 |
| Gayla & Sunita in Nepal sari shopping |
Read:
(Ephesians 2:11-22) [NIV] “11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 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. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
Relate:
(Ephesians 2:11-22) [NIV] “11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 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. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
Relate:
Too often well intended Christians become masters at building walls instead of tearing them down. I like to use this little saying, “God called us to be bridge builders not wall builders!”
A few weeks back I went to my uncles funeral service. I sat off to the side and listened to the words of the person conducting the funeral. To my surprise, when it came time to take communion, he firmly stated that if we were not members of that particular religion and church, we were not invited to partake of communion with everyone else. I don’t know if you have ever been in one of those situations, but for just a minute, I felt like everyone else in that sanctuary was looking at me to see if I would break the rule since it was obvious that I was not part of that religion and church.
I am sure that the Gentiles written about in this passage of scripture must have often felt the same way I did. After all, they were uncircumcised; thus unclean. I love the way God led Paul to address this issue. My prayer is that as you read the above passages and the comments that follow, it will help you understand that we are one in Jesus Christ. This is important to Him. Enjoy the study!
Research:
Notice in vv. 11-13 Pious Jews (“the circumcision”) considered all non-Jews (“the uncircumcised”) ceremonially unclean. They thought of themselves as pure and clean because of their national heritage and religious ceremonies. But Paul pointed out that Jews and Gentiles alike were unclean before God and needed to be cleansed by Jesus. In order to realize how great a gift of salvation is, we need to remember our former natural unclean condition. Have you ever felt separate, excluded or hopeless? Then these verses are for you. No one is alienated from Christ’s love or from the body of believers.
Research:
Notice in vv. 11-13 Pious Jews (“the circumcision”) considered all non-Jews (“the uncircumcised”) ceremonially unclean. They thought of themselves as pure and clean because of their national heritage and religious ceremonies. But Paul pointed out that Jews and Gentiles alike were unclean before God and needed to be cleansed by Jesus. In order to realize how great a gift of salvation is, we need to remember our former natural unclean condition. Have you ever felt separate, excluded or hopeless? Then these verses are for you. No one is alienated from Christ’s love or from the body of believers.
Jews and Gentiles alike could be found guilty of spiritual pride. Jews, for thinking their faith and traditions elevated them above everyone else. And Gentiles, for trusting in their achievements, power or position. Spiritual pride blinds us to our own faults and magnifies the faults of others. A word of caution: be careful not to become proud of your salvation. Instead, humbly thank God for what He has done and encourage others who might be struggling in their faith.
(vv. 11-16) Before Christ’s coming, Gentiles and Jews kept apart from one another. Jews considered Gentiles beyond God’s saving power and therefore without hope. Gentiles resented Jewish claims. Christ revealed the total sinfulness to both Jews and Gentiles, and then He offered His salvation to both. Only Jesus can break down the walls of pride and prejudice, reconciling all believers to God, and unifies us as one body of believers.
(v. 15) By His death, Christ ended the angry resentment between Jews and Gentiles caused by the Jewish laws that favored the Jews and excluded the Gentiles. Christ died to abolish the show system of Jewish laws. Then, He took the two groups that had been opposed to each other and made them part of Himself. “One new man” means that Christ made a single entity or person out of the two. Thus, He fused all believers together to become one in Himself.
(vv. 19-22) A church building is sometimes called God’s house. In reality, God’s household is not a building, but a group of people. He lives in us and shows Himself to a watching world through us. People can see that God is love and that Christ is Lord as we live in harmony with each other and in accordance with want God says in His Word. We are citizens of God’s kingdom and members of His household.
Reflect:
Reflect:
- Where did your ancestors emigrate from?
- What did their new citizenship mean to them?
Respond:
- Have you ever felt separate, excluded or hopeless? Why did you feel this way?
- What “dividing wall” in our community would you like to see come down?
- Before Jesus came, what problems did the Gentiles face? (See vv. 11-12)
- How do you think the practicing Jews felt when these Gentiles started coming to their church, but refused to adopt or practice the Jewish custom of circumcision?
- How has Christ destroyed hostility and made peace possible for all men?
Request:
- In your honest opinion, how would a person of a different background or culture be accepted in your church? How would you personally react to them? Make this a matter of prayer. God came so ALL people (ethnics) would come to know Him!
 |
| Faces of Nepal |
No comments:
Post a Comment