We're going to wrap up Chapter 2 today, so I hope you take the time to read the rest of it today.
I've always joked about being a Gentile girl who lives in the middle of a continent, but this year, the Lord changed my sentence. I now would say something like, "I'm a chosen child of Israel, who lives in the middle of a continent."
You see, Gentile in the New Testament was a former name for those who used to follow the world and not Christ. It was a pagan. Now a days, we consider any one who is not a Jew, a Gentile. Well, that's not entirely the case. According to Scripture, anyone who is a follower of Christ is now Israel.
Look at Chapter 2 verse 11
Therefore (therefore, since we are God's workmanship), remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men) -- remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise..
God has never had a problem establishing those outside of Israel as Israelites. And it's still true today.
Verse 13
But now, (there it is again!) in Christ Jesus you who once were far away (meaning Gentiles) have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace who has made the two (Israel and Gentiles) one and has destroyed the barrier (no foreigners), the dividing wall of hostility...His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two...
We are now Israel! We have been given rights as heirs of Abraham!
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and alien, but fellow citizen's with God's people and members of God's household...
Here's the throw back to what we studied last time...very cool
In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
All of us are now the temple of God. Each of us as individuals make for Him a dwelling place in which God lives!
I believe I did nothing but let the Word teach us today, and that's alright by me!
4 comments:
Yay God! I love this passage! Gives me FULL ACCESS and rights to Him - not as a 'stray' He brought in but as a full-fledged CHILD of His.
He's so cool like that. :)
Roll call. here.
God has a great foreign policy! And I'm glad I benefit from it! Thanks for teaching the truth!
This is great post. I am loving this book.
Post a Comment