May 9, 2021 - One in Christ: Peace with God
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If you were with us last week, you know that we began walking through this section of chapter 2 of Ephesians where Paul really ELEVATES our ONENESS - IN Jesus Christ...
And what we saw last week was how BEING one in Christ - brings with it - PEACE between God’s people...
And the way that Paul highlighted this reality - was to point to the RELATIONSHIP between Jew and Gentile...
We saw how BETWEEN these 2 groups was a HOSTILITY - and not just ANY kind of hostility - but a hostility which FLOWED FROM - the Law
The Jews OF COURSE adhered to the Law of Moses - while the gentiles clearly did not...
And that brought TENSION between Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles...
There were Christian Jews who believed that the Christian Gentiles NEEDED TO - adhere to the LAW in order to be saved...
And so the apostle PAUL - a JEW to the core...
Came out and fought against that idea...
See Paul ELEVATED the freedom that people have - IN Christ!!
Remember - Paul was a JEW...
YET - even so - Paul said this...
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.
21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.
22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
What we see Paul elevate here is - the Freedom we have IN CHRIST!
Here Paul says - To the Jews, I became AS A JEW - in order to win Jews.
To those UNDER the Law (the Jew) - though not being myself UNDER the LAW) - I became AS ONE UNDER THE LAW to WIN those who are under the LAW...
To those outside the LAW (the Gentile) - I became as one OUTSIDE the law that I might win those outside the law...
So Paul says - When I was around LAW ADHERING Jews - I became AS THEY WERE...
If they weren’t eating THIS PARTICULAR type of food - I wouldn’t EAT that food...
If they WASHED before eating - then i WASHED before eating…EVEN THOUGH I KNOW I don’t NEED to wash...
If I was around GENTILES who ate meat that wasn’t kosher - PAUL (A JEW) said - I ate the meat!
Paul said - AS a CHRISTIAN - I am FREE to eat whatever!
BUT - I do so in a way that takes the other person into consideration...
Why would Paul decide - as a JEW - that he could eat meat that wasn’t kosher??
25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.
Now don’t forget - these dietary laws - were COMMANDS of God...
In Leviticus we see God lay down His rules for eating...
And YET - Paul says - You’re no worse off if you do NOT eat...and no BETTER off if you DO eat...
Paul KNOWS - NOW - there is FREEDOM in Christ!!
And as we saw last week - WHILE the JEW and GREEK were ARGUING over the LAW...
Paul said...
14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
No longer under the law - that WALL of Hostility between Jew and Greek - flowing from the LAW - BROKEN DOWN.... IN CHRIST
But that is not the ONLY wall of hostility that was broken down by Jesus!!
Today - we’ll see that another wall was also torn down by Christ - we saw it quickly last week...
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.
We spoke on it last week – that IN Christ – we RECEIVE many blessings…
…and in turn – OFFER many blessings to those around us
· In Christ we receive:
o Grace
o Redemption
o Justification
o Life
· And one of the blessings we RECEIVE - IN CHRIST…is PEACE with God.
Well – if we RECEIVE PEACE – In Christ…
· Then that implies – APART from Christ – there IS no peace between us and God.
· And this is in fact – what we see in Scripture…
· Paul pointed to this very truth early on in this same chapter 2 of Ephesians…
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
· Here we see Paul LUMP ALL MEN into the same group…
· ALL of us – BEFORE the “BUT GOD” of verse 4 – ALL of us – Children of WRATH
See – if we’re going to talk about, or RELISH in – Peace with God – then we MUST know and understand the WRATH of God.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
So we have:The righteousness of God being revealed
The wrath of God being revealed...against what?
Against man?
Against all [ungodliness and unrighteousness] of men
So let's walk thru this...
The Wrath of God: Let's go back to the garden of Eden.
I want us to think about Adam and Eve...BEFORE the original sin
Before that original sin, we know that God's wrath existed.
How do we know?
We know that God existed in His fullness before man's original sin.
We know that after God created all things, but before Eve was tempted in the garden, that Satan and some of the angels fell.
Isaiah and Ezekiel speak about this...
They were cast out of heaven because of pride.
They wanted to be "like God"...
Well, God doesn't like pride...pride is sin, and so in His wrath, He cast satan and some of the angels out of heaven.
Not only that, but we know God's wrath existed [prior] to creation, because being God, He has always existed in His fullness.
Perfectly Holy
Perfectly righteous
Perfectly Just
And in ALL of these things...wrathful against that which is not!
NOW, after Adam and Eve were created, Genesis 1 and 2, the wrath of God was not on Adam and Eve.
BUT, right when they sinned...Right when they sinned...THE WRATH OF GOD WAS REVEALED......Revealed against ungodliness and unrighteousness...
And this wrath remains now, having been revealed, on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men...
...who do what?
It REMAINS over lost people...
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
And so again - this truth points to the Hostility that exists between MANKIND and God..flowing from SIN
And so we have an ETERNAL problem - one that we can’t fix ourselves...
We can ARGUE about getting to God…but we can’t make it happen in and of ourselves...
And so we know that it took the WORK of Christ…on the cross...
His perfect life and His holy sacrifice… to get this done...
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Here we see how the Gentiles were brought near…by the BLOOD of Christ...
WHY BLOOD?
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
And so Jesus SHEDS His blood...
And so WHAT does that show us?
SLIDE: Peace with God: The Result Jesus’ Sacrifice
Peace With God
Peace With God
NOW - before we get TOO far into [THIS] point right here...
We need to remember WHY Paul is bringing up these BLESSINGS that we receive from Jesus…in order to HIGHLIGHT the ONENESS of those IN CHRIST...
If we think back to v10 and 11, we can see the basis for why Paul is talking about these things today...
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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—
So Paul - knows that TENSION between Jew and Gentile would PREVENT them from… what?
From LIVING OUT v10 - together...
Tension would prevent Jew from working together with Gentiles to WALK out the Good Works prepared beforehand…by God!
AND SO - Paul wants to REMIND both groups - that the wall of hostility has been torn down by Christ!!
WHICH MEANS - for each point we walk through today -
there’s going to be WORK FOR US TO DO…to LIVE OUT...
Good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should WALK IN...
And so BACK to v13
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
And there it is - [BY the BLOOD of Christ] - Peace WITH GOD - CAME to the GENTILE…!
We can say this another way:
SACRIFICE brought PEACE with GOD to mankind...
NOW - do you remember what we talked about LAST WEEK...
that IN CHRIST - we not only RECEIVE grace - but we also now OFFER grace?
We not only RECEIVE forgiveness - we also now OFFER forgiveness?
Well - that same concept applies today!
If Sacrifice brought PEACE with God to mankind...
We should know that: Our GOOD work TODAY - is that yes - it will take SACRIFICE to bring PEACE with God to mankind...
The SACRIFICE of Christ to bring PEACE between God and man - is really an EXAMPLE for us...
And so YES - Peace With God Came Through Jesus’ Sacrifice...
BUT NOW - Post Resurrection - God uses OUR gospel sacrifice to bring “Peace with God” to the world!
20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
You can see how Jesus and His word tries to PREPARE us for the Gospel Suffering that comes with BEING a Christian ...
It’s really part of the Job Description!
Do we see this in Paul’s life?
Did Paul SACRIFICE - to bring “Peace with God” to the nations!!?
Of course!!
23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Paul’s just 1 example - but we can see that Gospel Suffering is what it takes to bring PEACE with GOD to the world!!
ALL of these things done BY PAUL - on behalf of Jesus Christ!
Paul knew he was put in prison FOR CHRIST!!
When the prison chains and doors busted open after the earthquake...
And Paul and Silas chose to STAY and not RUN...
they didn’t KNOW that the guard wasn’t going to KILL THEM
They were WILLING to EMBRACE suffering - if it meant an opportunity for someone to BE SAVED!!
To RECEIVE - peace with God!!
And so we KNOW it will take SACRIFICE to take PEACE with God - to the world!!
Where are the men in here WILLING to suffer? I’m grateful to live life with many such men!
And this idea of PEACE with God is fleshed out more in our text...
And what we’ll see is this...
SLIDE: Peace with God: The Result of Reconciliation
Peace With God
Peace With God
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.
· When we think about the SACRIFICE that it took to bring PEACE with God…
· …reconciliation is mixed into that equation…
· The Sacrifice of Christ – brings with it PEACE with God – but only because RECONCILIATION takes place.
· What does Reconciliation mean – in terms of RELATIONSHIP?
· It has to do with – a relationship being RESTORED to good standing!
· Now we know that what BROKE man’s relationship with God in the first place was – SIN… (we saw this last week)
2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
· BUT – let’s look at WHY sin had the impact that it did…
The answer actually has to do with GOD – and not man.
Know this…
SLIDE:
The reason that sin separates mankind from God is due to the holiness of God.
· We hear about God’s HOLINESS all the time, but what does it actually mean?
· Check this out - The phrase “holy, holy, holy” appears twice in the Bible, once in the Old Testament (Isaiah 6:3) and once in the New (Revelation 4:8). Both times, the phrase is spoken or sung by heavenly creatures, and both times it occurs in the vision of a man who was transported to the throne of God: first by the prophet Isaiah and then by the apostle John.
· Think of that – Two times in scripture…a mere man saw the throne-room of God…
· And EACH time – Heavenly creatures are seen covering up – and heard crying out – HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
· God’s holiness isn’t an easy thing to EXPLAIN…
· It’s one of the characteristics of God that we as HUMANS won’t even get close to grasping on this side of the grave…
· If we think about some of the other characteristics of God: Love, Mercy, Faithfulness…
· We can comprehend those to a degree because we can LIVE THOSE OUT to a degree!
But the holiness of God…God’s holiness is MORE THAN just His perfection…
The word HOLY means – to set apart…
· And so God’s holiness – points to His UNIQUENESS! His ONE-OF-A-KIND-Ness…
We pursue LIVING differently than the world…but really gazing upon God’s holiness…And understanding it is something - We can ONLY IMAGINE.
· See – we only become holy in relationship to Christ…IN CHRIST…
· Why?
· It’s an IMPUTED holiness!
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
ONLY IN CHRIST – is His holiness imputed to us…
· And so think back to the point we made earlier…
· Both times a man was transported to the throne-room of God - and each time…
Angels themselves crying out – HOLY, HOLY, HOLY…and
PURE and HOLY creatures (the Seraphim) could ONLY do the same - cry out – HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
· They covered themselves up – a sign of ABSOLUTE AWE…and cried out – HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
And it should cause us to PAUSE – and really contemplate how WE – sinful creatures… approach God without EVEN considering His holiness…
· Our God is –
o Majestic
o PERFECT in every way
o Righteous
o Glorious
o Without equal
o He is HOLY
And BECAUSE He is… SIN – separates man – from Him.
· And HOSTILITY fills the gap
The mind that is set on the flesh – is – HOSTILE toward God.
· PEACE with God now absent.
· The wrath of God now over mankind…
And RECONCILIATION – now needed!
· To the extent that – WHERE reconciliation is NOT present – PEACE with God REMAINS absent.
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
· All things – RECONCILED to Himself…by the blood of His cross.
NOW – REMEMBER – we were created IN CHRIST – for – GOOD WORKS, that we SHOULD WALK IN THEM…(we saw this earlier in chapter 2 of Ephesians)
· And so JUST like…
o Peace with God came as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice…
o AND WE NOW – are to sacrifice (thru gospel suffering) to bring PEACE with GOD to the world..
WE ALSO…
o Are called to RECONCILE the lost of this world – to God…
o This is part of our – GOOD WORKS that we were CREATED for!!
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
· What does it mean that we are now a part of the ministry of reconciliation…?
· The next verse tells us…
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
I’ve said it before – EVERY believer in this room – right now – is – IN MINISTRY…
· You didn’t need to sign a form…check a box….come forward…NONE OF THAT…
· Upon FAITH in Jesus – you were PLACED into – a MINISTRY…
· The ministry of reconciliation…And so my question to you (believer) is…
How is your ministry going?
· IMAGINE this – you go home later today – OPEN up your email…and you see an email from your employer…
· And in that email you realize that you had been made a REGIONAL MANAGER over the eastern part of the US – 10 States…
· 2 months ago!
· What would you think?
· You’d think – WAIT – I’ve been IN CHARGE of 10 states for 2 months – AND I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT IT…! YIKES!!
· Back to my question – How is your God-given ministry going?
· The ministry of reconciliation…
Listen – your neighbor’s PEACE WITH GOD – reconciliation with God – has been your project for the past - - (I don’t know – you tell me – 1 year…2 years…10 years…?)
· Your coworkers PEACE with GOD – is a project with YOUR name on it.
· You’re the Lead on that project.
· We have WORK we GET to do…
· And it leads to our last point for today…
SLIDE: Peace With God: The Result of ‘The Prince of Peace’ Preached
Peace With God
Peace With God
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.
· How do we carry out the ministry that we’re called to?
· The ministry of reconciliation?
· Jesus came – and He preached PEACE to you who were far off (Gentiles) and He preached PEACE to those who were near (the Jew)…
· He preached PEACE to – ALL MEN
· And here we see – AN EXAMPLE for us…
· NOW - Jesus wasn’t preaching – CIVILITY…
· He didn’t come to tell the Jews and Gentiles to just – GET ALONG!
· NO – He came and PREACHED – Himself as the Messiah…as SAVIOR…
He preached Repentance…
He preached FAITH…in Himself
Jesus was the ULTIMATE – Peacemaker!!
· The kind of PEACE He brought – was an ETERNAL peace…!
· And WE are called to – PREACH that same Peace…
· The kind of peace that lasts FOREVER – between man and God – ROOTED in Jesus Christ!
Jesus Christ - the Prince of Peace - passes on His mission as a PEACEMAKER to us!!
*Our MESSAGE to the world (LIKE Christ's message to the world) should be one that BRINGS ETERNAL PEACE...
· And before we say – WELL – that’s just not me…It’s not WHO I AM…
· As Christians – we’re called to PROCLAIM what we POSSESS.
· This shouldn’t be FOREIGN to us…
As Christians – we POSSESS – Eternal Peace with God…
· We THEREFORE should WANT to proclaim that – no?
· This world is very distracting isn’t it?
The world WANTS your love…
The world wants you to spend your life – pursuing it!
· The world wants us to PROCLAIM how great the WORLD is…
And we all – fall into doing that very thing…to the degree that the WORLD becomes our proclamation!
· And so Paul is imploring us – We have WORK to do…GOOD WORKS…prepared by God – for us…
· To Proclaim the Prince of Peace…Jesus Christ
· To bring to the world – Eternal Peace…
· This is what it means to be – a Peacemaker!
SUMMARY
Peace With God:
The Result of Jesus’ Sacrifice
The Result of Reconciliation
The Result of ‘The Prince of Peace’ Preached
This is our call…. To bring – PEACE with God – to the world…
- It will take gospel suffering IN US / Sacrifice
- It will take us LIVING out the Ministry of Reconciliation to which we’ve been ENROLLED
- It will take US – preaching Jesus and His message / His peace – to the world!
May be embrace this call…EVERMORE, each and every day…
AND may we commit to helping each other – do the same!
Let’s pray