The Rest of the Story . . .But Now, . . . Reconciled!

Ephesians Series Ephesians 2:13-16

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But now, . . . reconciled

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
Ephesians 2:13-16

In the last Ephesians post, we saw that we are in a desperate place without Jesus. Each human longs to be included and valued. It is pretty bleak to list all the negatives that Scripture depicts for those who choose not to accept God’s invitation to life. We may not like the black and white nature of the distinctions and think all should be deserving of His benefits, but God is God, after all. Life works best according to His ways.

The good news is that God makes it easy for us to be included and reap the best that He has to offer. Jesus has done all the work to make us worthy of the high call of being God’s children. He took the full payment for each of our sins on Himself, and all we have to do is trust that His payment took care of the entire debt.

When we believe that all is paid and we want Him to be the true master of our lives, we are immediately changed from the inside. We are new creations, fully at peace with God, fully righteous with Christ’s righteousness, and filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We are infused with the very life of Christ and have the ability to choose His ways every moment.

Change brings new perspectives

This gives us a new perspective on God, ourselves, and the people around us. We understand that God loves and shows mercy to everyone and invites them all into the same new life. Those who choose that life, no matter what their earthly circumstances, are all just as much part of God’s family as we are, and we are all connected together with a bond that is even stronger than blood. There is no longer any division between us in God’s eyes, and we have the privilege of living out that same principle as one body.

Notice in this passage that Jesus is our peace, both with God and with others. We can’t make that peace happen unless we draw on His life within us. He alone and His ways must be embraced to keep us grounded in the truth of what He has already accomplished. Left to ourselves, our flesh desires to create walls with others because that is one way we maintain control and superiority.

Jesus not only removed the enmity, but He made us into one flesh. The natural man does not want to wage war against his flesh, for that means he destroys himself. In our right minds, we want to preserve the body so that we can maintain the pretense of superiority.

In these three verses, we see three items each mentioned three times. This means the concepts are very significant.

3 Benefits of Life in Christ~~Holly Craw

Jesus is and brings peace

Verses 14 and 15:This is the Greek word eirḗnē which means: quietness, rest, health, and wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God’s gift of wholeness).

In verse 16, we have a different word for reconcile (apokatallassó) with the meaning of to fully reconcile. That assumes there is no hostility and the parties have been brought back together completely.

All believers are part of one body in Christ

Jesus made both groups (Jews and non-Jews) into one (Verse 14); in Himself, He makes the two into one new man (Verse 15); and He reconciles them both into one body to God (Verse 16).

There is no longer enmity and division

Jesus broke down the barrier of the dividing wall (Verse 14) by abolishing in His flesh the enmity (Verse 15) through the cross, thus putting to death the enmity (Verse 16). The word enmity is éxthra – properly, enemy, hatred, hostility.

Jesus took away all those things that separate us and give us excuses for not treating others with honor and grace. There is nothing left but His peace which draws us together and aligns us into oneness with Him and with each other. When we realize we are all on equal footing in Christ, many of our hostilities disappear.

More good news

Jesus does not allow anyone who follows Him to be left out. All belong to the family and the body with the same rights and privileges. All are equal in standing before the Father, although each has a distinct role to play as we will see in upcoming articles. We are totally secure in His love for us individually, because He does not show partiality for what our lives were like before coming to Jesus. In that security and immense love, we can extend love and mercy to others in like fashion.

Where do you find yourself in accepting what Jesus offers–complete peace, no barriers or divisions, and oneness with God and with others? If you struggle with these principles, are you willing to surrender your doubts and fears to God and ask for His cleansing grace and eyes to see what He has already done?

“I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27 New Living Translation

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