Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Ephesians 2:11-18

We started in chapter two of Ephesians some time back. In our study, we have looked at what a follower of Jesus looked like before coming to Christ; what the process of coming of Christ looks like, and what the work of the Holy Spirit is in this transformation.

That salvation is what we looked at the last time we were together. We said

Salvation is:

1. By Grace

2. Through Faith

3. Not of Ourselves

4. A gift of God – not of works

5. To Prevent Boasting

Tonight, we are going to begin to look at what takes place, what happens when the sinner becomes a believer.

Starting in verse 11, Paul gives us a brief reminder again of our previous life; how we were separated from God the Father. We will look at that in a moment. When we get to verse 13, Paul makes the shift from who we once were to where we are as followers of Christ. He uses a form of my favorite phrase in the Bible, He says, “BUT NOW in Christ Jesus…” That’s a rendition of “BUT GOD!”

Ephesians 2:11-18

11 Therefore 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— 12 remember 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. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by 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, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

Paul wants us to understand what God has done in a couple different points of view.

First is the historical view.

We see this in the first part of the text when Paul says, “Remember, that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh.” What does he mean by this?

Prior to the coming of Christ, God dealt with mankind through the Jewish nation.

the nation of Israel.

All things of the Old Testament revolved around the Jewish nation. They were God’s chosen people. They were God’s beloved nation.

Since the coming of Christ, God has moved to a worldwide scale to include both Jews and Gentiles.

No longer are the promises of God restricted solely to the Jewish nation.

Now the promises of God extend to all mankind. God takes in both Jews and Gentiles and makes them citizens of His heavenly kingdom. So first, we see the view from an historical perspective.

Second, we see things from an individual view.

Both the Jewish nation and the Gentile nations are made up of individuals.

God does not deal with the nations; He now deals with the individual.

Thought He promises to save all of Israel in the end time, the end product, the end dealing is with the individual heart of man. Being of the Nation of Israel in this age, being American in this age, does not secure any type of righteousness or salvation for man. Living in the south, doesn’t make you a Christian.

The salvation of man is based on the individual heart of man.

Third the view from a new creation.

God no longer deals with divided nations of the world; He is dealing with a new nationality, a new body of people, a new citizenship of His kingdom.

This new body of people is made up of individuals from all nations of the world

, people from every walk of life who approach Him now through the person of Jesus Christ. Any individual who comes to God the Father through God the Son, receives a new life, a new spirit. We get to start over in our walk, we are born again. It is that group of believers, both Jews and Gentiles, which make up the true family of God and will get to inhabit the new heaven and the new earth at the conclusion of the millennial reign of Christ on the earth.

Keep those three views in mind as we remember what life is like since coming to Christ.

Verse 11-12 tell us:

Ephesians 2:11-12 (NASB95)

11 Therefore 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— 12 remember 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.

I. First thing we remember is that as Gentiles we were separated from God. (Ephesians 2:11-12)

Before the coming of Christ, all that were not of the Jewish faith were separated from God. There was a great gulf that existed between Jew and Gentile.

We as Gentiles, were barricaded from God by the Jews.

God had chosen those who were descendants of Abraham to be the evangelizing force of the world; they were to proclaim that God and God alone is the true and living God and that He was going to send a Messiah into the world one day to save the world. Unfortunately, they failed in this, and took their calling as a chosen people as a symbol of pride and arrogance. Instead of telling the world about the true and living God, they locked out those of the world who were not Jewish. They took it upon themselves to lump everyone together into a single group of non-Jews called the Gentiles. They took the major ritual of their religion, the mark of their religion, CIRCUMCISION, and called themselves by that name, (the People of the Circumcision) locking out everyone who was not part of it.

They put up barricades which alienated the rest of the world from God. Their religion had become corrupt.

The same thing happens today, but under a different light. Religion keeps people from God; pushes people away from God. It’s religion that drives people away from the church. How many people refuse to ever step foot back into a church because of the way they have been hurt by the church. They have been pushed away from the church because of a poor decision or a poor choice made in life. The people who need to be welcomed in the most, who NEED healing and redemption from God, are all to often the ones religion tends to push away and put-up barricades to keep them from God. Because they don’t fit our mold, we push them out. We say they are not part of us, when in reality, we should be welcoming them in, introducing them to Christ, praying for their salvation, and helping them grow in their faith and walk with the Lord.

Religion separated us from God.

1- Before Christ, we as Gentiles knew nothing of a Messiah, we were “separated from Christ” and had no hope of a coming savior.

2- Before Christ, we were “excluded from God’s people,” the nation of Israel.

We were not citizens of God’s kingdom.

3- Before Christ, we were “foreigners (strangers) to the covenant of promise.”

The Jews alone were the covenant people of God. He presented the covenants strictly to the nation of Israel, we were excluded.

4- Before Christ we were “without hope.”

As gentiles we had no hope of life after death; we simply lived in constant fear of death, for it brought the end.

5- Before Christ we were “without God in the world.”

We had no source of strength, we had no source of life, we had no hope beyond what we could provide for ourselves, that which consisted not of righteousness.

II. In Christ we are brought near to God. (Ephesians 2:13)

Ephesians 2:13 (NASB95)

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

As mentioned earlier, we have the wonderful statement in this text, “But now.” That is a forceful contrast to who we were prior to Christ. While before Christ we were divided, separated from God, NOW by the blood of Christ we are brought near to God. By His death, burial and resurrection, a new life is available to all who will believe on the spilt blood.

Why was the death of Jesus necessary for us to be brought near to God?

1. We were estranged from God: we had rejected and rebelled against him in our sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24)

Because of our sin, there was ever only one way man could be brought back into a right relationship with the Father, and that was if the Father would WILLINGLY and voluntarily forgive man for their transgression and sin. No action of man would ever be justifiable before the righteousness of God.

Out of His great love for His creation, God desired to forgive mankind, but the punishment of death and separation had already been handed down. The sentence had already been given, and the Word of the Lord cannot be forsaken or dismissed.

The only thing that could be done is if God could provide a perfect man to stand in the place of all mankind. Another problem was presented, in that such a perfect man did not and could not exist because of the nature of man. Therefore, God, again in His great love for His creation, provided His only son as the perfect and spotless sacrifice for all.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95)

21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

1 Peter 2:24 (NASB95)

24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

2. God desired to show the depth of His love for mankind. (John 15:13, Romans 5:8-10)

John 15:13 (NASB95)

13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

But God went further than dying for a friend; because before Christ we were NOT friends of God. In fact, the Bible points out that we were enemies of God; we had rebelled against Him.

Romans 5:8-10 (NASB95)

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

In the death of Jesus, God demonstrates His great love for mankind.

III. In Christ we receive peace (Ephesians 2:14-15)

Not only does Christ GIVE us peace, He IS OUR peace.

Ephesians 2:14-15 (NASB95)

14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by 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,

Christ does four things to bring us peace.

1. Brings men together as “One.” (Romans 5:1)

We may all now approach God on the same basis, on equal footing. No man has greater access before the throne. No man is separated. No man is accepted before God because they sin less, are wealthier, are healthier, or more intelligent or capable.

All mankind come before God together as One and are accepted by God through the blood of Christ.

Romans 5:1

5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

All of mankind who come to Christ for salvation receive a common love, purpose, and work.

2. Christ bring peace by breaking down all barriers.

This picture is taken from the temple. There were multiple barriers that stopped people from coming to God based on their position and standing. First you had the outer court, or the court of the Gentiles. Not Gentile was allowed any closer to the presence of God then the outer court. In fact, there were signs hung up that indicated that any Gentile who went any further into the temple would face death. After that was the court of the women. This was as far as the women could get to the presence of God.

Then came the Court of the Israelites, which limited the access of the Israelite men. Next was the court of the priest, which contained the Temple proper itself. Inside of that court was the Holy of Holies, or the most Holy Place, which was limited to the High Priest, and then only once per year. The point being, before Christ, your standing, your race, you gender, determined how close you could get to God. There were barriers. After Christ, those barriers were removed. We receive peace in Christ because there are no longer partitions and all men came come before God on equal standing.

3. Christ brings peace by removing the hostility of the law against us. (Matthew 5:17, Romans 8:3)

Before Christ man had to approach God through the law. The problem was, this law did not make man acceptable before God because it could not be followed in perfection. Every time man broke the law, the law cried out “GUILTY!”

In Jesus the law has been fulfilled, it is completed. He lived the sinless, perfect life and secured the ideal righteousness. He paid the penalty for man having broke the law. Now, we can approach God in Christ, in whom the law is fulfilled. No laws, no regulations, no decrees keep us from God if we are in Christ.

Matthew 5:17

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Romans 8:3

3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,

4. Christ Bring peace by creating a “New Man.”

When man believes on Christ, they become a new man, they are born-again. This brings peace of heart, mind, and spirit. We are now part of a new body, a new church, a new family, a new fellowship.

IV. Christ brings reconciliation (Ephesians 2:16-17)

Ephesians 2:16-17

16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;

Five points concerning reconciliation.

1. What broke the relationship between man and God was the sin of mankind

who rebelled against God, and rejected God.

2. The way men are reconciled back to God is by the death of Jesus Christ, God in flesh.

When man believes that Jesus Christ died for him, God accepts the death of Jesus for the death by the man, thus his sin is paid for and is freed from the punishment due sin.

3. God is the One who reconciles, NOT man.

Man cannot reconcile himself back to God. We are incapable of establishing righteous living acceptable by God.

4. All men can be reconciled to one another if they look up to God “through the Lord Jesus Christ.”

All men who look to Jesus for reconciliation and peace with God are joined together as family under the same Lord.

5. Men learn about reconciliation by the preaching of Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:17)

Romans 10:17

V. Christ brings us Access to God

Jesus opens the courts of God so we have access to the throne of God through the Spirit of God at all times.