Ephesians Lesson 17 of 39 part 4

The blood of Christ makes all the difference in the world, and it's our faith in that blood, as we've shared, which is the power of His Resurrection, in the Spirit of Holiness which brings about New Life, and from that New Life God is looking for fruit. His nature, not Satan's.

Ephesians 2:14a
"For he (Christ) is our peace,..." 
Remember the promised covenant of peace in Isaiah 54 which the people were to have had, this is our portion on the terms of His word there spoken, in metaphoric language. Oh, you see the world is so hungry for peace tonight, personally, as well as between nations. That's the whole scope of all the politicians, the United Nations, the efforts in the middle East is peace. Hey, on the world front there will be no peace in this world until the Prince of Peace Himself returns. 

But to bring it down to the individual's quest for peace, the same thing applies. There can be no peace until we have peace with God, and that can only come through a death of self and the spirit of the world in mans flesh, by believing this Gospel found in I Corinthians 15:1-4. After all that is where the controversy lies, Man has been alienated by his sin, of reasoning's and this whole Book has been written to bring us back into favor with God, to receive the redemption freely given to be reconciled to God. When we're talking about peace, you have to go back to Romans. Romans is prat of the foundation of our Christian doctrine, and that's why we're sure the Holy Spirit placed the Book of Romans exactly where it is.

While you're turning to Romans let me also remind you again as we're studying the prison Epistles of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians you won't find a single quote from the Old Testament, or a direct reference to the nation of Israel or the Hebrews within them. All that is now behind and we're in whole New territory of basic doctrine of righteousness restored and then concerning God and His working in us His salvation. It's not just Israel, it's not just Gentiles, but rather the whole human race. As promised in Genesis 3:15. As we believers are united in Christ and become members of the one Body of Christ, as a result of the Last Supper and the finished work of the cross on through His ascension. Now that was all free for nothing. So let's turn to chapter 5 verse 1 of the Book of Romans and look at "peace" the reason we've come to Romans.

Romans 5:1
"Therefore (because of what he had written in the previous chapter) being justified by faith, (that's all Paul knows. Faith + Nothing, and as soon as we're justified by faith) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"
That's what the world is looking for "Peace with God." When we have peace with God then we have peace with everyone else. This peace comes with a price and that price is found in our having passed through the Holy Spirit's school of training unto obedience onto righteousness, through the obedience of the free will offering of our self life and our old nature of death. Now verse 2. 

Romans 5:2
"By whom (the Lord Jesus and His finished work of the cross) also we have access by faith (taking God at His word) into this grace (state of God's divine benefits) wherein we stand, and rejoice (experiencing and enjoying) in hope of the glory of God."
Now that's NOT our future, put present state in redemption and righteousness as promised mankind through Adam in the Covenant of Genesis 3:15. See we as created beings don't give glory to God but He through Christ receives glory by our obedience to His Will or Word revealed within us. Now coming back to Ephesians once again. We're making a little headway. So here in verse 14,

Ephesians 2:14
"For he is our peace, (by faith having entered into the relationship of being redeemed, and justified, and declared righteous, and all those things that are accompanied with faith) who hath made both one, (now who are the both? Hebrew and Gentile do you see that?) and hath broken down the middle wall of partition (the traditions of the old systems of reasoning's religion which separated) between us;"
The Hebrews and Gentiles, during this Church Age have lost their separateness, they have lost their individual identify as (Jews) Hebrews or Gentiles. Paul never again refers to that, but here they have come together and Hebrews and Gentiles are now One. In the One Body, that God intended for them to be as One. In fact let's turn to I Corinthians chapter 12 for a moment. It says almost the same thing, only a little more basic language, and that's why, again, all these early letters were ahead of Ephesians because Ephesians is simply building on these original foundational doctrines of Romans, I&II Corinthians, Galatians and Hebrews. Now starting with verse 12.