Ephesians 2: 4-5

(Ephesians 2: 4-5)

『But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)』

『were by nature the children of wrath』The reason for this is as follows: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.

The greed of the flesh is covetousness. Colossians (3:5-6) says:『Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 』 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ

In order for us to live again with Christ, we must first die with Christ. Romans 6: 3-4 says:『Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 』

Baptism is united with the death of Jesus Christ. "To be combined" is to be "one." The apostle Paul explained the meaning of "to be one" through "the relationship between Christ and the church." Ephesians 5: 30-32 says:『 for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church.』

The relationship between Christ and the church is like a couple. This is also found in Genesis. Genesis (2:22-24) says:『And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.』

 

If man is not one with Christ, he is not saved. In John 17: 20-22, Jesus prays to God to "be one."『Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:』

If people are not one with Christ, why are they not saved from God? This can be seen from John(chapter 17):『as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee 』To do this, we must be united with the death of Jesus Christ. If we are not one with the death of Jesus Christ, I cannot enter into Heavenly Father, and Heavenly Father cannot enter into me.

"To be one with the death of Jesus Christ" and "to live according to the desires of the flesh" are contrary to each other. Greed is "a desire to be like God." It curls like a snake in the human heart. "The greed to be like God" took place in two places. First is the greed that Satan had in the kingdom of God. He tried to establish the kingdom of God with evil angels and wicked angels. The second is Eve's greed in the Garden of Eden. Eve tried to rule the garden of Eden without God. In this world, all who live without God have "the desire to be like God."

As long as greed is in the heart of man, they cannot be one with God. So greed must die. The way is "to be one with the death of Jesus Christ." However, even if the repentant believe in "to be one with the death of Jesus Christ", as long as the body is alive, the greed can survive again. The body received from parents does not lose greed. But God gives the spirit body a gift to those who repent. The repentant has two bodies. It is the body received from parents and the body (spirit body) from God. In 1 Corinthians 15:44 says:『 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 』

The repentant must believe that one of the two is really his body. Although the real body is invisible, the real body is the "spirit body." We must deny the body of flesh received from our parents before the Word of God. So there is a spiritual battle in the body. In Romans 7: 21-24 Paul says:『I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 』

We must fight evil in spiritual battles. Romans 8: 5-9 explains the spiritual battle.『 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But 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. 』

The Spirit of Christ is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes into "the one who is one with the death of Jesus Christ." The power of the Holy Spirit can overcome the greed of the flesh. But if you act according to your thoughts and judgments, you will surely fall by the greed of your flesh. So the Bible says, "Fight against evil." Revelation 21: 6-7 says:『And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.』

Those who are saved by the grace of God must crucify greed. Those who are one with the death of Jesus Christ become God's people. This faith is the grace of God. Galatians 2:20 says:『 I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 』