Were Far Off, Are Made Near

The point: Intelligently and realistically reflect upon what you were by nature to deepen your appreciation of what you have become by grace.

Jesus' statement 'To whom much is forgiven, the same loveth much' illustrates how appreciating God's grace, understood by remembering our former state, directly correlates with our love and obedience to God.

Well, he does so for the simple reason that the intelligent, realistic reflection upon what we were by nature is calculated to deepen our appreciation of what we have become by grace. Wherefore, remember, you Gentiles, and understand, and having understood, keep it foremost in your thinking how bad off you were that you might have a present, warm appreciation of how good off you now are in Jesus Christ. For you remember that the Lord Jesus said, To whom much is forgiven, the same loveth much, and to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth. Little. The measure of our appreciation of the grace ...

4:50 - 5:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Intelligently and realistically reflect upon what you were by nature to deepen your appreciation of what you have become by grace.

Isaiah 51:1's imagery of looking 'unto the rock from whence you were hewn' is used to encourage Ephesians (and all believers) to reflect on their Gentile origins and former spiritual condition.

And so he says, Wherefore, remember. Remember to the end that you may appreciate the amazing grace of God. God says in Isaiah 51.1, Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord.

6:15 - 6:30 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And anyone who tells you you've got to know the day you were saved or you're not saved is either poorly taught. I want to use a stronger word, but I won't. But he is at least poorly taught and terribly unkind and pervasi…

The analogy of the Spirit being 'like the wind' illustrates that while the contrast between past and present spiritual states is clear, the precise moment or process of conversion may not always be traceable.

He's seeking to draw their minds and ours to be prepared for a statement of profound contrast that has to do with time. He's able to do this because the work of God in the new birth no matter how gradual, no matter how indistinct were the particular elements of God's dealings in any given soul, when God has constituted someone, a new man or a new woman in Christ, the contrast is so marked that we can talk about what we were then and what we are now. Now I am not saying the time when the contrast is initiated we will be able to trace out with great precision the ways of the spirit or like the w...

9:42 - 10:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He explains the imagery of 'far off' and 'made nigh' as spiritual, not geographical, drawing from Old Testament usage to signify the separation and subsequent drawing near of…

The physical distance between the preacher and the first pew versus downstairs congregants illustrates the literal meaning of 'near' and 'far' before transitioning to their figurative spiritual meaning.

Revelation 1, 3. But as with English words, we can use the words near and far to speak of spatial relationships. I am relatively near those of you sitting in the first pew. Those of you who are sitting downstairs are relatively speaking far off.

12:54 - 13:10 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He explains the imagery of 'far off' and 'made nigh' as spiritual, not geographical, drawing from Old Testament usage to signify the separation and subsequent drawing near of…

Saying 'that man is far from the truth' or 'very near to the kingdom of God' illustrates the figurative, spiritual use of 'near' and 'far' that Paul employs.

Now, I come to you a little more directly by means of that thing that sits on the back wall. But it's a spatial relationship. But I can also say that man is far from the truth. I'm not using the word far now in terms of spatial relationships.

13:10 - 13:26 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Now you know exactly what I mean.

Martin shares his personal experience of pondering the passage and not fully grasping it until he 'hooked into' the concept of two-dimensional nearness/farness, emphasizing the clarity it brought.

And this is the key to this passage. And I confess that I just pondered over this thing and found myself unable to feel that I really had gotten hold of what the Apostle was saying until I hooked into this concept and it's not original with me. Some of the commentators said it, but having read it and seen it, I didn't see it until I saw it. Now you know exactly what I mean.

16:13 - 16:35 Read in full sermon

Driving home: everything in the old economy was cleansed by blood and without shedding of blood is no remission. You see, God was underscoring this fundamental principle.

Reading through Leviticus and imagining the sacrifices illustrates the pervasive and almost nauseating amount of blood in Old Testament worship, underscoring its significance.

And all you need to do is sit down at one reading and read through the book of Leviticus, and if you're really thinking and trying to imagine what it meant to carry out those directions, you'll almost get nauseous. They worshipped almost in a sea of blood.

25:00 - 25:15 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He didn't go plant another tree and those who teach that there are two distinct purposes one for Israel and one for the church and the twain shall never mix I don't know how in the world they can honestly treat Ephesians…

The metaphor of the 'one olive tree of redemption' from Romans 9 illustrates that Gentiles are grafted into the same covenant people of God, not a separate entity, challenging dispensational views.

The vertical barriers broken. Bringing the both together in one man unto God. And I trust that God by His Spirit as we go into these other verses in detail for I remind you verse 13 is just the opening of the door upon this whole statement that fleshes these things out that God will give us a new appreciation for the death of our blessed Lord by which we have been brought nigh not only to God for often we think of that but that death by which we've been brought nigh to the covenant community from which we were cut off for generations as Gentiles who were without hope and without God in the wor...

27:26 - 28:43 Read in full sermon

Driving home: it's wonderfully inclusive every little Gentile sinner every single Jew sinner who is in union with Christ is brought near to God and to the people of God but now Jesus ye that were afar off are made nigh in the blood of…

Describing Gentiles as 'drunk with the wine of their own lust' and 'groping in the darkness of pagan Diana worship' vividly portrays their former depraved state before union with Christ.

Gentile lifestyles here they were as it were drunk with the wine of their own lust of their own bondage to sin groping in the darkness of pagan Diana worship but when they were brought into union with Christ all of that was of no account they were brought near just as much as that Jew who had all the benefits of the temple worship of the prophets of the scriptures and who externally with Paul could say touching the law of my life was blameless the wonder of this passage is all those distinctions are of no account when a man comes into union with Christ because in Christ he's part of the one ne...

33:22 - 34:52 Read in full sermon

Driving home: it's wonderfully inclusive every little Gentile sinner every single Jew sinner who is in union with Christ is brought near to God and to the people of God but now Jesus ye that were afar off are made nigh in the blood of…

The analogy of being ashamed of one's earthly pedigree highlights the wonder that in Christ, believers are in the 'best company in all the world,' regardless of their past.

Gentile lifestyles here they were as it were drunk with the wine of their own lust of their own bondage to sin groping in the darkness of pagan Diana worship but when they were brought into union with Christ all of that was of no account they were brought near just as much as that Jew who had all the benefits of the temple worship of the prophets of the scriptures and who externally with Paul could say touching the law of my life was blameless the wonder of this passage is all those distinctions are of no account when a man comes into union with Christ because in Christ he's part of the one ne...

33:22 - 34:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize and delight in the warmth of fellowship with other believers, understanding that it is Christ's blood that has brought you nigh to one another.

Martin describes the joy of being 'crowded together in this little building' with fellow believers, illustrating the transforming power of Christ's blood to unite those who might otherwise 'tear one another to pieces'.

and in between Sundays in our own homes but we were as far from God and his people as night from day but now we love his people what's done all of this in Christ Jesus ye that were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ it is the virtue that flows in the name of Jesus from the blood that has brought us nigh to one another and nigh to our God oh the wonder there are some of us who if we were still in a state of nature couldn't exist for 15 minutes under the same roof we'd tear one another to pieces and here we are and I say it I hope not sentimentally almost delighting to be crowded toge...

40:45 - 42:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider why you are not nigh to God, acknowledging that you have heard the gospel and are without excuse if you remain far off due to loving your sins.

The 'agonizing insulation of your sins' and the 'curse of curses in the doctrine of hell' as 'eternal insulation from God and from His people' vividly portrays the terrifying consequence of remaining far off from Christ.

a very simple question this morning why are you not nigh you cannot say as Gentiles could have said for centuries I've not heard of the means by which one can draw nigh I've not been told of the way in which sinners can approach a holy God no you are nigh in the sense that the Jews were nigh you are nigh in the sense that the Jews were nigh you are nigh you are nigh you are nigh you are nigh you are nigh you are nigh you are nigh you are nigh the gospel is before you the word of faith which we preach and it's the very same word used in Romans is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart it's the...

42:14 - 43:40 Read in full sermon