Ephesians 2: 11 – 22 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.
A Temple for the Lord
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
Unity! Peace!
Those verses would have really impacted the believers in Israel. They believed they were God’s chosen people – and no one else was in that category. But Jesus has changed everything! He has ended “the system of law with its commandments and regulations … Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death”
We definitely see the hostility between the Jewish people and the Arabic countries in the Middle East today with the war between Israel and Hamas. It is also concerning to see the rise of anti-semitism in Canada and around the world. But the unity and peace described in these verses are not about political peace and unity. Something completely new has begun. “He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.” The church has begun.
“You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.” Each person who believes in Jesus’ death and resurrection is part of that house. Paul repeats that in Galatians 3: 28: “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
You may have noticed this if you have done any travelling and attended a church in a foreign country. If you are a believer, you are welcome. There is an instant bond between you and the person you have just met. It doesn’t matter what colour of skin you have, what language you speak, how much education you have, etc., you are accepted.
Of course there are differences that make the bond more difficult. For example, it’s hard to communicate with someone with a different language. Even different lifestyles can cause some discomfort. If you were to talk with Becky Ferguson about her first year in the Czech Republic, she could tell you about the customs she had to learn. The year our family spent in Kenya, we often felt so humbled because we had no idea how to live in a 3rd world country. Yet, there was a deep bond between ourselves and the Kenyan people in the local church.
Knowing this gives me a challenge. LSA is seeing new people coming through our doors each Sunday. Do I try to make them welcome, or do I leave that up to the door greeters and the ushers? Do I avoid working with other Christians who aren’t a lot like me? Am I friendly with people of various nationalities at my church? It’s something to think about.
“We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.”
Our song for today is Firm Foundation by Cody Carnes.