Ephesians 2:15-16

"By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace." Ephesians 2:15

Enmity is the condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism that exists between man (because of his condition - habitually sinful) and God (whom is sinless - Pure). How has Christ abolished enmity?

The old system under the law of Moses to restore man's relationship to God was only a shadow, a picture of the system God was to ultimately bring (set up), once-and-for-all. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship God.

In fact, If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. And so it was not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins and that is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God...

"Hence, when He [Christ] entered into the world, He said, Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but instead You have made ready a body for Me [to offer]; In burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no delight. Then I said, 'Behold, here I am, coming to do Your will, O God [to fulfill] what is written of Me in the volume of the Book'" Hebrews 10:5-7

First, Christ said, "You were not pleased with animal sacrifices" though they are required by the law of Moses. Then he said, "Look, I have come to do your will." Jesus cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. It still took a sinless life, and the spilling of it's blood to cancel the dept of sin, and so Christ lived a sinless life and He did pour out His blood for all of the sins of the world.

Here in this verse, where it says, "that He from the two might create in Himself one new man", He has not reconciled all Gentiles to Jews nor abolished enmity between all of them! It is true that a Gentile and a Jew whom are both in Christ will be joined into one new body... the body of Christ, but the reference is literally to: all those whom accept Jesus Christ - and Himself, Jesus as one new man! Here are some of the reasons why the words "two and both" refer to Christ and all those, whom have faith in Christ:

"But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but canceling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor)." 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.

It was Christ who gave Himself for them so God will not count their sins against them.

"Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment." Romans 3:25

"For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness]." 2 Corinthians 5:21

Let's move on to verse 16, which further makes the point.

16. And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end.

Here again, we must note in verse 16, that, "thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end" is not what we see between the Gentile and Jewish people today... except for those whom are truly "in Christ". "The enmity killed" is another reference to what was between man and God. Until this matter of enmity, between all of mankind, (no matter who they are) and God is resolved, there will be enmity between Jew and Gentile, blacks and whites, men and women, husband and wife, and father and son.

But when Christ is allowed to move into our hearts, the Power of God changes us and the enmity toward one another is replaced with God's love, and love moves outward in compassion, forgiveness, selflessness, and all of the attributes of God. Amen?

Let's pick up with Ephesians verse 2:17 next time.

I love you.