Remember that Ye, the Gentiles

Driving home: he's concerned to share with them broader dimensions of the glory of Christ and his Gospel, a more penetrating understanding of the nature and function of the Church as being that instrument through which God himself, in…

The analogy of using a stethoscope to feel the Apostle's heartbeat conveys the intimate understanding of Paul's wonder and glory in Trinitarian salvation that Ephesians chapter 1 provides.

And in the first chapter, that chapter of praise and prayer, we are taken into the heights of Trinitarian salvation. We are, as it were, given a stethoscope to feel the pulse of the Apostle's own heartbeat, caught up in wonder and glory at the thought that he should be chosen and redeemed in Christ and become a recipient of the gift of the Holy Spirit. And then in chapter 2, we have the chapter of the two great contrasts. In order to deepen the appreciation of these Ephesians for the grace so wonderfully described in the first chapter, he does so by way of two fundamental contrasts.

1:32 - 2:14 Read in full sermon

Driving home: So the roots of this difference or the first root of this difference between Jew and Gentile was a root of God's own creation. It was God who separated the Jews unto himself or separated the people who came to be known a…

The example of a Pharisee avoiding defilement from a 'Gentile dog' in the marketplace illustrates the extreme carnal pride and separation that developed in Israel.

Now in this development from being God's favored ones to accomplish his purposes they began to regard themselves as his favorites who could do no wrong and that found its most dis-sickening expression in the Phariseeism that existed in the day of our Lord. In which the Pharisee prided himself that he had nothing to do with these Gentile dogs. So if he even was out in the marketplace where some Gentile might have sneezed he was careful to come home and thoroughly cleanse himself with ceremonial washings lest he be defiled by this contact with the Gentile dog.

15:04 - 15:47 Read in full sermon

Driving home: So the roots of this difference or the first root of this difference between Jew and Gentile was a root of God's own creation. It was God who separated the Jews unto himself or separated the people who came to be known a…

The anecdote of Peter's withdrawal from Gentile Christians in Antioch, as recounted by Paul in Galatians, demonstrates the deep-seated division between Jew and Gentile even within the early church.

And the contemporary manifestation of this division in the day in which Paul wrote this epistle was one in which this division was still very very deeply felt. You remember that much of the New Testament addresses itself to the problem of this division even within the visible church. Although Peter had come through that mighty and doom into power on the day of Pentecost God still had to as it were beat him over the head to get him to go preach the gospel to a Gentile. And even after that Paul tells us in Galatians that when he came to Antioch Peter was still concerned Peter was still conscious...

15:47 - 16:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: the greatest tragedy was there was no connection with the only one who would be the hope of guilty sinners the Christ of God and so Paul is describing their condition essentially as one apart from severed from no connect…

The analogy of the body apart from the spirit being dead (James 2:26) illustrates the meaning of being 'separate from Christ' as a severance from a vital, life-giving relationship.

to remember their previous condition essentially separate from Christ objectively alienated strangers and subjectively no hope and without God first of all then they are to remember their condition essentially he says you were separate from Christ and the word basically means to be apart from something or someone out of connection with it's the word used by our Lord in John 15 5 and it's the word that's the word that's the word I am the vine you're the branches apart from me that's the word severed from me out of living connection with me

21:00 - 21:43 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Now hope here is used in its biblical sense it always means confident expectation of promised blessings that's hope confident expectation what's it based upon not wishful thinking upon promised blessings blessings promis…

Martin uses the analogy of 'hard going' to acknowledge the theological depth of the sermon and encourage the congregation to persevere in understanding the context.

no no I chose you because I loved you and I loved you because I chose to love you and I had purposes for you but no Gentile nation had any of these covenants related to the promise and all that God has purposed to do in the Messiah he holds forth by way of promise and he expresses in his covenants and he says you were strangers to all of this you as Gentiles had no part in this you had no right to any of these promises you were strangers to them having looked at their condition essentially objectively now subjectively and I know this is hard going folks but this is hard going folks but that's ...

30:36 - 31:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: without God in the world and the word literally is atheists in the world doesn't say that they did not have that which they called gods for Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8 for though there be gods many and lords many and in…

The contrast between the wailing and despair of pagans in the face of death and the confident expectation of blessings for Christians illustrates the meaning of 'no hope'.

but no Gentile had hope because he had no promise and he had no promise because he was not part of the commonwealth and he was stranger from the covenants of the promise there was no hope now some heathen writers occasionally had a glimpse of some rational conclusion that there must be a life beyond death and they might speculate but there was no solid hope a few wispy aspirations a few ephemeral passing longings but no solid hope no solid hope that's why Paul could say in the face of death to the Thessalonians in a pagan society he said I write unto you to the end

33:32 - 34:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Soberly reflect upon your true condition before the Lord laid hold of you, remembering that your forefathers were barbarians and you were once apart from Christ.

The metaphor of someone ready to take off in an 'irresponsible flight of ecstasy' is used to describe the danger of forgetting one's former desperate plight, emphasizing the need for sober reflection.

realistic reflection upon our desperate plight by nature which deepens our gratitude for what we are now by the grace of God it is our intelligent Paul says remember use your head he doesn't say go on out and whip each other up into a hallelujah meeting he says wherefore remember and it's interesting where it comes right after that tremendous description of being quickened with Christ raised with Christ seated with Christ created in Christ it's as though someone's ready to take off in an irresponsible flight of ecstasy he says hey fella come on get your feet back down to the ground and look ba...

37:13 - 37:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Remember the shame of living years without God, as a practical atheist, without acknowledging His claims over your affections, will, and life.

Martin recounts hearing people wish they had been 'more open a sinner' to feel deeper repentance, which he refutes by stating that living 'without God' is a greater call for repentance.

think of it the creature made to know God to hold communion with God to reflect the image of God without God some of us hang our heads with shame when we think of the years we lived without God you don't need to be a profligate to be ashamed of your sin I've heard people sometimes unthinkingly say oh I just almost wish I'd been more open a sinner so I could feel more depth of repentance my friend calls for greater repentance than to live without God made to know Him made to love Him made to commune with Him you were a practical atheist as though there were no God

45:59 - 46:43 Read in full sermon