Ephesians 2:13-22 (NASB) 13But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, 20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
You belong to Someone. And you belong not because of what you have achieved or failed to achieve, not because of how good you are or how bad. You belong because this is the gift of God to you in Jesus Christ. You belong because of what Christ did and accomplished for you through his death and resurrection.
Jesus has broken down the dividing wall of hostility that has been continued through the law of commandments contained in the ordinances. These ordinances are not God’s law, not His rules for living together in peace and harmony. The ordinances are the rules and expectations of our making that we lay on other people.
Jesus has broken down the dividing wall, and reduced us to the level of need. He has declared that we are first of all sinners, in need of God’s forgiveness, and whatever someone has done or not done to us, they too are a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness.
And because the work of sin is to isolate us and deceive us, Jesus has declared that we need that other person to draw us out of our isolation and to declare to us the truth. And then Jesus calls us into a community where the only requirement for belonging is belonging to Him. If that is the desire of our hearts, we are in. Jesus declares that membership in His community is a gift, and the members of the Christian community are a gift to one another. We need one another because we need Jesus Christ. When we have that at home feeling, we know God is close.
From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope February 9, 1992
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell Broyles
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