Nobody enjoys feeling left out. It is never pleasant to be in a group of people, yet feel unwanted or unwelcome. This might happen at a social gathering, or among co-workers. Sometimes this even happens in families, and unfortunately, even in churches. This is something that should never happen among Christians, and is something that our Scripture passage today addresses.
In some local gatherings of the early Church there were different groups that were making others feel unwelcome, making them feel like they were a lower status believer because of what ethnic group or nationality they were from. In particular, some believers who came from a Jewish background had been making those who came from a Gentile background feel that way. In the early Church there were some who believed that Jewish Christians were better than Gentile ones because they followed the Old Testament Law, they ate kosher, they had been circumcised, etc. (vs. 11-12).
In a different way we sometimes find people in church who act like that today. They look down on others because of their race or nationality. They act superior because they have more education or a bigger bank account and dress better. Maybe we know someone’s past, and feel they are unworthy to sit with us in church. In today’s Scripture Paul reminds us that everyone is a sinner before God. We are saved by grace alone, not national heritage or keeping of the Old Testament Law. Both Jewish and Gentile believers have been brought near to God through Jesus’s Blood. It doesn’t matter where on the globe you are from, or what color your skin is, it doesn’t matter whether you have a lot or no school education, Jesus died to save them all, and all are welcomed to accept Him as Savior. Christians of any and all backgrounds are no longer alienated from God, but enjoy the same intimate relationship with Him, and the same spiritual blessings.
Before our salvation, there was an unscalable wall between us and God (vs. 14). When we accept Jesus as Savior, He broke down that wall, bringing peace between us and God. Christ is our peace with God and with others. The Old Testament Law divided people, and sin separates us from God. In Jesus, the Law is fulfilled and our sins forgiven.
Jesus took the two antagonistic groups, Jews and Gentiles, and made a single new group, the Church. Jesus removed the middle wall of partition, the Mosaic Law. That Law was intended to keep the people from pagan practices, but they instead felt superior to Gentiles. Jesus abolished this enmity, and brought Jew and Gentile into one Church. This should be the same today for us, where we should be one and welcoming to everyone in our church, regardless of race, nationality or any other factor.
At salvation, we went from being foreigners and aliens to being children of God (vs. 19). Our Creator has become our heavenly Father. He hears our prayers because we have been made family through the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus. The Holy Spirit within us proves we are one of His own, members of His household. When we are a member of a household, we feel comfortable in the house. We can kick off our shoes and make ourselves at home. That isn’t the case in someone else’s house. When we became saved we became a member of God’s household and family. We have full access to His house. It is our house, too. It is a safe place where we truly belong. We are not strangers looking through the window from the outside. We are joint heirs with Jesus.
As Paul continues in our Scripture passage, he picks up a theme often used in the Bible, that of a foundation with Jesus as the cornerstone (vs. 20). In former days the cornerstone was very important. The orientation and angle of the cornerstone determined how the rest of the building would be built. If things weren’t aligned with the cornerstone, the building would be askew. Jesus is our Cornerstone. He is our right and true foundation. When we build our lives in alignment with Him, our life will be right and true, too. We are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets”. The Church is not built on modern ideas, but rather on the spiritual heritage given to us by the apostles and prophets of the Bible.
In closing, let us remember that Christ breaks down the walls of prejudice, reconciling all believers to God, unifying us in one body. No one should feel unwelcome or left out among fellow Christians. Spiritual pride blinds us to our own faults, and magnifies the faults of others. Don’t become spiritually proud, but instead, thank God for what He has done in your life.
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