OUR NEXT VERSE is growingly important: “But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made us both one” (Eph. 2:13–14). We often hear of dividing the word “atonement” into “at-one-ment”—atonement is an at-one-ment with God. Here Paul says that the atonement is an at-one-ment with each other—“you . . . have been brought near in the blood of Christ.”
Is the blood of Christ some magic wand that is waved over us and makes us one? No. If you are humble enough to cease trying to make atonement for your sins by self-effort and humbly accept the atonement Jesus has made by His blood, then you will automatically become one with everyone who is humble enough to accept the same gift. Humility toward Christ produces humility toward each other. We automatically join the Society of the Receivers. If you belong to those who try to climb the ladder to God to find Him at the topmost rung of the ladder of worthiness, you strive to attain salvation. There is nothing to bind together the attainers—they are covertly competitive, for they are self-assertive. If, however, you belong to those who believe that God meets us at the bottom-most rung of the ladder as sinners, where you do not attain but obtain salvation as the gift of God, then you melt into each others’ arms as you talk joyfully about His grace. It is by its very nature cooperative around the redeeming Person of Jesus.
“He is our peace, who has made us both one.” You do not have to find unity in Christ. You have it inherently. All you have to do is to express the unity which is yours in Him. You may betray that oneness, but you cannot deny it, for it is inherent. A three-hour meeting was held by bitterly opposed parties—opposed in their views of the sacrament. At the close of three hours of inconclusive debate one said, “Well, we can come together at the place of Christ.” They could.
O Jesus, Thou art our peace. Around everything else we divide; around Thee we unite. Thou hast made us both one, inseparable as long as we belong inseparably to Thee. When we step out of Thee we step out of each other. Keep us close. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: He is our peace—when I am in Him I’m in peace—with myself, my brother, and God—I’m in peace.
