Today, I want to talk to you from the back end of Ephesians 2.

Paul’s talking to the gentile believers in Ephesus about how God, by the blood of Jesus, has taken down the dividing walls that separated them from the Jews.

If you can believe this, there were divisions in the Church! 

I know, hard to grasp, right?

We all know our society is split up a dozen ways. In the US at least, there are fractures everywhere, and these breaks are growing day by day.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, – Ephesians 2:13-14 NASB

This dividing wall between Jew and Gentile is not the only wall the blood of Jesus can break down.

All the walls of hate that separate us are fodder for His blood.

Walls that devide the races.

Walls that devide denominations.

Walls that devide rich and poor.

Republican and democrat.

Educated and uneducated.

by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, 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, – Ephesians 2:15 NASB

But to what end?

Why take this fractured mess and bring it together as One New Man?

What’s the point?

Frankly, it’s so He can build something new.

He had to tear down the walls we built between us so that He could erect walls around us. More precisely, He desires to use us as building materials for a new structure.

This is the part I really love!

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, – Ephesians 2:20-21 NASB

He breaks the walls down that separate us, then, as a master builder, fits us together. 

But to what end? 

Jesus is not building a temple where we come to remember a distant God and His works from long ago.

He’s not making a museum or library.

in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:22 NASB

He destroyed all that separates us and built a home for our Father. 

God didn’t send Jesus to build a memorial to a God of the past. He sent Jesus to prepare a place where He Himself could be at home with His family. A place where He could—well, I like the way Paul puts it, borrowing heavily from Jerimiah:

just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. – 2 Corinthians 6:16 NASB (check out Jeremiah 7:23 and Ezekiel 11:20

Frankly, daily relationship is all God wanted from the day He thought of Adam. God’s heart yearns to commune with you, with us. He longs for the day when He can walk with this One New Man in the garden in the cool of the day. When our conversations would include Him. When His voice would be heard in the congregation of the saints.

We tend to put off this level of relationship with the Father to the day we go to heaven, but that’s not God’s plan. His desire is to dwell among men. Emanuel—God with us.

That’s enough for today, but next time, I want to talk with you about Zion, the city of the great King. It’s a revelation that will change the way you read the Psalms.

Thanks for coming by.

Don’t miss it.

Love y’all.

Ben