Built Together in Christ
Built Together In Christ
Ephesians 2:11-22
The Core Problem: A "You" Only Gospel
Many of us, especially in Western cultures, read the Bible as if it's only about "me and Jesus." We see our salvation as a purely individual event.
But Paul's letter to the Ephesians reveals a bigger picture. The word "you" is almost always plural—"y'all." The gospel isn't just about a vertical reconciliation with God; it's about a horizontal transformation with each other. God isn't just saving individuals; He's building a family.
1. Remember Who You Were
Paul tells the Gentiles to remember what they were like before Christ (Eph. 2:11-12). They were:
- Without Christ
- Aliens from the community of Israel
- Strangers to the covenants of promise
- Having no hope
- Without God in the world
The point of remembering isn't shame. It's gratitude.
"You can NOT appreciate what Christ has done… until you remember… who you were before He found you."
2. What God Did In Christ
"But now," Paul says, everything has changed (Eph. 2:13). Through the blood of Christ, those who were "far off" have been "brought near."
Jesus didn't just come to bring peace—He IS our peace. He has destroyed the "middle wall of separation." This wasn't just a spiritual wall, but the very real, hostile division between Jew and Gentile, and ultimately, the wall of sin that separates us all from God.
Christ's goal was to create in Himself "one new man" from the two, reconciling them *both* to God in one body through the cross.
3. Who WE Are Now
Because of what Christ did, our identity has fundamentally changed. We are no longer strangers and foreigners. We are...
- Fellow Citizens with the saints.
- Members of God's Household—we are a family.
- A Holy Temple, "built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."
The Goal: A United Family
Why does this matter? Because God is glorified most when His new creation—the Church—displays a unity that the world can't explain.
When a saved Jew and a saved Gentile praise Jesus *together*, the glory of God resides. Our unity in Christ must run deeper than our differences. We are a new kingdom, a new nation, the body of Christ, built together for His glory.
