Something New

Outline:

I. WE ARE CITIZENS OF A NEW NATION

A. A New Commonwealth

B. A New Citizenship

II. WE ARE MEMBERS OF A NEW FAMILY

A. By Regeneration

B. By Adoption

III. WE ARE STONES IN A NEW TEMPLE

A. The Foundation of the Temple

B. The Framework of the Temple

C. The Function of the Temple

Introduction

1. Throughout the Bible, you will find a number of metaphors used to describe the church. As you read the New Testament, you will find it referred to as a body, a bride, and a building. These metaphors help us to understand the nature of our relationship to our Lord and to each other.

2. As we come to verses 19-22 of Ephesians chapter 2, Paul is bringing the whole chapter to a close. Throughout the entire chapter, the Apostle has been dealing with the separation that existed between Jew and Gentile. He tells us in verses 13-18 of how Christ has done away with this separation and hostility by His death on the Cross. Now, in verses 19-20, he shows us what it means for Jews and Gentiles to have been reconciled to God and each other by Christ by using three metaphors to describe the church.

3. We’ll examine them together. My prayer is that as we do so, we will come away with a greater understanding of who we are in Christ, both in relation to God and to each other, and be moved toward greater worship and service. First, Paul tells us that...

I. WE ARE CITIZENS OF A NEW NATION

1. He writes in verse 19, “ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints.” Again, all throughout this chapter, Paul has been dealing with the national segregation that existed between Jews and Gentiles. Even in verses 1-3, the pronouns that Paul uses indicate for us that he is drawing a hard line of distinction. All the way through to verse 18, we hear of how the Gentiles are on the outside looking into the nation of Israel, they were strangers and foreigners.

2. The word translated “strangers” in verse 4 literally refers to someone who is not a citizen of a particular nation. The Gentiles were permitted passage in and out of Israel’s borders, but they were denied citizenship.

3. However, now in Christ, the Gentiles are no longer strangers, but they are “fellowcitizens with the saints.” How is this possible? There are two realities found here. First, there is...

A. A New Commonwealth

1. Paul’s words in verse 19 are interesting given the context of Ephesians 2. After all that we have heard about Jews and Gentiles, we would expect Paul to say that the Gentiles now are fellowcitizens with the Jews. However, He does not do that. He says that Gentiles are now fellowcitizens with “the saints.”

2. The word translated “saints” in verse 19 is the same word that Paul uses in chapter 1 verse 1 when he addresses the letter to the “saints which be at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.” It literally refers to all of those who have believed on Christ and have been set apart for Him, Jew and Gentile alike.

3. It is very clear that when Paul tells us that the Gentiles are now fellowcitizens with the saints, he is not speaking of the nation of Israel. He is speaking of spiritual Israel, the church. You see there is a new Kingdom, the Kingdom of God.

4. This Kingdom is new in many different aspects. For one thing, there is a new King. The Romans had a King, and his name was Caesar. The Egyptians had a King, and his name was Pharoah. But the Kingdom of God has a King and He is King of all Kings. His name is Jesus Christ.

2. As Gentiles, we have been granted access to this new Kingdom. We are no longer on the outside looking in, we are on the inside looking up. We are fellowcitizens with all the saints in the glorious Kingdom of God.

3. Secondly, this new Kingdom is new in its makeup. There is no longer Jew and Gentile, black and white, rich and poor, slave and free. We are all saints and fellowcitizens together in Christ. Sure we have distinctions. There are cultural distinctions and such. But there are no more spiritual distinctions. The ground is level here. Jew and Gentile, black and white, rich and poor, slave and free we are all one in this new Kingdom.

4. This is why racism has no place in the Kingdom of God.

5. This is why class system has no place in the Kingdom of God. We are all fellowcitizens of this new and glorious commonwealth.

There is not only a new commonwealth, but also, we have...

B. A New Citizenship

1. As children of God, we have citizenship in another country, a heavenly country.

2. Now, if you now anything about citizenship in this country, you know that there are two ways a person can be born an American citizen. You can be “born of the soil” or “born of the blood.”

3. Obviously, none of us are born of heavenly soil. However, we have been born of the blood. Our Father is a citizen of Heaven. As a matter of fact, our Father is the King of Heaven, and we through the blood of His Son have been given all the rights and privileges of citizenship in that Heavenly country.

4. As Christians, we all carry dual citizenship. I am an American and grateful for it. However, I have a citizenship that far surpasses that which I possess as an American. I am a citizen of Heaven.

5. Many have this backwards today. Many Christians are so tied to the world and its systems that they forget they have a primary citizenship in heaven.

6. We must remember, what Paul said in Philippians 3:20. “For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” In this sense, we are foreigners and strangers. That why Peter wrote in 1 Pet. 2:11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” and the writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 11:13, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

7. We might live here but we are not of here. We belong to heaven. Our citizenship is there with the saints!

Secondly, we see that we are not only citizens of a new nation, but also...

II. WE ARE MEMBERS OF A NEW FAMILY

1. Paul said that the Gentiles were no longer “strangers” but citizens. But then he tells us that we are no longer “foreigners” but “family.” The word “strangers” has to do with someone is not a citizen of a particular nation. However, the word “foreigners” has to do with someone who is a guest in a private home. They were with the family, but not part of the family.

2. However, Paul tells us that all of that has changed in Christ. Believers now are all part of God’s family, regardless of race. How so? Two ways. First, we are made part of God’s family...

A. Through Regeneration

1. Regeneration is a scary term for some people. There is much confusion and much debate regarding this doctrine such as what it is and when it occurs in the life of the believer. Put simply the term regeneration refers to the act of being born again. There are a couple of things we ought to take note of concerning this very important doctrine.

First, Regeneration is something that happens to you.

Second, Regeneration bears real change. Whereas in Adam, we were born into sin. In Christ, we are born again to holiness.

B. Through Adoption

This term “adoption” is not new to Ephesians. Paul writes in Eph. 1:5, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” When considering what adoption meant in that culture, we see that there are glorious benefits for being adopted into God’s family.

Now, wait a minute preacher. I thought you said that we were born into the family. Why do we need to be adopted.

Ill. Preacher friend debating this.

You see, the work of God is bigger than just one term. One term alone could never encompass all that God has done for us. In one sense, we are born into the family. We have been given our Father’s DNA. However, in another sense, we are just as eternally secure as an adopted child. I’m sure glad that I was born in, but I’m sure glad I was adopted as well.

Have you been born again? Adopted?

III. WE ARE STONES IN A NEW TEMPLE

Now, Paul doesn’t use the term “stones” in verses 19-20. We borrow that term from the Apostle Peter who tells us in 1 Pet. 2:5, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

However, he does speak of a temple. And one thing is for sure, its a temple that God is building.

Ill. Old Testament built by Solomon. NT Temple (Church) built by God. Matt. 16:18

Lets consider it together for a moment.

A. The Foundation of the Temple

“Apostles and Prophets”

Much confusion.

Not on Peter but on the confessional truth of Christ.

Truth is the foundation. Truth about what? Christ! Where do we get this truth! The Apostles and Prophets, The NT!

Something else is included in this foundation.

“Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone.”

1 Cor. 3:11- For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Ps. 118:22- The stone which the builders refused Is become the head stone of the corner.

B. The Framework of the Temple

God is building a temple, and He’s doing it one stone at a time.

Couple of things to note about these stones.

They are all different, but they all work together. “Fitly framed together!” Some are square and some are round. Some are big and some are small. Some are polished and some are scarred. Some are pretty, and some are....well, you get the picture. Nonetheless they are all necessary.

They are all arranged by the builder. Each stone serves a specific purpose, and that purpose is determined by the Master Architect.

They are added one stone at a time.

Ill. When you are born, you are complete. When you build a building, its one piece at a time.

C. The Function of the Temple

Eph. 2:21-22- In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

God wants to dwell in His people. The Question is, do we give Him room?

Ill. A little at the first church I pastored used to sing...

Lord prepare me/to be a sanctuary/ pure and holy/ tried and true/with thanksgiving/ I’ll be a living/sanctuary for you!

Conclusion

What about you? Are you a citizen in God’s kingdom? Are you a part of His family? Are you a stone in His temple?

If not, come to Jesus today. Let Him make something new out of you!

If you are, aren’t you grateful to be part of something new!

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009. Print.