Week 2
Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who were formerly far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
The spiritual decline of human history can be described simply as “far off.” The primary meaning of this distance relates to the sinner’s distance from God. We are far off from God because of our sin; our sin puts space between us and our Creator. Thus, we feel alienation and lostness, for in fact, we ARE alienated and lost from God.
And when we are far off and lost from our God, then we are TRULY lost ourselves. We paddle around in the pool of perplexity, wondering what is wrong with us, what is wrong inside of us! We sense the distance, we feel the separation, and we struggle to build bridges to…somewhere…to something, we know not what. What a pitiful and nasty bit of business this is! Is there no explanation, no answer to our plight?
The gospel presents Jesus Christ as the answer to this dilemma. Jesus’ shed blood on the cross solves this problem in the most extraordinary way; He Himself becomes our bridge home. His blood is shed for our sins that in Him and through His atoning blood poured out for our sins, we are made righteous in God’s sight. Through Jesus atoning work on the cross, we are made acceptable to God the Father. The Father receives us in Christ because He credits Christ’s righteousness to our account. We are forgiven of sin and made acceptable in His sight through Jesus Christ, our sacrificial Lamb and Savior.
And wonder of all wonders – in and through Christ a relationship between the sinner and God is established. This relationship is beautiful, it is conciliatory, and it is soul fulfilling. In Christ, by union with Christ, the sinner as a believer is brought near to God. Thus, we feel His love for us, His kindness to us, and His providential care for us. Nothing could be better. This nearness to God the Father through Christ is eternal in nature, and nothing can or will ever destroy it. What comfort!
This is why we call Jesus, Savior, because He brings us (through His cross) near to God. We are brought near to God through Jesus for peace, reconciliation with God, love, and all the eternal gifts that bind our hearts together with Him. In Jesus Christ, we are FOUND, we are BROUGHT NEAR to God and to His heart. Surely the gospel is good news for sinners, for in the gospel of Jesus Christ we find forgiveness, acceptance, and cleansing; we are made right! Being made right, we have fellowship with God the Father through Jesus.
Let us this day give thanks to God the Father for Jesus and His cross. Let us rejoice in the freedom and closeness that is ours through Jesus, our blessed Savior.
Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for Jesus and His cross! In Him, and through faith in Him as the sacrifice for sin, I have found new life; I have been brought near to You. I love You, heavenly Father, and I asked that You keep me near You in my heart and life experience all my days through Jesus and the work of Your Spirit. Amen.