Ephesians 2:11-2211Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:11‑22)EPH 2:11-2211Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:11‑22)
This scripture gives us quite a good part of the vocation wherewith we are called (Eph. 4:11I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, (Ephesians 4:1)). Nearness to God is a part of it; "Ye who sometime were far off are made nigh," and the means of it is the blood of Christ. Here it is individual; down towards the end of the chapter it is collective. We are not speaking of the relationship, but of the effect, and it is nearness to God in Christ. "Through Him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (verse 18.) This is new ground, and has changed our relationship entirely, as being in Adam. Now we are in our new creation place, "in Christ." It is a wonderful thing to recognize that we are dead in Christ, and risen in Christ. It is most important for us to know, not only that the blood has cleansed us from our sins, but that it has put us into a new place, entirely. Those who are "in Christ Jesus" cannot get any farther up, nor down. It is not experience, but it is our position before God, in Christ. We are partakers of the new creation; we are His workmanship (Eph. 2:1010For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)).
Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1) gives us what there is not for those who are in Christ Jesus, but does not give us what there is, and the first thing God teaches us is to know that those who are in Christ are as far beyond the reach of condemnation as He is. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Well, what is there? There is nearness to God in new creation. Then, Rom. 8:22For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) adds to that, for there we get the power of the new state. The Holy Spirit dwells in us—the power of that new life: "For the law of the Spirit of life"—not only the Holy Spirit, but the new life—"the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." It is not only a new position, but it is a new state also. I suppose that is the new life, not the person of the Spirit, as we get farther down. You get the Spirit as life, and then the Spirit later in the chapter means the power of the life. It is difficult to separate, but they can be distinguished, down to the 13th verse. After that it is the personal Spirit, distinct from the new life, but to the 13th verse the two go together; the Spirit is the power of that new life.
In John 20:2222And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: (John 20:22), He breathed into them, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." The two go together— the life, and the power. There He was the head of a new creation, and breathed into them that life in new creation, of which the Spirit is the power.
The Holy Spirit dwelling in us also is union with Christ in glory, not only the life now, for John could go that length, giving us oneness of life, but union with Christ is by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us. Every one that is sealed by the Spirit is also united to Christ the Head in glory, and thus are members of His body. In the end of Eph. 2, we have the relationship to God as His house, and that is quite a different thing from union with Christ, but that is part of the vocation.
What two wonderful verses are Eph. 2:10, 1310For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13): "We are His workmanship," and what a word that is— God's workmanship—"created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Then, "But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." That is also part of the vocation.
We can expect to see in believers something like a reflection of Christ Himself—a reproduction of Christ in us, however small it may be. The more we live in the Spirit, and in the power of the Spirit, the more it is produced in us. Having our eyes on Christ, with Him before our souls, produces it. We can't produce it ourselves. That is being transformed—changed from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:1818But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)). It is to have Christ before us. All power, wisdom and grace comes from Christ. He is the Head and Fountain.
The Spirit of God will minister Christ to us, that in our walk and our ways there might be a faint reflection, at any rate, of what He is. The way in which He walked is the standard for our walk down here. "He that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." That is accomplished by God working in our souls; it is wrought in us by the Spirit of God and the Word of God, and it comes out in our walk and ways. God always begins inside.
In Eph. 2:1919Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (Ephesians 2:19), we find God has a family, and we are all of the household of God. In the next chapter we have heirship, but that too is only a part of the calling wherewith we are called. I have noticed that we find many of God's people, and we thank God for it, who go as far as "that He might gather into one the children of God which are scattered abroad." That is John's line of things, but when we come to Paul's line, it is Christ, the Center, and the Head of the body, and all linked up with Him, in union, by the Spirit of God. The unity of the body, and the unity of the family are distinct and separate lines of truth, and have their corresponding responsibilities and affections.
Here it is brought out that God has a family, and that is the most intimate relationship into which it is possible for God to bring us. But Christ has a body, and we are part of that. We have those two things in this epistle. The household of God is viewed from another standpoint, and discipline is connected with it, but not with the body of Christ. All this comes in with the vocation wherewith we are called.
We are also sealed by the Spirit of God; God now by the Spirit claims our bodies as His temple individually. So "grieve not the Holy Spirit" comes in this epistle also, as an important thing for our souls. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. We have a relationship to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Then there is a certain state of soul much needed in order to respond, to walk worthy of this vocation.
What is that state of soul, heart, and mind? "With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, for-bearing one another." This is what is needful, whether it be our relationship to God as His children, or our relationship to Christ as members of His body; this we would call the "Spirit of Christ." The result of the Spirit of God dwelling in us is the Spirit of Christ manifested in our walk and ways. You will find the two spoken of in Rom. 8:99But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9). If the Spirit of God does not dwell in us, the Spirit of Christ cannot shine out from us. A man today who is not sealed by the Holy Spirit would not be of Him. The believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, has the character of Christ, has the Spirit of Christ, coming out. W. Potter