Servings Per Verse: Unknown
ESV
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
*ETS:
What a difference Christ has made in your lives! You were away from God, but now, being in Christ, you have been brought into all the blessings of God by the blood of Jesus, which was shed for the remission of your sins.
*DTFTD:
Two very important doctrines are in the text: 1. The doctrine of atonement; 2. The doctrine of the church. The definition of the word atonement can be remembered by dividing the word into three parts (at...one...ment). "Ment" is not a word, so think of the word "mint" as in minting coins, which works well for a memory aid because minting is about the process of transferring an image from a die to a coin resulting in a finished process and fixed image. In Christ we are called to be "at one" with God, (reconciled), and being cleansed of sin by the blood of Jesus, God no longer sees us as sinners, but as individuals bearing the image of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1: 13). When we read in the Bible any reference to our oneness "in Christ," or any reference to the "blood" of Christ, we are, in some way, reading about atonement. Our text uses both references, "in Christ" and "the blood" of Christ. When Adam and Eve sinned they marred the image of God, in which they were formed, and fellowship was broken. Sin changed everything in the garden of Eden. But Christ came to restore and reconcile. His work on the cross, shedding blood for the remission of sins, made it possible for sinners to be forgiven and to become one with God. The image of sinlessness and the glory of Jesus Christ, (II Thess. 2:14), can now be restored as Jesus stands resurrected and ready to grant his holiness to our account, placing us in union with himself. From this teaching Paul relates a particular result that should be visible through the Church, (i.e., the called out ones). Being in Christ means our old life passes away and all things become new (II Corinthians 5:17). Like the Ephesians, we have lived with prejudice and hatred, pride and jealousy, strife and contention, but Christ has called us to unity. The Church is called to display a harmony that stands in contrast to the divisiveness of our past prejudices. The Church is called to live in unity with God and in fellowship with the saints in Christ. The Church is comprised of individuals who have been reconciled to God by the atoning work of Christ; individuals who are restored and bear the stamp of God's glory, (i.e., filled with the Spirit and becoming like Christ); individuals who now live in close communion with others who are in Christ.
"In Christ now meet both East and West, In Him meet South and North; All Christly souls are one in Him, Throughout the whole wide earth." (From the hymn "In Christ There is No East or West" by John Oxenham, 1852-1941).
INGREDIENTS: Jesus brings his people together.Word Study: The words, "But now" speak of the drastic change God makes in the lives of those who are cleansed by the blood of Christ and brought into the fellowship of the new covenant.
*ESV- English Standard Version; ETS- Essence of the Text in a Sentence; DTFTD- Devotional Thought For The Day; EDS- Essence of the Devotional in a Sentence.
