Ephesians: Part 9 - Unity in Christ
November 23, 2025
Ephesians 2:11-22
Pastor Scott Skones
I read an article some months ago that talked about what the author called “The Outrage Economy.” The premise of the article was built on an observation that mass media today – including traditional media networks, social media, talk radio, and just about everything else – have built their business model around one thing in particular. It’s not honest reporting. It’s not a fair and robust discussion of ideas. They’ve set up their business model around division. They’ve found a way to monetize – to make money from the division in our world.
It’s not all that different than what Hallmark discovered years ago. They found a formula that would trigger a certain response in the human brain, which would release dopamine. And boy, do we love dopamine.
Dopamine is the human body’s internal reward system. It reinforces behaviors and regulates mood. And we don’t only get a dopamine hit when we see that heartwarming scene in a Hallmark movie; we get it when we feel like we have a special insight into how the world works, or when we think we have proven our enemy wrong, or when we feel superior to someone else. We get that hit when we get a pat on the back – that reassurance that what I want to believe is actually true. Or that confirmation that I was right all along and someone else was wrong.
People have discovered how to monetize our dopamine-seeking brains. And one of the most effective ways is by sewing division.
Why do people love sports rivalries? Because during that game last Sunday, when my Broncos beat the Chiefs, every time there was a good play that went my way, I got that little hit of dopamine.
And society has discovered that the same things happen with political battles and cultural battles. And so, rather than only monetizing Hallmark movies or NFL games on Sunday, they can now monetize the news cycle. Every moment of every day can make money for someone by keeping us addicted to whatever they might say or do next. And nothing is more successful at driving that addiction than division between people.
One of the problems with this is that there is no solid virtue that undergirds and supports any of these mediums. They exist purely to make money, and so they have to keep cranking up the volume and intensity to keep you outraged.
But the Gospel of Christ does the opposite. Rather than fuel outrage, the Gospel speaks a word of peace. Rather than deepen division, the Gospel works unity. Rather than resentment, the Gospel produces forgiveness.
We continue our time today in our sermon series from Ephesians. And, in our text for today, Paul teaches us about unity in Christ. If you remember in verses 1-10 of Ephesians chapter 2, we saw clearly that we are saved by God’s grace through faith. We might think of verses 1-10 speaking of our vertical relationship. Our standing before God, how the Gospel speaks to our relationship with God.
Starting in verse 11, the focus changes. Rather than focusing on our relationship with God, Paul will show us how the grace we have been given in Christ will go on to impact our relationships with others. Or, we might think of it this way: The fact that we have been saved by God’s grace alone will change the way that we see and interact with those around us.
Years ago, I came across a quote from AW Tozer that illustrates this point:
“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”
When our eyes are focused on God’s grace to us as sinners, unity is a byproduct. It is the natural overflow.
Well, let’s read Ephesians chapter 2.
Ephesians 2:11-22
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
God, we thank you that Jesus died so that our sins might be forgiven, and so that we can know true and eternal life. As we consider all that you have done for us, may that overflow into living in unity and peace with those around us. Accomplish your good work in our hearts, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
As we consider God’s word today, we will organize our time around two helpful statements and an image.
The first statement is this:
1- Jesus shed his blood so that you would be brought near to God.
In verse 11, Paul calls the believers in Ephesus to remember who they used to be. That they were Gentiles by birth. And so instantly, you and I have a connection with this message because the same is true for us. As far as I know, nobody in here is Jewish. And so we all should be listening because what Paul says about the Gentiles in Ephesus is true of us as well.
He’s speaking of the greatest division that these Christians were experiencing. We know that there was deep tension between the Jews and Christians in Ephesus. In Acts chapter 19, Paul arrives in Ephesus and is preaching and teaching in the Jewish synagogue. But after 3 months, many of the Jews became angry with him, and so Paul and his followers left and began meeting in the Lecture Hall of Tyrranus.
And so it’s into that tension and division that Paul is writing. But it didn’t stop there. Even when Jews came to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and were baptized into Christ, there was still division that was occurring. We know from Paul’s other letters that this was common during this era. Jews might have felt that they had some level of superiority because of their heritage.
We see this in the second part of verse 11 of our text. He talks about how the Gentiles were called “the uncircumcision” by the Jews. This was a term of contempt – it was a degrading term that Jews gave to the Gentiles.
And then he goes on in verse 12 to say, “Hey, there was some truth to that argument.” And then he goes on to list a description of what it looks like when someone is far from God. He describes humanity in its natural state.
He says that Gentiles are:
Separated from Christ
Excluded from Citizenship in Israel
Foreigners to God’s Covenants and Promises
Without Hope
Without God in the world
In other words, our natural condition is that we are outside of God’s promises – not part of God’s people – without hope.
Hope came to this world through the Jews. You think about God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis. God was going to bless the world THROUGH Abraham. THROUGH the Hebrew people.
But there is good news. Listen to verse 13: But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
By nature, you were separated, excluded, foreigners, hopeless, and without God. BUT NOW – In Christ Jesus you have been brought near.
What is the basis of this? It is NOT in the good behavior or obedience or morality of these Gentiles. It is not based upon their merit. It is because of the blood of Jesus.
Jesus Christ, the Jew, shed his blood for all humanity – for God so loved the World. And that good news is now being announced and proclaimed to the world.
In 1 John, we read that the Blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. The blood of Christ has brought us NEAR. These Gentiles who were far off, separated, excluded, foreigners, without hope and without God, have now been brought NEAR by the blood of Jesus.
This takes on greater clarity in verse 14 - “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one…”
God not only brought us near to himself, but, as Tozer mentioned, that naturally brings us near to others.
Here’s what we learn. Knowing Jesus always leads to reconciliation with others.
I want you to hear those words today. Knowing Jesus always leads to reconciliation with others.
If you find yourself continually at odds with people around you, it might be a spiritual problem, not a relational one.
Now, I want to mention two quick complexities here.
First, this is speaking primarily about our relationship with fellow believers.
Paul is making clear that, when we trust in Christ, we are brought near and we are united together with fellow believers in Christ.
There will be times when the world will hate you for your faith in Christ. In John 15, Jesus warns his believers that the world will hate them because it first hated him. And so we recognize that there will just be some who see God and the Bible as dangerous or oppressive or just foolish. And so they might be adversarial to anyone who believes. We can expect that.
The focal point of this passage is not disunity out there, but in here.
At the same time, there are some Christians who take great pleasure in insulting and causing unnecessary conflict with those in our world. We don’t need to take this path and stir up the anger of our world against us. That rarely serves a redemptive purpose.
The second complexity is this: reconciliation doesn’t happen overnight. Paul gave us this clarification in Romans 12 when he said, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
There may be times when a broken relationship is mostly one-sided.
Reconciliation can be slow, painful work. But, so far as you’re able, work for peace, live at peace with others. You can’t create peace. But God does call you and invite you to do everything within your power to ensure that you live at peace with others.
Jesus shed his blood so that you would be brought near to God.
The second statement that brings clarity to and summarizes our passage is this:
2 - By faith, you are citizens of God’s kingdom and members of God’s household.
Notice the contrast between verse 11 and verse 19.
By nature, you are separate from Christ, excluded, foreigners, without hope, without God.
But now, look at verse 19: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household…”
That is what you were – and now this is what you are, by faith in Christ.
Fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household. This is identity language.
Faith in Jesus gives us new citizenship and new family. If you are in Christ, your entire identity changes. You are no longer who you used to be.
Hear those words today. You are no longer who you used to be. By faith, you are a citizen of his kingdom and a member of his family.
How does he connect these ideas and help us visualize these two realities? He utilizes the imagery and illustration of the Jewish temple.
Notice verse 14: “[He] has made the two groups one and has destroyed the dividing wall of hostility…”
In the temple in Jerusalem in the time of Jesus, if you start at the very center, you had the most holy place, and then as you work your way out, progressively more people are allowed to enter. There is an area that’s just for priests, and then an area that only Jewish men could enter, and then the court of Women. And then there was a large wall that divided the place where the Jews could worship from the place where the Gentiles could worship. And that large outer gathering area was the Court of the Gentiles. That was as close as they could get. The dividing wall kept them out.
And so Paul says that Jesus destroyed that wall. Jesus opened up access to God to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. And he culminates in verse 18 when he says, “For through him we both have access to the Father by one spirit.”
But the temple imagery continues. In verses 19-21, Paul says that this combined group of God’s people – Believing Jews and Believing Gentiles – are now a newly constructed temple, built around the cornerstone, which is Christ.
And then listen to these words in verse 21: “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
This is a beautiful image – all who have faith – Jews and Gentiles alike – are part of God’s temple – the place where God dwells in the world today.
And don’t miss the significance of what Paul says here. “You are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives…”
This whole passage confronts our tendency toward an individualistic faith.
Our faith is always personal, but it is never individualistic. You are being built up together.
Here’s what this means: growing in our faith always leads us into deeper community with God’s people.
If you find yourself distancing from the church – distancing from the Body of Christ, it’s a sign of spiritual sickness.
And I can tell you this – when you are experiencing that spiritual sickness that leads you to distance yourself from God’s people – Satan will continually give you a thousand reasons why it’s not really that big of a deal. He will call to your memory all of the ways that someone there has wronged you or even looked at you funny. He will grow and feed the cancer of disunity in your heart. He will give you a victim complex. And, maybe most effective of all, he will make you think that other people are judging you.
I’ve seen this play out so many times over the years so many times. Someone drifts from the church – due to busy schedules or illness, or any number of reasons. And they just continue down that path. And satan will feed it and take advantage of it.
And the answer is always to go back to the Gospel. To be reminded that God has brought you near.
Remember Tozer's words. The answer is not to look at others in the church. The answer is to be tuned to Jesus and allow him to bring you into closer unity with others.
As we close today, there is one final aspect of our text that I want you to consider. It’s not the main point of this passage. In fact, you could argue that it is just sort of a passing comment. But buried in this passing comment is a beautiful and potentially life-changing realization.
You might know or realize that I take preaching pretty seriously. As a pastor, there are various hats that I wear.
For example, in the last two weeks or so, I’ve officiated four funeral services. I’ve participated in about 14 or so meetings. I’ve prepared to teach Bible studies. I’ve worked on our church budget. A number of different responsibilities come my way every week.
But the most important thing that I do is preach. Years ago, someone shared with me the words of Paul in Titus chapter 1. Paul, writing to Titus, speaks of eternal life coming to the world “through the preaching entrusted to me…”
Those are sobering words for anyone who steps behind this pulpit. That we have been entrusted with the words of eternal life.
Preaching is the most serious, the most significant work within the church.
I tend to be pretty emotionally steady. There isn’t a lot that gets me worked up. But if you want to get me worked up. If you want to see me lose my cool – send me a recording of a sermon from a pastor who is unprepared and sounds like he started his sermon early Sunday morning. Or, send me a sermon that is all about how to have a better life or be the best you. A sermon that is all about you, and only has a little Jesus sprinkled in. Those are the ways to get me worked up.
Why? Why do those things get me angry?
The answer to that is in verse 17 of our text for today.
Listen to verse 17: “He [Christ] came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.”
What does that have to do with lazy preaching or self-help sermons?
Think about what Paul says. He’s writing to Christians in Ephesus and says, “Jesus came and preached peace to you…”.
But did he really? Did Jesus preach to the Ephesians? They live nearly 1000 miles by land from the farthest Northwest location that the Gospels record Jesus traveling during his life. We have no reason to believe that Jesus actually showed up in Ephesus to preach.
Oh, but he did. When did Jesus preach peace to the believers in Ephesus? Through the mouths of those to whom he had entrusted the Gospel.
And this has important implications for us today.
First, for me, this is a warning and a call to faithfulness. I have been entrusted with the task of being the mouthpiece of God to the people of God. When I stand in this place and proclaim the Word of God, I can say “thus saith the Lord.” But I need to hold myself accountable and discipline myself to be faithful in my preaching. To be careful, prepared, diligent, and prayerful.
Hold me accountable to that. If I ever get sloppy. If I ever get lazy in my preaching. Hold me accountable. If I ever start preaching a message that is about self-improvement. If I ever start preaching in such a way that YOU are the center of the sermon, or, even worse, that makes ME the center of the sermon – fire me. For the sake of the church, fire me. And I’m serious about that. You need Jesus, not more of yourself or more of me.
But this has implications for everyone here as well. When God’s word is rightly and faithfully proclaimed through fallible but faithful human preachers, you aren’t hearing just from that person; you are hearing from Jesus. When the Gospel is shared by those who have been called by the church, Jesus is preaching peace to you.
This understanding should…MUST….change the way that I view my preaching. And it MUST change the way that you hear the preaching from this pulpit.
A biblical sermon is not an opportunity for a pastor to opine about politics, culture, or life. It’s not a therapy session or a self-help seminar. It must always be an exposition and proclamation of the living and enduring word of God. It must be a message of peace from God through Jesus for you.
And when the Gospel is rightly preached, it is not the preacher that you are listening to, but Jesus himself.
Hear that again: And when the Gospel is rightly preached, it is not the preacher that you are listening to, but Jesus himself.
What a gift it is that God gives us his word and raises up proclaimers of that word so that we might hear and believe what Jesus is saying to us. Because he alone has the words of eternal life.
And so, as Paul said in verse 11 – “Remember.” Remember these things. Believe these things:
1- Jesus shed his blood so that you would be brought near to God.
2 - By faith, you are citizens of God’s kingdom and members of God’s household.
This sermon is offered as a resource by Living Word Lutheran Brethren Fellowship in Dickinson, North Dakota. It has been lightly edited for the website, but the original tone remains unchanged, and no grammatical revisions or style adjustments have been made.