Discovering Christ in Ephesians

We saw in our last discussion that we are saved by Grace through Faith, but this entire work is the Gift of God.

Whatsoever we have done, we are only walking in his predetermined will for us.

Then the apostle continues;

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands,” Ephesians 2:11.

“Wherefore remember….” the apostle intends to bring the Ephesians to a place of humility as he had declared before that they were without reason to boast, since their Salvation was entirely a free Gift of God’s Grace.

He reminds them of their former state. By them being called ‘uncircumcision’, it was a name used by the Jews referring to those who were not part of the covenants. They were dimmed a profane people by that title.

This circumcision made by hands refers to the carnal removal of the foreskin, which was a covenant rite foreshadowing the spiritual circumcision of the heart and spirit in the new creation in the day of the Christ.

It was a vital sign in those days, as those without it were those who were not partakers of the covenants of God, so were these Ephesians.

“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world,” Ephesians 2:12.

Before the arrival of Christ, before the door of faith was opened unto the Gentiles, we were totally destitute, aliens from the covenants of promise and totally without God in the world.

All we knew was sin. Even our good works were for self-righteousness.

Paul makes these statements to reveal to us the state of the unregenerate man. He desires to remove the idea of God just been an icing on the cake to a place of nothingness were God is all.

We were hopeless, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, absolutely nothing before the Almighty God.

“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ,” Ephesians 2:13.

O’ the blood. The hope of an hopeless me . The blood, the reconciling power of him that looks to Jesus.

We only come near by one door, and that is the door of the blood of Christ, even as we hear the apostle state that we were “made nigh by the blood of Christ….”

No amount of good works could bring us near. The blood was, is and will always be the only power that washes us, purifies us and brings us near to become partakers of the Commonwealth of Israel.

Partakers of the covenants of promise. Possessors of the living God as our very inheritance in Christ.

“For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us,” Ephesians 2:14.

Observe the statement. “For he is our peace….”

Peace is a person and not a feeling. Christ is the peace between the Jew and the Gentile. Christ is the peace between the sinner and an holy God. You and I are not the peace, for it is not found in us.

We may not feel that God is at peace with us, especially when we are not on our best behaviour, but it is not a feeling, it is knowing, it is a reality.

As long as Christ is in you God is always at peace with you. The war is over. Christ is the end of the warfare between God and man.

For through his blood “he hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us….” bringing us near and reconciling us to our God and father.

Before the shed blood, there was a wall of partition between the Jew and the gentile, even between us and God.

The Gentiles were not given the law and the Jews that had it could not meet up with its demands, hence, even the Jew with the law, though he felt superior to the Gentile could not break down this middle wall.

This is why we hear;

“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace,” Ephesians 2:15.

Please carefully observe this words “having ABOLISHED in his flesh The ENMITY….”

Abolished is past — tense and not present or future — tense. He is not going to abolish but has already abolished, cancelled, destroyed in his flesh the enmity by his death on the cross.

Enmity? What is this that was our enemy, a middle wall, a hindrance, our unfriendly disposition between God?

We hear “even the law of commandments contained in ordinances…”

The Law and all it’s Ordinances were the enmity between us and God. Because we could not meet up with the demands, it became a hindrance, even an enemy between us and God.

The Law hinders relationship between man and God. It never gave relationship but took it out of the way. The Law was never our friend, but our enemy before God.

Today a lot of people are fighting to maintain this in our Churches. It is a demonic deception. The Law is the enmity between man and God, even as it was an enemy between the Jew and Gentile.

But Christ is our peace, for he has removed and abolished this enmity, creating a new man, the new creation, where the Jew and the Gentile are both one and God and man united in Christ.

To bring back the law would be to seek to separate man from God and the Jew from the Gentile. This is not of God.

To seek to have peace with God by the works of the flesh is to altogether remove Christ and deny him of who he is, the peace of God, the unity of God and man.

Peace between God and man is realised by the blood of the cross and not by self-righteousness. It only comes by The Blood and not by works. To triumph over The Law, you must go to The Cross

“And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by The Cross, having slain the enmity thereby,” Ephesians 2:16.

You see, the enmity is slain, it is dead. We are dead to the law and all its requirements by the body of Jesus Christ. Our Lord has “slain the enmity” and our job is to keep it dead and not to revive it!

Only one body had power over the law, the sinless body of the Son of God slew the giant and gave us the victory of divine union.

Today we are not seeking to be united to God, but are already united, not seeking to be blessed by God but we are the heirs of God the creator and owner of all. Heirs of the divine being.

“The Lord Jesus did the work and came and preached peace unto us and not the law; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh,” Ephesians 2:17.

Observe carefully that it does not say he only came and preached to the Gentiles that were far off, but “and to them that were nigh….”

Even the Jew who seemed to be near through The Law was still far in God’s economy and was shown the way of peace, not by The Law he was under, but by the Person of Jesus.

The access point to God today is not through ordinances, we don’t have to run to a natural Jerusalem. We don’t have to worship at a designated mountain.

We don’t need the law to have access to God, The Jew and the Gentile alike; for there is only one access point;

“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father,” Ephesians 2:18.

You see, you do not need to observe laws and duties before you can have access to God, you do not need to do anything to deserve God. For he that is All is already in you, as your access and as your inheritance.

May the Lord open our eyes to see this.

Confession:

Father, I thank you for this great work of salvation.

Through the body and blood of Jesus, I am today unified with you.

Today I have Christ as my peace with my Father.

The middle wall of partition, the enmity, even the law has been abolished and taken away. I have free access unto you by Your Spirit in me. I am delivered from the bondage of The Law.

The mentality of a slave to a child of the living God, even one with you my dear father.

I proclaim, Christ is my Shalom, my perfect well-being, my all round prosperity!

O’ glory to you Jesus!

In an encounter with The LORD, I heard, “Dear Child, I AM the Fire upon your heart. Because you are dear to Me, and I have a good end for you in My Will, I AM burning away the dross over your heart.

I AM destroying the power of covetousness upon your heart until I truly remain your only desire even as you have ever desired.

Yes, there is My Fire, yes, it is hot, but I AM only refining you — purifying you for a greater yield.

Bringing you to a place where you shall boldly say, ‘The LORD is my helper, what can man do unto me’ for I AM with you and will never forsake you.

Therefore be glad — you have help.”

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The LORD is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me,” Hebrews 13:5-6.

 

 

Blessings in Christ,
~ Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church.

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Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua is the founder and lead pastor of Living Hill Christian Church headquartered in Nigeria, which has a vision to restore the earth with the gospel of God’s grace. Called to be a pastor, he functions in the Healing/ Prophetic/ Teaching/ Music and Writing Ministries. He releases Prophetic Words to encourage the body of Christ on the Church’s blog.

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