Series: Experiencing the Riches of Christ
UNIFIED IN CHRIST
Ephesians 2:11-22
I believe the greatest hindrance of the church or the people of God experiencing the fullness of God’s blessings and the greatest hindrance of the people of God winning a lost world to Jesus Christ
∙is not the lack of resources whether they be spiritual or physical
∙is not the wickedness and the darkness of the world of which we live
∙and is not even the power of Satan and his legions of demons who constantly are working against the church,
But instead the greatest hindrance of our joy and effectiveness is the lack of unity among the brethren.
Jesus understood this very clearly as it was He who said, (John 13:35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Yes, one of the greatest desires of our Lord Jesus is that His people live in unity. On the night before He was crucified our Lord prayed for His people and what did He pray? (John 17:15-23) 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
No wonder that David, the great psalmist wrote in (Ps 133:1) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
The very nature of fallen man is to be at war with one another which is found even in the garden of Eden when Adam pointed his finger at Eve and blamed her for his disobedience to God and then spread to the children Cain and Abel, whereby through jealousy Cain murdered his own brother.
Man has been war with one another since the fall, but this should not be so within the people of God, but sadly, throughout the ages the church has been at war against herself while the lost world is dying and going to hell.
It has been said many times that the church is the only army in the world that shoots its own soldiers. Folks, this has to stop.
I. THE HINDRANCES OF OUR UNITY (2:11-12)
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
A. Broken Relationship with the People of God
(Social Alienation)
When God called Israel to be His people, He did not call them that they may be boastful in their calling but instead that they may be a light unto the world and a blessing to all the world
(Gen 12:1-3) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
(Ex 19:5-6) Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Yet, instead of being a blessing to all the world and fulfilling their call as a kingdom of priest, they warred against themselves and built up walls to the people they were called to bless.
∙ walls of religion
∙ walls of prejudice
∙ walls of politics
∙ walls of offense and unforgiveness
B. Broken Relationship with Person of God
(Spiritual Alienation) (2:12)
∙ Without Christ
∙ aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
∙ strangers from the covenants of promise
∙ having no hope
∙ without God
II. THE SOURCE OF OUR UNITY (2:13-18)
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
(Col 1:19-21) For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
A.Through Christ’s Provision We Can Have Peace
with Man (14-15)
1) Christ through His Blood Makes All believers One (14a)
For he is our peace, who hath made both one,
(Col 3:11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
2) Christ though His Blood Broke Down the Wall of Division (14-15)
and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
B. Through Christ’s Provision We Can Have Peace with God
1) Christ through the Cross Reconciled All Men to God (16)
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
2) The Cross Signifies Peace to All (17)
And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh
3) Through the Power of the Cross and the Work of the Spirit We all have Access to God (18)
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
(Matt 27:51) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
III. THE BLESSINGS OF OUR UNITY (2:19–22)
A. Blessings of the Fellowship of the Saints (19)
B. Blessings of the Filling of the Spirit (20-22)
(Eph 4:2-3) With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
(Eph 4:13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
