Have you been watching the Olympics? I’ve seen some clips. I think the main thing I watched from start to finish was the women's final for the BMX freestyle, mostly because it just started when I turned on the TV and Hannah wasn’t home. It was pretty cool and we got bronze
Today in our passage we are looking at Jesus’ win for us and how because of His win, it means we get incorporated into His benefits and into His new group of people, and this new group of people have peace with each other.
Last week we ended by seeing that Jesus is ruling over all powers and is the head over everything, and not just the church. In His sovereign rule, God is orchestrating the world, including everything going on in the news, for the church, which God empowers by filling it with His presence.
The outline today is really simple. It is our tag line for the series: Gospel and Community. The first half is about Gospel and the second half is about Community. Once again, we will see that the Gospel drives our Community. Our church only exits because of Jesus and what He has done. If we lose site of that, we may still be a community group, but we would cease to be a church.
This passage looks back at the bad news, but only so we can get to the good news. We remember who we once were, but we don’t stay there, for our present reality is better than where we started.
Gospel
Bad news
So we start with the bad news. It describes our past involving sin, Satan and self.As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 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. 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. (Ephesians 2:1–3 NIV)We were dead in our sins and used to follow not just our own ways, but the ways of the world which have been influenced by the ruler of the kingdom of the air. That ruler is talking about the devil or Satan, who is thought to be in control of the space between the clouds and the ground, the whole area in which we operate. Paul says those who are disobedient have this ruler working or influencing their lives and that we too, in the past would gratify our own desires. All of us lived like that. No exception. We were in sin, influenced by Satan and all about helping ourselves. And the end result of this is that we were in trouble, we were facing God’s just anger and wrath and even considered to be dead. And the problem with dead people is that they can’t help themselves, Dead people are as good as dead.
Good News
But from verse 4, we are told something about God. It saysBut because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 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. (Ephesians 2:4–7 NIV)God acted towards us dead people. Notice the words it describe God: he has love for us, is rich in mercy, by grace we are saved. It was because of His love for us that God acted. Our God is rich in mercy and so looked at our state, and instead of giving us our just punishment for doing our own thing and ignoring Him, instead of leaving us in our grave that we had made, He made us alive with Christ.
Our God didn’t want to leave us dead, but instead revived us. God didn’t have to, but it was because of grace, because of an undeserved favour, that God did this for us. And it had to have been this way, for dead people can not help themselves. It's not like in The Princess Bride where you can sort of be “mostly dead”. There is no Marvel multiverse where you can come back from (I was trying to be real hip with a subtle Deadpool reference). The dead can’t hang on to the life rope tossed out to them, they can’t cure their own cancer, they can not use a defibrillator on themselves - dead people need others to act on them. And that is what God did. He made us alive with Christ, because of His love.
Some people struggle with the idea that we were so bad that we deserve God’s wrath; others struggle with the idea that God would even love us so much to save. But both are true. We were that bad, but we are that loved.
When I was at uni there was this big push to work in teams. If my IT degree taught me anything, it is that group work assignments are the worst. Someone at the 8am service told me that when they die they want their teammates to be their pallbearers, so they can let them down one last time. There is always one person on the team that doesn’t do anything and another person that carries the whole team. For one subject, Operating Systems, I know for a fact that my partner carried me. She was a year above me and was really smart. At the end of the semester for Operating Systems I got a Distinction even though I didn’t do the optional extended assignment. I got a distinction because of my group work mark was really good. And I know that I didn’t deserve that mark. It was great for me, but I do wonder what she though of my efforts.
In verses 5 and 6, it says that we are made alive with Christ. God raised us up with Christ and we are seated with Him in the heavenly realms. From last week, remember the same power that raised Christ from the dead is in us now.
We are given Christ’s resurrection and ascension. Jesus rose from the dead and is seated in heaven next to the Father and God has given us Jesus victory. We who were once dead are now made alive in Christ and given Christ's position, which is higher than the ruler of the air. Even though it was Jesus who did all the work for us, we get what He gets. He is our Olympic champion who won life and a place in Heaven for us, even though we could not do a thing about it - we weren’t cheering Him on in the stands, we were in our graves.
The Gospel is about of God’s love for us, He has given us salvation through Jesus.
The story goes that an old saint, was asked to describe salvation, and replied, “It’s something for nothing.” Another aged saint, heard this and, exclaimed, “Yes, it’s even better than that. It’s everything for nothing.” (Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations (5395 Everything for Nothing))
In case we somehow were to ever think that we had something to do with our own salvation Paul clears that right up in verses 8 and 9
We are like a homeless beggar on the street and someone offers us a hamburger from the shops. We didn’t earn it, we didn’t pay for it, all we have to do is extend the hand and take it. We just have to accept the burger knowing we didn’t earn it or pay for it, someone else did that for us. That is the faith we have in Jesus. Trusting in his work and not our own.
And so we are saved, not because of anything we have done, but we are saved for a purpose, for works.
I find it interesting that Paul then doesn’t expand on these good works we are to do, he doesn’t give a list, or instructions in how to do these good works, instead he sort of pivots, and talks about living in community. The next word in verse 11 is “therefor”. This makes me think, that because we are saved by faith, and have good works to do, we are to live in peace with fellow believers. As a church our good works is to be a new group of people, with no hostility between each other.
In case we somehow were to ever think that we had something to do with our own salvation Paul clears that right up in verses 8 and 9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV)Salvation is a gift from God, we can not claim that we were smart enough, or moral enough or took the right steps forward to meet God halfway. It is all of Him. Only by trusting in the work that Jesus did for us, are we saved. This is not earned. Faith doesn’t earn our salvation, but accepts our salvation.
We are like a homeless beggar on the street and someone offers us a hamburger from the shops. We didn’t earn it, we didn’t pay for it, all we have to do is extend the hand and take it. We just have to accept the burger knowing we didn’t earn it or pay for it, someone else did that for us. That is the faith we have in Jesus. Trusting in his work and not our own.
And so we are saved, not because of anything we have done, but we are saved for a purpose, for works.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)We aren’t saved by our works, but salvation produces work. God has prepared good things for us to do. He has saved us, and we don’t now just sit around feeling all smug and safe now that our guy has won the Life Olympics for us, no we are saved for something, and that is good actions to do for God and others.
I find it interesting that Paul then doesn’t expand on these good works we are to do, he doesn’t give a list, or instructions in how to do these good works, instead he sort of pivots, and talks about living in community. The next word in verse 11 is “therefor”. This makes me think, that because we are saved by faith, and have good works to do, we are to live in peace with fellow believers. As a church our good works is to be a new group of people, with no hostility between each other.
Community
So, in our next section we look at our new community. Here there is a destruction and a construction.Destruction
First Paul tells them again to remember the bad news. Remember that that those who were not Jews, which was probably most of them, were not included as citizens in Israel, they weren’t included in the covenant promises of GodBut now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13 NIV)Because of Jesus they have been brought near to all the blessings Israel received. Israel over time had been quite exclusive, and inward looking. They were trying to protect their culture and so set up a strong us vs them attitude and series of rules to exclude the other.
Of cause this was not God’s plan for the nation of Israel. From Abraham, all nations were to be blessed through him and his family. Israel was to be a come see religion, to show how He is a promise keeping, trustworthy God. God even sent Jonah to the Gentile city of Nineveh so they may avoid God’s judgement.
But as cultures and groups do, they built their identity on who they were and who they weren’t. The had a word for those who weren’t Jews, Gentiles, which is everyone else. They didn’t need any nuance, either you were from Israel or not, that was enough to know which box someone was in.
But now in Jesus, He is our peace between these two groups
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 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, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. (Ephesians 2:14–16 NIV)This dividing wall of hostility was destroyed so that these two groups could become one new group. Walls keep you safe from the other, they are helpful in separating one group out from another. Today, Israel and Egypt have a wall around Palestine, in the past Berlin had their wall. Jews and Gentiles had their walls keeping one group out from each other. They had rules and laws. And in the temple - God’s place on earth, they even had a wall telling Gentiles to keep out.
No stranger is to enter within the balustrade round the temple and enclosure. Whoever is caught will be himself responsible for his ensuing death.Imagine if in our new building we put up a sign that said, "any non-Anglican entering our new hall will only have themselves to blame for the bodily injures we may inflict on them". That would make the papers and probably the Human Rights Commission.
In Acts 21:27-29, Paul was even accused of breaking this rule of bringing a guy from Ephesus into the temple defiling the Holy Place.
But now that Jesus has come, he has made Jews and Gentiles a new humanity. Though the cross both are reconciled, or brought near to God. This was very radical, as both groups did not like each other.
We sometimes talk of the vertical and the horizontal in our relationships with God and others. Here, think of the cross. The vertical beam bough us in relationship with God, we were reconciled to Him, and the horizontal beam, brought us in relationship with each other, to be a new people group. There are no sub-sets within the church, we are now one, there is to be peace between us and each other and us and God.
So now, 2000 years later we get this, and society has now progressed so much that there are now no tensions between groups of people anymore. Right?
“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.” So begins the Communist Manifesto. It goes on to says “oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another”
From Marx the idea of society being a constant struggle between two groups resonated with people, and lots still agree with this premise. We may have moved on from the idea of class struggle, but today we see in society there are struggles between race and genders. Today we need to fight for our voices and people like us to representation us or a minority group society. It is the the government’s role to enforce quotes for different groups in the workforce, as the understanding goes those who are not like us are our oppressors. There are walls still up in society. We need to smash the patriarchy and break down the glass ceiling.
This thinking that society is a struggle between two groups came from Marx, to the Frankfurt School to Critical Theory. One of the architects of Critical Theory was Max Horkheimer, and a couple years before his death in an interview he said:
The purpose of this new group is for God to be present in His people. We are built on the teachings of the apostles and prophets, and with Jesus as the main big rock that the whole building joins on, we are joined together for the purpose of God to live in us. St Matt’s building program hasn’t ended, it is going on now.
While God is omnipresence, everywhere at all times, God dwells in particular in His new temple, in His community in a relational and transforming way by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps give us guidance, comfort and wisdom. He helps transform us more and more into the character of Christ, and this passage says it isn’t individual. It is together we are part of the same country, the same family, the same building. There are no sub-sets within the church. We are all in the same group.
Clement of Alexandria in the second century said Christians are a “new race’. Neighter Jews or Gentiles. So look around, we are all part of this new race, this new community. Because of the Gospel, we have been made alive, our sins are forgive and we are God’s new people, where He dwells in us.
Our community is to display the Gospel by our unity. This is one of the things Jesus prays for the church (John 17:23-24).
At almost every belonging I attend I hear great stories how people are welcomed and included into our community. Not a week goes by that I am trying to add someone into a Life Group, and not a week go by when I forget to contact everyone who wants to join.
We might not have Jew and Gentile divisions today, but are there still things that divide our church? Music can be a contentious issue. We divide our services over our preferences for different styles. We also divide our services for others reasons too, but what is our attitude towards those who disagree with us? Are we so convinced that our own view is right that we stop being nice? Are we thinking of the whole and of other’s need above ourselves, and not our personal preference? Do we think that our position is so obvious and correct that we don’t take the time to explain it clearly to those who hold a different position?
Remember we are now one people group. Through Christ, we both have access to the Father by the one Spirit (Eph 2:18). Lets be quick to listen and slow to speak and to become angry (Jam 1:19). We may not all agree on every issue, but as we are all being built together, are we happy to join with each other and be part of this spiritual building plan with other believers who disagree with us.
Do we want our leaders and those up the front to look more like us and not to be a different demographic or gender or race to us. Do we think, for some reason, if someone looks more like us they can represent our voice better? Just check your thinking on this, as you may be saying your end goal is for your sub-set is to be heard over another, when this passage says, there is no sub-set, we are one in Christ.
Let’s not buy into the idea that a society of people involves a constant struggle between two groups. Jesus has made peace with you and others by his blood.
This passage is saying the defining characteristic as individuals and as a community is one that is reconciled. Reconciled with God and each other.
So the people we need in our church, from everyone who sits down at the service to those who are on parish council, those who lead our small groups or services - are those who are reconciled with God and others. That is the defining thing we are to look for, those are the voices we want to represent us. If they look like us, sure whatever. Some of us live Northside, and some of us may send our kids to certain private schools. We are not uniform in everything we do, but do not let our disagreements divide us or cause us hostility, because we are now together, there is to be no struggle between groups because there is only one group. Instead, we are built to be the place where God is here on earth.
George Washington wrote a letter on 8 June 1783, to the different states of America. In it, he perhaps embellished the position their country was in. He said:
May you remember that you were by nature deserving of wrath and dead in your sins, but our loving and merciful God saved us and gave us new life. We are now at peace with Him and each other. Know who you are in God’s eyes, and now as reconciled people may there is no hostility between you and your fellow Christians. We are all being built together to be God’s dwelling place on earth.
“The critical theory which I conceived later [after Marx] is based on the idea that one cannot determine what is good, what a good, a free society would look like from within the society which we live in. We lack the means. But in our work, we can bring up the negative aspects of this society, which we want to change” Max Horkheimer on Critical Theory, 1969Don’t get me wrong, in our society it is good and right to seek diversity and inclusion. Bible passages like this has influenced our Western minds to think these are good things and change has come, not by revolution, but by those in power who used their position for the other. The powerful shouldn’t trample the weak. And it is true that there can be systematic problems in workplaces and cultures and church that we should help change. But the problem with Critical Theory is the idea of there being a constant struggle between two group and that there is no definition of what good is - or what their end goal or purpose is so we avoid the next struggle. It is all about tearing down and reshaping society with no goal in mind, which means yet another group can come and tear down and reshape when they feel oppressed.
Construction
And this passage says, in the church there is anther way for us to live. One of peace. Jesus’ blood has the power to bring groups together so that they can be one. Hostility can be brought down, but also there something that can be built up. There is not just a destruction but also construction in our passage. This means there there is a purpose and a goal. We know where we are heading.Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19–22 NIV)This new group that God makes through the blood of Christ are describes as citizens and a household and a building, and a temple for God to dwell in. The people in this group are in relational contact with each other and there is no struggle between the two past groups, for there is only one group now.
The purpose of this new group is for God to be present in His people. We are built on the teachings of the apostles and prophets, and with Jesus as the main big rock that the whole building joins on, we are joined together for the purpose of God to live in us. St Matt’s building program hasn’t ended, it is going on now.
While God is omnipresence, everywhere at all times, God dwells in particular in His new temple, in His community in a relational and transforming way by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps give us guidance, comfort and wisdom. He helps transform us more and more into the character of Christ, and this passage says it isn’t individual. It is together we are part of the same country, the same family, the same building. There are no sub-sets within the church. We are all in the same group.
Clement of Alexandria in the second century said Christians are a “new race’. Neighter Jews or Gentiles. So look around, we are all part of this new race, this new community. Because of the Gospel, we have been made alive, our sins are forgive and we are God’s new people, where He dwells in us.
Our community is to display the Gospel by our unity. This is one of the things Jesus prays for the church (John 17:23-24).
At almost every belonging I attend I hear great stories how people are welcomed and included into our community. Not a week goes by that I am trying to add someone into a Life Group, and not a week go by when I forget to contact everyone who wants to join.
We might not have Jew and Gentile divisions today, but are there still things that divide our church? Music can be a contentious issue. We divide our services over our preferences for different styles. We also divide our services for others reasons too, but what is our attitude towards those who disagree with us? Are we so convinced that our own view is right that we stop being nice? Are we thinking of the whole and of other’s need above ourselves, and not our personal preference? Do we think that our position is so obvious and correct that we don’t take the time to explain it clearly to those who hold a different position?
Remember we are now one people group. Through Christ, we both have access to the Father by the one Spirit (Eph 2:18). Lets be quick to listen and slow to speak and to become angry (Jam 1:19). We may not all agree on every issue, but as we are all being built together, are we happy to join with each other and be part of this spiritual building plan with other believers who disagree with us.
Do we want our leaders and those up the front to look more like us and not to be a different demographic or gender or race to us. Do we think, for some reason, if someone looks more like us they can represent our voice better? Just check your thinking on this, as you may be saying your end goal is for your sub-set is to be heard over another, when this passage says, there is no sub-set, we are one in Christ.
Let’s not buy into the idea that a society of people involves a constant struggle between two groups. Jesus has made peace with you and others by his blood.
This passage is saying the defining characteristic as individuals and as a community is one that is reconciled. Reconciled with God and each other.
So the people we need in our church, from everyone who sits down at the service to those who are on parish council, those who lead our small groups or services - are those who are reconciled with God and others. That is the defining thing we are to look for, those are the voices we want to represent us. If they look like us, sure whatever. Some of us live Northside, and some of us may send our kids to certain private schools. We are not uniform in everything we do, but do not let our disagreements divide us or cause us hostility, because we are now together, there is to be no struggle between groups because there is only one group. Instead, we are built to be the place where God is here on earth.
“The Citizens of America, placed in the most enviable condition...They are from this period to be considered as the Actors, on a most conspicuous Theatre, which seems to be peculiarly designated by Providence for the display of human greatness and felicity, … Heaven has crowned all its other blessings by giving a fairer opportunity for political happiness, than any other Nation has ever been favored with.” From George Washington to The States, 8 June 1783 (archives.gov),Washington saw the people of America as actors on the world stage, and their role was to show their greatness and the heavenly blessings they had received. I’m not sure that is true - but we as the church, are on the world stage and our role is to show the greatness not of ourselves, but of Jesus, for we do have a heavenly blessing, where we are raised with Christ.
May you remember that you were by nature deserving of wrath and dead in your sins, but our loving and merciful God saved us and gave us new life. We are now at peace with Him and each other. Know who you are in God’s eyes, and now as reconciled people may there is no hostility between you and your fellow Christians. We are all being built together to be God’s dwelling place on earth.
Let's pray:
Heavenly Father,
we thank you that you are a saving and loving God, who showed us mercy when we were dead in our sins. We thank you that you made us alive and because of your Son, we get the benefits He won for us.
Help us to keep remembering what you have done for us, so we can continue to marvel at your love for us. Help us to be united with each other, not trying to cause a struggle between two groups, but recognizing that we are now one together.
We thank you that we are now your dwelling place on earth. With your spirit, transform us, so that we will be a united community, showing love and care for each other and the world around us. Amen.
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