Carry on…as one
A New Temple
Any outsider can become an insider by grace through
faith.
Before Christ died on the
cross the Jews were God’s chosen people. They were the insiders. They knew
things the Gentiles didn’t. They knew the right clothes to wear, the right
foods to eat. They knew the rules for righteous living. But the greatest sign –
the one thing that demonstrated the were insiders – was circumcision. It was
the Jewish brand. To be called “uncircumcised” was a slur aimed at the
Gentiles. And the only way an outsider, a Gentile, could become an insider was
to become circumcised.
The old Jewish brand of
circumcision was abolished at the cross. When Jesus died, total access to God
the Father was granted through Christ’s blood. The great division between Jews
and Gentiles no longer exists. Anyone who believes in Christ may now enter into
God’s holy presence. Any outsider can become an insider by grace through faith.
When Jesus died, every wall lost it’s power to divide.
Read Ephesians 2:17-22
The Jews could boast of many things, but the temple was
the pinnacle of Jewish pride, for this was God’s dwelling place, behind the
veil in the Holy of Holies. The temple was no makeshift construction. It was
designed with great detail; only the finest materials were used. Every year the
Jews would travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, and the temple was
the central location.
The Gentiles, however, were not allowed to enter the
Jewish temple beyond a certain point. This was a constant reminder to them of
the literal status as outsiders.
When Jesus died on the cross, the temple veil was torn,
from top to bottom, and through Him all believers have access to God’s
presence. But the Jews struggled to understand that God wanted to welcome the
Gentiles into His presence. They were so convinced of their special status in
God’s eyes that Paul needs to reiterate, again and again, that all believers
are now one body in Christ. A separation between the two groups no longer
exists. When Jesus died, every wall lost its power to divide.
God once dwelled in the temple in Jerusalem, but because
of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, the Holy Spirit now lives inside every
believer. Our bodies are the new temple. And since we are His temple, our unity
as brothers and sisters in Christ is paramount. The walls that divide us must
come down. Petty disagreements over the “things” of this world cannot and must
not come between us. Each of us must be an instrument for unity in Christ’s
holy church.
Diving Deeper
Through whom do we have access to the Father?
Where does the Holy Spirit now dwell?
What does it mean that God abolished the division between
the Jews and Gentiles? What does it say about God’s desire for unity in the
body of Christ?
The church is likened to the metaphor of a building, where
each person is a living stone and together we form the building. Christ is the
chief cornerstone, in whom all things hold together. In your own life
circumstances, when are you tempted to feel as though you’re the one who need
to hold it all together? How can you release your cares into the hands of the
One who really does hold all things together?
Write it out – Grab your journal or notebook and write out Ephesians
2:17-22, and with each word you write, ask God to show you a way you can be an
instrument of unity in your local church.
Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for
destroying the barriers that kept Your people apart. Thank you for seeing Your
people as one. Forgive me when I’m tempted to put up walls of division between
myself and others. Help me to see others as You see us all. Help me to be an instrument
of unity in my local church body. Amen.
May God give you the
Spirit of wisdom & revelation so that you may know Him better. Have an
awesome day in the Lord!! Ephesians 1:17
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
Denise J. Hughes, “Word
Writes: Ephesians”
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