| Introduction In 1836, 182 troops commanded by Colonel William Barret Travis made a valiant stand at a little-known fort in San Antonio, Texas, by the name of Alamo. On March 6, Colonel Travis, Davy Crockett and all the men at the Alamo were slaughter by the invading forces. By taking a stand the way they did, the troops at the Alamo gave the Texan army enough time to regroup and be ready to attack the invading forces. About six weeks later a vastly outnumbered Texan army met the Mexican forces at San Jacinto. The Mexican army outnumbered the Texan army 6 to 1. The battle lasted 18 minutes. The Mexican army was decimated as the Texans, led by Sam Houston, charged it while screaming at the top of their lungs, "Remember the Alamo!" Remembering where they had come from enabled them to get through what they had to do. It is important that the Christian remembers where he/she comes from. Verses 11-12 are the second time in this chapter alone that Paul reminds the Christian where he/she came from and who they are now (see also vv. 1-3). Why is this important? Because of the fruits that remembering where we came from and who we were without Christ produces. I. The Fruits from Remembering. A. Thankfulness for what God has done for us in Christ. 1. God in Christ has translated us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves. 2. God in Christ has forgiven us for all our sins. B. Humility because without Christ we are not different than anyone else. 1. After a while, we forget who we were apart from Christ and start behaving like we are better than everyone else. 2. That's when we are at our absolute worst. C. Freedom from sin because sinner is no longer our identity. 1. It is true that we still sin, but our identity is not sinner because sin no longer has dominion over us. 2. Remembering who we were without Christ and who we are in Christ give us permission not to continue sinning. 3. Right thinking about ourselves results in right attitude and right doing. 1. This is related to humility. 2. This is a true assessment of whom we are apart from Christ. 3. This is the death of pride. a. I am convinced that pride is the universal and foundational sin. b. If pride wasn't in the picture… 1) husbands wouldn't fail to love their wives. 2) wives wouldn't fail to submit to their husbands. 3) parents wouldn't exasperate their children. 4) children would obey and honor their parents. 5) brothers and sisters in Christ wouldn't fight with each other. 6) anger and bitterness would disappear. 7) the fear of man would not be a snare for us. c. We can trace virtually all relational problems to thinking highly of ourselves. 1) We didn't get what we thought we deserved. 2) People didn't respect us the way we thought they should. 3) Our kingdom gets threatened and we punish them. d. We can also trace a lot of depression and body image issues to pride. 1) Things are not going the way we want. 2) Our body is not what we want. 4. One good and honest remembering of who we were without Christ and who he is goes a long way in killing pride. E. A drive to evangelism. 1. When we remember who we were without Christ – the darkness of it, the hopelessness of it – we also remember that there are billions of people in that darkness. 2. And a few out of those billions are right next to us. 3. We love our neighbor as we love ourselves and we don't want to see them in that darkness without Christ. II. The Holy Spirit Reminds Us Because We Forget. A. This is true of you as well who are a covenant child. B. You may not have any memory of a time in your life when you didn't believe in Jesus Christ – I really hope that that is the case for you. 1. Yet this describes you as well and helps you understand who you would be without Christ. 2. It will help you be thankful for God's covenantal faithfulness to you. III. Different Ways to Remember Who We Were. A. In vv. 1-3, Paul uses the analogy to describe the state and status of humanity apart from the work of the Spirit of God in their hearts. B. Here he uses the analogy of being a foreigner in Israel (being outside of Israel). IV. What Does It Mean to Be a Foreigner to Israel? A. Israel was the place where people met the true God. 1. It was the place where the Word of God was available. 2. All the ordinances and means of grace were available. 3. They were object of the promises of the God's covenants. 4. They were united to God. 5. To be part of Israel meant being chosen by God and it meant you had the hope of the promised Messiah. B. To be a foreigner to Israel meant that you didn't have any of these things – that is exactly the picture that Paul is painting of those who are outside of Christ. 1. To be outside of Christ is to be outside of Israel. 2. It is to be outside of the favor of God. C. The Ephesian Christians, being mostly Gentiles, had experienced the taunting and the putting down of the Jews. 1. "You are not a real child of God. You are not circumcised." 2. Paul makes a bit of a dig on them when he says that they are circumcised only in the flesh by hands instead of having hearts circumcised by the Spirit. 3. Paul tells the Ephesians that they are more citizens of Israel than those circumcised in the flesh because of the blood of Christ, 3. D.The Ephesians (and us) were indeed once strangers to Israel and that meant several things. 1. They were separated from the Messiah, 12a – Paul uses the word Christby itself to connote the concept of the Messiah instead of a proper name. 2. They were not part of the citizenship of Israel, 12b – they could not enjoy any of the benefits or the duties of being part of the Israel of God (citizen of the United States). 3. They were not the objects of God's blessings through the covenants that God made with his people, 12c. 4. They had no hope, particularly in the life to come, 12d. 5. Though they may have had many gods (idols), they were without God, 12e. E. That is exactly where you are if you have not believed that the blood of Christ was shed for you. F. And that is where all of us who believe in Jesus once were – strangers to Israel. V. Though the Blood of Christ, You Are no longer a Foreigner, but a Full Citizen of Israel with All the Rights, Benefits, and Duties, 13. A. I remember once arguing with someone about this idea and she said that the Gentiles are just brought close to Israel but are not made part of Israel. 1. One could almost say that if all we had was v. 13 – even then it would be a difficult proposition. 2. But Paul explicitly says that one who believes in Christ becomes a citizen of the Israel of God in v. 19. B. Through faith in Christ, you and eye are no longer alienated from the citizenship of Israel. 1. We no longer strangers (outsiders) to the covenant of promise. 2. Though the emphasis is different, Paul speaks of the same concept in Romans. Rom. 11:16-18– For if the firstfruit isholy, the lump isalso holy;and if the root isholy, so arethe branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember thatyou do not support the root, but the root supports you. a. There is a unity among the people of God throughout the ages. b. The separation that existed between Jews and Gentiles was the result of sin and Christ's blood took care of that, 14. C. Therefore, through faith in Christ, you are brought near to Israel and become citizen of Israel. 1. Not the skinny strip of land in the Middle East, but the Israel of God, the Church of the Firstborn, the number of those who have had their hearts circumcised by the Spirit of God, those to whom the Bible's covenantal promised were made. 2. God has always been after that and those have always been his people. Dt. 30:6– And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 3. It is amazing to me how Paul speaks of no longer being separated from God by being united to a people, 13. a. Don't isolate yourself from the people of God – a big part of God's plan of redemption was to make you part of a people, a community, a family as he mentions in v. 19. b. Your union with God is experienced through your union with God's people. 1) Sure, you may have been hurt and there is no guarantee that you won't be hurt again. 2) That's what it means to be part of a family. 3) We need each other despite all the risks. D.The opposite of whom we were without Christ is true about us in Christ – that's what the butin v. 13 tells us. 1. We are united to Christ rather than separated. Rom. 6:5-6– For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likenessof Hisresurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him,that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 2. We are citizens of Israel (the Church for whom Christ died) rather than aliens. 3. We are heirs of the covenants of promises rather than strangers to them. Gal. 3:26-29– For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you areChrist's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. a. Notice that promiseis singular even though the biblical covenants promised many things. b. There is one promise that can be traced through all biblical covenants – the supreme promise: I will be your God and you will be my people. 4. You are full of hope rather than without hope. a. Hopeless is truly what you are without Christ. "Apart from Christ the deeper a man thinks the more pessimistic he becomes." James Boice b. That's why entertainment, distractions, self-medications have become so important in our culture – it helps humanity to take its mind off hopelessness. c. But that is not you because you have hope! 1) You have the hope of the resurrection. Rom. 5:1-5– Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that,but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 2 Cor. 1:7– And our hope for you issteadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partakeof the consolation. Titus 2:11-14– For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself Hisown special people, zealous for good works. Job 19:25-27– For I know thatmy Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. Howmy heart yearns within me! 2) You have the hope of the presence of God. Heb. 13:5-6– Let your conduct bewithout covetousness; becontent with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."6 So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Ps. 23:4– Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You arewith me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 3) The God of the Bible is a God of hope. Rom. 15:13– Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 5. You are with God rather than without him – the Immanuel principle. Mt. 28:20b– … and lo, I am with you always, evento the end of the age. Is. 43:1-3a– But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called youby your name; you areMine. When you pass through the waters, I will bewith you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I amthe Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…. a. Some of you are going through very deep waters and seemingly unquenchable fires. c. This is not an empty concept. d. In suffering and in struggles, God is there.
Remember! Not the Alamo, but who God is and what you are in him. Remember the blood of the Jesus that was poured out for you. Remember that glorious truth that he is risen. Remember that in him you have hope and that because of him God is with you. Remember Christ and all will be well with your soul.
http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2019/04/citizens-of-israel-eph-211-13.html
|  | Send olympiabp blog feed to OBPC Podcast |  |
Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.  |
