Unity in Diversity; Closing the Great Divide
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
What comes to your mind when I say the word “hostility”? Maybe you think of a hostile environment, like trying to build a home in a dessert away from infrastructure. Hostile. Maybe you think of the political duality in our country where democrats and republicans seem to not just balance each other out, but are actually opposed to each other. Hostile. Perhaps the most poignant example I can currently think of is the relationship between Palestine and Israel. I don’t pretend to know the geo-political specifics of the feud between the Jews and arabs living in Israel, but I know that it is less than friendly on a macro scale. You could say that it is currently hostile. Let us continue to be praying for the peace of Jerusalem and for justice to reign for all of its inhabitants.
The answer for any human hostility to cease is up to negotiators, war-fighters, and politicians, but it is quite a different thing hostility to cease (ie, a treaty, or cease-fire), and for peace to actually be brokered between two sworn enemies and turn them into allies, friends, and even family. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing I know that can bring that kind of transformation.
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.
Where have we been in Ephesians so far? To sum it up, those in Christ have myriad spiritual blessings by the gracious gift of God that is appropriated through faith. Today, we will see that walking in good works that God prepared beforehand is not primarily an individual action or race, but a corporate one, like a rally or demonstration. We have an ethos; a shared corporate identity.
Outline of passage:
Past-Gentiles apart from Christ Eph 2:11-12
Present-Jews and Gentiles United to Christ presently Eph 2:13.
Procedure- Eph 2:14-18. In Christ we have access to the Father by the Spirit.
Product- Eph 2:19-22.
Same outline as eph 2:1-10
Past-Dead in Sin
Present-alive in Christ
Product-created in Christ Jesus to do good works.
Ephesians 2:11 “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—”
‘therefore, for this reason,’ 2 to alert the Gentiles of the unenviable position of their having no relationship with God.” Harold Hoehner
as we spoke about for the last two weeks, those in Christ have been transformed from trash to trophies of God’s grace. From Sinner to saint. Our old condition is dead in sin, but our new position is alive in Christ.
Ephesians 2:12 “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.”
Separated is a HUGE contrast to all of the in Christ language used in the text.
Five privileges Israel had, but Gentiles didn’t
No national hope in Messiah
alienated from the citizenship of Israel. The way of life given to Israel with the law, the promises, and God.
No relationship to the covenants God made to Israel.
Unconditional Covenants (Abrahamic, Davidic, New covenant)
Abrahamic Covenant (land, seed, and blessings). Genesis 12:1–4 “1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”
Davidic covenant. From Israel via David’s descendants would come the messiah. 2 Samuel 7:12–17 “12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.”
New Covenant. Law of God written on their hearts, and not just on stone. Jer 32:38-40 “38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.”
Hope. Without promises from God, where is there true hope in life and death?
Without God in the world. from the greek word Atheos do we get our word “atheist.” They didn’t believe in the one true God.
Ephesians 2:13 “13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
the preposition ἐν (in) (pronounced “en”) with the dative denotes location and also relationship. You are both in relationship with Jesus Christ, and alive in Christ in the heavenly places instead of dead in your trespasses (vv 1,5).
What is your “but now” story? We are used to hearing stories about sinners being transformed into saints, which is great! But what about saints who look a little more like saints today than yesterday? Have you put on the cruise control on your spiritual life, or walk, as the passage talks about, or are you pressing on the gas and pressing into Christ?
The blood of Christ is the instrument of our redemption.
Ephesians 2:14 “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 passage clearly indicates that the hostility between Jews and Gentiles could not reconciled by human ingenuity but was accomplished in Christ.” -Harold Hoehner
Jew and Gentile relationship. There is a wall between Jews and Gentiles in the temple. However, the wall in this context is not the wall of the temple, but the wall of the law which protected Israel from pagan practices, partially by disallowing intermarriage., which in turn led to a mutual dislike and hatred.
Ephesians 2:15 “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,”
Ephesians 2:16 “16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”
Ephesians 2:17 “17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.”
Ephesians 2:18 “18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”
Ephesians 2:19 “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,”
Ephesians 2:20 “20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,”
Ephesians 2:21 “21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”
Ephesians 2:22 “22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”