November 04 2025

Tuesday November 04

Our Unity in Christ Jesus

Ephesians 2:18-22

18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Today, as we are looking at the last verses of Ephesians 2, we need to remember that Paul has been talking about separation beginning in verses 11-12. The Jews were separated from the Gentiles, the Gentiles from the Jews. They both were separated from God because of sin. Next, we see reconciliation in verses 13-18. How now through the blood of Jesus Christ, we've been reconciled to God. We can be reconciled and have peace with one another. In these last verses, Paul speaks of unification.

Paul has repeated the word "one" to emphasize the unifying work of Christ: "who has made both one" (Ephesians 2:14); "to create in Himself one new man" (Ephesians 2:15); "might reconcile them both to God in one body" (Ephesians 2:16); and, "we both have access by one Spirit" (Ephesians 2:18). All spiritual distance and division have been overcome by Christ. In the closing verses of this chapter, Paul gives three pictures that illustrate the unity of believing Jews and Gentiles in the church.

We are now one new nation (v. 19a). “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners…”.  Israel was God's chosen nation, but they rejected their Redeemer and suffered the consequences. The kingdom was taken from them and given to "a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matthew 21:43). This "new nation" is the church. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

In the Old Testament, the nations were reckoned by their descent from Shem, Ham, or Japheth (Genesis 10). In the Book of Acts, we see these three families united in Christ. In Acts 8, a descendant of Ham is saved, the Ethiopian treasurer. In Acts 9, a descendant of Shem, Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apostle. And in Acts 10, the descendants of Japheth, the Gentiles in the household of the Roman soldier, Cornelius. Sin has divided mankind, but Christ unites by His Spirit. All believers, regardless of national background, belong to that "holy nation" with citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3:20-21). “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

We are now one family (v. 19b). “But fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God”.  Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we enter into God's family, and God becomes our Father. This wonderful family of God is found in two places, "in heaven and earth" (Ephesians 3:15). Living believers are on earth and believers who have died are in heaven. None of God's children are "under the earth" (Philippians 2:10) or in any other place in the universe. We are all brothers and sisters in the one family, no matter what racial, national, or physical distinctions we may possess.

We are now one temple (vv. 20-22). In the Book of Genesis, God "walked" with His people. Enoch walked with God (Genesis. 5:22-24). And Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9). But then in the Book of Exodus, God decided to "dwell" with His people: “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them”.  (Exodus 25:8). God dwelt in the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38) until Israel's sins caused "the glory to depart" when the Philistines captured the ark in battle. (1 Samuel 4).

Then God dwelt in the temple Solomon built (1 Kings 8:1-11). But again Israel sinned and the glory departed: “Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple…” (Ezekiel 10:18-19). God's next dwelling place was the body of Christ: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). But men took and nailed this body to a cross.

Today, through His Spirit, God dwells in the church, the temple of God. God does not dwell in man-made temples, including church buildings (Acts 7:48-50). God dwells in the hearts of those who have trusted Christ: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). And God dwells in the church collectively as we see in these last verses in Ephesians 2:20-22.

Our unity is in Christ and is best displayed when we love one another despite our differences!

God Bless!