Peace with Enemy Christians - All Our Daily Bread Daily Devotionals for 2025

Our Daily Bread - Thursday, June 19, 2025
by RBC Ministries

Details

Peace with Enemy Christians

Bible in a Year : Nehemiah 12-13, Acts 4:23-37

He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed... the dividing wall of hostility.
Ephesians 2:14

Today's Scripture & Insight : Ephesians 2:14-18

The 2003 World Cup rugby match between Samoa and South Africa was most memorable for what happened after the match. Having battled each other for eighty minutes, fighting for their victory and the honour of their country, at the end, the two teams gathered in a circle. They swapped rugby tops with each other, surrendering the tokens of their national identity, put their arms around each other, and finally knelt down as one, praying a prayer of thanksgiving to God.

What the Christian rugby teams did at that moment was a deeply symbolic picture of our spiritual reality. Paul explained to the Ephesians that, through Jesus, Gentiles (non-Jews) who were once “far away” from God are now included in God’s family alongside Jews (Ephesians 2:13).

What Christ did on the cross was twofold. First, he brought two enemy groups together, “[he] has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (v. 14). Second, Christ united both groups together with God, “in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross” (v. 16). I picture it in a cross shape: unity on the horizontal with others; unity along the vertical axis with God.

No matter what divisions we may have with other Christians—nationality, race, theological differences, war, politics—we are united together with Christ, which is above everything else. Christ “himself is our peace” (v. 14).

By: Tanya Marlow

Reflect & Pray
Thinking globally, nationally and locally, which Christians might you be feeling hostile towards? What difference does it make to remember our unity with God is communal, not just personal?

Dear Jesus, thank You that when You united us with God, You united us with each other. Please bring true peace amongst Christians today.
Peace with Enemy Christians

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