Remember

(READ Ephesians 2:11-13)

“The alienation between Jews and Gentiles in was in no way unique - then or today. For people as technologically advanced as we are, we certainly haven’t learned much morally. While we can put men on the moon, we cant seem to cause them to get along together.Heart transplants are common place, but hearts of compassion grow increasingly rare. Instead of tearing down walls of hostility between us, we have been erecting them with great care” (hoizonsnet.org/sermons/eph09)

Last week I commented that Paul says in the versus today - what Paul has already said. The Apostle has gone to great pains to explain - and to expose men - not so they might get down on themselves, but that they might rise up in the work of God and His Grace.

Look with me at verse 11.

Paul has spoken of the vileness of men in versus 1 thru 3, and now, Paul gives the only IMPERATIVE or - the only COMMAND - that is found in the first three chapters of his letter to these people who have confessed Christ and have turned from their former way of life. We know from that these people have paid a great price in their lives - be it financial - or socially - to be in this community, this family, that God has made a way for them to be in.

And that is Paul’s point here again - Paul commands them to remember.

“Remember that formerly you who are gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by those who call themselves the circumcision.”

We need to understand the what, who, and why of the meaning of this verse as Paul addresses the Believers in Ephesus, if we are to understand what it means for us today, and what effect it should have on us, in light of it.

(The What)

Paul is calling the gentiles to remember. In the greek the word remember doesn’t simply mean to bring something to mind - but rather it means “to exercise careful reflection”, and then “to act on those memories.” Paul is telling the believers in Ephesus - don’t ever stop thinking about the place you once were in. Keep thinking about your former life and recall it often - because in doing so - it will bring about a work in your heart.

(The Who)

Remember, says Paul, that you were of the uncircumcision.

Remember that you were of the uncircumcision.

Look with me at verse 11.

This is a call to see with a clearer vision the true state of their former lives.

They have already been reminded in versus 1-3 that they once lived dead in sin and trespasses. They have already been reminded of their life when they followed the devil and lived in his lies, and worked in Satan’s deception. They have been reminded of their life of disobedience and how they “walked” in the past - comfortable in fulfilling their sinful nature and the desires of the flesh.

This is more of the same as it is found is verses 1-3 - but now it is a look at the people not just personally, but corporately!

And now Paul, after speaking of the grace of God - that is had only by faith - calls the Ephesians to remember that they were the uncircumcised!

Paul has spoken of the vileness of men in versus 1 thru 3, and now, Paul gives the only IMPERATIVE or - the only COMMAND - that is found in the first three chapters of his letter to these people who have confessed Christ and have turned from their former way of life.

(The Why)

And now we need to remember the barrier - the wall that stood between the gentiles - those who were uncircumcised, and the Jews - those who were circumcised - so that the power of this call to remembrance might impact us as well.

And now we need to remember the barrier - the wall that stood between the gentiles - those who were uncircumcised, and the Jews - those who were circumcised - so that the power of this call to rememberance might impact us as well.

To be called an uncircumcised man by a Jew was a term of great disdain.

You might recall what we have learned about the Jews, and what they thought about the Gentiles from other studies.

Very often I have told you that the Jews thought that any man who was not circumcised - who was a gentile - was a dog.

But Barclay gives us a better understanding of this relationship between Jew and Gentile when he tells us more and writes:

“The Jews had an immense contempt for Gentiles. They said that the Gentiles were created by God to be the fuel of the fires of hell, and that God loved only Israel of all the nations He had made. . . it was not even lawful to give help to a gentile woman in childbirth, for that would be to bring another gentile into the world. . . if a Jew married a gentile, then the funeral of that Jew was carried out - he or she was as good as dead” (Barclay, Letters to Gal and Eph. 2002, p.123).

You might recall that Peter, when invited to come to the house of Cornelius, told Cornelius that it was unlawful for him to enter his house, because it would make him unclean.

*****

In fact, If you were to look at Acts chapter 10. You find a bit of a bio of Cornelius, and it tells us that he was a centurion in the Italian Regiment and that he and all of his family “were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly” (v. 2).

We know from that these people have paid a great price in their lives financially and socially to be in this community, this family, that God has made a way for them to be in.

And it was to this man that an angel of the Lord appeared and told him that “his prayers had been answered and that he was to send to Joppa for Simon to come and to speak to him.”

But Scripture tells us here in in versus 2, 22, and in ; that these men are not considered to be of the true Israel - but rather they are called “God fearing men.”

We need to understand that the gentile who had become a believer in the One True God, was still in the eyes of the Jews - a second class citizen.

We need to remember this division.

We need to remember that in the Temple there was an outer court and an inner court.

And that is Paul’s point here again - Paul commands them to remember.

On the outer edge was the court of the Gentiles. This is where those who were not Jews could enter - and this was as close to God as they could ever get. There were actually signs that were hung on this wall of about 4 feet tall that warned all who were not Jews, that to enter was to be the reason of your own death!

Then there was the court closer to the sanctuary and the women could enter there.

And then there was the court for the Jewish men, and then the court where only the priests could enter.

The Temple was arranged this way right up into the Holy of Holies - where only the priest would enter once a year, and - only by the blood of a sacrifice - and even then the priest would have a rope tied to his leg in case God was to kill him for some wrong committed on the priests part - so his body could be pulled back to the other side of the curtain.

We need to remember that this was not just an Old Testament practice. In Acts chapter 21 we are told that Paul was seen in Jerusalem with a man named Trophimus - an Ephesian - and later on the Jews called the people of Israel into a frenzy by accusing Paul of bringing a Gentile into the Temple area that defiled the Holy place (v. 27-30) and the Bible tells us that the Jews “came running from every direction” and the “whole city was aroused. They had closed the Temple gates after dragging Paul out and were beating Paul to death, until they were stopped by the Roman army.

I say all of that to say this - to be a gentile - was to be of the worst kind of life on earth to a Jew.

But Paul quickly makes the statement that brings everyone on even footing since Christ has came, and the Gospel has been preached.

*****

In verse 11 Paul says, you who are called the uncircumcised - “by those who call themselves “the circumcision (that done in the body by the hands of men)”.

Understand the reason for the Jews believing that they were the only people God loved.

In Genesis Chapter 17, God had made a covenant with Abraham and tells him

10”This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.”

To the Romans and the Greeks - the Gentiles - the act of circumcision was absolutely barbaric. It was as disgusting an act as you could commit.

But to the Jews - it was the sign that they were special - that they were favored - and that everyone else was toast.

You see, the Jews missed the entire point of circumcision because they became focused on their acts of religion. They failed to share the God of the universe with the surrounding nations because they became prideful - and as we have seen in verses 1-3 - they too lived in the flesh!

They had forgotten through the ages that the mark of distinction that they carried was not just a means to enter heaven - but rather a means to make them fit for heaven! They propped themselves up in their identity by their mark in the flesh, and forgot about the tremendous privilege that it carried! And in doing so - they lost sight of the duty that they were called to exercise!

That is the point for any believer in the One True God - that because He has set aside a people to be the salt and the light - they do not have the opportunity to pretend as if they are the “frozen chosen” - but that they have a privilege to show kindness - to express love - and to live with compassion in place of contempt.

Circumcision that mattered was not that which was done in the flesh by the hands of men - but rather which God had done, as a work in the heart.

Jeremiah makes this clear when he says that God will give a new heart, and Paul makes this point clear in and Galatians chapters 5 and 6.

So we see here in verse 11 - that corporately - there was a need for God to do what he did - so that God and man might be reconciled, and man and man might be reconciled.The only way the dividing walls could be torn down was for God to do something, because man didn’t have the capacity too. And we should never, ever, forget that.

And verse 12 makes it explicitly clear as to why.

The only way the dividing walls could be torn down was for God to do something, because man didn’t have the capacity to do something.

And we should never, ever, forget that. and verse 12 makes it explicitly clear.

Here we find Paul again repeats Himself - and He gives a summary view of what was wrong when the Gentiles who were living their lives as the uncircumcised, and without the mark of the One True God.

**and He shows the Gentiles and the Jews (see “brought near” by Borgman as to why it is a call to both here).**

Look at verse 12.

“Remember” says Paul “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.”

Here we see 5 points that are called to our attention. Again, we are called to remember the horrible condition that we were in - not just personally, but as a people.

First, Paul tells them, “you were separate from Christ!”

The word Christ today is what we consider a proper name. But that has not always been the case. The word Christos is an adjective describing “one who is anointed.” Kings were anointed at the coronation - it was then that they rose to power. It was then that they ruled (Barclay, 2002, p.124).

The Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah came to mean “the anointed one of God!”

This tells us the point Paul is making to these believers.

The Jews, in as much as they had messed up all that God had told them, lived with one constant thought before them - and that thought was this. . .

No matter what is happening - no matter how bad things appear - no matter how desperate the situation of the Jewish people was - they had Gods guarantee that He Himself would send a king to rule over the world and to bring all of their enemies into submission!

To the Jews - the timeline of history was ALWAYS heading somewhere - it was ALWAYS enroute to a final destination that would bring them to the top of everything!

But to the Gentile - to those who had no knowledge of this promise from God - because they were separate of this anointed ruler to come - history was a repeating pin wheel that led to now here and had no future value to look forward to. There was no Savior to come - only more of the same misery.

But with the coming of Christ - the Gentiles were able to enter into the new view of history in which people were always on their way to God. There was a destination to be had (Barlcay, 2002, p.124).

Next Paul tells them, not only were they separate from a Savior - but they were “excluded from the citizenship in Israel.”

Paul calls the Ephesians to remember that because they were excluded from citizenship, it was evident that they were not under the protection and the privileges of the nation of God! Only the Jews could claim to be citizens of of the nation that was operated as a theocracy - in which God alone was the divine ruler! To be of the people of Israel - was to know that the leader of your nation was God and that His protection and His privileges were yours. and if you know that you have a Savior who is promised to come and to rule - how great a confidence can the citizen now live in!

Then Paul follows that, and he piles on the deplorable condition they once lived in, and he tells the Ephesians to remember that they were “foreigners to the covenants of the promise.”

The promises of God to the Jews were delivered via a covenant. A covenant was a term that implied a solemn divine-human treaty involving both promises and obligations! The covenant promise, in a nutshell, was that God would send a savior to His people! ( and ).

But as a gentile - before this work of God done on the behalf of all men - there was only separation from the Christ - there was no benefits of protection as a citizen of Gods community - and there was no promise to you that God would or must take any concern on your behalf!

Remeber says Paul - you were a gentile who had nothing in your life and you had no promise in your death! Your desires to live for you and you alone alienated you not only from Gods people - but you were alienated from God Himself!

And that brings the 4th point Paul stresses - Remember, you had no hope!

Life was going nowhere - Life was a void! You lived and you died - and in your death there was nothing to behold - no promise - no guarantee - no further purpose.

It is a common practice today for unbelievers to look at suffering in the world today and to use that as a catalyst to convince others there is no God - “How can there be a God if all these terrible things happen?” they ask. But is that not the point? The moment you remove God, doesn’t that immediately remove any and all hope that someone may have? Doesn’t it make a grim looking situation only as black as night?

And that leads us into Pauls 5th point - as it all the previous points in verses 11 and 12 come to a head.

Remember - you were without God.

The Greek word atheoi used here for “without”, is where we get our English word Atheist from.

It doesn’t mean they did not believe in a god. quite the contrary. The Ephesian gentiles spent their entire lives worshipping and sacrificing to many gods - especially the god of Diana.

They continually gave and worked to appease the god who they credited for health, wealth, and fertility.

But that is exactly the problem that Paul commands the Ephesians to remember. He wants them to never forget that in their former way of life, they worked and labored to find the favor of a rock - a plain image - created by human hands.

And in all that they gave - and in all of their distress, and in all their hardships - they did it to serve a (g)od (Little G), who did not care for them in any way, shape, or form.

And they did this not because they had no god - but because they had no knowledge of the One True God. The God that Israel had come to call upon as the deliverer - the protector - the redeemer. A God who the Psalmist calls to and asks - “how can You o Lord care for me?”

Remember, says Paul, the uselessness of all you did before the God of Heaven stepped in and sent to you, His one and only Son!

Remember, says Paul, the lost condition of your soul and the days that were spent yearning for something that you could not create, or find, or enjoy.

Remember, says Paul, that you were godless and you worshipped and sacrificed all that you did in vain. And Warren Weirsbe adds that they lived without God not because they had no way to know Him - but because they did have the mind to know Him and yet CHOSE to turn away from Him to seek to fulfill their own desries ((Weirsbe, 2009, p.67).

PAUSE

And then, Paul, repeating the very same approach as he has already used; lays all of the Gospel of Jesus Christ before those in Ephesus and he says to them with all of the excitement and energy that an old man can convey -

BUT NOW. BUT NOW.

If you look back at versus 1 thru 10 you will see that Paul lays out all of the terribleness of mans estate in versus 1-3 and then Paul proclaims “BUT GOD”.

And so it is here again - Paul repeats himself.

He has laid out the terrible condition of mankind and all of its separation from one another, and from God, and then he says:

“But Now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once far away have been brought near, through the blood of Christ!”

That my friends is the Good News! That is the reason for the season we find ourselves in today. That is the greatest gift ever given to mankind, and it comes from the greatest gift giver of all!

PAUSE

But if we are not careful - if we decide that this gift is for us alone and too bad for everyone else - are we not in the position of becoming the very Jews who Jesus denounces for their cold hearts and self seeking grandizement?

We will dig further in to verse 13 in the weeks to come - but today I want to show you the power of remembering - the power of never loosing sight of your own wretched state, before God sent this gift that was for all who would believe and place their trust in Him.

First - when we remember that we were of the “uncircumcision” people - we can look back at versus 8-10 and we can see the magnificence of Grace, the power of Grace!

One author says it his way:

“Paul admonishes them not to forget the dismal state of heathenism out of which they had been called; but often to reflect upon it with attention and seriousness, that they might forever maintain a humble sense of their own unworthiness, and awaken in their souls thankful and admiring apprehensions of that grace which had wrought on them such a glorious change. . .” Later on he comments that “this remembering or recollection of our former stupidity, impenitence, and guilt keeps the Christian humble and watchful and enlivens his gratitude to God and warms his zeal for religion. He is not disposed to exalt himself on account of the Spiritual change, which he hopes has taken place in him. But rather, he is inclined to think of others to be better than himself, being conscious of greater vileness and guilt in himself, than he can discern in them.” (unknown preacher - sermon 13 of Ephesians).

We see the positive effects of this kind of remembering when we look at Paul writing to Timothy in Chapter 1 versus 12-15 and he says:

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

When we remember - we will always magnify the Grace of God!

Next - When we remember - It strengthens the faith of those who are truly Gods people.

When we see with a clearer vision who we were, we will always be reminded of our utter helplessness. Before we were made new, and brought near by the blood of Christ, we were dead. We were without the ability to do good works and we came into the faith as filthy sinners. How much more fitting then is our faith if we continually recognize that it was not by my works that i was adopted into the family of God - but only by the faith that He alone could do the good work that saved me - and by believing in it - I am in His Family.

Next - when we remember where we once were, we increase our love for God.

Jesus once had his feet washed with the let down hair of a woman who wept tears of joy and love, because she knew how much she had been forgiven. To see how much love was given to you and I as we lived a life that was in opposition to God, as an active enemy of God, is to know a love so grand that all we can do in return is to love God, and to love others.

Next - When we remember the spoiled state of our souls before Christ came is to grow our desire to live in absolute obedience.

As we see how far He has brought us from where we were - we can only live a life that will bring God glory. We will want to please Him and to live each day with a greater anticipation of hearing the words - Well done good and faithful servant.

Next - When we remember our former state it will continually bring about the work of Godly sorrow in our lives.

A staple of the true believer is found in their actions of repentance. When we see the cost of sin - and we see the price that was paid to cover that cost - we will never love to sin - but rather we will hate sin, and when we fall into temptation we will seek to lay it before God so that He may remove the vileness of it from us and keep us pure.

In His first sermon preached after the 40 days in the wilderness - Jesus makes it clear that repentance is necessary. and if repentance is necessary - then remembering will never allow us to sink back into a life without the sorrow that gives way to Gods working Hand in pardon.

And finally,

When we remember that we were separate from Christ - excluded from citizenship - foreigners to the covenant promise - without hope and with out God,

We can see with a clearer vision the condition of the thousands upon thousands who we meet each day, week, month , and year in our travels.

And to truly remember where we have come from - should absolutely break our hearts for those who God has placed along our path of life - so that as we walk in Him and His will and His way - we can exemplify the hope that God has given.

If we ever dare to no longer remember where we once were - there is a certainty that looms over us.

1st - we will grow cold and indifferent. we will become filled with apathy and lukewarm at best and wickedness will take root. Jesus says in that a sign of the end of the ages will be because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.

2nd - We will find ourselves alive in a day like that of the prophet Jeremiah when men proclaimed Peace Peace - when there was no peace.

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We could not make a good decision form a bad because we didn’t have the ability to do so. And so now that we are made alive - and yet we are still in this body of the flesh and we will stumble - we dare not to de cieve ourselves as to believe we are not “good enough” to be

“Remember that formerly you who are gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by those who call themselves the circumcision.”

“Brought Near” Borgman min 19

We need to understand the what, who, and why of the meaning of this verse as Paul addresses the Believers in Ephesus, if we are to understand what it means for us today, and what effect it should have on us, in light of it.

Jews in Pauls day spoke of Prosylytes - These were those who had been converted from among the gentiles, who had embraced the God of Israel, even to the point of submitting to and becoming circumcised. But in the eye of the Jew he was never a true Israelite - he was rather one who has been drawn near “pros el thon”.

Paul is calling the gentiles to remember. In the greek the word remember doesn’t simply mean to bring something to mind - but rather it means “to exercise careful reflection”, and then “to act on those memories.” Paul is telling the believers in Ephesus - don’t ever stop thinking about the place you once were in. Keep thinking about your former life and recall it often - because in doing so - it will bring about a work in your heart.

Remember, says Paul, that you were of “the uncircumcision.”

This is a call to see with a clearer vision the true state of their former lives.

They have already been reminded in versus 1-3 that they once lived dead in sin and trespasses. They have already been reminded of their life when they followed the devil and lived in his lies, and worked in Satan’s deception. They have been reminded of their life of disobedience and how they “walked” in the past - comfortable in fulfilling their sinful nature and the desires of the flesh.

This is more of the same as it is found is verses 1-3 - but now it is a look at the people not just personally, but corporately!

And now Paul, after speaking of the grace of God - that is had only by faith - calls the Ephesians to remember that they were the uncircumcised!

And now we need to remember the barrier - the wall that stood between the gentiles - who were the uncircumcised, and the Jews - who were the circumcised - so that the power of this call to remembrance might impact us.

To be called an uncircumcised man by a Jew was a term of great disdain.

You might recall what we have learned about the Jews, and what they thought about the Gentiles from other studies.

Very often I have told you that the Jews thought that any man who was not circumcised - who was a gentile - was a dog.

But Barclay gives us a better understanding of this relationship between Jew and Gentile when he writes:

“The Jews had an immense contempt for Gentiles. They said that the Gentiles were created by God to be the fuel of the fires of hell, and that God loved only Israel of all the nations He had made. . . it was not even lawful to give help to a gentile woman in childbirth, for that would be to bring another gentile into the world. . . if a Jew married a gentile, then the funeral of that Jew was carried out - he or she was as good as dead” (Barclay, Letters to Gal and Eph. 2002, p.123).

And you might recall that Peter, when invited to come to the house of Cornelius; told Cornelius that it was unlawful for him to enter his house, because just walking inside would make him unclean.

We need to remember this division.

We need to remember that every morning a Jewish man got up and prayed “Thank you God you did not make me a woman, or a Gentile.”

We need to remember that in the Temple there was an outer court and an inner court.

On the outer edge was the court of the Gentiles. This is where those who were not Jews could enter - and this was as close to God as they could ever get. There were actually signs that were hung on this wall of about 4 feet tall that warned all who were not Jews, that to enter was to be the reason of your own death!

We need to remember that this was not just an Old Testament practice. In Acts chapter 21 we are told that Paul was seen in Jerusalem with a man named Trophimus - an Ephesian - and later on the Jews called the people of Israel into a frenzy by accusing Paul of bringing a Gentile into the Temple area that defiled the Holy place (v. 27-30) and the Bible tells us that the Jews “came running from every direction” and the “whole city was aroused. They had closed the Temple gates after dragging Paul out and were beating Paul to death, until they were stopped by the Roman army.

I say all of that, to say this - to be a gentile - was to be of the worst kind of life on earth to a Jew.

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But Paul quickly makes the statement that brings everyone on even footing since Christ has arrived, and the Gospel has been preached.