Ten Minute Talks – Everything in Christ Pt. 2
Text – Ephesians Ch. 2
Made Alive in Christ
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) — 12remember 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 by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in 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 strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his 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.
Point 1
a. Point - From Death to Life -
We have all lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the belligerent, greedy, lustful, gluttonous, prideful , envious, slothlike, and other desires of our bodies and minds, and we by nature were children of wrath – we were prone to vengeance as the consequence of anger, prone to fall; we were fallen – just like the rest of mankind. To state it plainly, we followed satan, the “ruler of the air.” God, however, swept in and saved the day. Actually, he saved us! When Christ was raised up from the grave, you and I were also raised up from it too, into true life; and in that resurrection, in that true life In Christ, we have inherited the knowledge and power of the heavenly realm. In other words, in Christ by God’s Holy Spirit, we’ve been enabled to walk in the realm that is the determinative power over this earth and over heaven and hell.
b. Illustration/Application -
i. In Christ, we are able to discern the spiritual climate of any place; we are able to give words of wisdom and knowledge to those in need of it; if called, we can prophecy in to any situation; we are able to have faith for supernatural occurrence. In Christ we are able to bring about healing emotionally and physically to those around us; with so many different languages existing, especially in this country of Canada, we are able to minister in foreign tongues, and interpret them too, even if that means understanding gibberish!
ii. All of this comes from being raised up with Christ into true life; absolutely none of it comes by our own effort, it is completely through the acts of God. What a privilege! Again, all of this is through the gift of God’s love and grace and mercy through his Messiah son, Jesus! Amen anyone?! In light of this we must indeed remember that we were once away from Christ.
Point 2
a. Point - The Wall Came Down -
We were alienated, strangers to God’s promise, we had no hope and no God, totally lost in the world; we were divided, away from his holy nation of Israel. Separated: as the light is from the darkness, we could not exist in the same place. In The Message from vv. 14-19 is says “14-15The Messiah has made things up between us so that we are now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.”
16-18Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to the outsiders and peace to the insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.
19-22That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone.”
b. Illustration/Application - “Oikos” is the Greek term for “in here” or “inside,” and “xenos” is also a
Greek term for “stranger,” “foreigner,” or “alien.” So as Christ took down the dividing wall of hostility when we were among the xenos, we too must love the xenos of our society as we also love those who are oikos to us.
Point 3
a. Point - A Holy Temple –
So because we are no longer among the xenos, we are now God’s oikos: saints and citizens of his household, built out of work the apostles and prophets laid down as a foundation with Christ himself as the cornerstone, he is how the whole structure is joined together. In Christ, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be built as God’s dwelling place in which he can use as a vessel to carry out his good works here on earth.
b. Illustration/Application
11 “Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. 12 I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. 13 All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace. 14 In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. 15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; 17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.”
That was Isaiah 54:11-17. This scripture is a foreshadow of how God is building the church out of his most precious material. These precious materials are the people of all the various nations who were separated, but are now united and formed as a harmonious society. They all worship the same God; practice the same holiness; and look forward to the same heaven. All of this held together by Christ.
Conclusion
a. Everything in Christ Pt. 2
b. Based on Ephesians Chapter two
c. So in Ephesians 2, we were taken From Death to Life, the Wall Came Down between us, and the church is being made in to A Holy Temple.
How intricately the method of our salvation works.
Pray
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