Okay, Shabbat Shalom everyone. Nice to see everyone here today. I would like you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians. We have covered the first chapter of the book of Ephesians, and today I would like to read the first 10 verses of Ephesians chapter 2, and I think this passage is so precious to our hearts because we can learn in this passage how the Apostle Paul impresses upon the believers at Ephesus the importance of what God have done for them and the grace of God in Hebrew we said the chesed Elohim the grace of God which brought salvation to those Ephesians believers and you and i can say this for ourselves it is indeed the grace of God that has saved us that brought us to himself, and it is something for us to get a hold of, never to forget the grace of God in our own lives, beloved brothers and sisters.

So turn with me to Ephesians chapter 2, and I want to read just the first 10 verses for this ministry meeting. And I read, And you has he quickened. Who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in time past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ.

By grace ye are saved. And has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Mashiach Yeshua for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. And I'm stopping here in the 10th verse of the second chapter. You know, the more I look over these verses in the book of Ephesians, the more I realize how important this book, this letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to these brethren at Ephesus.

And if you remember in the first chapter, which we have concluded in our previous meetings in dealing with the first chapter, the Apostle Paul in chapter 1 dealt and pointed to believers' spiritual blessings. And you remember what he said in chapter 1 and verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who had blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, in Mashiach. There in this chapter 1 he dealt with the spiritual blessings that believers are possessing because of what Yeshua the Messiah have done for them. But now in the second chapter, beloved brothers and sisters, the Apostle Paul is now moving not to merely talk about the spiritual blessings that we have received as believers, but now in chapter 2 he is dealing with the position that we have because of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

The present position that every believer have because of what our Lord Yeshua have done for us and when he shared these 10 verses with those brethren he majored on three points and I would like just to give you those three points before we're going to go systematically through those verses the first thing that our pastor Paul does in the first three verses of this chapter he described to the brothers and sisters at Ephesus and to you and I the condition that we were and we are by nature he reminded them of where they were and the true condition of the human race of flesh and blood this is what he does in the first three verses of our chapter secondly for verses 4 to 9 the apostle Paul describe what God have done for those that belong to him for his own people through Yeshua the Messiah and finally in verse 10 Paul describe what God is doing in us and through us who believe in his son the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

So there are three major points that we have here in the first 10 verses of Ephesians chapter 2. Let's go through those verses together. Notice what he says, first of all, in verses 1, 2, and 3. Very important to remember. I don't believe for a moment a person can get saved, can appreciate what Yeshua have done, unless he or she recognize who we are by nature and what we are by nature without God, without Christ. Look what he said. First of all, in verse 1, he points out that men, women, people are dead in trespasses and sins. You know everyone that is walking on the streets today who is not a believer in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah who is not forgiven he or she are really dead spiritually a person who is not saved he is lost a person who is not alive spiritually he or she are dead spiritually that's where we all came from beloved brothers and sisters whether we are Jewish or whether we are non-Jewish whether we are born in the land of Israel a descendant of Abraham Isaac and Jacob or whether we are part of the nations of the world every person that have entered into this world is by nature dead in trespasses and sins and look what he's telling to them in verse one and you you Ephesians he has quickened made alive spiritually who were dead in trespasses and sins.

You see what he's saying to the believers at Ephesus? He says, listen, you, brethren at Ephesus, you were dead in trespasses and sins. Now, they were not dead physically, but they were dead spiritually. They were not able to communicate with the living God just the same like you and I were never able to communicate with the living God until we came to faith in our Lord Yeshua, the Mashiach, the Messiah. And that's what we were. And if you remember, brothers and sisters, the Bible used that word dead in more than one way. And you remember how it all began. You remember in Genesis chapter 2, where God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, He gave to Adam this instruction, and we know it very well in chapter 2, verses 16 and 17.

God said to Adam, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will not eat, for in the day that you will eat thereof, dying you shall die. You shall surely die. In Hebrew, mot tamut. Dying you shall die. And lo and behold, and you know the story in chapter 3 of the book of Genesis, Satan came, beguiled Eve, Eve took of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she ate of it, she gave it to her husband, and her husband Adam, in a direct disobedience to God, have violated the word of God and he ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and he plunged the whole human race into sin.

That's how sin entered into this world. You know, sin was not something dramatic that we might say that had happened. It was simply disobedience to the word of God. And Adam who received the word of God have violated the direct command of God. No wonder we see it in our own life, how often we disobey the Lord. This is part of our old sin nature. Disobedience, you know what? We never need to train a child to disobey. You never need to do so. My mother never needed to train me to disobey. I did it naturally. And you and I do it naturally. And that's his sin.

Sin came by disobedience and how often we do so even as believers disobey God disobey the Lord and that's how sin came in the moment Adam sinned what happened he didn't die physically yet but he died spiritually Adam no longer could have a relationship with God he was hiding behind trees he never felt discomfort that he had before he violated the word of God and when God sought for him he says Adam where are you and he said have you eaten of the fruit of the tree which I told you not to eat and Adam and you know the story he began to blame Eve his wife and then Eve blamed Satan and you can see the process that sin came into the world But Adam died, first of all, spiritually, and the word for death in the Bible simply means separation.

When someone died spiritually, he separated from enjoyment of his relationship with the living God. But not only that he died spiritually, it didn't take too long. Of course, in their time, they live from much longer time than we live today. Adam in a certain time certain age died physically and physical death it is separation between the body and the soul and the spirit but this is not the end because beyond spiritual separation and physical separation there is the eternal separation and that's what will happen to every person who dies without dealing with his eternal soul without accepting the Mashiach the Messiah he or she will die eternally Revelation chapter 20 talk about the second death when a person who will have to stand in the great white throne judgment without accept the Messiah Yeshua he will ultimately die eternally and that is what you call the eternal separation the eternal death so what we really see here beloved brothers and sisters Paul is telling to the believers at Ephesus you believers at Ephesus you God had quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins you were dead and you know a dead person he cannot function he cannot move he cannot do anything a dead person and that is really what happened with people who are not saved are.

Unregenerated and you and i have been just the same like this before Yeshua saved us and open our hearts to accept him we were dead we didn't want God in our lives we didn't want to read the Bible we didn't want to sing about Yeshua the Messiah we didn't want to have anything to do with the living God because we were dead spiritually that's the condition that you have had before you became believers in Yeshua the Messiah now I want you to turn to Isaiah for a morning chapter 59 I just want to read you this verse what God said to Israel our people of old many many years ago some 750 years before the Messiah Yeshua came look what he's saying to Israel won't separate us from the living God and we know it very well he said to the people of Israel in chapter 59 verses 1 and 2 behold the Lord's hand is not shortened that he cannot save neither his ear heavy that he cannot hear but your iniquities have separated between you and.

Your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not heal. God is saying to the nation of Israel, you know what caused the separation between me and you? It's your sins and iniquities. And so he's telling to the nation of Israel to remember that and realize that practically because if they want to enjoy the relationship that they ought to have with him, they ought to repent and be restored. To the Ephesians, he says, you know what? That's the way you used to be before you became believers. You were dead in trespasses and sins. And you know what Paul said in Romans 6 and verse 23?

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. You were dead in trespasses and sin. You earned this death, this punishment is because of sin. So, verse 1, sin caused separation. And there is spiritual separation, there is physical separation, and there is eternal separation. There is spiritual death, which leads to physical death, which leads to eternal death. A person who is not regenerated and believer in Yeshua the Messiah, he or she are spiritually dead. Waiting the day that they will be physically dead, and ultimately they will be eternally dead, eternally separated from God.

Well, in verse 2 and 3 of this chapter, he's continuing, and he says, Man disobeyed God and chose rather to follow Satan than God himself. And I want you to notice this. And we cannot blame Adam and Eve, because if you and I were there in the Garden of Eden, we would have done the very same thing. And that's what he's saying in verse 2. Where in time past he walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in time past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh.

Now, you see, I just want you to notice three things here in these two verses, verse 2 and verse 3a. You notice he used the three enemies of the believers today, the world, the devil, and the flesh. Notice that? Do you know that when we became believers in Yeshua, we immediately noticed that we have those three enemies in our life. The flesh is this old sinful nature the world around us is a system that says come let's reject the Messiah come and follow my direction you don't need God in your life this is an evil system in this world and not to forget of course none else but Satan himself who attacks the people of God constantly on a regular basis and so notice that first of all he's saying to them in verse two the first part wherein in time past that means before they became believers ye and now Paul as a Jewish man talking to those Gentile believers at Ephesus and he said you non-Hebrew non-Jewish believers at Ephesus in time past you walked according to the course of this world this world is a system that deny God that deny our Lord Yeshua the Messiah that's where He walked in time past.

Secondly, according to the prince of the power of the air. Who is the prince of the power of the air? None else but Satan himself. He is the prince of the power of the air. This is the atmospheric heavens. All those angels who followed after him, he is the prince of the power of the air. So we see the world and its ways. We see the prince of the power of the air, namely Satan, here in verse 2. And he's called, by the way, at the end of verse 2, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. You know what Satan does today? He influenced the children of disobedience.

In other words, the unbelieving world. You know, we don't realize, beloved brothers and sisters, what is going on in the world in which we live in. We don't see things, but the satanic activities in this world definitely influence many here in this world to carry on in a godless life, in a life without Mashiach, without Christ. That's what Satan does all the time. You know how he does that? By sowing doubts in the lives of people, in the mind of people. You remember when he came to Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he asked this very simple question. Has God said, you know how he does it?

Did God really say that you should not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? And you know, Eve said, well, maybe, you know, maybe God, after all, didn't mean it that way. He sowed doubts. He sowed all kinds of seeds of desire to turn away from the things of God rather than to be brought closer to the Lord, to Yeshua, the Messiah. That's what he does. And he causes men to be blinded. 2 Corinthians 4 said, The God of this world had blinded the mind of them that believe not. The God, small g, of this world, namely Satan, had blinded the mind of those that do not believe in Yeshua the Messiah.

That's where we came from. That's what Paul said to the non-Hebrew believers at Ephesus. He says, you know, that's where you were in the past. You have been influenced by the world and its system. You have been influenced by the prince of the power of the air, which is the spirit that's working now in the children of disobedience. And now notice that he talked about the world in verse 2a. He talked about Satan in verse 2b. And now in verse 3a, he's talking about the flesh, the old nature. And he says in verse 3, among also we, and now he identifies himself as a Jewish person.

You'll notice how many times he says, ye and we. Ye is the Gentiles believers, we are the Jewish believers. And he wants to show how we are all guilty, we are all under the same condition. And that's why he says in verse three, among whom also we, Jewish believers, we all had our conversation in time past in the lust of our flesh. You see what he's saying? And the flesh is this old nature. You know, when we talk about the flesh, we are not talking about the skin upon the bones. No. When the Bible talks about the flesh, he's talking about the human nature. The flesh, the old nature, which all of us possess the moment that we were born to our mothers and our fathers.

We all have this flesh, the old nature, a sin nature. That's why even a nice baby, when a baby is being born, those of us who had children, know how beautiful when you held your little boy, little son, or little girl, And you embrace them and you love them. But this little baby has a same nature. He or she need to come to know Yeshua, the Messiah, before they leave this world because they have the same nature that their mom and dad has. And their mom and dad had the same nature that their mom and dad had. And all of us have the same nature that Adam had received the moment he violated the word of God.

Now look with me for a moment in Psalm 51. Look what David said about himself. The king of Israel, who was the beloved psalmist of our Jewish people, the people of Israel. He was honest enough to say about himself in Psalm 51, in verse 5. I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. David, the king of our people, Israel, the one that was the beloved psalmist of Israel, could say such words about himself? Yes, because he knew his heart. He knew his failure. He knew his condition. He confessed, and he said to God, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness.

I need your mercy and i'm telling you God i know that behold i was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me i am a sinner Paul said in Romans 7 all wretched man that i am and when you look throughout the history of our people Israel old testament new testament the men and women of God all confess their own sinful nature all of them without exception had to recognize their condition before a living God you remember what Isaiah himself said woe is me for I'm a man with unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the king the Lord of hosts David confessed Shaul confessed and the apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians to remind them where they came from and brothers and sisters we have to realize this in ourselves because that's applied to us and we fail as believers recognizing this all sin nature that rises again and again in our very own lives even today as believers in Yeshua the Messiah so he is pointing.

To the disobedience of men towards God choosing to follow Satan rather than the Lord himself, in time past he walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that worketh now in the children of disobedience among whom also we Jewish believers had our conversation in time paths in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh. There are so many verses that can be read in Scripture concerning these things, and let me just read you one verse, apply it to every one of those statements. Turn with me to 1 John chapter 2 verses 15 16 and 17 first the world and its system the apostle John wrote in first John chapter 2 he didn't write to unbelievers he wrote to believers like you and i and he says in verse 15 love not the world neither the things which are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. It is not of the Father, but it is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lusts arose, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Now when he says love not the world, it doesn't mean don't love the trees, and don't love people, don't love the. Enjoyment of God's provision, whatever he had given to us. He's talking about a system. Do not love the system of this world that is headed up by Satan, denying the messiahship of our Lord Jesus, Yeshua.

So he's telling to believers, don't love this system in this world, which deny that God sent His Son, and that Yeshua is the Messiah. So, love not the world, 1 John 2, 15-17. Look at 1 Peter now in connection with the devil. 1 Peter chapter 5, and here is in connection with Satan. What does Satan do all the time, and he does it even today? He's seeking to attack mankind, Specifically to attack the people of God. Notice in 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 8. Be sober. Be vigilant because your adversary the devil is a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. Well, here's another enemy. Not only that the world is our enemy, but Satan.

He's walking like a roaring lion seeking to devour everyone. Is like searching to try to find us in our weakness, in our shortcoming, in a time where we are not sober, you might say, not thinking through and in communion with God, with our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. He's walking about seeking to find out whom he may devour. So Peter is saying to them, be sober and be vigilant. Watch it. Because every time when we are not watching it, Satan is finding the fault in us and finding weakness in us and desiring to destroy our relationship with the Lord one more in connection now with the flesh if you may please turn with me to Romans chapter 7 and here's Paul speaking now so John talked about the world Peter talked about Satan and Paul speak about the flesh in Roman chapter 7 verse 18 for i know that is in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing now if i would write this passage i say you know what brethren i know that in myself there's some bad thing but there are quite a few good things right Paul didn't say it.

Because he knew very well I know that is in me in my flesh dwelleth no good thing that's why many people have a problem they say how can you say that I'm that bad I haven't murdered anybody I haven't done anything that is really really bad you know a few things here and there but I'm pretty decent the Bible said no the Bible said there is no good in man by nature we all have seen Romans 3.23 and come short of the glory of God we miss the Mark that's why the Mashiach Yeshua had to be sent to this world to deliver us from the need and the condition that we have and so if I'll go now to Ephesians chapter 2 and at the end of verse 3 here is where we find out that man by nature is totally depraved it says and we were by nature the children of wrath even as others see that's what he said we were just the same like others don't think for a moment that.

You and i have been brought into the relationship with the Lord because there's something good in us like God looked at us and said wow you have been so great and I decided because of your goodness because of your greatness or because of your family relationship because where you came from I decided that you will be approved and you received because of something that you have done no Paul is saying we were just the same like everyone else like children of wrath you know what children of wrath mean children that are going to be judged God have to judge sin and all have sinned and all deserve the judgment of God and that's where we came from it is totally the grace of God so Paul in verses 1 2 and 3 describe before the believers at Ephesus the condition of the human nature where we all came from and brothers and sisters that's where we all came from Jewish and non-Jewish Jew and Gentile we all came from a condition of what described here.

Dead in trespasses and sins we were spiritually dead so now he's moving on in verses four to nine And now he described something that is really so precious, because he's going now, and he's not describing the condition of the human race and the human nature. In verses 4 to 9, he described what God has done for us. It's so precious to the heart of every one of us, and we are going to revel throughout eternity in what the Lord has done for us. Look at this. There are at least a few things that God have done for us that we can lift up from these verses. The first thing that we find out in verse 4, God loved us.

It says, but God, notice the word but. In spite of where we came from, in spite of our history and our background, in spite of who we were by nature, God have done something about it. And that's why it says, but God. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even where we were dead in sins as he quickened us together with the Messiah by grace are ye saved you notice that what he's saying he's completely turning now the whole thought here for man to God himself And I want you to notice that in verse 4, it was God who was rich in mercy because of his great love wherewith he loved us.

You know, the Bible tells us that God is light and that God is love. 1 John chapter 1 tells us God is light. 1 John chapter 4 tells us that God is love. This is his attributes. God simply is a God of light. And light speaks about his holiness but also God is love that's the character of God if there was no person here in the world to save it will not change for a moment the fact that God is still a God of love and love have to express itself God desire to express himself he longed to lavish his love upon the human race but he's also light and you know he's holy so his holiness demands justice and his love demands mercy to be shown so because he's holy justice must be made and because he's love mercy and grace has to be expressed so what did he do and that's why it says here in verse 4 but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us and i have in my mind so many verses in the Bible that talk about the love of God a love of God towards our people Israel the love of God towards the world the love of God towards the body of.

Messiah the church the ecclesia the love of God towards each and every one of us in his own personal relationship with God it was God who said in Jeremiah chapter 31 concerning the people of Israel i have loved you with an everlasting love Jeremiah 31 and verse 3 God said to our nation Israel listen Israel i love you and my love towards you is eternal love i love you with an everlasting love one of the verses that we love to quote and most of us know it by heart John chapter 3 16 Yohanan for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son the love of God towards the world who did in trespasses and sins Paul said in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25 he's talking to the husbands and wives husbands love your wives and then he says how you are to love your wife is the Messiah Christ love the church love the assembly love the congregation love the ecclesia husband love your wife is the Messiah love the body of Messiah the church and.

Gave himself for her here's a love towards the body of Messiah this is all of us here together and all believers united in the body of Christ the body of Messiah and then another one that i love very much is when the apostle Paul says in galatian 2 the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Paul said it in galatian can you imagine God love you individually me individually he doesn't only love Israel as a nation he doesn't only love the whole body of believers the church the ecclesia he doesn't only love the whole world collectively but he loves us individually he loves you you know sometimes we feel so much unloved by the world in which we live in there's so many children so many people that have nobody care for them and they are alone and they feel so discouraged and yet we know very well that God loves them individually none of us can say the word nobody loves me even though we have to admit many times we feel like that nobody cares.

And yet the Bible said to us in verse 4 but God who is rich in mercy for his great love with which he had loved us see love expresses itself through mercy the Hebrew word mercy is or grace is hen or chesed God in his grace have loved us so much love must express itself in mercy and in grace the truth that we learn in verse 4 of this chapter is that God is love and his love for us is eternal his love towards us is not temporary it is unconditional love we fail him yet his love is unchangeable it is amazing to get hold of it and that's why Paul is emphasizing this when he's writing to the Ephesians, he wanted to remind them that first of all, God loved them.

Don't forget it, brothers and sisters. I don't have to tell you, I need to say it to myself. Brother Gideon, don't forget it. Sometimes we forget that, that God love us. Don't. Forget it so verse 5 now he's moving and not only that God loves us but he made us alive spiritually see what he says in verse 5 even when we were dead in sins he has quickened us together with Christ by grace i saved what does that mean even when we were spiritually dead we did not want God in our lives what did he do he said i want you i will raise you now he doesn't talk here about physical resurrection the word for quicken us has to do with a spiritual resurrection in other words he had quicken us made us alive not yet physically in a sense of raised our bodies when we're going to be at the resurrection and at ascension but he made us alive spiritually he raised us as it says here in verse 5 when we were dead in sins he had quicken us and notice it says he quickened us together with the Messiah together with Christ in other words God.

Had raised us and as far that he have taken the Messiah as far as we know that he have taken Yeshua the Messiah and he've already placed him at the pinnacle of the universe at his right hand as far as God's concern every believer in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah is seen by God as if we are already in the presence of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah in glory while we are actually still here we are walking here i'm standing before you we're going to get up in a moment we're going to go to the kitchen we're going to have a time of fellowship we just came from our various homes to the meeting together we are only temporarily now still here in this world but he has made us alive spiritually positionally we are seen as we are seated with our Lord Yeshua the Messiah in heaven this is an incredible thing to understand this does not talk about the physical resurrection he's talking about here of spiritual resurrection in verse 5 of our chapter now how does he do that spiritually.

To resurrect us to make us alive he's using his word he's using the power of the Spirit of God to wake us up for example Roman chapter 10 and verse 17 it says faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God how did we come to be spiritually awakened and resurrected well we heard the word of God the Spirit of God impressed upon our hearts God's word and we have been awakening we woke up spiritually and we become alert and awakened to the truth of the word of God look at the verse in John 5 Yeshua spoke in those earlier verses of this chapter and he said in verse 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that send me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.

You see what Yeshua said? He that heareth my word, faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that send me hath everlasting life. In other words, he was quickened, was made alive spiritually, and will not come into condemnation. This is what we have here in John chapter 5 and verse 24. In this chapter 2, in verse 5, where it says, we are quicken us together with Christ, with the Messiah. Notice what it says in chapter 1. Just go back to the previous chapter. In chapter 1, verse 19, look what he did with the Messiah. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward, who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, in Mashiach, when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places.

You see, God raised the Mashiach physically from the dead, placed him at his right hand in heaven, And now you and I are looked upon as if we are seated with Yeshua, the Messiah, in heaven. That's why verse 5 says of our second chapter, when we were dead in sins, he had quickened us together with Mashiach, with Messiah, with Christ. And then we have in bracket this word, by grace I saved. We're going to talk about it as we're going to go down in the next few verses. But let's move on now to verse 6. Notice that so God loved us verse 4 God quicken us verse 5 now verse 6 God have exalted us or set us on high as it says in verse 6 he has raised us up together and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Mashiach Yeshua in Messiah Jesus in Christ Jesus now notice he used the word here twice the word together and here the thought here and i like the thought because Paul as a Jewish believer talking to the non-Jewish believers and he said to them you in time past worked according to this world but we also have done so as Jewish people in the past as well And now what happened when we became believers, he had now, as it says in verse 6, he raised us Jewish believers, non-Jewish believers.

Together he raised us up and made us Jew and Gentile believers to sit in heavenly places in the Messiah together. So what we learn here, that not only that he waken us spiritually, but he also placed us already at the right hand of the majesty on high with Yeshua the Messiah in heaven, in where the Lord is, positionally, even though we are still here in this world today. Now you go and figure this out try to explain this how is it possible i'm there you are there with Yeshua the Messiah and at the same time we are here in this world and we are speaking and we are talking we're living we are walking here in this world how is it possible that's where we must understand the truth of positional truth and practical truth positionally as far as God's concern we are already in the presence of his son at the right hand of the father practically we are here and now walking here stumbling here dishonoring the Lord a time honor him a time living here in the school that God teaches us here many things in this world but nevertheless our spiritual position is in the heavenly places in the Messiah himself because of what Yeshua have done let me read one more verse please in Philippians chapter 3 i want you to notice this very interesting verse in verse 20 it says for our conversation it's actually our politic or our citizenship.

Is in heaven from whence also we look for the Savior the Lord Yeshua the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ you notice he used the word in verse 20 for our citizenship or our politic is actually in heaven from whence we also look forward for the Savior our Lord Yeshua the Messiah you see what happened really every one of us have more than one citizenship we are citizen here of this country but we also our citizenship really is in heaven actually the Bible look at us as if we just came from heaven to be a representative of God here upon the face of this earth we are really an ambassadors we were sent to this country well some of us had more than one citizenship i have dual citizenship israeli and canadian but we have a third one which is in heaven and so what we really have beloved brothers and sisters our citizenship is really in heaven we are looked upon in Scripture as if we are already there and we have been sent.

Temporarily to represent our Lord Yeshua the Messiah here on earth until he's going to come and we look for him at his coming at the rapture he's going to come and take us to be with him in heaven and we are going to spend eternity with him in glory so God loved us verse 4 God quicken us verse 5 God have exalted us verse 6 positionally spiritual position in the heavenlies for every believer in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah then look at this the next verse 7 he continue now and he's saying okay so brothers and sisters i want you to know that it's not only what happened in the past and not only what's going on in the present but you have to know what is going to happen throughout eternity in the future you see actually verses 1 2 and 3 that's the past verses 4 5 and 6 that's the present verse 7 is the future past dead in trespasses and sins present have been loved by God resurrected spiritually by God ascended by God present.

Tense experience of all believers but there's a future and what's happening in the future verse seven God is going to display us in all the ages to come to display to show forth his praise of his glory through every person that he had brought to himself that's why it says in verse 7 in order that in the ages to come he might show he might display the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Mashiach Yeshua and you notice this expression that in the ages to come now you remember the promise of Israel said from eternity to eternity you are God thou art God God is eternal and when he saved us and brought us to himself he's not only intent to say to you you know what here is get your ticket and you're going to be forgiven now because you believe in Yeshua the Messiah go to this place those of you don't believe go to this place and on but God want to display throughout the ages to show us the believers in Yeshua the Messiah.

In relationship to his son he's going to do so also with the nation of Israel he will display the nation of Israel who will come to a time of national salvation in relationship to the Messiah he's now of course talking about the church the assembly the ecclesia he's going to display our relationship with him and his grace towards us he's going to display it through the ages to come what he's going to display what he's going to show in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us you know what we are going to say and speak about and sing about throughout eternity and that's going to be displayed by the way who is going to display well he's going to display us this is the believer the redeemed people before the whole angelic realm to show to them the grace of God you know that the angels today when they look down from heaven and they're amazed they see how is it possible that those people who deserve to be judged are now sitting around the Lord.

Are enjoying a relationship with the Lord how could he do that that's why it says it is the grace and his kindness the word kindness reminds us of what David had done who is a type of the Messiah when he took Mephibosheth you remember in the book of 2 Samuel Mephibosheth who was the grandson son of King Saul and Mephibosheth was lame on both of his feet. And David said, is there anyone who remained from the family of Jonathan, Yonatan, that I will show him the kindness of God? And he brought Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth was lame. He couldn't walk. Just like you and I, lame. Spiritually, we were dead in trespasses and sin.

And David took Mephibosheth and set him at the table and the Bible says that Mephibosheth sat continually at the table of King David you and I who were in type Mephibosheth breathing shame by nature we were brought into the table of the Lord and we are positionally eternally are going to sit around him and enjoy the kindness of the Lord that's why it says. That throughout the ages he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us Jew and Gentile, Paul and the Ephesians but how did he do it? Through Christ, the Mashiach, Yeshua when our Lord Jesus the Messiah died on the cross he paid the penalty for our sin he made us suitable to be accepted in the beloved God accepted us God showed his grace towards us God showed his kindness towards us and brought us to himself and so brothers and sisters verses 4 5 6 and 7 he loved us he quickened us he exalted us and he will display us in the future day now you and i might say i'm not the kind of a guy that need to be displayed if you only knew my heart you know what somebody said if we will wear our hearts on our forehead all of us going to end up staying at home we will not come out because our hearts even as believers terrible but he will display us because you're going to say look at this person.

I have saved her i have saved him i showed my kindness towards them they don't deserve it but because of what i have done out of the abundant of my heart i brought them to myself to be placed in such a favored place and so now brothers and sisters in verses eight and nine as We are drawing towards the end of this ministry meeting concerning the grace of God towards sinful humanity. In verses 8 and 9, he emphasizes that this gift of salvation is totally from God and not from man. Lest anybody will say, well, you know what, after all, God had chosen me or God had brought me to himself because I have done something about it.

And look how he emphasizes here his grace. It says in verse 8 and 9 and i read it together for by grace i is saved through faith and that is not of yourself it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast you see what Paul is saying he's now closing in on this thought of concerning the grace of God the one who showed his grace towards the human race he says listen you are saved by grace the word for grace in the Greek is charis c-h-a-r-i-s in Hebrew the word is chen or chesed by chesed are ye saved unmerited favor of God towards mankind by grace by chesed by chesed are you saved you are not saved because of something that you have done you are saved by grace it is totally grace you know there's a song sometime that we sing grace grace God's grace grace that is greater than all our sin that's the grace of God it is greater than all our sin and so he says by grace I saved and then he.

Said how you are saved by grace through faith you remember we spoke about Romans 10 17 faith comes by hearing hearing the word of God and when we heard of the grace of God through Yeshua the Messiah we have accepted it we believed it but brothers and sisters listen to that because it says through faith but then he said it is not of yourself it is a gift of God now he's not talking about the fact that the grace is the gift of God yes it is the gift of God but here in the connection it's that faith it is a gift of God even believing in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah was a production the Lord worked this out in our hearts you remember what we read in Ephesians 1 verse 4 who have chosen us before the foundation of the world you know some of us might say well you know God did his part and i did my part and it sounds like boy God judged his son and he did.

His part and then we did our part we believe in a sense like it sounds like it is there is 50 50 you see but it's really the apostle emphasized the fact that it is totally a work of God he is the one that worked this out even for us to believe you remember what the man says Lord i believe but help my unbelief men love darkness rather than light God had to quicken men in order for him even to believe in the message of the gospel and so we read in verse 9 where it says not of works let any man should boast you know we might say you know i did something God did his portion i did some work you see and i've earned it i've done something for God for him to give me salvation and Paul says not of works lest any man should boss you know what brothers and sisters if God have done everything and we only need to say i'll move my little finger in order to get saved we all.

Might go and say you know this is my part i've done it but it's nothing that we have done you know the only thing we brought to the table is our sins. That's the only thing that we have brought to the table. God had brought everything himself. He brought his son. Look at Philippians chapter 2. Some use this verse to say, you see, the Bible said that we need to work for our salvation because it says in Philippians chapter 2 and it says in verse 12, wherefore my beloved brethren as ye have always obeyed not in my presence only but now much more in my absent work out your own salvation with fear and trembling so some use this verse to say you see it says we have to work out for our salvation to work for it but notice first of all the apostle Paul talked to the brethren they were already believers says wherefore my beloved is calling them as you have already obeyed before not only in my present but now much more in my absent he says work out your own salvation notice he doesn't say work out for your salvation but work out the very own salvation that you already have work it out live it out show it in your life that you really belong to Yeshua.

The Messiah work it out don't work for it you can't work for it but work it out in your life that's what he's really saying and then notice that and i'm going to just conclude and draw to the end here in verse 9 of Ephesians chapter 2 not a works that any man should boast he's concluding now in the final verse here in verse 10 and he says these words for we are his work workmanship created in the Mashiach Yeshua unto good works which God has beforehand ordained that we should walk in them and here the Apostle Paul says not only that God have worked in our life in order to lead us to himself but he's also worked through us not only that he worked in us but he worked through us we are his workmanship in other words God created us so we will display here in this world the person of our Lord and work and serve for him and through him in our life here.

And that's why he's closing this portion he says for we are his workmanship that expression for workmanship we are God's product his word we know when somebody made some kind of work he makes some kind of nice structure and so on well that's what God have done in creating us we are actually God's creation God's production he works in us and he also work through us and the purpose of this as it says in verse 10 we are created in Yeshua the Messiah unto good works and that's why brothers and sisters, we say clearly, works do not save, but works are an evident of a saved person.

We are not saved by works, but we are saved for works. So we can live a life that is pleasing to God, and God can say well done good and faithful servant I'm going to read the final verse and I'm concluding with this verse and the verse is again in Philippians chapter 2 and this time it's. Verse 13 for it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure see God work in the believer's life in order that we will do that which is for his good pleasure so every time when we do the right thing and we are allowing the Spirit of God to control us we are really doing that which is pleasing to the Lord and he is the one that received the pleasure it is unto his good pleasure he worked in us he worked through us he produced in the lives of the believer that which is an honoring thing unto him and so in these 10 verses we can really grasp as we read them and hopefully the Spirit of God will help us to grasp it we see the grace of God towards us towards a sinful man and by producing a work in our life that would bring people who are redeemed for himself which ultimately he will display them here in the universe throughout.

Eternity throughout the ages to come until those days when he's going to take us to be with him may he help us to live a life that is pleasing to him here in this world