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- Apr 25, 2006
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12 May 2007
Ephesians 2:16-18
It was also Christ's purpose to end the hatred between the two groups, to make them into one body, and to bring them back to God. Christ did all this with his death on the cross. Christ came and preached peace to you who were far away from God, and to those who were near to God. Yes, it is through Christ we all have the right to come to the Father in one Spirit.
One of the biggest arguments against Christianity is that it's just another religion to add to the other religions - all of which exist in this world to cause war and separate groups of people from each other.
So where have we missed the point? Surely what Paul is saying here is that Christ's whole purpose was to bring people to God in "one spirit"? It couldn't be farther from the truth that Jesus came to bring an end to "religion" and all the negative stuff that it brings with it when the focus is on laws and so-called "righteous living". That's why he gave the Jewish leaders of his day such a hard time.
It's easy to forget that Jesus was brought up in the Jewish faith and he would have heard time and time again of the promises that God had for his chosen people. He made it his business to point out that all God wanted was for people to listen to him and he'd show them the way to live.
Jesus preached peace to everyone. He knew that God's ultimate plan was to bring everyone back to him - and the only way to do that was to make the ultimate sacrifice in laying down his life for his friends.
Lord, you don't want my empty "religion". Help me to listen to you and to know that you will show me the way to live my life. Amen.
Written by Richard Prescott
Ephesians 2:16-18
It was also Christ's purpose to end the hatred between the two groups, to make them into one body, and to bring them back to God. Christ did all this with his death on the cross. Christ came and preached peace to you who were far away from God, and to those who were near to God. Yes, it is through Christ we all have the right to come to the Father in one Spirit.
One of the biggest arguments against Christianity is that it's just another religion to add to the other religions - all of which exist in this world to cause war and separate groups of people from each other.
So where have we missed the point? Surely what Paul is saying here is that Christ's whole purpose was to bring people to God in "one spirit"? It couldn't be farther from the truth that Jesus came to bring an end to "religion" and all the negative stuff that it brings with it when the focus is on laws and so-called "righteous living". That's why he gave the Jewish leaders of his day such a hard time.
It's easy to forget that Jesus was brought up in the Jewish faith and he would have heard time and time again of the promises that God had for his chosen people. He made it his business to point out that all God wanted was for people to listen to him and he'd show them the way to live.
Jesus preached peace to everyone. He knew that God's ultimate plan was to bring everyone back to him - and the only way to do that was to make the ultimate sacrifice in laying down his life for his friends.
Lord, you don't want my empty "religion". Help me to listen to you and to know that you will show me the way to live my life. Amen.
Written by Richard Prescott
