Title: The Destiny Difference of Being In Christ
We’re back in Ephesians 2, and we’re learning more about what it means to be in Christ.
This morning, we’re learning about what it means that we’re made into the church.
In many ways, we’re learning about the significant destiny that we all automatically acquire with salvation.
We’re not talking about our eternal destiny in heaven as awesome as that is.
Instead, we’re talking about our destiny of being welcomed into fellowship with God, brought into His family
and also being made into a dwelling that He inhabits.
We’re approaching these verse as The Destiny Difference of Being In Christ
We’re all familiar with stories of people going from the bottom to the top.
Maybe it’s a rags to riches story like Little Orphan Annie or Arnald and Willis from Different Strokes.
Maybe it’s a story of moving from insignificance to power like Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs or Justice
Clarence Thomas.
If you recall, Pastor Josh covered some very well-known verses that describe salvation by grace.
Ephesians 2:8–10 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is
the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
The new life that God gives to individual men and women is a priceless treasure.
But that not all that the cross accomplishes for us.
It’s like you can hear that old late night infomercial narrator says, “But wait! There’s more!”
In addition to being united with Christ, we are able to be united with each other.
And this unity we have should transcends race, culture, or background.
We will see that IN CHRIST, we are Brought Near, Made One, and Built Together into God’s dwelling.
This is what Ephesians dives into in v. 11-22, and we’ll start by looking at verses 11-13.
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is
called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time
separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of
promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
If you know Christ, you’ve got a better story than from “rags to riches.”
I’m encouraging you to REJOICE IN YOUR STORY OF
FROM HOPELESSLY ESTRANGED TO DRAWN IN BY FORGIVENESS. (11-13)
Addressing the Gentile readers, Paul reminds them of how far they’ve come in a historical sense.
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is
called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—
Aside from people of the Old Testament like Rahab and Ruth who became a part of the Jewish nation, we
understand that Gentiles were shut out from God’s redemptive plan.
The title “the uncircumcision” was a Jewish term of disdain for non-Jews.
Most importantly, it represented the fact that the Gentiles were outside of God’s covenants with Israel.
Being separated from God’s people meant being separated from the Messiah -God’s rescuer that He would
be sending.
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel
and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
They were alienated which means “estranged” like a relative who has no relationship with their family.
They were strangers to the life-giving covenants that God made with His people Isreal.
This wasn’t just a matter of being on the outside of a club
The covenants were the merciful framework that Old Testament saints to have a relationship of grace and
forgiveness with God.
To be strangers to these meant being outside of salvation.
Sadly, what’s true about being a “stranger” to something is that they don’t know what they don’t know.
And once again, we see Paul joyfully using the contrasting conjunction - BUT
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
All the difference in the world was made by the Gentile readers being made IN CHRIST.
We know this means they were born again, explained by the other “but” of this chapter from verses 4-5 –
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead
in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved”
I’ll explain more in a bit, but this is temple language in regard to being far off and being brought near.
To be brought near to God means to have full access to Him -even entering the temple’s Holy of Holies.
For now, what’s significant to note is that all the distinctions between people, culture, and backgrounds are
overcome by our being IN CHRIST.
All of our sense of entitlement or feeling second-class are discarded by our being IN CHRIST.
And what made all the differences is the blood of Christ spilt in His substitutionary death for all mankind.
Quote - TNTC -“The sins of both Jews and Gentiles can be forgiven because of his death, and both can be
brought near to God as never before, and so brought near to each other. Divisions are overcome, not by an
approaching or a receiving on either side, but by Christ coming and making peace for both.”
And the sacrifice that was made that made salvation possible was the final sacrifice of the person of Jesus.
The required sacrifice of Jesus as our final atoning sacrifice signals the seriousness of sin and the cost of
our reconciliation to God.
Ernest Hemingway once wrote a short story called “The Capital of the World.”
In it, he tells about a father and his teenage son.
The son had messed up badly, felt ashamed, and ran away from home.
The father searched everywhere across Spain trying to find him, but he couldn’t track him down.
As a last-ditch effort, the father went to Madrid and decided to put an ad in the local newspaper.
It simply said:
“PACO MEET AT HOTEL MONTANA NOON TUESDAY ALL IS FORGIVEN. -PAPA.”
He hoped—maybe even prayed—that his son might read it and show up.
When Tuesday came, the father went to the Hotel Montana, and what he saw stunned him.
Police had been called in to control the crowd—because eight hundred boys named Paco had shown up,
All of them were hoping the message was meant for them.
Eight hundred sons showed up to reunite with their “Papa,” looking for forgiveness they were desperate to receive.
Rejoice in Your Story of From Hopelessly Estranged to Drawn in by Forgiveness.
Do you recognize that these verses are describing how lost you were/are without Christ’s saving work?
If you don’t know Christ as your Savior, you are hopelessly estranged from your Creator and judge.
And, when you stand before Him, He’s not going to let it slide.
If you know Christ as your Savior, you are welcomed into His presence because of the sacrifice of Christ.
Stand on this in faith and lean into your relationship with God.
Do you see the sacrifice of Jesus as the only reason why anyone is forgiven and accepted by God?
Continuing on in verses 13-18, we learn about the incredible peace that God provides on multiple fronts.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall
of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in
himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one
body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were
far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the
Father.
If you know Christ, as your Savior, you’ve got a better story than from enemies to friends.
You’ve got a better story than any Hallmark movie of “from lonely forest ranger to husband of the big city
reporter whose car happened to get stuck in a snowdrift.”
So believe it and REJOICE IN YOUR STORY OF
FROM HORIZONTAL & VERTICAL HOSTILITY TO TOTAL UNITY. (14-18)
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall
of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in
himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
Jesus isn’t the bringer of peace or the proclaimer of peace.
“He himself is our peace.”
The peace written about here is a state of harmonious friendship.
It’s so harmonious that the two distinct peoples of Jew & Gentile (everyone on the planet) who trusts in
Christ as their Savior are made one in Christ.
So, this means that any two people on the earth can be considered one in Christ if are both in Christ.
I love how the original language actually literally states that God “made both things into one thing”
This reality is what Jesus was alluding to when He said -
* John 10:16 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will
listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
And He prayed that we would pursue and achieve the unity He created in His death and resurrection.
* John 17:11 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.
Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are
one.
The original man (the first Adam) was the father of all who fell to sin.
From Adam came all the divisions of ethnicities and cultures and religions
As the second Adam, Jesus allows for men and women to be regenerated and made into a new group of
mankind once again without divisions of ethnic groups.
The group of regenerated believers is described as being “new.”
In the original Greek, this term points to a new kind of entity that didn’t exist before.
There’s no wonder (as we’ll see later in Ephesians) the creation of the church as a new group of people is a
mystery that could never have been anticipated.
Pivot -
The peace that Jesus is for us exists on multiple fronts.
16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
First, it’s a peace in the removal of hostility between people who know Christ.
Second, it’s a peace between us and God.
All believers are put on even ground because we’re reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Jesus rather
than any sort of righteousness or favored status.
Christ Himself is our peace and proclaims His peace, beckoning us to enter God’s peace through Him as the
door.
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For
through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
And further uniting us with God and each other is the fact that we are given the Holy Spirit by which we can
enjoy our peace with God and access to Him.
And it is the same Holy Spirit for all believers, which allows us to deepen our unity with one another as we
answer the call of Ephesians 4:3 to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Paul paints a picture that illustrates what he’s communicating
The picture is of the different courts in the temple grounds.
In the temple in Jerusalem there were courts closer to the temple in which the Jews could be.
And there was a court for the Gentiles who worshiped God had to remain in and couldn’t come closer.
Paul is rejoicing with his readers that they as Gentiles, “who once were far off have been brought near.”
There’s another interesting reference to the temple grounds here.
The court of the Gentiles was sectioned off from where the Jews could go by a 4.5 foot wall.
And the Jews were serious about not letting Gentiles past this dividing wall.
So much so that there was a sign stating in Greek and Latin: ‘No one of another nation to enter within the
fence and enclosure round the temple. And whoever is caught will have himself to blame that his death
ensues.”
In other words, “If a Gentile climbs over this wall, he ain’t comin’ out alive.”
So why were the Jews so determined to keep Gentiles away from God’s temple.
It’s because they were established by God’s covenants as His people.
And that Law forbade Gentiles from coming near the temple.
What we see in our verses is that Jesus broke down the dividing wall by sacrificing His body/life for all.
And this is because he abolished the Law in its requirement that we could never keep.
Even though the Jews were allowed to get closer to temple, they still weren’t allowed to enter into all of
it.
The Holy of Holies was only entered once a year on the Day of Atonement and that was only done by the
high priest.
The separation is removed between us and God who at the same time removed the hostility from among us
who trust in Christ making us one body.
Do you let earthly differences keep you from fellowshipping with some fellow believers?
Are you tempted to be hostile or to think that you’re better than certain fellow believers (like the Jewish
Christians were tempted to think)?
Do you feel welcome to enter into God’s holy place and meet with Him there?
This brings us to the last verses we’re looking at together.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of
the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the
cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22
In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
If you know Christ, you’ve got a better story than the person that went from the bottom to the top.
You’ve got a better story than from “fry cook to franchise owner.”
REJOICE IN YOUR STORY OF
FROM STRANGERS TO FAMILY MEMBERS IN WHICH GOD IS AT HOME. (19-22)
We come to a place where it’s helpful for us to be thoroughly convinced of the truth.
And the truth is that we, Gentile Christians, have been made saints and members of God’s household.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of
the household of God,
When we’re described as previously being without rights of citizenship.
The Ephesian readers were familiar with these terms
“Strangers” were complete foreigners without rights.
And “aliens” were residents of a city that were non-citizens.
But “citizens” were accorded full rights and protection in the city in which they lived.
Thus, all Christians have equal standing in God’s kingdom.
Notice that Gentile Christians weren’t made a part of Israel
We were made fellow citizens with the saints (those who have been made holy before God).
Also, we’re made members of God’s family which isn’t defined by ethnicity or background.
This is a deeper connection to God and each other than common citizenship.
In the time of this letter, the household was the foundational unit of society even more than today.
It encompassed blood relatives and servants under the head of the household.
Our adoption into God’s family is involved in this idea and the equal assurance that all should have from
God as our Father.
Do you see your fellow Christians as your brothers and sisters in Christ?
The metaphor shifts from civics and citizenship to family ties to the metaphor of a building.
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in
whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
And we as a building are built on those who revealed God’s Word to us as “apostles and prophets.”
These were key communicators of God’s Word and as they were leaning on Christ as the cornerstone.
They wouldn’t start to walls in the middle and hope they were going to meet where they should.
They would start with the cornerstone and move out from there.
Christ is the cornerstone of our existence as a church in that He is primary in placement and in importance.
Like a physical cornerstone sets the perimeter of a foundation and its building, Christ has preimenence in all
things in His church.
As well, like a cornerstone is leaned on by all parts of the building for stability, Jesus’s strength and stability
holds us up and strengthens us as His church.
In verse 21, the metaphor morphs further into not just a building but the temple of God.
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
The image is of the blocks of a building being joined together in connection to Christ and crafted by a
master architect and builder.
And as the building grows, it becomes a sanctified temple of God.
This is significant because God’s temple is where He would have a presence and meet with His people.
What’s a great connection to the earlier encouragement that we can draw near to God is in the term used
for temple.
It’s not the general word (hieron) but the term, “naos” which refers the Holy of Holies, the inner shrine of
the temple.
As verse 22 connects that metaphor, it tells us we, as God’s church, are built together as the Holy of Holies
of God.
As Gentiles, we move from being far off from the dwelling place of God to having equal claim to God as
members of God’s family to being built on Christ as the very place where God’s presence dwells.
and the promise of Ezekiel will be true that states -
Ezekiel 37:27 My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
People have some funny ways to refer to this building that we’re sitting in.
You’ve probably noticed that we try not to refer to it as the “church” because you are the church.
I think it can be appropriate to call it the “church building” or as some prefer the “church house.”
I suggested to Kelly once that we just call it “the barn.”
It seems appropriate since we refer to ourselves as Harvesters.
Another common but odd name for a church building would be the traditional “God’s house.”
This might be the type of name that makes people feel like you can’t talk about sports or wear a hat while
here.
People might think it’s OK to do certain things outside this building, but you can’t do them in God’s House.
But like the term “church,” to call this place “God’s house” can cause us to miss that WE are God’s house.
We are the very dwelling of God built on the cornerstone of Christ.
There are so much purpose and significance in being built together into God’s dwelling place.
Do you give God’s church the respect it deserves as God’s dwelling (as well as His body and bride)?
As Gentiles, we went from being far off from God to drawing near to the temple by the blood of Christ.
And we moved from being welcomed into the Holy of Holies to becoming God’s Holy of Holies.
We are God’s dwelling.
From Far Off to Brought Near
From Hostility to Peaceful Unity
From Outsiders to God’s Own Home
We attach so much belonging and nostalgia to “home.”
We might say that a comfortable place feels like home.
Or we might take in a long sniff and say, “Smells like home.”
These statements signify a place where we feel like we belong.
We also say, “Home is where your heart is.”
In our verses today, God promises us that, in Christ, our hearts are where His home is.
You can say that the ultimate definition of “home” is the place that God gave you a longing for.
And there’s nothing that we have a greater longing for than His presence.
This is because God’s presence is what we were made to experience fellowshipping with and glorifying Him.
And we get to do this together in this merciful miracle of being built together into God’s dwelling.
