I mean that while we were God’s enemies, God made friends with us through the death of his Son. So surely, now that we are God’s friends, God will save us through his Son’s life.
Ephesians 2:16 - Easy To Read Version Through the cross Christ ended the hate between the two groups. And after the two groups became one body, Christ wanted to bring them both back to God. Christ did this with his death on the cross. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: Amplified Bible - Classic Edition And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end. American Standard Version (1901) and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: Common English Bible He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God. Catholic Public Domain Version and reconciling both to God, in one body, through the cross, destroying this opposition in himself. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version And might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, killing the enmities in himself. |
I mean that while we were God’s enemies, God made friends with us through the death of his Son. So surely, now that we are God’s friends, God will save us through his Son’s life.
We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross. This happened so that our sinful selves would have no power over us. And then we would not be slaves to sin.
The law {\cf2\super [61]} was without power because the law was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do. God sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that other people use for sin. God sent his Son to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to condemn (destroy) sin.
Why is this true? Because if a person’s thinking is controlled by his sinful self, then that person is against God. That person refuses to obey God’s law. And really that person is not able to obey God’s law.
(There is one loaf of bread. And we are many people. But we all share from that one loaf. So we are really one body.)
So the life that I live now is not really me—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God (Jesus). Jesus is the One who loved me. He gave himself to save me.
The Jewish law had many commands and rules. But Christ ended that law. Christ’s purpose was to make the two groups of people (Jews and non-Jews) become one new people in him. By doing this Christ would make peace.
This is that secret truth: that the non-Jews will get the things God has for his people, the same as the Jews. The non-Jews are together with the Jews in the same body. And they share together in the promise that God made in Christ Jesus. The non-Jews have all these things because of the Good News. {\cf2\super [23]}
There is one body and one Spirit. And God called you to have one hope.
We owed a debt because we broke God’s laws. That debt listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. God took away that debt and nailed it to the cross.
Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. You were all called together in one body {\cf2\super [19]} to have peace. Always be thankful.