Ephesians 2:11-22: Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)--remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
This passage contains rich truths given by the Holy Spirit to the apostle Paul.
There are three main points that I see in this passage from Ephesians.
First of all, formerly we were away from God. We were without hope and without God in the world. Secondly, through his blood Jesus has made peace. Thirdly, we now have access to the Father, and we are part of God's community.
Paul makes a graphic description of the person without God. He uses terms like separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, foreigners to the covenants of promise, and then without hope and without God in the world.
People have the innate need to belong. We all want to belong to something that is bigger than ourselves. We want to find security and purpose in a group.
The greatest sense of belonging comes from being a part of God's family. To be without God and to be separate from Christ means that a person is excluded from the blessing of belonging to God's family. That person is a foreigner to God's powerful blessing of covenant, and that person is without hope.
To be without hope is one of the great tragedies of life.
But the good news is that the blood of Jesus was shed so that every person can become a part of the family of God. Every person can partake of the promises of God's covenant. Every person can walk in fellowship with God and be filled with hope that only he can give.
The Scripture teaches us that the life is in the blood. The value of the blood is determined by the life it represents. Certainly there is no greater value than the blood of Jesus. He was God in human flesh. Jesus laid down his life, and shed his blood so that you and I could be reconciled to God and to his family. We have been brought near by the blood of Jesus.
Through his blood Jesus brings peace. He himself is our peace. There is much anxiety and fear in today's world. Unfortunately, there is even much anxiety and fear in the church.
To me it is slap in the face of God when a Christian lives a life dominated by fear and worry. In numerous Scripture references we are commanded to not fear. In other passages we are commanded to not fret or be anxious.
One of my favorite passages is found in Philippians 4:6-7. Paul says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
All of us are tempted by fear and anxiety. However, Jesus, the Prince of Peace lives inside the believer. And he has provided a way of escape. If we will simply obey the instructions of this passage, your life need not ever be dominated by fear and worry again.
With that peace comes access to the Father. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Recently I was reading an article about the inner workings of power in the White House. Someone made a statement that "access is power." If you have access to the President, if you have his ear so to speak, then you have power because he will help you. And you have power because you can possibly influence his decisions which can affect not just Americans, but multitudes around the world.
I don't have access to President Bush, but I do have access to the King of Glory. As powerful as the President is in today's world, his power is so dull and faded compared to the power of Almighty God.
You have access. He will help you!! All the power of the universe and beyond is at his disposal. How can we continue to fear and worry when we have access to the King.
So, we are no longer foreigners or aliens. We are now part of the household of God. We are part of the kingdom of God that is far bigger than each individual. But, yet being part of that kingdom bestows great significance upon each individual.
And God is working to make his house a holy dwelling for himself. Jesus is the chief cornerstone. That is a position only he could fill. The foundation is made up of the apostles and prophets. But each believer is part of that house. And it takes all of us together to make the house complete. Every nail, every piece of lumber is important in the building of God's house. And God Almighty, through his Spirit, has chosen to come live in this house.
I remember years ago I attended a big ministers conference in New Orleans. There were many "big name" ministers there. I was the pastor of a few people in a small town in Mississippi. During the first day of that meeting I really felt insignificant as I compared myself to these "big name" minsters. They had widely published books. They spoke to thousands, while some Sundays I was fortunate to speak to 50. Some had television ministries. Others had huge international outreaches.
But as that meeting continued the Holy Spirit worked in me. In the beginning I felt insignificant, but by the time the meeting concluded I was so thankful that I could be a part of God's work which is so wonderful and so grand. I saw that I was not insignificant, but I had my job to do in God's kingdom.
We are part of something grand and glorious. And it is important for every member of God's household to do his job. Don't allow the lies of the devil to convince you that you aren't important. We each have a job to do in God's kingdom. Let's get busy to do our part and let's walk together to bring light to a very dark world.
Wayne L. Williams
wayne@fotwm.org