THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW
Ephesians 2:11-13
Down through the years we’ve discovered that many people try to keep you the way that you were. They would say that “A leopard cannot change it spots” and “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” And they believe that there is a slight chance for us changing. It reminds me a of my favorite comic strip, Tumble Weeds. There is a little character in the strip by the name of Limpin’ Lizard who is not known for his intellect. In one instance Limpin’ Lizard was in a communications workshop and the facilitator was explaining the Tom-Tom as the new way to communicate. At the end of the lesson he asked were there any questions and Limpin’ Lizard raised his hand and asked. Why did they decide to call it a Tom-Tom? Why didn’t they call it a George-George or a Ralph-Ralph? Limpin’ Lizard, I tell you was not known for his intellect and they felt that he would never change because he was what he was. In another comic episode, Limpin’ Lizard spotted a young lady that he took a fancy to ( to the young people that means that he liked her). So old Limp went to her house, knocked on the door and said Bon Suey Madamazelly, that’s French for “howdy Mam.” And he must’ve impressed the young lady so she responds “O’ Limpin’ Lizard, how suave, have you ever been abroad?” now this is when Limpin Lizard murdered the moment he said, “Shucks no, once a fella always a fella.” I tell you they had reason to believe that Limpin’ Lizard would never change.
But that is not true with those of us who were once sinners. The bible lets us know that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In other word Christ took our worst case scenario to the cross with Him, then presented us before the Father as faultless.
In the first ten verses of Ephesians 2, Paul has discussed the salvation of sinners in general, but now he turns to the work of Christ for Gentiles in particular. Most of the converts in the Ephesians church were Gentiles, and they knew that much of God’s program in the Old Testament involved the Jews. For centuries, the “circumcision” (Jews) had looked down on the “un circumcision” (Gentiles) with an attitude that God had never intended them to display. The fact that a Jew had received the physical mark of the covenant was no proof he was a man of faith. Only those who trusted Christ have received a spiritual circumcision made without hands as found in Colossians 2:11 “In whom you are circumcised with a circumcision made without hands.”
So, let’s peek into our past that our now can be appreciated.
First of all Paul tells us to . . .
1. NOT FORGET THAT WE WERE ONCE THE OUTSIDERS. (v.11)
“Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “Uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.”
-N. L. T.-
The King James’ text says, Wherefore remember. The design of this evidently is to excite a sense of gratitude in the bosoms of the Ephesians for that mercy which had called them from the errors and sins of their former lives to the privileges as Christians. It is a good thing for Christians to "remember" what they were. No faculty of the mind can be better employed to produce humility, repentance, gratitude, and love, than the memory. If we would think back to the way we were, it would cause us to thank the Lord for saving us. It is well to recall the recollection of our former sins; to dwell upon our hardness of heart, our alienation from God, and our unbelief. But most importantly we should remember how sinful we really were, remember it just long enough to feel it in our hearts. Then we can truly appreciate what the Lord has done in our lives.
As the text reveals to us that the Circumcised (Jews) called them uncircumcised heathens and this most likely hurt them. But if they would think about it, they were right, the reason is because they were not connected to Christ and them at that time were not part of the covenant promise.
Without Christ. The Ephesians worshiped the goddess, Diana, and, before the coming of the Gospel, knew nothing about Christ. Those who claim that pagan religions are just as acceptable to God as the Christian faith will have a problem here, for Paul cites the Ephesians’ Christless state as a definite tragedy. But then, keep in mind that every unsaved person, Jew or Gentile, is “outside Christ” and that means condemnation.
Without covenants. While the blessing of the Gentiles is included in God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3), God did not make any covenants with the Gentile nations. The Gentiles were “aliens” and “strangers” and the Jews never let them forget it. Many of the Pharisees would pray daily, “O God, I give thanks that I am a Jew, not a Gentile.”
But without getting to the end of the message, the Gentile can say “That was then, but this is Now.”
Secondly Paul points out . . .
2. THAT MANY OF THE JEWS WERE NO DIFFERENT THEN THEY WERE(v.11b)
Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “Uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.”
As we look at the text, we see that the Jews or the circumcised were no different from the uncircumcised. They were proud, they held up well with the ceremonial law rather than the righteousness of God and although they were clean or circumcised on their bodies from the outside, they were unclean or uncircumcised in their spirit on the inside.
When God called the Jews, beginning with Abraham. It was His intention through them, that He might reveal Himself as the one true God. With the Jews He deposited His Word, and through the Jews He gave the world the Savior (Rom. 9:1–5). Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles that they too might be saved. But sad to say, Israel became like the Gentiles, and the light burned but dimly. This fact is a warning to the church today. When the church is not like the world, it does the most for the world. This is why I work hard at letting you know that our walk and talk have to match up. We as the people of God cannot talk one way and live another. Our conversation must be as becoming saints. Look at the last part of the text, it said, “You were called uncircumcised heathens by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.” King James said that their circumcision was done by hands. In other words they had a form of Godliness but denied the power of His saving Grace. They had externally adopted the rites of the true religion, but they did not act as if they had the circumcision of the heart, or that they were the true children of God. Even today, because of the orthodox Jews failure to accept the Son, their hearts are still unclean. So although they accused the Gentiles of their short comings, the Jews were just as bad.
But lets look at the last point.
3. PAUL REMINDS THEM OF THE POWER THAT IS FOUND IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB (v.13)
“But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once, you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to Him through the blood of Christ.”
Paul here is letting the Ephesians know that by the coming and atonement of the Lord Jesus, and by the gospel which he preached, they who were once outcast from the covenant promise are now united with the Lord. There was a time when He had not entered the world, a time when men were divided and separated from God and from each other, but now Christ has come to bring all men to God and to each other. How does Christ bring us near God? Note how clearly and unmistakably Scripture declares: "By the blood." It is by the blood of Christ that men are brought near God. But why blood? Why was it necessary for Christ to die in order to bring us near God? There are at least two reasons.
First of all man was estranged from God: he had rejected and rebelled against God, committing high treason against Him. Note: there was only one way man could ever be brought back to God, if God loved him enough to forgive his transgression and rebellion. The glorious gospel is that God did love man that much. God was willing to forgive man. However, there was one problem. The judgment of death had already been pronounced, and the Lord’s Word could not be revoked. What could God do? Only one thing: God had to provide a Perfect, Ideal Man for men, a Man who could stand as the Pattern for all men. If He could provide the Ideal Man, then He could die for man and His death would stand for the death of all men.
God did this. God has loved man with a perfect love. A love so strong that He was willing to substitute His Son for man. Only God could love man that much. This is the reason Christ had to shed His blood for man. Scripture says, "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21)
Secondly God wanted to show man how much He really loved him. He love us so much that He laid down His life for us. Paul said in Romans 5:6, “For when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Then he back that scripture up with Roman 5:8, “But God commended His love towards us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
CONCLUSION
Before I take my seat, I wonder, are you glad that the Lord loved you even when you were a sinner. I read a funny story on last evening, it was about a man who complained about his wife. He said that every time they have intense fellowship, better known as an argument, she gets historical! The man in which he was talking with corrected him and said you mean Hysterical don’t you? He said, No. I meant historical. Because every time they get into an argument she brings up the past. This may be funny to some of you, but aren’t you glad that the Lord does not get “historical” on you? The bible says that He will cast your sins as far as the east is from the west. But let me tell you that there are people out there that will not let you forget the way you were. They will tell you about all your wrong doings, and they might be true. But what you need to do is to tell them “That was then, but this is now!” I been forgiven and washed in the BLOOD OF THE LAMB!!!
