BROUGHT NEAR – Ephesians 2:11-13

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on March 8, 2017 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group; March 8, 2017 from Ephesians 2:11-13

Theme: In Christ, we who were formerly ‘far away’ from God have now been brought ‘near’.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

The two most distinct people groups in the world are the Jewish people and the Gentile world. The Jewish people are God’s covenant people—selected by God through Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3); and distinguished by the covenant of law given by Moses (Exodus 19:4-6). From the standpoint of God’s covenant with Israel, the Gentile world was outside looking in.

But in this section of Ephesians 2, Paul makes clear that—through Christ—God has done a new thing. The believing Gentile and the believing Jew are now made into ‘one new man’ (2:15); with the ‘middle wall of separation’ made by the law ‘broken down’ (v. 14). First, as verses 11-13 shows us, we who were once far away from God’s grace and God’s covenant blessings—being Gentiles—are now brought near by the blood of Jesus. Then, as verses 14-18 go on to show us, having been brought near, we are now given access to God because the dividing wall of the Jewish commandments and ordinances has been removed through the cross. Finally, verses 19-22 tell us that—no longer foreigners, but now citizens—we Gentiles are now ‘fellow citizens’ and members of God’s household.

This is the fulfillment of ‘New Covenant’ blessing (see Jeremiah 31:31-34); and it results in the Gentiles praising the God of Israel along with the Jewish people (see Romans 15:8-12). It was Paul’s great privilege to be able to proclaim to the Gentiles the “riches of the glory of this mystery”; which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:24-27; see also Ephesians 3:1-7).

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In this study, let’s look closer at Paul’s great declaration that we—who are Gentiles—are now “brought near” through Christ. Paul first urges us to …

I. REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE WITHOUT CHRIST (vv. 11-12).

Paul’s first exhortation in this section—after having told us about God’s grace to us in Christ (vv. 1-10)—is “Therefore remember …” (v. 11). It’s easy to forget what it was like for us—long ago—before we ever placed our faith in Jesus. And it is even easier to forget what it was like to be outsiders to God’s covenant blessings. Paul urges us to think about it and remember.

What is it that we are to remember? Paul goes on to urge that we remember our former classification from the Jewish standpoint; “that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—“ (v. 11). We were Gentiles “in the flesh”; that is, according to the outward standards. We were not of the biological lineage of Abraham. We could not partake of the outward signs of the covenant God made with His people; because we could not escape our pedigree. We were called “uncircumcised” by those who were “circumcised” according to strictly human standards. (Many, however, who were circumcised according to the flesh were not circumcised in their hearts before God. They were Jews; but only “outwardly” and not “inwardly”; see Romans 2:28-29).

And as Gentiles in the flesh, what a horrible situation ours was! First, Paul declared in verse 12 what it is about or former identification that we were to remember—“that at that time you were without Christ”. We had no faith in Him, and no relationship with God through Him. And because this was true, there were five dreadful truths about our condition:

– We were ‘aliens’; “being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel”. Aliens who live in a foreign land have no rights to the privileges of citizenship. Likewise, we could not claim any part in the blessing of being ‘God’s people’.

– Also, we were strangers; “strangers from the covenants of promise”. We could not know or experience the promises that God had made with His covenant people Israel, because we had no familiar connection to them.

– What’s more, we were hopeless; “having no hope”. The people of Israel could hope in the gracious and saving promises of God. We had no such hope.

– And even worse, we were “without God”. We may have been a part of the world that worshiped many false gods; but we had no relationship with the one true God.

– And as if to emphasize the dreadfulness of our situation to the greatest level of desperation, all of this was true of us while we were “in the world”. The world is hostile. The “course of this world” is wicked; and it is under the rule of the “prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (v. 2).

What a horrible condition it was that we were in! And as we call it to memory, how grateful we now should be for the fact that that was our condition “at that time”; but it is our condition no more! We are now urged by Paul to …

II. KNOW THAT, IN CHRIST, WE HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR (v. 12).

He writes, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (v. 13). The barriers no longer exist. We who are Gentiles are now “brought near”; and may approach the God of Israel freely as our God and Father. The invitation that the writer of Hebrews gave to his Jewish brethren in Christ is also now applicable to us:

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a 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 (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Note carefully that this is not true because of any thing in and of ourselves. It is only true of us “in Christ”. And note also that it was specifically accomplished through His blood. The sphere is “in Christ” and the means is “by the blood of Christ”. As the writer of Hebrews put it, “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats”—as according to the law given through Moses—“could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Only the blood of Jesus can do this for us. And He does it for all who believe in Him—Jew and Gentile. As Dr. Harry Ironside has put it;

Not made nigh by the sincerity of our repentance, by the strength of our faith, by the depth of our devotion, by the gladness of our spiritual experience, but made nigh by the blood. We owe everything for eternity to the precious atoning blood of our blessed Lord, and He who shed that blood, He who died for our sins upon the cross, is Himself our peace (In The Heavenlies, pp. 124-5).

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What blessedness is ours! We who, by virtue of the fact that we are Gentiles, were once far away have now been brought fully, completely, 100% acceptably near by the blood of Christ! May God help us to remember what we once were; so that we may—with greater joy—seize hold of what we now are!