Called to One Body
: 1 Lisa and I have been married for 27 years. We fell in love and got married when we were very young – I was 23 and she was 20 by a few weeks. Over the years, believe it or not!, we have had our share of disagreements, and I would be lying if I let on that we still don’t disagree about stuff from time to time. Sometimes it’s over the “little” things - things like, “who is going to fold the laundry.” : 2
Both Lisa and I hate to fold laundry, but we both pretty much do it. It’s a “whoever gets there first” kind of chore. And sometimes I find myself figuring out ways to avoid going downstairs, just so I don’t get there first! Now of course, I doesn’t bother me if I do that, but sometimes I’ll start to wonder if she is dong that – where I think Lisa ought to have “gotten there first” – well then I feel taken advantage of. I still fold the laundry, but I do it with an attitude, and it is definitely NOT the attitude we talked about last week from Philippians 2!
We have different views of who ought to do what, and the more different your view is from mine, the more likely we are to disagree. : 3 As a matter of fact, the more different you are from me, the more likely we are to disagree. When that happens, we have moved away from “my way is better than your way,” to “me and mine is better than you and yours.”
Here in Washington D.C., we live in a very diverse culture. The person in your office probably has a different faith, if any faith at all. The folks sitting on the bus next to you may speak a different language. And we find diversity in our homes. You may have family members who are of a different denomination, or a spouse who brings a whole new set of ethnic traditions into your life. Her “upbringing” may have been so different from yours, that you just don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things, like how to raise the kids.
Is there a way we can find unity, not uniformity but unity, with so much diversity? Well, if turn in our text for today, in Ephesians chapter 2, what we will find out is that God is able to take people who hate each other, despise each other, and have done so for centuries, and unite them together. And if He can do that, then I think anything is possible, even deciding who should fold the towels!
Our text is in Ephesians Chapter 2, where we start in verse 11. If you are using the pew Bible, that’s page 151 in the New Testament. : 4 Recall several weeks ago we saw how Paul reminded these Ephesian believers, and of course us as well, that “God made you, who were spiritually dead, alive together with Christ.” And we saw that everything God gives us to live this Christian life, all the power, all the grace we need, comes to us by virtue of being united with Christ. This Christian life cannot be lived apart from His power – power to become a mighty work of God, power to be used to make a real impact on a dead and dying world. And all that for someone who was “dead in their trespasses and sins.”
: 5 Now we read in verse 11: 11Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
: 6 Let’s pause a minute, and think about this letter Paul is writing to the Ephesians. If you have studied it before, you probably know that it is evenly divided between what we would call “doctrine” and “application.” Most of the doctrine – information we need to know about how Christianity is supposed to work, comes to us in the first three chapters. In the last three, we find instruction on how that doctrine – that theology - plays out in everyday life. And by the way, never disparage theology as unimportant, as if to say, “is not practical, so you don’t need to know it.” It is practical, and more than that, it is essential! The practice of Christianity apart from solid theology ends up in either legalism or license. So in the last three chapters you find many commands, “husbands, love your wives…children, obey your parents…” that sort of thing. But in the first three chapters, there is only 1. Only one command, and we find it here before us: “remember.” They are to remember away from certain things, and remember “forward” towards certain things.
: 7 Let’s start with what they are to remember “away from.” Paul tells them what they were: Spiritually dead, devil led, depraved and disobedient. We saw that several weeks ago. Now he reminds them that, as Gentiles, they were “separate from Christ.” This means that, unlike the Jews, they were not looking forward to a messiah. Which makes perfect sense because they were not even part of Israel, God’s covenant people. They had no promises to be a particular nation, set apart for God’s purposes, called out and separated, as was Israel. They did not benefit from any of God’s temporal promises to Abraham, Moses, David, or the prophets. They could not enter the Temple, except in the outer court of the Gentiles, and even there they had to compete for space with the livestock being sold for sacrifices. To enjoy any of that, for a Gentile had to become a Jew – he had to be circumcised, and even then, he still would not be fully accepted by the Jewish community.
Paul’s summary is well said. The Gentiles were without hope, and atheos: without God. Not that they didn’t have “little g” gods - they had plenty of those - but they were cut off from the one true God. Because of this the Jews hated the Greeks, and the Greeks hated the Jews – resenting their smug “nose in the air” superiority and their religious hypocrisy. The Jews built a wall around the worship of God that He never intended, a barrier that kept the Gentiles “far off.”
: 8 Verse 13: 13But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Notice the reference to the blood. It reminds us how God brought them near, through the work of Christ on the cross. 14For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, - and there I believe the reference is to the literal wall that divided off the Court of the Gentiles, the one that Paul was accused of violating. The Jews accused Paul of bringing a gentile past that wall, a charge that was false. You might say that this barrier is the thing that landed him in prison, the very cell he is writing from! : 9 Let’s go on - 15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
: 10 Now, let’s remember “forward.” By that I mean, it’s important to remember where we came from, BUT equally important, we must never to forget what we were saved for – what God did for us, how He brought us near to Him, and how that relates to our lives right now, especially in the area of relationships. There are four things I want us to see in these verses: (First), Paul identifies the source of the hatred between the Jews and the Gentiles. We see in verse 15 that it is “the Law of commandments contained in ordinances” or the Law of Moses. (Second) God doesn’t solve the problem by somehow turning the Gentiles into Jews. God takes the Jews from Israel and the Gentiles from the world and creates something brand new – the Church. (Third) The Gentiles were not the only ones in need of reconciliation to God. The Jews needed reconciliation as well. And (Finally) The horizontal reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles – and really all of us, is a direct result of a vertical reconciliation to God.
: 11 So, let’s look first at the Law of Moses. Let’s think for a minute about the function of the Law. It had a moral component, like the 10 commandments. This part of the Law demonstrated how different God was from sinful man. God is holy and here is a standard that identifies that holiness. But there were also laws that served to remind the Jews how different they were supposed to be from the nations around them. The Law established boundaries which touched every area of life: what kind of food they ate, how to care for diseases, how to wash your hands, how far you could go on the Sabbath – and as the person got closer to the Temple and finally to the Holy of Holies, the Laws multiplied: what kind of sacrifice to bring, for what kind of sin, what kind of clothes the priests should wear, on what days, how the lamps should be trimmed, what to do with the ashes and the blood – all emphasizing that God is holy, and we are not. You can’t just do things any old way you want. When it comes to God, you have to do it His way! God must be set apart, and those who would approach Him must also be set apart.
Now the Jews were set apart because they had these laws. God sovereignly and graciously chose Israel, as He makes choices all throughout history. But it was not due to any special merit on the part of the Jews. Unfortunately, Israel as a nation did not see it that way. They equated their unique role in God’s program with salvation. They thought, just because they were Jews, and by followed the Law, they would be saved. Unfortunately, if you think like that, the object of your faith was no longer God, but the Law, and ultimately yourself, in your own ability to keep the Law.
But what if the requirement of the Law is satisfied in another way? What if God, through the person of Jesus Christ, satisfies the Law, declaring righteous and holy anyone who simply would trust in His work on their behalf? In that case, the whole basis for the Jew’s special standing – whether real or supposed, is destroyed, isn’t it? In Christ, everyone comes on a level field. There is no one, no nation, that is more qualified or worthy than another. That’s what Paul means when he says in verse 15: 15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, - or the hatred - which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances. And as Jesus said, “I didn’t come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.” (Matt 5:17) And when He fulfilled it, He made it ineffective in its claim over men, and ineffective in its ability to draw a distinction between men, because everyone comes to God on the same basis, by faith, and everyone is declared equally righteous, apart from the Law. : 12 So here is our second point: God doesn’t solve the problem by somehow turning the Gentiles into Jews. God takes the Jews from Israel and the Gentiles from the world and creates something brand new – the Church. The Church is not a spiritual version of Israel. No, the Church, as Paul says here, is “a new man” with Christ as the Head of the body.
: 13 You have probably figured this out by now, but our third point is that the Gentiles were not the only ones in need of reconciliation to God. The Jews needed it as well! : 14 Look carefully at the wording of verse 16: 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God - BOTH Gentiles and Jews were in need of reconciliation to God. Now look at verse 17: 17And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; BOTH needed to have the gospel preached to them. BOTH needed to be at peace with God. Now look at verse 18: 18for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. EVERYONE gains access to God in only one away, by being “born again” through the work of the Holy Spirit.
: 15 The fourth and final thing we are to “remember forward” is that our reconciliation with God results in reconciliation with others. By eliminating the basis for distinction, in this case the Law of Moses, God removed any deep rooted need for distinctions between the two groups. For a Jew, their total self image was wrapped up in the Law. I believe, that at our core, we all want to feel like we are something special; like we are unique, and that uniqueness defines our value and worth. It is my view that all reconciliation, really all unity, is rooted in our relationship with God.
On Thursday evenings this Spring, Lisa and I have been improving our marriage communication skills in a course offered by Congregational Care, called CPREP. : 16 Several weeks ago, I was reminded how we all have some very basic emotional needs. The need to feel cared for, the need to feel secure, the need to be recognized and appreciated, the need to feel accepted, the need to be understood in the integrity of our intentions and motives. Now, if our spouses or other people start to threaten those core needs, we rise to defend ourselves don’t we? So if I feel like Lisa is not carrying the load in the towel folding department, I might feel like she doesn’t recognize the work I do. And if I tell her that, she might mis-interpret what I just said as saying I don’t care for her, or that I might be questioning her motives because she chose to do something other than folding the laundry. If we don’t communicate well, then we end up “having words.”
But what if my basic emotional needs are met, I mean really met, by God in Christ? What I mean is this: God calls me holy, righteous, special, adopted as a son, redeemed and valuable to Him. Here’s an example: This is my “pearl of great price.” It’s my Guild 12 String Guitar. Back around 1981, I played this thing at Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center, and fell in love with it. I had to have it! I sold a tape deck, another guitar that I had repaired myself, a banjo, and depleted our savings account to buy it. What’s it worth to me? Well, what I gave up for it, and what I gave for it. Now what did God pay for you? What sets the standard of your value? God gave, in exchange for you, Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ. And I assure you, there is no greater value in the whole universe! So when He sets the standard of what your soul is worth to Him, He doesn’t use a gold standard, or even a “Guild” standard! He uses a God standard!
: 17 If only I could see myself like that! Because, if I really see myself that way, then what can you do or say, to take away from that? My security and worth lies with God. This is Paul’s whole point in his letter to the Ephesians: To fulfill our calling, we must understand how rich we really are in Christ. Once we accept that - that we are changed at the deepest level - then we can live together in ways that are inconceivable otherwise. To the extent that I find my security, appreciation, recognition, and satisfaction in God, then my need is not as great to find it in Lisa. That’s called, “resting in the Lord.” So then, if Lisa doesn’t meet my expectations, I don’t have to take it so personally. When I depend upon God for my self worth, then I am free to get over myself, and just love you, forgive you, bear up with your faults, and live with your differences. It gives me the ability to be there for you, because God is there for me. Reconciliation to God is THE basis for my reconciliation with others.
: 18 Now, what about the other types of barriers that exist in our society? Our world is filled with barriers: color barriers, race and ethnic barriers, gender, religion, political party. We have barriers of class: officers versus enlisted men, white collar versus blue collar, degreed versus non-degreed. I spent 16 years getting my undergraduate degree at night, through the University of Maryland. And I think you can appreciate the rejection I felt in being turned down for a job, or a promotion, because I was undereducated. Yeah, I think the walls are definitely there. Now I submit to you: not only are the walls removed in Christ between Christians, but no barrier that rejects people for who they are – whether Christian or not - is ever justified by a believer in Christ, because everyone we meet is just one gospel away from becoming a Christian, and therefore could be won, and one with us.[1]
: 19 Paul sums it up this way in verse 19: 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household…. Now Paul heaps up the metaphors to draw pictures in our minds of what this unity looks like. : 20 It’s like being part of a nation – “you are fellow citizens.” Remember last week that I said that when Paul told the Philippians to “conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,” the phrase “conduct themselves” literally means “live as citizens.” That’s the Greek verb πολιτεύεσθε, which sounds a bit like “politics” doesn’t it, and we see it again here in Ephesians 2:19, συμπολῖται – co-citizens, or fellow citizens. You know, as Americans, the ideal we hold most dear is freedom, isn’t it? Democratic freedom is so important to us, we are willing to sacrifice our own sons and daughters in Iraq right now, to spread that ideal. We are sending them a message, aren’t we: Stand up against tyranny and terrorism, and be free!
As part of the Church we are citizens of heaven, ambassadors to this world where we now live as “resident aliens.” And we bear a message to this world: Be reconciled to God! Because most of the world stands right now where the Gentiles stood, 2,000 years ago. Think of those around you, who “have no hope, and are “atheos,” without God in the world. : 21 As one scholar put it, “When God is left out of the picture, life really is bleak and boring. People stand on the sidelines of life, trying to keep fit and be entertained. Little reason exists to focus on anything other than self, but that leads only to alienation and division and ultimately to despair.”[2] Now, we as Christians can make the same mistake as Israel, and allow these walls to become a fortress, to keep the world at bay. Or we can let our heavenly citizenship influence our culture, such that the Church becomes a lighthouse, a place that shines hope and real life wherever we choose to take it. We can do that you know, if we want to.
: 22 Paul then changes to a picture of a family, we are God’s household. That’s more intimate than a nation, we are “kin,” as my relatives from West Virginia would say. That means we can’t overlook what happens to someone else in the family. Obviously that includes what we do for one another in the Immanuel family. But let’s expand our thinking to what happens to the Church in Ghana, or Southeast Asia, or Japan, or anywhere else in the world. Whatever I do for the greater cause of Christ, I do for my Christian brothers and sisters around the world. Here’s a great place to start: Pray for our missionaries of the week. This week it is Dan & Dawn Britton. Pray for them. They are our family.
: 23 Next, Paul gives us a picture of a building, and not just any building, but the temple of the living God. 20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. The foundation is the revelation of the apostles and prophets, the gospel they preached. But the central figure of the gospel, the object of the revelation, is Jesus Christ. : 24 So you could just as easily, and truthfully, say that the foundation is Christ. And when you think of cornerstone, don’t picture in your mind little block that dedicates the building, or a capstone at the top of an arch. No – ancient buildings started with a mammoth stone, some weighing 600 tons, around 15 foot square (1 Kg 7:10). It was the reference point for the whole building, and locked it in place. If the whole building were washed away, that stone would hold firm. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, on whom the whole Church stands. Without Christ, the church is just an empty shell, build on a bed of sand. With Christ, the Church is the dwelling place of God, the sanctuary where the whole world can find peace with God, and peace with one another.
Let me stretch your thinking a bit. A few weeks ago, we concluded with Ephesians 2:10. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works. Now typically, when I think of being God’s workmanship, I think of me, as a Christian, becoming a new work in Christ. And that’s true, as far as it goes. But what about this? Are we his workmanship, or his : 25 WORKMANSHIP! (Show a picture of the National Cathedral.) Maybe God’s true work, goes beyond me, to me and you, and me and you and you, and me and you and Immanuel, and Immanuel and Burke Community and McLean Bible, and that little cell group that meets in China, and the universal church that God has been building for the last 2,000 years. Maybe THAT is God’s workmanship!
Modern evangelicals, especially here in America, tend to focus on Christianity as the religion of the individual. We encourage people to have a “personal relationship with Christ,” which a true and good thing to do, don’t get me wrong. But we must recognize that the Church is more than one individual, it is more than a collection of individuals, just like a cathedral is more than a collection of stones. Think of the Church as a body, a nation, a family, a building, a habitation of God that achieves glory to Him in its unity that it could never achieve as a group of individuals.
That’s a long way from where we started, “dead, devil led, depraved, and disobedient… separated, excluded, strangers and aliens, having no hope and without God in the world.” What a marvelous thing God has done. We as Gentiles, were once kept from entering the Temple. Now, in Christ, we have become the temple of God Himself.
Let’s pray.
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[1] Kline Snodgrass, NIVAC, p. 145
[2] Snodgrass, p. 141