Peace on Earth

A while back a member of Afriforum appeared on Fox News. And he was there to talk about the farm murders in South Africa. After explaining and defending his statistics of cases. And the real experiences of people who either survived or lost loved ones. The reporter asked him: what are you hoping to achieve in America? His answer was, if I could get America and President Trump to respond in ways such as removing funds and business to get the attention of the South African government, it will be helpful.

All to say, when the international community stops having a presence in South Africa in ways that benefit the country, this should address the issue. So in principle: America should only be among us once we live as equal citizens in love, peace and unity. Which was partially the same thing that happened under Apartheid. The international community protested the South African government in a variety of ways, such as economically and even in the sporting spheres. Making it clear, that unless there is equality in citizenship, demonstrated by love, peace and unity, they want nothing to do with the country.

And here when we look at our passage. We find a similar principle for the Ephesian church. Paul say that God dwells with his holy people on the basis that the Gentiles are “fellow” citizens and “members” of his house.

Notice, Paul uses two metaphors to express these thoughts. Firstly, a “city” with “citizens”, and secondly, a “family” with “members” in a household. None of these metaphors used to describe the Gentiles as part of God’s new humanity are independent and disconnected from Christ Jesus and his apostles and prophets. Paul says in verse 20, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. Paul said earlier in verse 15, Christ created in himself, in his one body and his own flesh a new humanity. Referring to the one people of God – the church n Christ Jesus.

And the aim is that, now in Christ Jesus, through city and family imagery, God dwells among his people – his temple. Look at verses 21-22, In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Meaning, those who are part of the city and family rises to become a holy temple for God to dwell in. So the two metaphors or imagery are two ways of saying the same thing. Which is the church in a variety of ways, both as a city and family must be so with the aim, intention, and effort to be a holy temple in the Lord and his dwelling place. And failing to function like a city and a family is failing to be God’s holy temple and dwelling place.

First Peter highlights the imagery of the church as God’s holy temple and dwelling by calling the believers “Living stones”. He says in 1:2:5, You, yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house. This means that, what is at stake by not being a city and family, open and welcoming to any ethnicity is that God finds no spiritual house among his people.

Notice verse 19, Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people…Here is the holy temple and God’s dwelling as city with citizens. The Gentiles were not only citizens but were “fellow citizens”. This means that, there is no second-class citizens in the church. But only fellow citizens. And why not? Paul just said in verse 18 that, the Gentiles, as the Jews, have access to the Father. Meaning their access to the Father in heaven secures their citizenship on earth. Pauls says in Philippians 3:20 says that, Our citizenship is in heaven. So there is no second-class citizens in heaven and neither should there be on earth in the church. God dwells among his people as citizens on the basis of equality in heaven and earth. As a Christian you are certified to be citizen of God’s church, as much as anyone else who put their faith in Christ.

Pay attention, to how Paul says in verse 19, “Fellow citizens with God’s people”. Paul includes more than just the Jewish Christians or Gentiles in Ephesus at the time. He is talking about all Christians of all time – dead or alive. This points out the scope of God’s salvation plan for the Gentiles in Christ. Their citizenship with all the people of God extended far beyond when the holy Spirit came upon them. Instead their citizenship stretches all the way to God’s covenant with Abraham, that he will be the Father of many nations. Meaning, the Gentiles was not God’s plan B or his afterthought. The Gentiles may have joined tin the citizenship late. But they were always invited to be fellow citizens with all God’s people. Paul emphasizes this in chapter 3:5, This was not made known to people in other generations, but has now been revealed by the Spirit. What God always intended to be, have now been revealed by the Spirit. On this basis of faith, the Gentiles are equal citizens with the rest of Christian believers.

No one who loves and cherishes Christ as their Savior and Lord should doubt their citizenship with God’s holy people merely because they do not look or sound a certain way. In the church there is not a group of citizens and another group of refugees. There are only citizens with one another. In the English Speaking world we say: Praise God and in the Russian world ‘slava bogo’, but it’s still one citizenship with whom God dwells.

Further in verse 19, we read, You are fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household. God’s church is a household. Paul says to Timothy, people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God (1 Tim 3:15). Here we have the picture of a family. The Gentile Christians was now family with the Jewish Christians. And together with all believers – both dead and alive. Where the city imagery pointed to equality because of Paul’s use of the word “fellow”. His family imagery points out the intimacy the Gentiles had with the Jewish believers and the rest of God’s children, because of the word “members”. Paul describes this kind of family intimacy in Galatians 6:10 saying, As we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people especially to those who belong to the family of believers. God’s household is a family of believers in heaven and on earth who does good to one another. And Hebrews says, Jesus is the older brother.

In other words, you and I do not only belong like citizens in a city. We also belong like members in a family or household. Many people stop at the citizen level. But we must realize that as God’s holy people we are called to be more than just citizens. We are called to be family. To be citizens is only the first step which keeps us distant from one another. But to be family is a bond far more intimate as achieved in Christ Jesus. God is all about family, the biological family, yes. But even more so, the spiritual family. God dwells with his family in peace, love and unity. And they with one another. Unfortunately, where there is ethnical tension and exclusion in the family, God is not pleased to dwell.

Notice verse 20, how the Gentiles’ equal citizenship and intimate family ties with all believers as God’s temple came about. Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. Christ is the Cornerstone of the ‘city of citizens’ and of ‘the family or ‘household of members’. 1 Peter 2:6 calls him, “A precious Cornerstone…who brought about “A chosen people, a royal priesthood and a holy nation”. This means that Christ squares and stabilizes the city and family as cornerstone. And the people with whom Christ started were the prophets and apostles who served as his foundation of citizenship and membership. The Gentiles heard the divine revelation of Jesus as the cornerstone and as preached by the apostles and prophets. That he will build his church on the basis of faith, not on the basis of facial features.

In other words, the Gentiles citizenship and membership to the family of all believers as God’s temple and dwelling place, dead and alive. This was not built on the temporary regulations of the law that applied to the Jews. On the contrary, their membership and citizenship was far more profound. Jesus Christ as cornerstone drilled them deep into himself starting with the apostles and them preaching the Scriptures. Paul warns the Corinthians from sexual immorality in 1 Corinthians 6:15, saying Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself. Paul says further, and temples of the Holy Spirit.

Notice further in verse 21-22, the “Joining/built together in him” phrase. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Christ the cornerstone by death and resurrection, and the apostles by preaching Christ joins and built the Gentiles together into the city, family, and finally temple of God. S that God can dwell with them, not for who they are in themselves. But by who Christ is in himself in bringing them together.

And here we should realize that we are dealing with stakes far higher than when the international community didn’t want to be among South Africans because of Racism. Here we are dealing with God. He dwells with his church as far as they are citizens and family, and his holy temple. If they fail to be his holy temple, by being fellow citizens and family, it is safe to assume he finds no pleasure in dwelling with them.