Visual Theology – Ephesians ?

This chart shows the structure. What follows explains each part.

Ephesians 2:14-18
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

The Foundation of Our Fellowship

Our fellowship with God is not based on our ability to keep commandments, perform self-examination, or maintain a cycle of confession. It is the result of Christ’s creative act, as revealed in Ephesians 2:14-18. Christ Himself created peace by abolishing the law of commandments that produced enmity, breaking down the wall separating us from God. The ground of our fellowship is justification—our standing before God is secured by Christ’s finished work, not by our attempts to repair it through law-keeping.

The Answer to Sin is Not the Law

All sin is a violation of the law (1 John 3:4). Yet, the answer to sin’s power is not to return to the law to restore fellowship. Attempts to confess every infraction or vow to do better are efforts to rebuild what Christ has destroyed, keeping enmity intact. The record against us was dealt with at the cross. “We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). We do not wait for forgiveness in installments.

Enjoying Fellowship by Faith

We enjoy fellowship by acknowledging positional truth—recognizing by faith what Christ has accomplished. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” (Romans 5:1-2). Our access to the Father is based on faith in Christ’s blood, not our performance. As Galatians 3:2-5 confirms, the Spirit and blessing are received by faith, not by works of the law.

The Ongoing Way of the Christian Life

Confession and repentance, while useful for self-knowledge, are not the means of entering fellowship. Without standing in our justification, we lack wisdom to judge ourselves rightly. Our fellowship is enjoyed by faith in the blood and the access it has secured. Christ created peace, reconciled us, and slew the enmity. Our role is to believe.

This is the ongoing way of the Christian life. We do not look to our performance or circumstances to determine our standing. We look to Christ, acknowledging our access to God as a present reality secured by His finished work. Holiness, power, and enjoyment of God flow from this access, freely available by faith. We simply believe what God has said and come forward, enjoying peace and fellowship with Him.