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SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 20

TITLE: PEACE WITH GOD AND ITS PRIVILEGES

TEXT: EPHESIANS 2:17-19

INTRODUCTION: (1) PEOPLE GETTING ALONG IN OUR WORLD IS A REAL PROBLEM.

* AS A RESULT, WAR AND MURDER ARE A SCOURGE TO MANKIND, RESULTING IN STAGGERING AMOUNTS OF PEOPLE THAT DIE AS A RESULT OF THESE THINGS.

** FOR EXAMPLE, MATTHEW WHITE IN HIS BOOK TITLED AN “HISTORICAL ATLAS OF THE 20TH CENTURY” PUBLISHED IN 2001 GIVES THESE STAGGERING STATISTICS FROM THE 20TH CENTURY IN DEATHS BY WAR AND OPPRESSION:

*** GENOCIDE AND TYRANNY: 83,000,000

**** MILITARY DEATHS IN WAR: 42,000,000

(2) CIVILIAN DEATHS IN WAR: 19,000,000

* MAN MADE FAMINE (AS A RESULT OF WAR): 44,000,000

** TOTAL: 188,000,000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN THE 20TH CENTURY AS A RESULT OF WAR AND OPPRESSION ACCORDING TO MATTHEW WHITE.

*** NOW LET’S SAY HE’S OFF BY 50%, IT WILL STILL LEAVE US 94 MILLION DEATHS.

**** AND THAT IS A STAGGERING FIGURE THAT MANKIND HAS SOME MAJOR PROBLEMS GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER.

(3) NOW THE REASON THAT PEOPLE CANNOT GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER ULTIMATELY GOES BACK TO A 3 LETTER WORD – SIN.

* FOR YOU SEE MANKIND’S ACTIONS ARE A PROJECTION OF HEARTS THAT ARE SINFUL AND WICKED, READ JEREMIAH 17:9.

** NOW BECAUSE OF WICKED HEARTS, WE DON’T HAVE PEACE IN OUR WORLD BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE PEACE WITHIN OURSELVES AND ARE AT WAR WITH OUR CREATOR.

*** THERE IS A CLEAR LACK OF PEACE FROM WITHIN AND WITHOUT, FROM WICKEDNESS. ISAIAH 57:20&21 SAYS: (READ THEM).

**** SO THERE IS NO PEACE TO THE WICKED, BUILT INTO WICKEDNESS AND SIN IS THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF PEACE.

(4) FOR LOGICALLY WHERE THERE IS SIN, THERE IS DISCORD.

* WHY? BECAUSE SIN IS BASICALLY SELFISHNESS AND WHERE THERE IS SELFISHNESS THERE CAN NEVER BE HARMONY.

** HARMONY CAN’T EXIST WHERE EVERYBODY IS ONLY LOOKING OUT FOR THEMSELVES.

*** SO, MAN IS SELFISH BECAUSE HE IS A SINNER. AND BECAUSE HE’S SELFISH, HE’LL NEVER KNOW PEACE.

**** NOW FOR PEACE TO OCCUR, SELF MUST DIE. AND THE ONLY PLACE THIS OCCURS IS AT THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST.

(5) FOR YOU SEE ON THE CROSS, JESUS DIED FOR SINNERS.

* AND WHEN A PERSON EMBRACES JESUS CHRIST IN REPENTANT FAITH, THE SINLESS SON OF GOD WHO MADE PERFECT SATISFACTION FOR SIN ON HIS CROSS MAKES THAT PERSON ETERNALLY AT PEACE WITH GOD.

** IN FACT, CHRIST NOT ONLY BRINGS PEACE TO THE BELIEVER, BUT “HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE” IN EPHESIANS 2:14.

*** AND ALTHOUGH THE PEACE OF WHICH PAUL IS SPEAKING IN THIS PASSAGE IS THE OBJECTIVE PEACE OF BEING RECONCILED TO GOD, AWARENESS OF THAT OBJECTIVE TRUTH GIVES THE BELIEVER A DEEP AND WONDERFUL SUBJECTIVE PEACE AS WELL, AND LEADS US TO HAVE PEACE WITH OTHERS, CONTEXTUALLY GENTILES WITH JEWS WHO DID NOT GET ALONG IN THAT DAY.

**** NOW LET ME GO BACK TO THIS TRUTH, THE THING THAT SEPARATES US FROM ONE ANOTHER AND FROM GOD IS OUR SIN AND SELFISHNESS.

(6) SO, WHEN SIN IS REMOVED, WE CAN BE ONE WITH EACH OTHER AND ONE WITH GOD.

* AND THAT’S THE BASIC THEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLE PAUL IS DISCUSSING HERE IN EPHESIANS 2:11-22.

** AND THE BIBLICAL WORD FOR THIS CONCEPT IS RECONCILIATION.

*** AND IN RECONCILIATION, THE SINNER STANDS BEFORE GOD AS AN ENEMY AND BECOMES A FRIEND, THE WAR COMES TO AN END, AS PEACE WITH GOD IS MADE.

**** RECONCILIATION DEALS WITH OUR CONDITION, ENEMIES THAT BECOME GOD’S FRIENDS AND EXPERIENCE HIS FELLOWSHIP.

(7) RECONCILIATION COMMUNICATES THE IDEA OF TURNING FROM HOSTILITY TO FRIENDSHIP, FROM WAR TO PEACE, FROM DISCORD TO HARMONY.

* AND AS WE ARE RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST, AS WE ARE BROUGHT TO GOD, WE ARE BROUGHT TO EACH OTHER.

** AND THE RESULT OF THAT RECONCILIATION IS PEACE WITH GOD WHICH LEADS US TO HAVE THE CAPACITY, THE ABILITY, THE ENABLEMENT TO BE AT PEACE WITH EACH OTHER.

*** SO IN CHRIST WE ARE RECONCILED TO GOD, WHICH IS THE STARTING BLOCK, THE FOUNDATION, OUR GREATEST NEED, READ ROMANS 5:1.

**** SO THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST WE ARE RECONCILED TO GOD AND MAKE PEACE WITH GOD.

(8) AND IN OUR PASSAGE TODAY, WE WILL SEE THAT PEACE WITH GOD LEADS TO PRIVILEGES.

* BECAUSE OF THAT I’VE TITLED OUR MESSAGE TODAY, “PEACE WITH GOD AND ITS PRIVILEGES.”

** AND UNDER THAT THEME WE’LL LOOK AT 3 THINGS: NO. 1 THE PROCLAMATION OF PEACE BY CHRIST, V. 17; NO. 2 THE PRIVILEGE OF THAT PEACE, V. 18; AND NO. 3 THE PICTURES THAT PAUL PAINTS THAT ARE RESULTS OF THAT PEACE, V. 19.

*** SO WE’LL LOOK AT THE PROCLAMATION, THE PRIVILEGE AND THE PICTURES UNDER THE THEME OF PEACE WITH GOD AND ITS PRIVILEGES.

**** AND WITH THOSE TRUTHS IN MIND, LET’S LOOK AT OUR FIRST ONE TODAY, THE PROCLAMATION. LOOK AT EPHESIANS 2:17 PLEASE.

I. THE PROCLAMATION, (READ V. 17)

A. NOW THE PROGRESSION IN THIS CONTEXT IS BEAUTIFUL. VERSE 14 TELLS US THAT CHRIST IS PEACE, VERSE 15 TELLS US THAT CHRIST MADE PEACE, AND NOW VERSE 17 TELLS US THAT CHRIST PREACHED OR PROCLAIMED PEACE.

* AND THE GREEK WORD FOR PREACHED HERE IS YOO-ANG-ID-ZO WHICH LIT. MEANS TO BRING OR ANNOUNCE GOOD NEWS.

** AND IS ALMOST ALWAYS USED IN THE N.T. OF PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL, THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

*** NOW FROM THAT WORD AND RELATED GREEK TERMS WE GET SUCH ENGLISH WORDS AS EVANGELIZE, EVANGELIST AND EVANGELICAL.

**** THEREFORE, THE PHRASE IN OUR TEXT MIGHT BE RENDERED OR TRANSLATED, “HE CAME AND GOSPELIZED OR EVANGELIZED PEACE.”

1. JESUS GOSPELIZED PEACE. HE CAME AND THE VERB CAME IS IN THE AORIST TENSE AND THE MOOD IS A PARTICIPLE WHICH MEANS IT’S LIKE A VERBAL NOUN.

* SO WE COULD SAY, “HAVING COME IN HIS FIRST ADVENT JESUS GOSPELIZED OR EVANGELIZED PEACE.”

** IN OTHER WORDS HAVING COME IN TO THIS WORLD AS THE GOD MAN IN HIS INCARNATION, HIS PURPOSE WAS TO PREACH PEACE, PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH WHAT HE WOULD DO IN HIS SACRIFICIAL DEATH.

*** SO HIS PURPOSE IN COMING, HIS LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION WAS TO MAKE JEWS AND GENTILES TO BE AT PEACE WITH GOD.

**** FOR THOSE WHO WERE FAR AWAY AS THE GENTILES, THOSE WHO WERE NATURALLY FAR AWAY FROM GOD THROUGH THEIR BACKGROUNDS OF RELIGIOUS IDOLATRY.

2. AND PROCLAIMING PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR SPEAKS OF THE JEWS WHO THROUGH THE MANY PRIVILEGES AND PROMISES THEY RECEIVED WERE NEARER TO GOD IN THAT RESPECT, BUT STILL NEEDED TO BE RECONCILED.

* SO WHY DID JESUS COME, TO GOSPELIZE, TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD, BUT NOT ONLY TO PROCLAIM IT, BUT IN THE PLAN OF GOD TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS? READ LUKE 19:10 AND MATTHEW 1:21 AND MATTHEW 18:11.

** AND I ONLY BRING THAT UP NOT TO HAMMER THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE BUT TO SHOW YOU THAT THE PLAN OF GOD IS NOT A POTENTIAL OR A POSSIBILITY, BUT THE DESIRE AND PURPOSE OF GOD AND THAT PURPOSE WILL NOT BE FRUSTRATED BUT FULFILLED.

*** NOW GETTING BACK TO THE TRUTH OF CHRIST PROCLAIMING PEACE, I WANT YOU TO SEE CLEARLY THAT THIS IS HIS MESSAGE AND THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTIANITY.

**** IN LUKE 2:14, AT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, ANGELS APPEARED IN THE SKY AND SAID “GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND ON EARTH PEACE AMONG MEN WITH WHOM HE IS PLEASED.”

4. IN LUKE 10:5, WHERE JESUS SENT THE 70 OUT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL HE SAID TO THEM, “AND INTO WHATEVER HOUSE YE ENTER, FIRST SAY, PEACE BE TO THIS HOUSE.”

* AND THAT WAS ALWAYS THE MESSAGE GOD WAS OFFERING IN CHRIST – PEACE WITH HIM AND PEACE WITH MEN.

** IN JOHN 14:27, ON THE LAST NIGHT JESUS SPENT WITH HIS DISCIPLES BEFORE HIS DEATH HE SAID TO THEM, “PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU, MY PEACE I GIVE UNTO YOU; NOT AS THE WORLD GIVETH, GIVE I UNTO YOU. LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED, NEITHER LET IT BE AFRAID.”

*** IN JOHN 16:33, AGAIN JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, “THESE THINGS I HAVE SPOKEN UNTO YOU, THAT IN ME YOU MIGHT HAVE PEACE, IN THE WORLD YOU SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION, BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.”

**** THEN IN ACTS 10:36B, BECAUSE OF CHRIST’S MESSAGE OF PEACE IT IS NO WONDER THAT THE EARLY CHURCH WAS “PREACHING PEACE BY JESUS CHRIST.” SO PEACE WITH THEIR MESSAGE.

5. IN ROMANS 15:13A, THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID “NOW THE GOD OF HOPE FILL YOU WITH ALL JOY AND PEACE.”

* IN I CORINTHIANS 14:33 IT SAYS: (READ IT).

** AND THEN IN HEBREWS 13:20&21A, IT SAYS: “NOW THE GOD OF PEACE, THAT BROUGHT AGAIN FROM THE DEAD OUR LORD JESUS, THE GREAT SHEPHERD OF THY SHEEP, THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE EVERLASTING COVENANT, EVEN JESUS OUR LORD, EQUIP YOU IN EVERY GOOD WORK TO DO HIS WILL.”

*** NOW THOSE SCRIPTURES ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF MANY THAT AT CHRIST’S BIRTH THE GOOD NEWS WAS PEACE, IN HIS LIFE HIS MESSAGE IS PEACE AND AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, WE PREACH PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH THE PRINCE OF PEACE JESUS CHRIST.

**** AND PEACE WITH GOD LEADS TO A GREAT PRIVILEGE, ACCESS TO GOD. LOOK AT V. 18 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR 2’D POINT TODAY, THE PRIVILEGE.

II. THE PRIVILEGE, (READ V. 18)

A. NOW A PRIVILEGE, A RESULT OF RECONCILIATION IS NOT ONLY PEACE WITH GOD, BUT ACCESS TO GOD THROUGH THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, BY OUR SPIRIT, THE HOLY SPIRIT.

* AND THE ENTIRE TRINITY IS TALKED ABOUT IN V. 18, THE GODHEAD, THE TRUTH OF ONE GOD IN 3 PERSONS, THE 3 IN 1, THE ONE WHO IS THREE.

** FOR THE PHRASE “THROUGH HIM” IS MAKING REFERENCE TO CHRIST, ON ACCOUNT OF CHRIST, BY THE MEANS OF WHAT JESUS DID, WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE FATHER, IN OR BY THE MEANS OF THAT ONE SPIRIT, THE HOLY SPIRIT, THAT WE HAVE ACCESS.

*** SO THE GODHEAD IS INVOLVED IN THIS PRIVILEGE.

**** NOW SPECIFICALLY THE PRIVILEGE WE HAVE AS BELIEVERS IS ACCESS TO THE FATHER.

1. AND THIS PARTICULAR GREEK WORD TRANSLATED ACCESS IS USED ONLY 3 TIMES IN THE N.T.

* HERE IN V. 18, IN EPHESIANS 3:12 WHERE IT SAYS: “IN WHOM WE HAVE BOLDNESS AND CONFIDENT ACCESS THROUGH FAITH IN HIM.”

** AND THEN IT IS USED IN ROMANS 5:1&2 WHERE IT SAYS: (READ V. 1)

V. 2 – “THROUGH WHOM ALSO WE HAVE ACCESS BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE IN WHICH WE STAND, AND REJOICE IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD.”

*** NOW UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION THAT EACH OF THESE 3 VERSES HAVE, THEY ALL SPEAK IN EACH CASE TO THE BELIEVER’S ACCESS TO GOD.

2. LET ME ILLUSTRATE: IN ANCIENT TIMES A RELATED WORD WAS USED TO DESCRIBE THE COURT OFFICIAL WHO INTRODUCED PERSONS TO THE KING.

* THIS PERSON GAVE ACCESS TO THE KING, THE MONARCH. THE IDEA IS THAT OF INTRODUCTION TO THE PRESENCE-CHAMBER OF A KING.

** THEY NEEDED AN INTRODUCER TO COME INTO THE PRESENCE OF A MONARCH.

*** AND THE IDEA IS, NOT OF POSSESSING ACCESS TO THIS ROYAL PERSON IN OUR OWN RIGHT, BUT OF BEING GRANTED THE RIGHT.

**** AND BELOVED, POSITIONALLY AND PRACTICALLY WE DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT ON OUR OWN TO APPROACH THE KING AND CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE.

3. OUR SIN HAS SEPARATED US FROM HIM, WE DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO COME INTO HIS PRESENCE.

* SO WE NEED ONE WHO WILL INTRODUCE US AND GIVE US ACCESS TO GOD THE FATHER, AND IT ONLY COMES THROUGH GOD THE SON, WE NEED AN ADVOCATE, A GREAT HIGH PRIEST, A MEDIATOR, ONE WHO IS THE DOOR, READ HEBREWS 4:15&16 AND JOHN 10:9.

** AND BELOVED JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY IN. THERE AREN’T MANY WAYS. IN FACT UNDERSTAND THIS, IN JOHN 10 WHICH I’VE JUST QUOTED FROM, JESUS REFERS TO HIMSELF AS THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND THE DOOR.

*** NOW SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT JESUS WAS MIXING HIS METAPHORS, BUT THAT’S NOT THE CASE.

**** FOR IN THOSE DAYS A PALESTINIAN SHEPHERD BROUGHT HIS SHEEP INTO THE PEN AT NIGHT OR ERECTED A TEMPORARY FENCE OF STONES, WOOD OR MUD IF HE WAS AWAY FROM HOME.

4. NOW AFTER HE PUT THE SHEEP INSIDE THE PEN, COUNTED THEM CAREFULLY AND PUT OIL ON THEIR WOUNDS FROM BRIARS OR SHARP ROCKS, THE SHEPHERD WOULD LIE DOWN ACROSS THE OPEN SPACE.

* HE LIT. WAS THE DOOR, THE ONLY WAY IN.

** WELL, JESUS CHRIST IS OUR DOOR AND IT IS OVER HIS PROSTRATE BODY GIVEN IN DEATH THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE FATHER, HE IS OUR INTRODUCER, THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE, THE ENTRANCE WAY.

*** SO THE ONLY ACCESS INTO GOD’S PRESENCE, THE ONLY DOOR INTO THE SHEEPFOLD OF HIS KINGDOM IS THROUGH HIS SON.

**** AND IT IS A WONDERFUL AND GLORIOUS ACCESS. WE NOW CAN COME AND CRY ABBA FATHER, DADDY, PAPA TO THE CREATOR AND SUSTAINER OF THE UNIVERSE, ROMANS 8:15.

- AND WE, BOTH JEW AND GENTILE, HAVE THIS PRIVILEGE.

5. WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE FATHER THROUGH THE SON AND BY THE HOLY SPIRIT ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE. AND THERE ARE NO PLACES WHERE WE GET CUT OFF BECAUSE THE SIGNAL IS CUT OFF AND WE HAVE TO SAY “CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?”

* WE HAVE CONTINUAL CLEAR BETTER THAN DIGITAL ACCESS, WHAT A PRIVILEGE AS A RESULT OF RECONCILIATION. I CAN HAVE AN AUDIENCE WITH THE KING ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE.

** AND BOY CAN THAT TRUTH BE DEVELOPED, BUT YOU GET THE POINT OF THE PRIVILEGE, WHICH LEADS US TO OUR LAST TRUTH TODAY, THE PICTURES, LOOK AT V. 19 PLEASE.

III. THE PICTURES, (READ V. 19)

A. NOW THERE ARE TWO PICTURES THAT ARE PAINTED THAT ILLUSTRATE OTHER RESULTS, OTHER PRIVILEGES THAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST ONCE WE’VE BEEN RECONCILED TO HIM.

* NOW LET ME TRY TO QUICKLY UNPACK THIS VERSE. THE FIRST TWO WORDS OF V. 19, SO THEN, OR CONSEQUENTLY IN THE NIV, OR “NOW THEREFORE” IN THE KJV OR NKJV, POINT TO PAUL’S DRAWING A CONCLUSION FROM THE TRUTHS HE’S JUST COMMUNICATING.

** PAUL IS DOING HIS WRAP UP, A CLOSING SUMMARY. HE IS CLOSING HIS DISCUSSION OR THE TRUTHS OF RECONCILIATION AND THE MARVELOUS UNITY OF THE BODY OF CHRIST BY GIVING TWO METAPHORS IN V. 19 TO ILLUSTRATE, HE’LL ADD A THIRD IN VV. 20-22 WHICH WE’LL TALK ABOUT LORD WILLING NEXT SUNDAY.

*** BUT THE TWO METAPHORS HE USED IN V. 19 IS THAT OF BEING “FELLOW-CITIZENS” AND “GOD’S HOUSEHOLD”.

**** NOW BEFORE HE PAINTS THESE PICTURES, HE REMINDS THEM OF THEIR FORMER POSITION AS UNBELIEVERS, AND HE COULD BE TALKING TO GENTILE BELIEVERS SPECIFICALLY.

1. BUT IF THAT IS NOT THE CASE WE DO KNOW THAT THE UNITY OF THE JEW AND GENTILE WILL BE ILLUSTRATED IN THE PICTURES, IN THE METAPHORS AS A NEW MAN, A NEW RELATIONSHIP, A NEW FAMILY.

* AND BEFORE CHRIST, MOST LIKELY SPEAKING OF GENTILES, WERE STRANGERS AND ALIENS.

** THEY WERE FOREIGNERS, OUTCASTS, NOT CITIZENS OF HEAVEN, PEOPLE WHOM HAD AN OUTSIDE STATUS, MOST LIKELY THE GENTILES AGAIN.

*** BUT PAUL REMINDS THEM, YOU NO LONGER ARE STRANGERS AND ALIENS, BUT YOU ARE FELLOW-CITIZENS.

**** AND ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST BECOME FELLOW-CITIZENS WITH ALL THE SAINTS, WITH ALL BELIEVERS FROM EVERY AGE, MADE HOLY IN CHRIST, THE WORD SAINTS MEANING HOLY ONES.

2. AND EVERY BELIEVER HAS BEEN MADE HOLY IN CHRIST, AND IS POSITIONALLY A HOLY ONE, A SAINT.

* BELOVED, GENTILE BELIEVERS ARE NEITHER HOMELESS NOR SECOND CLASS CITIZENS IN SOMEONE ELSE'S HOMELAND.

** INSTEAD THEY HAVE BECOME FELLOW-CITIZENS WITH THE SAINTS, CITIZENS OF GOD’S KINGDOM, READ PHIL. 3:20.

*** SO NOW WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN, OF GOD’S RULE, WE HAVE BEEN “SUPER-NATURALIZED” AND MADE CITIZENS OF GOD’S KINGDOM.

**** AND THIS IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND IN THE CONTEXT WE HAVE ALREADY STUDIED THAT JEW AND GENTILE ALIKE HAVE BECOME “ONE GROUP” IN V. 14, ONE “NEW MAN” IN V. 15 AND “ONE BODY” IN V. 16.

3. AND THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT GENTILES ARE INCORPORATED INTO ISRAEL, BUT THAT BELIEVING JEWS AND GENTILES ARE INCORPORATED INTO ONE NEW GROUP, THE CHURCH, A NEW HUMANITY, A THIRD RACE AS IT HAS BEEN CALLED.

* BELOVED, I DON’T BELIEVE THE CHURCH BECOMES ISRAEL, THEY ARE DISTINCT. PAUL SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT GENTILES ARE INCORPORATED WITH GOD’S PEOPLE, WITH THE SAINTS, AND AS WE’LL SEE, ARE GOD’S HOUSEHOLD, HE DID NOT USE THE WORD ISRAEL.

** THEY BECOME ONE IN ONE NEW MAN, IN ONE BODY, AS ONE GROUP IN THE CHURCH. AND IN MY UNDERSTANDING, IF PAUL MEANT THAT THE CHURCH BECAME ISRAEL HE WOULD HAVE NAMED BOTH GROUPS, AS HE DID IN V. 11, BUT HE DOESN’T.

*** IN FACT, HE’LL USE A SECOND METAPHOR TO TALK ABOUT THIS NEW GROUP THAT IS ONE, THAT THEY ARE GOD’S HOUSEHOLD.

**** WE ARE FAMILY IN CHRIST THROUGH HIS WORK OF RECONCILIATION IN BRINGING PEACE.

4. WE BECOME A PART OF THE FAMILY OF FAMILIES SO WE HAVE HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY MEMBERSHIP.

* AND THESE ARE NOT DISTINCT ROLES OR POSITIONS BUT SIMPLY DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE SAME REALITY, BECAUSE EVERY KINGDOM CITIZEN IS A FAMILY MEMBER AND EVERY FAMILY MEMBER IS A KINGDOM CITIZEN.

** NOW IN CHRIST JEW AND GENTILE IN THE CHURCH ARE FELLOW-CITIZENS AND FELLOW FAMILY MEMBERS.

*** AND IF YOU KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR TODAY, YOU HAVE BEEN RECONCILED, HAVE PEACE WITH GOD, HAVE ACCESS TO GOD, ARE FELLOW-CITIZENS OF GOD’S KINGDOM AND FELLOW FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE FAMILY OF GOD.

AND AS I WRAP UP AND APPLY OUR TEXT TODAY (1) I ASK A QUESTION, IF GOD ACCEPTS EVERY BELIEVER INTO HIS FAMILY, THEN HOW CAN WE NOT ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER?

* AND YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, BUT RAY, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I KNOW ABOUT BROTHER SO & SO OR SISTER SO & SO. (AND THAT MAY BE TRUE, I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW).

** BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT GOD KNOWS ABOUT HIM, AND HE KNOWS MORE THAN YOU AND HE STILL LOVES HIM OR HER.

*** IN FACT, HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT YOU AND HE STILL LOVES YOU.

**** SO WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER AND BE AT PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE WE ARE FELLOW-CITIZENS IN GOD’S KINGDOM AND FELLOW FAMILY MEMBERS.

(2) LISTEN, GOD’S LOVE FOR THOSE HE WILL SAVE HAD AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WORTHINESS OR WHAT WAS FORESEEN IN US.

* IT WAS TOTALLY BY GRACE AND THAT GRACE SHOULD BE A MOTIVATION FOR US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER, WE’RE CERTAINLY NOT WORTHY OF GOD’S LOVE, IT WAS AND IS UNCONDITIONAL.

** BELOVED PEACE WITH GOD SHOULD LEAD TO PEACE WITH EACH OTHER. AND WE NEED TO BE AMBASSADORS OF THAT PEACE IN A WORLD OF WAR AND HATRED.

*** WHAT A WAY TO BE A LIGHT FOR OUR PRINCE OF PEACE IN A DARK WORLD THAT CAN’T GET ALONG.

**** BUT ALSO, THE PEACE THAT A BELIEVER HAS, WHAT CHARLES HODGE CALLED, “THE SWEET QUIET OF THE SOUL”.

(3) THAT PEACE SHOULD NOT ONLY STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH BUT STRENGTHEN OUR SERVICE.

* FOR THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE ETERNALLY AT PEACE WITH GOD PREPARES US TO WAGE EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN CHRIST’S BEHALF AND IN HIS POWER.

** LET ME QUICKLY ILLUSTRATE.

*** WHEN ENGAGED IN BATTLE, A ROMAN SOLDIER IN PAUL’S DAY WORE BOOTS WITH SPIKES IN THE BOTTOM TO GIVE HIM A FIRM FOOTING WHILE FIGHTING.

**** WELL PAUL TALKS ABOUT THIS IN THE ARMOR OF GOD TEXT IN EPHESIANS 6:15 WHERE HE SAYS: (READ IT).

(4) NOW THAT MEANS WHEN CHRISTIANS, IN OUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE THAT WE ARE IN, HAVE THEIR FEET SHOD WITH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE, THEY HAVE CONFIDENCE TO STAND FIRMLY FOR CHRIST WITHOUT THE SPIRITUAL SLIPPING AND EMOTIONAL SLIDING THAT UNCERTAINTY ABOUT SALVATION INEVITABLY BRINGS, KNOWING GOD IS ON THEIR SIDE!

* AND THROUGH FAITH IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST, WE ARE ETERNALLY SECURE IN CHRIST, HAVE PEACE WITH GOD AND ASSURANCE OF OUR RECONCILIATION.

** AND MAY THAT TRUTH HELP US TO DIG AND FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH AND BE AT PEACE WITH OTHERS.

*** AND LASTLY, IF YOU HAVE COME IN TODAY, AND HAVE NOT MADE PEACE WITH GOD, I WOULD CALL YOU TO REPENTANT FAITH IN CHRIST TODAY, TO BE RECONCILED WITH GOD, SO THAT THE WAR BETWEEN YOU CAN END.

**** BECAUSE YOU CANNOT WIN THAT WAR, TURN TO THE ONE WHO IS PEACE, PREACHED PEACE AND MAKES PEACE WITH GOD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. (LET’S PRAY)