Far Away from God
In Ephesians 2:11–12, Paul reminds the Gentile believers what their lives were like before Christ. They were “without Christ,” “having no hope,” and “without God in the world.”
It's a painful description, but an honest one—and if you think about it, deeply troubling as well.
Before salvation, people may still build careers, raise families, laugh with friends, and make plans for the future. Yet underneath it all is a deep separation from God. Many people try to fill that emptiness with success, entertainment, relationships, or religion, but the heart still remains far from the Lord.
Paul wanted these believers to remember where they once stood—not to shame them, but to help them better understand the grace they had received.
Brought Near by Christ
Verse 13 changes the direction of the passage: “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
Once again, the turning point is not what man did, but what Christ did.
Sin had placed a great distance between man and God. We could not remove that separation ourselves. But through His death on the cross, Jesus opened the way for sinners to come near to God.
Sometimes believers still feel distant from God because of guilt, failure, or discouragement. We may look more at our weaknesses than at Christ’s finished work. Yet our nearness to God does not rest upon our feelings. It rests upon “the blood of Christ.”
Remembering with Gratitude
Paul tells believers to remember what they once were so they can better appreciate what God has done. The Christian life should also produce humility, gratitude, and compassion toward others who are still far from God today.
