Good News!

Ephesians 2:11-13

¹¹Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— ¹²remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles. Though being brought up as a Jew in the strictest sense, God sent him to the Gentiles, the non-Jews. The Gentiles were called the uncircumcision, or the unclean, by that which were clean according to the law. As unclean they were separated not only from Christ, but not even a Jew would have anything to do with them. As my kids my say, the Gentiles had a bad case of cooties. They were outside of God, outside of the family of believers, outside the promise of redemption. So they were without hope, key word being were.

But now in Christ Jesus, all who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. It reminds me of many of the healings that Christ performed. He took those who were unclean. The lepers, paralytics, dropsy, etc., and he healed them. Many times he touched them, which would have been so wrong for a Jew to do. But Jesus did it, he healed them and made them who were previously unclean to be clean. Again, the outsiders able to come in. Good news!