Biblical Reconciliation (Ephesians 2:11-22) | Worship Service

Worship Through Christ’s Blood and Righteousness

Hey, I hope in you, you have been rejected. The price you paid for us has fully been accepted. Because of your shed luck, we cannot be rejected. The price you paid for us is fully because of your shed luck, we cannot be rejected.

It's not a Hammond B3, but it's all we got. She can stay up here for you during the service if you'd like. No? Okay. Welcome everybody to Kootenay Church this morning. We're glad you're here. We're going to sing, And Can It Be.

Would you join and stand as we sing?

And can it be that I should cast in the same joy that thou, my God, should die. So free, so he himself to show his love had bled for Adam's helpless race. Mercy, all God, if thou doubt me. Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night.

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray. I woke the dungeon flamed with light. My chains fell off, my heart was free. I rose, went forth, and followed thee. Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, should die for me.

On a nation now I dread Jesus' hand, my righteousness divine. Eternal. Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, should die for me. Our sin, we were guilty. Reach down with sovereign hands and beckoned us to come.

You sought out the wanderers. May the providence feed us. We are strangers to the world, but no strangers to your. We draw near you now with confidence for our king and saints we've met. Love your size bought by his blood.

Will you please turn your Bible to Psalm 46 for the scripture reading. Psalm 46. And while you're turning there, I just want to highlight that there's a Young Marriages Fellowship this next Saturday, June 11, from 11 to 2 at the City Beach.

It is a family picnic. Again, that's the Young Marriages Fellowship. Psalm 46. The pre-script says, for the choir director, a psalm of the sons of Korah set to Alamoth, a song. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore, we will not fear. Though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her. She will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. The nations make an uproar. The kingdoms tottered. He raised his voice. The earth melted. The Lord of Hosts is with us.

The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Come, behold the works of the Lord who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two.

He burns the chariots with fire. Cease striving and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of Hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Will you stand with me as we pray? Let's bow our heads.

Our Father,.

It is because of your great grace toward us that you have reconciled us to yourself, that you have gathered us together here and brought us into fellowship with you and with one another, and we thank you for that great joy and grace.

We thank you for the gift of salvation, your singular work in our hearts that has brought us to saving faith and secured us everlastingly for your glory. We thank you that you have reconciled to yourself men and women from every tongue and tribe and nation and kindred and group on the face of the earth, and that you are glorified in doing so and that you have brought us into Christ.

It is for that reason that we gather here together and rejoice one with another and offer ourselves to you in repentant faith, in obedience, in fellowship, in worship, praise, and adoration. And we pray that as we do so that you would fill our hearts with love and joy and affection, both for one another and for you and for your word.

We pray this in Christ's name.

Amen.

I've done my pride, I strive to earn the favor Christ has. I come with empty hands and I cleanse His name.

Colossians 3, verses 1 -3 it says, Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. We're going to sing Before the Throne of God above to close our music service out this morning.

My Savior, God's perfect Son,. Righteousness inside.

You may be seated.

Introduction of Virgil Walker and Conference Context

Well, I said it before at Dull Sunday School class, and I'll say it again. Our conference this weekend was a very rich blessing and benefit to everybody who was there. It was a joy to have Darrell Harrison and Virgil Walker here to share with us for that conference.

It's Bow Tie Sunday. I apparently am the only one who got the memo.

Did that not go out?

Virgil and Darrell said they think they're wearing off on me,.

And I said that might be the case. I've got an appointment.

For a spray tan later this week. Let me introduce Virgil. Virgil Walker serves as Executive Director of Operations for G3 Ministries. Along with Darrell Harrison, Virgil co-hosts the Just Thinking podcast, which is a long-form, irregular podcast.

Phil Johnson said it is the most influential long-form Christian podcast in the world. Virgil has completed his Master of Business Administration. He's currently working on a Master of Divinity at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Virgil's been involved in jail ministry and sidewalk ministry at abortion clinics and street evangelism. He has co-authored Why Are You Afraid, which we gave out free with the registration to our conference, Just Thinking About the State, which we had for sale with the conference registration.

We still have a few copies of that that we'll have out on the bookshelf in the foyer. And soon to be released, actually probably next year now, Just Thinking About Ethnicity, which is one of the three Just Thinking books.

They're Just Thinking About the State, Just Thinking About Ethnicity, and then Just Thinking About the Church are the three books in that trilogy. Virgil and his wife, Tamika, have been married for 25 years, and have three children.

Virgil and Daryl have become widely known for their resolute commitment to the authority of Scripture and for speaking about subjects that very few people want to speak about and for saying it in such a way that nobody else wants to say it.

Resolutely and unbendingly biblical, they do not back down from confronting the progressive spirit of the age in their online articles or their social media posts. And they simply do not shy away from it.

And these are two men who do not care what the culture says about them or what anybody says about them. People inside and outside the church, it makes no difference. And you know him as Omaha if you listen to the Just Thinking podcast.

It's because he comes from Omaha. In fact, this week I got to take a glimpse at the security protocol that the security team had for the event this weekend. And it had pictures of Virgil and Daryl. It said these are the two guys that are allowed in Jim's office at any time.

Without permission. And I thought,.

Did you need to put a picture on them? Do you think people have a hard time identifying either one of these guys? They're well known. And they had security code names as well. Now, Daryl was Hollywood because he lives outside of Hollywood.

Virgil, Omaha, because he's from Omaha. And I didn't have a code name, so I asked Thomas, what's my code name? He said Clark Fork. I'll explain Clark Fork to you two gentlemen later on.

So with that,.

Please welcome Virgil Walker. They're applauding.

Ephesians 2:11-22 and the Need for Reconciliation

How about now? All right.

Man, it's a joy to be with you.

We got a packed house. I won't tell you what Pastor Jim said about you all being here. In fact, I am going to tell you what he said. Yeah.

He said,.

They can't believe, one, as I was coming up and he's going down and applauding because I'm not preaching. And then he was telling me about how packed the house was and the folks that were coming to be here on the Lord's Day.

And he said to me, I think they were just curious. They heard a black guy was actually preaching in North Idaho. So that's the kind of stuff I've been in store for this entire time while we've been here.

It's been a joy to be with you. Daryl and I have had an amazing time. You guys have absolutely spoiled us. Again, I think Daryl is planning to move here at this point. I better stop that. This is on social media.

Then he'll have to answer to some things when he gets back. And so I don't want to create unnecessary problems for him. But again, it's been a joy to be with you. The hospitality has been phenomenal. Your ministry here has been tremendous to us.

And so if I could and we had time, I would hug each and every one of you and just say from the bottom of my heart, thank you. It's been a wonderful, refreshing time. We've worked. Jim put us to work. He made sure of that.

But in the downtime, it's been refreshing just to connect with you, to talk with you, to engage you, to hear about people who've come from very far distances, five hours away, six, seven hours away, 20 hours away, and even more to be here for the conference.

And so we've been tremendously blessed by that. Again, I want to publicly just thank Pastor Jim, his wife, his whole family that have been gracious to us. We're grateful to you all. The security team has been on point, man.

If I move somewhere, I see a guy kind of like,.

This is cool.

I'm like, okay, can you? That's been really, really amazing. You guys take it seriously. At the same time, I doubt that anybody would be silly enough or stupid enough to come in here and try something.

My thought is that there are probably more than two or three people packing right about now. It's been awesome. I bring you greetings from G3 Ministries. G3, the G stands for gospel, grace, and glory.

We've been a conference-based ministry that produces free resources for churches, lay people, and the like. We're transitioning to a resource-based ministry that shares content. If you're not familiar with G3, shame on you.

You absolutely should be. You can check out more by going to g3min, M-I-N-G, the number three, M-I-N dot O-R-G, to learn more. I'm thankful for Dr. Bice for his vision. He's friends with your pastor.

We love what you all do here and would love to connect in the days to come. I'll also finally bring you greetings from my wife, Tamika, who's at home holding things down for us as she does. I cannot wait for you all to meet her.

I tell audiences and people that you don't meet Tamika, you experience her. She is an absolute experience. For those who know her, they understand where that comes from. I have three children. Princess, my daughter Princess, and my son Princeton are still in Omaha, Nebraska.

Then my son, Price, he moved with us as we made the move to Atlanta, Georgia. Tomorrow will be his 18th birthday. I'll be jumping on the plane to get back and to enjoy some celebration with him. With that said, I will get started.

If you have your Bible, turn, if you will, to Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2.

I'll be reading verses 11 through 22. If you're able, I would ask you to stand for the reading of the word of God. This is God's word. It reads as follows. Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands.

Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in the place of two, so making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

And he came and preached peace to those who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one spirit to the Father. So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

In him you are also being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Take time to pray if you'll be seated. Father God, we thank you for your sovereignty in salvation. We are indeed grateful for the selfless sacrifice of your Son who died on a cross for our sin.

Your wrath was poured out upon your Son as a propitiation for those who have placed their faith in the finished work of Christ. We thank you for sealing that promise of salvation by your Spirit. It was the guarantee of that which is to come.

We recognize that we were once separated from you, dead in our trespasses and sins. We acknowledge that we were once sons and daughters of disobedience, following the prince of the power of the air as we carried out our own desires.

We're overcome with gratitude as we acknowledge that the result of your action toward us in salvation was not the result of our good works or of our kindness or of our faithfulness or of our worthiness.

Instead, it was the riches of your mercy and out of your great love with which you have loved us that while we were dead in trespasses and sins, you made us alive together with Christ. Father, we are overwhelmed by your love toward us.

May our lives be lived in such a manner that reflects that gratitude. Help us today as we open your word to be even more in awe of the richness of your mercy and grace aimed toward us through Christ. It's in his name that we pray.

Amen.

The Triune Plan of Salvation in Ephesians

It's a joy to jump into Scripture with you this morning and to open up one of my favorite letters of Paul, the Epistle to the Church at Ephesus. One of the reasons that this book in particular can be a favorite for a new believer, there are many reasons, but one of the reasons is that it may be their first exposure to the doctrines of grace.

As you open the letter, you're exposed to the fact that it was God the Father who chose us in him before the foundation of the world. That very thought, that very idea, if you begin to meditate on it, it can actually boggle the mind.

It should boggle your mind. It should blow you away that before God the Father said, let there be light, he had a plan for your redemption, a plan for my redemption. If you think about your own wretchedness, your own sinfulness, that a thrice holy God, before he would say, let there be light, thought of you and had a plan for you.

You should be overcome, not only with joy, but just the amazement of it all. It's life-giving to think about. When you examine the majesty, the magnitude of God's sovereign plan of redemption, it's never more clearly expressed as it is in this particular book.

Every follower of Christ, if they're aware of the goodness of God, I believe they should routinely make themselves aware of this particular text, perhaps reading it over and over and over again in an effort to marvel at the goodness and the grace of a glorious, sovereign God.

Yet and still, if the opening pages of this particular letter, the opening verses aren't enough, the entirety of the book of Ephesians goes on to explain yet more. The first chapter begins to explain the triune nature of our salvation.

We often think about our salvation as simply the work and act of Jesus the Christ. There's rightness in that, but that's not all that we need to consider. Paul explains to the church at Ephesus that the salvation that they enjoy, this is not a new idea.

This is not a last-minute attempt on the part of God to figure out what he should do given the nature of our sinfulness. No, this was a plan of God before the foundation of the world. This was a plan of God the Father in eternity past, Ephesians 1 3 -6.

This is the work of God the Son, Jesus, to Christ in redeeming mankind in time, Ephesians 1 7 -12. And this is the work, the work of salvation, is the work of the Holy Spirit sealing that which is to come, Ephesians 1 13 -14.

By the time we reach chapter 2, Paul is beginning to consider as he's pulled back the curtain on the cosmic plan of God in salvation from eternity past. Chapter 2 opens with a clear view of the impact of man's need for this salvific plan in time.

Again, think of it again in this way, that cosmic plan, that curtain was unleashed, unveiled. We began to see it and we begin to move in chapter 2 onto the scene of mankind's condition and our need for redemption in time.

Paul writes in chapter 2,. And you were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

Verse 3, What is evident in chapter 2 is our separateness, how far we are, our distance from God. Without hesitation, Paul declares, we're dead in sin and trespasses. We're not kind of half dead, maybe comatose, maybe we're closer than we think.

No, the separation is so grave, so vast. Our condition is one of deadness to God. We're dead in sins and trespasses. Paul explains that we are even more the children of wrath like the rest of mankind.

This is a grave condition for us. However, instead of condemning all of mankind to the death that we rightly deserve for our sins before a thrice holy God, verse 4 begins to explain,.

But God, those two words.

Should cause us to pause. If we understand the magnitude of where we were and of what has taken place, we have to pause and note, but God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he has loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses.

He made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you've been saved. This great love is much more than a warm feeling tingling down the back of God's spine. This is an action demonstrated by the fact that God the Father acted in the sending of his Son to redeem us, to ransom us, to reconcile us.

That is background. We pick up in chapter 2, verse 11 where Paul uses the transitionary word therefore, therefore. Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision which is made in the flesh by hands.

Remember that at that time you were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world. However, before we walk through the next section of the text, if you're a note taker, I want to provide for you at this point some headings as we do a deeper dive into this section of the text.

What Paul is saying is it is essential for us to remember who we were. Remember who we were. He walks that out in verse 11. In verse 12, he's charging us, challenging us, telling us that we are to remember where we were.

This is more than just location.

This is distance.

This is separateness from God. Finally, verses 13 and 14, he's going to encourage us to rejoice, to remember to rejoice in what God has done. To understand the transition and the magnitude of our wretchedness, Paul begins with a therefore.

Therefore, remember at one time, you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision which is made in the flesh by hands. Remember who you were. Why does Paul want us to remember who we were?

What is he getting at in this verse? Is there something about the human condition that causes us to forget who we were? If you remember who you were, you can fully appreciate what God has done in ransoming us and redeeming us and restoring us.

Restoring us to a position that none of us rightly deserve. If we think about what we rightly deserve, we can do nothing but fall on our face before a holy God and give proper worship and thanks for what he has done.

Few people have a difficult time in the everyday and the aspect of day-to-day life. We have an easy time looking at the world and at culture around us and seeing the total depravity that takes place in the world.

We have no problem opening up a webpage or watching on television or looking at social media and identifying absolute, total depravity. Few people have a difficult time, though, thinking about their own depravity.

They have a more difficult time when that lens then is placed upon their own lives of really examining themselves clearly. If we're honest, we usually give ourselves kind of a wink and a nod, right? I mean, I'm really a mess, but you know, if it weren't for this thing or if it weren't for that thing.

Or if it weren't for the other thing,.

I'd be pretty good. When the average person is asked, well, do you think you're a good person? Most people would say, yeah, I mean, comparatively speaking, sure, I'm a good person. Paul doesn't leave us that option.

The Word of God doesn't provide that option. Paul is challenging the believers at Ephesus and, by extension, challenging you and I to do a self-examination, examine ourselves so that we can fully appreciate what God has done.

Paul constantly reminds us of who we were as sinners. In fact, he says of himself that he is the chief of sinners. Verse 11, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision.

What is Paul doing there? Is this just name-calling? You're the uncircumcision versus the circumcision? Circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign of God's covenant people. We see this in Genesis chapter 17, verses 9 through 14.

This was an outward sign of our belonging to God, of the people of Israel's belonging to God. And the people of Israel took this very seriously. Some believed that circumcision was akin to salvation as it pertained to their connection to the covenant.

I won't belabor the point here, but simply to say that the term the uncircumcised was definitely a term of derision. You can remember David using this term on the battlefield as he's about to slay Goliath.

He's there looking around, seeing the children of Israel on one side and Goliath and his people on the other. He's trying to examine what's taking place. And this is what's written in 1 Samuel 17, 26.

And David said to the man who stood by him, what shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach for Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that should defy the armies of the living God?

What's being done there? The idea that David is expressing is this is someone who's separate from God, separate from the people of God. And who David is referring to are the Philistines, but by extension, the Gentiles.

And this is akin to our separation that we had before God as Gentile believers not connected to the covenants of promise. This was definitely a term of derision, a term of separation. The idea goes beyond conveying more than simple name calling.

The idea is, again, someone who does not have relationship with God. As we move to verse number 12 in Ephesians chapter 2, Paul challenges us for a second time to remember. Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Here in verse 12, Paul desires to remind the believers in Ephesus the fact that they were separate from Christ, alienated from God, that they had no hope and without God in the world. What's interesting about this verse as you look at it very closely is that the verse actually bookends two ideas about our separateness from God.

It begins that we're separated from Christ. The verse ends with the fact that we have no hope and are without God in the world. Between the two bookends is the idea of our separateness from the people of God.

You have our separateness from God, our separateness from one another. That's what's taking place there. Allow me to identify these two ideas. First, our separateness from Christ. This is huge because Christ is central to everything.

Once we're separated from God, we have to understand that there's a magnitude in a separation like that. In fact, as we examine Christ, that division is clear. In fact, let me provide you some Scripture verses for context.

John 14, 6. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Colossians chapter 1, verses 15 and following, he, that being Christ, is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, rulers or authorities. All things were created through him and for him. Verse 17 says,. And he is before all things.

In him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. So that in everything he might be preeminent. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 22. And he put all things under his feet.

Whose feet? Under Christ's feet. And gave him as head over all things the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. You're familiar with the passage from John chapter 1, verses 1 through 5, which read,.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This is Christ.

This is Christ, the preeminent one. This is Christ, the Messiah.

This is Christ.

This is the greater prophet. This is Christ, the Lamb of God. This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is Christ, the King of kings, the Lord of lords. This is Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

Apart from him, no light dawns. Apart from him, the entirety of the world collapses upon itself, folds back into the nothingness that it was before he stepped onto the scene to say, let there be light.

This is Christ.

I mention who Christ is so that we can understand that if we were separated from him, we are separated from everything. I mentioned there were two parts, our separateness from God, but secondarily, kind of between the two bookends is the idea of our separateness from God's people.

The verse reads, Alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise. Our separation from God also involves our separation from God's people. The separateness can be no more evidence than it is in the Jewish-Gentile divide, the divide that takes place within worship.

While there were a few God-fearing Gentiles, overall, the vast majority of the Gentiles were engaged in some form of pagan idolatrous worship. For those few God-fearing Gentiles, however, they were still, even still, though they were worshiping the true and living God, there was still a separateness about their worship.

Amplifying this idea, if you take a quick peek down at verse 14, you can see that fact. Paul speaks to it from a standpoint of the fact that Christ and his body has removed the dividing wall of hostility.

What this is referencing is the idea of temple worship. Even the manner in which we worshiped God was different. We couldn't be joined together. Even though we may have believed in the true and living God, there was still a separateness about it.

In the temple, the Jews had a literal wall of separation, a division that prevented the Gentiles from coming near and fellowshipping with God and the people of Israel. The temple courts their separation.

Allow me to walk you through what took place there. The temple was constructed of courts. You had the court of the priests, which only male members of the tribe of Levi were permitted to participate in.

You had the court of Israel, which only males were permitted in, male Jews were permitted in. You had the court of women where any Jew could enter, but no woman could go beyond that certain point. After this, you had five steps down in the Jewish courtyard was a five-foot-high stone barrier that extended all around the temple enclosure.

And then another 14 steps downward to a level of the courtyard known as the court of the Gentiles. Now, according to Jewish historian Josephus, the dividing wall between the Jews and Gentiles was marked at intervals by stone inscriptions stating that no foreigner was permitted to enter the Jewish enclosure upon penalty of death.

In fact, the statement that Josephus captures reads as follows. No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death, end quote.

Ephesians chapter two, verse 12, we're reminded of our separateness from the commonwealth of Israel, the fact that we're strangers to the covenants of promise. And this could be no more dire, no more sadder a state than the end of that particular verse which says we were without hope and without God in the world.

We had no hope and were without God in the world. So verse 11, we remembered who we were. Verse 12, we remembered where we were, our separateness from God. And finally, the beauty of this particular section of Scripture goes on in a way that we can rejoice in understanding that God has done something about our condition.

Verse 13 and 14 read this way. Verse 13, but now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. As we look at the words in verse 13, they're but an echo of what we read earlier, right?

We have in verse 13, but now. If we go back to verse four, we had but God. But God being rich in mercy. There's an echo here in verse 13. But now, in Christ, you who were once far off have been brought near.

This is the good news. This is news that should cause us to rejoice. When we can understand the nature of our dire condition and what Christ has done, we should again rejoice. At the outset, I mentioned earlier that this gospel that we now enjoy the good news, the good news of the gospel, this is not a new gospel.

This is not something that God the Father in eternity past had missed, had overlooked, had not thought about. And now that things are the way they are, He's got to fix things. He's got to rearrange things.

That's not our condition. In fact, Acts chapter 2 verse 39 echoes that promise. It says, for the promise is for you and for your children and all who are far off, to everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord.

Verse 13, you were brought near by the blood of Christ. Not some program, some process, some policy that brought you near. This was by the blood of Christ, you've been brought near to God in relationship.

I mentioned earlier that the separation that took place with the children of Israel and the Gentiles, it was a real separation. In our current culture today, there's a desire to divide each and every one of us.

We spent the weekend talking about a number of those divisions. We talked about the idea that there's this division with ethnicity and there's a division around gender and all of the ideas that are part of culture.

We further went on to talk about how many of those divisions are entering the church. The reality is we need to understand that this division, this wall has been abolished. That has been abolished by the blood of Christ.

Our separation was not abolished by legislation from a government entity. It was not abolished by a march on the streets. It was not abolished by a rally or a riot. It was not abolished by the Supreme Court decision or a presidential proclamation.

What abolished it? The wall of separation that we read about in verse 14. It was Christ himself. Let's read verses 14 and following. I could stop there. We spent an entire weekend talking about division.

It's on the Lord's Day that we gather to rejoice in the fact that we are one body of Christ. With everything that we see all around us, the threats that desire to invade the church, they'll not succeed because the work of Christ in uniting us into one body is finished.

It's not going to be finished. We're not waiting for it to take place. It has taken place and it is incumbent upon you and me, the believers in Christ, to celebrate that. We come together on the Lord's Day to celebrate that truth.

It cannot be a clearer understanding of our unity than the fact that we are one body in Christ. Reading the text again, for he himself is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in the place of two and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

The hostility is over. I don't need a program or a process or a racial reconciliation book. I don't need someone to explain the definitions of critical race theory or social justice. All I need to do is open up my Bible to turn to Ephesians 2, verses 14 and following to understand that the wrestling and the challenges and the hostility, it's over because you and I are in Christ.