LESSON THIRTY-EIGHT
The Gospel Applied
The first half of Ephesians celebrates the gospel blessings of our salvation. Christians have been chosen, adopted, forgiven, and made alive in Christ. They have been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone. God has revealed his plan to unite all things in and under the kingship of Jesus. Jews and Gentiles are united in Christ as a new humanity. They are filled with the Spirit as God’s new temple.
The gospel applies to our relationships, our vocations, our sexuality, our money, our families, and every other corner of our lives.
The second half of Ephesians now shows what difference this makes in our lives. The first half celebrated gospel theology; the second half urges gospel living. It shows how a life of ever-deepening faith in Christ transforms us to become like him. Faith makes us humble, gentle, and patient. It creates a unified and Christlike gospel culture in churches. The gospel applies to our relationships, our vocations, our sexuality, our money, our families, and every other corner of our lives.
And God’s grace in Jesus is the foundation and motivation for this new life. We do not obey in order to receive God’s blessings; we obey because we already have them.