God’s Construction Plan
Ephesians 2:11-22
The September 29, 2006 edition of “Our Daily Bread” documents Julius Caesar’s invasion of the south coast of Britain in 55 BC. He met resistance from warring Celtic tribes, but a century later, Roman control had extended all the way north into what is now Scotland. The conquest took 30,000 Celtic lives, but the Roman victory was short-lived. Surviving clansmen soon began a fierce guerrilla campaign against their occupiers. So in AD 122, Emperor Hadrian ordered a wall constructed to separate the Romans from the barbarians to the north. Hadrian’s Wall stands to this day.
In Paul’s day, a barrier stronger than Hadrian’s wall was erected between God’s people and the Gentiles who were not part of their religious community. It was the barrier of ethnic prejudice. God’s plan was to use his chosen people, the Jews, to bless all the nations of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3) and to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6). But instead of this, the Jewish nation became self-centered and prejudiced toward anyone not like them. Someone once said, “Prejudice is a lazy person’s substitute for thinking.”
As we continue our walk through Ephesians, we’re going to look today at a passage where God says through Paul to bring down the walls of division and prejudice. Picture the great Temple in Jerusalem with its outer Gentile court, then an inner Jewish women’s sector, then an inner Jewish men’s sector, then the priestly area. In 1871 archaeologists actually found the dividing wall that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the Court of Women. On the wall was a sign that read, “No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.” Ironically, this is the offense that has landed Paul under house arrest. He was falsely accused of allowing a Greek to enter to Jewish part of the temple. Figuratively, the wall comes down in today’s chapter. All are welcomed into God’s family.
Consider on your outline some of the phrases Paul uses to describe who we once were, before we knew Christ:
What we were:
• Separated from Christ (v. 12)
• Excluded from citizenship in Israel (v. 12)
• Foreigners to the covenant of promise (v. 12)
• Far away (v. 13)
• Foreigners and strangers (v. 19)
• Without hope (v. 12)
• Without God (v. 12)
Throughout the Old Testament, the Jews were God’s chosen people, as they still are today, even though many of them don’t realize it. The rest of us were far away, separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in God’s family, without hope, without God. But then comes two very important words. Paul has shared all these negative things about our outsider status, and then he starts verse 13, “But now...” Something has changed. In fact, everything has changed! Look what he says about our status now:
What we are:
• Brought near by the blood of Christ (v. 13)
• Part of a new humanity (v. 15)
• Reconciled to our brothers and sisters (v. 16)
• Accessing the Father by one Spirit (v. 18)
• Fellow citizens with God’s people (v. 19)
• Members of God’s household (v. 19)
• Being built together to become a dwelling where God lives (v. 22)
Folks, we have come so far. Sometimes we don’t realize how far we’ve come. Sometimes we take our salvation for granted. Paul says, “Remember! Remember how far Christ has brought you!” I want to share with you three implications of our new status as believers in God’s family.
What it means:
1. What unites us is greater than what divides us
I’ve heard this saying a lot. Yet, it is radically true in the church of Jesus Christ. What unites us is Christ himself. Listen to verse 14: “For [Christ Jesus] himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” The way to find unity in our diversity is to focus on Christ, who is our peace. He has destroyed or demolished the insignificant barriers between us.
Our nation has struggled with this in race relations. We have struggled with this in politics. We are a divided nation in so many ways. Yet, our coinage says “E Pluribus Unum,” “Out of many one.” That was the vision of the founders, and it should be our vision today.
And the church should lead the way. Sadly, what Martin Luther King, Jr. said back in the ‘60s is still true, that the Sunday morning 11:00 hour is still the most segregated hour of the week. Churches should reflect the diversity of their communities. And of all places, church should be where skin color doesn’t matter. Church should be where bank account size doesn’t matter. Church should be where branch of service doesn’t matter—well, maybe that’s going a little too far!
But seriously, when we really allow Jesus Christ to rule in our hearts, we will be united with others who are doing the same, regardless of their skin color, regardless of their wealth, regardless of their background, regardless of their quirks. We are family. What unites us is greater than what divides us. And...
2. We belong to something much greater than ourselves
Have you ever wanted to be part of a great cause? Something that would outlive you? Kind of a legacy? There is no greater cause than serving Christ. God doesn’t just put us together in the church for heavenly entertainment. He does it for his own kingdom-building purposes. And God is in the construction business! Read with me verses 19 and 20 on your outlines: “Consequently, you are ... fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” God has planned a building project that incorporates you and me into a great structure, which includes the apostles and prophets, and even Christ Jesus himself! What a grand architectural design the church of the living God is! That’s why Hebrews 12:1 talks about this great cloud of witnesses that cheers us on from heaven, pillars of the faith who have gone on before us. Our lives are interconnected with theirs, and our lives are connected with each other, all through Jesus Christ, the head of the body. We belong to the church. And as messed up as the church can be at times, it is still God’s great tool for winning the lost, for shining the light of God’s love and compassion and forgiveness, for bringing the kingdom of heaven to bear right now in this sinful world in which we live. Christ died for the church. We should live for each other, as we allow Christ to live through us. We belong to something much greater than ourselves. And lastly,
3. We glorify God through our unity (v. 22)
Paul says this amazing thing in verse 22. He says, “And in [Christ] you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Remember the Temple with all its courts? In the innermost court was the Holy of Holies, where the ark of the covenant would rest, carrying the two tablets on which God had inscribed the Ten Commandments, along with Moses’ staff. This was the dwelling place of God on earth.
It was this Holy of Holies, where the curtain tore from top to bottom, indicating God’s doing. As Christ died on the cross, the Father opened up access to all to his own dwelling place on earth. And now, Paul says, we are being built together—notice it’s a process; we are BEING built together; the construction is not completed yet. We are being built together to become this dwelling where God’s Spirit will live. We know the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer. Yet, somehow the Spirit of God is present in a unique way as we build our lives together. God is glorified as we live in unity. E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.
Ephesians 2 is about bringing the walls down between us. We become one with each other through Christ. Differences are insignificant in the family of God. And all of this happens ONLY as we each individually become one with Christ. We only find true reconciliation when each of us has reconciled ourselves to Christ, when we are walking with Jesus as Lord.
Having trouble with a fellow believer? Maybe you need to pray more about your own attitude. When you love Jesus, he will enable you to love your neighbor as yourself. You realize that, as you are saved by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), so is your neighbor. We are all in this family of God by God’s grace alone! And when Christians start truly loving and caring for each other, in God’s spiritual building, the church, where Christ is the cornerstone, built on the faith of the apostles and prophets, something wonderful happens. The church is healthy and well and alive and active. And God is glorified! Let us pray:
Thank you, Lord, for these rich words in Ephesians. Help us to apply them to our everyday lives. Thank you for how far you have brought us, outsiders to insiders, with a close relationship with you. Help us to stay right with you, so we can stay right with each other. Help us to love each other because we love you and because you first loved us. Help others to be amazed at how tight we have become, because Jesus is the glue that binds us together. In his name we pray, amen.
