Peace In Christ
Text: Eph. 2:11-22
Introduction
1. There are a lot of differing opinions as to what brings peace.
2. Illustration: One man said, "My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of chips and a chocolate cake. I feel better already."
3. However, true peace only comes through being in Christ. According to Paul:
a. Without Christ there is separation.
b. With Christ there is unification.
c. In Christ there is foundation.
4. Read Eph. 2:11-22
Proposition: Apart from Christ, there can be no peace.
Transition: First, Paul tells us that...
I. Without Christ There Is Separation (11-12)
A. Used To Be Outsiders
1. Paul begins this text by reminding his audience where they came from. He says, "Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders."
a. A more literal rendering of this verse, like the NASB is phrased "Ephesians 2:11 (NASB) remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh..."
b. When Paul uses flesh, he often points to the frailty of humanity apart from God.
c. Here, therefore, the word refers to the merely human realm in which people live in contrast to life in the Spirit or in Christ (Snodgrass, NIV Application Commentary, New Testament: Ephesians, 126).
d. In other words, he is saying that they were outside of fellowship with God and His people.
2. He reminds them that not only were they outsiders in regards to God, but also outsiders to God’s chosen people. He says, "You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts."
a. When a Jew referred to a Gentile as being "uncircumcised," it was a derogatory remark. Kind of like saying someone is from Michigan!
b. They were proud of the fact of being God’s people, of which circumcision was a sign.
c. In kind of a little side note, Paul adds that this circumcision, for most of them, affected only their bodies and not their hearts.
d. You see what really mattered to God was a circumcision or cleansing of the heart (Bruce, NICNT: The Epistle to the Ephesians, 293).
e. Colossians 2:11 (NLT)
When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.
3. He goes on to remind them that "In those days you were living apart from Christ."
a. They were Christless, separate from Christ, the Messiah. They therefore had no messianic hope of a Savior and Deliverer.
b. Their history had no purpose, no plan, and no destiny—except the ultimate judgment of God, of which they were unaware (The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Ephesians).
c. Outside of this life they had nothing of which to look forward.
4. Another thing of which he reminds them was that they "were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them."
a. What a horrible thing to be excluded from the promises of God.
b. They had no promise of eternal life.
c. They had no promise of abundant life.
d. They had no promise of God’s protection.
5. Because of this they "lived in this world without God and without hope."
a. In saying this, Paul does not deny that they had gods, for in reality they had many gods. However, what he is saying is that anyone who does not have the true God does not have a god worthy of the name (Jerome, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, vol. 8, 130).
b. The result of this is that they had no hope.
c. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NLT)
And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.
d. They had nothing to look forward to.
B. Lost and Without Hope
1. Illustration: I am often reminded of what God did in my life during the summer of 1982. I was in Europe, more specifically Amsterdam, Holland, serving with a missions group called Youth With A Mission (YWAM). When I first got to Amsterdam I was horrified at what I saw: drugs were everywhere, sex shops, prostitutes sitting in storefront windows. I was disgusted with these sinful people and their wicked lifestyles. Then God spoke to me and reminded me of what I was like before He came into my life. He then led me to Matt. 9:36, which says, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." I went from being disgusted with them to having a broken heart towards them.
2. Without Jesus we are all lost and without hope.
a. We are lost, walking around in the darkness.
b. We are the blind leading the blind.
c. We have no hope for the present or the future.
d. We are all confused and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.
3. Without Jesus, we are not God’s children.
a. John 1:12 (NLT)
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
b. We are not all God’s children, but only those who receive Jesus as savior.
4. Without Jesus, we are all headed for Hell.
a. There is a Heaven and a Hell.
b. Only those who accept Jesus will make it to heaven.
c. Everyone else will go to Hell.
d. Acts 4:12 (NLT)
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
5. We must all remember from where we have come.
a. We must have compassion on the lost because once we were just like them.
b. We must have passion to reach the lost because without Jesus they are lost.
c. We must reach the lost because their eternal lives depend upon it.
Transition: However, the Good News is...
II. With Christ There Is Reconciliation (13-18)
A. But Now
1. Notice how Paul begins v. 13, "But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ."
a. Once again, we see that six letter, two word, monumental phrase "BUT NOW!"
b. It indicates that things have radically changed.
c. Once we were lost and without hope, BUT NOW!
d. Once we were far away from God, BUT NOW!
e. Once we were confused and helpless, BUT NOW!
f. BUT NOW everything has changed.
2. What is that brings about this radical change? The blood of Christ.
a. The cleansing value of the blood of Christ immediately washes away the penalty of sin and ultimately washes away even its presence (The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Ephesians).
b. Hebrews 10:19-20 (NLT)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.
c. Because of the blood of Jesus there is no more separation.
d. Because of the blood of Jesus we are no longer strangers and aliens to God.
e. Because of the blood of Jesus we are united in Christ.
3. Being Christ not only takes away the separation, but it also brings us peace. In fact, Ephesians 2:14 (NIV) "For he himself is our peace..."
a. It’s the Greek word eirene which " means order instead of chaos. It means that one is bound, woven, joined together with himself and with God and with others (Practical Word Studies in The New Testament).
b. In the NT eirene is described as the peace of Christ and as the gift of the Father and the Son. It is both obtained and maintained through communion with Christ (New International Dict of NT Theology. Pradis CD-ROM)
c. Romans 8:7 (NLT)
For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.
d. We were actually hostile towards God, but now we have found peace with God.
4. He not only brought peace between us and God, but also between each other. "He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us."
a. Paul described the peace that Christ had made between Jews and Gentiles as breaking down the wall of hostility that used to separate them.
b. It was no secret that hostility existed between the two groups, a cultural and religious hostility that no one could bridge—no one but God.
c. This “dividing wall” alludes to the wall in the Jewish Temple that separated the court of the Gentiles from the Temple proper, which only Jews could enter.
d. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that on this wall was an inscription in Greek and Latin: “No foreigner may enter within the barricade that surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death” (Life Application New Testament Commentary).
5. It is no secrete that sin separates. It separates us from God, from one another, and from the Holy Spirit. However, Paul says, "Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us."
a. Now we have open access to God through the Holy Spirit.
b. Before only those with special positions such as prophet, priest, and king had the availability of the Holy Spirit.
c. Now we have access to the Holy Spirit which opens up access to the Father.
B. Reconciliation
1. Illustration: What is reconciliation? The Civil War was carnage. Then Jefferson Davis of the Confederacy died. And Ulysses Grant of the Union died. Their widows, Varina Davis and Julia Grant, settled near each other. They became closest of friends. Now that is reconciliation.
2. The blood of Jesus brings reconciliation.
a. It reconciles unholy people with a completely holy God.
b. It reconciles rebellious and angry people with one another.
c. It reconciles all of recreation with itself.
3. Reconciliation restores access to God.
a. We do not need a priest to go to God for us.
b. We do not need to bring sacrifice to appease an angry God.
c. Through the blood of Jesus, the way has been opened for us to come to God.
d. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
4. Now He has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
• 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 (NLT)
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
• He has called us to proclaim to the world the Good News that we can be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus.
• We have become His ministers of reconciliation in this world.
Transition: Because of this reconciliation...
III. In Christ There Is Foundation (19-22)
A. Built On the Foundation
1. Paul says that because of what Christ has done we "are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family."
a. Gentiles are "no longer foreigners and aliens," outsiders cut off from God’s purposes; rather, they are citizens along with God’s people and are part of God’s household — in effect, family members (Snodgrass, 136).
b. Along with being members of God’s family, we are entitled to all the rights and privileges of God’s family.
c. Romans 8:17 (NLT)
And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.
2. We are also His temple. Paul says, "Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself."
a. We are not just insignificant step-children, but an essential part of God’s very temple.
b. A temple that is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.
c. Here Paul is not referring to the prophets of the OT, but to Christian prophets (Bruce, 304).
d. The early church was built upon these apostles and prophets, and we are built upon that firm foundation.
e. Jesus himself is the cornerstone. That unshakable rock that cannot be moved.
f. Isaiah 28:16 (NLT)
Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.
3. Paul adds, "We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord."
a. "Joined together" refers to the careful joining of every component of a piece of furniture, wall, building, or other structure.
b. Every part is precisely cut to fit snugly, strongly, and beautifully with every other part. Nothing is out of place, defective, misshapen, or inappropriate.
c. Because it is Christ’s building, the church is perfect, spotless, without defect or blemish (MacArthur New Testament Commentary).
4. Also notice that we are a "holy temple."
a. The temple is a "holy" temple because God dwells there; it is a temple set aside by and for God.
b. The word "holy" (hagios) has already appeared in verse 19 as the word used for "God’s people."
c. The temple is holy and the people who make up this temple are "the holy ones." They are set apart by and for God (Snodgrass, 139).
B. Temple of the Holy Spirit
1. Illustration: GOD ONLY LIVES IN THE BEST The Old Testament Temple was only 30’ wide by 90’ long-- a mere 2700 square feet. It was smaller than many homes today. It has been estimated that to rebuild the Temple by the directions in the Bible would cost today about four billion dollars! It would take incredible amounts of gold, expensive wood and tapestries, and the finest stone. It was the most expensive building per square foot ever built. Queen of Sheba saw it and swooned. And now, we have become the dwelling place of God!! We are of great value to God as the place where His Spirit takes up residence.
2. As God’s temple, we are a place where God lives.
a. Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
b. God lives inside of each person who has given their life to Him.
c. He lives in us in power and strength.
d. No one can take that away from us.
3. Because He lives in us, we are precious to Him.
a. We are His unique people.
b. We are His prized possession.
c. 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)
for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
4. As His temple, we are to be a holy temple.
a. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
b. As His temple, we must honor Him by living lives of holiness.
c. He has not redeemed us so that we could stay the way we were, but so that we should be like Him.
d. He has called to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus.
Transition: Is God pleased to live in your heart?
Conclusion
1. Without Christ we were separated from God, but now we have been brought near.
2. With Christ we have been reconciled to God and each other.
3. In Christ, we are His holy temple.
4. Have you found the peace of Christ?
5. Are you living in that peace?
6. My peace I leave you. My peace I give you. Not as the world gives.
