Series:
Ephesians
Title: Wherefore Remember
Text: Ephesians 2: 11-22
Date: October 13, 2013
Place: SGBC,
New Jersey
Let’s
begin by turning in our bibles and reading our text. Ephesians 2: 11-22.
Our
text begins in verse 11 with these words,
“Wherefore remember.”
Proposition: In order to humble us and to magnify God and his grace
toward us, it is good for a believer to remember the pit of sin and death from
which Christ has saved us by the grace of God.
Divisions:
1) It is good to remember what we were; 2) It is good to remember what we are
now, and 3) It is good to remember who made the difference.
Title: Wherefore Remember
I. FOR US WHO BELIEVE, IT IS GOOD TO REMEMBER
WHAT YOU WERE—Ephesians 2: 11: Wherefore remember,…
Remember,
brethren—you who believe by God’s grace—that in time past we were a reproach.—Ephesians 2: Wherefore remember, that ye being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which
is called the Circumcision in the flesh.
These
two names—Gentiles and Uncircumcision—are derogatory names that the natural,
unregenerate Jews made up to describe everyone that was not a Jew, not a
natural descendent of Abraham. “Gentile”
is the word “ethnos”—that “heathen race.” To use the term was what men today
would call racist—a name of reproach and contempt among the Jews.
But the
unregenerate Jew who used the term was himself a “Gentile”—of the heathen race.
That is why several times in the old testament God refers to Israel as the
Gentiles. Just consider what qualified a
person as a Gentile in the mind of a puffed up Jew.
Throughout
the entire time of the old covenant up until the time Christ sent Paul into the
Gentile world with the gospel, God never sent his prophets to any of the
Gentile nations—they were a people without the word of God—that is what an
unregenerate Jew was—he had the oracles of God outwardly but he did not have the
word of God in his heart. God never gave
the Gentiles a mercy seat, no lamb, no high priest—that is what truly
constituted one as a Gentile in the mind of a natural Jew. But that is what every
sinner is who does not have Christ through God-given faith.
Lest we
become puffed, proud, wherefore remember, God created the nation Israel to show
that God alone puts a difference between his people, choosing whom he will and
passing by whom he will. But an
unregenerate sinner always uses the things of God to exalt himself and put down
those he thinks are not as holy as himself.
Paul
says, “Wherefore remember, in time past” you were “ethnos”—that heathen race
who is without Christ, being aliens from God’s true Israel, strangers from the
covenants and promises of God, having no hope and without God in the world—that
is what Paul goes on to remind the Ephesians of. It was God alone who made you
to differ. That is what we are to remember.
Then Paul
refers to natural, unregenerate Jews as the “Circumcision in the flesh made by
hands” because they had the outward form of circumcision. Originally, God gave outward circumcision to
Abraham as “a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being
uncircumcised.” (Rom 4: 11)
Outward
circumcision did nothing spiritual for Abraham, nor for anyone else. It was an
outward sign, a token, given to show what God had done before, in Abraham’s heart
by the Holy Spirit. God regenerated
Abraham. God gave Abraham a new, clean heart and faith through which God
imputed the righteousness of Christ to him and made the everlasting covenant of
grace in his heart.
That is
how every sinner is made a new creature in Christ. It is what God does, freely
in the heart, joining us with Christ, and is the only thing that avails. Outward
circumcision or outward uncircumcision does not matter—but a new creature. Neither
does any other outward thing done by you or I—it is what God has done for you
in the heart bringing you to behold that Christ is our Righteousness—he makes
you to differ from another. So we have no room to boast.
But the
Gentiles did not have that outward sign of circumcision, so the natural, unregenerate
Jews, who had not, themselves, been circumcised in their hearts by God—used
this name in contempt and reproach, calling the Gentiles the “Uncircumcision.”
Fact was, those unregenerate Jews were, themselves, spiritually, the
“uncircumcision.” But they were too proud of their outward form to know it.
Wherefore
remember, brethren, in times past, before God regenerated us, we were both of
these—Gentiles and the Uncircumcision—just like the unregenerate Jew and just
like every holier than thou religious sinner who held us in contempt—there was
no difference between us both. Even
though we all grew up in a day when the gospel was preached to Gentiles, still,
until God worked in our hearts, in our flesh, we were without Christ and
without God, with no idea who God is and how he saves. Yet we, too, had our form and our vain ideas
that we thought made us better than another. We, too, exalted ourselves in our
proud little self-righteous hearts.
Do you
remember telling your friends, “This is how I think God saves?” We all did it
at some time or another. It was not
based on the word of God just based on our sinful fleshly passions. How
foolish!
Wherefore,
remember at that time we were separated from Christ—Ephesians 2: 12: that at that time ye were without Christ. We may have called ourselves
Christians—but we took his name in vain—the worst form of taking his name in
vain. But Christ had not been formed
in our hearts.
Wherefore
remember at that time we were foreigners to God’s saints and strangers from
God’s covenant promises—Ephesians 2: 12:
being aliens from the commonwealth of
Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, [or to the promises of
the covenant] We were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel—the Ephesian’s
were foreigners to the things God had given to the nation Israel: the oracles,
the high priest, the lamb, the mercy seat and so on. But also they were
foreigners to the commonwealth of God’s true spiritual Israel—as were those
natural, unregenerate sons of Abraham within Israel.
So were
we, brethren. We did not know that the covenant God made in the garden with
Adam was a covenant by which all mankind died when Adam sinned. We did not know
that the covenant God made with Abraham was the everlasting covenant of grace
confirmed of God in Christ Jesus—in whom all the promises of God are yea and
Amen.
We did
not know the covenant made at Mt. Sinai was a covenant of works whereby God
used Israel to show man’s inability to keep the law of God—to shut our mouths
and declare us all guilty before God. We were strangers and foreigners to God
and his saints.
Wherefore
remember, we were without hope because we were without God in the world—Ephesians 2: 12:…having no hope, and
without God in the world:
Is it
more clear to you that every sinner—whether Jew or Gentile—is “ethnos”—that
heathen race, uncircumcised in heart? Brethren,
let’s learn from the proud, unregenerate Jew, from our own rebellion, that “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity
edifieth.” (1 Cor 8: 1) So brethren, in order to keep us humble and to keep us
ever mindful that we are what we are by the grace of God, wherefore remember
the pit from which we were dug.
II. IT IS GOOD FOR BELIEVERS TO REMEMBER WHAT
WE NOW ARE—V11: Wherefore remember…
Remember,
that NOW, we are made near to God—Ephesians
2: 13: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by
the blood of Christ. We who were sometimes far from God and far from his
saints are now “made nigh”—it means made
near—how near?
This
will bless your heart. It did mine. The
root word is a verb which means “to squeeze in the inner curve of the arm.” Remember
when scripture says, “the parents brought the child Jesus” to the temple “to do
for him after the custom of the law.”—that is, to present the firstborn son to God
with the redemption money which the law of God required. Of Simeon it says,
“Then took he him up in his arms…”
(Lk 2: 28) The word “arms” is the root
word of this word “made nigh.” Simeon, cradled the infant in the curve of his
arms like you cradle an infant.
YOU WHO
WERE SOMETIMES FAR OFF BUT WHO ARE NOW GOD’S BORN-AGAIN CHILD—CHRIST, OUR
REDEEMER AND OUR REDEMPTION, HAS BROUGHT YOU, CRADLED LIKE A NEWBORN BABE IN
THE CURVE OF HIS ARMS, INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES TO DO FOR YOU AFTER THE CUSTOM
OF THE LAW—THAT IS TO PRESENT YOU WASHED IN HIS BLOOD, FAULTLESS, BEFORE THE
PRESENCE OF GOD—THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BROUGHT NIGH.
How
nigh as he made us? Ephesians 2: 6: He hath raised us up together, and MADE US
sit TOGETHER in heavenly places IN CHRIST JESUS. And where does Christ sit? Hebrews
8: 1:…We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne
of the Majesty in the heavens;
Application:
So we who were sometimes far off are now seated together with Christ Jesus as
near as God’s right hand! NOW, THAT IS SOMETHING TO REMEMBER!
B.
Remember, that NOW, we have access to God our Father by the Holy Spirit—Ephesians 2: 18: For through him we both
have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Hebrews 10: 19: Having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20: By a new and
living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say,
his flesh; 21: And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 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.
Remember,
that NOW, you are now more strangers and foreigner—Ephesians 2: 19: Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. By his
grace, we are fellowcitizens with the saints—natives of the same town—of heavenly
Jerusalem, Jerusalem which is above.
Philippians 3: 20: For our conversation is in heaven;
from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
And of
the household of God. God is our
Father. Christ is our Elder Brother. We
are sons and daughters of God.
Ephesians 3: 14:…I bow my knees unto the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, 15: Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,…
Remember,
that NOW, you are God’s building built on the same foundation as the holy apostles
and prophets and God dwells in you—Ephesians
2: 20: And are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
corner stone; 21: In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth
unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22: In whom ye also are builded together for
an habitation of God through the Spirit.
I like
to remember that it is God the Holy Spirit moving Paul to give us these
descriptions of our nearness to God. He
just keeps giving it to us in ways we can understand—so we will know are now
made nigh—one with God in Christ—inseprably one! That is something so good to remember.
Illustration: I heard Pastor Henry Mahan tell a story that illustrates
the things it is good for us to remember.
He and Doris were visiting Pastor Scott
Richardson in Fairmont, where Brother Scott was pastor for many years—where
Brother Marvin Stalnaker is pastor now at Katy Baptist Church.
One night they took their wives to a fancy
seafood restaurant in town. This restaurant was a very, very nice restaurant in
an old two story house they had converted into a restaurant. They received the
royal treatment by the wait staff, enjoyed a very nice fancy meal.
As they were admiring how well the old
home, to everyone’s surprise, Brother Scott said, “Over 50 years ago, I lived
in this house.” He said, “Growing up, we were very, very poor. My daddy could
not afford to take care of me all the time. I was 8-9 years old, so
occasionally dad farmed me out.
He would send me to live with someone else.
I would work for them for a place to sleep and for food.” He said, “My daddy
made a chest-of-drawers and gave it to the woman that owned this house to pay
for keeping me. I lived in the attic. I ran errands for her to pay for my
food.”
As Scott finished his story, Brother Henry
said, “Scott, when you were that little poor, coal-miners son, living up in
that attic, did it ever enter your mind that one day you would drive up here in
a new Lincoln Continental, be escorted to a table with this fine table setting,
be served this fine food and have money in your pocket to pay for it?” Scott said, “No, it never entered my
mind.” One of them said you know there
are three things it is very good for a believer to remember. This is where I
got my outline for this message. 1)
Remember where we were; 2) Remember what we are now; 3) Remember who made the
difference.
III. LASTLY, FOR US WHO BELIEVE, IT IS GOOD
TO REMEMBER WHO MADE THE DIFFERENCE.
Wherefore,
remember, WHO brought us nigh—Ephesians
2: 13: ye who sometimes were far off
are made nigh BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.
Hebrews 9:12: Neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by HIS OWN BLOOD HE ENTERED IN once INTO THE HOLY PLACE, having obtained
eternal redemption for us.
Believer,
remember this—God made the difference by his own blood, by the sacrifice of
himself. To be “made nigh” means it shall
remain forever! God will never forsake
his own Son, never forsake his own justice, never forsake his own glory and
therefore God shall never forsake you who he has made nigh to himself by the
blood of his own Son—Ephesians 2: 14: For he is our peace, who hath made both
one…
You
hear men say, “I made my peace with God.” A sinner cannot make peace with God.
There is nothing in a dead, God-hating sinner that WANTS to make peace with
God, much less anything that a sinner CAN DO to make peace with God.
Only
Christ, who is both God and Man, could reconcile his people to God. And only
the Spirit of God can enter a sinner making us new creations, make us to be
reconciled to God, as well as to our brethren—Ephesians 2: 14: For HE is
our PEACE, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us;
There
was a middle wall dividing God’s elect from God AND from one another. The example given is the division that
existed between God’s elect Jew and God’s elect Gentile. But we all unlawfully
used God’s law to esteem ourselves better than other sinners.
How did
Christ make peace between his elect among the Jews and his elect among Gentiles?—Ephesians 2: 15: Having abolished in his
flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in
ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making
peace;
Under
the old covenant, God chose the nation Israel to be his peculiar people,
passing by all the Gentile nations. It typified
God’s spiritual, elect Israel. The law
of commandments in ordinances—the ceremonial law such as circumcision, the Passover,
the prohibition of certain meats, and so on—were outward symbols of the
separation God put between Israel and the Gentile nations.
It was
meant to show that it is God alone who puts a difference between
sinners—choosing whom he will, circumcising the heart, making his people to
feast upon Christ the Bread from heaven.
But all of those privileges being only “in the flesh” did what religion
does unless the Spirit of God works within us. It filled the Jews with enmity toward
the Gentiles, boasting that they were the elect, holy people of God and those
Gentiles were just filthy dogs.
In our
day, sinners do the exact same toward one another. The wall of separation is always
outward practice: ones denomination is better than another, the way one conducts
their song service is better, ones church government is better than another,
this one holds to this historical creed another holds to some other, they exalt
themselves by the programs they offer, sadly most pick and choose parts of the
law, which the Gentiles were never even under.
Isaiah 65:5: Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near
to me; for I am holier than thou. [God says] These are a smoke in my nose, a
fire that burneth all the day.
But
Christ, Ephesians 2: 15, abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances;
Colossians 2: 14: Blotting out the handwriting of
ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to his cross;
Ephesians 2: 15:…for to make in himself of
twain one new man, so making peace; V16: And that he might reconcile both unto
God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
When Christ
is formed within the child of God, he becomes the peace in our consciences,
making us repent from our vain self-righteousness, making us surrender to God, to
believe on Christ that he alone is our Peace with God. For he fulfilled the
whole law of God for us: took the sin of each chosen child, satisfied divine
justice, drew nigh to God with his own blood, and reconciled us to God. Therefore,
Christ is our Peace with God.
By
making each of God’s elect, a new creation in the new birth, Christ abolishes
the enmity within us toward each other, making us see he fulfilled the law for
us, so that we cannot use the law to exalt ourselves over one another.
Now, in
Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything—it is not
outward practice. We no longer know one another after the flesh. It is being
made new in spiritual regeneration that avails.
Then Christ makes us take our rightful place as worms, as the chief of
sinners, so that we esteem our brethren better than ourselves. Each believer is presented to God in one—Christ—so
Christ is our peace with God and with one another.
And, remember,
oh remember, that he revealed this in our hearts by coming to us and preaching
the gospel to us—Ephesians 2: 17: And
came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Did
Christ come and preach to the Ephesians in person? No.
But Christ did come and preach to them when he sent his earthen vessel,
the apostle Paul.
Brethren,
the same is true of us here today. The authority of the gospel is Christ
himself speaking though his earthen vessels. How I wish we really believed this
more! If we really believed Christ was
speaking today somewhere, would we let anything hinder us from hearing
him? It is as true right here today as
when the apostle Paul said,
2 Corinthians 5:20: Now then we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be
ye reconciled to God.
Ephesians 3: 1: For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of
Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,… 14: For this cause I bow my knees unto the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the
riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner
man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints
what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth
knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh
in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.4: 1: I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith ye are called, 2: With all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace. 4 There is one
body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all,
and through all, and in you all.
Amen!