Daily Bible Reading 15th October 2024 // Ephesians 2: 11-18
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Such then is the extent of the seriousness of man's predicament, for which the doctrine of reconciliation is the answer. And it means that, great as is man's need in his sin, and great as is the wonder and glory of what Christ's reconciling death does for him, the effect of that death for God is far greater, for the divine wrath exhausted itself in the sacrifice on Calvary, and the blood of mediation not only speaks peace to our sinful hearts, but speaks also to the holy heart of God, and even to His memory, making Him say, 'Your sins and your iniquities will I remember no more'. We sometimes sing,
I hear the words of love,
I gaze upon the blood,
I see the mighty sacrifice
And I have peace with God.
But it is surely not difficult, in view of what has been said, to think of God speaking in these terms also as He gazes on the blood and sees the mighty sacrifice, for this is the ground of His peace also, that turns His anger away. Is it any wonder that the Scriptures speak of 'the precious blood of Christ'? This is how precious, how valuable, it is!