He Himself is our Peace

Please turn in your bibles to Ephesians 2:11-22.

The Book of Ephesians is addressed to the church at Ephesus and likely some surrounding churches

Big Picture: Know who you were.

Know what is yours in Christ.

Know what you are in Christ now.

= So the apostle is laying the foundation in the early part of the letter.

Ephesians 2:11–22 NIV

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Intro:

One of the huge questions in the early church: How do Gentiles relate to Israel?

Israel was God’s covenant people (= Abraham)

Now…..the church was/is a mix of Jewish and Gentile

(1) Are Gentiles added to old Israel?

(2) Do Gentiles have to become Jews?

= Or is something new occurring?

(Relevant = we are all Gentiles)

Point: In looking at this question we see the glory of Jesus Christ!!!!

In fact the glory of Jesus Christ is bound up in this question

Our justification

Our growth in holiness (sanctification)

Our assurance

Our final glorification

= Are all bound up in the verses before us today

The apostle writes to this Gentile congregation….

1. Remember your former position.

vv. 11-12 (Remember - 2x’s)

Note:

The apostle is referring to Gentiles in relation to Israel:

Israel was the sole possessors of so many blessings.

(Rom 3:2) They were entrusted with the words of God.

(Rom 9) Theirs is “adoption”…….the “the divine glory”*……the Law….temple worship and the promises…….the patriarchs………Finally the lineage = the Messiah!!

Israel is the conduit of all these blessings (Rom 9-11 = God will ensure that they partake of the Messiah)

Paul’s Point (vv. 11- 12) — You Gentiles were not included in these blessing.

ILL. Many generations of Canaanites, Amalakites, Greeks died separate from the blessings of God.

(v. 12c) = “without hope and without God in this world.”

This is not just the condition of people today apart from Christ

This was the case of whole civilizations (!)

Slow….

But….notice how Paul now defines the blessings of God.

(v. 12) - “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ!”

Paul cannot think of God’s blessing in any other terms other than “in Christ”

Not Law

Not covenant

Not circumcision

Not ethnicity

= in Christ!

A. Foundational theme in Paul’s theology.

v. 13 (= in Christ!)

Note:

Through Faith in Jesus we are placed in Union with Jesus:

His perfect life….becomes your perfect life

His death …….becomes your death

His resurrection ……becomes your resurrection

= (v. 13) Through the death of Jesus we who were “far away” (Isaiah) are brought near to God.

Point: The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus introduces a redemptive-historical shift as to where blessing is found.

= It’s found in Jesus Christ!!!!! (= not just for Israel….but all nations!!!)

Apply:

(1) For the Christian - remember. Remember where you were “apart from Jesus!”

(2) For someone who is visiting……wondering what Christianity is all about…

Through the death of Christ and faith in Him….you can have your sins forgiven

This is the msg of Christianity…….

How does the cross save?

2. Christ is our peace.

vv. 14

Note:

There are a few things that I need to say first:

(1) It does not say - “Christ gives us peace”……….but “Christ IS our peace”

All of the benefits that come to us in Christ’s person

That is….to have Christ is too immediately and simultaneously have all of our salvation.

To have Christ is to have justification….. sanctification….. glorification.

It may need to be “worked out”……..we need to travel this road

We don’t get these from Christ……..we have these in Jesus.

= To have Jesus is to have All the spiritual benefits that you could ever have.

This is what the apostle meant……

Ephesians 1:3 NIV

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

= To have Jesus…..to be in union with Him….. is to have everything we need for life and godliness! (= Peter)

(= all of the Christian life in seed form lies in “Union with Christ”)

(= This is why it can’t be Jesus + Law; Jesus + anything else)

(2) The peace that the scripture is talking about it 2-fold

(a.) It is peace with God - through the blood of Christ.

(b.) It is peace in a new body, the church - through the blood of Christ

= There is a new creation through the cross

Read - vv. 14-18 (Incredible passage)

1. Jesus has in His body on the cross released believers from the claims of the Law.

(v. 15a)

The law condemned us…it imposed burdens that we could not fulfill

Christ on the cross fulfilled this Law and took it away

This does not mean that we are “lawless”…….but the principle of our new life is “in Christ.”

We pursue holiness in a different sphere…….we are “in Christ”

When we return on Sunday nights (= Rom 6)

2. Jesus has in His body on the cross created a new body - the church.

(v. 15b)

This is what Acts 20 means when we are told the church is purchased with the blood of Christ.

Its not a Jewish/Gentile = its entirely new entity “in Christ”

= Gentiles are not merely added to Israel……in Christ God has done something new

3. Jesus has in His body on the cross made peace and through Him we have access to the Father.

(vv. 17-18)

This is a peace between us and God……but also between one another (= Ephesians)

Implication:

Ephesians 2:18 (NIV)

For through him [Jesus] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

= Notice the Trinitarian work

Apply: All of this occurs “in Christ”

We receive it “in Christ”

When we join ourselves to Christ through Faith

We receive Him………everything is in Him!!!

Dear Christian ….If you have Christ….there is nothing left for heaven to give….everything you need is yours

= All of the Christian life is discovering the Boundless riches of Christ (3:8)

Remember what you were (vv. 11-13)

Christ is our peace. (vv. 14-18)

3. Realize who you are now.

vv. 19-22 (cf: vv. 11-13) (= Christ made all the difference)

= This is written to to the church……Ephesus/Binbrook Baptist Church….you are bing built into a “Holy Temple” where God lives by His Spirit.

Note:

This New Temple is not a mere continuation of old Israel….its an entirely new construction:

The blessings are rooted in Israel’s story….but this story culminates in Jesus

He is the cornerstone of this church…..then the apostles……then the NT prophets* = us!

A. We partake of our blessings only “in Christ.”

(v. 21) and (v. 22) = stress “in Him”

= Paul cannot talk about this grand reality apart from Christ.

Implication: To be part of this new Temple you must be “in Christ”…….apart from this …..you have no blessing (= Spirit)

You are separate from God

Without Hope….without God.

B. Jesus has gathered His church to be a Holy Temple.

(v. 21)

Note:

The church of Jesus Christ is what the OT temple foreshadowed

Its holy through the blood of Jesus

It bears witness to the work of God in this world

Conclusion

I want us to end this sermon with realizing that all of our salvation from beginning to end is “in Christ.”

Jesus doesn’t give us our salvation

He IS our salvation………by union with Him we receive everything He is

= The church is not some side-show in God’s plan….it is bound up “in Christ”……it is what God is doing in this world.