1-10-18 Today in the Word

DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2018
Ephesians 2:14–18
JEWS AND GENTILES MADE ONE IN CHRIST
The classic hymn, “Beneath the Cross of Jesus,” paints a vivid picture of the meaning of salvation:
“Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty Rock within a weary land . . .
I take, O cross, thy shadow, for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by, to know no gain nor loss,
my sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.”
The ground is level at the foot of the cross. God’s plan of salvation includes both Jews and Gentiles, not as “first class” and “second class” but as equal members of the family of God, made one in Christ and all members of His body, the church (v. 14). For believers, whether Jew or Gentile, there is only one basis for salvation: Christ.
Not only has the “vertical” separation between humanity and God been overcome, but so also has the “horizontal” separation between Jew and Gentile. The “dividing wall” metaphor may allude to a sign in the temple warning Gentiles that death would be the likely consequence for passing beyond a certain point. But now Jesus has made peace and “is our peace” between humanity and God and between Jew and Gentile.
The Mosaic Law has been set aside by the only One who kept it perfectly (v. 15). In Him, a “new humanity” has been created—a previously unthinkable union of Christ-following Jews and Gentiles. Their previous hostility to one another and to God has been put to death at the cross (v. 16). Whether they had originally been “near” (Jews) or “far” (Gentiles) from salvation history, such peace was an essential part of God’s plan of salvation (vv. 17–18; see Isa. 57:19).
APPLY THE WORD
The Jews and Gentiles had good reasons for enmity. How could divisions be bridged? Yet in the gospel, they were bridged by Christ. Our society, too, harbors hostilities and divisions. Prejudice, hatred, or denigration against other believers dishonors God and the gospel. We’ve been made one in Christ and must strive to live out this truth

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-16-23 Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas, Pt 3: Genesis 17:19

Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas, Pt 3: Genesis 17:19 :: By Paul J. Scharf Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles The Messiah was a descendant of Abraham. More than that, we considered last time how He was, in fact, promised within the covenant that God made with Abram (Gen. 12:1-3). According to the Apostle Paul in Gal. 3:16 and 19, He is the ultimate recipient of that covenant! Our Savior Jesus Christ is finally the One through whom “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). Paul also quoted and discussed that portion of the covenant in Gal. 3:8-9. We ended last time with the realization that the promised Messiah would be the final Davidic king over Israel. As declared then, however, there are several intermediate steps, with accompanying prophecies, which are given between the times of Abraham and David and speak about His coming and the offices He would hold as the greatest prophet, priest, and king. And there are also more ance
Read more

9-17-23 Christians Using Science Badly: Part 2

Christians Using Science Badly: Part 2 :: By Wilfred Hahn Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles, Wilfred Hahn Christians Using Science Badly: Part 2 :: By Wilfred Hahn Reviewing the “facts” that we cited in Part 1, we noted the hyperbole and downright dishonesty in some instances to support global warming claims. Why is there such bias? Money Precedes Truth Global warming has become big business. Armies of global consultants are peddling false information because it is profitable to do so. Many claimed urgencies are exaggerated by factors of 10X … indeed, 200X in some instances and more. Governments are particularly susceptible to this hype, promising infrastructure programs estimated to cost upwards of trillions of dollars. According to a new report,1 an estimated $3.4 trillion will be invested in renewable energy during the next decade, including $2.72 trillion in wind and solar. By 2030, 54.1% of installed capacity will be renewable (including hydropo
Read more

9-17-23 It's Coming

It Is Coming - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/12/24/it-is-coming-by-daymond-duck/ On Dec. 17, 2022, it was reported that Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island, has introduced legislation to permanently bar former Pres. Trump from running for president again, and 40 Democrats have signed on. Cicilline is accusing Trump of orchestrating an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. At the time of this writing, it is debatable as to whether Cicilline’s legislation will get voted on before the new Congress takes office in 2023, but some conservatives have said from the beginning that the main purpose of the Jan. 6 fake show-trial was to stop Trump from being elected again. Some, including this writer, have said there is no telling what the U.S. shadow government will do to prevent making America great again (MAGA) because they want to surrender the sovereignty of the U.S. to the New World Order (coming world government). It was easy to see this comi
Read more