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Subject 19 : The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the EPHESIANS
[Chapter 2-7] Jesus Is Our Peace (Ephesians 2:14-22)
(Ephesians 2:14-22)
“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
The Lord Is Our Master Who Has Given Us Peace
It’s written in the Song of Solomon 2:10-13,
“My beloved spoke, and said to me:
‘Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!’”
And Isaiah 6:13 says,
“As a terebinth tree or as an oak,
Whose stump remains when it is cut down.
So the holy seed shall be its stump.”
The Bible says here that the holy seed has become the stump of salvation. As we believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit that our Lord gave to us, we have begun to lead a holy life. Having come to this earth as the holy seed, our Lord has made us His believers God’s own people.
The topic of today’s Scripture passage from the Book of Ephesians is peace, as it’s written in Ephesians 2:14-15, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” The Bible says that our Lord is the stump of the holy tree. A stump is what remains of a tree when it is cut down, and many branches can still spring forth from this stump. The Lord is the holy stump on this earth.
Since all human beings are fundamentally a brood of evildoers as Adam’s descendants, everyone commits sin all the time, and that is why our Lord came looking for such people like us to save us. When we were living under the flood of sin destined to face God’s judgment, our Lord came to this earth to save us from the sins of the world, and He has indeed delivered all of us through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. It is by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit that we have been saved from all our sins. The Lord is the One who has given us peace. When the wall of sin separating us from God had turned us into His enemies, our Lord came looking for us and restored our peace with God through the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
All of us were inevitably destined to die for our sins and face the condemnation of sin. However, our Lord has brought down the wall of sin that had separated us from God and made us one with Him, for Jesus is the Lord of peace. When our Lord came to this earth, He bore all the sins that were separating us from God through the baptism He received from John the Baptist; He was then crucified to death, rose from the dead again, and has thereby become our Savior. By blotting out all our sins once and for all with the gospel of the water and the Spirit, the Lord has saved us all. What you and I must realize and remember clearly here is that the holy seed mentioned in the Book of Isaiah is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. It is absolutely imperative for all of us to not only believe in the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Savior, but also remember this righteousness at all times. As Jesus Christ has made us holy, all of us ought to be reconciled to God and become His children by believing in Jesus’ work of salvation, and give all glory to God.
As God’s creatures, we human beings ought to believe that God has blotted out all our sins and made us His own people, and praise God for this wonderful blessing. In other words, we must believe in the Truth of salvation that God has given us, and we must thank Him for His grace that has clothed us in the glory of Heaven and made us His own children.
When we turn to the Song of Solomon, we see Solomon expressing his love for the Shulammite woman. This actually describes how our Lord has raised us as God’s workers, and it expresses the Lord’s unfathomable love for us. When we read the Song of Solomon, we can see just how much the Lord loves us, how much He cherishes us, and how much He has blessed us. The Lord gives us the fruit of salvation. Through the conversation of King Solomon and the Shulammite woman, we can realize what the Lord has done for us and grasp His love.
There are times when our hearts are weary and troubled. What should we do when we are facing such difficult circumstances? In such times, we should remember that our Lord has saved us and met us through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We should think about how the Lord has saved us from the sins of the world, in what condition we were in when our Lord saved us, and when we were able to meet the Lord. It’s when we remember that the Lord has blotted out all our sins with the gospel of the water and the Spirit and ruminate on this Truth that we are able to meet the Lord. We must not only remember in our minds that Jesus Christ has saved us from sin, but also ruminate on this Truth repeatedly in our everyday lives, for only then can we never lose our true faith.
I believe from the bottom of my heart that the Lord has saved me through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. So, whenever I feel tired, weary, depressed, fearful, or anxious, I always think about the Lord, and I remember with thanksgiving how the Lord had come to this earth for me, borne all my sins by being baptized, and paid off all the wages of my sins on the Cross. When I do this, all my hardship, pain, worry, and anxiety disappear, everything cluttering my mind is removed, and I can resume following the Lord faithfully again as though I had never gone astray.
However, as I continue to serve the Lord, there still are times when I feel physically exhausted and weary. And sometimes, I feel like doing something else to get some relief from my stress if only for a short while. I have been working so hard to serve the gospel that every aspect of my daily life revolves around my ministry, preaching the gospel every day and thinking all the time about how I can serve the gospel better. Being so preoccupied with one task like this makes me want to do something else.
That’s why I play soccer with my co-workers from time to time. My usual position is a striker, but yesterday I was the goalkeeper. It’s a lot of fun to play as the goalkeeper. My objective as the goalie is to prevent the opposing team from scoring. Of course, the opposing team isn’t happy when I block their attempts, but it’s so exhilarating for me as the goalie that I enjoy it even more than playing in my usual role as a striker. Once I carelessly advanced too far into the field, and I ended up letting the opposing side to score easily, seeing that the goal was not guarding adequately, they kicked the ball over my head and into the net. Of course, when I realized what was going on, I ran after the ball trying to stop it desperately, but by then it was too late. I was devastated, but the other team was laughing and celebrating. Of course, it’s just a game, and so it doesn’t really matter whether my team wins or loses. Regardless of the outcome, I always enjoy playing soccer as it refreshes my body and mind.
I’m very happy as the news from abroad has been as wonderful and abundant as the spring flowers in full blossom. Whenever the spring comes around, I often go on a walk to enjoy the warm weather, and this is enough to make all the lingering remnants of the winter disappear. Despite our difficulties, we have been serving the gospel work to the best of our abilities devoting all our hearts to it. And as a result, we are now hearing wonderful news from people all over the world telling us that they have received the remission of sins. It is very heart-warming to all of us as we know that our hard work is bearing fruit.
Who Has Broken Down the Wall of Our Sins?
My message to you today is to ask you to ruminate once again in your heart how our Lord has saved you from all your sins. This Word of God must be engraved in your heart forever. To that end, let’s read Ephesians 2:14-15 with one voice: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” It’s very important to understand this passage clearly, as each and every phrase here holds an extremely important meaning.
That Jesus Christ has broken down the middle wall of separation so as to create in Himself one new man from the two means the following: When we were separated from God because of our sins, Jesus Christ came to this earth, bore our sins once and for all by being baptized, died on the Cross, and thereby saved us His believers from all our sins. The Bible therefore says that the Lord has abolished in His flesh our enmity with God—that is, the Law of commandments contained in ordinances. When God gave us the Law contained in ordinances, He didn’t just give it in spoken words, but He gave it to us by writing down His holy commandments specifying what we should and should not do. And of 613 such statutes of the Law, God had the Ten Commandments written into two stone tablets.
For us to break the Law of God is to sin against Him. To break the commandments of this holy God is to commit sin, and anyone who thus commits sin must be condemned according to the Law of God. Sin is therefore our enemy, but the Bible says that Jesus has abolished all our sins in His flesh. This means that Jesus has blotted out all the sins of the entire human race as He bore them on His own body by being baptized by John the Baptist. In this way, with His baptism and His blood on the Cross, the Lord has eradicated all our curses and completely abolished our enmity with God. Jesus has saved us by being baptized by John the Baptist, dying on the Cross, and rising from the dead. He has blotted out all our sins perfectly and become our Savior.
It is written in Ephesians 2:17, “He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.” To those who heard the gospel long ago and those who are hearing it now alike, God has given them all the peace of salvation, you and me alike. Jesus our Savior has saved us through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Therefore, whoever believes in the gospel of the water and the Spirit has peace in his heart. Whoever does not believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, on the other hand, has no peace. The Bible says that all who believe in this gospel have become the people of peace, as Ephesians 2:19 states, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
It is Jesus Christ who has made us God’s own people, brought peace into our hearts, abolished our enmity with God, and saved us all. Jesus Christ is the only Savior who has blotted out all your sins and mine and saved us. It’s absolutely imperative for all of us to realize here that Jesus Christ is our only Savior. Unless you know Him, you will not only be cursed and destroyed in the next world to come, but you will also be unable to receive any blessings on this earth.
The Bible states clearly that Jesus Christ is our peace. He has reconciled us to God, sanctified us, turned us into God’s own people, and enabled us to receive all God’s blessings. Jesus Christ has given us such peace and such remission of sins; He has abolished our enmity with God; He has made us God’s people; and He has enabled us to receive all the blessings of the earth and all the spiritual blessings of Heaven. It’s none other than Jesus Christ who has blessed us so much like this.
I ask each and every one of you to believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior. If you believe in Him as your Savior, you will receive the blessings of salvation for sure, but if you otherwise don’t believe, then you will be cursed to face the condemnation of sin. You might know the hymn that goes,
“What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!” And there is another touching hymn that goes,
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.”
Because of our sins, we were all cursed; because of our sins, we were all destined to hell; and because of our sins, we could not receive any blessings from God. And that is precisely why Jesus Christ Himself has saved us personally by coming to this earth, bearing all the sins of the world once and for all by being baptized by John the Baptist, dying on the Cross at once, and rising from the dead. All of us must therefore believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. It is by believing in Jesus Christ that we can put on the Lord’s love. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will receive all the blessings of God, both the spiritual blessings of Heaven and the earthly blessings. So I beseech you all to believe in the Lord steadfastly.
Those Who Can Receive All the Blessings of Heaven from God
Today, I would like to remind everyone that it is actually very easy to believe in the righteousness of Jesus. There is no question that all of us commit sin, and what makes us realize and know such sins is none other than the Law. When we examine ourselves before the 613 written commandments of God specifying what we should and should not do, we can’t help but admit that we are sinners. This is true even when we reflect ourselves upon just the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments teach us that we should not have any other gods before the Lord God; we should not use God’s name in vain; we should neither make any idols nor worship them; we should keep the Sabbath Day holy; we should honor our parents; we should not murder; we should not commit adultery; we should not bear false witness; we should not steal; and we should not covet our neighbor’s house. When we reflect ourselves upon these commandments, can any of us not commit any sin at all? Can we avoid sin even just for a day? No, we can’t help but commit sin every day. Even without the Law, we know in our conscience that we are sinners, but when we reflect ourselves upon the Law, it is revealed even more clearly that we are sinners. It’s because of our sins that God can’t bless us. That is why Jesus Christ came to this earth looking for you and me, gave us the remission of sins, and reconciled us to God. If you believe in this Jesus Christ, then you have been saved. It’s not so hard to believe in Jesus. It’s actually quite easy, but for those whose hearts are not honest before God, it’s very hard.
I have seen many people in this world blessed by God. I’ve seen them both in the Scriptures and in our Church as well in reality. One thing that’s common to them all is the fact that their hearts are honest before God. Such people who are honest before God and have nothing to hide from Him are blessed by God, but those whose hearts are dishonest and cunning cannot receive any blessings. Even if we sometimes find ourselves deceiving another human being, it’s absolutely imperative for all of us to be honest and frank before God.
Whoever is honest before God knows that he is a sinner constantly committing sin. Such people therefore come to believe that Jesus bore all their sins by being baptized, and they also come to believe that the Lord was condemned on the Cross in their place. Therefore, only those who are honest before God can receive the salvation offered by Him. It’s those whose hearts are honest before God that can receive the blessings of salvation. Although God wants to give His salvation freely to everyone, it is only when our hearts are honest that we can receive and enjoy the God-given gift of salvation. In other words, it is only when we have faith in His salvation that we can receive all the blessings God is offering to us. This elementary principle cannot be questioned at all, for it is the God-spoken Truth. Is there anything wrong in God’s Word? No, there can be no error with the Word of God. And God clearly said that those who are blessed are those who are honest before Him.
Jesus has reconciled us to God the Father. God the Father made His Son Jesus Christ bear all our sins by being baptized, put Him to death on the Cross in our place, and has thereby fulfilled His love to us. God the Father made His Son Jesus Christ carry out the work of salvation. As all of us believe that God has fulfilled our salvation once and for all through Jesus Christ, we are only too happy to ruminate on this Truth and preach it every day. There is nothing in this world that’s more precious than spreading the love of God revealed through Jesus our Savior. Therefore, when we devote all our lives to the spreading of the gospel of the water and the Spirit, we will see with our own eyes that this life is the most blessed and joyous one.
My fellow believers, I admonish each and every one of you to believe in Jesus as your Savior. If you now realize that you are destined to hell for the sins that you commit day after day, then you must believe that Jesus has become your Savior. If you believe in Jesus, you will be saved from all your sins and receive everlasting life. After this, as you continue to listen to the Word of God, your faith will grow; as your faith grows, you will obtain the bread of life for both your soul and body; and you will also receive God’s blessings according to your faith. Once you receive the remission of sins, you will be blessed in proportion to the growth of your faith. All of us must grasp this clearly here.
In the dominion of God, it’s impossible for you to be blessed unless your faith grows. That you are blessed according to your faith’s growth is the absolute principle of the Kingdom of God. It’s impossible for you to receive any blessings without believing in God, just as it’s also impossible for you to be blessed without even receiving the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit in the first place. Even after you receive the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, you cannot receive any blessings unless you believe in and follow the Word of God. In God’s dominion, it is when you unite yourself with the Lord by faith that you are blessed. I ask you all to grasp this. And I ask each and every one of you to believe in Jesus Christ with all your heart. Jesus Christ has given us the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and it is only when we believe in this gospel that we can all become equal citizens of the Kingdom of God.
A while ago, a popular singer in Korea deliberately obtained American citizenship to avoid compulsory military service after promising that he would do so. This singer is no longer a Korean citizen. After this, the Ministry of Justice prohibited him from entering Korea. Since this singer gave up Korean citizenship and obtained American citizenship instead, he is no longer a Korean, and since he failed to keep his duty as a Korean national, nor can he claim to have any rights as a Korean citizen. Citizenship is not maintained without loyalty.
My fellow believers, as we have received the remission of sins by faith, we now have citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. Because we believe in Jesus as our Savior who has blotted out all our sins with the water and the Spirit, we have come to have this citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. You may not fully appreciate what a wonderful blessing this is, but when the time comes for you to actually exercise your rights as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, you will realize what a tremendous blessing it is. The Apostle Paul said, “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). For all who have actually become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven by believing in Jesus Christ, the glory that they will receive from God the Father is beyond description. This is neither an exaggeration nor a simple religious teaching. It is the absolute Truth, and I ask you all to believe in it without fail. Just as it is thanks to the great mercy of God that I have been saved and become who I am today, so is it also by the grace of God that you can follow Him. This is the undeniable Truth.
The Bible Says That Jesus Christ Has Become the Cornerstone That Holds Us Together with God
Jesus has become the cornerstone that’s indispensable to build a house. If you want to become God’s sanctuary dwelt by Jesus Christ, then you must believe in Him with your heart. For His part, God has already blotted out all your sins with the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Knowing that you are sinful and will continue to commit sin, Jesus has blotted out all the sins of the world with the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Do you believe in this Truth? Jesus has saved you by being baptized for you, dying on the Cross, and rising from the dead. Do you realize this and accept it? You must accept this gospel of Truth into your heart. If you otherwise reject it, your life will be rendered completely meaningless. What would you do then? Would you believe in Jesus as your Savior? I beseech all of you to believe that Jesus is indeed your Savior. And I ask you to ruminate or meditate on the gospel of the water and the Spirit as often as possible, for it is very easy for us to forget what the Lord has done for us. Words cannot express just how happy I am that the Lord has saved me.
As the weather has now turned nice and warm, I want to go out to serve the work. Let us trust in God in all things, seeking His help and following Him as His faithful servants. There is so much that we need to ask from God and receive by faith. Broadly speaking, we have the grand goal of spreading the gospel all over the world, and on a more personal level, we all have various problems and issues that we are struggling with. Whatever our goals and needs are, whether great or small, we must pray to God and seek His help in all these things.
Receiving God’s blessings in our lives for our faith is what all of us ought to do as His righteous workers. I am absolutely certain that when we pray to God earnestly, He will listen to our every prayer and answer us all without fail. I have every confidence that God will bless us like this. As God wants to bless each and every one of us, I am sure that when we pray to Him by faith, the Lord will answer us with the same mercy that He bestowed on us when He saved us. I give all my thanks to the Lord!
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