For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, Eph 2:14
Do you know what my first thought was when I read that?
I’ll give you a clue; wall of separation.
We hear about this all the time in a different context.
It comes from a letter President Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut.
In this letter the President wrote: “Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”
The President wrote about building; the Savior has broken down.
Eph 2:14-18 says for He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
The phrase by Thomas Jefferson along with the 1st Amendment has been used to bring division to our nation.
Jesus breaking down the wall makes peace and reconciliation.
It would seem to me that the wall of separation that we have allowed to be built is destroying the foundation of America.
The division of Christianity from the leadership decisions of our country can only lead to a path of self-destruction.
As the Apostle said, “You are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?” 1 Cor 3:3-4
We have this carnal division in our country; I am Republican, I am Democrat, I am conservative, I am liberal, I am pro-life, I am pro-choice, I am Baptist, I am Methodist, I am Pentecostal, I am… I am… I am.
What we need to do is tear down the wall that separates us and worship the great I AM!
Only Jesus can bring peace, reconciliation, and bring us all together.