Title: Non-Christians and the Life in Christ
Content (1) Those who believe in Jesus and those who do not believe in Jesus, these two differences are the difference between heaven and hell, and eternal life and destruction. Those who believe in Jesus have a completely different identity.
(2) But when we say that we live in Jesus, there are two types of life we should always check. One is the life of grace and the other is the life of the law.
⑶ Then, what should our society do for grace and love to flow before law? What aspects of life should you be interested in? It must first recognize that it is not the external factors that move us, but the inside of us.
1. Non-Christians are so hopeless (vv. 11-13).
(1) What is a non-Christian?
In a word, they are outside of Christ. Non-Christians are hopeless. There is no hope in this world and no hope in the world to come. Anyone other than Christ is without God. To say 'beyond Christ' means that we have not received the promises of Christ and have not received the grace of Israel.
(2) On the other hand, a Christian is a person who has received Jesus Christ as their Savior. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Lord comes into us. Through the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, the Bible even speaks of a promise that will never depart.
⑶ When we believe in Jesus as our Savior and accept Jesus and have the Lord in us, the most important change occurs, and that is the change in our relationship with God. Those who were estranged from God are now drawing near to God (verse 13).
2. Jesus Christ as the propitiation sacrifice (verses 14-18)
(1) There is a thing that Jesus Christ removed
① He broke down the barrier between Gentiles and Jews with his own body (verse 14).
② He removed the enmity between them (verse 14).
③ He abolished the law of commandments, which consisted of several articles (verse 15).
④ Enemies were destroyed by the cross (verse 16).
(2) There is a work established by Jesus Christ.
① He made these two (= Gentiles and Jews) into one (verse 14).
② He reconciled the two to become one body, and by making these two one body, He reconciled them to God (verse 16).
③ Ultimately, He allowed us to find the way to God (verse 18).
3. A Right Understanding of the Church (verses 19-22)
(1) The church is a community where God's family gathers (verse 19).
If we believe in Jesus, God sees us as His family. Family refers to people with whom we have blood relationships. The church is the body of Jesus, and we are all members of that body. We cannot exist alone.
(2) Therefore, all believers should strive for unity (v. 21).
Today, because of the cross as the propitiation sacrifice of Jesus, we received the grace of atonement called the children of God, and achieved peace before God and became connected with the saints. The church should have all the members connected as one. Only when the fellowship of saints becomes a profession of faith is the church built on the foundation of the apostles (verse 20). A church built on the foundation of a prophet is a church in which the words of prophecy are established. When the Word of God has the function of prophecy, it becomes a church-like church.
⑶ Christians must continue to grow in their faith by being filled with the Holy Spirit (verse 22).
The Holy Spirit dwelled in all believers, and each individual member became a temple, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). Our Lord has already made us a temple, but the temple is not fixed, it is being built “together”. When the saints are filled with the Holy Spirit, they can continue to grow and mature.
The church is a community of faith that has received the grace of the Holy Spirit, one baptism, unlike a community of blood or locality. It is also a confessional community that welcomes “Jesus Christ as the master of faith and life.” It is a family community that pursues unity.