Turning again to Ephesians chapter
2, and I want to revisit for just a moment verse 10, and then
we'll work our way down to verse 17 or 18 if we get that far.
Let's read verse 10 again. For we are His workmanship. Believers in Christ Jesus, they
are what they are by His sovereign grace. We are His workmanship. We are created in Christ Jesus. He's made us new creatures in
Him. Created in Christ Jesus unto,
unto, not rebellion, unto, created unto, in Christ
Jesus, unto good works which God hath before ordained. God has ordained these good works
that we should walk in them, live in them. Now oftentimes
when we plainly declare that salvation, salvation in Christ
Jesus is all of grace through Christ alone, faith alone, but
oftentimes when we plainly declare the gospel of God's grace, the
enemies of the gospel, unbelievers, would accuse us of promoting
careless living or what they call licentiousness or a licentious
life, which simply means unchecked morality or unbridled morality. But nothing's further from the
truth. I've heard this said more than once. This has been thrown
at me against those who are haters of God's grace. When we strongly
preach that salvation is all of God's grace, and it is, but
the unbeliever and those who are opposers to the gospel of
God's grace. I've heard them say this more
than one time, well, they would say, well, I believe that salvation
is just all on God and all in Christ and it's grace alone. They would say, well, if I believed
that, that grace stuff, I'd live like the devil. I've heard that
said. But my friend, Nothing's further
from the truth. My friend, God calls His people
out of darkness and ignorance to live for His glory, to walk
in a way honoring to God and His gospel. Believers are created
anew in Christ Jesus. Their heart's been changed. Their
motives are different. Their desires are set on things
above. As we read earlier, they are
zealous of good works. not as the ground of salvation,
never as the cause of salvation, but certainly as the product
of being saved, the product and the fruit of God's grace within
us. God's people certainly are zealous
of good works, and those who are saved by grace, they have,
as Paul said, set their affection on things above, not on the things
of this earth. Now, clearly we're not saved
by good works. That's clear, isn't it? Not of
work, lest any man should boast. Saved by grace alone. Saved by
mercy alone in Christ Jesus. Not saved by good works, but
rather what it says there, unto good works. Now, I'm not opposed
to good works. As the fruit and evidence of
salvation, never the cause, ground, or reason of salvation. This too, as it says there in
verse 10, this too is ordained of God. This too is purposed
of God. The preparation of them, the
performance of them are both of the Lord. They're of the Lord. Now, turn to Philippians chapter
2 and look at this with me. Philippians chapter 2. It says
in verse 13, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and
to do of His good pleasure. Now how can anything I do and
anything I be connected with called, how can anything I do
or anything that I'm connected with be called good? Because
I'm a sinner. It's only good as God's ordained
it and it's only good as it's washed in the blood of Christ
and presented unto God. And He gets the glory for this,
not us. God has ordained this. God has
prepared this. Old John Gill said this, Predestination
is not according to good works, since good works are the fruit
and effects of predestinating grace. And that's so. Now, let's
move on to verse 11. Wherefore, he says, he puts them
in a mindset to remember, to remember, to remember, Remember
that you being in time past Gentiles Dogs That's what he's talking
about Gentile dogs in the flesh in the flesh Gentile in the flesh
Who were called by the religious people? ungodly uncircumcised
By that which is called circumcision in the flesh made by hand and
this is referring to Jew and Gentile Remember that in time
past what we were by nature. Remember in this same chapter,
verse 2, wherein in time past you walked according to the course
of the world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
that spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
verse 3, among whom also we all had our conversation, our conduct
in time past in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh, of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath,
even as others, that at that time, before you learned the
gospel, before God saved you by His grace, before God revealed
the gospel unto you, remember that you being in time past Gentiles
in the flesh, nothing but flesh, that which is born of the flesh,
that's just what it is, flesh, sinful, sinful flesh. Not only in regard to nation
and country, referring to these believers in Ephesus, but also
to us. Not only in regard to nation
and country, but also when state and condition before God in the
flesh, dead in sin, dead in trespasses and in sin. It says in Romans
8, 8, they that are in the flesh, they who are in the flesh cannot
please God, cannot please God. He says here, uncircumcised in
heart, uncircumcised in heart, who knew not the true living
God. The Jews considered the Gentiles
nothing but pagan dogs, which was true. But what was true of them is
also true of us. Before we learned the gospel,
the true gospel, we were nothing but idolaters, worshiping a false
god that we whittled out in our own mind. Now, I grew up in false
religion, and many of you, I suspect, did also, until God one day crossed
our path with the truth and revealed a true and living God unto us,
but before that we were uncircumcised, ungodly, not knowing God, not
knowing the truth, and in the flesh." Now, in this day, it
says there the circumcision, or the Jews, they considered
the pagan Gentiles so wicked and so shut out. The Jews considered the Gentiles
pagans. But think of this, think of this.
Even those pious, self-righteous Jews, even though they had that
circumcision in the flesh, they lacked the essential element
of true salvation, and that is circumcision in the heart. Regeneration
in the heart. Made without hands in the spirit,
in the heart, by the spirit and power of God. Remember what our
Lord said of them? When they brag so much about
their heritage, about their lineage, we be, we're the descendants
of Abraham. You remember what he said to
them? You are of your father, the devil. The devil. Even though
they thought themselves so self-righteous and religious and circumcised
and proper and everything, still it says they're in the flesh. In the flesh. So here we got
religious flesh and ungodly flesh, but it's still flesh. Still flesh. Now, remember that. Remember that. Do we ever forget
that? No. No, we always remember that. Now look at verse 12, and I tell
you, There's a point in remembering what we are and what we were
because it causes us to appreciate so much more what we are by grace
in Christ. Now, he's going to dig a deep
hole here in verse 12. He's going to dig a deep hole
and he's going to describe what unbelievers are in themselves. And what's true of these believers
here in Ephesus is also true of us today. As they were in
time past, he mentions five things here, without Christ. Secondly,
being aliens. Thirdly, being strangers. Fourthly,
being having no hope. And the fifth thing he says,
without God. Without God. You say, well, I've
always known God. That's too long. No, you haven't
always. Well, I've always believed the
truth. No, you haven't. There was a point when you did
not know God and did not believe the truth, and then there was
a point at some time when God crossed your path and taught
you the true gospel. Now let's look at these five
things. In time past without Christ,
without Christ. Now we considered chapter 1,
verse 3, down through verse 6, although in Christ and in Him
secretly, in that eternal covenant of grace from all eternity chosen
in Christ Jesus, yet we knew nothing of it before we knew
the gospel, before we met Him, before God called us. That's
how election's known by God's calling. Yet in my personal experience
of grace and salvation, I knew nothing of God's covenant of
grace. I was, as far as I knew anything
about grace and mercy and salvation, I was without Christ, without
Christ. And that's all of us by nature.
Without any saving knowledge of Him. Without any love for
the true Christ of God. Say, well, I've always loved
Jesus. No, you haven't. Not the true one. Not the true
Christ of God. Not the Lord Jesus Christ. Without
any love for Him. Without any faith in Him. Without
any fellowship with Him. Without any communion with Him. With out Christ. Loving darkness, hating the light. With out Christ. You see a man
will never be saved until he's lost. That's right. He'll never be made alive until
he's killed and put in the dust. He'll never be clothed until
he's stripped. Stripped. With out Christ. That's how we're born in this
world. That's how we live in this world,
how we lived in this world until God saved us by His grace. And then secondly, he says aliens,
aliens. Now they, I don't know if you
watch that history channel much, but they're always talking about
aliens from outer space, aliens. But this here is talking about
we were Aliens or idolaters, we were aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel, from a true Israel of God. Alienated from the true
and living God and alien from a true Israel of God. Aliens,
foreigners from true salvation and true righteousness that's
revealed in Christ. Aliens! Look at chapter 4, verse
18. Verse 17 of chapter 4, Ephesians,
this I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you henceforth
walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind,
having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life
of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the
blindness of their heart. And then over here, turn a couple
books over to Colossians chapter 1, Colossians 1.21. They said,
and you that were sometimes alienated, alienated enemies in your mind
by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. Without Christ,
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, aliens from true salvation,
true righteousness. And then thirdly, he says here,
now watch this, back in our text. Strangers. Strangers. Strangers from the covenants.
Notice that's plural. Covenants of promise. Covenants of promise. Strangers
from the promise. God's promise of salvation in
Christ. And strangers to God's covenants. Now, I think this refers to three
things. Three covenants. the promise
or the covenant that God made with Abraham that God would give
him a son, a special son, and out of that son, Isaac, that
God would send the special son, the seed, the Messiah, the Lord
Jesus Christ. And that covenant and that promise
all pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ and Him coming. If you'll
find Galatians chapter 3, look at verse 8, Galatians 3 verse
8, The scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, Galatians
3, 8, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed. So that was
that covenant that God made with Abraham, but it gave us just
one promise, Christ. In thee, in Christ. So then they
which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. And then
the second thing I believe he refers to is the covenant of
law given at Mount Sinai. And even in that covenant of
law, there was one hope of mercy. That law of God shut people up
and shut Israel up to one mercy seat, one priesthood, one sacrifice
on the Day of Atonement. And all of that was a picture
pointing us to the Lord Jesus Christ. That one promise, that
one hope of salvation in Christ Jesus. And we were strangers
from that covenants. You think of that. Israel had
the priesthood, they had the Word, they had the tabernacle,
they had the mercy seat, they had the holy of holies and the
holy place, the Malachi, the Hittites, all of our descendants.
What did they have? They had nothing! They were strangers,
aliens, without God and without Christ. That's us. That's us. And then thirdly, I think it
refers to that covenant of grace, that eternal covenant of grace
given in Christ Jesus. And all these covenants give
but one promise of salvation, Christ Jesus. To him give all
the prophets witness. All the prophets, all the apostles,
all point to that one foundation, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief cornerstone. And then he digs a little deeper
in verse 12. having no hope. It doesn't say
having some hope, or holding out a possibility, but having
no hope. No hope at all. Now, I've talked
to a lot of people over the years, and I think I can say this with
a measure of assurance and veracity, I've talked to a lot of people
over the years. I don't think I've ever ran into or had a conversation
with anybody that didn't have some hope, some kind of hope. Even if he didn't have any hope,
his hope was he had no hope. But everybody that I've talked
to over the years, and I used to travel and talk to a lot of
people, but they always had some kind of hope. But the problem
was, I found out, and when I got to talking with them and exposed
their hope, it was a false hope. It was a refuge of lies built
on a sandy foundation. It wasn't a good hope. A good
hope of grace. Without Christ. Aliens. Strangers. Having no
hope. Having no hope. That is steeped in idolatry,
steeped in false religion, but not any real true hope of salvation
in Christ Jesus. None at all. Not any true hope. Not any good hope by grace. Oh,
we held up for some kind of hope. You know, I've been a pretty
good guy, you know. I haven't beat my wife. I've
paid my bills. I've been a good neighbor. All
these different things that people talk about. That's not a hope
of salvation. That's a false refuge. Our hope
is Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then he digs a little deeper.
The fifth thing he mentions here is without God. Without God. He starts with without Christ
and then he goes to without God in this world. without God. Now, it's interesting, you look
this word up, the word, the two words there, that without God,
in the original, it's one word. It's one word. It's the only
time it's used in all of Scripture. And you know what it means? Atheist. And that's what we are by nature. Atheist. That is, we're anti-God. That is, we're against God. Against the true and the living
God. That's what we were by nature. Atheist. Godless. No reverence
of God. No fear of God. No worship of
a true and living God. No knowledge of Him. Now, that's
what we were before God saved us by His grace. Now, doesn't
that make you thankful for grace and grace alone? Had God not
chose us, redeemed us, called us, saved us, we'd stay right
there. Right there in that false refuge
without God, without Christ, alien and strangers, and we'd
go on our merry way thinking nothing about it, without God. No fear of God, it says in Romans
3, no fear of God before their eyes, no reverence of God. Isaiah
53, 1 declares, the fool hath said in his heart, the fool hath
said in his heart, no God. Atheist, atheist, anti-Christ
and anti-God. That's a pretty deep well, isn't
it? I mean, we're down in the well of sin and darkness and
depravity. No wonder the old theologians
called it total depravity. No way we're in this well of
sin, in this cesspool of iniquity. We're in there in bondage, in
death, in sin. No way to get out. Furthermore,
not even wanting to get out. And we would have stayed right
there and died in our sin. Look at verse 13, but now. But God, who is rich in mercy. But now, in Christ Jesus. Don't ever leave that part out.
in Christ Jesus. But now, in Christ Jesus, one
time without Him, now found in Him, and knowing it, and loving
Him, but now in Christ Jesus. Ye who sometimes were far off,
out there in Never-Never Land, far off, far off and separated
from God. far off and not knowing God,
far off and without Christ. But now in Christ Jesus, you
who sometimes were far off, now watch this, are made nigh, brought
near unto God. How? Only one way, by the blood, by
the blood, by the blood. And it's just not, it doesn't
say by the blood of bulls and goats, does it? It's particular blood. God had
bought us with His own blood. By the blood of Christ. By the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. You see, it's not just that blood
was shed. It was. But whose blood was shed? It's the blood of Jesus Christ.
God's Son cleanses us from all sin. And I tell you, I need cleansing. I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. And you know what? You are too.
You are too. And this sinner needs cleansing
in Christ Jesus. But now in Christ Jesus, you
who are sometimes are far off, just like it says in verse 4,
when it paints such a black picture, but God who is rich in mercy
for His great love were with, He loved us even when we were
dead in sin. You see, He paints such a black
picture and a true picture of what we are. Now, this is a white
cloth, somewhat white. You ladies will appreciate this
illustration. When you go to a jewelry store
and you look for those bright, brilliant diamonds, and when
you walk in there and you say, ìWell, I want to look at that
one.î And he goes in there and slides, you know, you get his
key out because they donít lock those things up anymore. He'll
slide that cabinet open, he'll unlock it, and he'll go down
there and pick out that special ring that caught your eye, caught
your attention. But when he brings that out,
he doesn't bring it out and lay it against a white cloth, does
he? You know what he does? He brings
out a black cloth, and he lays that diamond against that black
cloth. So, you know why? It shines more
brilliantly, and that's exactly what God does in His grace. He
holds up the light of His grace against the black, dark background
of what we are, sin. And then He holds up that diamond
of grace in Christ Jesus. And He displays what He has made
us by His grace. You see, He does this three times
in this chapter. He paints that black picture,
that true picture of what we are, and then He puts up that
diamond of His grace. And it just shines so brightly.
So brilliantly. Now you remember that next time
you go in the jewelry store. You remember that, won't you?
And you'll think about God's grace in Christ Jesus. But now you who sometimes were
far off. Oh, I tell you, we were way off.
We were dead. We weren't even close. We were
far off. Yet, by His blood, He's brought
us near, near to Him. The songwriter said, Near, so
near to God, nearer I cannot be, for in the person of His
Son I am as near as He. Even though far off by the fall
of Adam, guilt ridden in sin, afar off by my own ignorance
and sin, even though godless and hopeless and faithless and
full of sin, yet in Christ Jesus made nigh and near to God through
His blood sacrificed." No wonder Peter said we are redeemed with
the precious blood of Christ as the Lamb without blemish and
without spot, justified by His blood. Now listen to me. Isaiah
59, 2 declares this, our sin has separated us from God. Sin
was the cause of separation. We are far off and alienated
because of sin. without God, without Christ,
without life, without hope, without help. Far off. Why? Sin separated
us from God. That's true. But this is also
true. Christ came to put away our sin
by the sacrifice of himself. He put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself, by his own blood. He put away effectually the blood,
by his blood, the sin of God's covenant people by the sacrifice
of himself. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And because
he has put away our sin, we're no longer afar off. You see, sin is a cause of our
separation, How do we have reconciliation? You know what reconciliation
is? When two friends have a quarrel, they're alienated from one another.
They're estranged from one another. They're separated. What brings
you back together? Well, in salvation, Christ. He brings us back together. One
with Him reconciled. He's the reason of reconciliation. God was in Christ reconciling
us unto himself. Now in Christ's redeeming blood,
the reason of separation is removed and we have peace and fellowship
with God in Christ Jesus. We draw nigh unto God with boldness
and confidence and liberty because the reason of separation is removed. How? By the blood of Christ.
Let's look at a few scriptures. It's found in Hebrews chapter
4. Hebrews chapter 4. Sin separated us from God, but
the Lord Jesus Christ separated us from our sin. He separated
us from our sin by putting it away by the sacrifice of Himself.
Therefore, we have reconciliation. Look what it says, Hebrews chapter
4, sing then verse 14, that we have a great high priest that
is passed into heaven, Jesus, the Son of God. Lord, let us
hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmity,
but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, find grace
to help in time of need." Now turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Now look at this. Hebrews 10.10, by the witch will
we are sanctified, Hebrews 10.10, through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest standeth daily,
ministering, offering, oftentimes the same sacrifices, which could
never take away sin. Not possible that the blood of
bulls and goats would take away sin. But this man, after he offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, one sacrifice, they offered many.
Their sacrifice never put away sin. He offered one, and that
was enough. But this man, after he offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expect him till his enemies be made his
foes too. For by one offering, He perfected forever them that
are sanctified, set apart unto that. Wherefore, the Holy Ghost
is also witness unto us. For after that He has said before,
this is a covenant that I will make with them after those days.
Sayeth the Lord, I put my laws, notice that plural, into their
hearts and in their mind will I write them, gospel principles. and their sin and their iniquities
where I remember no more now where remission of these is.
There's no more offering for sin. Now look at verse 19. Having
therefore, brethren, boldness, liberty to enter into the holiest
house by the blood of Jesus Christ, by the blood of Christ, by a
new and living way which he consecrated or he made new for us through
the veil, that is to say his flesh. And having a high priest
over the house of God, having a high priest over the house
of God, look what it says, let us draw near. We can draw near
now with a true heart, with full assurance of faith, having a
heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed
with pure water. What is that? That's the gospel.
That's the gospel, God's grace. Now look back to the text again,
Ephesians chapter 2. But now in Christ Jesus, oh,
I tell you, His marvelous grace, God who is rich in mercy. Look
at verse 14. I'm going to wind it up with
verse 14. For He is our peace. He is our peace. Who hath made
both one, no more Jew, Gentile. We're one in Christ Jesus. and
hath broken down, broken down, thy fulfilling it, honoring God's
law." Remember when he died, what happened in that veil? It's
rent from, rent from, from the top to the bottom. You know what
that means? Salvation from the top down. Comes salvation of the Lord.
He's broken down the middle wall, partitioned It was against us,
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, the wrath, even the
law of commandment that was against us, that was contrary to us,
and it says in Colossians 2, He took it away, nailed it to
His cross, honoring God's law, for to make Him Himself of the
two, one new man, so making peace. Christ is our peace. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the ground and reason of our peace with God.
Now, listen to me. Don't ever say this. I've heard people say this, religious
people especially, they've often said, well, I'm trying to make
peace with God, or I'm trying to make my peace with God. Don't
ever say that. First of all, you can't make
peace with God. But secondly of all, and most
importantly, the God in Christ has made peace for us, having
made peace for us with His blood. It's peace through His blood.
through His grace, through His righteousness, not mine. I can't
make peace with God. I can't satisfy God. No sinner
can. He is our peace. You see that?
Christ is our peace. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
ground and reason of our peace with God. Peace is made no other
way but through Christ. Peace through His strength, not
mine. Peace through His righteousness, not mine. You see, Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it.
It's peace through His righteousness, not mine. The glorious peace
which comes from God, the God of all comfort, from the God
of all grace, and from the God of all peace. Turn back to the
book of Hebrews, Hebrews 13, and look at this. You know He's
called the God of all peace? He's called the God of all grace.
He's called the God of all comfort. In Hebrews 13, 20. The Lord Jesus Christ made peace
for us with His own blood. Look at verse 20. Now the God
of peace, the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our
Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, through
the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect It'd
make you perfect. There's those good works again.
In every good work, to do His will, working in you, that which
is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom
be glory forever and ever. Amen. Made both one in Christ
Jesus. Made both one. All distinctions,
all barriers, all obstacles have been removed. In Christ Jesus,
His people are one. You say, well, God's people ought
to be one. No, they are one. No more Jew-Gentile. One more
scripture. Find Galatians chapter 3. Look at verse 26. Galatians 3,
26. For you are all the children
of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you have been
baptized into Christ, you have put on Christ. There's neither
Jew nor Greek. There's neither bond nor free.
Neither male nor female. You're all one in Christ. You're one. And if you be Christ,
then are you Abraham's seed and your heirs according to the promise. All the promises of God in Christ
are yes and in Him, amen. So be it. and to the glory of
God by Christ Jesus, made both one. Believers, it doesn't matter
where you meet them, whether it's in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico,
or whether it's here in Tennessee or Kentucky, believers in Christ
Jesus, they are one in Him, reconciled unto God in Christ Jesus.