Unity in Christ

Ephesians 2:11-22 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The joy of our salvation stems from looking back and remembering the deplorable state that our soul was without Christ Jesus. We must know what we have been saved from before we can realize what we have been saved to. We must be lost before we can be found. Our Bible Study group was wowed by this lesson. My Matthew Henry commentary states that the natural, unregenerate man (prior to conversion and transformation) is destitute of faith with no saving knowledge or interest in Christ. We were aliens of Christ’s church, with on in the Mediator of the covenant and partake in none of the promises. We had no hope beyond this life, no hope in God, no hope of spiritual and eternal blessings. We were in a state of distance and estrangement from God, without any due regard for Him, nor any acknowledged dependence on Him. We were far off from Christ, from his promises, from the Christian hope, and from God himself; and therefore from all good. Unconverted sinners remove themselves at a distance from God, and God puts them at a distance. This is the state of the unregenerate “fallen” mankind.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. In the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus our sins are paid, our relationship with God reconciled & restored, our spirit is “born anew”, eternal life through Him is given, the ceremonial laws were abolished, uniting God’s chosen people (the Jews) with the Gentiles under one Savior and Messiah and establishing peace in the through Himself. No longer foreigners, but fellow citizens of the household of God in the kingdom of Heaven. Fitted together perfectly by God’s design to work together to grow into a holy temple in the Lord; a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. It is no small privilege to be placed in the church of Christ, and to share with the members of it, near to God. (Matthew Henry) There is unity in the body of Christ; in the Believers and disciples of Jesus. Are we living it out today? Remember!

In Christ, Brian