Being the Church #32

As we have seen this past month, Paul has a lot to say about being the church in His letter to the Ephesians. The last paragraph of chapter 2 says:

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Paul piles on the descriptions to remind us how much God wants us to be a part of His people, and how important it is to Him that we value one another. We are fellow citizens and members of the household. We are not outsiders, but a part of what God is doing, what He is building. We are not useless stumbling blocks to get out of the way.  We are stones - Peter would say "living stones" - that God is putting together as a glorious temple for His presence.  God wants us to understand that we are a part, and to remind and encourage each other that we are a part of His family, His kingdom, His plan and purpose of redemption. Once we recognize we are a part, then we should do our part.