14 day plan

New Beginnings

Day 13 of 14

CSB

Ephesians 2:19-20

19So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

Reflections: God’s plan of salvation may have started with Israel but it was never intended for Israel alone. It would be through Israel that he would bless every nation and gather a people for himself from every corner of the earth (Gen 12:3). God’s plan was always for world-wide worship. We Gentiles who were once excluded from God’s people have been saved into his family through his Son Jesus. Our new life is deeply connected with God’s people. Independence and individualism have no place in the Christian life. There’s simply no such thing as the lone wolf, solo flying or churchless Christian. The church is the means and goal of God’s plan of redemption. It is ground zero of his mission in the world—the epicentre of his new kingdom.

Question: Why is it so easy to think we don’t need anyone else? How are your plans to advance the gospel deeply connected with the church?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for including us Gentiles in your family. Help us keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace and celebrate our deep gospel unity in one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Amen.

© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

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Ephesians 2:1-22

From Death to Life

1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift —  9not from works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Unity in Christ

11So, then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh — called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. 12At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, 15he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. 17He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers