"One New Humanity" | Ephesians 2:14-18

The world’s impression of the church

Are Conservative Christians the Real ‘Secularists’ Now? - New York magazine

THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH IS BREAKING APART - the Atlantic

Our culture plays dress Christianity the church becomes inferior, immoral, and oppressive. Let’s not play dress up with our faith, but be clothed with Christ.

Eph. 2:14-18

What relationship do you have in the kingdom of God that you would have likely never had outside of Christ?

Would you be my friend if I wasn’t a Christian? Do I have value beyond my usefulness to the organization?

Do others feel welcome to this family?

If Jesus died on the cross to eliminate this hostility, then what are you doing to eliminate it? What are you doing to tear down the walls that get built up between us?

Have you ever felt like a foreigner, even in the Fellowship of the church? Who do you know who might feel like that now? What will you do to tear down the wall?

v15, see Romans 6:14,10:4, Gal. 2:21 no longer under the law!

“Into Christ, one new humanity” Eschatologically - “the now and not yet” - an important tool for reading through Ephesians. It’s important to not under realize or over realize this, but rather let scripture define what Christ has inaugurated in this present age. [ex. Judaizing the gentiles on circumcision would be under realizing. Over realizing could quickly become false doctrine as well, 2 Timothy 2:18]

Eph. 1:7, 1:14, 4:30, Col. 1:14, Rom. 8:23) already and not yet redeemed

Eph. 1:14, 1:18, Titus 3:7 Eph 3:7 already and not yet coheirs and inheritance

Galatians 3:24-29, 4:28

All of those who have been baptized into Christ are the true children of God through faith

They have clothed themselves with Christ and are “all one with Christ.” Our heirship transcends ethnic, social, and gender barriers. Here too the goal is still in process.

Paul will give us very specific instructions for how we are to be humble to one another in this present age.

How? by the blood of Christ… in his flesh… through the cross… through him.

How does your life reflect what Christ died for?

How do you see the bride of Christ, bought with his blood?

Tear down the wall. Remember that we were children of wrath in need of reconciliation ourselves! Now we need to reconcile with others, how do we welcome others to this family?

Rely on his Spirit to be ONE. When we follow the word of God, we are led by the spirit of God. Eph. 1:13-14,1:16-17, 3:16-19, 4:1-3

We can only get ride of the wall of separation by humbly responding to his spirit, grace.

Stop playing Christian dress up, and realize you’ve been clothed with Christ.