Introduction

In verse 11, we have the significant word, Therefore.

Any time you see therefore, stop and look to see what it is there for.

If you took algebra you might remember that we went through a series of steps to prove something and then we would write a symbol which meant "therefore."

At the end of our logical argument we said, "Therefore."

The "Therefore" was there to indicate now the end of the discussion giving a solution or conclusion

In the previous passage Paul tells us

Who we were . . .Or, if you will, what we were

Dead, separated for God because of our sin

Who we are in Christ, by resurrection power

Made alive, quickened in Christ Jesus

And who or what we ought to become

Because we are the creation of God in Christ

We were created to do good works

To visit widows and orphans in their trouble

And keep ourselves unspotted from the world

Now it our passage this morning Paul pulls it all together for us showing a unification of Gentile and Jew is Christ to create a new race of human being, the Christian race

And so, lets turn to Ephesians 2:11 - 13

Body

Christ brings us near

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh; who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands; {12} that at that time you 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. {13} But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Therefore, remember what you were before receiving the gospel of Christ

The Jews called you Uncircumcision

Circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign of his covenant with God

It was the physical removal of a baby boy’s foreskin

Paul points out in this passage that these who made such a distinction were those who were physically Jews

In the second chapter of the Roman Epistle, in verses 28 & 29, Paul makes a very specific distinction concerning circumcision

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; {29} but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

Paul is making a contrast between the physical and spiritual

This outward Jew takes pleasure or pride in his lineage in the Jewish tradition

He takes pride in that he was physically circumcised eight days after his birth.

Any one not so circumcised were gentiles

Beneath the level of even the most common Jew

The one circumcised in the heart were one who loved Jehovah, the precepts of the covenant were in his heart

Very different from the other Jew

The Physical Jew looked down on you

You were outside the covenant

You were without Christ

You did not know God

And you had no hope in this world

But, now, by the precious blood of the Lamb of God

You have been brought near to God

You were afar off, lost dead, a gentile, uncircumcision

Without hope

Without Jehovah

Now, you are in Christ, brought close by the blood of Christ

Paul does not say it, but because of what comes later, we can infer that these people, and us, were without hope, without God, and without peace.

My step-father was very abusive

His favorite target was my brother John

But, he was for all intents and purposes an equal opportunity abuser, we all had our turn

Peace of any kind was an unknown commodity in our family

Things were such that I honestly contemplated ending my life

I had friends

I had a mother who loved me

I had brothers and sisters I loved

But, the situation was such that I didn’t feel as though I could go on much longer

There was no peace in my heart

And judging by the actions and words of my siblings and my mom, they had no peace either

Leaving things as they were lets now turn to Ephesians 2:14 - 17 where Paul begins to talk about the things God has given us

God gives us peace in Christ Jesus

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, {15} having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, {16} and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. {17} And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

After reminding the Ephesians of their former state, then he launches out to tell them about the peace that Christ affords

I can only relate to my own experiences

Our family moved and we met some incredible people, Christians

People who care about us

My friends were Fred Harris, and Patty Crabtree

I’ve lost contact with Fred, but Patty is a Conservative Baptist Missionary to India

At present she is taking a sabbatical to care for her mother

These friends saw that I was part of the various evangelical events in our town

It was at a Billy Graham film that I accepted Christ as my Savior

My mom had a friend in Olive Balding, a Christian woman

These Christians saw that we were given the opportunity to go to church and Sunday School

We were all under the preaching of Pastor Ralph Kraft

My mom, my brother and sister and I were baptized the same Sunday morning in the First Baptist Church

Things changed

Oh, my step-father was still with us, as abusive as before, but the atmosphere in our home was more at peace

Oh, peace with God was there, but Christ’s peace overflows into all our relationships, if we allow it

The thoughts of taking myself out of the world left me

My step-father never accepted Christ, at least not while we lived with him

Now we must also remember that there was little peace between the circumcision and the uncircumcision

There was a barrier between Jew and gentile

The symbol of the barrier between Jew and gentile was the wall between the court of gentiles and the temple proper

As there was a barrier between man and God

Thye symbol between man and God was the Veil between the holy place and the Holy of Holies

We know that it wasn’t until 70 A.D. when the temple was destroyed that symbol of the barrier between Jew and gentile was destroyed

But, turning to Matthew 27:51, we see that the symbol of the barrier between man and God was torn

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

Not to long ago, we looked at the fact that the Bible recognizes three races of people

First is the Jew

Second is the gentile

Third is the Christian

Now here in our passage Paul talks about the act of Christ bringing the two old races together to form the third new race, the race of believers, Christians

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, {15} having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, {16} and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. {17} And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

The veil and the wall were only symbols

There still is enmity between Jews and Gentiles

That is between unregenerate peoples

The evidence of that enmity is obvious in the attitude of the Muslims toward Israel

But, to peoples who have received the peace of Christ, the enmity is a thing to be put behind them

Jesus came a preached peace

In Matthew 12:30-31, among many other places, Jesus teaches us to love the Lord our God and our neighbor as ourselves

'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. {31} "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

When asked "who is my neighbor" Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan

The point being we are to be a neighbor to those who need a good Samaritan neighbor

Loving others brings about peace with others

Remember our working definition of agape love, "To do the very best for the one we love regardless of the cost to ourselves."

That, my friends, brings us peace

Peace with ourselves

Peace with our neighbors

And peace with God

Paul’s point from the very beginning is that this can happen because of the power of God through the Holy Spirit

The power manifested in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.

Now we will explore Ephesians 2:18

Through Christ we have access to Almighty God

For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

We have access to God

We have the freedom to enter the Holiest of Holies and speak directly to God

Isn’t that a wonder?

There has always been an intercessor

And now that intercessor is the very Son of God

And yet, we can enter into the presence of God and lay before Him all our concerns

All our problems

All our joys

All our praises

All our ideas

All our plans

And we know that our God, Lord, and Savior hears us and understands

When Paul says both in this 18^th verse he is speaking of both Jewish and gentile Christians

Christians, the third race

Hebrews 4:16 tells us, plainly

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Now let us consider the last few verses in our passage, Ephesians 2:19-22

He gives us a new family

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, {20} having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, {21} in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, {22} in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Matthew Henry makes some extremely valid points in his commentary on our passage:

Remember when Matthew Henry speaks of the church, he is speaking of the church universal, all those who believe in Christ, dead or alive

The church is compared to a city, and every converted sinner is free in it

It is also compared to a house, and every converted sinner is one of the family; a servant, and a child in God's house.

The church is also compared to a building, founded on the doctrine of Christ; delivered by the prophets of the Old Testament, and the apostles of the New

God dwells in all believers now; they become the temple of God through the working of the blessed Spirit.

Matthew Henry then goes on to make these observations

Let us then ask if our hopes are fixed on Christ, according to the doctrine of his word?

Have we devoted ourselves as holy temples to God through him?

Are we habitations of God by the Spirit, are we spiritually-minded, and do we bring forth the fruits of the Spirit?

Let us take heed not to grieve the holy Comforter.

Let us desire his gracious presence, and his influences upon our hearts.

Let us seek to discharge the duties allotted to us, to the glory of God.