1

Remembering Christ the Peacemaker

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by
those who call themselves the circumcision (that done in the body by the hands of men)
remember 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. But now in
Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For
he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall
of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose
was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to
reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came
and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through
him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Ephesians 2:11-18
How can we live in peace with one another and in peace with God?
After the fall, a great division entered the world. Adam hid from Eve, and they both hid from God. From that
moment Eve would always try to usurp her husband and the husband would try to dominate his wife (Gen
3:16). Sin caused separation between mankind and God and man. We now live in a world marked by
division. The world is full racism, classicism, ethnocentrism, elitism, agnosticism, atheism, and
many other views that separate.
However, in the midst of this darkness, God promised to send a seed that would crush the head of the
serpentSatanwho started the conflict in Genesis 3:15. This seed would reverse the division that was
in the world and bring unityhe would bring peace. Here in Ephesians 2:11-18, Paul emphasizes how
Christ is this peacemaker.
The major theme of this passage is peace as it is mentioned four times (14, 16, and in 17 twice).
When Christ was born on the earth, the angels announced, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace to men on whom his favor rests (Lk 2:14). Christ came to the earth to bring peace to men
peace with one another and with God. Therefore, the answer to the division in the world is Christthe
peacemaker.
Sadly, even those who know Christ are still often prone to division. Churches split, marriages
divorce, and believers harbor deep seated unforgiveness towards one another. How then can
believers actualize this peace that Christ brought? Moreover, Matthew 5:9 says, Blessed are the
peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. Those who have experienced Christs peace should be
people who bring peace to the world.
How can we live in peace and be those who bring peace? Paul teaches that we must remember what we
used to be and how Christ brought us peace so we wont go back to living in division. This seemed
to be a problem in Ephesus whose congregation was both Jew and Gentile. The Jews and the Gentiles
had conflict over culture and the deep seated animosity from their past. In this passage, Paul speaks to
these Christians struggling with division and reminds them of the peace Christ brought them. We often

2
must be reminded as well so we can live in peace instead of discord, which often similarly mars the
contemporary church.
Big Question: How does Christ provide peace for the world? How can believers continue to live in
peace with God and one another?

In Order to Have Peace, Believers Must Remember Their Sad State Before Christ
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by
those who call themselves the circumcision (that done in the body by the hands of men)
remember 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.
Ephesians 2:11-12
The first thing Paul does is call for the Gentiles to remember their former state before Christ. He gives six
characteristics of their pre-Christian life.
Observation Question: How did Paul characterize Gentiles before Christ?
1. The Gentiles had a hostile relationship with the Jews.
He said, Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by
those who call themselves the circumcision (that done in the body by the hands of men) (Eph 2:11).
The Jews called Gentiles uncircumcised as a racial slander. David called Goliath this before he slew
him. He called him an uncircumcised Philistine (1 Sam 17:26). Circumcision was the sign of Gods
covenant with the Jews to be a blessing to all nations (cf. Gen 12:3), which he originally gave to
Abraham (Gen 17:11). On the eighth day, Jews surgically removed the foreskin of their male childrens
reproductive organs.
Circumcision was always meant to represent an inward circumcision, a change of heart. Moses said this to
Israel in Deuteronomy 10:16, Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.
In fact, Paul said that to have a circumcised flesh and to not have a circumcised heart was uncircumcision
it counted for nothing. Romans 2:28-29 says,
A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and
physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by
the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.
Unfortunately, the Jews, who were called to be Gods priests to the world (Ex 19:6), hated the
Gentiles and ceased to do missional work. Instead, they despised the Gentiles and exalted themselves.
A good example of this is the story of Jonah. God called Jonah to preach repentance to the Ninevites, but
instead of speaking to them, he ran from God. And when he repented and did preach to the Ninevites, he
was angry at God for saving them.

3
The ancient division between Jews and Gentiles is comparable to blacks and whites in America during
slavery and immediately after. Its comparable to the war between the Shiites and Sunni Muslims. Some
commentators have said the enmity between Jews and Gentiles was the greatest racial and religious
difference the world has ever known.1 It was that deep-seated and there are still traces of it throughout
the world as seen in anti-Semitism.
William Barclay helps us understand this ancient hostility, especially on the Jewish side. He writes:
The Jew had an immense contempt for the Gentile. The Gentiles, said the Jews, were created by
God to be fuel for the fires of hell. God, they said, loves only Israel of all the nations that he
had made It was not even lawful to render help to a Gentile mother in her hour of sorest
need, for that would simply be to bring another Gentile into the world. Until Christ came, the
Gentiles were an object of contempt to the Jews. The barrier between them was absolute. If a
Jewish boy married a Gentile girl, or if a Jewish girl married a Gentile boy, the funeral of that
Jewish boy or girl was carried out. Such contact with a Gentile was the equivalent of death. 2
Paul called for the Gentiles to remember the great hostility they once had with their, now, Jewish brothers in
Christ.
2. Gentiles were without Christ.
Paul also said, remember that at that time you were separate from Christ (v. 12). How were they
separated from Christ? The promise of the messiah was given to Israel (cf. Gen 22:18). Most Gentiles
knew nothing of it. In fact, when Christ came to the earth, he came first to the loss sheep of Israel (Matt
15:24). The Gentiles were without a messiah.
3. The Gentiles were without citizenship in Israel.
The Gentiles were excluded from citizenship in Israel. Why did this matter? God gave the Jews his
commandments and his temple, where his presence dwelled. God gave Israel priests who were called
to minister before him day and night. In order to worship God, Gentiles had to become Jewish converts
like Ruth and Rahab, but even then, there were still excluded from many aspects of worship
because they lacked citizenship.
4. The Gentiles were without covenants.
When people disobeyed God at the tower of Babel, God chose to redeem the earth through a new way,
through Abraham. Therefore, God made covenants with his childrenIsrael. Consider what Paul said
about the Jews in Romans 9:4-5:
the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving
of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the
human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
1 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believers Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p.
1920). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2 Stott, J. R. W. (1979). Gods new society: the message of Ephesians (p. 91). Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press.

God made covenants with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and the nation of Israel. He promised to
give them a land, to give them a messiah, and to use them to spread the knowledge of God throughout the
earth. God said this through Jeremiah:
This is what the LORD says: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the
night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, then my covenant with David
my servantand my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before mecan be
broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne.
Jeremiah 33:20-21
The Gentiles had no such covenants. They were without them.
5. The Gentiles were without hope.
How were they without hope? John MacArthurs comments are helpful:
Most Gentiles of Pauls day either thought that death ended all existence or that it released the
spirit to wander aimlessly in some nether world throughout the rest of eternity. Death brought
only nothingness or everlasting despair. The Greek philosopher Diogenes said, I rejoice in sport in
my youth. Long enough will I lie beneath the earth bereft of life, voiceless as a stone, and shall leave
the sunlight which I love, good man though I am. Then shall I see nothing more. Rejoice, O my soul,
in thy youth. 3
Since there was no true hope in the afterlife, many lived for pleasure. Like Paul said, If the dead are not
raised, let us eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die (1 Cor 15:32).
Even those who worshiped the gods of the ancient world, instead of living in hope, they lived in fear.
Since the gods were made in the image of men, they were evil, jealous, lustful, and wicked. They often
warred with the people. It truly was a life without hope, even if they lived a religious life.
6. The Gentiles were without God.
As mentioned, most believed in many gods, however, they didnt believe in the true God. This speaks to
those today who believe that to worship Buddha, Allah, Yahweh, etc., is to worship the same God.
Scripture does not teach such a view. The pagans were polytheistic, and yet, they were without God.
There is only one Godthe God of the Scripture.
In fact, Scripture teaches that to worship other gods is a result of denying the true God. Romans 1:2123 says:
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but
their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be
wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to
look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
3 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 7374). Chicago: Moody Press.

The Gentiles were in discord with the Jews, without Christ, without citizenship, without the covenants,
without hope, and without God. And this was true for all of us, in one sense, as well. Apart from Christ,
our life was full of discord often with those not like us. We were without hope and without God.
Application Question: Why was it important for the Gentiles and us to remember our previous sad
state?
1. Remembering the past is important to remain thankful.
Many times we live unthankful lives because we have forgotten what we used to be and how God changed
us. Paul reminds them and us so that we can be thankful for gracefor Gods work through Christ. God
delivered us from lives full of division and unified us with God and one another. He gave us peace.
2. Remembering the past is important to never fall back into old patternsdiscord with one another
and distance from God.
Sadly, this was rampant in the early church, especially between Jews and Gentiles. In Galatians, even the
apostle Peter would at times still not eat with Gentiles because of pressure from other Jews (Gal 2:12).
In Romans 14, it seems that Jews and Gentiles were dividing over eating food offered to idols, the
practice of the Sabbath, and other ceremonies. In addition, in Acts 6 the Grecian Jewish widows were
being neglected by the Hebraic Jews in the daily distribution. There was even discord between Jews of
different cultures. This division continued to reap animosity and discord in the early church. No doubt,
some separated into totally Jewish congregations and totally Gentile congregations so there would be
no discord. But that wasnt Gods perfect will. As revealed next, God called for them to be one body. And
this is true for us today as well.
The church is meant to be multicultural, multiracial, multigender, etc., in order to bring glory to God. We
must remember what we came from so that we will not go back to living a life full of discord, anger,
and unforgiveness.
Christians who have forgotten their previous state and what God has done will be prone towards
racism, ethnocentrism, anger, and unforgiveness. We see this all the time. In fact, Sunday has often
been called the most divided day in the world. On Sundays all the races gather together in places
separate from one another to worship God. We must remember our previous state, so we wont go back
to the divisions the world is marked by and also so we can truly praise God for how he changed us.
Application Question: In what ways do we still see hostility between races, classes, genders, etc.,
dividing the Christian world today? In what ways were you delivered from this type of hostility
through Christ?

In Order to Have Peace, Believers Must Remember that Christ Brought Reconciliation
with One Another
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of
Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the

6
dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.
His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
Ephesians 2:13-15
Next, Paul addresses how Christ unified these two hostile people groupsthe Jews and the Gentiles.
Observation Question: How did Christ unify Jew and Gentile?
1. Christ brought unity by bringing Gentiles (and Jews) near God.
Paul says, But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near (v. 13). When he
says they were brought near, he was referring to near God. Unity was developed through both being
brought near God.
A great illustration of this is a triangle. At the peak is God and on the two sides are people. The closer we
get to God, the closer we will naturally get to one another. This was Christs method in unifying people; he
brought them closer to God.
And this is true for all divisiondivision in friendships, family, marriage, etc.the closer we get to God, the
closer and more unified we become with one another. However, the farther we get from God, the more
we will find division and discord in our lives.
In fact, this also works in reverse. If we are right with others, then we will naturally become closer to
God. Our horizontal relationships always reflect our vertical relationship and vice versa. Christ said
this in Matthew 5:23-24:
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something
against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then
come and offer your gift.
If we are in discord with others, we must first make those relationships right so we can properly worship
God. Our horizontal relationship affects our vertical and our vertical relationship affects our horizontal.
Are you in discord with anybody? Many times the answer to fixing that relationship is as simple as
drawing near God. In drawing near God, he changes your heart so you can better work for
reconciliation.
Are you distant from God? Many times the answer to fixing that relationship is drawing near others
having proper fellowship with his body. I have often found times of dryness in my spiritual life, simply
because I was not in proper fellowship. The more isolated we are from believersGods familythe more
we will find ourselves isolated from him.
2. Christ brought unity through his death for sin.
Paul said the way we were brought near God was through the blood of Christ (v. 13).The blood of
Christ is a euphemism (a mild expression substituted for a harsh one) for Christs death. Christ died

7
for the sins of the world. Romans 6:23 says, For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal
life.
If Christ was going to bring unity amongst people, he had to deal with the very thing that separated
them which was sin. Again, when man sinned in the Garden, it naturally brought separation both in human
relationships and our relationship with God. Therefore, Christ died for our sins, to deliver us from its
power so we could be unified.
Romans 6:6 says, For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be
done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. When Christ died for our sins, our old self
our sin naturedied with him. It died in the sense that the power of sin was broken over us.
The root of division is sinour pride, our selfishness, our insecurity, our anger, our jealousy, our envy, etc.
We argue and fight because we want our own way. But through Christs death, believers are now no
longer bound to follow sinful urges that result in discord.
Are you in discord? What way is God calling you to practically live out your death to sin? In Romans
6:11, Paul says, Therefore, reckon yourself dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Humble
yourself, reckon your pride dead. Reckon your anger dead. One person said, Dead people dont get
offended. Stop living in that old nature since Christ set you free from it. It died on the cross with Christ,
and you must reckon it so.
3. Christ brought unity by becoming our peace.
Ephesians 2:14 says, For he himself is our peace. It must be noted that Christ did not simply bring peace,
he became our peace. John MacArthur shared this story about World War II to illustrate how Christ is our
peace.
During World War II a group of American soldiers was exchanging fire with some Germans
who occupied a farm house. The family who lived in the house had run to the barn for protection.
Suddenly their little threeyearold daughter became frightened and ran out into the field between the
two groups of soldiers. When they saw the little girl, both sides immediately ceased firing until
she was safe. A little child brought peace, brief as it was, as almost nothing else could have done. 4
Similarly, Jesus Christ came to the earth as a babe so that he could bring peace between those
warring and divided. However, his peace is not temporary; it is an eternal peace. Christ became peace for
us. And therefore, he must be the reason we labor for peace in our relationships. Consider what Paul
said in Philippians 4:2 to two ladies that were fighting in that congregation: I plead with Euodia and I plead
with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.
How were they supposed to work things out? They needed to agree with each other in the Lord. They
needed to resolve their conflict on the basis of Christ having brought peace. They needed to resolve
their conflict on the basis of the character of Christ. They needed to resolve their conflict by being like
Christthe one who humbled himself to serve and unify others. This is true for us as well. Christ is our
peace.
4 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 76). Chicago: Moody Press.

4. Christ brought unity by abolishing the Mosaic law that separated Jews and Gentiles.
Ephesians 2:14-15 says this: For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed
the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and
regulations.
The very thing that divided the Jews and Gentiles was the Mosaic law given by God to the Jews. In this law,
the Jews were called to be separate. They were not allowed to intermarry with other nations. They had to
wear different clothes and eat different foods. However, Gods purpose in the Jews being separate was
so they would not be contaminated by the sinful culture of the pagan nations. The hope was that
the pagans would notice how righteous the Jews were and be drawn to God (cf. Deut 4:6-8). The law
commanded separation for this purpose.
In fact, the temple itself had several courts. East of the temple was the Court of Priests, then the Court
of Jewsfor laymen, then the Court of Women, and then the Court of Gentiles. And between Court of
Gentiles and rest of the temple was a wall with inscriptions in Greek and Latin saying this: No
foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is
caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death. 5
It was this wall that the Jews thought Paul and his Gentile friend, Trophimus, crossed, when they
attacked and threatened to kill Paul, leading to his first imprisonment (Acts 21:28-31).
However, Christ abolished, literally annulled, the regulations in the Jewish law so that believers are no
longer under the Mosaic law, which commanded separation between Jew and Gentile.
Interpretation Question: In what ways did Christ abolish the law?

Christ abolished the law by paying the penalty for our sins. Romans 6:23 says, For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ abolished the law by fulfilling the righteousness that we could not fulfill. Second
Corinthians 5:21 says, He who knew so sin became sin for us that we might become the
righteousness of God. He fulfilled the perfect righteousness, which we could never fulfill.

Christ abolished the law by his death and our death with him delivering us from the governance
of the law.

Romans 7:1-4 says,

Do you not know, brothersfor I am speaking to men who know the lawthat the law has authority
over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband
as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she
marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband
dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man. So,

5 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 2324). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

9
my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to
him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
Paul compares our union to Christ to ones union in marriage. When one spouse dies, the other is free
to remarry; they are no longer bound to the law of marriage. In the same way, we died with Christ on the
cross, and therefore our previous marriage to the law was broken. We are now married to Christ and called
to submit to him instead of the law. In fact, Paul later says as believers, though we are not under the
Mosaic law, we are under the law of Christ. First Corinthians 9:21 says, To those not having the law I
became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as
to win those not having the law.
The law of Christ is Christs teachings in the New Covenant (i.e. the New Testament) and through his
apostles. Many of the teachings in the New Covenant are the same as the Old Covenant. Do not lie, do not
steal, do not cheat, etc.; however, the governance is different. Its like being punished by Korean law
while residing there instead of the United States. Now we are married to Christ and under his
governance and not that of the law. And it should be noted that many teachings are different under
Christs law. For instance, under the New Covenant, we are not under food laws, the Sabbath day,
etc.
Christ destroyed the law so we could be united as one. The Jew is not nearer to God than the Gentile.
We are all on equal standing in the New Covenant. Colossians 3:11 says, Here there is no Greek or Jew,
circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
5. Christ brought unity by creating a new man.
Ephesians 2:15 says this, His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making
peace. Christ brought unity by creating something newa new race. Kent Hughes illustration and
comments on this are helpful:
Bishop John Reed tells about driving a school bus in Australia which carried whites and
aborigines. Tired of all the squabbling, one day far out in the country he pulled over to the side of the
road and said to the white boys, What color are you? White. He told them, No, you are green.
Anyone who rides in my bus is green. Now, what color are you? The white boys replied, Green. Then
he went to the aborigines and said, What color are you? Black. No, you are green. Anyone who
rides on my bus is green. All the aborigines answered that they were green. The situation seemed
resolved until, several miles down the road, he heard a boy in the back of the bus announce, All right,
light green on this side, dark green on that side.
Bishop Reed had the right idea. What was needed was a new race, the greens, but he
couldnt pull it off! Our text says that Jesus created a new man, a new humanity, a new race.6
In the New Covenant, a Gentile does not have to become a Jew to worship God and a Jew doesnt
have to become a Gentile. When we are saved, God essentially erases the racial and ethnic barriers
that divide us, as we are united in the church. We are not black, white, Jew, Gentile, Asian, African, or
any other race. We are part of the church, citizens of heaven on the earth (Phil 3:20). It is for this reason
6 Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (pp. 9293). Wheaton, IL: Crossway
Books.

10
that churches should not be divided among racial, social, or economic classesfor we are all one
in Christ. Galatians 3:28 says, There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you
are all one in Christ Jesus.
Christ united us by drawing us near God, by breaking the power of sin in his death, by becoming our
peace, by removing the barrier of the Mosaic law, and by making us a new peoplea new race.
Therefore, we must labor to keep the unity God has given us.
Application Question: How should we as Christians seek to apply Christs work of unifying people
in our lives, our churches, and our nations?

In Order to Have Peace, Believers Must Remember that Christ Brought Reconciliation
with God
and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death
their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who
were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Ephesians 2:16-18
Finally, Paul talks about how Christ reconciled both, Jew and Gentile, to God through the cross. To
reconcile means to renew a friendship. Christ did this in many ways.
Observation Question: In what ways did Christ reconcile both Jew and Gentile believers to God?
1. Christ reconciled believers to God through his death.
Hebrews 12:14 says, Without holiness no one will see God. Holiness has to do with separation from
sin but also righteousness. And Christ did both in his death. He sanctified us by taking our sin and
giving us his righteousness. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, He who knew no sin became sin for us that
we might become the righteousness of God.
Christ reconciled both Jew and Gentile to God through the cross. Romans 5:1 says this, Therefore, since
we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The word
justified means to declare righteous. Because of Christs death, God declared men righteous so we
could have a peaceful relationship with him through Christ.
2. Christ reconciled believers to God through the preaching the gospel of peace.
The Greek word for preached is euangeliz, and it literally means to bring or announce good news,
and is almost always used in the New Testament of proclaiming the gospel, the good news of
salvation through Jesus Christ. 7 It is the same term we get the English words evangelize, evangelist, and
evangelical.
Since this preaching happened after the cross, it does not primarily refer to his public ministry but to
his post-resurrection ministry. When Christ appeared to his apostles, he said, Peace be with you (John
7 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 79). Chicago: Moody Press.

11
20:19, 20). This also probably refers to Christs gospel ministry through the apostles and subsequent
generations of Christians. Jesus is still preaching today through his followers. It is wonderful to consider
that when Christians preach the gospel today that Christ is preaching through them. Paul said this in
Romans 10:15, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings
of good things! (KJV).
Do you have beautiful feet? Are you allowing Christ to preach through you and reconcile people to God?
3. Christ reconciled believers to God by giving them access by one Spirit.
Ephesians 2:18 says, For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. One cannot but
notice the Trinitarian work involved in this reconciliation. Christ gives Jew and Gentile access to God
by the Holy Spirit. John MacArthurs comments are helpful in considering the word access. He says:
Prosagg (access) is used only three times in the New Testament, in each case referring to the
believers access to God (see also Rom. 5:2; Eph. 3:12). In ancient times a related word was used
to describe the court official who introduced persons to the king. They gave access to the
monarch. The term itself carries the idea not of possessing access in our own right but of being
granted the right to come to God with boldness, knowing we will be welcomed.8
Sometimes we think of Christ as once and for all giving us access to God through the cross, but
biblically we still go through Christ in approaching God. Hebrews 13:5 says this: Through Jesus,
therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praisethe fruit of lips that confess his name.
In the Old Testament, the priest and the people of Israel could only approach God through the blood of
the lamb. Every year this lamb was sacrificed so the people could approach God and be accepted by him.
It is the same for us, except our lamb was slain once and for all for the sins of the world, and every
time we enter into his presence, God sees the perfect sacrifice and righteous life of the Lamb of
God. It is for this reason that we have access.
In fact, this somewhat reflects Christs teaching in John 10:1-14 about being the Good Shepherd and
being the doorway to the sheep. John 10:9 says, I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be
saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. In John 10:11 he says, I am the good shepherd. The
good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. It almost seems like he was mixing metaphors, but he was
not. The Palestinian shepherd would gather all the sheep into the pen at night or erect a temporary
fence leaving a narrow opening for a door. Then the shepherd would lay across the narrow opening as
the door to the pen.9 Christ, the Good Shepherd, is still the door way to God, not just for salvation,
but daily. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Therefore believers should approach the
throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of
need (Heb 4:16).
And it is by the Holy Spirit that we continually approach God. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts to
draw us near God and to seek his face. Romans 8:15 says, For you did not receive a spirit that makes
you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father.
8 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 80). Chicago: Moody Press.
9 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 80). Chicago: Moody Press.

12

Are you still drawing near God? Christ paved the way for us to have continual access to God. God
gave us the Holy Spirit to encourage us and draw into his presence. The Holy Spirit enables us to cry
out Abba, FatherDaddy Dearest.
Why is this important?
Sometimes Christians think they are unworthy to come into Gods presence because of some
failure or sin. However, we could never be accepted because of our righteousness. We werent saved
because of our righteousness, and it is not our current righteousness that gives us access to God.
It is still Christ.
We are not accepted because we did our devotions in the morning and went to church on Sunday. We are
always accepted because of the righteous life of the lamb imparted upon us. Christ is still our doorway;
he is our public official that brings into the court of God. Therefore, we can always come with
boldness. We are righteous in Christ and accepted because of him.
Therefore, let us allow the Holy Spirit to draw us to seek Gods face, draw us to serve God, and draw us
to cry out, Abba, Father, Daddy Dearest. Thank you, Lord.
Christ removed the hostility between us and God and reconciled us to the Father. He is truly the seed that
would crush the head of the serpent and make all things right (Gen 3:15). He is our peacemaker.
Application Question: How has Christ been challenging you to more effectively share his gospel of
peace with others? Describe your experience in evangelism. How has the Holy Spirit been drawing
you to deeper intimacy with God?

Conclusion
How can we maintain the peace Christ, our peacemaker, has given us with one another and also with God?
Simply said, Believers must remember and not forget.
1. In Order to Have Peace, Believers Must Remember Their Sad State Before Christ
2. In Order to Have Peace, Believers Must Remember that Christ Brought Reconciliation with One
Another
3. In Order to Have Peace, Believers Must Remember that Christ Brought Reconciliation with God.
Have you forgotten? Or are you remembering so you can live in peace and help bring peace to others?