One New People (Ephesians 2:11-18 NLT)

11 Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called "uncircumcised heathens" by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. 14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) How does the Apostle Paul describe the Gentiles prior to their salvation and how the Jews treated them? (v.11-12)
2) What happened to the Gentiles after professing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? (v.13)
3) What did Christ's sacrifice on the cross accomplish for the Gentiles, as well as for the Jews? (v.14-17)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) What was your relationship with Jesus Christ like before you were saved?

LIFE LESSONS
5) Prior to salvation we were all enemies of God.
6) The plan of salvation was to create "one new people."
7) Every believer is united to God, and to one another, through Christ's sacrifice and the infilling of His Holy Spirit.

God's Plan Revealed (Ephesians 1:11-14 NLT)

11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. 12 God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.


OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What have we received because we are united with Christ? Why? (v.11)
2) What was God's purpose in sending His Son to save us? (v.12-13)
3) For what purpose was the Holy Spirit given to the people of God? (v.14)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) What does the Holy Spirit do through you to glorify the Father?

LIFE LESSONS
5) The Father is glorified as those who believe in Christ are transformed into His image through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.