OUR PEACE

Pride is one of our most ingrained sins. It was the pride of Lucifer that caused him to be cast down, Isa. 14.12-15. One of the most insidious manifestations of pride is when we see ourselves in some way better than others. This is seen as we look down on others of a different socio-economic class or a lesser educational level or when we see certain races as superior to others.

The Jews prided themselves in their God given religion as having some exclusive claim on God because of the revelations they had, and the covenants into which they had been brought as a nation. Paul would agree they had advantages, Rom. 3.1-2. They certainly are a privileged nation, Rom. 9. 4-5. All other nations (Gentiles) are outside of these privileges. As the Jews prided themselves in those privileges, a wall of separation was built up between Jew and Gentile. How could that wall be broken down?

Ephesians 2 demonstrates that while there was distinction of privilege in verses 11-12, morally both Jew and Gentile were on the same plain. In verse 2 note ‘ye’, Gentiles, compared with verse 3 where the phrase ‘also we all’ refers to the Jew. Both Jew and Gentile were walking in the same spirit of disobedience and were, thus, the ‘children of wrath’.

There was only one way in which both Jew, the near ones, and Gentile, the far off ones, could come close to God and that is by the blood of Christ. All, whether Jew or Gentile, must come by faith to the foot of the cross where all men are level, ‘for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’, Rom. 3. 23. In receiving the Lord Jesus, we are all made ‘a new creation’ in Him or, as our text says, ‘to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace’, v. 15.

Now, in Christ, all distinctions disappear. In Christ we are one body, where there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither male nor female, rich nor poor, and is made up of folks from every culture, tribe, and race. We are one, for He is our peace. All related to Him are related to one another. There is one body, one temple, and all have equal access to the Father through one Spirit. What He has joined together, let us not divide.