One
Ephesians: Alive in Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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One in Christ
One in Christ
Introduction
Good evening, students! I am glad to see each one of you here tonight. This week, we are jumping back into the book of Ephesians. We are taking about a three week break from the Gospel of Mark to jump into Ephesians. Remember, Paul is the writer of the book of Ephesians. He writes to believers in Ephesus. This is believed to be a network of home churches within the city. Also, these believers are predominantly Gentiles. That will be important in tonight’s message.
We will be in Ephesians chapter 2 tonight. While you are turning there, I want to point out to you that we live in a society that is made up of many different rivalries. In our community, we have the West Limestone vs. Ardmore or East rivalry. In our state, we have the Alabama vs. Auburn rivalry. Nationally, there are tons of rivalries. Politically, our country has a rivalry or division between Democrat and Republicans. This reflects the division that is found in our world. Our world is constantly at odds with one another. Oftentimes, these divisions even seep into the church. In the church, we can sometimes allow for rivalries to settle in and cause division in the church. We cannot allow for this to happen because Christ calls us to be unified because in Christ we are one. We will see how Christ has torn down division.
Though we have talked about rivalries, tonight’s passage deals with more of a hatred than a rivalry. The Jews and the Gentiles were two different groups of people that lived in the time of Jesus. Jews were those that followed the Old Testament. Gentiles consisted of everyone else that was not a Jew. Jews despised the Gentiles because they were considered outsiders. However, when Christ died, He sought to do away with such division.
Let’s look at
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.
Pray.
We once were alienated and separated from the covenants and without hope.
We once were alienated and separated from the covenants and without hope.
Let’s take a look back at verses 11-13.
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.
What we see here is that Paul is speaking of the Gentile and Jewish division. The majority of Christians in Ephesus were Gentiles. What Paul is doing is calling for these Gentile Christians to remember that at one time they were outcasts, outsiders, and separated from Christ. The Gentiles were not Jews, so they were no a part of Israel. Likewise, because they were not Jews they were considered different. See, the Jews called the Gentiles the uncircumcised because the Gentiles did not have the distinct bodily marking that the Jews did. The circumcision was what separated the Jews from the rest of the world. It was a mark that set them apart as God’s chosen people. However, the Gentiles did not have this marking that was done by human hands.
Because of this distinction, the Gentiles were not a part of Israel, they were considered strangers to the covenants, and without hope. First, understand this, Jews in the OT were God’s chosen people. God had promised to make them a great nation and provide them with a specific land through Abraham. This agreement is known as the Abrahamic Covenant. From this circumcision came and was practiced in order that God’s chosen people could be identified. The Gentiles did not have this marking so they were alienated and separated from the Jews. God had made these various covenants in which the Jews hoped in because God made an agreement with them.
Let’s take a look at the covenants:
Covenant of Creation: God created Adam and Eve to live in the Garden of Eden and obey His commands. Adam was representative of the entire human race. Adam fell and broke the covenant.
Covenant of Redemption: God promises to accomplish the redemption or saving of people. (Gen. 3:15, Isaiah 49)
Noahic Covenant: God promised not to flood the whole earth again. This is a covenant of grace.
Abrahamic Covenant: God will establish a people for His possession that will bless the earth. God makes this covenant with Abraham.
Mosaic Covenant: God makes a covenant with Moses that establishes the law. Obedience to the law results in blessing and disobedience results in cursing.
Davidic Covenant: God promises a king that reign on King David’s throne and rescue Israel from oppression.
New Covenant: Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins making a way for humanity to be saved.
Outside of the New Covenant, the Jews had the Covenant of Creation, Redemption, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants that gave them hope. It gave them promise that God would be there for them. However, because the Gentiles were not Jews they were strangers to the covenants. They had no hope of redemption. The Gentiles in the past had turned to idol worship and lived how they pleased in the world without pleasing God.
Tony Merida says this, “While God did plan to bless all nations through Israel, the Gentiles did not know this. Because they did not know the promises, they did not have the hope of the promises, nor did they know the God of the promises.”
The Gentiles were outsiders to all of these things. They had no hope. They were helpless. Paul calls this to the memory of these Gentile believers in Ephesus. By doing so, they remember their hopelessness and sinfulness.
Then, Paul calls to their memory:
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Paul calls these Gentile believers back to the cross of Christ. The Gentiles once were far off because of their sin and alienation. But through Jesus Christ, they have been brought near. They have the opportunity to repent, believe the Gospel, and be saved!
Get this, you and I are Gentiles. We were alienated and far off just like these Gentiles in Ephesus. Unless you were a Jew before coming to Jesus, you are a Gentile. Paul calls you and I to reflect on our sin and placement before we ever accepted Christ as Lord.
Think back to how you were before you accepted Christ. Before we placed our faith in Christ, we stood before God condemned because of our sin. I was a lying, foul-mouthed, stealing, cheating idolater before I came to Christ. Likewise, you have sinned before God as well. And this passage calls for us as believers to reflect on our past state before Christ, and praise Him for our current state in Christ. In Christ, we are redeemed saints on our way to heaven free from sin and God’s children. May we have a continual reflection upon the cross and our salvation from our sin through Jesus Christ.
If you haven’t placed your faith in Christ at this point, reflect on how you have messed up. We have all messed up and sinned against God. Tonight, as sin is called to your memory, you can call out to God for Him to forgive you and place your faith in Jesus’s finished work on the cross and His resurrection which results in salvation. Christ’s blood that was shed on the cross paid for all of our sin, and we can be brought near to God through faith in Christ the Son.
Jesus is our reconciler and peace.
Jesus is our reconciler and peace.
Look back with me at verses 14-17
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.
Paul continues to call these Gentile believers back to their former life. However, he also continues to point out how Christ has come to do away with this division and make peace between Jews and Gentiles. Paul even states that Jesus is our peace. Remember that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Jesus is the prince of peace. Jesus is a peacemaker. He tore down the “dividing wall of hostility” between the Jews and the Gentiles.
Get this. Look at the slide. In the first-century, there was literally a wall that divided the Jews on the inside of the temple court from the Gentiles. The Gentiles had to stay outside of the temple court because it was specifically reserved for Jews.
Christ has torn down that dividing wall through His death on the cross. While the actual wall was physical, Paul mentions it figuratively. The wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles was torn down by Christ. Jesus died for the sins of everybody when He went to the cross.
How did Jesus tear down this dividing wall? Look back at verse 15. He tore down the wall by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances. What that means is this, Jesus fulfilled the moral law by coming an living a perfect life never breaking the law. Then, He abolished or did away with the ceremonial law through His death on the cross. Now, He is the only way in which sin is forgiven and a sinner can be made clean. In doing this, God created a new man the Scripture says.
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,
This is how Jesus made peace. You had the Jew and the Gentile who were at odds with one another. The Jews considered themselves God’s people. The Gentiles were looked down upon because they were not God’s people. Jesus came and through His death on the cross paid for sin. Through His resurrection, He revealed His power over death and satan. Now, those who believe in Him are no longer Jew or Gentile. The new man mentioned in that verse is the Christian. We are the new man that results. Christians are those saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus made peace between Jew and Gentile as both come to Christ through faith for the forgiveness of sins and become a Christian. No longer is there hostility. There is peace.
In making peace, Jesus has died for our sins and now we are reconciled to God. What that means is this: We had a broken relationship with God because of our sin. A price had to be paid in order for us to restore that broken relationship. Jesus came and took our place on the cross which paid the sin penalty. Then, He rose from the grave and ascended to heaven. Now, through faith in Jesus, we are restored to right relationship with God. Jesus came for those who were far off, Gentiles, and those who were near, the Jews.
What does this mean for us?
No matter what your background is, through faith in Jesus Christ you can be saved from sin. Whether you are the worst sinner alive or close to a saint, Jesus came and died for the sin of humanity and through faith in Him you can move from condemned to redeemed. Jesus makes peace and reconciles us to God.
We are the Church.
We are the Church.
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.
Paul closes out this passage by pointing out that believers now have access to God the Father. No longer are the Gentiles aliens or strangers. Instead they are now fellow citizen and members of God’s household.
One commentator writes, “Those who were formerly profane and unworthy… have now become partners with the godly, have now the rights as citizens along with Abraham, with all the holy patriarchs, and prophets, and kings, no better than that, with the angels themselves.” (John Calvin)
The Gentiles have been grafted into the family of God. Now, every believer is held together in the family of God built upon the foundation of Christ.
Jesus is mentioned as the cornerstone in this passage. A cornerstone was placed in a building and it bore all the weight of the building. It was an essential piece in the structure. Christ is the essential piece as He is the one who died for the sins of humanity and through faith in Him we join the family of God. Christ is central in the Church. Christ is the head of the church. Not any man or woman. Christ is over the church and the church is to be submitted to Him. Therefore, we come to church submitted to Christ and ready to serve Him and praise Him for all that He has done for us.
From our faith in Christ, we grow together into a holy temple and dwelling place for God by the Spirit. We are the Church. You, if you have accepted Christ, are the Church. Just because you are students or in the youth ministry does not mean you are not apart of the church. If you have placed your faith in Christ, you are a member of the church now and are called to serve in the church now. Not in the future. That is a complete misunderstanding in many churches. If you are a Christian you are called to serve in the church no matter your age.
Whenever your placed your faith in Christ, you received spiritual gifts from God.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Christians have spiritual gifts that are to be used in the church for the sake of serving Christ and reaching the lost. I have said this several times, but we do not come to church to sit and soak up. We come to church to serve.
Invitation
Christian: Call to serve.
Non-Christian: Christ died, rose from the grave, and love you. You can go from a condemned outsider to become a beloved child through faith in Jesus Christ.