Christ the Savior of All

Today’s passage is is a beautiful expression of the Gospel; a reminder that Christ did not come to save just a small portion of humanity from their sins but rather that he came for all of mankind. And as we hear those words each one of us says amen or praise God or Hallelujah. Yet this text also stands as a warning. A warning I think the church in America as ignored. You see the Jews had a problem, they thought because they were God’s chosen people because God had called them his own and God had blessed them and protected them and chosen them to enact his will upon the earth and it was through them that the earth heard about God and the Messiah was going to be one of their own because of all of these blessings the people of God the Jews began to think themselves better than others. That they were the only ones God had chosen to save that they were the elite and everyone else was damned by God. I think this is a temptation for all who are chosen by God. If we look back through church history the church in Europe scorned and hated the Muslims and declared them heathens and slaughtered them in the so called holy wars. Then their was the racial bigotry against the black slaves who sadly were told they couldn’t come to church with the white folks. The Gospel wasn’t for them. They had no souls to save. They were just animals. How quick man can be to judge as though he were superior to someone else. Yet perhaps the greatest affront to the Gospel was not an issue of race but rather the issue of denominational salvation. That is that if you were not Baptist you are going to hell, or only Presbyterians will be in Heaven, or the Methodist offer the true path to salvation. As though we the church were the source of salvation. Yes I believe this passage stands as a warning against just such a belief. That Christ and Christ alone is the source of salvation and through Christ all men can find hope be he a Jew or Muslim, Black or White, rich or poor, a great humanitarian or the murdering rapist druggy on the street. All can find hope in Christ. All can find salvation in him, and in Him we all are united into one family no more are we divided by our previous identities and characteristics but rather we are united in Christ. Look with me at Ephesians 2:11-22

Ephesians 2:11–22 ESV

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 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, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Hopeless Strangers

Ephesians 2:11–12 ESV

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

That first sentence hits me like blacksmiths hammer. Paul reminds us of who we were before Christ, each one hitting like the blacksmiths hammer ringing out on the metal as it strikes again and again and again

Paul knows that if we are not careful we forget what it was like to be lost without hope so he skillfully and bluntly reminds us where we came from.

Separated from Christ - We did not have access to God we as gentiles did not even have access to his house we could simply gaze upon it from the courtyard we were not worthy to enter the presence of God.

Alienated from the commonwealth of Israel - how blessed is Israel to be the chosen family of God to be the ones that God has given so many blessings and prosperity and protection to over the years. For such a small country to move the world’s leading nations to have such an impact upon history is truly marvelous what great love God has bestowed upon Israel but yet we are not Israelites we have not those blessings. How pitiful we were in comparison to Israel, America in all its glory is nothing compared to Isreal because it is the people of God. We are separated from Gods presence and now alienated from his blessings.

Still yet we are strangers to the covenants of promise. the covenants of Abraham Issac and Jacob the covenants of Moses and David all these promises of God are to the people of Israel again we are excluded. Just as we were separated from God’s presence and alienated from his blessings so are we strangers to his promises.

Then Paul says we had no hope - Before our salvation we tried so many ways to be good enough for God to save ourselves to be better to be the best us we could be. Yet it all was for naught we were hopeless, our efforts pitiful, our righteousness naught but filthy rags covered in muck and mire of our sin. We were like pigs trying to be swans. Try as we might their was no hope. We would never know God because we could not obtain his holiness. His righteousness shone like the noon day sun upon our pitiful sinful existence causing us to hide lest all see our true selves.

But now...

Ephesians 2:13–18 ESV

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 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, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

We the gentiles the separated the alienated strangers who had no hope and no God have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ

Christ broke down the wall separating us there is now no division we are all one in Christ Jesus

Both have been reconciled to God in one body the church through the Cross thus there is to be no hostility but peace. Let us not therefore spit on the peace of Christ by reviving hostility between us over petty issues but rather let us accept the peace of God and celebrate with all our brothers and sisters in Christ for by him all of us have salvation.

How is it that we have this salvation because he abolished the law of separation. There were laws saying to kill the gentile who crossed the wall into the temple grounds. No Gentile could access the Temple and therefore no Gentile could access God. Indeed the closer you got to the presence of God more and more people were left out. First were the Gentiles then you had the women who could not pass the court of the women then only the priests and Levites could enter the temple. And only the High priest could enter the holy of holies and he only once a year. Yet Christ destroyed and abolished these barriers by dying on the cross and becoming the way into the presence of God, as shown by the tearing of the veil in the temple from the top to the bottom on the day of his death.

Through him we all have gained access to the Father allowing the gentile to finally come into the presence of God. Christ is the bridge over the great divide or as Jacob saw it he is the stair the ladder into the presence of God open for all who will believe in him.

The Great Reversal

Ephesians 2:19–22 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Once strangers and aliens now citizens and members of the household of God.

We who were once outcasts and nobodies are now the heirs of heaven the children of God.

Yet this is not enough Paul continues to say that God is building himself a holy temple his church. Listen to how he builds. Jesus is the corner stone the chief foundation stone upon which all else is built from the starting point. YOu had to have a good square solid stone to be the chief cornerstone and from this stone you build the house it served as the starting point and determined both the house’s sturdiness and squareness. This then is Jesus then the rest of the foundation is the apostles and prophets. The writers of the scriptures. All of his saints become the walls the windows the doors windows and ceiling the structure of the temple. We are the dwelling place of God.

So then Jesus says in Matthew 12:25

Matthew 12:25 ESV

Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.

Let us not fight amongst ourselves but may we the global church stand united as we declare the glory of God and the gracious salvation he has gifted unto all who will receive it.

Invitation

Will you receive the gift God has offered today reconciliation with himself through the blood of his Son Jesus Christ.