Sermons from Bible Baptist Church of Puyallup: WHEREFORE REMEMBER

Ephesians 2:11-22 (KJV)

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

I feel like I need to take a few minutes and remind you of where we are in this series of messages, but that it OK, because the passage we begin with urges us to do that with the word, “Wherefore remember.”

Remember with me that the book of Ephesians is the great thesis on the doctrine of the church.

· It’s going to teach us first of all that the church is a local congregation.
· It is also going to teach us that Christ is the head of that church and, this passage especially,
· It is going to teach us who are the members of that church

Whenever you read the book of Ephesians picture yourselves in the book, but pictures yourselves in there in connection to your church and those in your church.

I want to begin by taking us back to

I. REMEMBER WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN

I obviously can’t go through everything we have studied so far so I will give you just three key highlights:

Remember,

A. That ye were dead

Ephesians 2:1 (KJV)

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

When it comes to the things of the Spirit, I don’t know that any of us can appreciate where we are without remembering where we came from.

I do not believe it is healthy or wise to revel in the sins of our past but I do believe it is absolutely vital that we remember we had a past.

I don’t need to muse on the sins that I used to commit but I do need to meditate on the Source that made those a “used to” thing.

I don’t need to wallow in self-loathing over what I have done in my past but I do need to wonder in the Saviour Who made something new out of me

To remember that I was dead

· Makes me humble

· Makes me grateful

· Makes me forgiving and

· Makes me gracious

By the way, it does not matter how old you were when you got saved; before you were saved you were dead.

· You had no fellowship with God

· You had no hope of eternal life in heaven

· You had nothing good to offer God

· You had limited opportunities to make a difference in the world

· You have few options for your life

But you were quickened.

God gave you life – it wasn’t life again, it was life for the very first time.

When you got saved:

· For the first time you could see a reason for life

· For the first time you could pray and expect an answer from God

· For the first time you could serve and have that service have a lasting effect

· For the first time you could sing and it was worship to God

· For the first time you could speak and your words would be meaningful

How could a person, remembering that he was once dead but has been quickened not be a grateful character?

Remember,

B. That ye are saved by grace, not of works

Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The importance here is in the source of the change.

God has saved some of the worst men imaginable and made them to be some of the greatest men alive.

Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle

John Newton went from Slave trader (and a wicked man) to preacher, author and composer of the song, Amazing Grace

I know men who are now wonderful preachers and pastors who were:

· Coarse soldiers

· Crude cowboys

· Cocaine addicted junkies

· Carefree hippies and

· Careless drunks

And none of them changed themselves. God did it all.

God saved you.

· You didn't do this on your own.

· You didn’t do this at all.

God saved you.

Remember also,

C. That God created you unto good works

Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Too many these days, I think, have forgotten this.

God did not save you just to save you.

God saved you because He wanted to employ you.

He bought you and saved you.

Then He molded you and fashioned you for His good works.

He gifted you and equipped you.

He supplied you with training.

He filled you with His Holy Spirit

He fitted you into a local church

He did all of that so you could serve Him.

He did not save you so you can feel good about living how you like.

He did not save you just so you can live free of the fear of hell.

· When He saved you He enlisted you into His army.

· When He saved you He made you His own.

· When He saved you He commissioned you as His ambassador.

The earliest Christians understood this.

· It is why they would sell what they had and give the money to the Apostles to meet the needs of the poor.

· It is why they would go house to house every day telling people about Jesus Christ

· It is why they would preach the Gospel even under threat of jail or worse

It is why they turned their world upside down in their lifetimes.

They knew what being saved meant.

Having been reminded of these things we now enter into fresh territory where Paul wanted them to,

II. REMEMBER FURTHER

A. That you were (notice past tense) Gentiles

Ephesians 2:11 (KJV)

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

They are not Gentiles anymore.

Just as they used to be dead but they are quickened now.

They used to Gentiles but they are something else now.

I think it is interesting that he says they used to be Gentiles (but aren’t now.)

Paul is writing to a Gentile audience from a Jewish perspective.

I believe what he is getting at is that, happened to the Gentile believers had already happened to the Jewish believers.

Jews who become Christians are no longer Jews any more than a pagan who becomes a Christian is any longer a pagan.

Salvation is a new birth

The one who is in Christ is a new creature. Old things are passed away. All things are become new.

· Those who used to call themselves the Circumcision are not the Circumcision of the New Testament

· Those who used to be called the Uncircumcision are now the Circumcision of the New Testament.

Remember also before they were saved

B. That ye were a without hope

Ephesians 2:12 (KJV)

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Before the Gospel, before salvation there was this huge division; this huge rift between the Jews and the Gentiles.

· There was prejudice

· There was name calling

· There was hatred from both sides

As far as the Jews were concerned:

· They were pagans

· They were barbarians

· They were dogs

The Jews wouldn’t so much as enter into a house to eat a meal with a Gentile.

The Gentiles had conquered and dominated the Jewish homeland.

The Word of God is setting us up for the next piece of this chapter.

III. BUT NOW

Ephesians 2:13-22 (KJV)