One in Jesus Christ

December 9, 2012 Background Scripture: Ephesians 2, 3 Lesson Passage: Ephesians 2:11 – 22 Oneness is a mystery. The core principle of marriage involves the notion of oneness—“…and they twain shall be one flesh.” It is a mystery when we acknowledge our uniqueness as individuals and then embrace the concept of two or more being knit together as one spiritually. The mystery is not that it does happen but rather a question of how does it happen? We accept that God does it but we still want to know how He does it. Inquiring minds want to know. The Apostle Paul reminds the church at Ephesus that salvation through Jesus Christ has made all Christians to be one in Him. All Christians are baptized into the spiritual body of Christ. Because Christ is one, then we too are one in Him. If we are not one then the body of Christ is divided. Prior to being saved, we were separated by nationality, religion, and lack of a covenant relationship with the one true and living God. The Gentiles were separated from the Jews. Those who were called orthodox were separated from those who were viewed as mere religious professors. The circumcised, covenant partners, were separated from those outside of the covenant of circumcision. Jesus, who is the author of the New Covenant, which is in him, removes all partitions that once caused separation between us. If we were to be reconciled to God, then it was necessary that we first be reconciled with each other. Jesus brought reconciliation by the cross in that he carried our sins, which caused the many separations, to the cross and when he died on the cross, then the body of sin died also. Having moved the partitions of separation by the cross, we are now free to be one with one another. The Spirit of Jesus Christ continuously nurtures oneness in us. All Christians have the same Spirit to guide us. It is only through the Spirit of Jesus Christ that we have access to God. Christians are knit together spiritually to form a physical house for the Spirit of God to dwell in. We are the earthly temple that God inhabits. It is not in the synagogues, churches, mosques, or any other manmade structures that God dwells. Those physical buildings are designed and built by man for man’s own pleasure and pride. Those places are dark and empty most of the time. Would God confine Himself to such a place? Would God wait quietly there in the dark and cold or heat until someone comes along and turns on the lights and heating and air units and visit Him for a brief while? That might suit many of us just fine but He would cease to be God then. God is sovereign and does not depend on anyone. God is all-powerful and speaks into existence whatever suits Him. God does not need man but man needs God. It is God’s pleasure to save us from our sins. It is God’s pleasure to knit us together in Christ and make a holy habitation for himself. This is not done out of necessity on God’s part but as a blessing bestowed on each of us by God. All of this comes about because of the finished works of Christ on Calvary. We can only accept this as individuals but once we accept it, then the individuals are all made one in Jesus Christ. Robert C. Hudson November 30, 2012