Ephesians 2 v 11 - 22 - Free Peace

This passage is all about the salvation of the individual! 

v11
The gentiles are all those who are not jews and who haven't been circumcised, which marks a massive difference between the two groups of people, but in this passage it shows how Jesus united them

v12
Paul reminds the people how they used to be, firstly they had not known Christ and secondly, they were not citizens of Israel - the Jewish nation, and thirdly they didn't have a part in the convenents of promise that God made with the Jews. These Gentiles in Ephesians were without hope and without God. 

v13-14
So through Christ there's this massive reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles, and their reconciliation to God. Before there was a massive barrier that meant they were separated from each other, and from God but Christ's death smashed through that. And Christ is peace, he makes peace between people and people, and people and Christ. But also between Jews and Gentiles, as the Jews thought pretty high of themselves but Jesus smashed through the barrier and the diving wall of hostility! 

v15-16
The Jewish people thought that good works would get them their salvation. So they had two kinda rules, the 10 commandements, and the ceremonial law in Leviticus about eating and washing and etc. Christ destroys that barrier by abolishing the ceremonial law which stopped gentiles before. He made both Jews and Gentiles one - believers. They were members of one body. He made peace between them two, and between God, through the cross. 

v17-18
Everyone now has equal access to God through the spirit - they did then and we still can now :D

v19-21
the Ephesian Gentiles are now fellow citizens in God's households and we were like that too! The foundation of the church is God's word and the cornerstone is Christ. the Jewish temple no longer exists, the church is God's holy people. And we are the church, we are united with each other and God's spirit lives with us :D

This is like us with sin, when we weren't Christians, the sin was our barrier but Jesus smashed that barrier through his unfair death on the cross. And this means we have a place with our name on it in the eternal kingdom! Now, Jews Gentiles and us all can be with Christ, building up the church to be people and a community where the Holy Spirit is