Welcome to
Zion Bread of Life Christian Church

Sunday, 24th March 2024

Rev Daniel Xi An Poon

Security Begins with New Life 安稳从新生命开始

When we know we have Christ in us, no matter what happens, we will have security and a new life.

Eph. 2:11-22

“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— 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. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 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. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

1. Make Peace with Ourselves (v.11-13)

Sometimes we put the wrong priority, or make the wrong moves, in order to have a new life. In v.11-13, Paul reminded all of us, when we want to have a new life with security, we must have the right priority first. Some people find a new partner or spouse after previous divorce, but things are not getting better, because we don’t realise that we ourselves are the problems, we don’t change ourselves but just want to change our environment…. We are stuck in the same environment because we don’t know who we are.

Ps 51:17 tells us that God treasures our “broken and contrite heart”. Jesus also said He has come to search for those who are sick. However, when we think we are okay, we are putting ourselves in a cave separating from God, and become our own god. When we feel we are fine, we become proud of ourselves and no longer need God. Doing so actually puts ourselves into temptation, with all the word of God being put aside. When we don’t know ourselves, we also put ourselves in danger.

We know who we were, but we must know who we are now. Satan and other people always reminded us who we were in the past, but God wants us to know we are now. The past failures or successes are meaningless in the kingdom of God, what really matters is who we are now and who God wants us to be. If we don’t know who we are, we still carry our old self.

Paul reminded us in the letter, we relied on us in the past in live a worldly life, but because of the blood of Jesus Christ, we have a new life. This means we need to look at ourselves with a new perspective, by making peace with ourselves. When Jesus was on earth, He did not rely on man power, but the power of His Father in heaven, as He has a loving relationship with the Father, and He could do everything according to the Father’s will. In the past we did not know what God wanted us to do because we did not have a relationship with Him. No matter what we did in the past, don’t try to pretend or carry our old burden, but be true to come to God and make peace with ourselves through Jesus Christ, and we will be truly set free.

2. Make Peace with Others 要与人和好 （v.14-18)

When we want to change jobs or relationships because we have issues with others. After we make peace with ourselves, we also need to learn about others with a new perspective. Problems arise not because of other people’s fault. When we learn not to blame others, we are honouring God’s creation. When God first created us, He said “very good”, but it was Satan who told us not good. If we judge other people like how we criticise an artwork in a gallery, we are judging God’s creation, just like Satan did. Why do we only see the speck in other people’s eyes but not the log in our own? We are not agreeing with other people when they have done something wrong, but we must see beyond the surface and realise that those people are miserable just like how we used to be. Those people who hurt us were also created by God, we honour God’s creation by showing mercy and forgiveness to them, and pray for them wholeheartedly, so we don’t have any soul ties associated with other people, and we can fully receive God’s blessing.

3. Make Peace with God 要与神和好 (v.19-22)

A lot of us want to have a new life, but still live in our old lives. When we come to God but are not willing to let go of who we were or what people have done to us in the past, we will never have a new life. We may be willing to follow God, but our faith is small. God knows about this, no matter how small our faith is, everything is possible through Jesus Christ.

V.19-20 …apostles and prophets represent the word of God and the Holy Spirit, and they are inseparable. When the Holy Spirit activates us, He will reveal all the truths to us, and help us understand the word of God, which is our foundation.