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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (14-1-1996 Guisborough Evangelical Church)
Now the apostle deals with the social effect of the
Gospel. It breaks down social and racial divisions. Jews and Gentiles had swords
drawn against each other for centuries – now could be redeemed in Christ,
united and reconciled, brought into family of God with all old hatreds put away
– because they were saved by Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2 v11-22 is one
glorious whole, but too much for one sermon. Going to concentrate on v12-13
where Paul reminds his readers who were Gentiles where they used to be and what
God has done for them through His Son and His death on the Cross. Once without
God and hope – an appalling state and condition. Then God brought them near to
Himself, all because Christ died for them.
Emphasis – very up to date message. Everyone of us is either without God, or else brought near to God. It depends on our response to God’s mercy in Christ.
Paul makes five very serious and very disturbing
statements about the condition of those people before they became Christians. It
is good for us to be reminded of these things so that we appreciate and rejoice
in our salvation. It helps us to realize what we owe to Christ. Also helps us
realize the condition of those to whom we witness.
Need to be reminded that these
words were not just true of church members in Ephesus 2000 years ago. Men and
women are essentially the same in every generation, and the description and
warning and indictment remains unchanged.
Separate from Christ.
Outside of Christ. Not in fellowship with Christ. No relationship to Christ. The
first principle and one thing that matters in this life and in this world is to
be related to God in Christ. No more serious or dangerous condition to be in
than to be outside of Him. No Christ means no forgiveness, no salvation, no
eternal life, exposed to God’s condemnation.
Eternal destiny hangs on this.
Must know where we are – inside or outside of Christ. This is not just theory,
but actual fact and experience.
Excluded from citizenship in
Israel. Israel were God’s own people in Old Testament times. They had
special relationship to Him. They were set apart for Himself. He had special
interest, care and love for them. They were His covenant people. Today the
Christian church is the modern equivalent. The non-Christian does not belong to
the people of God, feels strange in a Christian service, does not understand the
preaching of the Word, or bitterly resents it, his lifestyle is very different
from that of the Christian.
Foreigners to the covenants
of the promise. God made many
promises and entered into covenants with men and with nation of Israel in Old
Testament. Promises of blessing, to be their God, to never let them go. But the
Gentiles were strangers to all this. And we, before we became Christians, were
strangers to these promises. They meant nothing, and reading the Bible did not
move us or speak to us. It was gibberish and jargon, and totally irrelevant to
everyday life.
Without hope. Outside of
Christ we have no hope. No hope in this life, and absolutely nothing in the
world to come. The leading thinkers in the world are pessimists, the greatest
works of Shakespeare are tragedies, all religions apart from Christianity are
pessimistic. And so many people, when you get below the surface, are alone,
empty, at rock bottom. “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” finds echoes in
hearts of so many whose lives are full of nothing but noise and clatter. After
death, what prospects? What assurance? Nothing is certain for them.
“Men
die in darkness at your side,
Without
a hope to clear the tomb” Horatius Bonar
They may laugh at Christians in churches as fools, but
the Christian has hope and freedom.
Without God. The first
readers of this epistle believed in a whole host of gods. They may have believed
in the one true God’s existence – but did not know Him personally, did not
enjoy Him, had no fellowship with Him. So they lived without all the help and
peace which comes to those who belong to Him. They had to face life, with all
its burdens, worries, blows, sorrows and disappointments, and then face its end
and eternity in utter desolation and isolation. They would get nothing.
The Psalmist’s words
eloquently describe life with God. Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me (Psalm 27:10); Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me (Psalm
23:4); The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord
is the stronghold of my life (Psalm 27:1); I call as my heart grows
faint: lead me to the rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2). The person
living without Christ does not have these comforts and confidences. Paul
witnessed to the same at his first trial: No one came to my support.. but the
Lord stood at my side and gave me strength (2 Timothy 4:16-17). The writer
to the Hebrews reminds us: God has said ‘Never will I leave you, never will
I forsake you’. So we say with confidence ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not
be afraid. What can man do to me?’ (Hebrews 13:5-6).
The non-Christian is to be pitied, see what he is missing out on – without Christ, without belonging to the people of God, without His gracious promises of blessing, without hope and without God. It does not matter about success, money, fame, things which are superficial and will not last much longer. The real issue is whether or not we have God.
But now you have been brought
near. Against that awful backdrop of what they once were, what glorious
light breaks in, we are brought near. Status is completely changed. Far off
once, but now brought near. In Old Testament, God and his people were “near”
to each other (Deuteronomy 4:7; Psalm 148:14).
Belonging to Christ. Belonging
to the people of God. In covenant relationship with God. Full of hope and
assurance. Belonging to God for time and eternity. Now able to go into presence
of God. No distance or gulf. Reconciled to God. Peace with God through the Lord
Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). In His family. His wrath and condemnation are
replaced by blessing. Can look into His face and call Him “Father”. Be in
unbreakable covenant relationship with Him. Know Him, know you are His child.
Your sins and iniquities He remembers no more (Hebrews 8:10-12). Know Him
personally and intimately. Whatever condition and dread experience – Come
boldly before the throne of grace
that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews
4:16). In touch with Him at any time of day or night and whatever condition you
may be in. Assurance of God’s love and care – even the hairs of your head
are numbered. God takes a personal interest, has a plan for your life, knows all
about us, deeply concerned for us. And if we are in His will, we receive His
blessing. His will is good, acceptable and perfect. Loved with an everlasting
love, joy unspeakable, and full of glory, peace which passes all understanding.
Pray with confidence and
boldness, knowing you are heard, accepted, welcomed and loved. Future – death
and beyond. I will fear no evil (Psalm 23), to die is gain. To be with
Christ, which is far better (Philippians 1:21,23). Spending eternity in His
glorious presence. God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will
be no more death, neither sorrow, neither any more pain. Former things are
passed away (Revelation 21:4).
Nothing shows the sharp and absolute contrast between the Christian and the non Christian more than this. Clear and definite. In Christ or out of Christ. Alive or dead. Saved or lost. Accepted or rejected. Heaven or hell. Nothing so demonstrates the greatness of salvation, and the glory and privilege of being a Christian. Do you rejoice in this salvation? Does being a Christian mean more to you than anything else in life? More than job, possessions, loved ones, prospects, home?
Answer - the Blood of Christ. Seems a surprising thing – that our
state of being far off can be changed to being near all because of what Christ
did on the Cross 2000 years ago. So step back to earlier question. What has had
to be removed so that those who were far off can be brought near? We face a grim
and disturbing fact which few ever bring into consideration. Human sin – human
rebellion against God, resulting in guilt and condemnation, and God’s just
reaction to that sin which the Bible calls His wrath and judgement. Unless we
begin here, talk of the blood of Christ is meaningless.
Our sins which separate us from
God ensure we are far off, out of His presence and away from blessing and
nearness. They rob us of hope and cloud over whole of life. What can take away
that sin, remove condemnation, cause God to lift His just wrath? Here we come
right to heart and centre of Christian Gospel.
First thing the blood of Christ
tells us is that some one must do something for us that we cannot do for
ourselves. Nothing we can do could possibly commend us to God. Goodness and
moral life or religious practices cannot – despite what millions believe to
the contrary – remove that stain and danger.
Philanthropic activity, reverence for life, making great sacrifices,
religious practices and ceremonies do not make the slightest difference to our
predicament. Cannot be our own saviour – though millions believe think they
can.
The blood of Christ does not begin to make the slightest
sense while we have any confidence in self and do not realize we are quite
helpless in the situation. Only when we come to the point where we ask “How
can I get into the presence of God? I cannot do it in and of myself” – that
we can become “brought near” or “made nigh”.
egenhqhte
Aorist passive. Not what you can do but something which was done to you.
Another must act for you. We need a mediator. Someone to go between us and God.
Do something for us and change whole situation. Therefore can go from being far
off to being brought nigh.
Here is very core of Christian
message. God who so hates and loathes sin because it is so detestable and
offensive, amazingly still loves us. Given Son. Sent Him into world. To deal
with problem keeping us far off and preventing us from coming near. Justice
insists that sin be dealt with and punishment exacted. And in great love, our
sins have been put on Christ, imputed to Christ. In God’s reckoning they were
transferred from us to the Son and borne by Him. He bore the penalty. The
wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), i.e. separation from God, being
abandoned by Him as He cried My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew
27:46).
“Blood” speaks of Christ’s
death. Life poured out in death. He did not need to die but did so that we who
were far off might be brought near. Justice was satisfied, punishment was borne
and so those who were far off are brought near. Forgiven, in God’s family,
part of God’s covenant people, reconciled, brought home.
“Blood” speaks of a
sacrificial death. When the Lord
laid on Him our iniquities, He was made sin that we who are far off might be
brought near. I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father but by me (John 14:6). Brought near, not by teaching or example,
important as they are in their place, but by His death in our place, bearing our
punishment. He instituted the Lord’s Supper with broken bread and poured out
wine as perpetual reminder that His death was only way to God, the only way to
be brought near. We so easily forget, so this perpetual reminder was given to
us.
Punishment for sin must be meted
out or God would no longer be just and holy. But such is His compassion on
rebels in helpless plight that He took it all on Himself in the person of His
Son. Bore penalty of own Law.
“Your debts He has paid
And
your work He has done”
He came to taste death for every man (Hebrews 2:9). This
was God’s way of salvation. In Christ and by His death. He died that we should
not die eternally. He was smitten that we should not be smitten. He was banished
and separated from God that we who were far off might be brought bear. This is
why He died and why His blood was shed.
Before I draw near to God, something has to be done about my sins, and I can do nothing. My only hope is in the one who died for me, who bore the punishment that should have been mine. The barrier was then taken out of the way that I might draw near to God.
Where are we? Either far off or near. In the family of
God or out of it. Outside the door or inside. How can I draw near? Confess my
condition – that I am far off and will remain like that eternally unless
something is done. Recognize that Christ has died to take away the barrier. Ask
Him to deal with my case, save me, bring me near, give me eternal life. Trust
myself to Him to save me.
If you are still talking about how you are good enough, then you are still far off. Must not rely on yourself in any shape or form. But own up to sin, trust yourself to Him who died and paid for your sins, trust self to Him and solely on Him. Then be assured that you are brought nigh, accepted by God, and are His forever.
