Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 2 · Verse and explication 20
Vers. 22. In whom you also are builded together, for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
THe Apostle doth now, in the next and last place, apply what he hath said of this spirituall edifice, and of the Churches happy estate under that similitude unto those believing Ephesians in particular, by shewing, that even they were built up together with all other sincere Believers upon Jesus Christ the foundation, and for this end, that they might be a place of habitation, where God might dwell, as manifesting His speciall presence in them, by the saving operations of His holy Spirit. Doct. 1. That our faith may be saving, and our comfort solid, it is necessary, not only that we know and believe those excellent priviledges which belong to the Church of God in generall: But we must also, observing the due order, make application of them unto our selves in particular: for, Paul teacheth so much, while, having set forth the happy estate of all Believers in generall, he maketh application thereof unto those Ephesians in particular; In whom also you are builded together, saith he. 2. That this particular application may be made in due order, it is necessary, that in the first place we make application of Christ unto our selves, laying hold upon Him by faith; that so being in Him, we may have right unto all those saving priviledges, which are purchased by Him: for, the Apostle sheweth this was the order, wherein those priviledges were applied unto the believing Ephesians; they were first united to Christ, and so had accesse unto all the rest which follow; In whom also you are builded together for an habitation of God. 3. That we may rightly apply Christ unto our selves, it is necessary that we lay hold upon Him in order to all those ends, for which He is offered in the Gospel, even to those which imply an obligation upon us of duty, both unto other Believers and unto God: for, those Ephesians were so united to Christ by faith; that, as a consequence thereof, they were also united one to another, and to all Believers by love, and made an habitation for God; In whom you are builded together, for an habitation of God. 4. Jesus Christ doth differ from the foundations of other buildings in this, that every particular Believer is not only laid upon Him, and supported by Him, as it is in materiall buildings; but they are also indented in Him, and hid, as it were, in the clifts of that rock by saving faith; so that the foundation covereth the whole building, and serveth for a refuge from the storm, and a shaddow from the heat, Isa. 25. 4. for, he saith not, upon whom, but in whom you also are builded. 5. As all Believers, how far so ever removed by large distance, are yet most strictly tied and joyned together; So, by taking band with Christ the foundation, they are fastened one to another, even as the stones of a building: for, he saith, In whom you are builded together: union among themselves did follow upon their being in Him. 6. The more deeply engaged that any have been before conversion in Sathan's service and the slavery of their lusts, their after conversion, and being builded upon Christ for an habitation to God, is the rarer priviledge, the more to be admired and highly esteemed of; for, he saith not simply, in whom you are builded, but in whom you also: which highteneth the purpose, as a thing wonderfull, and hardly credible, the apostle having an eye doubtlesse to their former slavery unto Satan and their own lusts, spoken of, ver. 2, 3. 7. So inseparable is that union, and connexion among the Persons of the blessed Trinity, that the presence and indwelling of one is sufficient to prove the indwelling of all: for, they are an habitation to God the Father and Son, because the Spirit did dwell in them and sanctifie them; An habitation of God through the Spirit. 8. Though all the external actions of the God-head do belong to all the Persons of the blessed Trinity; Yet some of those actions are usually ascribed unto one, more than the rest, according as they carry some proportion and likenesse to the personall properties of each person: for, the sanctification of Believers (in regard of which effect God is said to dwell in Believers, seing He thereby doth manifest His speciall presence in them) is here ascribed unto the Spirit, while those Ephesians are said to be an habitation unto God through the Spirit.