Ephesians 2:11-13
The key words are: circumcised and uncircumcised (Paul gets a bit graphic!), citizens and foreigners. He returns to his favourite theme: in Christ we have been brought near to God.
This passage starts of with "therefore" indicating that this is a conclusion of Paul's previous thought: we have been saved by grace through faith to do good works. This passage helps the reader recall how great that grace was: Gentiles who were outside the promise of God and were without hope and without God have been brought near, not because of anything they have done, not because they have been circumcised and converted to Judaism, but only by the grace of God and blood of Christ.
I have lost this sense of being a foreigner - because I grew up in a Judeo-Christian based country (at least to some extent) and in a family whose Christian heritage goes back a long ways I tend to see myself as the established citizen (with all the rights and entitlements that go along with that) rather than a refugee escaping the kingdom of darkness and grateful for a place to live in the Kingdom of God. When I see myself as a citizen, I tend to act like I deserve it somehow. As a refugee I can only say, "amazing grace! how sweet the sound..."
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1 comment:
Isn't great to be part of the Kingdom of God, and that we can be united under God, and yes God's grace sure is amazing, after all it saved a wretch like me. Funny and yet so true at the same time, what an honor to be a servant and have citizenship in the Kingdom of God.
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