Made Nigh by the Blood of Christ

Outline:

I. OUR PAST STATE OF SEPARATION

A. How Horrible Their Situation Was

B. How Hopeless Their Situation Was

II. OUR PRESENT STATE OF SALVATION

A. The Miracle of Reconciliation

B. The Means of Reconciliation

Introduction:

On September 11, 2001, radical Islamic terrorist attacked the World Trade Center in New York City. Almost every American alive that day can tell you where they were and what they were doing the moment they heard the news of the attack. On that tragic day, in which 2,977, people lost their lives, Americans from every walk of life felt the tremors of terror as it swept across the land. I am always amazed at the response on September 11th every year. Almost 20 years later, the cry still rings throughout the nation “Never Forget! We will never forget!”

As we read the writings of the Apostle Paul, there is a sense in which Paul seems very concerned with this idea of remembrance as well. In Ephesians 2, he seems to constantly be crying, “Never Forget! Never Forget!”

In Ephesians chapter 2 verses 11-13, Paul describes yet again for his readers their position prior to their conversion. In verses 1-3, He reminds them of their legal standing prior to their conversion (they were guilty before a holy God). Now, in verses 11 and 12, he reminds them of their relational standing prior to their conversion (they were separated from God and His people). They were excluded. Once again, Paul wants them to remember.

This repeated reference to our former lives illustrates for us the importance of remembering what God has done for us in Christ. The writer of this Epistle, the Apostle Paul, never forgot what Jesus did for him, and he wants us to have the same testimony. You see, when God performs His saving work in the lives of fallen men, it is a miracle so great that it can never be forgotten. Our conversion is an event of such magnitude that it begs the question, “How could someone possibly forget being brought from death to life?”

John Newton, the great pastor in Olney, England and writer of “Amazing Grace,” was saved from a life of utter wickedness and rebellion. After his conversion he kept the words of Deuteronomy 15:15 on his desk which reads, “And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.”

As we examine this great transformation once again in this great chapter, it ought to move us to gratitude afresh for the saving work of Christ as we remember what Jesus has done for us. Let’s examine this passage together by making two observations from the text. First, we see Paul as he brings to remembrance...

OUR PAST STATE OF SEPARATION

Paul opens verse 11 with the words “Wherefore remember…” “Don’t forget,” Paul says. He then goes on in verses 11 and 12 to once again remind his readers of how they were once an excluded and estranged people. He writes,

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”

Paul’s readers, being Gentiles in the flesh, lived a life of separation prior to coming to Christ. Our text tells us of at least four ways these Gentile readers were separated. We will consider them by first noticing...

A. How Horrible Their Situation Was

The culture of Paul’s day was, in many respects, one of great separation. The rich were separated from the poor. The slave was separated from the free. The Roman was separated from the Greek. And most importantly for us to understand, the Gentile was separated from the Jew.

Of all the divisions, this was the greatest. Today’s society isn’t much different is it? We too live in a culture of separation. Their is cultural division, racial division, financial division, religious division, and yes, political division. However, there is a vast difference in the divisions that we face today and the division between Jew and Gentile in Paul’s day.

You see, the divisions in our world are all artificial. We may act as is we are different, but the reality is that we are all the same. Rich and poor, black and white, white-collar and blue-collar, we are all the same essentially. However, the division that existed between Jew and Gentile prior to the cross of Christ was real, for it was clearly defined by God.

In verse eleven, Paul describes the ethnicity of his readers by referencing an ancient symbol of an ancient covenant. He refers to them as the “Uncircumcision.” Circumcision in the Old Testament was the visible symbol of God’s covenant with His people Israel. To be uncircumcised was to be estranged from God’s covenant and his people. In other words, to be uncircumcised was to be separated, excluded, without.

In verse 12, Paul begins to explain all that this separation entailed. He writes “That at that time ye were without Christ...” This phrase “without Christ” can literally be translated “separate from Christ.” Now, we know that the word “Christ,” the greek word “Christos” is synonymous with the Hebrew word “Messiah.” For these Gentiles to be separate from Christ did not mean, as one writer comments, that they “were without Christ as Saviour, but as Gentiles, they had no covenant connection with Him as the Jews had with Him as Messiah” (Wuest).

What a horrible position to be in! Because of their ethnicity and lineage, these Gentile readers were once outside of the promise, hope, and fellowship of Christ.

Whereas the Jewish people were looking for Christ in hope, the Gentiles did not know Him nor have any hope of Him. They were separated from Christ.

Secondly, Paul reminds them of how they were once “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.” Put simply, they were outside of God’s covenant family. The word translated “aliens” in verse 12 literally means to be shut out from one’s fellowship and intimacy. In other words, they weren’t simply outside of God’s covenant family, they were shut out from it.

This is tough language. God’s family was exclusive to the nation of Israel, with no admissions department. There was no way for them to get in on the blessings of Israel. Sure, they could proselyte and become Jews religiously, but they could never become Jews relationally. They were excluded.

Paul continues “and strangers from the covenants of promise.” Now, we know that the Old Testament is filled with promises that God made to the nation of Israel. These promises formed the bedrock on which the nation stood. These promises guided the nation in hope for a better day and a coming Savior. However, Paul tells his Gentile readers that they were once strangers to these covenants of promise. That is they had no share or claim to any of them. They were foreigners. They could not understand these promises nor possess them as their own. In yet another sense, they were totally excluded.

Would you not agree with me that this is a terrible position to be in? Could you imagine for a second, being excluded from Christ, having no claim on the promises of God, and being denied access to His family? The more I read and study this passage, the more I begin to think that “horrible” is not quite a strong enough word.

Yet it gets worse still. Paul not only tells of How Horrible Their Situation Was but also...

B. How Hopeless Their Situation Was

He writes at the end of verse 12, “having no hope, and without God in the world.” Separate from Christ and separate from His covenant people, the Gentiles had absolutely no hope of redemption or reconciliation. Charles Hodge writes, “The promise of God is the only foundation of hope, and therefore those to whom there is no promise, have no hope.” They were utterly hopeless.

Now, I recognize tonight that this sermon may seem very abstract and separate from our lives. As 21st Century Christians, we have a hard time really understanding what was going on in the culture of that day. For those of us who grew up in church, we have hear verses like John 3:16 and Romans 10:9-10 all of our lives. We have been told all our lives that anyone can be saved regardless of their nationality, their skin color, or their ethnicity. Therefore, when we hear Paul speak like this it is hard for us to imagine a day and time where these things were true.

You see, standing on this side of Calvary, we have never had to deal with the spiritual segregation of the Old Covenant. Even for those of us who are Gentiles tonight, we never had to worry about whether or not God would accept us due to our ethnicity. However, what I want you to know is that had Jesus Christ not died on the cross for us, this segregation would still be in place. We would still be without Christ and still be separated from His people and still be without hope and God in the world.

What Paul has to say in verses 11 and 12 might seem foreign to us. However, what Paul is describing at the end of verse 12 is something that is common to us all, Jew and Gentile alike. These Gentile readers were once without hope because they were once without Christ. Now, that is the testimony of every one of us, isn’t it? We all were at one time without hope and without God in this world.

Science tells us that a man can live without a lot of things. He can go upwards to 40 days without food, 3 to 4 days without water, 5 to 10 minutes without oxygen, but not a mere moment without hope. And yet apart from Christ, there is no hope.

As Paul tells us in the beginning of this chapter, we were all once dead in trespasses and sins. We all once found ourselves under a sentence of death and condemnation without hope of ever being free. We too were excluded. But praise God that that is not where He left us! Which leads us to see, not only OUR PAST STATE OF SEPARATION, but also...

OUR PRESENT STATE OF SALVATION

Aren’t you thankful for the “buts” of Ephesians chapter 2? After telling of the horrible truth about spiritual death in verses 1-3, Paul writes, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.” Now, after dealing with our past state of separation, Paul writes in verse 13, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

The word here is reconciliation. Aliens and strangers have been reconciled to God and His people through the blood of Christ. Let’s examine this farther by first noticing...

A. The Miracle of Reconciliation

You once were separated, now you are secure! You once were excluded, now you are included! You once were without, now you are in! That is what Paul is saying here. At that time, you were far off, but now you are nigh, now you are near.

What a glorious transition we have once again in this chapter. Everything has changed for those who are in Christ Jesus. Formerly far off and separated from God, through the redemptive work of Christ now we are made nigh to him.

When we first began our study in Ephesians, we noticed that the words “in Christ” were essential to understanding the letter. Once again we have them here. All of this is possible because we are in Christ. In times past, when we were separated from Christ, we were without hope and without God in this world. However, now that we are in Christ and He is in us, we have a sure hope and are reconciled to God in Him. It all has to do with our position.

I think of the words of the hymn writer who said,

So near, so very near to God Nearer I cannot be; For in the Person of His Son I am as near as He

In Christ, we are no longer Jews or Gentiles, but we are Christians. We have been placed in Christ, and in Him we stand.

Furthermore, the phrase made nigh brings some Old Testament typology to mind. J. Vernon McGee speaks of this phrase “made nigh” by writing, “"In the temple was the court of the Gentiles way off to the side. Gentiles were permitted to come, but they were away far off. But now—for the Gentiles who are in Christ—all has changed. They were without Christ; now they are in Christ. The distance and barriers which separated them from God have been removed. They have been made nigh, not by their efforts or merits, but by the blood of Christ” (Precept Austin).

In Jesus, those who once could not even dream of approaching God can now come boldly into His presence with joy and confidence. We can come, as part of His redeemed family, without fear of condemnation or expulsion.

In the Old Testament Temple, only the high priest could come near once a year and not without the blood of a sacrifice. However, now in Jesus we can come to God because of the shed blood of His only Son. We’ve seen The Miracle of Reconciliation. However, the blood of Jesus is...

B. The Means of Reconciliation

We are made night “by the blood of Christ.” The shed blood of the Lord Jesus is the basis of our access into the covenant family of God. With His blood, Jesus has granted access to God to all those who call upon Him in saving faith by fulfilling the demands of the law and covenant. He is our perfect sacrifice for sin and atonement. By His blood, those who were formerly far off are made nigh.

Understand, that in order for a Gentile to have a relationship with God in the Old Covenant, he first had to be made a Jew. He had to become a proselyte. He had to submit to the laws and rules of Judaism. However, now, we are not made nigh by becoming Jews, we are made nigh by the blood of Jesus. His finished work is enough for us.

Be sure, we are not nigh because we drew nigh to Him. We are nigh because He drew nigh to us. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, stepped down from Heaven’s glory and wrapped Himself in flesh. On Calvary’s hill He shed His perfect blood so that sinners like you and me might be reconciled to God.

Hear Paul as he says in 2 Corinthians 5:19, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

Aren’t you glad that you have been reconciled? Aren’t you glad that because of Jesus you are not on the outside looking in this evening? Aren’t glad that Jesus has made you a part of God’s covenant family through the shedding of His blood?

Harriet E. Buell once wrote some 150 years ago,

I once was an outcast, a stranger on earth/ a sinner by choice and an alien by birth/ but I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down/ I’m an heir to a mansion, a robe, and a crown!

Let’s stand to our feet please.

Maybe you are here or listening, and you have never trusted Christ to save you. Listen to me. Jew and Gentile alike. If you have never trusted in Jesus, you are without Him right now. You are an alien to God’s family. You are a stranger to God’s covenants of promise. In and of yourself, you are without hope and without God. Yet, there is hope for you in Jesus.

In one of his sermons Charles Spurgeon once said, “I saw on a board this morning words announcing that an asylum was to be built on a plot of ground for a class of persons who are described in three terrible words—"HELPLESS, HOMELESS, HOPELESS." These are the kind of people whom God receives; to them he gives His mercy. Are you helpless? He will help you. Are you homeless? He will house you. Are you hopeless? He is the hope of those who have no other confidence. Come then to Him at once!” (Precept Austin).

I say Amen! Come to Jesus to day. Because of His shed blood, you can draw nigh to Him. He has already drew nigh to you.

Let’s pray.

Hodge, C. (1858). A commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians (p. 128). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.

https://www.preceptaustin.org/ephesians_213-14

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Eph 2:11–12). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 4, p. 73). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.