And what a wonderful song. Just
praise in our King. Tonight's message is called,
Christ Our Peace. It's part of the Christ is serious
tale. Christ is our peace. Christ is our peace. Turn if
you would to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 11
to 17 is what we'll read. Scripture declares, wherefore
remember that ye, being in times past Gentiles in the flesh, so
Paul's writing to the church at Ephesus, who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision. So the Jews call the Gentiles
the uncircumcision. 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 make in peace, 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. To you, which were far off, and
to them that were nigh. Now peace, peace is something the world
often speaks of. Ever since I was a little boy,
Folks is always, they're always talking about peace. They're
always talking about peace, peace in the world and peace between
different countries. But it's an elusive thing. And there will always be war
in this world and there will always be violence in this world
because we live in a world of sins. But natural man doesn't think
that way. Natural man thinks that they can seek peace, that
they can somehow broker peace. And they may have to find peace
for a few years, and something will break out. And people will
be at it all over again. Nations desire peace during a
time of war. And thankfully, we live in a
peaceful nation. Thankfully, we do, as opposed
to others in this world. But we still have violence and
crime. in our nation, and we have that
because men are sinners by birth, nature, and choice. Now, the
Greek word for peace in the text here, I looked up the Greek word
for this. It's defined as this, peace,
concord. I had to look up the word concord.
It means harmony. Harmony. Harmony between individuals. Peace, concord, unity. A state
of national tranquility, quietness, rest. In Christianity, the tranquil
state of a soul assured of its salvation. We just sang, it is
well with my soul. Why can we sing it is well with
my soul? Because we know that Christ has paid for our sins.
We who are redeemed. In Christianity, the tranquil
state of the soul assured of its salvation through Christ.
And that's what believers in Christ have. We have an assurance
of salvation, not based upon anything we've done, but based
upon Christ and him alone. And so fearing nothing from God
and content with its earthly lot of whatsoever sort that is. So the believer no longer fears
the wrath of God and the justice of God because that was poured
out on Christ who was our substitute. on Calvary's cross. Now we have
a reverence for him. We have a reverence for our great
king, we do. But the fear of the Lord, remember what David
said to Mephibosheth? Fear not. And that's what God
says to us in Christ. Fear not, fear not. Now true peace only comes in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn if you would to Romans chapter
five. Do you know that we're justified
by faith and that that is a result of being justified by faith which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord? It's not our faith that saves
us, it's Christ that saves us. But we do have faith. God's people
have faith. It's a gift given to us by God
and that faith has an object who is Christ, Jesus our Lord.
It says though we're justified, therefore being justified by
faith, so you must believe. People who say they're going
to heaven but don't believe on Christ, they're deceived, beloved.
They're deceived because scripture says right here in Romans 5,
1, therefore being justified by faith, we have, look at that,
beloved, we have peace with God. How? Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you see how exclusive it is?
It's only through Christ. So from us reading that scripture,
we know that if someone says, well, salvation's in your baptism. No. The scripture declares that
salvation's only through the Lord Jesus Christ. They say,
well, salvation's in belonging to a certain church. No. No. It's only in and through the
Lord Jesus Christ. He's the only one I have peace in. If they
say salvation's in a decision you made, no. No. No, I was made
willing. I was made willing, and I fled
to Christ. Now I believe, because the scripture says here, right,
therefore being justified by faith, we believe, but that faith
is given to us. It's a gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast. And then it says, by whom we
have access by faith into this grace. So the only access to
the grace of God is how? In and through the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is why Paul penned us, therefore being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand. And we stand firm in what we
believe. He keeps us. We do stand too,
don't we? We stand. We won't have any other
gospel. We won't have any other savior.
There's only Christ in him alone. And then, and rejoice in the
hope of the glory of God. I ask you, do you not rejoice
in the glory of God in Christ Jesus our Lord? Yes. And that's a gift that's been
given to us. And the reason we can glory and
hope in God is because we have peace with God in and through
the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's go back to our text. Verses
13 and 14, our text proclaims this. But now, and remember,
at the first part of the chapter, Paul was, so there's a contrast,
I have to bring the context in here. There's a contrast here. Paul was saying we were dead
in trespasses and sins with no hope. And in verse four, but
God, who's rich in mercy, So the contrast here, now he's bringing
in the contrast of how we were dead in trespasses and sins,
but now in Christ Jesus. Now in Christ Jesus. Ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh. You're made nigh by the blood
of Christ. For he is our peace. What a statement. He is our peace. So remember
that very thing that's so elusive for the world? Christ is that
for us. For he is our peace who hath
made both one. Now think of this in the context
of this. He's made Jew and Gentile one. There was a separation in
the temple. The Gentiles could only go so
far. They couldn't go They could go
into the court of the Gentiles. I believe it was called but they
couldn't go any further There was a wall separation between
them and the Jews But it says here for he is our peace who
hath made both one And has broken down the middle wall of partition
between us And note in verse 14 it said
of Christ that he is our peace He's our peace. Beloved, we have
no peace with God. Without the Lord Jesus Christ,
you see how people are are have deceived themselves and and I
heard it again this week, I heard it again this week, and I know
people I know people, they just don't they we don't. We don't
want to admit that someone has perished in their sins. And and
I was talking to somebody this week and they're like, well,
they went to heaven. Now, I don't know where they're at, but as
far as I know, they they They, I don't know. No one goes to
hell in religion. But we know if we don't believe
on Christ, we don't go to heaven. We don't. I've told you all that
my dad, as far as I know, my dad perished in his sins. I don't
like to think about that, but it's a fact. As far as I know,
he never trusted Christ. But I have hope for my other
loved ones who are still alive. I have hope that maybe the Lord
will draw them. I hope and pray that he will. And I'm amazed
that he saved me. And I know it's so for all of
you, too. But he's the one who we have
peace with. Jesus Christ is our peace. He's our righteousness.
He's our life. For the believer, he's everything. And he's not only made peace
and proclaimed peace, beloved, but look at our text. He is our
peace. He's not only made it and proclaimed
it, but he is it. The only reason we have peace
with God is because of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the only
reason. The only the only difference
between me and my two brothers is Christ. Who made you to do? What do you
have that you didn't receive? The grace of God is incredible. It's incredible. Think of this,
too. He not only gives us life, both
physical and spiritual, But He is our life. He is our life. He not only gives us His righteousness,
but He's the Lord our righteousness. He is our peace with God, beloved. Now the word peace carries with
it an idea that a breach has been fixed. A breach has been
fixed. that perhaps there'd been a state
of peace existing before the breach came in to interrupt it.
And this is indeed the blessedness of the gospel, isn't it? And this is why, as we looked
on Wednesday night, the gospel is called in turn, if you would,
the second Corinthians, the gospel is called the ministry of reconciliation. There's been a breach. In Adam, we fell, beloved. We
fell. Now, when God first made man,
there was perfect love between God and Adam. Man was at peace
with God. They had sweet fellowship, didn't
they? We know that. Scripture declares that. With
one another, walking together in the garden. But when Adam
sinned, then the breach began. Look at 2 Corinthians 5 verses
17 to 21. Look at this. There is therefore, or therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are
passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. And all things are of God who
hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. There's a breach. But God's people are reconciled
to God by the Lord Jesus Christ. See, when we fell in Adam, when
Adam fell, we all fell in him. And hath given to us the ministry
of reconciliation. to wit that God was in Christ
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Salvation and forgiveness is
only in Christ. Now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ. We proclaim the gospel, don't
we? From this church, the gospel goes forth into the world. And
we pray that God would use it to save his lost sheep. We know
it won't return unto him void. It'll go out and it'll accomplish
exactly what he has decreed it to accomplish. But our hope is
that he uses it to draw lost sinners in and to build up his
sheep. Now then we are ambassadors for
Christ as though God did besiege you by us. We pray you in Christ's
deed be reconciled to God. That's the cry of the gospel
message. Be reconciled to God. Flee to
Christ. There's no hope outside of him. For he hath made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin. Our sins were imputed to the
sinless one, the Lamb of God. John cried,
behold, the Lamb of God. Behold, look to him, the sinless,
spotless one who bore the sins of his people on Calvary's cross. and who cried, it is finished. Peace with God. Peace with God
for his people. For he hath made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. We receive, see, do you see again
how his righteousness is imputed to us, but he is all our righteousness. He's the Lord our righteousness,
beloved. We might be made the righteousness
of God in him. As I said, when God made man
at first, there was perfect love, harmony. But oh, man fell. We fell in
on him. Therefore, we are born dead in
trespasses and sins. at enmity with God in our minds
by wicked works. Romans 8, 7 says this, because
the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be. Now think of what it just
said there, Romans 8, 7. Neither indeed can be. But yet
man thinks that God's at his whim. And that he can just walk
an aisle and make a decision. You will never come to Christ
unless God makes you willing. And when he does, you will run
to him. And every one of us who believe,
every one of us who believed on Christ will say amen. Because
that's what happened to us. Some of us have went through
different roads of religion and things and different things in
life. but all of us were made willing to flee to Christ. Oh my. So scripture declares
that man is naturally enemies of God with our will and with
our mind, and both are controlled by our nature. Now think of that. Man has a dead nature, comes
into this world, with no ability to flee to Christ, no ability
to come to God. The Holy Spirit regenerates a
believer in Christ. That which was impossible with
man is possible with God. He regenerates us. We're born
again of the Holy Spirit and we run to Christ. It's wonderful. Salvation is of the Lord. And
we preach the ministry of reconciliation, the ministry of reconciliation,
be reconciled to God. With that in mind, let's look
again at our text in verse 13, Ephesians 2, 13, look at this,
but now in Christ Jesus, you who who sometimes were far off
are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Now in Christ Jesus,
in the appointed time by God, in the appointed time by God,
you who were sometimes far off were bought to Christ, were bought
to Christ. How far off? How far off were we? Well, we
were far off by our natures, which was dead and trespasses
and sins, had no care for God or the things of We were far
off in our minds as we saw. Scripture declares that our minds
are enmity towards God. We were far off in our actions.
We were far off in our ways, which were governed and dictated
by our dead nature, by sin. Far off in our state of unregeneracy,
we were far off from God. We were far from his law. We
were far from any spiritual knowledge of him. We were far from any
fellowship with him. And we were far from the Lord
Jesus Christ. In the knowledge of his righteousness,
in the ways of salvation in and through him. But he was watching
us. He had his eye upon his sheep,
and he always does. And in the appointed time, in
the appointed time, the Lord Jesus Christ saved us. But now
in Christ Jesus, ye who were sometimes were far off are made
nigh by the blood of Christ. But now think of this being chosen
in Christ, redeemed in Christ, called to faith in Christ, becoming
believers in Christ, ye who are far off from all those things
we looked at, far off from Him, in our minds, in our ways, in
our deeds, are made one with God through the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We are sons of God, having boldness
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Christ. Turn, if
you would, to Hebrews chapter 10, Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10, now we have
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Christ, not based
upon anything of us, but all based upon Christ. Look at Hebrews
10 verses 19 to 22. Heaven, therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Christ. Hebrews
10, 19. By a new and living way, which
he has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his
flesh in heaven and high priest over the house of God, let us
draw near. with a true heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our
bodies washed with pure water. Near, so near to God, nearer
I cannot be, for in the person of his son I am as near as he. Look at the latter part of that
verse. It says are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Here
is the purchase price of our peace, beloved. Here is the purchase
price of our peace with God. Here is the purchase price of
our reconciliation with God. Here is the purchase price of
our redemption. Here is the purchased price of
the salvation of God's people, the precious blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. We're made nigh by the blood
of Christ. Verse 14 says, For he is our
peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle
wall of partition between us. Note, For he is our peace. Christ is our peace, the scriptures
declare. Beloved, he's the author of our
peace. He's the author of our peace between God. He's also
the peace between Jew and Gentile. Because they're all one in Christ
Jesus, our Lord. All the believers, whether they
be Jew or Gentile, all who believe on Christ are one. And Scripture
declares here, He is our peace. He is. He is. My, what a Savior we have. What a Redeemer. He's the author
of our peace. And He's also our peace. And
here we see the reason. for our peace with God. It's all in Christ Jesus our
Lord. It's all in Him. For He is our peace who hath
made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between us. All in Christ. Know that it's
all Him. For He is our peace. All wholly
done by Christ. and for his sake, beloved. Paul
is bringing us back to his original thought when he opened the epistle. Look, Ephesians 1, verses 4 to
6. He's bringing us back. He's bringing us back to the
original thought when he opened this epistle, that we are chosen
in Christ, adopted and predestinated to sonship in Christ. Look at
this. According as he hath chosen us
and him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise and the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Christ
is the author of our peace. He is the author of our peace.
He is our peace. And we are accepted in Christ,
in Christ and him alone. And it's all to the praise, all
to the praise of the glory of his grace. Now, think of this. We cannot make peace with God
on our own. We can't do it. Religion tries,
don't they? They try. They say, do this and
you have your gain favor with God. They're trying to gain peace
with God through their own works, but but man's man's works are
like filthy rags in the eyes of the Lord. Here have nothing
of it because Scripture declares that Christ is our peace. He's
the only one. He's the only one we have salvation
in. Christ is the only fit and proper
person to do this, because He is the sinless, spotless Lamb
of God, who fulfilled all that God demanded, and the law and
justice of God is satisfied, satisfied in Christ in the place
of His people. He alone has made a full satisfaction
of the law and justice of God, and He did it for us. He did
it for us. for every one of His elect. And
He did it to bring us to God, to reconcile us to God, to reconcile
us to Him. He'd broken down the middle wall
of petition between us. Notice it says in verse 15, having
abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in the ordinances, all the Old Testament law and
ordinances, pointed to Christ, beloved. They pointed to Him. You remember in Colossians we
saw that they were shadows, but He's the substance. They were
shadows, and He's the substance. They pointed right to Him. And
Ephesians 2.15 says, Heaven 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 make in peace." So Jew and
Gentile are one in Christ. And have we not saw that in our
study in Colossians? Turn if you would over to Colossians
chapter 3. Have we not saw that in our study
in Colossians? Look at verse 11 in Colossians
3. And he's speaking of the body
of Christ here. The new man in Christ, we're born again. Where there is neither Greek
nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor
free, but Christ is all and in all. There's no separation. There's no separation of nationalities,
of color, Nothing. We're one in Christ, beloved. All of God's left. So he has,
in our text here though, he has taken down the middle wall of
partition between the Jews and the Gentiles. And he's made in
himself one new man. Remember, he's the head and we're
the body. And look at this. So making peace. Peace there to get there it is
again, we saw in verse 14, for he is our peace and he's the
one who made it, he's the he is our peace and he's the one
who's made peace between us and God. And look at verse 60. And that
he might reconcile both on the God. In one body. by the cross. Ephesians 2.16,
having slain the enmity thereby. So when did he do this? When
he died upon the cross. And he might reconcile. He's
brought us back to God. We're reconciled with God in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven slain the enmity thereby. What was it that caused division
between us and God? Our sin, beloved. Praise God. Jesus paid it all. Paid everything. That's why we
can sing that song we sang. And oh, it was a joy to sing
that with you. It is well, it is well with my soul. And look at this, it says in
verse 17 and came and preached peace to you. The gospel comes
to us, doesn't it? In power. And the Holy Spirit
makes it effectual. And we're drawn to Christ. And came and preached peace to
you, which were far off, remember, we were far off in our minds,
we were far off in our works. We were far off in our deeds.
Oh, how far we were beloved in the wilderness of sin. With no
hope, but he came and preached peace to you. This is a seek and save. He seeks
his sheep. You see how the picture of sheep
and the shepherd is such a perfect picture of our Lord? Because
as I said, the sheep will be wandering off. I said that this
morning. The sheep will be wandering off. He won't care. He just wanders
off. And that shepherd comes and seeks you out. And that's
what he did for every one of us who believed. He sought us
out. My, it's wonderful. He bought
the gospel to us. I ask you, did you have a care
for Christ or the gospel before he saved you? What made you to differ? To hear the gospel, that one
can hear the gospel and the Lord saves, and another sitting beside
them can hear the same words and nothing happens. It's the grace of God in Christ,
beloved, who made you to do it. It says here, and came and preached
peace to you, peace. We preach peace, the ministry
of reconciliation when the gospel's proclaimed. To you, which were
afar, and to them that were nigh. The Lord Jesus Christ, is the
only one in whom we have peace. If we don't have Christ, we don't
have peace with God. But if we have Christ, we have
peace with God. Let us ponder that this week
as we go out into the world. God has blessed us in revealing
Christ to us. Glory to his name. Gracious Heavenly
Father, we come before thy throne with
grateful and thankful hearts. Thankful and grateful that you
sought us out. And Lord Jesus, we are thankful
that you are our peace because in and of ourselves, we can have
no peace with God. But Lord Jesus, you died on Calvary's
cross. Make reconciliation for us. And it's our sins that separated
us from God, but you paid the price that God demanded for our
sins. And we will be eternally grateful.
In Jesus' name, amen.