Sermon #12 by A.T. Jones
Ephesians 2:13-18:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity....for to make
in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.
That is He did it to make peace. Peace is made and only by this means. And it is all "in himself." And He made this peace, "that he might reconcile both [Jew and Gentile] unto God in one body by the cross, "having slain the enmity thereby." The text says "thereby." The margin says, "having slain the enmity in himself"; the German says, "having put to death the enmity through himself"; "and came and preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father."
I would mention again, as I did last night briefly, that it is the separation, the enmity, that existed between Jew and Gentile that is considered here. It is true that the destruction of that separation and enmity is considered, the taking away of it is studied and explained, and also the means by which it is taken away and the destroying of it is told. But as we mentioned last night, Christ did not spend any time trying to get the Jew and the Gentile, as of themselves, reconciled among themselves. He did not begin by trying to get them to agree to put away their differences, turn over a new leaf and try to do better, and forget the past and let bygones be bygones. He did not spend two minutes on that, and if he had spent ten thousand years, it would have done no good, because this separation, this enmity, that was between them was only the consequence, the fruit, of the enmity that existed between them and God.
Therefore, in order effectually to destroy the whole evil tree and its fruit as it stood between these, He destroyed the root of the whole thing by abolishing the enmity between them and God.
And having done so "he came and announced the glad tidings--peace to you who were afar off and to those near." Greek.
Thirteenth verse: Therefore, "Now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace who hath made both one." It is true that he made both Jew and Gentile one, but he first made another one, in order that these two, "both Jew and Gentile," might be one and before they could be made one. Therefore the "both" in this verse, that are made one, are not the "both" of verse 18
In verse 13 the two, the "both" are God and man, who is separated from God whether he be near or far off.
Therefore, first, he is our peace who hath made both God and man one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between God and man, having abolished in his flesh the enmity; that is, the enmity which is in man against God, which is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
This He did in order that He in Himself of two should make one new man, so making peace.
The new man is not made of two men who are at outs, but is made of God and the man.
In the beginning man was made "in the image of God." And that signifies a good deal more than the shape of God. One looking upon him would be caused to think of God. He reflected the image of God; God was suggested to whoever looked upon the man. God and the man were one. And God and the man would have always remained one too, had not the man hearkened to Satan and received his mind which is enmity against God.
This mind that is enmity against God, when received by the man, separated him from God.
Now they were two and not one. And being separated from God and in sin, God cannot come to him Himself, for the man cannot bear the unveiled glory of His presence. "Our God is a consuming fire" to sin, and so for God to meet a man in that man's self or alone would be only to consume him.
Men in sin cannot meet God alone and exist.
This is shown in Rev. 6:13-17.
Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The great day when the heaven departs as a scroll when it is rolled together and the face of God is seen by all the wicked ones upon the earth, then "the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" A man who is in sin, a man in and of himself, meeting God, would rather have a mountain upon him than to be where the unveiled glory of God would shine upon him.
Therefore, in order that God might reach man and be joined to him once more; in order that God might be revealed to man once more, and that man might be once more in the place which God made him for, Jesus gave Himself, and God appeared in Him with His glory so veiled by human flesh that man, sinful man, can look upon Him and live.
In Christ man can meet God and live, because in Christ the glory of God is so veiled, so modified, that sinful man is not consumed.
All of God is in Christ, for "in him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily."
When Jesus came to bring man once more to God, He veiled this bright consuming glory so that now men can look upon God as He is in all His glory in Jesus Christ and live. Whereas, out of Christ, in Himself, alone, no man can see God and live.
In Christ, out of Himself, no man can see God and not live. In Christ, to see God is to live, for in Him is life and the life is the light of men.
THUS GOD AND MAN, BY THE ENMITY, WERE SEPARATE, BUT CHRIST COMES BETWEEN AND IN HIM THE MAN AND GOD MEET, AND WHEN GOD AND THE MAN MEET IN CHRIST, THEN THOSE TWO--"BOTH"--ARE ONE, AND THERE IS THE NEW MAN.
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My interjection- (7/2020)
Satan came between God and man, separating them.
Man could no longer meet with God, God's glory would kill man.
Jesus came and standing between God and Man, Jesus could reunite the two and man could live once more with God because man becomes a new creature. Man becomes a creature with Jesus living in Him and this alone allows man to stand before God- a new creature, a new man.
No man can live in the sight of God without Christ in him, making him a new man, a new creature.
All those without Christ can't help but perish instantly in the sight of God, they are still Satan ruled, Satan controlled, only Christ can do away with Satan inside man. If Satan remains in a man, that man cannot live in the sight of God.
Col_1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
******* (More tomorrow by the grace of God- Such wonderful love for us! May we truly accept Christ as our redeemer, may He truly live in us, our hope, our glory now and forever!)
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