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Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 3 * PART 3 * BOOK 36
EPHESIANS 2:10-19
Now, let's look again at Ephesians chapter 2. God has now fulfilled the last part of the Abrahamic Covenant through Abraham, through the nation of Israel, through the Messiah, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, by now the letters of Paul in particular. Ephesians 2:13
"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
See it's always been by faith. "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous,.."
"...and without shedding of blood is no remission."
Now let's turn to Romans chapter 3, and start at verse 23.
Romans 3:23
The whole human race has fallen short of the glory of God. Now verse 24.
Romans 3:24-25a
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (our everything)through faith in his blood,..."
Now His blood couldn't be shed until He died for the sins of the world. His shed blood and His death are synonymous, they mean the same thing. So we have to place our faith in the fact that the blood of Christ literally became our Passover. "What has God said? God has said in so many words "When I see the blood I'll past over!" Romans 3:25b
"...through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"
The Passover lamb. And as His blood was shed and applied to the door of our hearts the death angel passes over us. Now let's come back to the Book of Ephesians chapter 2.
Ephesians 2:13
"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
The blood of Christ makes all the difference in the world, and it's our faith in that shed blood, as well as we saw in our last lesson, The power of His Resurrection, which brings about new life, and from that new life God is looking for fruit. Now verse 14.
Ephesians 2:14a
"For he (Christ) is our peace,..." Hey on the world front there will be no peace in this world until the Prince of Peace Himself returns.
As we believers are united in Christ and become members of the Body of Christ, as a result of that finished work of the cross. So let's turn to chapter 5 verse 1 of the Book of Romans and look at "peace" the reason we've come to Romans.
Romans 5:1
Faith + Nothing, and as soon as we're justified by faith) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"
"Peace with God." When you have peace with God then you have peace with everyone else. Now verse 2.
Romans 5:2
"By whom (the Lord Jesus and His finished work of the cross) also we have access by faith (taking God at His word) into this grace (or this condition of unmerited favor) wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
So here in verse 14,
Ephesians 2:14
Jew and Gentile do you see that?) The Jews and Gentiles, during this Church Age have lost their separateness, they have lost their individual identify as Jews or Gentiles. Now starting with verse 12.
I Corinthians 12:12
"For as the body (the human body) is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. I Corinthians 12:13
So each of us who are the Body of Christ have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into that Body. Ephesians 2:14b
"...and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;" (Jews and Gentiles)
Matthew 23:15
It's destroyed, it's broken down - now verse 15.
Ephesians 2:15a
Now we know Romans chapter 8 speaks of enmity with God, but I don't think Paul is speaking of that here. I think here he's talking about enmity between Jew and Gentile. I mean these Jews wouldn't even say the word Gentile. But now when a Jew becomes a believer he is as much in fellowship with a Gentile as a Gentile with a Gentile, or a Jew with a Jew. Ephesians 2:15
"Having abolished in his flesh (the death of the cross) the enmity, (that was between Jews and Gentiles) even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;"
Paul speaks of the new man often as a believer. Here Paul is talking about the new person, the Body of Christ, a whole new concept made of Jews and Gentiles. Alright turn to Colossians chapter 2. Gentiles. Colossians 2:14
So what does Paul say? It killed. Come back to Romans chapter 13 for a moment. Romans 13:8-9
9. For this, (since love is now the key) Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shall not kill, Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. The unsaved world can't. We are empowered to love our neighbor. We don't have to worry about death if we break the law for stealing. After all what put Christ on the cross? His love for the human race!

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