"And that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity." - Ephesians 2:16 (NKJV)There was a Native American who was asked to describe his salvation, and even though he didn't speak very good English, he was able to paint an incredible picture. He put some leaves on the ground in a circle, and there was dirt in the middle. Then he placed a c...

"For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." - Ephesians 2:18 (NKJV)Sometimes in marriage counseling or premarital counseling, I'll try to tell a couple that their greatest success will be when they have God in the center of their marriage. I describe their relationship like a triangle where God is at the top of the triangle. The husband is on one point on the side, the wife ...

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." - Galatians 3:28 (NKJV)One of my favorite movies of all time is based on a true story from Alexandria, Virginia - "Remember the Titans." It shows what happened when three segregated high schools were forced to integrate into one school. The football teams had to...

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." - Ephesians 2:13 (NKJV)Do you remember what it was like to be lost? Paul is trying to help the Gentiles understand what they had before Jesus came into their lives. They were on the outside looking in. They had no Christ, no citizenship in God's family, no covenant with God, no hope, and were without...

"For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation." - Ephesians 2:14 (NKJV)When Paul writes about breaking down the "middle wall of separation," he's not speaking in metaphors. He's talking about a real wall - a stone barrier about four and a half feet high that surrounded the inner courts of the Jerusalem temple. This wall was serious business....