I know, starting with a super-long quotation is not the best writing strategy. And I know, I tend to skip reading the quoted Bible verses too. Resist the urge to skim, and savor this text:
“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; 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: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
“For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 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; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:11-22)
Aliens. Strangers. Hopeless. Godless. These are the words Paul used to describe anyone who was not a Jew. We had no provision to relate with God in any degree, utterly estranged in destitution. We had no divine law except what was written in our hearts, no revelation except what we saw in nature, no promises extended whatsoever. We had no words from God providing us with clarity of what He expected from us, and we had no chance of fulfilling His requirements. Peace with God? Peace with other people? No way.
And then there were the Jews. They had been given covenants of promise. These were the chosen of God: the people to whom He had revealed His law amid thunder and lightning on the holy mountain. They had His words, spoken through the mouths of prophets and seers. They knew precisely what He expected. They had peace with God, right?
Wrong. Revelation from God does not equal peace with God. And revelation from God did not produce peace with people “not like us.”
When Christ came, He had to break down the wall separating Jew from Gentile, to abolish the enmity germinated by the law that the Jews had and we did not. Christ came to make peace between Jew and Gentile by bringing us together in His own body.
But the reconciliation is not exclusively horizontal. Christ came to reconcile Jews and Gentiles alike to God. We were all estranged. We were all at enmity with God. We all required the work of another to slay that enmity and bring us in peace to the God we had offended.
Christ came to preach that offer of peace both to us who were far away and to them who were closer to truth. Being closer to God than their Gentile counterparts did not give the Jews peace, because they still needed the complete work of Christ just as we did.
The law given to the Jews did not provide them with access to God. It revealed their hopeless inability to fulfill God’s righteousness. The law, which was holy and good, became enmity toward God: they knew what God expected and failed to do it. They had the covenants of promise and broke them. We only have access to God, Jew and Gentile alike, through Christ and by the Spirit He has given.
Christ’s work on the cross is finished, so the enmity of the law is abolished. He grants us His Spirit so that we now can obey what God has commanded.
Christ was punished for our acts of rebellion so we can be at peace with God.
Christ has made us part of His own body so that we can be accepted in Him.
Christ has made us members of the household of God, sharing in the fellowship of the ones He has made holy.
Christ has established us as stones in the temple He is building, founded upon Himself as the cornerstone heralded by both prophets and apostles.
Christ is building us together in Himself to be a dwelling place of God through His Spirit.
So look at Christ. Consider what He has done. Remember who you were. Look at each other, and see how the Savior unites people from every category we can create. Salvation by grace through faith brings peace with God that gives us peace with each other, in Christ.
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:27-29)