Ialso wanted to remind you of the grand opening tomorrow of the GO Center therein Bonsack, Virginia, right outside Roanoke, Virginia at 9:30am. You're morethan welcome to attend this grand ribbon cutting ceremony opening up the GOCenter. You can read more about this in my Pastor's Chat. Again, thank you somuch for your prayers and being a part of this ministry with us at Pastor MikeImpact Ministries.
Today,we are continuing to look at Ephesians 2. We've been talking about how Paulhere in verse 11 begins to address specifically the Gentiles in the church. Anamazing thing took place when of course the Gentiles began to get saved. BeforeActs 11, there was no conflict in the church at Jerusalem. The conflict, strifeand contention, appears in the church when the Gentiles started getting saved inActs chapter 10. This is when Peter went to speak to Cornelius the centurionand brought him to faith in Christ. It was then in Acts 11 we begin to see thisconflict between the Jewish believers concerning circumcision and the Gentiles.Of course, even at the church at Ephesus, because there are both Jewishbelievers and Gentile believers, this conflict possibly was continuing. No doubtthat is why here in Ephesians 2 Paul is writing about the greatest peacemission that has ever taken place on planet earth. That's the peace JesusChrist came to make between us and God, and to make between us and others. Especiallybetween other believers that we might be one.
AsI was reading through these verses 11-22, the word one keptcoming up. I circled it. It is important to note that God came to make us onewith Himself through Christ and make us one with one another. Rememberthat was the prayer of Jesus in John 17. Now in Ephesians 2:11. Paul had remindsthe Gentiles that before their salvation, they were without God. They werewithout hope. They were without Christ. They were alienated and strangers tothe commonwealth of Israel, separated from the Jews.
Verse13 begins with: “But now”. This“But now” parallels the “But God” in verse 4, “Whois rich in mercy with His great love”. “But now in Christ,you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ.”He goes on to write. We're going to read through verse 18. “For HeHimself is our peace, who has made both one and has broken down themiddle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity,that is the law of commandments contained in the ordinances, so as to create inHimself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that Hemight reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross,thereby putting to death the enmity. He came and preached peace to youwho are far off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have accessby one Spirit to the Father.”
Howpowerful is that? So, we see a key word here is enmity. The word enmitymeans a deep-seated hatred between people or groups. It's often long-lasting.We see this enmity going on in America today between the left and the right inpolitics and the hatred that the left has for our president. We see thisenmity. It's long-lasting. That there seems to be no reconciliation or peace.We see in this passage of scripture the enmity between the Jews and theGentiles, between sinners and God. But thank God we see that Jesus Christ hascome with the greatest peace mission in history, there is only reconciliationbetween Jews and Gentiles, between God and man through Jesus Christ.
Haveyou made peace with God through Jesus Christ? I trust that it will encourageyou to know only through Christ you can receive reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
Godbless!