(Eph 2:17) “And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”   In contest, it is Christ Who is said to have preached to Jews and Gentiles the Gospel – “Sin has been paid. The way of reconciliation to God has been purchased!”  I didn’t see Jesus when the evangelist proclaimed the news to this sinful man, yet….He was there speaking to my heart! Praise God! I believed, repented, and He gave me the Gift of Everlasting Life!

(Eph 2:15) “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity….. (16) And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”   By the cross….. This is the way to eternal life. In fact, it is the only way to heaven and the eventuality of the new heaven and the new earth. One must recognize their own unworthiness, their utter corruptness of character and action; then one must turn to the cross by faith and ask for mercy and forgiveness. The cross is the only way!

(Eph 2:15) “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity….. (16) And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”   Our sin that caused “enmity” (the wrath of God upon us) was placed upon the Lord Jesus (one body). It slew the Lord Jesus and the Lord Jesus slew it by overcoming the death it caused!

(Eph 2:15) “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity….. (16) And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”  “Reconcile”: to bring to parties back to fellowship. God’s holy nature could not, though, simply overlook our sin. He could not just say, “That’s ok. I understand you are but sinful flesh.” Holiness demands judgment. So, He did what no man could do for himself. He came as Jesus the Son, lives the life we should have led in love and devotion and obedience to the Father, and then sacrificed that life to pay for our sins. He did the reconciling (the making of the way) Himself! If only the world truly knew! God help us to seek opportunities to clearly explain, taking no short cuts!

(Eph 2:14) “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (15) 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;”  Is the law done away with? Does it have no bearing on the life of the Born Again Child of God?  The law is the revealing of what God sees and right and wrong. Except for the civil law given to Israel, the moral law and the sacrificial law is seen in the New Testament. The moral law is reiterated in the Epistles, except for the Sabbath Day, having been replaced with Sunday, the Lord’s Day. The sacrificial law is replaced with the one sacrifice forever – that of Christ Jesus held constantly before us. The law does not save. We have been freed from its condemnation. Yet, we have been given the Holy Spirit and a new nature to live its precepts. 

(Eph 2:14) “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;  (15) 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;”  This is not implying that the law was done away with, but instead, fulfilled to the letter by Jesus Christ! He became our substitute, thus the words, “…having abolished in His flesh the enmity….”, meaning the punishment due you and me.  The two becoming one is our being made one – placed in Christ Jesus.

(Eph 2:13) “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (14) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”  Although it is a spiritual truth that Jesus made peace between the sinner and God, and that is made reality when one embraces Him as Savior and Lord, that is not the peace being referred to here. Here it is referring to peace, oneness, being made between Jew and Gentile, brotherhood in salvation. Understand, Gentile is not the white race. Gentiles are all non-Jews. We are all made one in Christ Jesus, equally Sons of God through adoption! Glory to His Name! Open you heart to love all the brethren! Thinking you are better than any of your brethren is a wickedness not of God!