“Consequently, you are
no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s
people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of
the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief
cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:19-20
I
remember walking through the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia while on a
mission trip feeling completely out of place. I did not know the language, the
culture, the people, where I was going or what street I was on. There was no
comfort of knowing I could call 9-1-1 if I was in trouble, let alone any Ethiopian
law enforcement willing to help me. This experience has reminded me of just how thankful I am to
be a citizen of the United States. Its something I don’t often think about, but
nevertheless am very thankful for.
It is a privilege to be a citizen, and with it comes responsibility,
loyalty and a sense of belonging.
In Ephesians, Paul gives believers in Jesus Christ the
privileged title of “citizens with God’s people.” With this, Paul tries to give us a picture of the magnitude
of grace and God’s love for His children. He has taken us from the foreigner
state, adopted us and deemed us a citizen of His people.
What I love about this passage is that it doesn’t stop at
just merely citizen, as if that isn’t an honor enough, but it continues to
identify us as a member of His household! This is an even more intimate
connection with our Creator. Family always outranks other important
relationships. A great example of this is found in a biography of Abraham
Lincoln. The president was in an important meeting with his cabinet when there
was a knock on the door. There stood his ten-year old son, Willie, wanting to
see his Father. President Lincoln
left the crucial meeting to see what his son needed. Willie outranked every
important person in that room.
This is the truth that Paul is eager to have us understand. We have access to a Father who has so
much authority and power, is completely just, and yet is so full of love and
compassion. And we are identified
as one of His own!
All this is a result of the work that Jesus Christ did on
the cross, and because of it, we now have a foundation (cornerstone) for our
lives as believers. May the Word
of the Lord encourage you today as you remember your citizenship and identify
yourself as a member of the Almighty God’s household! -JG
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