Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.
How Good is Our Unity?
Wouldn’t it be interesting to know how many of us are reading this on an iPhone or a Droid, a computer, or even on old fashioned paper? Honestly, I could slice and dice everyone into many different groups based on how you are reading this. It is amazing what we depend upon for a sense of unity. It is amazing how many of us have an affinity for people who use an iPhone, a Droid, or something else. While those things are not necessarily evil, the fact is that our unity is only as good as the one who unifies us.
In the book of Ephesians, there are three “fellows” worthy of consideration. The first one is found in Ephesians 2:19 where Paul says, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” He is talking about both Jews and Gentiles, two distinct groups that until Christ would have been cut off one from the other. But he says in Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” When we draw close to Christ, we draw close to those who belong to Christ. We are fellow citizens of the kingdom of God.
In Ephesians 3:6 it says, “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.” So, we are fellow heirs. We have an inheritance given to us by God and provided to us by Christ. There is enough to go around. God’s grace is not given to those who stand first in line or stiff-arm their way through life. God’s grace is given to the humble, and there is more than enough for everyone who is in God’s family. We are fellowcitizens, and we are fellowheirs.
In Ephesians 3:9 we have fellowship. It says, “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery [that Jews and Gentiles are saved by faith in Jesus Christ], which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” There are some people for whom I just have an affinity. I do love people who are skiers or hikers, people who love horses or mountains, or who like certain kinds of devices, but the bottom line is that the greatest fellowship is the fellowship we find in the Lord Jesus Christ because our unity is only as good as the one who unifies us.