GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION
This week we’re in Paul’s letters known as Philippians and Colossians … where Paul continues to communicate a gospel of grace which was very different from the message of a works-based approach the people were needing to break free from.
This week we’re in the second chapter of Ephesians. Paul keeps pounding away for each group of churches he is writing to regarding the good news message of salvation coming by grace through faith, and not of works. There is nothing left for any of us to boast in what we do.
In this passage, he reveals how the barrier or dividing wall which had kept Israel in bondage and Gentiles without a covenant — that wall was broken down by Jesus so these two groups of people could become one in Christ.
What was that wall of separation? It was the law of commandments contained in ordinances … and Jesus brought down this enmity in order to reconcile the world to God.
Continuing to review nuggets of grace from the Apostle Paul, we’re in the book of Galatians and the first part of Ephesians. Paul emphasizes grace over works as he refers to an (unearned) inheritance received in Christ, where believers are no longer viewed as Jews and Gentile, slave or free, male or female. We are all one in Christ, where there is one gospel message of grace for all. The previous covenant from Mt. Sinai brought spiritual bondage but we’ve all been brought into a new and different covenant, where we’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance—resulting in freedom in Christ.
Things haven’t changed much in the past 2,000 years. Although the rules and regulations are tweaked based upon religious brands and cultural changes, the Christian religious system often weakens the message by emphasizing a works-based message while putting grace on the shelf. Grace may be used as a selling point, but watch out for the fine print.
That is contrasted with righteousness which is based upon faith, not works—confessing a word of faith by mouthing Jesus as Lord and believing with the heart God raised Him from the dead, resulting in righteousness (or justification) and salvation. And over and over again, Paul reveals it works the same for both Jew and Greek: Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Be aware of a works-based message being thrown into the mix with requirements which are made to put the responsibility upon you regarding salvation or God’s acceptance.
And yet, many Jewish believers struggled with grasping these truths, wrestling with letting go of a law which couldn’t bring life or righteousness, tempted to pursue the fleshly way of works through a stone tablet ministry which left them in condemnation. And what about Gentiles? How would these (formerly) unclean people fit into the message of Jesus … and would they be required to apply the law? Paul explains the Gentiles would receive righteousness without even pursuing it—because of faith. Whereas the Jews would fall short of righteousness because they were seeking it not by faith, but by works.
Christ died for people at their weakest point and demonstrated His love by dying for the ungodly, bringing justification by His blood and reconciling us to Himself, saved from His wrath and saved by His life. The good news of this grace is what motivated Paul to encourage believers with this hope … and went against nearly all of the other religious messages to which they had been exposed. Now that we’re under grace and not a works-based religious system, we have a new motivation and purpose for producing good works.
We’ve recently spent many weeks in a series about Paul and James, highlighting the struggles in the early church and how Paul was battling to free people from a perverted gospel being communicated to both Jew and Gentile. Now we’ll be looking at some of Paul’s letters and passages which specifically make the case for salvation and right standing with God, received as a gift, apart from the works of the law inside of a new and better covenant. The “work” was performed by Jesus and His blood sealed the deal.
During the early decades after the resurrection, when the church was still growing in their knowledge of the truth, even the apostles didn’t completely understand the fullness of the gospel, although God’s Spirit would reveal things to them … often from what we call the Old Testament—the only Scriptures they could reference. Paul and some of his companions were a major force in sharing the more complete truth of what was accomplished through the blood of the cross—for both Jew and Gentile.
The church today continues to struggle with a mixed message of faith and religious rules, while trying to establish theology and doctrine based upon their own assumptions about the Bible writings. Just as in the early years of the church, we’re not growing in the knowledge of “the Bible,” but we’re all growing in the knowledge of the truth found in the Person of Jesus Christ, as we receive it from the Holy Spirit.
They rejoiced that Gentiles were coming to Jesus, but stumbled over Paul’s teachings that the Jews who lived among the Gentiles should also “forsake Moses.” James and the elders ordered Paul to publicly denounce the accusations against him by saying he believes in keeping the law … and to do this by participating in an old covenant purification ceremony—as if the blood of Jesus was not enough. In other words, they wanted Paul to deny what he had been teaching about grace through faith, apart from works of the law.
We also take a look at more evidence where James and the elders in Jerusalem convince Paul to participate in an old covenant exercise where ceremony and sacrifice would occur in order to show the Jews that Paul was also a law keeper and had not forsaken Moses. This event from Acts 21 would have been nearly 3 decades after the cross, and about 20 years after James wrote his Bible letter. More to come!
The real celebration with God entering the world as a human is that He would do a work resulting in justification, forgiveness, redemption, righteousness and so much more—which He extended through perfect love by grace. This is why believers have peace with God. The Savior brought faith and life—and it’s much more excellent than a religious system of works which falls short. When it comes to your celebration this year, don’t keep hanging out at the manger, but remember the ultimate result of what it brought.