Ephesians 2:16-18
The New Man (Part 3)
Introduction
Our sermon title is called “The New Man” and it is part 3. Paul calls the Church “the New Man” in verse 15. This relates specifically to the unity of the members of the Church. We are all one in Christ. In our passage from verse 13-18 we are pointing out 5 truths concerning the New Man. We have seen 3 so far. In the New Man there is Peace, In the New Man we are Near to God, and in the New Man there is Unity. Today we will look at the remaining 2.
In the New Man We are Reconciled to God (v16)
One New Year's Eve at London's Garrick Club, British dramatist Frederick Lonsdale was asked by Symour Hicks to reconcile with a fellow member. The two had quarreled in the past and never restored their friendship. "You must," Hicks said to Lonsdale. "It is very unkind to be unfriendly at such a time. Go over now and wish him a happy New Year.
So Lonsdale crossed the room and spoke to his enemy. "I wish you a happy New Year," he said, "but only one."
Our 4th point about the New Man is that we are all Reconciled to God. Notice verse 16 with me, “and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross”.
Now the thoughts of Paul turn slightly. In verses 11-15 he spoke of the relationship of Jews and Gentiles with each other. Now, however, he speaks of their relationship together with God. Paul says they are both reconciled.
Reconciliation with God is truly one of if not the greatest themes found on the pages of the Bible. Reconciliation is cause for rejoicing. In Romans 5:11 it says, “…we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Chist, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” This truth ought to be the motivation of our hearts in singing praise to God. Furthermore, the over-arching purpose of the Apostle Paul’s ministry could be summed up with one word: reconciliation. In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul says, “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” Everything Paul said and did was to lead people to be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Is this the purpose we see in churches today? Is it the purpose at EFC? Is that the purpose in your life?
To be reconciled means that the hostility between us and God has been removed. More than that, it has been replaced with peace. God is now at peace with us. He was angry because of our sins, but, Christ has done away with our sins, and with our sins, God anger is done towards us too.
Let me point out several quick things from Ephesians 2:16 regarding reconciliation.
First, All men are reconciled to God only one way – through Christ. Paul says, “in this ONE body to reconcile them to God”. This means that the Jew is not reconciled one way while the Gentile is reconciled another. The Jew is not reconciled through the priesthood and animal sacrifices while the Gentile is reconciled by faith in Christ. This means that all men are reconciled to God in only one way – through faith in Jesus Christ.
All men have the same standing before God. Romans 3:10 says, “We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.” All are condemned for sin and all may be reconciled through Christ. There is no other way. God does not offer reconciliation through any other way than Jesus Christ.
Second, Reconciliation is made possible through the death of Jesus Christ. Paul says here, “through the cross.” Jesus died on the cross. He was crucified according to God’s plan in order to reconcile men to God. Colossians 1:22 says, “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
It is important to recognize here the importance of the physical body of Jesus Christ. Christ came in the flesh. He became a man. This is important because it is man whom He came to save. He became like us in the flesh, as a human being, in order to reconcile us to God. He was the perfect man and therefore, when He died on the cross He died in our place taking on our death and all so that He might reconcile us to God. He couldn’t die a man’s death unless He became a man. John the Apostle would in the later part of the century go to Ephesus. This issue of Christ coming in the body was one which John fought. He says in 1 John 4, “Every spirit that acknowledges that Christ came in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.”
Third, an application for us here is one regarding our outlook on one another. We must look at our brothers and sisters here as those who have been reconciled to God. That will elevate our opinions of one another. I would suggest that sometime today after lunch you take some time to think on various people in EFC and the fact that God has reconciled them to Himself. God saw fit to make peace with them. God saw fit to forgive their sins in Christ. Then I would say take a few minutes and pray for them and thank God that He has reconciled them to Himself. That would be a good exercise for your heart and the well-being of unity in our church.
In the New Man we are Reconciled to God.
In the New Man we have Equality(v. 17-18)
The fifth Truth of the New Man is found in verse 17. In the New Man we have Equality. Notice verses 17-18, “……….”
There is equality between Jew and Gentile before God. Now, equality is a much abused word in our culture so there are 2 points of equality I want to explain concerning this verse.
First of all, in verse 17, there is equality in the preaching of peace. In other words, the same message was and is equally preached to both Jew and Gentile alike. When Paul says “those who were far away” he is talking about Gentiles and when he says “those who were near” he is talking about Jews. Jesus preached one message to both. There are not 2 gospels – one for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. There is one gospel of peace as Paul calls it in 6:15.
The implication of this is huge, especially for Jews. It means that peace with God is not possible by following the Law anymore. The only way for a Jew’s sins to be forgiven and to have peace with God is through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s the same message to Gentiles. Peace with God is available through faith in Jesus Christ. There is equality in the preaching of the message.
Secondly, there is Equality in Access to God. Notice verse 18, “…”. What I want you to see here first is that in verse 17 Paul says God came to us, then in verse 18 he says we go to God. That’s how it works. God takes the initiative always. He moves toward us first. He sets out to pursue us with His peace.
God’s desire is for people to come to Him. Jesus says in John 7:37, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink.” Second Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give your rest.” God has made Himself accessible in Jesus Christ. His desire is that we would access Him, that we would approach Him. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence that we may receive mercy and receive grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:16). And again in Hebrews 10:22, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.”
Now also notice Paul mentions the Trinity: access to the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. What this means is that Jews and Gentiles had the same access to the Father together. God was no longer making the Gentiles stay back and bringing the Jews near. Now Jew and Gentile alike had access to Him.
I think it is important here to point out the emphasis Scripture makes on addressing the Father. Almost all of the NT passages dealing with prayer say we now have access to the Father. The goal of man is to be able to access the Father. It is not through the Father we have access to Christ, but, it is through Christ we have access to the Father.
Why is this important? Because we are God’s children, and by realizing it is the Father we now call on it emphasizes our standing now as children of God. Paul started the letter with in 1:5 by saying God adopted us and now we are His children. We are no longer children of wrath (2:3). Understanding our relationship now as His children is the primary way of relating to God now. God the Father has a Son, and, through that One and Only Son, He has made us to be sons and daughters as well.
And as such, all who call on Christ and put their faith in Him will be sealed with the Holy Spirit. Turn with me to Acts 15:5-11……..
-The receiving of the Holy Spirit was proof to the Jews that the Gentiles were received by God. The Jews received the Spirit in the early days when they were converted, and, now the Jews were learning that the same salvation was going out to Gentiles who had the same faith in the same Christ and received the same Spirit and were calling now on the same Father as the Jews. It was a pivotal moment in the early Church. Jews realized that now Gentiles were being brought in by God through faith in Christ. Ephesians 4:4-6 says, “………….”
Have you been brought in? Have you been given access to the Father? Have you received the same Holy Spirit as all the rest of those who have been saved since the Church began? You can, if you have not. But, you have you put your faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Your sins will be forgiven and you will be brought near to God and forever be a child of God, calling upon the Father.
The New Man (Part 3)
Introduction
Our sermon title is called “The New Man” and it is part 3. Paul calls the Church “the New Man” in verse 15. This relates specifically to the unity of the members of the Church. We are all one in Christ. In our passage from verse 13-18 we are pointing out 5 truths concerning the New Man. We have seen 3 so far. In the New Man there is Peace, In the New Man we are Near to God, and in the New Man there is Unity. Today we will look at the remaining 2.
In the New Man We are Reconciled to God (v16)
One New Year's Eve at London's Garrick Club, British dramatist Frederick Lonsdale was asked by Symour Hicks to reconcile with a fellow member. The two had quarreled in the past and never restored their friendship. "You must," Hicks said to Lonsdale. "It is very unkind to be unfriendly at such a time. Go over now and wish him a happy New Year.
So Lonsdale crossed the room and spoke to his enemy. "I wish you a happy New Year," he said, "but only one."
Our 4th point about the New Man is that we are all Reconciled to God. Notice verse 16 with me, “and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross”.
Now the thoughts of Paul turn slightly. In verses 11-15 he spoke of the relationship of Jews and Gentiles with each other. Now, however, he speaks of their relationship together with God. Paul says they are both reconciled.
Reconciliation with God is truly one of if not the greatest themes found on the pages of the Bible. Reconciliation is cause for rejoicing. In Romans 5:11 it says, “…we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Chist, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” This truth ought to be the motivation of our hearts in singing praise to God. Furthermore, the over-arching purpose of the Apostle Paul’s ministry could be summed up with one word: reconciliation. In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul says, “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” Everything Paul said and did was to lead people to be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Is this the purpose we see in churches today? Is it the purpose at EFC? Is that the purpose in your life?
To be reconciled means that the hostility between us and God has been removed. More than that, it has been replaced with peace. God is now at peace with us. He was angry because of our sins, but, Christ has done away with our sins, and with our sins, God anger is done towards us too.
Let me point out several quick things from Ephesians 2:16 regarding reconciliation.
First, All men are reconciled to God only one way – through Christ. Paul says, “in this ONE body to reconcile them to God”. This means that the Jew is not reconciled one way while the Gentile is reconciled another. The Jew is not reconciled through the priesthood and animal sacrifices while the Gentile is reconciled by faith in Christ. This means that all men are reconciled to God in only one way – through faith in Jesus Christ.
All men have the same standing before God. Romans 3:10 says, “We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.” All are condemned for sin and all may be reconciled through Christ. There is no other way. God does not offer reconciliation through any other way than Jesus Christ.
Second, Reconciliation is made possible through the death of Jesus Christ. Paul says here, “through the cross.” Jesus died on the cross. He was crucified according to God’s plan in order to reconcile men to God. Colossians 1:22 says, “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
It is important to recognize here the importance of the physical body of Jesus Christ. Christ came in the flesh. He became a man. This is important because it is man whom He came to save. He became like us in the flesh, as a human being, in order to reconcile us to God. He was the perfect man and therefore, when He died on the cross He died in our place taking on our death and all so that He might reconcile us to God. He couldn’t die a man’s death unless He became a man. John the Apostle would in the later part of the century go to Ephesus. This issue of Christ coming in the body was one which John fought. He says in 1 John 4, “Every spirit that acknowledges that Christ came in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.”
Third, an application for us here is one regarding our outlook on one another. We must look at our brothers and sisters here as those who have been reconciled to God. That will elevate our opinions of one another. I would suggest that sometime today after lunch you take some time to think on various people in EFC and the fact that God has reconciled them to Himself. God saw fit to make peace with them. God saw fit to forgive their sins in Christ. Then I would say take a few minutes and pray for them and thank God that He has reconciled them to Himself. That would be a good exercise for your heart and the well-being of unity in our church.
In the New Man we are Reconciled to God.
In the New Man we have Equality(v. 17-18)
The fifth Truth of the New Man is found in verse 17. In the New Man we have Equality. Notice verses 17-18, “……….”
There is equality between Jew and Gentile before God. Now, equality is a much abused word in our culture so there are 2 points of equality I want to explain concerning this verse.
First of all, in verse 17, there is equality in the preaching of peace. In other words, the same message was and is equally preached to both Jew and Gentile alike. When Paul says “those who were far away” he is talking about Gentiles and when he says “those who were near” he is talking about Jews. Jesus preached one message to both. There are not 2 gospels – one for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. There is one gospel of peace as Paul calls it in 6:15.
The implication of this is huge, especially for Jews. It means that peace with God is not possible by following the Law anymore. The only way for a Jew’s sins to be forgiven and to have peace with God is through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s the same message to Gentiles. Peace with God is available through faith in Jesus Christ. There is equality in the preaching of the message.
Secondly, there is Equality in Access to God. Notice verse 18, “…”. What I want you to see here first is that in verse 17 Paul says God came to us, then in verse 18 he says we go to God. That’s how it works. God takes the initiative always. He moves toward us first. He sets out to pursue us with His peace.
God’s desire is for people to come to Him. Jesus says in John 7:37, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink.” Second Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give your rest.” God has made Himself accessible in Jesus Christ. His desire is that we would access Him, that we would approach Him. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence that we may receive mercy and receive grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:16). And again in Hebrews 10:22, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.”
Now also notice Paul mentions the Trinity: access to the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. What this means is that Jews and Gentiles had the same access to the Father together. God was no longer making the Gentiles stay back and bringing the Jews near. Now Jew and Gentile alike had access to Him.
I think it is important here to point out the emphasis Scripture makes on addressing the Father. Almost all of the NT passages dealing with prayer say we now have access to the Father. The goal of man is to be able to access the Father. It is not through the Father we have access to Christ, but, it is through Christ we have access to the Father.
Why is this important? Because we are God’s children, and by realizing it is the Father we now call on it emphasizes our standing now as children of God. Paul started the letter with in 1:5 by saying God adopted us and now we are His children. We are no longer children of wrath (2:3). Understanding our relationship now as His children is the primary way of relating to God now. God the Father has a Son, and, through that One and Only Son, He has made us to be sons and daughters as well.
And as such, all who call on Christ and put their faith in Him will be sealed with the Holy Spirit. Turn with me to Acts 15:5-11……..
-The receiving of the Holy Spirit was proof to the Jews that the Gentiles were received by God. The Jews received the Spirit in the early days when they were converted, and, now the Jews were learning that the same salvation was going out to Gentiles who had the same faith in the same Christ and received the same Spirit and were calling now on the same Father as the Jews. It was a pivotal moment in the early Church. Jews realized that now Gentiles were being brought in by God through faith in Christ. Ephesians 4:4-6 says, “………….”
Have you been brought in? Have you been given access to the Father? Have you received the same Holy Spirit as all the rest of those who have been saved since the Church began? You can, if you have not. But, you have you put your faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Your sins will be forgiven and you will be brought near to God and forever be a child of God, calling upon the Father.
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