In the Cocoon (Killing the Hostility, 2/2)

I'm writing part 2 of the Killing the Hostility posts on May 11, 2016, the modern-day nation of Israel's 68th birthday, Yom Haatzmaut.  68 years ago, God did a miracle, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies of Ezekiel 36-39, most specifically Ezek. 37:1-14.  The dry bones live! And, Israel's population is 10x what it was in 1948.1  For your listening and viewing pleasure today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgXXJBmwBJg

Now....consider the cocoon.  What began as eggs on a leaf transformed next into caterpillars.  This stage moved to that of a pupa (chrysalis, cocoon).  From that hatched a beautiful butterfly.  Yet, all were stages of the same organism, despite their disparate appearances.

Once again, today's (and yesterday's passage) - - Ephesians 2:11-16 (NET)

1Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh – who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands – 12that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, 15when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, 16and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.

In eternity past, God saw all and planned all.  Yes, the Jews became manifested as His chosen race from the days of Abraham.  Still, he saw the Ephesian Christians, even then.   He saw every believer "in Christ", even then.  We are all part of the butterfly life cycle.  The Jews were the first manifestation of His redemptive grace through faith (Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4  - - "the just shall live by faith").  However, the Church of Jesus Christ was grafted in, bound up in the cocoon with the Jewish people from the time of Jesus Christ's resurrection onward.  At the moment, the Christian Church age is continuing to unfold.  But, the end of the story is not yet.

Look, the honest seeker will find that there are hundreds of Old Testament prophecies about Messiah, and that Jesus Christ fulfilled/is fulfilling the ones which predicted the suffering prophet and Melchizedekian priest.  He has yet to fulfill the ones about the messianic conquering King.  That will occur in the "final stage of the butterfly's development".  Two illustrative links:

http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

http://www.accordingtothescriptures.org/prophecy/353prophecies.html

So, now to the central tenet of our text and the central question from yesterday's part 1:  How do we heal the schism? There is only one path to healing, and that is through "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6), Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:14 states "He is our peace" - - - not only the Christian's peace but the Jew's peace as well.

Currently, we are like that ridiculous image posted in yesterday's blog - - that of the 2-headed monster, with one eye in each head.  Yet, despite how we act toward one another, in reality, we are all, Jew and Gentile, bound up in the cocoon of God's eternal plan, hatched before the foundations of this world were ever laid.

Through His blood sacrifice, Jesus overrode (but did not negate) the Mosaic Law with His law of love and grace.  His new commandment pushed the traditions of the first century off of their pedestal and re-framed the theology.  At the end of the Church Age, He will return as conquering King.  At that time, the eyes of the Jewish people will be opened, and they will embrace Him as their true Mashiach (Messiah).   Messianic Jews know this truth and have already embraced Him as their Mashiach.

The reconciliation has already occurred, positionally, in the heavenly realm that exists independent of time and space.  God's divine plan is established and sure.  Through the cross of Jesus Christ, the hostilities between Jew and Christian have been slain.

As God fulfilled the Ezekiel 37 prophecies 68 years ago, He is continuing to unfold His plan in our modern time.  As surely as prophecies were fulfilled centuries ago, the remainder will be fulfilled in the centuries to come.  Our immutable Jehovah G-d has promised.  And, His Word can never be undone.

One Body - - Jew and "Greek" - - even so come, Lord Jesus!

Source:

https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/11/four-big-things-to-celebrate-on-israels-68th-modern-birthday/

From Faith to Faith

Do you know what an anchor bolt is?  It is a device, made of a strong material (such as steel or titanium), that anchors another structure to concrete (usually).  It is foundational in its function.

In the dictionary definition "faith" is not specific in its object.   If you look the word up you find this:                            complete trust or confidence, strong belief not based on "proof".  
We exercise an earthly type of faith every day.  We have confidence that gravity is going to anchor us to the floor, that our lungs are going to find air, that the car we ride in will get us from point A to point B, that our buildings won't topple in a strong wind.  We do this based on human experience, so that it is "second nature".

Regarding faith in the one, true God, though, we find this exercise to be more problematic.  Although we clearly see evidence of Him all around us, when our faith is stretched, we are tempted to disbelieve.  This is a conundrum, not just for unbelievers, but for believers as well.

Paul makes the point in today's scripture that faith is "the only way to go".  It is the "anchor bolt" of the Bible.

For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, "The righteous by faith will live."

Romans 1:17

We first get a glimpse of the importance of faith, in studying the lives of the patriarchs, such as Noah and Abraham.  But, we are not going to plunge down that well this morning.

In my last post, I mentioned two other scriptures where this teaching is recorded.  The first is Habakkuk 2:4.  At the beginning of that chapter, we find Habakkuk standing on top of the city wall, waiting for an answer from God.  In verse 2, God begins to give His answer.  But, it is more than the current answer Habakkuk was seeking.  It was a "forever answer".

 And the Lord answered me:

“Write the vision;

    make it plain on tablets,

    so he may run who reads it.

3 

For still the vision awaits its appointed time;

    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.

If it seems slow, wait for it;

    it will surely come; it will not delay.

4 

“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,

    but the righteous shall live by his faith.

(ESV)

Wait for it....wait for it....Messiah is coming.  He will surely come, in God's perfect timing, God told Habakkuk.  And, in that day, the righteous will live by his faith, as has been the case from the beginning.  Yes, the very beginning.  In Genesis 2:16-17, God issued a command and a warning.  He was asking Adam to trust Him, to believe Him, to have faith in His holy word.  I guess you know how that turned out!

So, when Paul, in Romans 1:17, is explaining to the Romans how to access a relationship with God, he points back to the path God established with Adam, continued through Abraham, and re-affirmed with Habakkuk: we come to God through faith.

Let's look in closing at another affirmation of this truth (there are many in scripture), from Hebrews.

But My righteous one will live by faith;
and if he draws back,
I have no pleasure in him.

Hebrews 10:38 (HCSB)

A few verses later, the writer of Hebrews re-emphasizes this foundational truth, and then goes on to devote the remainder of the chapter to example after example of fallible humans who anchored their souls to the One and Only.

 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6 (HCSB)

"By faith....to faith".... Listen to the long-ago words of commentator, Matthew Henry.

God will not disappoint the believing expectations of those who wait to hear what he will say unto them. All are concerned in the truths of God's word. Though the promised favour be deferred long, it will come at last, and abundantly recompense us for waiting. The humble, broken-hearted, repenting sinner, alone seeks to obtain an interest in this salvation. He will rest his soul on the promise, and on Christ, in and through whom it is given. Thus he walks and works, as well as lives by faith, perseveres to the end, and is exalted to glory; while those who distrust or despise God's all-sufficiency will not walk uprightly with him. The just shall live by faith in these precious promises, while the performance of them is deferred. Only those made just by faith, shall live, shall be happy here and for ever.1

Dear Father, 
Help us to remember that it is our faith that pleases you, our unwavering confidence in Your Word, a faith that is evidenced by our walking in it, walking .... resplendent.  In Jesus' name, amen.

2 

Source:

1  http://biblehub.com/habakkuk/2-4.htm