Peace in Ephesians

Bible Exposition, Christ, Christian Living, Church, Death of Jesus, Ephesians, Grace, Jesus Christ, peace, Position in Christ, Union to Christ 2 Minutes

The following is a lightly edited outline from the sermon in the morning worship gathering at Pioneer Bible Church on February 6, 2022.

Ephesians –  Saints: Set Apart In Calling and Practice

Week Four: Peace in the Letter to the Ephesians (Read 2:11-22)

Peace Defined:

  • Peace in position – War with God and His people is over (Ephesians 2:11-22) – Christ is our peace; wholeness restored.
  • Peace in experience –  Walking with God and His people in unity and harmony, and experiencing the rest that brings; living as if the war is over
  • “eirḗnē (from eirō, ‘to join, tie together into a whole‘) – properly, wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God’s gift of wholeness).” (1)

Peace as Wholeness:

  • Remember that wholeness was lost when mankind declared war on God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Wholeness was lost, because mankind was separated from God (Ephesians 2:1-3).
  • Wholeness is restored through faith in Christ who has paid the penalty for our sins at the cross (Ephesians 2:16).

Peace in Ephesians

  • Peace to you (1:2)
  • Positional Peace with God and One Another (2:11-22, vv. 14, 15, 17) – Jesus is our peace, and through His death on the cross He has reconciled us to God and one another. “Reconcile” has the idea of enemies being made friends.
  • Guarding Unity of the Spirit in Bond of Peace(4:1-6) – Christ has purchased peace, and the Holy Spirit has established unity. This is true in position (Ephesians 2:11-22); we are to strive to maintain in practice what is ours in position.
  • Armed with Good News of Peace (6:15)
    • Armor – How do we stand against Satan’s attacks? We remind ourselves of the Gospel of Peace. When Satan attacks us with doubt, we stand in the fact that we are at peace with God completely by the work of Jesus and not our own works. When Satan tries to sow seeds of disunity, we proclaim the Good News that peace with one another has been purchased by Jesus Christ.
    • Advancement – The shoes carry us into battle to make advancement. How do we advance into the Enemy’s territory? We proclaim peace with God through faith in Jesus  to those trapped in darkness.
  • Blessing to Experience Peace (6:23)

Tying It All Together: Grace and Peace in Ephesians

  • We have been saved by grace into peace with God and one another (1-3)
  • We can now live empowered by that same grace in practical peace with God and one another (4-6).
  1. HELPS Word Studies. Discovery Bible 2021. Accessed at biblehub.com.
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