The Instrument Of Peace

The INSTRUMENT Of PEACE—Eph. 2:11-18

The 2012(or any) Olympic celebration.

A celebration of the diversity of humanity & the supposed unity of humanity.

Looking at the Olympic opening ceremony—with all the grandeur & nations proudly parading & assembling together— would cause anyone to assume there was peace in the world! But wise people realize that such a peace is fleeting & temporary at best! It is not true peace.

The Cross of Christ is the only means to true Peace!

Need:

The writer to the Ephesians reveals that the Cross of Christ is the conveyor of reconciliation/peace.

The Cross is the means of peace.

When has the Cross of Christ affected my reconciliation?

3 Confirmations that the cross is your instrument of peace.

1—The Cross is your instrument of Peace when it...

Ends SEPARATION(:11-12)

Explanation:(:11-12)The Presence/Prospect of

:11—“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--”

Php. 3:1-3—“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, & have no confidence in the flesh,”

Col. 2:8-15—“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy & empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, & not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; & you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality & power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses & the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities & powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Rom. 4:5-14—“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.” Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, & the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void & the promise made of no effect,”

Gal. 3:6-9—“just as Abraham “believed God, & it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.”

:12—remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, & strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope & without God in the world.”

“Separate from”—Aliens/Estranged

Criterion for separation—Neither Good nor Bad behavior...

...But Relationship

“Commonwealth”—politeia—1) The administration of civil affairs; 2) A state or commonwealth; 3) Citizenship, the rights of a citizen. Strong—("polity"); Citizenship; concretely, a community. Used 2X.

“No hope”——

“Without God”——

1Cor. 8:5-6—“For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods & many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, & we for Him; & one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, & through whom we live.”