Ephesians 2:20-22 20 built on
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus
himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building
is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And
in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives
by his Spirit.
Paul reminded the Ephesians that as Gentiles they were once
separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, foreigners to the
covenants of the promise, and without hope. (Ephesians 2:11-12) Now they were
brought into the promises of God through the blood of Jesus.
As fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s
household, their “spiritual houses” were built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets with Christ as the chief cornerstone. As believers, we
have been joined together to become a holy temple for the Lord – a dwelling
place for His Holy Spirit. The body of Christ is built on the cornerstone of
Christ Jesus. As the Lord builds on His foundation, we are joined together as
one building. Paul describes the building in another way as he describes the
gifts of the Holy Spirit that each of us possesses: Now the body is not made up
of one part but of many. If the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I do
not belong to the body. And if the ear should say because I am not an eye, I do
not belong to the body; it would not for that reason cease to be a body. (I
Corinthians 12:16) Paul explained to the early church that God was building His
temple, His body, each with a unique role to play and that they needed one
another in order to have the body function properly. It is the same for us
today. Christ is still building His body, the church, and we need one another
to function as a whole.
Are you connected to the body of Christ, or have you
isolated yourself from other believers? Together we encourage, build up, and
exercise the unique gifts God has given us. Together we can make a difference
in the world.
Thought for today:
What has separated me from the body?
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