October 28 2025

Tuesday October 28

Before Salvation We are Separated

Ephesians 2:11-13

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Welcome to Pastor's Chat today. It's a wonderful thing to be back home here in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina with my wonderful and beautiful bride, Edith, also with my family. I'm so thankful for your prayers these past couple weeks while we've been on tour in Jordan and in Egypt. It was a wonderful, wonderful tour. Everyone on it was tremendously blessed. We met new friends. We built new relationships. We saw some exciting things that reminded us that our God is God. He is the God of all the earth. He is the God of all the nations. Despite the fact there's so much division, strife, hurt, pain in the Middle East, I'm telling you, God is at work there in a marvelous way in the lives of so many people. People are looking for peace. Peace, even there in all the areas of these countries. We're so thankful for your prayers during this trip. We're glad to be back.

This morning I would like to ask that you would pray for my brother Mark who is the pastor of Thomas Terrace Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. He is at UVA in Charlottesville VA and this morning at 7:00am, he will be having triple bypass surgery. I know that he would appreciate your prayers very much. Do pray for my brother Mark, his surgery, and the surgeons today that they can correct these arteries that have been blocked, and give him a new breath and strength for his ministry there at Thomas Terrace Baptist Church.

Also, I want to announce, if you live in the Roanoke or Lynchburg area of Virginia, we'd love to invite you to come to the GO Center this coming Saturday. There will be a ribbon breaking ceremony for the Grand Opening at 9:30. The GO Center will be open to help encourage people to go into all the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. To go in prayer, to go on mission trips, to go with their giving. This facility was designed to get an experience of being on the mission field right there in Bonsack Virginia at the GO Center. You can look up more information at the www.gpartners.org website. I trust that you will plan on coming. That is this Saturday, November 1st at the GO Center. I think it's going to be a great way that people are going to be touched to be on mission with God and for getting a new view of what missions is really all about. That's what the GO Center is about, to encourage, also enlighten people about missions. That's really what the Bible is about. It's about the heart of God who loves the world and how He prepared in eternity past a plan to bring redemption and reconciliation to every person.

That's what Paul is talking about here in Ephesians 2:10-22 that we are presently looking at. We see that this chapter is telling us that God is on a great peace mission to reconcile the world to Himself through Jesus Christ. I love these verses. We've already gone down through verse 10 talking about how we can be saved by grace. We who were dead in sins now can be made alive in Christ Jesus. We have been redeemed. We've been forgiven. We find that all through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verses 11-13, Paul writes to the Gentiles in the Church at Ephesus, "Therefore remember that you once Gentiles in the flesh." Remember he's writing to the church at Ephesus who mainly were made up of Gentiles, non-Jews, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision, made in the flesh by hands. That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Actually, in these next verses through verse 22 at the end of the chapter, we see that three words summarize what this chapter is about: Separation, reconciliation and unification. The Gentiles were separated from God. They were separated from the covenant. They were separated from Christ. They were separated from citizenship in the holy nation. They were separated, without hope, without God. That's the condition of every sinner, both Jew and Gentile. This includes everyone that has never accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. We're separated from Him. My friend, only God can reconcile us to Himself through His son Jesus Christ.

Again, thank you for your prayers and tomorrow we will update you on my brother.

God bless!