New Family
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We Can All Eat
We Can All Eat
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Recap
This book of Ephesians (known as one of the “prison epistles”), where our main text comes from, was written by Paul to the churches around Ephesus (a city in modern day Turkey) really to display the scope of God’s eternal plan for all humanity - Jews and Gentiles alike. It’s a plan of redemption and salvation for all those who believe in Jesus Christ. Ephesians is considered the “Rolls Royce of the epistles.” William Hendriksen calls Ephesians “the divinest composition of man,” “the distilled essence of the Chrisitan religion.”
The letter opens in chapter one with a sequence of statements about God’s blessings, which are interspersed with a remarkable variety of expressions drawing attention to God’s wisdom, forethought and purpose.
The climax of God’s purpose, “when the times will have reached their fulfillment,” is to bring all things in the universe together under Christ ().
It is crucially important that Christians realize this, so in
Paul prays for their understanding.
Having explained God’s great goals for the church, Paul proceeds to show the steps toward their fulfillment. The first, God has reconciled individuals to himself as an act of grace (2:1–10).
Last week this is where we began our study; the beginning of chapter 2.
We studied a section that ended the way it began - with us walking
Formerly, we walked in trespasses and sin in which the devil had trapped us
Now we (and I’m speaking of those in Christ) walk in good works which God has eternally planned for us to do.
Look at verse 10 again… “which God prepared before hand...”
this means everyone of us, God already had a plan on how to use us long before we were even born.
He didn’t see us at birth as think, “ok… ummmm.... I think I’ll use him as...” He didn’t see you last year and say, “wow! she really screwed that up. Let me try something different.”
NO! there was an intent to for you… me… us, who formerly walked in darkness, sin, and our trespasses, to now walk in His marvelous light! He wants us to walk in good works.
The two key words in that entire pericope were/are
But God
by grace
So, while last week was about “New Life” in Christ, by grace, through faith.
This week is about our “New Family.” This is the second step to fulfillment to God’s great plans for His church.
This week is about our “New Family.”
Turn to Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 11-22, as we continue our study through the book of Ephesians.
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated 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 once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:
There are three movements in this pericope:
Paul emphasizes that we have been saved, not only for our personal benefit, but also to bring praise and glory to God.
The climax of God’s purpose, “when the times will have reached their fulfillment,” is to bring all things in the universe together under Christ ().
Former barriers
It is crucially important that Christians realize this, so in
Paul prays for their understanding.
1. Former barriers
Christ’s destruction of the barrier
Having explained God’s great goals for the church, Paul proceeds to show the steps toward their fulfillment. The first, God has reconciled individuals to himself as an act of grace (2:1–10), is our focus for this evening.
the Spirit working to join believers together as one family
Initially, Paul reminds his audience of who they were, once. The name “the uncircumcision” was a derogatory name for non-Jews — Gentiles.
Ephesians 2:11-12
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—
Now Paul could’ve very easily said you were once outsiders with respect to the chosen people. But I imagine Paul purposely chose to use the pejoratives to make another point.
First, the fact that Jews referred to Gentiles as “the uncircumcision” probably displayed how much weight they placed in their circumcision. Particularly Jews around this time that had strayed so far from God. They felt their membership meant they were special.
It was already one thing to say that
(Don’t we as Christians have that same problem? We have eternal life because of God’s grace and mercy. But you couldn’t tell it by the way we walk around with our heads and nose tilted to the sky, looking down on others, and judging non or new Christians… We act like we’re saved because we’re special, and forget we’re special because He saved us, by His grace alone!)
We just covered this last week!
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Paul’s thinking, how foolish we all were! Calling each other names, often times based on things that happened before we were born or when we were too young to make any choice. Jews were born into their families, and were circumcised on the eighth day of life. No one chose who’s families they were born into? None of us certainly would make the choice on our own to be circumcised! How foolish, then, to look down and make fun of someone because you “happened” to be born into the right family.
Sounds like us as Americans.
Build a wall!!! keep them out. We shouldn’t let all those other people in here that come from those nasty s-hole countries. They’re not like us! Like they had any say in what their DNA sequence would be. Anyone here chose their parents and location before they were concieved? I didn’t think so.
Moving on.
After dealing the idiocy of the name calling, paul does get to the serious nature of their alientation.
In , Paul lists the previous privileges of Jews
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Here, Paul lists all the disadvantages of being a Gentile.
they were separated from Christ
I know what you’re thinking - weren’t they all Jews and Gentiles without Christ?
Here’s what you need to know. Not only did Gentiles lack the knowledge of Christ.
They also had no relationship with Christ, nor any clue about the promises about the Messiah.
They were alienated from the commonwealth of Israel
Israel was a nation under God, a theocracy. Because the Gentiles were alien to to this commonwealth, they were without the law, and thus without God.
They were strangers to the covenants of promise
think about all the covenants between God and His people: Abraham, isaac, jacob, Moses, and David.
God had bound Himself to the Israelites and ruled over them. The Gentiles were excluded from this covenant and kingdom.
They had no hope and were without God
Even though God had planned and promised to include them one day, they didn’t know it. So they had no hope.
They were without God
Even though God had always revealed Himself to all mankind in nature, Gentiles had suppressed the truth they knew in their hearts and turned to idolatry.
This was the state of the Gentile before Christ.
“they were cut off from the Messiah, from the theocracy and the covenants, from hope, and from God himself.
William Hendriksen summarized it as such: they were “Christless, stateless, friendless, hopeless, and Godless.”
If you’re listening right now, and haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, this is you. You don’t have Jesus, you’re not a citizen of the chosen people, because of it, the covenants aren’t applicable to you. Without His promises or His gift (Jesus), there is no hope. And what’s worse, you have no God. You’re cut off.
You’re not without hope.
I love the parallel between the two halves of this chapter. They each start off with the disparate nature of life without Christ.
Verses 1-3, we were dead.
Verses 11-12, we were alienated.
Then the great adversative: “But God,”… and here, “But now.”
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Paul is saying that in Christ and by the blood of Christ, we - who were once on the outside - have access/nearness to God.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
Ephesians 2:13
Don’t miss this!
The blood of Christ represents the sacrificial death for our sins on the cross. It’s here that we’re reconciled to God.
The in Christ speaks to relationship and conversion.
Then paul speaks about how the wall of hostility was broken down. How?
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
the abolition of the law of commandments. Some are thinking - didn’t Jesus say the opposite in the Sermon on the Mount?
Jesus was referring to moral law
Paul’s talking more about the ceremonial law - rules and regulations
The world divides over cultural, ideological, political, and gender issues.
Church should be a place where we care for one another even at the cost of our own preferences. All for the sake of unity. It might mean embracing someone else’s preferences. It will cost us our comfort.
I get it, we naturally drift towards homogeneity.
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.