Our connection to God and to each other
Trevor Withers - 21st May - Ephesians 2 11-16
Our connection to God and our connection to each other.
Verse 11 'therefore' refers back to the previous passage. Means 'in the light of what has just been said'.
This group were non-Jews, gentiles or pagans, 'uncircumcised' was the Jews nickname for them. But Paul points out that a man-made mark affects the appearance only, the outside. But far more important is the inside, the heart, the spiritual not the physical. Verse 12b is where the Jews wanted to put the gentile believers.
BUT in Christ, the Jew and the gentile are in the same place in Jesus. Pagans can connect with Israel as if there was no separation. All can be included not shut out. Christ and no other has done this.
We are like the gentiles, we were separated from God, lost, but Jesus has made it possible to be reconnected to God. We are to love and accept others not just because Jesus says so but because he dwells in us.
The two are become one. Not the gentiles being brought up to the level of the Jews, but instead both are reshaped and made one. As if lead and silver were melted together and made gold. Is neither but is better than either.
There was lots of tension in the early church, imagine the arguments as getiles started joining the church. Paul says forget it all. 1 John says if you love God yet hate your brother you are a liar. Harsh words.
What is it in us that put in divisions between people. We put people in boxes, judge them. The Bible says we shouldn't judge. The hostility between gentiles and Jews was because they were judging each other instead of accepting each other as who God had created them. Greg Boyd book 'turning from judgement to the love of God' is helpful. Live out of the love God has put in our lives.
Verse 16 the hostility has been put to death, there should be no hostility between believers. Moreover, if we have a high view of God, and he created everything in it, then all people are created by God, their flaws and character is up to them but they are part of creation and we should love them. God created man and woman and it was very good.
We are ill equipped to judge where anybody else is. We may say we know somebody really well but God knows them better. Who are we to usurp God's position. How can we summarise somebody else who is fearfully and wonderfully made.
Idea from a book by Andy Crouch that if you disagree with a fellow Christian lock yourselves in a room and wrestle until you discover that you are one in Christ and can learn from each other.
Reconciled to God is an idea so well known to us that we miss the impact of it. Everyone on the same journey as us is also reconciled to God and so is one with us.
Pray for those amongst us who feel they are not reconciled to God.
Are there people with whom you never want to become one. They might as well be gentiles to you, there is such a gulf. Pray that your heart will be changed, it starts with you. If you're on the way to the temple ... go and seek the person out, take the initiative, with prayer to start with. | 
