Believer, you are one with Christ. You and He are united. When He saved you, He put you to rights with Himself and bonded you with God. Now that you are reconciled to God through Christ, you are also joined with fellow believers as one. You are one of God’s children, His chosen people. You have become part of Israel. 1 Peter 2:9 reads,
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
That was not always the case. At one time we were separated from God, estranged from Christ, and apart from God’s people. Ephesians 2: 12 remind us of that.
“remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”
We were alienated from the commonwealth of Israel. We had no understanding of what it meant to belong to God. We had no hope without the promise of Jesus and His new covenant, a covenant that made a new nation for God, a new Israel out of the previous one. A commonwealth is a nation or state founded on law and united by an understanding and an agreement or covenant for the common good of the people. A commonwealth does not submit to an earthly king or government. It is governed by the people. Israel, God’s chosen people was founded on God’s law and given the freedom to govern themselves. When Jesus came and made a new covenant, the foundation of law did not change it was realized and He made a way for all people to choose citizenship amongst God’s nation.
Although the laws still stand, all the intricate rules and edicts added to those laws were abolished by Christ. Even better, Jesus made it possible to follow the law which is nearly impossible to follow by simplifying it for us. He reminded us that all the laws hinge on Loving God wholly and loving others wholly. (Matthew 22:36-40).
Verses 13-16 read,
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”
Because we are able to be members of this commonwealth together, Jesus dissolved the walls that used to come between us. We are not separated by our differing cultures. Our backgrounds cannot divide us. We are a new race, God’s chosen race. We are united, wedded to one another and indivisible. When we cloud this unity by trying to rebuild the walls that Jesus destroyed, we are doing the work of the enemy. The little differences that come in and create division accomplish Satan’s desires and keep us from working toward the common good and God’s desire to bring all people to Salvation.
Keep in mind that salvation not only brings us peace with God, but it brings us peace with one another. He means for us to be united. How can we not be? We share a Father. We have a mutual King in our Lord Jesus. We have one Spirit. When you disrespect your Brother, you disregard God. You forget that His Spirit is him and insult the Lord. You are the temple of God. We are the temple of God.
God’s plan for us is communal as well. While He has very individual relationships with each of us, He has a corporate relationship with us as well. We are meant to grow together, work together, love one another, and love others together. We come from many different backgrounds but we all have the same future and same hope. Verses 17-22 read,
“And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
Don’t affront God by discounting the unison and harmony He gives us with one another. Just as we are united with God, He has bonded us to one another. So remember John 13:34-35.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”