… remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth …
Summary: Being a Gentile raises some interesting questions about how we relate to Jews, Israel, and our fellow Christians.
Where do you belong? Do you have a place that you can call home?
Many people today are homeless. There are different reasons for being without a home and different kinds of homelessness.
When Abram (aka Abraham) first entered Canaan, he was essentially homeless. He had left the land of his people, and traveled to a distant place. There was no one to lean on except God. And that is exactly what Abraham did. He had come to a place called Canaan, where God had promised to give Abram a home.
God also promised Abram that he would become a nation of peoples (Genesis 17:16). That promise has come true. More than that, Israel is still a nation four thousand years later. Recently, after centuries without a home, the Jewish nation returned to the land God had promised to Abram.
People who are not descendants of Abraham’s son Isaac are considered Gentiles. The Greek word translated as “Gentile” is “ethnos.” It means “other people,” along with the connotation that anything less than worshipping God as a Jew is to be a heathen.
Paul became God’s apostle to the Gentiles. In a sense, he offered people the opportunity to acquire a new home. This was different from the Jews welcoming a foreigner who wanted to worship the Lord as they did. This was a new kind of home; a home with Jesus.
And so, here we are. We who have been introduced to Jesus are also introduced to a question about where we want to live. Do we want to live here on earth in a world corrupted by sin, or would we rather live with Christ “seated in the heavenly realms?”
Application: Choose where you live wisely.
Food for Thought: Does being born a Gentile mean we are always a Gentile?
Does being born a Gentile mean we are always a Gentile?
I’m not sure or if it matters after we’ve accepted Christ into our lives. I don’t believe being a Gentile prevents God from doing great things through that person. I believe Luke was a Gentile and He wrote acts and Luke.
Tim,
Nicely said! 🙂
I have two friends that were born Jewish, but accepted Christ as their Savior later in their life. Both of them think a little differently than me about “the world” in general, but we are united in our faith. That is because the Word of God transcends any cultural or family understanding. In that sense we are all neither Jew or Gentile, but children of God.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,
Thanks, Chris!
I like your point that God’s family “transcends” our prior lives before Christ.
Thank you for the interesting and good devotion brother. And I like both T’s and Chris’s responses above.
I would like to think that when we are born of the Spirit (John 1:12 – 13; John 3: 3) that we are now children of God and are identified with Christ rather than being primarily identified as a Jew and Gentile. Romans 8: 15 – 17.
Romans 11: 11 – 24 sees Gentiles as grafted into the same tree. Thus we are family in Christ. Christ makes us one – Ephesians 2: 11 – 22, which of course, is the passage we are currently looking at.
Thanks Rich!
A appreciate the encouragement. 🙂
I agree with you, too, about being one family. Kinda cool!
04-13-2023, Does being born a Gentile mean we are always a Gentile?
God called Abraham out of the world and promised He would bless all nations through him (Genesis 12:1-3). As the children of Abraham, the “Israelites” turned from pagan idols in obedience to God, God blessed and performed great miracles among them.
The Israelites were meant to be a missionary nation, His chosen people as a light to the world. His covenant made Israel a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:4-6) to intercede between God and people; to teach others about God.
Over time, the Jewish people adopted an “us-them” worldview, considering themselves to be the chosen people of God and everyone else heathens with whom they could not have social contact. They missed the point of why God had made the Israelites His chosen people.
His Son Jesus was born as a Jew to save all people of every nation. Through the blood of Christ, all who believe in His name are united into one people. All of us, Jews and Gentiles, can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit.
After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven, His disciples spread the Good News of salvation, as Jesus had commanded them. The Gentiles are no longer strangers or foreigners but citizens with all of God’s holy people and members of His family. Together, all believing Jews and Gentiles are God’s house, built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles with Jesus as the cornerstone.
We are now His kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:4-6) to intercede between God and people; to teach others about God.
We will be so only as long as we remain true to our God, empowered by His Holy Spirit as we teach others about God.
Thanks Ron!
You bring to mind the fact that we are all made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:28)
Does being born a Gentile mean we are always a Gentile?
Well there is the converts to Judaism….. but that’s a rabbi trail for a different time.
Oy Vey!!
I’m “hoppy” to see your comment today!