Ephesians 2 Christ is Our Peace

Ephesians 2:11-22

You were dead, but now you are alive.

You were enslaved to sin and to Satan, but now you have been set free.

You were condemned, but now you declared “not guilty,” and you are loved by Almighty God.

By grace you have been saved. God has done this. God has saved us. Jesus has paid for us, and now we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has called us to.

And now the writer calls us… God calls us to remember where we were… again.

It is like God desires to hammer this reality home in our hearts over and over again...

Why?

Remember… we live out of what we have in. We work out of our salvation. We work out of this grace, mercy and love that we have received...

Those who love much… loves much. Those who have been forgiven much… forgives much. Those who have been shown great mercy… shows continuous mercy...

Light views of the Gospel… produces light view of God, of Jesus, of the Cross, and the salvation that you now have...

If we do not know… or if we forget these things… If we are not growing in these things… Our lives will reflect it. Our prayer, praise and worship will reflect it...

The way we treat others will reflect it as well.

Paul labors in this way throughout the book of Ephesians: “Remember this… this is what God has done for you… Now live it out… Act like it… Live it out!”

Verse 11-12 - Remember… at one time… You were far off. You were without Christ, separated from God...

What is the difference between Jew and Gentile? There is a racial or ethnicity distinction between them as groups of people (1 Cor. 10:32)...

But individually (Romans 10:11-13; Galatians 3:28), there is no difference, if they are in Christ… there is neither Jew nor Gentile...

But before Christ… There was a division.

Gentiles did not receive the special revelation, the Scriptures. They did not see the miracles, or receive the promises of God. And God chose Israel to bring His glory to the world, and to bring Christ into the world...

So Gentiles… Anyone who was not ethnic Israel

Remember… you did not have the covenants, the promises of God… You were in this world without God and without hope...

You did not have peace with God. You warred with God, going your way and doing that which is contrary to His Word, Will, and Ways...

Physical Gentiles back then and spiritual Gentiles today… this is where you were or, this is where you are...

You and I were way..... off.... far.... off.... Aliens/Strangers to God. All spiritual Gentiles, people without God, are very far off and away from God...

Sometimes Walmart checkout lines are too long… Being at Disney World, and walking from one end to the other is too much.

I went to Peru years ago and I didn’t like the 6 hour plane ride, and kissed the ground when I got off.

The circumference of the earth is 24,901 miles… they say. If you and I could walk around the earth… It would take 8,313 hours and 20 minutes… Just shy of a year...

But… when it comes to the distance between us and God… eternity is between us… You can never get there without God making it possible...

Verse 13 - And that is what God did… He provided the Way.

“But now...” Christ has provided the Way. But now… the wall or barrier has been taken away...

Now: In the Jewish temple… There was a wall that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the rest of the structure...

On this wall, there was a sign that gave warning to anyone who tried to cross over… those who would cross the wall...

They could have been killed if they did so.

What did Jesus do? Jesus tore the wall down.

Through the Cross… You can cross. Through the Cross, you can cross over… Through the Cross, all may cross over into One Kingdom, into One Hope, One Faith, and One Baptism, with the One God, and One Lord...

All are now One… Through Christ.

“Well, what about the Law?” Christ took care of all the righteous requirements… for all of us… for Jew and Gentile, forgiving us all through the Blood of Christ.

God took care of the sin problem and separation problem… and not only made peace between Himself and sinners, but also between Jew and Gentile… Bringing us all together as One New Man… As One Body and Family...

(picture) As the pastor was traveling through Romania country, the train was stopped with he and his companions on board. The authorities were told to look out for Americans and to detain them. The big officer came by and saw a Bible with them and the integration began...

The officer asks, “Are you Christian?” Yes, came the reply.

The officer took the Bible and thumbed through until he got to this verse… in verse 19… and the officer ordered the to read the passage out loud...

“ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

The officer looked at them and said, with a glow, “You are not American. I not Romanian. We are citizens of heaven. He turned around and spoke to the other troops… and said “These people are okay.”

This is our reality. We have peace with God through Christ, and upon the Foundation of Christ alone… We All Stand United As One Family...

The hostility is over. The enmity/hostility has been put to death. And now peace remains...

The Goal of Christ was to reconcile the nations to Himself… and in doing so… He removes all ethnic or racial walls.

All are reconciled: What does this mean? (slide 5) In order to be reconciled, you must first be separated, alienated, and or estranged from one another...

To say that we have been reconciled is to say, there was a problem between me and God, and me and those other people...

We were enemies going our own way. There was enmity, or hatred, between us...

That is where we are, or this is where we are...

But God does something… God, at the Cross, destroys everything that causes disunity and brings us all together...

We are all now reconciled to the same God, through the same Lord, therefore… We all… all… come together to the One, as One, and we live for the One...

Listen Up:

There is not the white church, black church, American Church, Jewish Church, male church, or female church…

It is just… The Church.

Sin, racism, partiality, sexism… This separates.

Me, my, mine, and I centered religion… separates.

Christianity… is a Christ centered religion, which draws all men to God the Father, together, under one Banner of Truth.

And all who stand under that banner together… Have more in common with one another… Even though the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean separates them.

American Christians have more in common with Chinese and Russian Christians… than American God and Christ haters...

The Cross brings us together (slide 6)

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are working as One to make this happen… Look at verse 18...

Verse 18 - We see the Trinity: Through Christ, we both have our access in One Spirit… to the Father: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… has brought us into His Kingdom, and we are now all citizens of this Kingdom, and we are servants to this Great King.

God, Three and One, has built and has brought us to this.

Is this a new idea to God? No

Hebrews 11:10 - Abraham went out looking for this city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God...

Daniel 2:44-45 - There will be a kingdom made without human hands, and it will fill the earth and endure forever.

Psalm 2:8 - God the Father says, “Ask of Me and I will surely give you the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession.”

Revelation 7:9-10 - After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

God has done this… and God will do this!

Jesus is building His Church today and the gates of hell will never prevail against it...

What should we do with all of this? What is our part in all of this?

First, Be Reconciled to God. The Church is built on Jesus Christ and His Teachings. So, come to Him, be reconciled to God through faith in Christ. Believe in Him. Trust in Him. Follow Him. Find peace with God by receiving His forgiveness through Christ.

If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, you do not have peace with God, and you are still separated from God.

So, this is first: Be reconciled and find peace with God. And He who believes in Christ will not be disappointed.

And Praise Jesus for reconciling you!

2. 1 Peter 2 - Be Reconciled to one another. Build your lives together on Jesus Christ. Take down those barriers and those walls that Jesus tore down. Throw away your hatred and hostility. Get rid of racism and partiality. Stop treating your family like the enemy and support one another as One Family of God should.

Jesus is our Peace. Jesus is our Peace Maker… We will seek to be like our Savior by living at peace with one another, promoting peace with one another, working to keep the peace and the unity of the brethren.

Let the walls come down in families. Let the walls come down between relationships. Confess your sins, forgive, reconcile, be restored.

“But we are too far apart… at this point. It is too late.”

Imagine if God said the same to us...

You cannot make anyone do anything… all you can do is be obedient. All you can do is offer peace, offer forgiveness, offer a hand, offer a kind word, offer love...

You both have to agree to walk together… And just maybe, God will use your faithfulness to bring the walls down...

Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

3. Thirdly and lastly for today… 2 Cor. 5:18-20 - Be ministers of Reconciliation. Be Ambassadors for Christ and go… and make the appeal to whosoever will listen...

Serve unbelievers in this way: Give them the Gospel that Reconciles them to God. Give them the message that saves. Give them the Kings Word...

Go, and represent the King and tell all of those outside of the City of God, outside of Zion, and of the Kingdom...

Beg them on behalf of Christ… to be reconciled to God...

Before it is too late...

This is what we want… right. We want peace, have peace, keep peace and spread peace… right?

Remember what God has done for you. Remember where you were. Remember the grace and the love of Christ today...

Remember it… Don’t forget it!

And experience peace today… and grow in peace today… work to keep and spread the peace today…

Because Jesus is worth it. Because you love Him.

Is this your prayer today: “Lord, I want to experience the Prince of Peace today. I need and I want peace with God. Lord I want to know your peace that surpasses all understanding. I want to know the peace of God, and grow in your peace today...”

“Lord, I desire peace with my family. I desire peace with my church family… Help me to tear down the walls that I have built in these relationships, and help us to forgive one another. Remove this hatred. Remove this hostility. And reconcile us once again...

“Lord, thank you for reconciling me to You… Now help me to go out as your representative and be used by you to help to reconcile the rest of the world to You… before it is too late...

Thank you my Prince of Peace.