Ephesians 2:13-18 - The Ministry of Reconcilation

In these verses, we see that Paul isspeaking to the Gentiles, specifically telling them how by the blood of Christ thatthey have now been able to make peace not only with God, but with the Jewishbelievers also in the church. They have been brought together to be one. Veryimportant. God wants His church to be one. One in Christ. Despite our culturaland religious and other backgrounds that could cause tremendous enmity, division,and strife, God wants us to be one. Ourpreferences often divide us in the church over music, rituals, ceremonies anddifferent things that might take place. But God wants us to be one. Jesus said,"By this shall all men know that you are my disciples because you loveone another." It was the love of Christ that gave us oneness with Godthrough Christ Jesus and His blood on the cross. My friend, it's the love thatwe can have for God and for others that can help us to set aside ourpreferences and our differences and love one another in such a way that theworld sees this great reconciliation between those who are at enmity. Inever forget that in my first years of ministry, I was out visiting and stoppedalongside a country road to talk with a man from our church. While were talkingwe were accosted by a man who actually began to beat up my friend. When I sawthe drunk man coming down his driveway with a crowbar in his hand, I told myfriend we should drive down the road to get away from him. I drove down the roadbut my friend felt he had the right to stay where he was and the drunk man beganto beat up my friend. My friend went and reported it to the police, of course,and there were some issues that took place. A few years later on a Sundayevening, at a new members gathering, was a man who had gotten saved because hischildren had come to church and gotten saved. I'll never forget this because theman that got saved said, "See that man over there?" He said, "Iremember beating him up and having a terrible situation with him. Would youtell him I want to ask him to forgive me for the way I acted and what I did tohim?" It was a wonderful experience that night to watch two men who hadbeen at enmity, had been in a terrible altercation, now making reconciliationbecause of the blood of Jesus Christ and the peace that God had brought intotheir hearts. It was a great testimony to watch them over the next years they becamegood friends and worked together maintaining buses for our outreach ministry. Thiskind of peace and reconciliation is only possible through Jesus Christ. Sowe see that in this passage of scripture we're at enmity with God before oursalvation. Enmity with God began in the Garden of Eden when sin entered thepicture. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were separated from God. That's whatscripture teaches. They experienced death. Death is separation. They wereseparated from God. Their first two children, Cain and Abel, they experiencedenmity, deep-seated hatred to the point that Cain killed Abel, the first two brothersthat were ever born on planet earth.  Sincreated this enmity between human beings and only God can reconcile us. Then wefind that violence came into the earth because of the enmity between oneanother. The earth was filled with violence in Genesis chapter 6 and the floodtook place. But then even after the flood, men tried to make peace with eachother by building the Tower of Babel so that they can have unity. Yet this didnot bring unity. God scattered the nations and gives them the curse oflanguages that separated them.  Myfriend, there has always been this enmity because of sin. The only answer forsin is the blood of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 describes the ministryof reconciliation. Please take time to read these verses!God bless!