Ephesians 2:13-16 – “But now in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”  NASB

I love the ‘but now’s in the Bible.  They are always filled with incredible revelations and promises.  Here the apostle is speaking to Gentile Christians who were under fire from the Judaizers in their area.  He informs them that although they were once ‘afar off’ and ‘separated’ from God without hope and without God, BUT NOW… 

But now?  But now, through the Blood of Jesus and His work on the Cross they have been made one with the Jewish Christians.  They were grafted into the Body of Christ and were fellow members of the Family of God.  It was exclusively the work of Jesus that brought about this completion and opened the door for access to God for the Gentiles.

But Now, the barrier or dividing wall between the Jew and Gentile had been abolished through the Blood of Jesus.  His sacrificial death on the Cross abolished the division and made both groups into ‘one new man’ and brought God’s indescribable peace to both groups. 

There are still those in Christianity who erect dividing walls between sects and insist they are the ‘only ones’ with the truth.  They exclude other believers who do not see everything as they see it.  They exclude those who do not embrace the same interpretations as they.  They become separatist and legalists insisting that everyone does, it their way or they are not Christians.  That is not what Jesus came to do.

In the basics or the core foundational principles of God’s Word, we must agree.  I won’t give you a list of the essentials but if we do not believe that God is creator, Jesus is the virgin-born sinless son of God who died for our sins, we have little avenue to God’s grace.  Jesus declared, contrary to the opinion of some who want to be overly inclusive, “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life.”  He said in John 14:6 – “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”  That is anything but ambiguous.  It is definitive.

I’m sorry if you disagree and believe that there are many roads to God, the Bible disagrees, and I will stake my eternity on God’s Word, not man’s opinion.  We were aliens and sinners separated from God BUT NOW through the finished work of Jesus, we have access to the Father through Jesus. 

The Bible is clear in 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  The apostle Paul informed us in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast.” 

We are informed in Acts 4:12 that, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  Jesus told John in the vision of Revelation, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in with him and eat with him, and he with Me.”  (3:20). 

Paul reminded us in Romans 10:9-10, “…if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

You were lost and undone without God or His Son BUT NOW…  Receive the But Now and call upon Him before it is everlastingly too late.  Receive Jesus today!

Have a Great Day!