November 05 2025

Wednesday November 05

We Are “A Dwelling Place of God”

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 we are continuing to look at Ephesians 2:18-22. In these verses, we find that God's purpose for the church, God's purpose for Jew and Gentile. God's purpose for every human being is to know that you are of tremendous value to God. It doesn't matter whether you're a Jew, whether you're a Palestinian, whether you're called a Christian, whether you're called a Muslim, Hindu, a Buddhist, a Russian, an American, a Chinese, or any other nationality for that matter. It doesn't matter your ethnic background or your racial background. It doesn’t matter whether you're rich or poor. You are of tremendous value to God.

Every human being was created in the image of God. That means we have personality. That means we can think, we have a will, we have emotions. Every human being has all these things because we're created in the image of God. God's plan and purpose is that we have peace with one another and that we get along with one another and that we love one another. The great commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Alongside of this first and great commandment is the second commandment, which is the proof that we truly love God, that we love our neighbors as ourselves. No matter who our neighbor is.

My friend, I'm telling you, that is the answer to the problems of division and strife in the world and in America today. One God, one nation, one God, one human race, loving and getting along with each other. But I'm afraid this is not going to happen on planet Earth until Jesus Christ comes again. Well, it first will happen temporarily when the false Christ comes, the Antichrist comes. Remember Revelation 6, that he comes riding on a white horse promising to bring peace. And he does for a short time, but it's a false peace. It's not a lasting peace.

We have been created with and for something special. Every human being, no matter your background and religion, no matter who you are, where you live, where you're from, or what you've been taught, you have been created with eternity in your heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  In the last verses in Ephesians 2, Paul reminds us, “For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father”. Yes, we can have access to the creator God and Father of the universe. You can have access to the God, already being worshiped as “the unknown God” that many are still looking for.  But He can only be found “through” Jesus Christ alone.

My friend, only then can you enjoy personal peace and experience unity with those around you. Now, therefore, we're no longer strangers or foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (v. 19). Verse 20 tells us that this unity is: “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6:11, “I planted. He says Apollos watered. But God gave the increase." He then goes on to say, "According to the grace of God which was given to me…. As a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus." 

When Paul said, "I laid the foundation," he says earlier in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. Christ is the foundation and He's the chief cornerstone of Psalm 118:22. This is the chief cornerstone which the builders rejected and is often referred to in the New Testament as in verse 20. The “cornerstone” binds a building together. “In whom also the whole building been joined together now in Christ grows into a holy temple into the Lord” (v. 21).

Now we are part of His temple, the church of Jesus Christ, the universal church, the church which is His body. Oh, how wonderful to be a part of something so special and that's eternal. Nations come and go, institutions come and go, but one thing will last, for eternity, and that is the body of Jesus Christ, His church. Today, you can be a part of His church by placing your faith, not in a religion but in a person, Jesus Christ! A religion didn’t die for you! Only Jesus Christ did!

That is what this chapter is about. We're separated from God by our sin, but Jesus died to give us eternal life. We can by faith trust Him and enter into our union with Him and with one another today. Would you do that? Would you trust Christ? And then if you know Christ, if you're in Christ, then as a follower of Christ, tell others.

Today, would you tell someone about this hope, this faith you can have that changes and transforms everything and brings you peace with God and with others.  

God Bless!