PODCAST
Members and Citizens
July 14th, 2022
Ephesians 2:11-22
When Paul contrasts the Gentiles and Jews, he concludes that there must be unity in the church because Jesus has removed all barriers. Gentiles are no longer foreigners but full members in the family of God.
The foreigner is one who lives in a place but is not considered a legal resident. The stranger is one who was recognized as a resident but not yet a citizen. Paul tells the Gentiles that in God’s kingdom and family, they are no longer foreigners and strangers but full members and citizens with all its rights and privileges. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can all be at home with God and have a place in the family of God.
The world is a place of disunity and exclusion at all levels— families, neighborhoods, local and international governments. The Church is to be different, having open doors, loving one another, and living in unity regardless of the barriers that exist in the world around it. No exclusiveness is found in God’s kingdom, only members and citizens.
Author: Cheri Kommel
