Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,
Summary: Today we explore a bit more about how Jesus brings Jews and Gentiles together.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul works very hard to make a point. Do you know what it is? Have you “gotten it” yet?
To summarize Paul’s point in three words: “People are people.”
That may sound a bit mundane, but I think it is a fair summary of what Paul is telling us. In his day, there was a lot of squabbling between the Jews who didn’t believe in Jesus, those who did, and the Gentiles who believed in Jesus, not to mention the Gentiles who didn’t. In our day, there still is a lot of squabbling. It is just that we squabble over different things.
As I understand Paul, he is completely focused on Jesus. The Lord has been teaching him, and Paul has listened.
One of the things that made Paul such a good choice for our Lord’s Apostle is that Paul was highly educated. He knew the history and teachings of the Old Covenant inside and out. Part of his mission was to evangelize the Gentile world, but another part was just as important. Paul needed to explain why and how the “dividing wall of hostility” between Jew and Gentile had been destroyed.
When Jesus died on the cross, the heavy curtain between the Holy Place (Sanctuary) and the Holy of Holies was torn in half (Mark 15:38). The symbology of this event was unmistakable. God had torn away the wall that separated Him from His people. No longer would he remain cloistered behind a curtain. The covenant between God and Man had changed. Paul’s job is to help us understand the change.
On the wall outside the temple was a sign which loosely translated read, “No Gentiles!” It wasn’t a very friendly sign, and it may have even included a threat of death if a Gentile dared to go too close to the temple.
In the years since the first tabernacle was built by Moses, the Jews had alternately improved the Temple or desecrated it, depending on their mood. After the exile, they rebuilt their temple, and then just before Jesus was born, Herod rebuilt it again. Each time it was rebuilt, its purpose shifted a bit. In the beginning, the Temple was a sign of God being among men. In Herod’s day, the temple had become a symbol of man’s efforts to put God in a box.
But Jesus escaped all that. He tore the curtain that separated us from access to God, and at the same time, he tore the social fabric that separated Jew and Gentile. Before God, we are all part of the same family.
Application: Be careful not to put yourself above others.
Food for Thought: What is the difference between being a “citizen with God’s people” and being a “member[s] of his household?”
What is the difference between being a “citizen with God’s people” and being a “member[s] of his household?”
Not sure how to answer with scripture on this one. Citizen is more of a legal belonging with rights vs a more personal member that has obligations.
Tim,
Your words this morning remind me of Paul. As a Roman citizen he had certain “rights” as you point out. As a member of God’s family, he was passionate about waking others up to the reality that they could be members of God’s family, too.
What is the difference between being a “citizen with God’s people” and being a “member[s] of his household?”
I believe that being a “citizen with God’s people” speaks to the price that was paid for all of us by Jesus’s sacrifice. Being a citizen comes with a cost, and in turn brings expectations. To me, citizenship speaks to understanding and following His truth.
Being a “member[s] of his household” speaks to love and relationships. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and His children. To me, this is where His grace abides.
2 John 1:3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.
Chris,
Your point about citizenship is well taken. I feel like in this country we take our citizenship for granted, when in fact, there is a cost to be paid to maintain our citizenship.
Good thoughts brothers.
Both being a citizen and being part of the family are important. Both say that you belong. Being a citizen says you have a common King. Being part of the household means you have a common Father. Jesus is Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9: 6.
Rich,
I like your association of King and Father! Great point!
04-26-2023, What is the difference between being a “citizen with God’s people” and being a “member[s] of his household?”
When God grants us citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven, we become new creatures. He sends His Holy Spirit to indwell our spirits, and our bodies become His temple. The Holy Spirit begins to transform our sinful, worldly desires into desires which glorify God. His goal is to make us as much like Jesus as possible in this life. We are given the power and privilege of exiting this world’s flawed value system and living for eternity in the presence of our perfect, holy God for all eternity. To be adopted into the family of God means that we become citizens of an eternal kingdom where our Father is the King. Our focus turns toward eternal things and storing up treasure in heaven . We consider ourselves ambassadors to this earth until our Father sends for us and we go home.
2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 3:36. 6:19-20, Romans 12:1-2, 8:29, John 2:15-17, Matthew 6:19-20, Ephesians 2:18-19, 6;20.
A household refers to a social unit of people who live together under one roof and share resources, even if they are not related to each other. In the US, the Census Bureau categorizes households as family or non-family. A family household comprises members who are related by blood, whereas a non-family household comprises people sharing a home but who are not related by blood.
Thanks Ron!
I like the distinction between family and non-family households. Thank you!
I believe I need to take back my comments. We are all works in Progress!. I believe I was looking at household as defined by today’s standard, not considering “the household” as God and those He instructed to write the Bible.
It appears to me, there is no spiritual difference between being a “citizen with God’s people” and being a “member[s] of His household?”
Paul called the early Christian church community the “household of faith” Galatians 6:10.
Believers understand the household of faith to be those related by shared faith, or “like precious faith”. 2 Peter 1:1.
The apostle Paul identified the “household of God” as “the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” 1 Timothy 3:15.
Cornelius and all his household feared God and were saved through Peter’s ministry Acts 10:1 – 1:18.
A Thyatiran businesswoman named Lydia was baptized in Philippi with her whole household Acts16:15.
The Philippian jailer and his entire household believed in the Lord and were saved Acts 16:31-34.
And in Corinth “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household” Acts 18:8.
Ron,
Thank you for sharing your additional meditation on this! The purpose of the discussion question is to stimulate thought, and to have someone come back and say, “Wait a minute…” is wonderful!
One of the things I see in your additional references is how God’s blessing cascades over a person’s entire “household.” When we believe, our faith does not just impact us alone. We may not see the impact on others, but it is there.
Thanks again, Ron! Well done!
Thanks Brother, I appreciate what you see.
Ron