THE COVENANT THAT JOINS & DOES NOT DIVIDE
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. The Priceless Covenant
a) This covenant is the constitution of the church of Christ. We see it as a uniting a reconciling covenant whose author and mediator is Christ.
Ephesians 2:14-17, 22
“For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us. He abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances. He did this to make in himself one new man out of two, so making peace so that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. He came and preached peace to you who were afar off, and to them that were nigh... In whom you also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”
2. The Covenant That Joins And Does Not Divide
a) The word "both" refers to the Jew ("those who were near") and the Gentiles ("you who were afar off"). What Paul says could, of course, apply to any enmity or division in human society. For example, "bond...free, male...female" (Galatians 3:26-29). We could think of others: rich...poor, black...white, weak...strong, educated...illiterate, democrat...communist, and so forth.
b) Jesus Christ binds people together who were once divided. He makes them "fellow citizens... built together" (Ephesians 2:19,22). Jesus Christ makes peace, and his new covenant is a charter of peace — peace not only between man and God, but between man and man. The reconciliation of Onesimus the runaway slave to his master Philemon is a good example.
c) The only separation that the new covenant causes, is a separation from "this world" of which Paul speaks in Ephesians 2:2-3.
The End ...
1. The Priceless Covenanta) This covenant is the constitution of the church of Christ. We see it as a uniting a reconciling covenant whose author and mediator is Christ.
Ephesians 2:14-17, 22
“For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us. He abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances. He did this to make in himself one new man out of two, so making peace so that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. He came and preached peace to you who were afar off, and to them that were nigh... In whom you also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”
2. The Covenant That Joins And Does Not Divide
a) The word "both" refers to the Jew ("those who were near") and the Gentiles ("you who were afar off"). What Paul says could, of course, apply to any enmity or division in human society. For example, "bond...free, male...female" (Galatians 3:26-29). We could think of others: rich...poor, black...white, weak...strong, educated...illiterate, democrat...communist, and so forth.
b) Jesus Christ binds people together who were once divided. He makes them "fellow citizens... built together" (Ephesians 2:19,22). Jesus Christ makes peace, and his new covenant is a charter of peace — peace not only between man and God, but between man and man. The reconciliation of Onesimus the runaway slave to his master Philemon is a good example.
c) The only separation that the new covenant causes, is a separation from "this world" of which Paul speaks in Ephesians 2:2-3.
Comments
Post a Comment