Who likes to think of the pain and trouble one has experienced in the past? But remembering the troubles of the past helps us to appreciate the blessings we now enjoy. In order for the follower of Christ to truly appreciate how God has blessed him, it is necessary for him to remember his condition before knowing Christ. The Apostle Paul directs his inspired letter to the Ephesian Christians, primarily to those who came from a non-Jewish background. In chapter two, verses one through five, Paul reminded them of how God has resurrected the followers of Christ from spiritual death and exalted them in Christ. In verses 11 and 12 he goes on to remind them of other aspects of their condition before they became Christ’s followers. Though Paul had already emphasized that while both Jews and non-Jews alike were spiritually dead because of sin, the non-Jew faced several additional unique spiritual disadvantages or obstacles. Paul writes, “Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision,” (in the flesh, made by hands); that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”
Paul points out that one obstacle which non-Jewish people faced was that of prejudice. God had chosen the Jews as the people through whom He would bring the Savior to the world. Instead of being humbled by this privilege, the Jewish people became proud that God had chosen them. Not only did they become proud, but they began to despise non-Jews. Their pride became centered on the rite of circumcision. It is true that God had ordained circumcision through Abraham. But the Jews began to glory in the fact of circumcision rather than in God who had commanded it. In this way they reduced God’s ordinance to the level of human custom. Paul indicates this when he reminds his readers that circumcision is “ in the flesh, made by hands” (NIV, “done in the body by the hands of men”). Elsewhere, Scripture emphasizes that what God is really looking for is not a change in physical appearance, but a change in heart. It says: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.” (Romans 2:28-29 NIV) We all need to ask ourselves whether we are alienating people from God by placing undue emphasis on external and physical things rather than on a changed heart.
A second barrier faced by non-Jewish people is that they were separate from Christ. In one sense this is true of everyone who has not yet accepted Christ as their Savior. But for the non-Jew this is doubly so. He is not only spiritually separate from Christ, but racially as well. Jesus Christ was born into the Jewish race. Scripture says: “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.” (Galatians 4:4-5 NIV) And Jesus himself said, “…salvation is from the Jews.” (John 4:22 NIV) The non-Jew must overcome his own racial pride in order to come to Christ.
Non-Jewish people were confronted with yet another difficulty. Paul writes that they were “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel” (NIV, “excluded from citizenship in Israel”). This should be taken not only in the sense of the physical nation of Israel but, more importantly, to illustrate a spiritual reality. The fact is that God had chosen the Jews to be His people. For example, God told them through the prophet Amos, “You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth…” (Amos 3:2 NIV) Unless they were willing to convert to Judaism the non-Jewish peoples could not participate in that special relationship.
The next disadvantage of the non-Jewish people which Paul lists is that they were unacquainted with the covenants of promise. There are at least two reasons why non-Jewish peoples were unacquainted with God’s promises. The first is that they did not remember God’s word. While Adam and Eve were still in the Garden of Eden, God promised that a Savior would one day come from Eve’s line. Yet, only the Jewish people preserved what God had said. This may be one reason why God later chose them above all other families as His own. Until the coming of Christ, it was the Jews alone who preserved, protected and passed on the holy words which God had revealed. And this brings us to the second reason why the non-Jewish people were unacquainted with the promises. Jesus said, “…I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.” (Luke 19:26 NIV) In accordance with this principle, God stopped revealing His promises to those who did not preserve His word and revealed more to those who did. God let the non-Jewish peoples go their own way while He entered into a covenant relationship with the Jews.
It follows that when someone is unacquainted with God’s word, and therefore does not know of God’s promise of a Savior, that he is without true hope. As scripture says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through patience and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 NIV) Mankind has embraced all kinds of philosophies and religions in an attempt to find some sort of meaning in life. None of them can provide hope because they are not based on the truth. Only God’s holy word, which was revealed through the Jewish people, and which they preserved, points to the Savior.
Paul summarizes the plight of non-Jewish peoples when he writes that they were “without God in the world.” It has been the history of mankind to turn away from God, to forget His word and to grope in the darkness without hope and without direction.
If this were the end of the story it would be cause for despair. The Gentile world was trapped in spiritual death with no visible means of escape. But God in His mercy did not leave it there. As the Apostle Paul writes in verse 13, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.” It is through Jesus that God gives all of us, including the non-Jew the opportunity to be reconciled to Himself. It is Jesus who breaks down the prejudice and racial barriers which prevent us from approaching God. It is Jesus who is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. The question is whether we are willing to accept the sacrifice of his blood which He made on our behalf.