And now let's open the Word of God together to the book of Ephesians and the second chapter. Insectivorous plants are those that gain some of their nutrition by devouring insects which they capture. The most familiar of this sort of plant is probably Venus's flytrap, which is native to both North and South Carolina. This plant grows about 12 inches high and is characterized with small white flowers. But the most interesting portion of the plant is the leaf. The outer portion
of each leaf is designed as an insect trap. It's just hard to tell how many eons of evolution it took to produce that trap and how many of these poor little plants. before evolution gave it the ability to get the insects trapped, right? God designed this plant so it could capture insects. The outer portion of the leaf is divided into two halves with long, sharp spines at its margin and then small trigger hairs at its center. Those serve to spring the trap once the insect has
entered. Insects are attracted to this plant by sweet fluids that are exuded. And once they are inside the trap, they cannot escape. The plant digests the softer portions of the insect and then expels the harder portions, opens itself, and prepares for another meal. That's something like sin. Because you see, sin is attractive and deceitful. What it promises, it cannot deliver.
If alcohol told the truth about the diseased minds and bodies it has created, the loss of money, character, employment, and family is caused. the disgrace and danger to oneself that it brings, that only a fool would ever touch it. But alcohol doesn't present itself that way. If adultery told the truth about the guilt and shame that it brings, the possible disease that threatens, the loss of honor, the potential loss of family and home, If it told the truth, few would pay
the price. But adultery doesn't present itself that way. If abortion told the truth about the nagging sense of loss and guilt, the potential physical harm to the individual, and the taking of an innocent's life, if it told the truth, there are many alternatives. That would be quickly slapped. But it's not presented that way. You see up front, whatever the sin may be, it presents itself to appear one way, but the results are inevitably the opposite. Sin promises pleasure,
but it delivers guilt. Sin promises freedom, but it delivers bondage. Sin promises increase, but it delivers loss. Sin promises fulfillment, but it delivers frustration. Sin promises popularity, but it delivers loneliness. If you were to sum up the results of sin in one word, you might choose many, but I think one of the most fitting words would be the word separation. For sin separates man from God, man from himself, man from man,
and even man from the creation around him. For sin has made him a stranger both to the animate and inanimate creation over which he was to rule. So it separated man from his destiny to be a sovereign. Sin separates. It has affected man, therefore, spiritually. It has affected him psychologically. It has affected him socially and even ecologically. Separation is the result of sin in God's universe. That separation is also manifested in a theological
way in our text today. It is the division that existed and still does exist in some places between Jew and Gentile. Although this separation was instituted by God in the covenant which he made with Abraham and with his seed, it is a separation that has been caused to be deep and abiding and even distorted because of sin. In order to fulfill the covenant, there had to be a separation. But sin, both in the Jew and in the Gentile, caused that division to be a deep division, one filled
with enmity. So that the Gentile hated the Jew, and the Jew despised the Gentile. That enmity is illustrated in the wall which separated the court of the Gentiles from the court of the Jews in the ancient temple. In fact, at the gate to the court of the Jews, there was a sign which warned that if any Gentile went beyond that point, he was sure to be executed. And the Romans gave them the right to execute those Gentiles. There is an allusion to that wall in verse 14 in our
text today. We gain a better perspective of the awfulness of sin. when we understand not only its fruit, but also what it took to rescue man from sin and to restore the unity that sin destroyed and the separation which it brought. Paul addressed the Ephesian church, which was, by the way, largely Gentile, reminding them of what had happened
to them. Please notice the contrast between verses 11 and 12, which speaks of Gentiles as they were formerly, and verses 13 through 18, which speak about Gentiles now, those who are saved, that
is. Therefore, remember that formerly, you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by the so -called circumcision, which is performed in the flesh by human hands, remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded 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 were formerly far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for he himself is
our peace. who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall by establishing in his flesh, excuse me, by abolishing in his flesh the enmity, which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in himself he might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God. through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And he came and preached peace to you who were far away
and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have our access in one spirit to the Father. Now it might be helpful at this point for us to quickly review our suggested outline of Ephesians. Chapters 1 through 3 deal with our calling in Christ. Chapters 4 through 6, our conduct in Christ. We have been studying about our calling in Christ, the first division of the book. First we notice its blessing. The blessing of our calling in Christ can be summarized
in the word salvation. It talks about that in the early verses of chapter 1, followed by a prayer that we might really get a hold of that and understand what we have in Christ. Then he speaks about its basis, the basis of our calling in Christ, which is our identification with him in his death, burial, resurrection, ascension,
and exaltation in the throne of glory. Now we begin the final portion of this first division of the book as we think about its bond, the bond of our calling in Christ, that is, its unification. There are two truths about you which, if understood, will make you appreciate the tie that binds the church together, the bond that we have in Christ Jesus. Two truths about you. I say about you because 99 % of our church is Gentile. We have only a very few of us in our local church. who
come from the Jewish race. Most of us by birth are Gentiles. And so what Paul says in these verses is so directly applicable to you and to me who come from that background. If you understand what he has said here, it will help you appreciate even more than you do now that bond that has brought Jew and Gentile together in the church, the Lord Jesus Christ. First notice with me this line of truth. What was true about you in the past, formerly, verses 11 and 12? That is, those
of you who were Gentiles, non -Jews. He points out six facts about us that describe what was true. First of all, we were separate from Christ. Christ is the anointed one, the Messiah, the long -awaited deliverer of Israel. Christ was promised to the Jews. He was to come from them. Their prophets foretold him. He was the Christ, the Messiah of the Jews. Non -Jews had no claim
on the Christ. Although Christ was sent as a light of revelation to the Gentiles also, he was certainly the Christ, of the Jews and Gentiles were separate from the Christ. A second fact about us that was true, we were excluded from the commonwealth of Israel. Only the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were a part of the commonwealth, the state, the nation of Israel. That distinction was made by natural birth. Either you were born a Jew, or you were born a Gentile.
One could be a proselyte Gentile, that is, convert to Judaism, but his natural birth was either Jew or Gentile, and that could not be changed. Israel was a unique nation in the earth. It was a people under God. It was designed to be a theocracy. although it came far short of fulfilling that ideal. But Gentiles were excluded from it, just as Gentiles are today, unable to become citizens
of the political nation of Israel. A third fact which describes what we were is found in this phrase, strangers to the covenants of promise. excluded from Israel who were also strangers to their covenants. For you see, following Abraham and up to the New Testament days, there was no covenant made between God and man except with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You can talk about the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic covenant, the Palestinian covenant, the
Bavarian covenant, and the New Covenant. All of those were between God and Israel. not the Gentiles. So Gentiles were strangers to those covenants containing the promises of God. And therefore, a fourth fact about us, we had no hope. Hope was based upon the promises and the covenants. We had no hope. We had no covenants. Hope is probably life's most powerful, motivating force. I think that's true in about every realm. It's true economically. That is why capitalism
is superior to socialism or communism. It is because there is hope for the individual to improve himself. It provides that motivation within it. Of course it can be abused. But you must admit that neither socialism nor communism provide that kind of personal motivation. It is also true medically. When one knows that there is hope, there is a will to fight. When the doctor says, I'm sorry, there is no hope. Most people
at that point give up. And it is true spiritually, for hope in a spiritual sense gives purpose, direction, and meaning to life. But when we were Gentiles, we had none of that. And we were without God, it says. That's the fifth fact about us. Gentiles had many gods, but they did not have knowledge of the true God. Man is religious by his very nature. Therefore, he will create some object to worship, for he must do it. He is made to worship, even if he worships pitifully, only
himself, as does our society. Because man is made the way he is, a creation which must worship, he will have gods. The Gentiles had not knowledge of the God. They were without God. Now we're talking about you, and we're talking about your ancestors. They may have been barbarians off in Scotland somewhere. I don't know where they came from. But your ancestors were without God, and so were you, Gentile. And then a final phrase, the last one in verse 12, without God in the
world. That's more than the fact they lived on planet Earth. It's talking about the spiritual identity of the Gentiles. They were in the world. The Jews have been called out to be God's people, the Gentiles in the world. By world, we mean that system of things opposed to God. It's the organization headed by Satan. It's the mafia of mafias. It's the spiritual underworld which frames up the world that we see. It's the invisible realm headed by Satan. which holds in its captivity
all of the unregenerate, all Gentiles. Chapter 2, verse 2 talks about the course of the world in which we walked. We were identified with the world. And I tell you that people who are described by the phrases of these two verses are desperate indeed. Desperate. Thank God that there is another line of truth that is followed here. For those of us who are saved, there is something more to be said. Now these verses still today accurately describe the Gentiles. But if you are in Jesus
Christ, you are no longer a Gentile. God has made a change. There is another line of truth. And that is what is true of you right now. Not what was true of you before your salvation, but what is true of you now. He begins this line of truth in verse 13, but now in Christ Jesus. And notice that immediately he gives the new identity for you. No longer in the world. But now in Christ Jesus. God sees you in his son,
in Christ Jesus. And there are three areas of truth that he begins to investigate here about what is true of us now. First, what is true of us positionally. He says in verse 13, you who were firmly far off. Have been brought near. That's our new position. Before we were far off in every sense you can think of. But now we have been brought near. A new position for us. How have we been brought near? By the blood of Christ.
Never allow anyone to suggest to you that the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is unimportant. It is absolutely foundational to biblical Christianity. There are those denominations and groups of a liberal bent of mind which believe that the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is an embarrassment. Far from that, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is reason for glorying. It is the boast of those who are in heaven worthy as the Lamb who was slain, who has purchased us by his blood, it
says. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is precious, not an embarrassment. It is that blood of the Lord Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary which has changed our position so that we who were far off have been brought near. Sin and its separation could only be dealt with by the shedding of blood. Hebrews 9 .22, Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. That is illustrated in the animal that God slew in the garden, whose blood was shed so that covering might be made
for Adam and Eve. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. It is illustrated again in the Passover lamb when the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt. A lamb was slain, its blood put on the doorpost of the house for the redemption of the people of Israel, their deliverance from the angel of death. It is illustrated again in the goat on the day of atonement in the nation of Israel when the goat was slain and its blood sprinkled for the atoning of the sins of the
nation. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Now why is that? Because sin brings separation from God, which is another way of saying death. Death physically, but even worse, death spiritually. A state in which one can die and thus have to spend eternity separated from God in what is called the second death, the lake of fire. This separation from God is
the penalty of justice. In addition to being a loving God, God is a just and holy God, and in his justice, the sentence for sin is death or separation from him. The shedding of Christ's blood was essential to rescue sinners from the justice of God, and it was God himself who provided. for that rescue, in sending his own beloved son
to bear his justice. When he died on that cross, the justice of God was poured out upon his beloved son so that he paid that price of justice on our behalf, that we might be delivered from that justice of God that demanded our death, our separation from him who is holy. so that now God justly can embrace us, can bring us nearer to himself, because our sin has been dealt with by Christ's blood. That's what is true of you positionally. You who have been far off have been brought near
by the blood of Christ. But think with me now practically. What is true of you pragmatically? Well, he tells us in these verses that enmity has been abolished and peace has been established. By whom? By Christ himself. Notice the emphasis on that in verse 14. He himself, he only, he alone is our peace. Now, what did he do? Well, it says in verse 14 that he made both into one. In verse 15, he made the two into one new man. Here it speaks about the Lord Jesus Christ making
peace between Jew and Gentile. How did he do that? Well, it tells us in verse 15, he abolished in his flesh the enmity The law of commandments contain inordinances. Now, the New American Standard makes it sound like the law is the enmity. I don't think that's a good way to put it. I believe what he's saying here is that he abolished the enmity created by the law. The law was not hateful. It was holy and righteous and good. But the law created the division, the enmity. It set apart
the Jews. It gave to them certain privileges. Because of the separation that it made between Jew and Gentiles, the Gentiles hated the Jews. And the Jews, on the other hand, because they had been set apart, became arrogant and proud. And they looked down upon, they despised the uncircumcised Gentiles. And so while the law was not the enmity, it created it. So the Lord Jesus Christ in his death, in his flesh, fulfilled
the law with its demands. All of its commandments, all of its ordinances were fulfilled in him. He took it out of the way so that no longer would it create an issue, you see, between Jew and Gentile. Thus he abolished, he made null and void the enmity between the two groups. Now that enmity is still being carried out today among the unregenerate. Sadly, there are still those Gentiles who are anti -Semitic, who hate the Jews. There are even some who call themselves
Christians who are anti -Semitic. That is a contradiction if there ever was one. And then there are Jews who despise the goyim, the Gentiles. They look down upon them. It's still being carried out today, but the point here is this. There's no cause for it. Christ has dealt with the law and has made possible peace between Jew and Gentile. Not only that, but he dealt with the enmity between the sinner, Jew or Gentile, and God. You see, he made peace this way, and he made peace this
way. That's emphasized in verse 16. It says, and that he might reconcile them both, Jew and Gentile, in one body to God through the cross. Have you ever noticed the directions which the cross pointed? As Jesus hung upon the cross, his arms were stretched out this way. embracing Jew and Gentile, bringing them together. And the cross was upright, pointing to heaven, making peace between all sinners, whether Jew or Gentile,
and a holy God. So he alone is our peace, who made peace between Jew and Gentile, between sinners and God. He made it through the cross. Through his death in his body, the Lord Jesus Christ died to bring peace. It's a wonderful thing. To bring peace in our relationships, to bring peace in the church, to bring peace in the world, and that will be fulfilled someday in his kingdom. He is the Prince of Peace. And surely those who profess him as Lord. must themselves be peacemakers
and walk in peace. What is true of us practically is this, that there is now peace where there was once hatred. God forbid that any of us who professes to know the Lord Jesus Christ would speak in a hateful way toward a Jew. Or for that matter, toward other Gentiles. For God has put his peace in our hearts. God forbid that we should be troublemakers, that we should be known as divisive people. For God has put peace into our hearts. Christ died to bring peace, to make peace.
It's a very practical truth about us now. But we must go on to a third one, and that is something that is true about us prayerfully, with regards to prayer. And that's in verse 18. Instead of being separate, excluded, and strangers, we Gentiles have now, along with the Jews who believe in Christ, been received and accepted by God. Now that truth is found and contained in that word access. It is used again in chapter 3, verse 12, where it says, In Christ we have boldness
and confident access through faith in him. In Romans 5, 2, it is used one at a time in the New Testament, where it speaks of our having access by faith into this grace in which we stand. What is access? Access is a standing that is due to another's introduction. Access is entrance that is given to us into the presence of a sovereign because of the identity of someone else. It means that I can come into the very presence of God now because of Christ. and the new identity that
I have in him. If you or I were to go to the head of state in any country, we would likely be turned away at the gate of the palace or the gate of government. Because who are we that we should see that head of state, that president, that sovereign? Ah, but let us suppose that we came with someone in that government. Let us suppose that we went to the White House in Washington and we arrived there at the gate of the White House. Well, let's just say with the Secretary
of State. The Secretary of State would then give us entrance, you see, into the White House because we will be with him in his party. And so it is with our Heavenly Father. We have been given access to the very presence of God because of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us never take that for granted. Because you see, we were strangers. We were excluded. We were far off. There was a time when our ancestors stood to the side of
the temple. in the court of the Gentiles, with a sign that said, you may go no further without suffering death. But now, we who are Gentiles, along with those who are Jews, who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, have access. We both. Verse 14, it says, we both have been made one. In verse 16, it says, we both, have been reconciled to God. And now it says we both have access. A 2 ,000 -year -old distinction that began with Abraham ended at the cross of the Lord Jesus
Christ. I want you to notice in verse 18 that each person of the Trinity has a role in the prayer life of the Christian. In the first place it says that this access is through him. whether you're Jew or Gentiles, through Christ, who is the mediator. He opened the way. His cross, his sacrifice, is the basis for it. And then it says we both have our access in one spirit, the Holy Spirit, who regenerated us and united us to one another and to Christ. The Holy Spirit who empowers
us. who enlightens and teaches us, and who intercedes in our behalf, Romans 8 .26. That same Holy Spirit is in Jew and Gentile who believe in Christ, and he it is who energizes our prayer life. He is the one who helps us in our praying to God. And then notice it says that our access is to the Father. Here we have brought to our attention again the general rule regarding prayer. It is not wrong or sinful, as far as I can see in the
Bible, to pray to the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't find any restriction against praying to the Holy Spirit. But generally speaking, prayer is to be addressed to the Father. When Jesus taught us to pray, he said, pray this way, our Father who art in heaven. Prayer is to be addressed to the Father. We can come to him and call him Father, just like a Jew, one who was formerly a Jew can, because we now have a new identity.
What is true of you now? It is this, that you are a part of the new humanity, the new creation of God. You are part of the new man that he speaks about in verse 15. That's the church of Jesus Christ. The church did not exist before this in the Old Testament. It is something new. Not new in time. Indeed, it's 2 ,000 years old as we measure time. But it's new in quality. It's something new that was not here before this.
The church is a new thing, a new group, a new man, a new entity, a new humanity that God is calling out in this age. And how does he call people out? Through the proclamation of this gospel. Notice in verse 17 it says, And he came, Christ came, he there refers to Christ, he came and preached peace to you. who were far away, Gentiles, and peace to those who were near the Jews. Now when did the Lord Jesus Christ ever go to Ephesus? Paul says he came and preached
to Gentiles and Jews. When? It's when Paul arrived in Ephesus. For the Lord Jesus Christ was preaching through Paul this message. Just as the Lord Jesus Christ proclaims this message through you in that office, in that school classroom, around the dinner table, wherever you are, it is he who is proclaiming this peace both to Jew and to Gentile. We as a church need to be doing that. There's one concern I have about our missions budget is that we are very, very light. in missions
to the Jews. We are not doing a very effective job reaching the Jews here in the Twin Cities, for that matter. There may not be a lot of them that live around here. But those that we know about, we need to be seeking to reach with the gospel. There are pockets of them, large pockets in the Twin Cities. I think we need to be designating some funds in the future toward Jewish missions. Because the gospel is to be preached to the Jews as well as to the Gentiles. Let's seek to win
them. The Lord Jesus Christ is the tie that binds us together. He has made peace between Jew and Gentile and between God and both Jew and Gentile. As God looks at the world today, he basically sees three groups of people. According to 1 Corinthians 10 .32. He sees those who are Jews according to the flesh. He sees those who are Gentiles according to the flesh. And he sees the church of God according to the spirit. Being called out of Jew and Gentile to be something new. Where
do you fit into that, by the way? Are you a Jew? Are you a Gentile or are you a part of the church through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Sin is the great separator, but Christ is the great reconciler. You know, that's true in marriages. It is sin that separates a husband and wife. I mean, you counsel, you investigate it. Down there somewhere is sin, if not in action, at least in attitude. Sin is the separator. Christ
is the reconciler. He is able to bring peace in troubled marriages if sin is dealt with humbly. He's able to bring peace between parents and children. What is the separator? It is sin. If not in action, in attitude, but the Lord Jesus Christ is able to reconcile that. He's able to bring peace into that home. He is the one who can bring peace in a church that is troubled. An interesting question is, if he is our peace, And if he has made peace, why is there so much
warfare in churches? Have you ever wondered about that? I thank God for the very little bit of it that we've experienced here in these six years. But why is there so much warfare in churches if he is our peace? Well, it's because of sin. Sin is the separator. There's no place in the church for dividing up of groups, for choosing sides. There's no place for becoming divisive because Christ, our Lord, has died that he might make peace in this new man, the church. Sin is
the great separator. Christ is the reconciler. wherever there may be separation in your life today, will you give that area to the Lord? Will you allow him to bring reconciliation in those broken relationships? Those walls that you have put up between yourself and others, will you allow him to abolish them and bring you together? That's what he wants to do. Let's pray.