Separated from Christ

Good morning, welcome to NHCC, please open your Bibles to Ephesians 2.

Plight of the vertical relationship without God. Plight of the horizontal relationship without God.

Read Ephesians 2:11-12- “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.”

Pray.

Division of Ephesians- 3 chapters devoted to believing rightly, 3 chapters devoted to living rightly.

Remember.

Only imperative in the first three chapters of Ephesians.

We hate remembering our past sins.

Bill Ross- whistling- The Liberty Bell by JP Sousa

1. Separated from Christ.

What does it mean to be separated from Christ?

Without, lacking.

Not walking at a distance, yet still remaining in one’s presence.

Deficient, lacking Jesus entirely.

So much language has been used describing the Ephesian believers as with Christ, or in Christ.

Now a simple reminder that this was not always the case.

What exactly were they lacking?

The Christ- the Messiah.

A kingly figure who would rule over the entire earth.

More authority than Assyria, or Babylon, or Persia, or Greece or Rome.

The one who would restore and reward the godly and punish the wicked.

Who are the godly and who are the wicked?

The godly- those who belong to Christ.

The wicked- those who have rejected Christ.

The plight of the Gentiles.

Romans 2:4-5- “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

2. Alienated from Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise.

Not the only reference to this division between the Jews and Gentiles.

Paul not only references this reality in v. 12, but also references the division in v. 11.

Those who were uncircumcised in the flesh were called such by those who were circumcised.

A name of derision.

Notice the shot at the Jews.

Made in the flesh by human hands.

Commonwealth of Israel.

You were left out.

Kids and adults being left out.

Strangers to the covenants.

Promises made by God to His people, those who were in relationship with Him.

A number of covenants made, I’d like to focus our attention on four.

Covenant with Abraham.

Genesis 12:1-3- “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”

Established God’s people and God’s Kingdom, through which all nations would be blessed.

What does this mean for Gentiles?

You were not a part of this community of God’s people. You had none of the blessings that were promised to the Israelite people

You’re knowing of the almighty God relied heavily on Israel, a nation who often had no desire to make such a God known to outsiders.

Called to bless the world. Stingy with what they had.

Kevin Deyoung- Impossible Christianity.

Covenant with Moses.

Exodus 19:5-8- “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.”

God would bless those who keep His law.

What does this mean for Gentiles?

You are not privy to the instruction of how you ought to live your life.

You are destined to make up the rules for yourself.

What change to we desire to see in unbelievers? Their need is the gospel, not a moralistic life.

Covenant with David.

2 Samuel 7:12-13- “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

2 Samuel 7:16- “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.”

David’s son would also be God’s son who would rule over God’s eternal Kingdom.

What does this mean for Gentiles?

They had no concept of a leader, someone to look up to, someone who lived life right.

Sheep without a shepherd- drew the compassion of Christ. They were leaderless- any leaders they had led them astray.

Covenant with Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31:31- “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,”

Jeremiah 31:33-34- “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Promised a new covenant, in which God’s people would love obeying Him and would be equipped to serve Him and know Him because their sins had been forgiven.

What does this mean for Gentiles?

No relationship to Israel, no law given for how life ought to be lived, no leader to look up to.

Make my own goals for life and try to abide by them.

4. Without hope and without God.

Without Christ, without God’s people, without the promises of God, and finally and ultimately without God.

In the world.

Chief end of man- Glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Martin Manser- “The picture Paul paints is one of utter abandonment to life in the world without the meaning that only a knowledge of God can supply.”

This is the reality of others today.

Don’t know Jesus.

Part of remembering is not only for self-contemplation, but for world contemplation.

Remember who you were to create thankfulness, but also to create urgency.

Genesis 12, Isaiah 49, etc. Make God known, bless the world by giving what you have been given.

Ephesians 6:15- “...and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”