BACKGROUND:
Verse 19 tells us that the Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. These words describe people who live in a country other than their own without any of the rights of citizenship in that country. The Gentiles were “outsiders” in relation to the Jews, as well as to any hope (without Christ) for a relationship with God (2:12). That was their old position. Because of Christ, however, the Gentiles became citizens with all who have been called to be God’s holy people. Jews and Gentiles who put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior become members of God’s family.
God’s house is built on a solid foundation—the apostles and the prophets. Paul used a common metaphor to describe Christ—the cornerstone. Paul expanded the metaphor, describing the apostles and prophets as the “foundation.” Every well-built structure with a firm foundation has a cornerstone. A cornerstone is a valued architectural piece. Stonemasons choose just the right rock. The cornerstone anchors the building and gives all the walls their line. Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s building.
The body of believers, the church, has been joined together and continues to rise (or grow). Each part of the building, each believer, fits perfectly into the building, all the pieces being aligned with the cornerstone. The structure is not yet complete; it will not be complete until the day that Christ Jesus returns. The building’s purpose is also described: it is a holy temple for the Lord. The church becomes a holy temple because of the presence of the holy God. The word used for “temple” here refers to what was the inner sanctuary (the Most Holy Place) in the Jewish Temple. The union of God with people, and the unity of previously alienated people with one another, could only occur through Christ.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
I'd like to wrap up this foundational passage from Ephesians 2 by remembering the words of that great hymnn - AMAZING GRACE.
Amazing Grace (How sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!
Thro' many dangers, toils and snare,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall profess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be for ever mine.
This hymnn was wriiten by English poet and clergyman John Newton. With a message that forgiveness and redemption is possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God.
Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction but his life's path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed into the Royal Navy and became a sailor, eventually participating in the slave trade. One night a terrible storm battered his vessel so severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a moment that marked his conversion.
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