Living as God’s Peaceful Dwelling

Recap of Ephesians 2

We have looked at the concept of being spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins. This means having nothing in ourselves that can commend us to God legally—nothing we can present to satisfy the demands of God's law. As spiritually dead individuals, that's an utter impossibility. We also have nothing in ourselves to move us toward God personally. We have no desire for God, no idea of the joy of the Lord, no understanding of the benefits of saving grace, or anything in the kingdom of God because we are dead in our trespasses and sins.

God remedied this by giving us grace, faith, and salvation—all as the gift of God. These three concepts form a singular unit of God's gift.

This evening, we examine what it means to be God's peaceful dwelling place—an amazing concept: God living with us, dwelling within us as His holy sanctuary. By comparing what it is like to be God's peaceful dwelling with what it is like not to be, we see how to have the right motivation, foundation, and attitude for living as God's peaceful dwelling place.

Remembering Exclusion Before Christ

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

The Apostle Paul explains what it was like before Christ and what it is like now in Christ, using the terms of being excluded or included. He commands us to remember our former life before becoming a Christian. Even though we have been spiritually saved, we have memories of what we were doing prior to Christ. Paul says to keep this on your mind: remember what it was like when you were excluded.

Not just spiritually dead, but excluded from Christ, from citizenship among God's people, from the covenants of promise. You had no hope—hopelessness defines the unbeliever's life. You were a stranger in the world, alienated and separated from Christ.

Imagine the ultimate exclusion in an unbeliever's life: completely separated and cut off from the body of Christ. It's far worse than any social exclusion. As a spiritually dead person, you don't even have the luxury of looking in from the outside. You're lying by the wayside in the snow, unaware of your horrible condition.

Separated from Christ Himself is the most tragic reality—heart-wrenching, scarier than any horror. There was separation between you and God, no access to the Father. Excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, you didn't belong in the kingdom.

Why Remember? The Benefits of Recalling Our Former Life

Why instruct believers to remember their hopeless, alienated former life? It creates deep humility, knowing where you came from and that it wasn't anything you did or initiated. Salvation isn't something a spiritually dead person would want or choose. God pulled you out of that into blessedness.

This prevents boasting or thinking you're better than other sinners. What makes you acceptable to God is Christ's work. Even now, sin remains within (as in Romans 7: "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"). The difference between believer and unbeliever is nothing either has done.

Remembering disorder and enmity with God heightens enjoyment of present peace. Those forgetting their former life become short-sighted, stagnant in Christianity (2 Peter 1). Understanding former hopelessness magnifies hope now—like a diamond shining brightest against a black surface. Pitting Christ against your former life makes Him greater, more satisfying.

This resists sin and temptation, giving perspective on a holier future you—ultimately eternal, sin-free worship. Your former exclusion heightens thankfulness for inclusion: hope, direct access to the Father, permanent fellowship with God.

Brought Near by Christ's Peace

For he himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in his flesh the enmity, which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in himself he might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having put to death the enmity. And he came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

Jesus is our peace. He broke down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile—the greatest chasm, worse than other divisions. Gentiles were demeaned as "dogs," subhuman. Yet the gospel united them in fellowship.

The gospel brings peace with God, removing enmity. Peace is a satisfying arrangement—no longer at war. What unites us with God and one another is the gospel: Jesus bore our sins, bringing right relationship. The Holy Spirit bonds friendship in the church.

Built Together as God's Dwelling

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord. In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

You are fellow citizens, of God's household, built on the foundation of apostles, prophets, and Christ Jesus as cornerstone. You are being built together into God's dwelling in the Spirit—not just individually, but corporately.

Like Old Testament judgments on misusing the temple, our relationships build God's dwelling. Love one another mutually; if everyone cares for others, all are cared for.

Applications: Included Christians

• Included Christians stand on the doctrines of the prophets, apostles, and Jesus—the foundation. It matters what you believe. To be a greater friend or spouse, know and stand on these truths.
• Included Christians form a community of fellow like-minded believers. Holiness is the foundation. You're part of the whole church—reach out beyond your group, to all ages, as an example.