Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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The Church is a divine dwelling

Bible Reading: ::Ephesians 2:19 to 22

Key verse:  

Bible Verse::21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

DEVOTION

This passage begins by dismantling the prior condition of alienation and establishing a new, privileged standing. Believers are no longer outsiders, but they are “fellow citizens with the saints” and “members of the household of God.” The term “fellow citizens” speaks to a political and communal belonging, suggesting a shared, eternal kingdom. This is complemented by the profoundly intimate title, “members of the household of God,” which places the believer within God's immediate family. This shift moves the Christian from a separated status—marked by distance and exclusion—to one of immediate intimacy and profound spiritual kinship.
To describe this new community, Paul introduces the image of a growing temple, a holy structure built for God. This metaphor immediately establishes permanence and design. The entire edifice is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,” signifying that the historical revelation of God, as recorded in Scripture, forms the unshakeable bedrock of the Church's faith and practice. However, the most critical element is the “cornerstone,” which is “Christ Jesus himself.” The cornerstone is the first and most fundamental stone laid; it determines the orientation, alignment, and stability of every subsequent stone and wall. Thus, the identity and unity of the Christian community are not based on human traditions or shifting philosophies, but are wholly contingent upon the person and work of Christ.
The stones of the building are the individual believers, who, in Christ, are “joined together” to form the structure. The use of the verbs—the structure “grows into a holy temple” and you are “being built together”—highlights that this is a dynamic, ongoing process, emphasizing Christian discipleship and communal effort. The ultimate and glorious purpose of this construction is to become a “dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” This declaration fulfills Old Testament aspirations, confirming that the physical temple is obsolete, and God's presence is now manifested in the unified community of His people, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This gives every believer and the Church collective a profound and sacred responsibility: to maintain the holiness and unity fitting for the presence of God. The image is one of a living, breathing sanctuary, constantly being perfected to host the divine.
Let's remember we are called to live as fellow citizens and family members, constantly aligned with the Cornerstone, Jesus Christ, and demonstrating unity and holiness so that the presence of God's Spirit may be visibly manifested in and through us.

PRAYER

Gracious God, we thank You that we are no longer strangers or aliens, but through the grace of Christ, we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

Thought for the DAY

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:3


Anish Thomas 
MarThoma Church of Greater Washington 

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