STAND STRONG
STAND STRONG
8.5 - He is Our Peace
In the second part of Ephesians 2, Paul emphasizes how the blood of Jesus has "brought near those who were far off" – that is the Gentiles. Join us as we consider the impact and application of Jesus being our peace!
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Paul and Noah both preach and teach with the Cedar Park church of Christ in Cedar Park, TX. You can visit our site at: https://www.cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/
Well, welcome back to the Stand Strong podcast. We're here today for season eight, episode five. I believe you know, when we're doing multiple episodes of chapter, I start to lose track of exactly how many episodes we've done, but we're in chapter two of Ephesians as we talk about calling and conduct and looking at the, the richness of Paul's letter to the Ephesians and the applications that we can make to our lives and. Paul, I'm looking forward to diving into the second part of Ephesians chapter two. Today
Paul:I am too. Usually the first 10 verses gets most of the attention in chapter two because the subject of grace is being highlighted by the Apostle Paul for by grace or you save through faith that night of yourselves, it is a gift of God. But Paul continues to flow a thought in chapter two when he starts in verse 11 with the therefore. So
Noah:yes, the, the therefore is. Is our reminder not to disconnect what we're about to read and discuss from Paul's comments in the first chap, first part of this chapter, just like we talked about at the beginning. Of chapter two begins with, and, and, you know, Paul's coming out of chapter one with thoughts that, that are very relevant to what's being discussed here. And so we have to remember not to chunk it too much on our end. Yeah. Because sometimes we, we end up chunking it and we, we lose sight of the picture. Even within sections. We can do that. I think we do that a little bit in this section. Later on when we're talking about you know, Christ being the cornerstone, those kinds of things. Sometimes we take the end of a verse and it's the middle of a sentence. And when we forget to get some of that bigger picture. So when we're looking at Ephesians two, the big picture here at the, in the second part is gonna be the same throughout, right? I mean, Paul's making one core point here in this section. About Gentiles and Jews and their access to God through Jesus.
Paul:Yeah. Therefore, remember, so us as Gentiles, we need to remember some things because at the point in which we become, at the point in which we forget certain things, we, it will affect our walk. Mm-hmm. So remember we talked about our calling and our conduct. Well, if we forget some things about our calling about the God of grace, you were dead. Right? He says in chapter two, if we forget some things, like you were without Christ, without hope, without God,
Noah:right?
Paul:But God by grace, if we forget those things, then it is going to affect. Not only our relationship with God, but our relationship with other people.
Noah:Yes. Yeah. Our salvation. That, that Paul, so well describes in the first part of chapter two, the salvation that we received by grace through faith and the walk that we are now to walk as opposed to the, the way that we once walked. You know, chapter two, verse two. All of those are connected to our calling in Christ, and this section reminds us that. That that calling is for everybody. Mm-hmm. Jew and Gentile. So yes, we were, you already called out the parallel. There's a parallel here between this and the very beginning of chapter two. You were one way, you were dead in your trespasses and sins. That's at the beginning of chapter two, and here you were called uncircumcised, separated from Christ, alienated from Israel, strangers of the Covenant of Promise, without Hope, without God, and far off. Those are pretty drastic terms. Mm-hmm. But they're all in the past tense, and I think that's a big part of what Paul's trying to get across. You were this way. But remember what I just talked about at the, you know, and, and he wouldn't say in the beginning of chapter two'cause he didn't put the chapters in. But remember what I was just talking about? The salvation that you've received in Christ,
right.
Noah:Present. Not, not the case anymore. In fact, I love how there's this whole list of you were this way. And then one sentence he says, but now you've been brought near. Mm-hmm. That's the solution.
Paul:Yeah. I, I love verse th verse 13 is a highlight text because that's Paul getting people to where they were in the present so that they appreciate what they have now in the future, but now in the present in Christ, here's what's been accomplished because of the blood.
Noah:Yes, the, the blood of Christ has resolved. All of those things. You are without hope. Now you have hope. You are without God. Now you have access to God. You were alienated. Now you have made, been made a fellow citizen as he'll say in just a few verses. All of that, all of those solutions, all of those resolutions are found in the blood of Jesus. And that is available now.
Paul:Yeah, the high cost of bringing us close to God. The death of Christ. Mm-hmm. If you, if you think you can even have a conversation about the calling that connects to our conduct without it including the death of Christ, you cannot.
Noah:Yes,
Paul:you cannot. Paul doesn't do that. The Apostle Paul doesn't do it, and this Paul should never do it. And it's, it's a reminder to us. I mean, something that we participate in, something that we. Called to our minds every first day of the week.
Mm-hmm.
Paul:And it's not, that's not me saying that it is a once a week remembrance. Right. But if we forget the high cost of bringing us close to God, the death of Christ, then we're gonna have trouble.
Noah:Yes. Yeah. To, to remember that again, the big picture of this section is that the, the good news is Gentiles as Jews. Gentiles and Jews together, excuse me, have equal access to God and Jesus. They've been united in Jesus. They've been made one in Jesus. That's the big picture of this section, but that's only possible because of that great cost. You can't divorce the good news from the great cost that produced that good news for us that made that good news possible. So I think that's an excellent point. If we just. Want as, as students of the word to pause for a moment and appreciate that if we are in Christ. That is because of his great sacrifice. That's salvation because of his great grace, and we can put our faith in him because of his goodness and his grace and that sacrifice.
Paul:Yeah, there's a key text. So since you, since you've been highlighting that, Noah, if you'll do this. I think you've got the English standard version.
Noah:I do.
Paul:Can you read in chapter two just for folks that are listening and don't maybe have access to a Bible right in front of'em so they can see a concept here that has that, that, that we need to build on. Just read verses 12 through 18 in Ephesians two, verses 12 through 18.
Noah:Alright, beginning in verse 12. Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off. Have been brought near by the blood of Christ For he himself is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself. One new man in place of two. So making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near for through him. We both have access in one spirit to the father.
Paul:Yeah. So I wanted you to read that because I've got an application side of, of this in, in Ephesians two. This is so rich. Look, the cross of Christ absolutely dealt with our separation from God.
Mm-hmm. By
Paul:grace, you've been saved. He talks about the, in Christ you are once so far off, you've been brought near by the blood of Christ. So absolute. The cross of Christ deals with our separation from God, but it also addresses our separation from one another.
Yes, the
Paul:hostility in the first century, that was a big, big deal in the first century among churches, the hostility between Jew and Gentile. And so Paul has this audience and he wants to make sure that they understand. Yes, absolutely. In the beginning. This, this separation that you had because of your choice to sin. And God has dealt with that in Jesus Christ through the shedding of the blood. You have been brought near, but there's also this hostility between us. Yes. And so it's not just me and my relationship with God, it's now my relationship with other believers. And that hostility has been torn down and, and the reason I'm bringing this up is because. I think when people think gospel and they think good news, they only think about my sin being dealt with.
Noah:Right.
Paul:But no, it's much more than that. The relationship with God. Absolutely. That's where it starts. But now a relationship with others who are also in Christ.
Noah:Yes.
Paul:So sometimes we have hostility in relationships with others because we don't understand. Gospel and we don't appreciate grace.
Noah:Hmm. That's a really, really rich application from this context. Verse 14 says, he himself is our peace, and that is a rich statement that that goes hand in hand with what you're talking about here. I think sometimes we, this is one of those sections where, or one of those times where we might read a verse and if we, if we don't read it. In the full context, we're not gonna appreciate the full meaning.'cause verse 14, he himself is our peace who has made us both one and broken down in the flesh, the dividing wall of hostility. You're referencing that if you take that verse out again, we could still try to just understand that verse as he is making peace between us and God, which is true. Mm-hmm. And that he's broken down the wall of hostility between us. And God that we've, we've put ourselves in enmity with God and now that's been broken down, which is also true, but in the context, what you're saying is absolutely clear. That wall of hostility is the wall of hostility between people and in Jesus, just as he is peace between us and God, he creates peace between us and one another. So that one new man is how he describes it. So that where there were two now God is presented with one new man and that's, that's Paul referring to. Both Jew and Gentile being presented as the body of, of Christ or the temple as he'll later talk about it in this chapter.
Paul:Yeah, I mean, think about this. So when we're going through a book like Ephesians and I wanted you to get into the text and you're doing that, what does the text say? That's, that's where you start. In any Bible study. What does the text say then after you determine what the text says, then inside that context. What application would that have had in the first century? What application can we make in the 21st century?
Yeah. And
Paul:when you're talking about Christ being our peace, when you talk about the blood of Christ that makes peace, deals with my sin. Think about in the Lord's Supper. Okay. Th this is, this is something that we do with Christ, participate with Christ, but also with other believers. So for those that are listening to this, think about the Lord's Supper on Sunday and prayers that are prayed before we protect together of the cup. Jesus said this is the cup, the new covenant, my blood in the new covenant shed for many for the mission of sins. So when I drink that cup, Noah, with you. Then what I call to mind is, yes, I can have my sins forgiven. I have peace because of what Christ did and accomplished the cross. But I shouldn't stop there because Paul doesn't stop there.
Mm-hmm.
Paul:And see when he's talking about the death of Jesus and the blood of Jesus that we remember every Sunday. Paul is saying that established a covenant of peace. Rather than a covenant of hostility.
Mm-hmm.
Paul:So when we participate with other believers, other Christians in this memorial feast, this supper, yes, do it in remembrance of Christ, but doing it in remembrance of Christ brings to mind. This is not a covenant of hostility. It's a covenant of peace. Yeah. So what is my relationship, not just with Christ, but what is my relationship with other Christ followers?
Noah:Yeah. Yeah. That I think is probably the more challenging part for us. I, I, I think that in general, when we remember the death of Christ, it is. Maybe this sounds bad, but I think it's fairly easy to be grateful for the peace that has been achieved between us and God because of the sacrifice of Jesus. But we don't always want to have a good relationship with other people and that is. An uncomfortable fact that we have to deal with in our selfishness and in our self-serving mindset. Sometimes we don't wanna be at peace with other people. We, we feel a, a certain sense of. Righteousness, we might even put it, which is not, not true righteousness, but we've, we have this sense of like, I'm in the right and there're in the wrong and there's a, there's some reason that I shouldn't be at peace with this person. And I shouldn't seek peace with that person because blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And we get into this mindset that that is creating division. As opposed to recognizing that just as surely as God brought, brought peace between me, and, excuse me, just as surely as Jesus brought peace between me and God, he has intended to bring peace among the body of Christ, among the, the people of God. If we have been reconciled to God individually by Jesus, then we should also find reconciliation. Among ourselves in our relationships with one another. That should be the intent. That should be the goal. That should be part of the way that we walk.
Paul:Mm-hmm.
Noah:As we, as we appreciate the grace of Jesus in our lives.
Paul:I agree. You know the verse 18, for through Him, we both have access in one spirit to the father. Through him. Mm-hmm. Well, where are you gonna put the emphasis? Well, Paul had already put the emphasis on the hymn through Christ, but think about putting the emphasis here through him. We both have our access.
Mm-hmm.
Paul:In one spirit to the father. We both, well, well, well, these are gentiles. They have, they have the same access.
Noah:Yeah. Yeah.
Paul:These Jews think that they have the same access.
Noah:Yes.
Paul:So sometimes we miss some of the points that I think Paul, especially in the first century, where you had that hostility.
Noah:Yes.
Paul:The hostility we have in 21st century churches is not the same hostility they had, but it can be the same root problem that creates the hostility.
Noah:Yes. And that root problem is addressed when you read that peace has been preached to all. Mm-hmm. Those who were far off and those who were near tho all have been offered this access to the father. All as he says in let's see there in verse. Oh, I lost my place here. 20. No, 19. That you are fellow citizens with the saints and the members of the household of God. There's, there's no us and them mentality. We are fellow saints. We're fellow members of this household and we're all being built on the same cornerstone as he's gonna get into in verse 20. We're all built on the same foundation. We're all connected through the same person through the blood of Christ, and if we try to act like that's not the case, we are rebelling against God's design for his people and for his church. Yeah.
Paul:So I just wanted to bring that up so you, we've got the rest of chapter two that, that you wanted to dissect and then I'll maybe say a thing or two.
Noah:Yeah. Well, I mean we've, we've worked our way through most of chapter two, but we haven't touched as much yet on those last few verses that begin with the idea of being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. We could get in, into an, into an interesting discussion there about what that means, that these inspired messengers of God and, and the importance of their words and their teaching as being authoritative from God. We are building on that foundation if we ever try to build on a different foundation. We're not building on the, the foundation that Christ has laid'cause, right. Christ's the cornerstone and he laid the foundation with his inspired word. That's the only legitimate foundation to build on. But really the focus, the emphasis in this section is the fact that Christ is the cornerstone. Yes. Just, just as earlier Christ's blood is what is what gives us access to the father and is the good news that is preached to those who are far off and those who are near Christ is the, is the crux of the situation here in verses 20 and 21 and 22. Christ is the cornerstone. In him. The whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him, you also, he's speaking to the Gentiles there. They're included in this. You also are being built together into a dwelling place of God by the Spirit. Now I say they as if I'm not a Gentile, I am a Gentile. So in this case, we are also being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. But that is really. Rich terminology for us to understand that we're being built together, that we're intended to grow into a holy temple that is a dwelling place of God. That is a reference to one of the greatest themes of scripture. One of the greatest greatest veins that we can find in the history of the, the, of the Bible and the history of God's relationship with man is God wants to dwell with his. Special creation. He wants to dwell with his people and we are being built into to grow into a holy temple that is a dwelling place for God to dwell with his people. And so, and that's all happening by the power of Christ and on his foundation that we're, that we're being built into God's people intended for his dwelling. And I think that's a really powerful image for us to consider when we think about what our purpose is and how we're to interact with one another. We are, we are intended to dwell with God, not just individually, but together as well. We're intended to dwell with one another.
Paul:Yeah, absolutely. You, you think about when, when Paul would mention a Holy temple and they would hear Temple
mm-hmm.
Paul:They would probably hear Temple and not hear holy. They came before Temple, but I get that. I mean, it's it, our minds don't go there. But in the first century when they would hear Temple, some people who had not been. Yet converted or some people who had been newly converted. I mean, if you're an Ephesus, you hear temple, you think about that magnificent marble temple to Artemis or Diana,
right?
Paul:You know, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Or if you were a Jewish believer and you heard temple, you might think about the temple in Jerusalem, right? Herod the great, so you had two temples, one Pagan, the other Jewish, but both of these were empty of the living God. Now he's talking about a holy temple.
Mm-hmm.
Paul:And he mentions the holy temple after he's already talked about or discussed the eternal purpose of God accomplished in Christ Jesus. You've been brought near through his blood hostility, dealt with by the cross. Now you relationship connected to God in Christ. You are a holy temple. As an individual, God wants to dwell in you. As a group, as a body. See, he had already mentioned one new man, right? Or one body. Mm-hmm. Well, that's the church. Go back to chapter one, right? Mm-hmm.
So
Paul:when he's discussing temple, he's talking about individually, but he's also talking about collectively, he's talking about saved people. And so there's application to be made based upon individual, but also applications to be made as a church. Yes. You know, and so when he, when he is talking about some of these things, if you've entered into a covenant of peace, then entrance into that covenant of peace where you have a relationship with God, and he says, this is a God who dwells in you and he expects you now to be a people who are being built up and continually growing in Christ, I. When he talks about that in a beautiful way, he talks about all the rights and privileges we have because of the relationship.
Mm-hmm. I'm
Paul:thinking about three terms, just kind of, you, you've mentioned this in passing in verse 19, we're referred to in Christ as Citizens.
Mm-hmm. And
Paul:verse 19 as members of the household of God. And then you mentioned in verse 21, temple.
Mm-hmm.
Paul:So I have a new identity.
Right.
Paul:You know I, I belong. I mean, if people don't understand something about this relationship in Christ and then appreciate that you now have. You have a father, you have a family, you belong.
Yeah.
Paul:And all the rights and privileges that are, that are a part of that relationship, you belong. Think about how many people in the world today who feel like they don't belong.
Noah:Yeah.
Paul:They don't fit.
Noah:Yeah. Well, when you think about it, if we want to go back to the, the historical context here, it's interesting, those three terms that you bring out, citizenship would've you know, resonated a certain way. With people in the Roman Empire. Mm-hmm. There were privileges given to Roman citizens, those who were, you know, by birth or by money, Roman citizens, and then there were those who weren't and they had different rights and different privileges. Where you think about the idea of being a temple, like you said, from a pagan standpoint, people found identity in. I serve this God, I go to that temple and I offer sacrifices. We've got, you know, idols in our home to worship these gods. I have a sense of identity from them. But that third one, the household of God members of his household, that's unique because the others. Paul's talking about identities that supersede the other identities. You might think of yourself as a Roman. This is a greater citizenship. You may think of yourself as a, as a, a worshiper of, of Artemis, but now you're, you're a part of a greater temple than that, but then you have this family. Can you imagine as a first century pagan hearing, you are now a member of the household of God? You are part of his family. You are not just a servant, although you are a servant, you are also a son. Mm-hmm. In this household, the idea of being in the household of a God. Unthinkable,
Paul:right?
Noah:And yet here you are, you're part of a greater kingdom, you're serving a greater God, and you are now part of his family. That is the to get into chapter three, that's part of this. The mystery of the gospel is the gentiles are included in this and it's good news.
Paul:Yeah. Yeah. I, you know, I, I, I appreciate you bringing that out. The, what the text is telling these people. For those that are listening, what Noah just said, what the text is telling them in the first century is he, he's, it's speaking about their relationship with God as citizens in the kingdom of God, you belong, you have a new identity. Who is your new ruler? Christ. He's head, he's Lord, but he gets more intimate. You are also children in a family. Mm-hmm. And so absolutely. We need to think first about our relationship with God. Jesus is my king. He's a king over a kingdom. He rules, he reigns in my heart and in my life, and I'm connected to God through him and because of him. But the intimacy, now I have a family.
Mm-hmm.
Paul:And in that family relationship, as I'm connected to other believers, I need to understand that we are being joined together. He says we are being built together.
Noah:Yes.
Paul:And there is, and that's, that's another podcast for another time. There is, in my opinion, and I'm being careful with my words. In my opinion, there is an obsession with conversations about the indwelling of this Holy Spirit in the believer.
Hmm.
Paul:I'm not saying we shouldn't have those conversations, and I'm definitely not saying the Bible doesn't speak about the Holy Spirit as it relates to the Christian.
Noah:Yeah,
Paul:but here's my point in the context of Ephesians two, before we have discussions about. The Holy Spirit as it dwells, or if it dwells in the believer. Think about what Paul is saying. He mentioned the church, one new man, one body, and he says, now in Christ, you are being built together. You are joined together and you grow into this. Mm-hmm. So if we're gonna talk about Holy Spirit. Then let's have conversations about how that spirit is a spirit of unity that brings about peace because believers in Christ are seeking to be built together and joined together.
Hmm.
Paul:That, that unity concept, the, the thing that is intended to bring our minds to a point of reconciliation, of hostility and unity in the body becomes the conversation and the centerpiece Holy Spirit that's creating division it ought not to be. So.
Noah:Hmm. Now there is, there is a terrible irony when that happens. And this is not the only instance in which we can, we can see that, you know, exemplified in, in our own lives. And that's unfortunate. Because as this momentum will carry into chapter three, and as we will get into in next week's podcast, this is part of the beauty of the gospel. This is not a, this ought not be a source of division. This is. Supposed to be part of the good news that can be preached and the mystery that is now being revealed in the church. It, the church is supposed to be a, a beautiful picture of what the goodness of God accomplishes. But that's gonna cheat into chapter three. So I should, I should stop talking there
Paul:because we're gonna go into chapter three and he starts out for this reason. For this reason, it's like, okay, let me tell you why I've been saying all of this in the first two chapters for this reason. And he's gonna talk more about our calling, the, the beautiful, beautiful calling and what God has accomplished in Christ Jesus. So I'm, I'm looking forward to, Lord willing next week Yes. When we start looking in chapter three.
Noah:Yes. Absolutely. So in my chapter three will be as edifying and encouraging. I think as chapters one and two, Paul Paul has. So much to say in this letter, the Ephesians, that can help us here in the 21st century and can encourage us as we try to to grow as individuals and as a church.
Paul:Yeah. So thank you today to those who are listening as we're journeying through the book of Ephesians. Let's never forget what the Apostle Paul reminded those in the first century of, is a reminder to us today in the 21st century. But God, by grace. Now in Christ Jesus. So that, that's, that's good news, but it's good news to be shared. So thank you today to all who are listening again, and we just pray that God will continue to work out his will in our lives and together we can stand strong.
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