Page 80 - Ephesians

When I first heard the message of victory, I was far from the
cross. I began chasing after victory. I thought I knew all I needed
about the cross. I had applied the blood and was ready to move
on. The more you go on with the Lord, the more you need the
precious blood of Jesus. Every day, you need the precious
blood of Jesus. Every time we study our wealth in Christ, it’s
based on the blood of Christ. When we study our union with Him,
and our “premium seating” in heavenly places, it’s because of His
blood and His suffering.

Our destiny is to grow up becoming His temple and His home.
Our hope is based on the blood of Christ. God is the One who
gave us hope in the blood. He’s the Author of hope. God will
never frustrate hope that He Himself, has given us. He never
mocks us. It’s His record. We have every reason, by the Lord’s
own blessed promises, to be filled with hope.

Let me give a little background at this point in order to make it
clear. Verse 14, “He Himself is our peace.” He doesn’t give
peace. “He Himself is our peace, Who made both groups into
one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.” What is
the barrier of the dividing wall, or as the King James says, “The
middle wall of partition?” It’s the wall of separation between the
Jews and the gentiles. That’s the fact. It’s not the principle. As
you know, the Jews and the gentiles were as far apart as east
from west. The Jews and the non-Jews (gentiles), hated each
other.

It’s hard for us to imagine the tremendous gulf that existed
between them. We presently have a history of race problems in
our country. Segregation still goes on. But it is nothing, compared
to the animus of those times. The Jew knew he could trace his
family tree back to Abraham. They identified with Abraham and
they called themselves, “The circumcision”. They took pride in the
special covenant of circumcision God gave Abraham. “We are the
circumcision. And you Gentiles are the uncircumcised”. They
even added the word “dogs”. “Uncircumcised dogs”. That was
the gentiles.