Ending Hostility

 

Scripture: Ephesians 2:13-16 (ESV)

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility

Devotion:

Have you ever felt like an outsider? Like you don't belong or fit in? Like there is a wall between you and others that keeps you from enjoying true fellowship and friendship? If so, you are not alone. Many people struggle with feelings of alienation and isolation, especially in our modern world, where we are more connected online than offline.

But the good news is that God has a solution for this problem. He has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him and to one another through Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2:13-16, Paul tells us how Jesus has brought us near to God by His blood, how He has broken down the wall of hostility that separated us from each other, how He has abolished the law that divided us into groups of insiders and outsiders, how He has created one new humanity in Himself, and how He has reconciled us to God in one body through the cross.

This is amazing grace! This is the gospel of peace! This is the mystery of God's love for us and the world. Through Jesus, we have access to the Father and each other. Through Jesus, we can experience unity and harmony in the Spirit. Through Jesus, we can be part of God's family and His mission.

But this is not something we can take for granted or keep to ourselves. We need to remind ourselves of what God has done for us in Christ and live out the implications of this truth in our daily lives. We must embrace our identity as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved. We need compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience toward one another. We need to bear with each other and forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven us. We need to put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And we need to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, to which we were called in one body.

As we do these things, we will live as God's peacemakers in a world that desperately needs peace. We will shine as God's light in a world full of darkness. We will display God's wisdom in a world full of folly. And we will glorify God's name in a world that needs to know Him.