Today’s devotion comes from Ephesians 2:11-16.
“11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—
12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.” Ephesians 2:11-16.
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The Law was “the barrier of the dividing wall” which kept separate the Jews from the Gentiles. The Jews had God, promises, and hope. The Gentiles were without God, without promises, and without hope.
The Jews’ identified themselves by the Law, but even they fell far short of fulfilling it. “But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.” Romans 2:17-24.
But, the Gentiles (a/k/a Greeks) were also under sin, under the Law, and accountable to God. “What then? Are we (Jews) better than they (Gentiles)? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” Romans 3:9-12.
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:19-20.
The Law condemned both groups (Jews and Gentiles) and resulted in spiritual death to both groups (Jews and Gentiles). “But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.” Romans 7:8-11.
So then, there are two senses in which the Law is the enmity. There is the enmity between Jews and Gentiles caused by the Law’s separation of the two groups. There is also the enmity between God and both groups caused by the Law’s condemnation of both groups and the result of the Law in spiritual death for both groups.
But, thanks be to Christ, there are two senses of reconciliation. First, there is the reconciliation between the Jews and Gentiles. “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,” Verses 13-14. Second, there is the reconciliation of both groups to God. Christ died on the cross to “reconcile them both in one body to God”. Verse 16.
“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. … But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” Romans 7:4 and 6.
In summary, we recently finished the Book of Galatians, and we know Paul pounded the table throughout the Book of Galatians that we should consider ourselves dead to the Law. And now, in Ephesians, we read today’s Scripture which identified the enmity as the Law and which described the Law’s separation of the Jews and the Gentiles with the Jews having God, promises, and hope, and with the Gentiles having no God, no promises, and no hope. Christ, “by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law” reconciled us to each other (Jews and Gentiles) and reconciled all of us to God.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 