Ephesians 2:7

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. [ Endeixeetai (G1731)] 'That He might show forth (middle reflexive voice: for His own glory, Ephesians 1:6; Ephesians 1:12; Ephesians 1:14) in the ages which are coming on' - i:e., the blessed ages of the Gospel which supersede 'the age [ aioona (G165), "course"] of this world' (Ephesians 2:2), and the past "ages" from which the mystery...

7._That in the ages to come. _The final and true cause — the glory of God — is again mentioned, that the Ephesians, by making it the subject of earnest study, might be more fully assured of their salvation. He likewise adds, that it was the design of God to hallow, in all ages, the remembrance of so great goodness. This exhibits still more strongly the hateful character of those by whom the free calling of the Gentiles was attacked; for they were endeavoring instantly to crush that scheme which was destined to be remembered through all ages. But we, too, are instructed by it, that the mercy of God, who was pleased to admit our fathers into the number of his own people, deserves to be held in everlasting remembrance. The calling of the Gentiles is an astonishing work of divine goodness, which ought to be handed down by parents to children, and to their children’s children, that it may nev...

1-10 Sin is the death of the soul. A man dead in trespasses and sins has no desire for spiritual pleasures. When we look upon a corpse, it gives an awful feeling. A never-dying spirit is now fled, and has left nothing but the ruins of a man. But if we viewed things aright, we should be far more affected by the thought of a dead soul, a lost, fallen spirit. A state of sin is a state of conformity to this world. Wicked men are slaves to Satan. Satan is the author of that proud, carnal disposition which there is in ungodly men; he rules in the hearts of men. From Scripture it is clear, that whether men have been most prone to sensual or to spiritual wickedness, all men, being naturally children of disobedience, are also by nature children of wrath. What reason have sinners, then, to seek earnestly for that grace which will make them, of children of wrath, children of God and heirs of glory...

Verse 7. _THAT IN THE AGES TO COME_] God has produced us an _example_, and one which shall be on record through all generations, that he quickens dead souls; that he forgives the sins of the most sinful, when they repent and believe in Christ Jesus. So that what God has done for the sinners at _Ephesus_ will serve as an encouragement to all ages of the world; and on this _evidence_ every preacher of the Gospel may boldly proclaim that Christ saves unto the uttermost all that come unto God through him. And thus the _exceeding riches_ of his grace will appear in the provision he has made for the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles. This observation of the apostle is of great use and importance; because we are authorized to state, in all the successive ages of the world, that he who saved the sinners at Ephesus is ever ready to save all who, like them, repent of their sins, and believe in...

THAT IN THE AGES TO COME - In all future times. The sense is, that the riches of divine grace, and the divine benignity, would be shown in the conversion of Christians and their salvation, to all future times. Such was his love to those who were lost, that it would be an everlasting monument of his mercy, a perpetual and unchanging proof that he was good. The sense is, we are raised up with Christ, and are made to partake of his honor and glory in order that others may forever be impressed wish a sense of the divine goodness and mercy to us. THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE - The “abounding, overflowing” riches of grace; compare the notes, Ephesians 1:7. This is Paul’s favorite expression - an expression so beautiful and so full of meaning that it will bear often to be repeated. We may learn from this verse:...

EXPOSITION EPHESIANS 2:1 SPIRITUAL HISTORY OF THE EPHESIANS. This passage corresponds to Genesis 1:1. It is a history of creation, and we note the same great stages. 1. Chaos (Genesis 1:1). 2. The dawn—the Spirit of God moving on the face of the waters (Genesis 1:4). 3. The work of creation—in successive stages (Genesis 1:4-1)....

THAT IN THE AGES TO COME,.... This is the end of God's permitting sin, in which men are morally dead; and of his suffering them to go on in sin, in a state of unregeneracy; and of his quickening them with Christ, and raising them up, and causing them to sit together with him: namely, that HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE: riches being added to grace, denote the valuableness of it, as well as its plenty and abundance; and also the freeness and liberality of God in giving it; and likewise the enriching nature of it: and these riches are exceeding; they exceed the riches of this world, in the immenseness of them, being unsearchable; and in the inexhaustibleness of them, for though such large treasures have been expended upon such numbers of persons, yet there is still the same quantity; and in the duration of them, they last forever; and in the profit and satisfaction they y...

Ephesians 2:1. _And you he hath quickened._ Is it so? Could the apostle say that to you, and to me? Ephesians 2:1. _Who were dead in trespasses and sins;_ Look back to what you used to be, to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged: «You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:2. _Wherein in time past ye walked_ With a terrible activity of spiritual death; Ephesians 2:2. 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:

2. THE PRODUCTION OF THE MASTERWORK AND ITS DESTINY CHAPTER 2:1-10 _ 1. What we are by nature (Ephesians 2:1)_ 2. What God does--rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4) 3. The destiny of the masterwork (Ephesians 2:7) 4. Saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8) After the great revelation of the first chapter and the prayer which followed, the production of the masterpiece itself is now brought more fully into view. We have before us a revelation concerning our state by nature and how God takes us up and produces out of such material His masterpiece. The first ten verses of this chapter give us this story. They

CHRISTIANS ARE RAISED AND EXALTED IN THE RISEN AND EXALTED CHRIST BY GOD'S FREE GRACE AND GIFT. The recipients of the letter, like other people, had been (spiritually) dead by reason of the sins and trespasses in which they formerly walked in accordance with the course of the existing world-order, as subjects of the ruler who has power over the air and over the spirit operating in disobedient hearts (Ephesians 2:1 f.); the writer in like manner, and those for whom he speaks, had all lived formerly in the lusts of their flesh, following the impulses of the flesh and of the mind, and were in themselves as much the objects of Divine wrath as other people (Ephesians 2:3)_;_ the wealth, however, of the Divine mercy and the greatness of the Divine love had brought them to life with the bringing to life of Ch