But now in Christ Jesus you who once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (14) For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, (15) having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, (16) and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. (17) And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. (18) For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul. The church in Ephesus had the invaluable characteristic of peace and our verses today tell us that Christ Himself is this peace – with God and with one another and with themselves. The dividing wall between Jew and Gentile has been destroyed forever. In faith, in Christ all men are now one. The barrier between Jew and Gentile was really the Jewish commandments and regulations. Our Lord did not end the demands of God’s moral law, but all the ceremonies of the Old Testament were to be fulfilled in Christ – now the Jewish law is no longer needed. Peace with God is the foundation for peace with others.

Peace is Paul’s theme in our verses. The radical nature of Paul’s proclamation, that apart from the cross there is deep alienation between those from different backgrounds. At the root of hostilities was religion and ethnic pride on the part of the Jews – cultural and social differences between people. Christ Himself is the only source of peace between those who have been hostile toward each other. Christ reconciled us all to one another and to God by abolishing the Old Covenant law. The law condemned Jew and Gentile because it clearly proves we have all sinned against God.but God has intervened and abolished the law and reconciled both to God by the cross. We Gentiles, alienated from God by wicked works, enemies in our minds, have now, by putting our trust in Christ, been brought to a place of nearness the law never gave even to the Jews. And the Jew who believes in Christ has been brought to the same blessed place. The sin question has been fully settled

Christ was the end of the law and therefore it ceased to bind the people of God. We are no longer under the law but under grace. Christ abolished the law as a covenant of works by fulfilling its conditions. Christianity is not a religion of rituals but personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. As I write this I think of Martin Luther King – “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (4) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, (5) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (7) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (8) which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, (9) having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, (10) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth – in Him

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul. Central to the apostle’s thinking in our verses, is that before the creation of the world, God chose us and predestined us to His amazing blessings. The Bible is clear that God decreed beforehand what will happen in history. God is sovereign, yet at the same time God is not the author of evil. He does not determine His plan based on anything outside of Himself. God did not make up His plan after He saw who would choose Him. He did not base His choice on any merit or worthiness He foresaw in us. Paul here is laying the theological foundation of what God ultimately plans to do – to reunite in Christ everything alienated through sin. If we are saved because of any merit on our part we are on shaky ground because we never know if we have enough of whatever it is to qualify us for salvation.

”Predestination” does not imply impersonal deterministic fate but refers to God’s plan for the ages and the power to carry it out. The kind intention and good pleasure of God means that God chose us and predestined us to be His children apart from any cause in us but rather because it pleased Him. And we know that God has elected us by our believing in Jesus Christ. Our salvation is entirely due to GOD’s extravagant grace in Christ. Man is unable – with our sinful nature in Adam – to come to Christ by themselves. No one is able to come to the Lord unless it is granted by the Father. “He chose us” is not ambiguous – all of the spiritual blessings we receive center in Christ. Paul is distinguishing those on whom God set His purpose to save from the rest of humanity and we are to be holy and blameless before Him in faith in Christ. Paul does not debate the matter of election or tip toe around it. When we are entirely willing that God should be God, election is no longer a problem. It is God who purposed salvation this way. When we consider God’s electing grace and predestinating love we should remember Isaiah’s words, chapter 55: 8-9, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither your ways My ways, saith the Lord.” Before sin came in, God chose us in Christ. Sin did not alter God’s purpose.

If men are lost, they are lost because they do not come to Christ. Those who do come to Christ learn that God has known that from all eternity. It was settled before the world came into existence. If you trust in Christ, you are chosen by God. God’s determination to create men/women who would choose to give Him loyal obedience necessitated the creation of man/women to turn away from God if they wanted to. God has every right to show mercy to whomever He chooses. If we accept Christ with our free will then God guarantees we will be secure. We don’t know why God chose us – not our merit or good works – but because He loved us. This is a watershed teaching, that we will be in heaven because God chose us.

And lest I should be exhalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. (8) Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. (9) And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The second letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. Our verses today tell us that Paul had a vision which he was by God unable to describe – he was caught up to the third heaven (paradise) where he heard unspeakable words. Paul had a foretaste of the joys and blessings of the redeemed. There was danger of pride of heart after such a vision and God allowed Satan to give Paul a thorn in his flesh. What was it? We don’t know but it appears to have been some affliction in his body. Paul went to the Lord three times to ask for God to remove this “thorn in his flesh”. God answered Paul’s prayer and said no but Paul heard something better; the assurance of the suffiency of divine grace was to comfort his heart in the affliction. The power of God needed his weakness for its display and allowed him not only to bear the infirmity for Christ’s sake, but to take pleasure in it – to teach the apostle dependency on God and the sufficiency of His Grace. This is an important lesson every believer must learn: both natural weakness and supernatural power are constantly at work in us. The greater we sense our weakness the more we will sense God’s power. Our success does not depend on our natural abilities but on God working in and through us – to depend more on God and less on oneself.

The causes of suffering are many and mysterious. We suffer often when we are foolish and disobedient to the Lord. Also God desires at times to chasten us. In His Grace God forgives us our sins but in His government He permits us to reap what we sow. Physical affliction does not keep us from Christian service and Paul’s ministry did not deteriorate because of his experience of revelation. Often human beings become arrogant, super spiritual visionaries claiming God has especially ministered to them and upon no provable or credible grounds whatsoever. What Paul’s experience was intended to do was to expand the glory, grace and power of the Lord.

The ultimate cause of Paul’s experience is the sovereign God – in fact, that’s the ultimate cause of everything in this universe. God’s unmerited grace is never withdrawn from a believer until he/she is in the presence of the Lord and when we appreciate what God has done, we complete what He intended to do which is to manifest His power, His grace. The entire range of Paul’s apostleship is seen against this – his weaknesses, his trials, his calling, his conversion all fall into place when Paul understands God’s grace is sufficient for him.

But as you abound in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us – see that you abound in this grace also. (9) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich…..(13) For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; (14) but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack – that their abundance may also supply your lack – that there may be equality. (15) As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

The second letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses Paul has written an encouragement, not a command, regarding Christian contributions to the poor.The recipients of money Paul collected for the poor in Jerusalem were Hebrew Christians who suffered for many reasons: conversion to Christianity resulted in social and economic ostracism , there was overpopulation in Jerusalem; increasing numbers of widows to care for, disinheritance, and persecution. Communal sharing of goods did not solve their economic problems as all of Palestine suffered from lack of food due to famine. There was opportunity for fellow Christian’s to show their true fellowship as the faithful are to minister to each other. This collection for needy Christians was a primary motivation for Paul while providing a visual demonstration of equality.

The objective of giving was not to make Jewish Christians rich and the Corinthian Christians poor – it was that there should be more equality than existed. We have a responsibility to care for each other. Also, the duty of the poor was self support to the extent of their ability. Paul did not legislate equality, he appealed for it – our responsibility here is clear. Paul counseled in matters concerning the use and expenditures of funds and material blessings. The message is Grace giving. This was not a tithe which belonged to the Mosaic law – not a legal requirement. Grace giving is a gift, not a debt. It is giving out if gratitude and not because we feel a duty to give. Christian giving is dedicated giving in faith. The example Paul used was the gift of Manna in the desert. By example this simply means when fellow believers have physical needs it is our responsibility to help them. It’s about fellow believers with legitimate needs. So Grace giving is faith giving and is itself a gift from God.

Human accounting judges generosity on the basis of the amount given. Divine accounting judges on the basis of the sacrifice. Generosity looks at giving as a privilege more than an obligation. Equality and mutuality are legitimate goals of generosity. The two governing principles in our verses are equality should govern our giving to those in need – the second principle is that of reciprocity; the economic shoe may some day be on the other foot when we may have a time of need.