SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/9/2019 8:57 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-5 “Peace with God and His People”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Eph. 2:14-17
Message of the verses: “14 For He Himself
is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier
of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity [hostility], which
is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in
Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to
death the enmity. 17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY,
AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;”
We
want to begin with the following from verse 16 “and might reconcile them both
in one body to God through
the cross.” This is speaking of
both Jews and Gentiles as “both” is in the masculine, clearly referring to
men. As these groups are brought
together they were brought to God.
MacArthur writes “Reconciliation to each other is inseparable from
reconciliation to God. As both are
brought to God, they are brought to each other.
The death of Christ accomplished perfectly what God intended-bringing
men to Himself. Verse 13 points to the
blood of Christ, verse 15 focuses on the flesh of the dying Savior, and now in
verse 16 Paul specifically mentions the place (the cross) where the blood was
shed and the flesh was slain. How did
the cross accomplish such reconciliation?
It ‘put to death the enmity between men and God’ (cf. Rom. 5:1,
10).” “1 Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” “10
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death
of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
Once
Adam and Eve sinned there became hostility between God and man, and once Jesus
Christ died on the cross paying for sin then that hostility between God and man
was ended. Jesus Christ was the One who
received the judicial sentence of God for sin.
God was satisfied with the death of Christ to pay for the sins of those
who will accept it. Gal. 3:13 tells us
that He became “a curse” for sinners which provided reconciliation for sinners
no mater Jews or Gentiles.
John
MacArthur writes that “Reconcile is a rich term (apokatallasso) which holds the idea of turning from hostility to
friendship. The double use of
prepositions as prefixes (apo, kata)
emphasizes the totality of this reconciliation (cf. Col. 1:19-23).” “19
For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to
dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the
blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth
or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in
mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His
fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and
blameless and beyond reproach- 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly
established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that
you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which
I, Paul, was made a minister.”
John
MacArthur quotes Scottish commentator John Eadie who wrote “The cross which
slew Jesus slew also the hostility between man and God. His death was the death of that
animosity.” MacArthur adds “The cross is
God’s answer to Judaizing, racial discrimination, segregation, apartheid,
anti-Semitism, bigotry, war, and every other cause and result of human
strife. This is the great mystery of
Ephesians 3:6, ‘that Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body,
and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I can’t help but to think about the words
that MacArthur wrote “and the flesh was slain.”
Now I may be misinterpreting this but it reminds me of what Paul wrote
in Galatians 2:20 “"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer
I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for
me.” The word “flesh” can have more than
one meaning in the Word of God, as it can speak of our bodies that we live in
or it can speak of the “old nature.” My
thoughts ran to this meaning that as His flesh was slain for my sins then in
the same way it can happen to me, that is the old nature being slain.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to
think about Romans 12:3 “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone
among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to
think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of
faith.” To remember that truth is better
than emotions, for truth is always truth, but emotions can change.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “The first day” (Genesis
1:3-5).
Today’s Bible question: “What is the substance of things hoped for?”
Answer in our next SD.
1/9/2019 9:46 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment