Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Ephesians 2:19 – 22

Paul probably has Gentile readers in mind.  He assures them that they are fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  I am not sure which group was more surprised, the Jews who always considered they are the “called of God” or the Gentile believers who had no roots at all in the Jewish covenant.  Each group wondered at the newness and glory of this truth, and both realized that in Christ all had to give up something because they were led by the Lord to love people that centuries of prejudice kept them apart.

The new community of faith that included Jews and Gentiles is a new family.  That is as intimate as any relationship. Jews and Gentiles together, is it possible?  What seems impossible is actually a new reality, made possible by the work and presence of Jesus Christ who is the cornerstone of the new building, the church.

The foundation of this new thing on the earth is built on the apostles and prophets, all of them.  Now, behold, Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  The new thing is possible because of Jesus Christ who was himself a Jew, but the savior of Gentiles as well, equally called.

Friends, do you, as I, stand in awe of all this?  God led me, Anna Ruth, and family to experience this as members of the churches in East Africa who were newcomers to the church of Jesus Christ.  Our unity with all believers is possible because of the atoning ministry of Jesus Christ.   Moses is important, Socrates is important as are a host of others who lived to some degree with God.  But the important one is none other than Jesus Christ.

I cling to him, others cling to him, we are in his new body.  Hold tight!

He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Ephesians 2:14 – 18

Jesus is our peace because he destroyed the barrier of hostility between the believers in both groups, Jews and Gentiles, by “setting aside” the laws and regulations that divide them.   I note that the Bible does not say that he abolished the laws and regulations that people hold but now, in Christ, their effect is not divisive.

In any case Paul could declare with all his heart, (God’s) purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  We cannot make peace no matter how hard we try.  The peace Paul is describing is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, through the work they did and do.  It is marvelous beyond words, made possible by the cross of Jesus.  That killed the hostility that exists between us.   He put to death the hostility.

What happened on that cross changed everything!! The Bible says that on the Cross Jesus put to death the hostility that divided them.  And he put it in the hearts of all believers to kill the hostility that divides all people.

Then, friend, Paul pens the mighty truth, now through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.  Can it get any better than that?  Each rushes to the Father in whom they meet one another, now a new creation on the earth!

I stand in awe.  Amen and amen.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.

Ephesians 2:14

From time immemorial, we humans have sought permanent peace but it has eluded us.  As we pick up history books we are reminded of the tale of woe – innumerable battlefield deaths, and rancor that irritates the soul.  Our story is punctuated with bouts of killing one another.  Is this to be endlessly repeated, year after year, decade after decade, millennia after millennia?  Human history is dominated by one story – conquer or be conquered.

To our weary ears come these startling, unexpected words, For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. Who would have thought that this is the only way of peace? If this is true it is an entirely new way to understand who we are and the history we seem to repeat.  Peace has nothing to do with armies, navies, war chariots or superior swords.  None of these ways result in peace that Paul is talking about.

No, there is only one possible solution – for a person to be “our peace.”  A person who can and does destroy the barriers that divide mankind.

Who can break down the barriers that we have carefully and painstakingly erected to keep people apart?   We hear a sure word from heaven, “He himself is our peace.”  This sounds so preposterous that it is hard to believe, very hard, indeed.  This is God’s way, not man’s way.  That is why it is so difficult.

The voice of God himself is heard – Jesus has made the two groups one and has destroyed he barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.

The answer is Jesus!  Let’s digest this for a day or so, really try!

Almost every Friday our children come to our house for lunch – a fine time to get caught up.  Here they are, in order of birth left to right – Jane, David, Alan, Paul.  We consider this a rare privilege and it does give us an opportunity to find out what is happening in all our lives.  We are blessed beyond words.

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:11 – 13

Paul is a Jew, from a very religious background, set apart by circumcision and by being born Jewish.  He reminds the Gentile believers of this.  He inherited, so speak, all the privileges and responsibilities of being a Jew, chosen by God.  So, how are people from the two groups going to live together as a loving family of God?  Should the Jews just ignore God’s hand on their culture?  Would it not be a good idea to have two churches, one for Jews, another for Gentiles?

The answer is profoundly simple, now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  Paul refers to Jews as near to God in contrast to the Gentiles who were “far away.”  Having made that point, Paul then discarded the distinction as without merit.  The atoning work of Jesus Christ saves Jews and it saves Gentiles, alike.  There is no difference at all.  Whether close or far away, the new and startling fact was that Jesus shed his blood to atone for the sins of both.

This is the basis on the new creation, the new family of God on the earth – Jesus’ sacrificial death that dealt with sin of all kinds, Jewish or Gentile.  One blood cleansed, one life invaded both!  That is called the Kingdom of God, made possible by Jesus.  It includes Jewish and Gentile lovers of God.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:8 – 10

This is wonderful, releasing good news for all religions, all persons, in fact, who are depending on their good works to win God’s saving favor.  It is not easy to obey jot and title of all the commands of God.  All who try fail.

So where does our salvation come from, if not from our good works?  That is the point Paul is making, salvation is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  This hits the nail on the head!  We human beings hope to win God’s favor by our obedience to what we think would please God.  Our obedience is, so to speak, our gift to God!  So we work hard to hopefully please God.

Our obedience can never save us, salvation is God’s gift to us, not our gift to Him!  If that is true, and it surely is, then salvation is a free gift, offered by God to all people who believe in Jesus Christ – in all he has done, and is doing and will do!

God made us.  We did not make Him.

God created us in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.  So, there it is.  All who are in Christ Jesus do works that please the Father.

We all come to Jesus the same way, through Christ Jesus, no matter what our culture, education, status or anything else.  All is God.  May we inherit this treasure so freely given.  Let us push on to love God and all who love Him, forever.

Our first tiger lilies bring delight.  These hardy fellows remind us of the importance of showing up every year, right on time, to bless us.