Clerical World Ephesians 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were near. When after His death on the Cross, by which He made peace between God and man, and prepared the way for peace between man and God and man and man, did our blessed Saviour come and preach peace? He came by His Holy Spirit as on the day of Pentecost. So that we have within the limits of this text, with the light shed on it by the immediate context — I. CHRIST THE PROCURER OF PEACE WITH THE FATHER. "He is our peace" (ver. 14). 1. By the removal of hindrances to our salvation. His atonement breaks down the middle wall of partition between God and man, and thus also between Jew and Gentile. Christ's reconciliation is a scriptural fact. 2. By the removal of the enmity of the carnal mind. if God is reconciled to man, man must be reconciled to God. The love of Christ effects this. 3. By the substitution of a new law for "the law of commandments in ordinances." This new law is the all-inclusive law of love. II. THE SPIRIT THE PREACHER OF PEACE WITH GOD. 1. By His own immediate action on the soul of the child and of the man. 2. By His mediate action through the truths of the gospel. "We are witnesses of these things, and so also is the Holy Ghost." III. MAN — WHETHER JEW OR GENTILE — THE OBTAINER OF PEACE WITH GOD. "We both have our access," etc. 1. By personal trust in the merits of Christ. 2. By daily approach through Christ by one Spirit. This describes the method of prayer. (Clerical World.) Parallel Verses KJV: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.WEB: He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. |
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