“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” Ephesians 2:14-16
There are few things more counter-cultural than laying aside our differences for the sake of the Gospel.
As a result, few things more clearly communicate the love of Christ than laying aside our differences for the sake of the Gospel!
Christ gave His life to kill the hostility between us and God (Romans 5:1). But He also gave His life to destroy the hostility between us and those who are not anything like us.
And why is this important?
So that the world could see a picture of what Christ has done when we join together for the sake of the mission.
One of the defining marks of a people following Christ is unity in the mission. This provides an amazing opportunity for the church. The more divided our culture becomes, the more a church united around the gospel of Jesus Christ stands out.
We love to build walls of division, and God loves to tear them down to show us how much He loves us! He has empowered us to tear them down to point to the good news of the Gospel that has set us free!
I want to ask two questions – one individual and one corporate:
- Where are you more passionate about your personal preferences than the mission of God? What are you holding onto more tightly than the gospel? It could be as simple as knowing you need to forgive someone. Changing the way you view people who are not like you could be needed. We need to open our hands and stand together for the sake of the mission.
- Are we who claim to be God’s people willing to put aside our personal preferences for the sake of the Gospel advancing through us?
The veil has been torn in two. The enmity between God and us was abolished at the cross. In the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we have been invited to abolish the enmity between us and others.
Will we?
Will we be people who lead with forgiveness and grace? Will we be people who reach across the aisle? Will we be a people that looks like heaven where people from every tribe, tongue, and nationality gather around the throne to worship the Lamb?
This starts in our hearts as we lift high the name of Jesus, live as people passionate about His glory, and hold fast to the peace of the Gospel that our world desperately needs.
Taken from a sermon written by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL
