Ephesians 2:14-18 “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the Law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
Pastor Herk quoted J. Vernon McGee, who said: “when you come to Jesus Christ, you’re not only brought into the body of Believers, but you’re also into a place where you stand before God on a par with anybody; we stand with each other on equal footing. We have been made one in Christ. One new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, together for eternity. Jesus Christ is the peace that has been made between them. We have been put together in Christ and He has made peace between us and God, and between peace with each other. There is a tendency on our part to think that this doesn’t apply anymore because we don’t have any barriers, but in fact we do. If we are honest, we have to admit that we have walls in our lives that might separate us from God and sure ones that separate us from others that need to be torn down.
Psalm 29:10-11 “The Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”
Barriers in our relationships keep us from that peace, wholeness and well-being in a good relationship that God wants us to have. Walls in relationships can lead to a lack of respect for each other and meaningful conversations or interactions. If you are going to have the peace in your life the God wants you to have, you are going to have to let God tear down the walls. The Bible tells you how to do it. (1) Let God tear down the vertical wall that separates you from Him first. “For he himself is our peace. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” The primary reason that people do not have peace in their lives is because their vertical relationship with God has a barrier. They need to tear down that wall so that they have direct communion and conversation with their Heavenly Father again.
Psalm 34:14 “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
Sin in our life is a vertical barrier. Creator God is holy and just, so when we sin, we separate ourselves from His from His holiness. Sin separates us from God. Jesus, our peace, tears down that wall at the Cross. The Lord has given us the ability to have personal wholeness within ourselves through an intimate relationship God, un-walled and reconciled through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, all who have repented, accepted His substitutionary and atoning death in their place, been born-again by the transforming conversion work of the Holy Spirit and committed their life to Christ, all have access to their Father in Heaven and have peace with God. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” This peace is offered and available to everyone, but everyone has the choice to receive or reject this free offer. It is impossible to tear down the other walls in our life until we first address that wall between us and Creator God, and we will never have true peace with others if we haven‘t repaired the relationship with our heavenly Father.
Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on tearing down relational walls in our next post.
In Christ, Brian
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