Grace Community Church
Big Idea: We stand with God when we lovingly cross lines and confront situations that encourage division and hate.
Ephesians 2:11-18 (NLT)
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. 14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
God's Commands in the Old Testament:
Leviticus 19:33-34 (NLT)
33 “Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. 34 Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:17 (HCSB)
“You must not harbor hatred against your brother. Rebuke your neighbor directly, and you will not incur guilt because of him.
Paul teaches the Ephesians that Jesus' work on the cross destroyed every wall and barrier of hatred once and for all.
Ephesians 2:15-16 (NLT)
15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
Ephesians 3:6 (NLT)
And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.
For My Personal Time With God This Week:
[#1] Reread Ephesians 2, as Paul confronts the wall of hostility and hate and proclaims that Jesus has torn it down with his body on the cross (v. 14). What do you think Paul means by this? What insights from this chapter can you apply to the modern-day hatred you see in the world around you?
[#2] Get a sampling for the hatred of the day from the Bible in John 4 (note vs. 9 & 27); Acts 10 (note v. 28); Acts 11 (note vs. 2,3,8,9,18); and Galatians 2:11-21 (note vs. 11-12). What do you see? How is it different from the prejudice and hatred we see in our culture today? How is it similar?
[#3] Read the story of Paul confronting hatred, and all that happened as a result, in Acts 21-26. What stands out to you about His obedience to God here? Could you have done what Paul did? Why/why not?
[#4] Take a few minutes to watch the videos about racial segregation in the United States, and the modern-day religious hatred in the ISIS videos by Michael Chang in the online sermon notes at gracetucson.org/bible. Better yet, watch them with a friend or family member and talk about them afterward, discussing what Christ might be asking of you.