◄ What Does Ephesians 2:19 Mean? ►

The Church is the Body of Christ and can be compared with a building of living stones that is being built up and fit together in a beautiful way by the Holy Spirit, into a holy temple, a permanent dwelling place for God. The Church of Christ is made up of the family of believers that have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour and God in this dispensation (from Pentecost to the Rapture).

The Church consists of a body of believers who have become citizens of heaven by virtue of our eternal union with Christ Who is our heavenly God and glorious King of kings. This body of believers is made up of a remnant of Jewish believers in Jesus Christ together with a multitude of Gentiles who were lost in their trespasses, dead in their sins, without God as their Father, and without hope in a fallen world. But because each member of the Body of Christ trusted Jesus as Saviour, we are no longer foreigners and strangers who were eternally condemned in their sins and headed for eternal separation from their Creator, but are now fellow-citizens of heaven along with all the past Old Testament saints. We have become part of the household of faith. We have been awarded the privileges and position of children of God, by grace through faith.

Individually and corporately, all Christians are the habitation of our holy God Who has taken up permanent residence with our very bodies, and so we are no longer foreigners and strangers, but are fellow citizens with the saints and by grace are now members of God's heavenly household. Is this not the privilege of all privileges that we should be called the children of God, made joint-heirs with Christ, and be raised up to sit with Him in heavenly places as members of God's family?

Let us, in humble thanks and in His grace, devote ourselves to live our lives in the only way that will please God – walking in spirit and truth, as we discharge our daily duties to the glory of God.

Loving Father, what a gracious and generous God, to have taken me from the scrap heap of fallen humanity and welcomed me into Your family. You have showered me with such a wealth of heavenly privileges. Praise Your name forever and ever. In Jesus' name, AMEN.