I. Gentiles (The Unsaved, Unchurched, & Irreligious) Vs. 11, 12

A. The Jews

1. God spoke first to the Jews

a. Abraham– called to be used by God, from a family of idol worshippers
b. Isaac- son of Abraham who fathered Jacob
c. Jacob- Nicknamed “Deceiver, Heel Catcher”. Died in Egypt with his family.

2. The Jews were salves in Egypt for 400 years

a. God raised up Moses and delivered them out of slavery. He freed them.
b. God promised them the land of Israel, but they refused to believe God.
c. An 11-day trip took 40 years because of unbelief.
d. During that time, they received the 10 Commandments and the Law.
e. The faithless generation died out, and a new generation entered the Land

3. They were mostly unfaithful to God for all of their history
4. Why did God choose them to first communicate His nature and laws?

a. They could not be accused of being chosen for their greatness, but simply because of God’s love for this weak and failing people
b. Deuteronomy 7: 7, 8a The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8but because the LORD loves you…
c. Jesus followed this “Jews first” chronology. (Read Matthew 10:5, 6 )

5. God established a Covenant with the Jews based on their adherence to His laws

a. He would bless their obedience and punish their transgressions
b. They failed miserably and were eventually driven out of the Land

6. One of those laws was circumcision for every male. Marking the body in faith

a. The Jews took great spiritual pride in their rite of circumcision
b. It was part of their spiritual identity
c. Unfortunately, they despised uncircumcised Gentiles

i. Rabbis tried to prevent their robes from touching a Gentile
ii. Religious Jews wouldn’t help a Gentile mother give birth
iii. They saw Gentiles as fodder for the fires of Hell
iv. They never believed that a Gentile could go to Heaven. Impossible

d. These religious, self-righteous Jews had forgotten Genesis 12:1-3

i. V. 3 “… And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

7. Many Gentiles did seek the Lord and were accepted (Rahab, Ruth, others)
8. Vs. 11, 12 But the Gentiles were outside of the promises as a people group

B. Gentiles Outside Of The Promises Of God V. 12

1. They were without Christ. 

a. Jews knew to look forward to a Savior. The Gentiles didn’t have that hope.

2. They were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.

a. Foreigners to the theocracy. Lived under human (wicked, fallible) kings.

3. Strangers from the covenants of (the) promise.

a. No part in sharing the promises God had made to Israel, including a Messiah.

4. having no hope

a. They had no hope beyond anything this world could offer them.

5. Without God in the world

a. Living without Christ leaves you without hope and without God.

II. Gentiles After Having Faith in Christ V. 13

A. Separation From God Ends “In Christ”

1. Gentiles (unbelievers) were once far off. Away from God
2. The Gentiles (all unbelievers) have been brought near to God through faith in Jesus
3. Paul says that the blessings of salvation are “in Christ”, “in Him”, “in Whom”.
4. This all happened by His blood. Speaks of Jesus’ payment for man’s sins.

B. Separation From God’s People Ends “In Christ”

1. 2:14a For He Himself is our peace,

a. Not “He will bring us peace.” He IS our peace.
b. Literally- For He Himself and no other is our peace.
c. Peace- to join together that which is separated.
d. Jews and Gentiles had been separated from each other.
e. Now, in Christ, they had come to be brought together in Christ.

2. 2:14b who has made both one,

a. Jew and Gentile joined together in Christ.

3. 2:14c and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

a. The wall of separation was the Old Covenant and how God was dealing with the Jews, and not the Gentiles.
b. In the Jewish temple, there was a wall that separated the “Court of the Gentiles” from the rest of the structure; and on this wall was a sign giving warning that any Gentile who passed beyond it would be killed.

4. 2:15a having abolished in His flesh the enmity,

a. abolished- to render inoperative, to put out of business.
b. the enmity– hatred, hostility, opposition.
c. The Jews first had the Law, and thought themselves superior to Gentiles
d. They didn’t realize that the Law actually condemned them as guilty
e. Jesus abolished the need for Law and the judgment that came for Law

5. 2:15b that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances,

a. The Jew sought to approach God, by way of obedience, but they failed

i. Though good, the Law actually worked against them
ii. They should not have been proud, but humble and broken

b. The Gentiles also could not approach God because of their sins.

i. They didn’t even have the Law, though it was in their hearts.
ii. Their lack of religion made the Jews despise them

c. The Law actually put both people groups in the same group: GUILTY

i. The religious person & the irreligious are in the same category
ii. They are both guilty and needing God’s forgiveness

d. Jesus lived perfectly according to the Law. He kept the Law perfectly.
e. He died to pay the price for mankind’s law breaking; man’s sins

6. 2:15c so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,

a. Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
b. What is in view, is not just taking the two men who were separated, and making them friends, but rather, the making of a new man.
c. The distinctions of the Jew and of the Gentile were lost in a new order of man, the Christian man.