Unbelievable Peace

We’re going to be talking about some heart level dynamics tonight. And to make sure that we get the full effect and leave here tonight edified, I want to propose a question or two here for you to ponder. And here they are:

Over the last few years, what has consistently been one or two things that just sets you off? Things that happen in the world, situations that come up in your relationships. Things that strike a nerve and really get at you. Especially if you don’t know why it triggers you so much, that might be helpful in what we discuss tonight.

Ephesians 2:13-22 “13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 2:13–22.”

Probably, one of the most common refrains you’ll hear from Seth and Saundra, is that the Gospel is one of peace. The Gospel is, in fact, the culminating story of the Bible about how God seeks us out so that He can create peace between mankind and him which was otherwise torn to pieces through humanity’s rebellion.

This peace can be described partially as redemption, as reconciliation, as reunion. And the peace that God fought for— is a top down peace.

God establishes unity with us (through great effort and love) which means that we can act as ones who live with God in peace. So, both parties live and operate in a relationship of peace. (Reciprocal). But that also has a trickle down affect where we, Christians who have been saved and are being transformed into Christ’s likeness, can live at peace with others in this world. We are transformed into co-conspirators [ko-kon-spirit-ors] with God for the world’s peace.

That’s the ultimate point that we’re going to look at tonight.

Ephesians 2:13-22 is a fundamental passage about peace and unity with others, especially those in the church

First, Paul mentions the problem we as humans have with obtaining peace

Then Paul shows us that through the cross, Christ decimates what causes division among people

Peace comes up three times: “For he himself is our peace …,” in verse 14; “In this one body, he reconciled both of them, and he made peace,” in verse 15; and in verse 17, “He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.”

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The fundamental problem that Paul is mentioning in this passage is of a “wall of hostility”, particularly between the Jew and Gentile division of that day

But that wall of hostility runs deeper than merely Jew and Gentile—it’s a reality of humans living among one another.

In my estimation, there are three modes of interacting with people:

There’s the transactional mode, the indifferent mode, and then the grace-driven community.

The transactional mode says “What can you and I do to mutually benefit one another”?

So, a politician may ask you “Do I have your vote”? Or the business-person “Do I have your business”?, or a friend, “Can I trust that you have my back”? In a lot of those situations, a transaction is what is desired.

Then there is the indifferent mode of interacting with people. At best, people ignore you and your plight. At worst they see you as an obstacle—not a person—to get through.

And finally, in a Grace-filled community or a mode that is operated out of a fundamental understanding and posture of grace, you see people interacting out of selflessness and kindness, and peace.

Now, when I present those categories, all of us can quickly point out the desirable choice among them

The problem with that, is that it's not so obvious. This is probably a terrible guess but probably in 95% of situations, an average person operates transactionally. I have no way of proving that figure but I don’t need to in order for us to realize that the modern Western world operates off of transactional interactions. Even when we do good, its to get something good in return—which is a perversion of a grace orientation.

In less ‘civilized’ times and places, a transactional mode wasn’t the staple, but rather, violent indifference toward others where the rich and powerful exploited the poor and powerless was the status quo.

Look at the Israelite captivity in Egypt and the story of Moses. What was the tipping point in God drawing them out of Egypt? It was the corruption of the Egyptians and their treatment of the people of Israel that God looked down on and had to bring deliverance over. That story has brutality, slavery, starvation, and indifference written all over it. And that isn’t the only example, think of various stories of history about people and groups like Ganges Khan’s Mongol(ian)s or the Vikings and their conquests for riches, or the annihilation of political enemies in the Communist revolutions of the 20th century [cent-er-y].

Now, Transactional interactions are surely better than that. But they are fundamentally built on the same selfishness and self glory that indifference is built on. It is expressed differently but stems from the same root as those examples of brutal indifference to other humans. They share a common problem—root— deep in humanity’s heart.

And, do you see that fatal flaw? Do you see that the world’s peace—what of it we do have—is a facade and is not true peace? It’s a facade of self-interest that is less violent but not inherently dignifying to people as image bearers of God.

To drive this a little deeper, if you are trying to reach your own goals and interests, say in your career or social status, the best you can do is act in mutual self interest with others, but at some point other people’s interests will counter yours—a zero sum game—and what can you do about that?

In a world of self-interest, from time to time your self interest is going to be crushed and along with it your self-worth that is tied to it. And it is at that point that people start acting in un-peaceful ways to their common man.

Selfishness is what breaks peace and creates bitterness and strife between us.

Categorically, we know that a grace orientation is the way, but fundamentally and in reality it is an impossible road in our own strength, that always devolves into us vying for our own self interests.

That’s the problem and why humanity can’t have peace with itself. Why Russia can’t have peace with Ukraine, or Democrats with Republicans, C-suite execs and union organizers.

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It’s at this point we should consider a strange thing Paul says. In verses 14-16:

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

broken down the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances he makes peace; kills hostility.

What does this mean? We know that Jesus says in His sermon on the mount :

Matthew 5:17 (ESV)

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

and then he follows with a point of application

Matthew 5:21–22 (ESV)

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment

To make a potentially long point, short, Christ breaks down the wall of hostility which is expressed in ordinances, between Jew and Gentile.

The law is obviously depicts a standard worth striving for but the separation it caused was to the Jews shame in this instance. They built up ordinances of self-interest that created a wall of hostility toward Gentiles.

In fact, the law was originally put in place to draw the nations in, draw them to see how the Isreal worship God. But over time the glorifying spectacle [spek-tik-al] of the law that set Isreal apart turned into their pride. They turned it into their expression of self-glory. They took what should have humbled them and drawn in peace with others into a source of pride.

Now, it is hardly just the peoples of Isreal that do this. I get a little bothered [just a little] when people play too much into how corrupt the Jewish people of Jesus’ time were. We should read the Bible assuming that what is in their hearts, out side of Christ, is in ours.

Everybody who receives a good gift is liable to do the same. Each one of us, un-transformed by Christ, are capable of turning particular graces—that should flavor our lives for the good of all—into points of self-interest that can easily devolve into acting indifferently toward others as we march toward our own pursuits.

It is all to easy for a Christian to turn a gift from God, a grace, into a source of pride that is a blemish to the God who gave it to us.

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The problem that Paul is addressing in this passage is the fact that Christians who were ethnic Jews and Christians that were ethnic Gentiles- were fighting like cats and dogs. And Paul says that the Cross is where reconciliation happens.

How does the cross accomplish that?

Galatians 6:14–16 (ESV)

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

There are two important realities at play here. If you’re not at a place to get the main point, the secondary point will suffice for now.

The main point is that all we have and ought to boast in, or glory in, is Christ! That can be abstract...

so the second point is, the cross means that we need to ween ourselves off of what we boast in, in our flesh. We’ll first touch on this second point

Another term that maybe conveys a bit more naturally what Paul means by boasting, is “glorying”. Glory often has the connotation of weight or significance.

Just today I read a story about a London man who has had a lot of success in his career as a day trader of stocks. The article goes on to say that this man makes nearly $1 million a year from his efforts and he’s in his mid-twenties.

The meat of the story is that he posted on social media a “guruism” or life hack that he is really proud of. You see, he says he makes enough money that he has decided that, in downtown London, instead of looking for marked parking, he’s going to park absolutely anywhere he wants. Even outside the doors of whatever establishment he is going to. Just imagine how chaotic that could be.

In his posted video he states, “I don’t really mind paying these parking fines. To me, I just consider it VIP parking. It saves me a lot of time looking for parking and I’m always right where I need to be. I make enough that the difference doesn’t matter to me and I’m fine paying for the luxury”.

What is he doing? He’s glorying in something. I didn’t really tell this story to make the guy look bad but to see an example of how indifference has real life implications. He glories in his money and in his own time, so he more than happy to break rules to maximize his resources.

What in your mind and spirit gives you weight? What is it that makes you feel like you’ve arrived when you obtain it, and what absolutely crushes you when you fall short? That is your glory. That is what you glory in.

What these verses do is they expose these things we glory in, (Career, romantic relationships, our intelligence, physical ability, looks, our reputation). Whatever.

Whatever it is we glory in, Paul is saying, “This is what causes hostility among you and, whats worse, is that it is hollow. It is a lie. It’ll eventually crush you”.

Your career may face an economic downturn or an unexpected layoff. The relationship you were in that you thought would complete you, dissolves. The physical looks you depended on in your youth, fade. The reputation you carefully cultivated is marred by slander and gossip. We can’t control these external occasions from happening.

And if any of these things happen and upend your glory—if they turn into an unbearable weight, you won’t be able to handle it. You’ll either look for a new, more obtainable glory or you’ll grow cynical and calloused—unapproachable. And if you live long-enough, growing calloused is almost inevitable.

It doesn’t have to end there, Paul gives us the main point that we really need to get.

Galatians 6:14 ESV

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Paul says that there is a reality in the shadow of the cross that allows him to crucify his concern about what the world think is his glory and also his concern about what he himself glories in.

There’s an old Puritan idea in theology that goes something like this. “The heart loves what it loves. And if there’s something that you love, that one day you find out is killing you, you can’t just stop loving that thing. You can’t, fundamentally.

You can’t will yourself or command your soul enough to stop loving your deepest affections of the heart. If you love and cherish something, you stick right there with it. It is all consuming.

But if you run across a far greater object of affection—if you find something that is an order of magnitude more splendid and beautiful and glorious—that can drown out the lesser loves of your heart. Something that is existentially, and by leaps and bounds, more worthy of your love is the only thing that can cure you.

One of my absolute favorite parables is in Matthew 13.

Matthew 13:44 (ESV)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

That’s a parable of Jesus explaining this exact move. You have to find something that is worth cashing in all your chips—everything that you glory in—in order for you to actually remove a lesser affection in your heart.

If you want to get rid of the baggage and hostility, that what you glory in creates for you and those around you, you can’t just shrug it off by the strength of your will. Your will, in the long run, will collapse. You have to find an existentially better thing to glory in that entirely eclipses your previous love—what you previously gloried in.

This is fundamental teaching for Paul. We have yet another letter he wrote where he mentions this:

Philippians 3:8 (ESV)

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Did you see the switch? The greater glory Paul found? The surpassing worth of even knowing Christ, when found, was worth counting all else as loss and garbage. He found a treasure in a field and gladly sold all he had so he could obtain it.

Tim Keller describes what Paul, in effect, is saying, “I gave up nothing. Yet I received everything.”

C.S. Lewis in his book “The Weight of Glory”, puts it this way: “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and [romance] sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Do you know what is on offer? Some of us spent years of our lives asking, “Is following Him really worth it”?

And what we are doing when we ask that question is, that you are comparing God’s offer to the already okay things in your life. You’ve tasted and they are fine, they do the trick, they’re what you know. But what is on offer is something of surpassing worth—extended to you.

Psalm 34:8 (ESV)

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

See for yourself that when you choose the resurrected Christ, you give up nothing yet receive everything.

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Remember that question that I asked you at the onset of tonight?

What is it about that situation that caused you so much burden? Put in a different way, what was it that struck a nerve?

Now, is it possible that that situation is actually a window into your own soul more than the soul of the one who did you wrong? I’m not trying to say they weren’t to blame or that the situation wasn’t unfair, unjust, or undeserved. I’m trying to up the opacity, the transparency of the inner workings of all our hearts.

Were we proud? Were we glorying in a reality that someone or something else was disrupting?

We’ll take just a moment to think about this prayerfully and we’ll come back in a literal minute and wrap this up.

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So, how does relying on the cross create unity among Christians? Unity among the people in this room? How does this bring peace to your relationships?

The cross decimates your sources of pride and glory. They simply don’t survive the new affection you have for Christ. Like a germ washed in chlorine, your old affections can’t co-exist with the glory of Christ.

And this rudimentary change alters all of your relationships because it alters you. This is exactly what is at play when others in this room have talked Gospel identity and asked, “Do you know your true identity in Christ”?

Identity is fundamental, as it is the source of both who we think we are and, even more basically, its the source of what we do even if we don’t give it conscious thought.

In Christ, you are a new creation. Given a new identity. Given a new family. Called to a mission utterly different than the missions we’ve taken on ourselves in our own attempts at self-glory.

Peace among the body of Christ and among all your relationships are made possible because it’s a different you that is interacting with them.

And not in a weird way where you lose your personhood and everything that made you, you. But in a way where you reach your fullest potential. In a way that you are more you than you’ve ever been because you are operating out what you were made for.

We’ll end tonight in prayer. I’ll pray but if something has been on your heart throughout our looking at Ephesians 2, pray in your spirit and ask God for the wonders of his cross to be made plain to heart and soul.

There isn’t a 12 step program that you need to engage with for God to listen to you. He’s ready and happy to listen to the humble. He delights in his children coming to him.