him from the dead and seating Him at God’s right hand. That power also works in individual members of the body (church), raising us who are “dead in trespasses and sins” (v. 1), and making us “alive together with Christ” (v. 5) and seating us “together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (v. 6).

The predicament and possibility of each one of us is drawn in graphic relief.

Made Alive with Christ

¹And 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. – Ephesians 2:1-3 NKJV

The focus of begins with the gentiles but then concludes with we, all. In verse 2, Paul uses the terms of walking. Walk” was a verb used frequently in the New Testament, especially by Paul (31 times) to denote moral behavior. Apart from Christ we are pulled to conform to the standards of the present world order. Without Christ we are doomed to the death that is inevitable for those who follow a godless and worldly humanity.

“How is your walk?” is a common discussion point in church circles, and is a great opening point for us.

Using the basis of “walk” being in reference to moral behavior, how have you been transformed over time, and how are things now. What are your battles, what are your struggles?

⁴ But 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, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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. – Ephesians 2:4-7 NLT

God picked us out at the orphanage, he adopted us.  He had known about us before we were born and he was delighted when we finally got here. It took many of us years to mature enough to get a grasp of what we have.  It is hard to believe at times that it is real, that it is not a temporary thing that we are going to lose or be heartbroken over.

How had God been showing you his “exceeding riches of HIs grace”?

⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT

A challenging concept that still embattles followers of Christ is the idea that involvement in Church or others is an obligation for salvation.  That if we don’t do good things, God will revoke the salvation offered.  That a good promise can be missed, all based on our behavior. Salvation is a gift, not a payment or reward for doing good.  Salvation is not a graduation service, a certification of what we do. Christ has already done what needs to be done.

If our salvation is not based on good works, then why do we need to volunteer, serve or even be involved in church?

In verse 10 we read the famous reference to being a masterpiece.  What is a masterpiece and what does this mean for each of us?

Oneness and Peace in Christ

¹¹ Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. ¹² In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. ¹³ But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. – Ephesians 2:11-13 NLT

Verse 11 has an interesting statement where it claims that circumcision had effects on their bodies, but not their hearts.  How is this possible and can we relate to this statement beyond circumcision?

The thought and phrase, “absence makes the heart grow fonder” has been used to encourage those missing something.  When we are separated from someone the reuniting can be a joyful moment. Many of us have gone through “seasons” in our life where the engagement and involvement of Christ in our lives has been weak or estranged.

Can you describe the feelings of being “brought near to God”?

¹⁴ For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. ¹⁵ He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. ¹⁶ Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. ¹⁷ He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. ¹⁸ Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. – Ephesians 2:14-18 NLT

Paul talks specifically about the separation of Jews and Gentiles in Ephesus, but Jesus has also made fellowship among us possible.  Back then there was a lot of derision between Jews and Gentiles, but today there seems to be multiple groups of people, whether it is race, gender, sexual orientation, and even religion.

How does the work of Christ address these separations and how has it impacted your personal life?

A Temple for the Lord

¹⁹ So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. ²⁰ Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. ²¹ We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. ²² Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

The words used here, obviously, meant a lot to the Gentiles, but if we fully understand the principles, it should mean a lot to us.  When we visit or stay somewhere, a hotel, a condo, or even a relatives house. We are told to “make ourselves at home”, but we know it is not our place. We might get comfortable and settle in a bit, but in our mind we know it is not ours, that it is temporary and we have no real involvement or influence on our surroundings.

Things shift when we are adopted or included in the family. Whether we marry into a relationship and now become part owners of our spouses possessions or if we buy a new residence and what used to be not ours, is now ours.  That is the the mind shift as we are adopted “permanently” into a new family. Our father, not landlord, is God, we are chosen, we are set apart.

This week, use this fact to change your mind, and approach to your challenges this week. Monitor your “walk” this week. Does your walk match your talk? Use this as a challenge to evaluate if your authenticity is the same and consistent through out the week. If there are certain days that are out of the norm, capture the ideas, situations and your mindset on those days and moments. Get some time with someone you trust and expose these situations. Have some healthy dialog. Don’t just ignore the situations. Be aware and attentive.

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Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Eph 2:1–22). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

The New King James Version. (1982). (Eph 2:4–10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Dunnam, M. D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Galatians / Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / Philemon (Vol. 31, p. 165). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.