Moving Past Habit: From Religious Outsiders to Citizens in Christ

As we continue to read through Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, I often wonder how the very first readers received it.

You might be wondering why it’s taking us six weeks to get through just half of this letter! What was the mindset of those early believers listening to Paul’s words being read aloud in their gathering? Did they instantly understand it? Did they have a six-week study to break it all down?

The truth is, we don't know. But we do know one thing: those believers didn't have a personal copy of the scriptures. They were fortunate if their local church possessed a copy of the Old Testament. When Paul arrived in Ephesus, he didn’t bring boxes of Bibles to hand out. Instead, he went to the local synagogues, where Old Testament scrolls were kept.

Today, we have the entire, preserved Word of God right in our hands. Yet, the question remains: Do we actually read it? Do we want to know what it says, or do we just want someone to tell us what to believe?

The Danger of Civilized Christianity

In the opening of this letter, Paul reminds the Ephesians of their incredible privileges in Christ, contrasting it sharply with what their lives looked like before they believed.

When we look at our lives today, it’s easy to feel detached from their reality. We think:

• We aren't modern idol worshippers.

• We don't visit the temples of Diana or Zeus.

• We are civilized.

We live in a society founded on Christian principles, and we’ve become so comfortable that we fail to see a hard truth: Without Christ, we are just as dead in our trespasses and sins as those ancient idol worshippers.

We grow up in the church, go through baptism and confirmation, take communion, and give our offerings. But for what purpose? Is your relationship with God a vibrant reality, or is your church attendance just a habit?

Going to church, serving, and giving should never be mere habits we perform out of obligation. They should overflow from a heart of gratitude for what Jesus accomplished on the cross to make us alive.

Separated and Without Hope

Look at what Paul tells the believers next:

"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called 'uncircumcised' by those who call themselves 'the circumcision'... remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world." — Ephesians 2:11-12

Previously, Paul described the moral condition of the believers. Here, he describes their religious condition from a Jewish perspective.

The Gentiles in Ephesus were total outsiders. They were excluded from the holy community, had no part in the divine promises, and had no hope of a life to come. The phrase "without God" literally carried the weight of being godless.

"But Now" — The Ultimate Turning Point

Paul shifts the entire narrative with two of the most powerful words in scripture:

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility..." — Ephesians 2:13-14

The Miracle of Reconciled Identity

Our Former Condition	Our "But Now" Reality
Dead in trespasses and sins	Alive through the resurrection
Far away from God's promises	Brought near by the blood of Christ
Foreigners and outsiders	Fellow citizens and family members

It is entirely through the death of Christ and the shedding of His blood that our sins are forgiven. As Paul wrote to the Romans, the wages of sin is death. Christ accepted those wages on your behalf—wages He did not earn or deserve—so that you could be brought near to God.

Jesus didn't just reconcile us to God; He shattered the cultural and religious barriers between us. He took two completely separate groups—Jews and Gentiles—and created one new man out of the two, putting the old hostility to death.

Built Together as Living Stones

What is the ultimate result of this great work?

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." — Ephesians 2:19-20

You are no longer an alien with limited rights. You are a full citizen in God's kingdom and a member of His household.

Notice how God builds His church. He doesn't manufacture uniform, identical bricks. He doesn't make everyone the same. Instead, He uses us exactly as we are—shaping us into the exact size and structure needed. As Peter wrote:

"...you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood..." — 1 Peter 2:5

In the Old Testament, altars were built using natural stones of all shapes and sizes. It takes every variety of stone to create a solid structure.

We are not all the same, and we don't all have the same tasks. What matters is realizing that we were once dead, but through God's rich mercy and great love, we have been made alive.

Reflection Question

Are you treating your faith like a routine to maintain, or are you resting in your identity as a living stone uniquely chosen for God’s household? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Originally delivered 2024.01.28